My first CDP Post, May 30, 2006

This is the first photo I posted on my blog in 2006, 7 years and 1 month ago!  Go here to see what camera I was using at that time . . . pretty unbelievable!  The times they are a-changin'- - - the CDP group is very different now than it used to be: much larger and widespread, I miss some of the early bloggers, have met in the flesh a number of bloggers over the years (some who are still in the group and others who have left for one reason or another) and have enormously enjoyed "meeting the new arrivals." There are many more whom I would like to meet on their home turf, but unless I win the lottery it is just a fantasy and magical thinking.

 I've changed cameras, but haven't improved my technique and skills as much as I would like. . .that's next on the agenda.

My many thanks go out to all of you who have visited often, or occasionally, or just lurk. I've had a great 7 years and I thank you all for your attention, good humor and photographic fellowship!!

Sometimes it's a good idea to shop when hungry.  Here George is preparing and distributing samples of  lobster tail.  Was pretty good!

No Ants!

A beautiful white peony with no ants!

Free Spirit

A free spirit at the community garden at Becketwood on West Mississippi Boulevard

Xanadu-ABC Wednesday "X"

Xanadu?

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan

A stately pleasure-dome decree :

Where Alph, the sacred river, ran

Through caverns measureless to man

Down to a sunless sea. (lines 1–5)

It wouldn't take much imagination to pretend that this could be the palace of Kubla Khan that Samuel Taylor Coleridge described in his poem, Xanadu.  It also wouldn't take much imagination after reading the entire poem to believe that the poet was probably smoking something and living in another world.

To see more "X" ABC Wednesday posts, go here.

X-TRA helping hand-ABC WEDNESDAY "X"

Gives a helping hand

To artisans around the globe

Shop and buy to help

Ten Thousand Villages Gives a Helping Hand 
Ten Thousand Villages is a nonprofit fair trade organization that markets handcrafted products made by disadvantaged artisans from more than 120 artisan groups in more than 35 countries.

As one of the world’s largest and oldest fair trade organizations,Ten Thousand Villages has spent more than 65 years cultivating long-term buying relationships in which artisans receive a fair price for their work and consumers have access to unique gifts, accessories and home décor from around the world. 

(Credit: Wikipedia)

To learn more about Ten Thousand Villages, go here.

To see more ABC WEDNESDAY posts from bloggers around the world, click here.

Cleaning Up!

Short storm wasn't kind

Strong with destructive results

Clean-up continues

Look at that root system!

Cleaning Up!

Any Buyers?

Two houses damaged 

Wind and rain last Friday night

Will the house be sold?

Sadie Snoozing

Snoozing on the perch

Sadie,  our hell-raising parrot

Sometimes quite content

To see more Camera Critters, click here.

Downtown Reflections

Downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota

To see more Friday Week-end Reflections, go here.

Elements

Earth, Air, Water, Fire, and Spirit

The earth upon which we travel often takes many forms and shapes,

Often intermingling with water and vegetation.

The cleansing air of the Carolina LowLands

Along with the blazing fire of the setting sun

Brightens the marshes with a golden glow at sunset.

One's soul cannot help but sing in the spirit of the 

Summer Solstice.

The Summer Solstice

Each year, the timing of the solstice depends on when the Sun reaches its farthest point north of the equator. This occurs annually on June 20 or June 21 in North America, depending on your time zone.

The word solstice is from the Latin solstitium, from sol (sun) andstitium (to stop), reflecting the fact that the Sun appears to stop at this time (and again at the winter solstice).

To see more entries for the Festival of the Solstice, go here.

Walgreen's Wellness Team-ABC WEDNESDAY "W"

 This group of licensed pharmacists and students interviewed me as part of a team that offered a service provided by Walgreens Drug.  I use Walgreens because just about anywhere I travel in the US I can get my prescriptions filled automatically. Recently I got a call describing a service that offers a counseling review, based upon my prescription records with the store. Usually I always double check when a prescription is filled to see if it's compatible with other meds or over-the-counter pills I may be taking at the time because I feel that the pharmacists have current knowledge and information.  I wasn't disappointed with this group: efficient, knowledgeable and personable.

To see more "W" posts, go here.

The Weavers-ABC WEDNESDAY "W"

The weavers and the rugs (and you thought this was going to be about music!) 

These two Carmelite Monks from Annunciation Hermitage in Austin, MN had a booth at the St. Anthony Park Art Festival where they  sold their handwoven rugs. I bought a 72 inch black, white, and muted-gray/blue rug for our front entrance hall. It looks quite a bit like the rug on the rack. At the monastery the monks also sell soap, Carmelite coffees, and home made preserves.

