Herb garden

My big accomplishment of the weekend was to plant this herb garden. The rosemary bush is obviously well established but I had to cut it back like an enormous bonsai tree to allow sunlight to reach the new plants. I've spent this week out in the garden building up that brick wall to make a raised bed. I cleaned, carried, and placed the top two rows of bricks. Then we went to the store and got 12 bags of soil and all these little herb plants! I filled in the bed with the soil and planted the herbs. I hope that at least something lives so I don't lose heart all together.

Morning

Yesterday it was evening light that drew me outside. Today it was early morning light. I slipped outside in my pjs to photograph our cherry tree.

Cherry Blossoms

The cherry tree bloomed so much later this year because of all the cold. But this evening, the light looked so pretty.

Quilt

I brought home a new (to me) old quilt that my Grandmother made. I loved the hot pink color. It smells a little bit like old quilt though so I hung it out on the line in the sun. What's notable about this is that it's the first day I've been able to hang anything on the line! Of course, I had to run out and rescue it later in the day from a rainstorm.

Detroit to Seattle

Detroit Airport, my favorite connecting airport, flying Frontier for the first time. Up in the sky somewhere. Seattle airport, waiting to be picked up, I photographed this structure for all the lines.

Washington, DC

Just after take-off. I am headed home.

Washbowl and Pitcher Set

I love this washbowl and pitcher set that is in my mother's guest room. She always refers to it that way too, "washbowlandpitcherset", like it was all one word. It came from the home of an old lady who lived in the town where my mother was a child. The story is that this old lady made a deal with my grandmother that if she died first, she would leave my grandmother the washbowl and pitcher set, but if my grandmother died first she would leave the old lady her ironing board! When she died, and the will was read, she had left this to my grandmother as promised.

Geraniums

Another take on the woods, and the geraniums that my mom and I planted today. We went to Home Depot to buy plants (and a guy there complimented me on my tattoo, which I loved). We came home and planted all these flowers on the deck and saved/trashed some more houseplants indoors. It reawakened my love of gardening and my need to get my hands dirty so I think I will look into planting something when I get home.

Hippy Cat

An abstract suits her anyways since she hates to have her picture taken.

Aunt Lelia

My Aunt is about to turn 100 years old on May 19th. I love to visit her and I wish I could be there on her big birthday but I will have to settle for this trip a few weeks early. She is the only person in my family to have reached the age of 100. She has lived in this home (this is the back porch) since 1955 or 56. She was married to my Uncle for over 65 years until he died and now she takes flowers from their yard to his grave. She was 28 years old when my mother was born on her birthday that they now share, so my mother has known her probably longer than she has known any other person. She talks all the time and has a fantastic accent. She still likes to fix her hair and put on lipstick if she knows people are coming over. She follows politics and Redskins football. She never wants me to photograph her but she seemed slightly more at ease since I took these images on my phone instead of with my camera.

Aunt Lelia's House

As I usually do when I make it back home, I went to visit my Aunt Lelia today. I love her house because it is so quirky and kitschy and cute and it hasn't changed too much in the 30+ years I've been going there. It's like the quintessential "Grandma's House". She loves chickens and roosters and collects them in all forms. She loves to feed the birds and the squirrels. The sign is from the country home that my Uncle had built, my mother was born in, and my Aunt and Uncle lived in for many years when they were retired.

Green

The woods where I grew up, as seen from my parents' bedroom window. I feel like I would recognize every part of it.

Orange

Yeah, I am SOOOOO not going to eat that. I am off on a cross-country flight to visit my mom. This day one year ago, she had come here to visit me.

Spring?!

It's finally starting to feel and look a bit like Spring but it's too little too late if you ask me.

Orange Sofa

I finally bit the bullet and decided it was time to recover the orange sofa. This sofa has been orange plaid my entire life. It will now be recovered in the green and blue swirl fabric that Mushroom is testing out. It will be kind of sad for me to see the orange plaid go. I may continue to call it the orange sofa anyways because I've called it that for 30+ years. I think it will look very pretty in the new fabric though.

Beach

Working on a Sunday is kind of a bummer. But at least my work took me to the beach on the nicest day we've had so far this Spring (though it wasn't really that nice).

Self-Portrait with Fergus

Lately he has taken to sitting on our shoulders. I wish it was something we could train him to do on command, and he get a bit more comfortable with.

Fergus

Gin Gimlet

Out to a new bar that I hadn't tried before. I liked it very much at first. But by the time my girlfriend and I were done chit chatting and catching up, the clientele had become impossibly hipster and I don't know if I can stand to return there ever again.

Scratch

I couldn't resist the expression.

Green Lake

A quick and totally spontaneous walk at Green Lake tonight. More phone shots before we headed to Pies and Pints to go out with some new acquaintances. I think it's doing a pretty good job, all things considered.

Reflection

Lunch

I am eating a la mediterranean today.

Eagle

I took this shot tonight on our evening walk mostly because we have done nothing but watch the live streaming webcam from the nest of the Decorah Eagles hatching their three babies! We've seen the Eagle parents take turns sitting on the eggs (and then on the babies). We've seen them bring back all kinds of food and then gently feed it to the babies. We can't pull ourselves away and I don't think it's something we will ever forget.

Lines

And this abstract out the front window too.

Crack

I have to say, I rather like this shot of the log taken on my phone today.

J at Screen Door

I love love love this photograph ofJ. We went out to dinner at Screen Door and the restaurant was dark but window light was hitting his face. It looks great in color too but I liked this black and white version. Screen Door has fantastic boneless fried chicken, and all kinds of good southern food. But unfortunately we were unable to reign in our appetites and we both left feeling like we needed to be rolled home. Too much. Too much. Still, I love when unexpected places and evenings result in great portraits.

Portland

J and I have gone to Portland for my last tattoo session. We get to spend the night in a downtown hotel so it feels like a mini getaway even though it's just one night and just to Portland, not my absolute favorite city.

Drink

I had a terrible day at work today. Probably one of the worst so far, ever. There was a lot of crying and talk of quitting. J listened very well and then came home and made me an enormous, magically refilling, cocktail. I had a very big headache the next day but I felt a bit better about my work. This was the only photo of the day that was printable.