ancient playground

January 17, 2012 in exploring nature, little bird, mighty, winter | 4 comments

Oh the cold!  It’s COLD.  Really, really cold.  But I’ll take it if it means crystal-clear bluebird skies.  The forecast calls for 35 below wind chills all this week.  I’m fairly certain Lola and I will just hang out inside, make granola and curl up next to the window to watch the pretty sky, she with her sock monkey, me with my book.  Not a bad life, no.

We’ve been watching a lot of movies lately, with the darkness and the cold. One can only play so many Scrabble games… so they say.  I haven’t reached my limit yet.
Another Earth: mildly depressing, but interestingly twisted and unique.
The Debt: Helen Mirren.  She is hot.  That is all.
Cowboys and Aliens: don’t laugh… it really was good! As Brian said, why can’t aliens visit any time period they like?
The Future: quirky, but my kind of movie.  And I love the talking cat (I however will not recommend The Beaver–psychotic talking puppet!).
McCabe and Mrs. Miller: recommended by a new friend, I can’t believe I lived my whole life without seeing this movie. A soundtrack by Leonard Cohen and the dark, damp mood of the Gold Rush days. Seriously good.

Perhaps I have mentioned this before, but my favorite movie of all time is Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Did you know there was a sequel? I’m a little slow when it comes to all things that cable television tells people.  I didn’t know. Turns out I didn’t miss much because Blackthorn was a huge disappointment. There is really nothing like an original (and who can hold a candle to Paul Newman or Robert Redford?).

Totally unrelated except to prove that I have also spent a good amount of time not watching movies, these pictures are from a little exploration we took in the woods on Friday. Mighty was still home “sick” (though his fever broke the night before and he was dying to go climb some trees).  This was before the deep freeze, with little wind and a warm sunny, winter glow.

gold ridge

January 12, 2012 in alaska, brian, hiking, summer | 6 comments

Poor Micah is home today with a very awful stomach thing. We had a pretty eventful evening when he suddenly threw up (all over me) and then (seriously) about 30 more times throughout the night.  Poor guy.  Today will be a restful day inside with some chicken soup simmering. Just as well as the wind is tearing through the treetops and the rain continues to beat out the snow.

I think the winter is finally messing with my body and I am just really ready for spring… and I know it’s too early to be feeling this way.  We could still have another five months of this. So… thinking about happy things!  Like this date hike Brian and I took on Gold Ridge last July, just the two of us. We had a few hours’ window in the evening so we took the Mount Robert’s Tram up to shave a few miles off the trek.  We had the best time and it was an incredibly beautiful night (night!). Oh to feel that warm sun again.

I have serious vertigo being up this high. The cliff on the right side of the photo goes straight down to the basin… Not my favorite part of the hike, but exhilarating once it’s over. 

One of the many marmots we saw (and heard). They’re talkative little fellows.

Snow in July… funny now that it seemed like such a novelty then!

Looking back toward the Juneau Ice Fields.

 I have to give Brian major props… he just had a huge career accomplishment after working incredibly hard for years. He makes a girl proud.
I knew 2012 was going to be a good year.

sensory

January 10, 2012 in exploring nature, little bird, snow, winter | 4 comments

I had a moment over the holidays where, out of nowhere, I was overtaken by the smell of a memory from my childhood.  It’s a familiar smell that returns easily, but this time it struck me that I could single out all the nuances and hints of this and that. The flavors that make up the whole.  The crunchy, dry magnolia leaves littering the sides of the walk in the backyard. The beach brought into the basement, carried in by toys, towels and the glittering mica stuck to wet feet after a barefoot walk in the sand. My grandma’s lipstick.

This moment has been with me since and I am enjoying dissecting more little memories that randomly strike.  It also has me noticing more in the present. My current experiences and the pieces that make them good or bad. It’s a fun little exploration of the senses and the ego. I like being an observer.

Lola and I went for a walk yesterday. There was very little to explore by way of smell as it was incredibly, bone-chillingly windy. The cold wind was too much and had me holding my breath for fear of the chill the air would bring to my lungs. So we both relied on our other senses to develop the adventure… and it was a beautiful day to see.

 

 

2012

January 6, 2012 in family, friends, holidays | 1 comment

One of the last days of 2011, I went to see a massage therapist. He did some pressure point tricks (to get rid of headaches). I think it magically gave me a better attitude.  Which I so needed for the new year.

2012 is here. The holidays were really good. Really good and relaxing, mellow.  I am very much looking forward to a new journey.  I have big plans for this year, even if they are just working on seeing something pretty every day.

I’m, once again (after casting it aside in 2009 when we moved across the country), going to attempt project 365… with a bonus day for leap year. Project 366.  Some of it will be private, so if you see a day or two missing, that’s why.  Join me, if you like!  It’s never too late.

I have a million posts that I’ve started over the last few months, when I’ve been MIA here. But I’m just going to scratch them and start over.  It’s a good time for that.  Clean slates and all.

New Year’s Eve, with friends:

happy 2012, friends.

winter skies

December 10, 2011 in winter | 12 comments

It’s almost solstice and we are seeing less and less of the sun. Though lately, the few hours of daylight have been truly spectacular… if you can manage to catch them.    

And these winter skies could only bring beauty for the ground, too. Momentarily at least.  The thing about here is that it’s winter one day and just plain old Juneau the next. Snow, rain, snow, rain. It’s a rain spell now but I’m hoping for a white Christmas.

thank you!