You must give yourselves to work of some kind… Rule, chapter 20

Annunciation Hermitage is a community of Carmelite Brothers who strive to live the contemplative aspect of the Carmelite charism. This entails a life of liturgical and contemplative prayer, study of Sacred Scripture, manual labor and communal fraternity. To learn more about the Annunciation Hermitage, the monks, and their work, go here.

To see more ABC WEDNESDAY posts, go here.

The End!

This is the the end of the series of photos of the Sway Pole Dancers.  She is getting "undressed" to shimmy down the pole. Note the apparatus that helps stabilize the performer during the act. 

Our Father's Day

It may not belong to our family, but it expresses our sentiments perfectly!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, JIM!!

Ever Watchful

This handsome Great Dane was standing on a porch, watching the parade on Grand Ole' Days.

To see what others have posted for Camera Critters today, click here.

 A face in the crowd, camera in hand watching the festivities.

Performing

Performance above the heads of the crowd

Versatile Woman-Versatile Wardrobe!-ABC WEDNESDAY "V"

Getting Dressed for the Swoon Pole Dance: who/what is more versatile, the actor or the wardrobe? See yesterday's post to see how she was dressed as she shimmied up the pole to get to the very small platform.

To see more "V" post for ABC WEDNESDAY, go here.

Vigor and Verve

Assessing the equipment and height, the actors get ready to ascend the pole.

To learn more about this performance, go here.

Check here to see more ABC Wednesday "V" posts.

Only a Viewer

 As I watched the set-up for the performance, I was indeed happy that I was a viewer rather than a performer. The actors, or should they be described as acrobats and dancers, have to have a great deal of confidence in the people who set the stage for their sway pole dances. Hang on, the performers will appear tomorrow!

Identity?

Who are these lovely people?  Come back tomorrow to find out! For the next few days I'm going to give you a real treat, and if you're an Aussie, you'll be especially interested!

Female Cardinal-Camera Critters

I LOVE this oil painting on linen by Minneapolis artist Eric Cornett!  If I had $1,600 dollars to spare, I'd buy it! Notice please that it is of a FEMALE Cardinal instead of a showy male.  It is so beautiful in reality!!

Too bad I did not win the recent 500 million dollar lottery.

To see more Camera Critters, go here.

Hospitality at the St Anthony Park Art Fair

The annual St. Anthony Park Art Fair is a small and manageable size but with a lovely selection of juried craftware--it's really one of the best in the Twin Cities.  In front of the Lutheran Church on Como Avenue chairs and tables with floral centerpieces were set up with free coffee, water, and chocolate chip cookies.  We were browsing the Fair for several hours and this lovely woman never ran out of cookies as she greeted passersby!  I wish the Fair lasted more than one day!!

A Delicacy

$16.00 a pound

Unicorn? No!-ABC WEDNESDAY "U"

Cafe Latte on Grand Avenue in St. Paul regularly exhibits art of local artists.  This one caught my eye.  It may not be a unicorn but it is lovely!

To see more ABC WEDNESDAY posts, please go here.

Unique Library-ABC WEDNESDAY "U"

I rode by this Little Free Library on my bicycle recently and was delighted to see that the home owner added a bench for readers' convenience.  I found a book, will go back to donate a few more, and will leave a thank you note for the person who is providing this for the neighborhood.

History: Little Free Libraries are a community movement in the United States and worldwide that offers free books housed in small containers to members of the local community. They are also referred to as community book exchanges, book trading posts, pop-up libraries, and Noox (Neighbourhood bOOk eXchange), amongst other terms.

The idea was popularized in Hudson, Wisconsin (one of our neighbors) when Todd Bol mounted a wooden container designed to look like a school house on a post on his lawn as a tribute to his mother, who was a book lover and school teacher. Bol shared his idea with his partner Rick Brooks who found many efficient ways to spread the word, and the idea spread rapidly. Library owners can create their own library box, usually about the size of a doll house, or purchase one from the website. Libraries may be registered for a fee and assigned a number at the organization's website. Libraries can be found through their GPS coordinates. 

To see more ABC WEDNESDAY posts, go here.

Stockholm Village Hall

Our favorite one-day road trip runs along the Mississippi River on the Wisconsin side.  Stockholm is a small village (year-round population is 66)  with a big history.  The Village Hall is Stockholm's first concrete building that was erected in 1912 as Martin Larson's grain and livestock brokerage office.  Far and away the wealthiest man in town, Larson also owned Stockholm's first automobile and sold Reos and Fords.  On his death in 1917, the village purchased the office building for its public meetings.  The facade is a startling bright lemon yellow with bright blue trim. . . quite a sigh but quite Swedish!

1906:REO-(Credit for image: http://jliptrap.us/Reo.htm) 

The Beauty of Decay #2

The Beauty of Decay-June, 2013 Theme

The Beauty of Decay

To see more photos that show the Beauty of Decay, go here.