Non-Blue Berries

Of Best Buds and Ice Cream Cones

My daughter and one of her best friends, who is wearing the Bridget Hat that I made for her last Christmas. She has great taste...

"I love you, Ice Cream Cone..." said the boy who would not share his cone with his hungry mama.

I Followed My Nose...

along a trail near my house today.

I saw pretty colors

with my girls

and Pip.

Urban Dare Race 2011

This year we were the Beverly Clairebillies. We dressed up as (you guessed it) hillbillies, complete with overalls, straw, freckles, and chickens. We saw some new downtown sites...
and reached the finish line in 3 hours and 23 minutes.
The weather was spotty all day - cloudy, cold, and sporadically rainy, we were very happy that we did better than last year. My IPhone definitely helped. I just hope next year, they don't make us do another wheelbarrow challenge (I hate those!)

Out?

Kitschy?

kitsch Derived from the German verkitschen etwas, kitsch means to 'knock something off'. Today it is synonymous with objects of bad taste that are so bad they're good in an ironic way. In the fifties and sixties kitsch was - and still is - highly collectable. Kitsch can be anything from flying ducks to Tretchikoff paintings and Elvis toilet roll holders. - from World of KitschIs this kitschy? I don't know. I think it is more cheeky, humorous, witty, maybe a bit contradictory, sarcastic, and a bit unexpected (actually, I found it a lot unexpected, which is probably why it made me Laugh Out Loud when I saw it).

Actually, it is sardonic. I found the dictionary meaning of sardonic - Adj. characterized by irony, mockery, or derision, from the World English Dictionary - a little negative.

Ironic, isn't it?

All that sparkles...

At the Lampost

Of Shoes Squared

I think children's shoes are charming. They are so cute, some of them miniature versions of an adult's shoe except that they are made with velcro or buckle straps, the latter allowing the user to take them on and off by himself. Even the signs of wear, like the scuff marks and worn treads are endearing, symbols of growing independence. I still have my daughter's first pair of sandals and the patent leather tap shoes that she wore 4 times (you would never know it).

I noticed my son's shoes this morning next to the back door. He left them there yesterday when he came in. After he took them off, I whisked him away for his bath. He had been channeling his inner Julian Beever in the backyard and he was covered in pink and yellow chalk.

I took several pictures using several lenses and film to see which combination would give me the look that I wanted. I enjoyed seeing them in a group, so I thought I would share them with you.

Enjoy!

What I did this morning

At first I thought that I would be posting about the Farmer's Market. However, I got there too early; although it was nice not to have to knock heads with people over the fresh produce, there wasn't the feeling of a bustling market that I had hoped to capture.

I swung by a little town nearby that has quaint little shops on a little street. I parked, got my cameral ready, and stepped out of my car. I started to take pictures of the buildings when I heard a rooster. Could it have been this one? He surely looks like he is strutting his stuff!
How could I have forgotten? Chickens! A whole flock of them were meandering around, owning the street. Since moving subjects are infinitely more interesting (although more challenging) to photograph, I spent a good part of an hour following the feathered residents around. I would like to report that they were very accommodating....

Except maybe this one...I think he was making himself bigger to scare me away...
This one is waiting til the coast is clear to cross the street.

It was such a fun morning! Maybe I should visit a farm next...

Benched

We had a family outing today at a local park. While strolling around, I noticed the benches and they kept grabbing my attention, so I decided that would be theme for the set of pictures today. However, there is one in this group that does not have a bench. Do you know which one it is?