December 2, 2011 in art, christmas, crafty | 14 comments

A big thank you to everyone who supported me before, during and after Public Market!  I think, for my first venture out in to the world of selling my photography, that it went surprisingly well.  Not only was it exciting, but being part of a community of artists, vendors and people who have a passion about what they are doing, was an incredibly rewarding experience.  There is something truly beautiful about the honest, humble presentation of handmade creations exposed to the public’s critique.  And then to have someone actually LIKE what you do and have it become a part of their own home or gifted out–wow!  That is so cool.  I love that I can help bring someone a smile, or a glimpse of their hometown, or whatever that connection may be.

So!  Thank you!  I truly appreciate all of your support.  And for those of you who have asked, I do plan to set up an Etsy shop.  I’m still trying to unpack the boxes of my booth and catch up on all the household chores that were neglected in my frenzy to prepare for market.  However, on my list, and soon, is to open up that shop.  Stay tuned and I’ll give you an update.

public market

November 20, 2011 in art, crafty | 14 comments

Well hello.  It’s been awhile.  But I’ve been up to stuff.  You know, life.  And getting a business license and connecting with my maker side.  It’s been really, really good.  I hadn’t felt very creative over the last year or so, but I found myself suddenly in the throngs of a primal need to be creative.  So I’ve been home a lot, and at the craft store… everyday.

The unusual thing is, I haven’t really been taking pictures.  Mostly because I dropped the old Nikon D70 and broke the trusty 18-70mm lens.  Yep. And also because it seemed more important to just be doing something, rather than documenting the entire process (with a few exceptions here and there… I mean, I really love to take pictures).

So all this fun work has been with a goal in mind.  My amazingly talented friend, Amy, and I are going to have a joint booth at the Juneau Public Market (a three day gigantic local holiday craft fair and the reason I would never leave town over Thanksgiving) .  I’m incredibly excited (and honored) to be partnered with Amy and her gorgeous Fog and Fern Jewelry.

Here’s a little sampling of the pieces with which I’ll be setting up shop.

prints in repurposed frames

 I’m really excited about the cards.  The quality of the paper and the image is exactly how I’d hoped.

holiday greeting cards

variety of themed greeting cards and postcards

 gift tags

And more…

I wish you all could come enjoy the craftiness and ingenuity of my fellow Alaskan makers at Public Market.  It really is an inspiring and jovial event–a real kick off to the holidays.  So for all you locals, after you’ve devoured your leftover turkey and cranberry sandwich on Friday, come see me and Amy!  We will be there Friday through Sunday (11/25-27) in the Annex at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center.  Somewhere in the middle.  See you there…

 

 

instagram love

September 5, 2011 in photography techniques | 13 comments

I’m addicted to Instagram.  It’s been such a fun way to explore photos in a new light.  Snapping a picture and then thinking about crops and edits–something I never do with my DSLR shots.  I occasionally do some editing in iphoto, but most of my photos are straight outta the camera.  So this is new and exciting to me.  I’ve always loved my iphone, but this is the one little thing that has made me want to keep it in my pocket forever and ever.  I now just might have to learn how to use photoshop someday.  Oh the possibilities!

Here’s some of my favorite shots.

Are you on Instagram?

 

 

 

humpies at the harbor

September 2, 2011 in exploring nature, harbors, salmon, wildflowers | 1 comment

Yesterday brought us a very unexpected and very welcomed day of sun. Oh sun!  At this time of year, that encounter is like sipping on a glass of honied Kentucky bourbon. You know that feeling.  Just warming. It’s is still high enough in this Alaskan sky to cozy everything up in its brief appearance.  I’d planned to clean out the basement… but yeah, that didn’t happen.  Micah and Lola took me for a late afternoon walk at Statter Harbor.  This is what we saw…

Lots of pink salmon. Also called humpies (which makes me snicker for some silly reason) because of the big humpback the males develop during the spawning migration. These are near the end of their journey. It was incredibly beautiful.

And some bonus sunny harbor pictures. Kind of reaffirms why I love it here so much.

looking toward Mt. McGinnis and the majestic Mendenhall Towers

throwing salmon roe to the fish and seagulls

Today it’s back to grey, wet skies. Guess the basement will get cleaned after all.

lucky

August 26, 2011 in juneau, little bird | 10 comments

It’s been so nice to have some solo time with my girl again.  She has such an assertive personality around her brothers (naturally), but when she is alone with me, a whole different attitude comes out… she acts like such a big kid!  So sweet and full of stories.

Yesterday, we went downtown to have lunch and a walk with Daddy.  We walked down Basin Road to Perseverance Trailhead, got a hot chocolate and goofed around at the old Capital School.  We rarely go into town to explore, and even though it’s a relatively small downtown, she appeared so wide-eyed and bewildered.  You’d think I took her to Manhattan.  Except that one end of town had  us along a creek in the mountains watching gold panners and the other had the capitol building and a few massive cruise ships.

She kept telling me, “I’m such a lucky girl!”  I’m such a lucky girl to get a hot chocolate! I’m such a lucky girl to be alone with you and Daddy!  I’m such a lucky girl to get a lollipop from Daddy’s office!  I’m such a lucky girl that it’s a beautiful day! I’m the lucky one, sweet Lola.  I “lud” you.

I also really love our little downtown. Isn’t it pretty?

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