Art Party!

Ked and friends

SO last night I went to the book release party for "&", which was also the release party for Copper Nickel #8 and a benefit to support the New Orleans Public Library rebuilding fund. The book is tiny and gorgeous, a fitting debut for the newborn Counterfeit Press. I was pleased as punch (whatever that means) to meet several contributors to the book (&), and other Lomographers, as well as Nancy Missbach who produced 57 hand-bound copies of "&".

The release party was held at Matter Studio, just across the street from Coors Stadium, where a game was going on. (Baseball, I think??) This made the parking situation and traffic pretty horrendous, but it also graced us with fireworks. The final crescendo was so loud that I started to feel slightly sickened by it because I thought, "This must be what it sounds like to be in a war zone."


I took quite a few mediocre-to-poor shots of the fireworks. Then I started playing around with the focus ring and really had fun shooting these abstract/de-constructed fireworks shots. Okay, I know. They are just way out of focus, but I like them so much more this way. I'm posting them in a small size, but just click to make big. They look way better like that.






I found out that in Denver there are people who will agree to teach you to silk-screen, after you totally back them into a corner and impose your conversation-starved self on them. Crystal's Etsy shop is here. And there are people who will chivalrously take it upon themselves to walk you to your car, parked 6 blocks away across from the Greyhound bus station. And others I didn't get a chance to talk to but who were ready with a smile & a handshake. Such lovely, friendly and talented folks. Thanks for the welcome, ya'll!

Just now

Sugarbear came knocking on the back door to give me a golf ball she found in the yard. Just before she dashed off again, I asked her what she wanted me to do with it. She said "Just put it in the trash. No, give it back to whoever it belongs to.". I said I didn't know who it belonged to. To which she replied, "Just ask everyone in Colorado.".

just a few things to mention

1. Saturday was a day for the playground, where we saw some live insect action.
Junebug said, "Wow. It's like a circus trick!"



2. Yesterday we went back to RMNP to see some Elk. And some elk we saw, in abundance. They seemed really bored, like supermodels posing for the cameras.

from "&"

3. This Friday my friend Ked is celebrating the publication of his book "&" which is a photography and poetry project. Big Party! I get to see the book! Plus, I even get 2 free ones because, get this: I'm in it! Just a little bit, but still. See, this book is all about collaborations via double exposures. All the photos are doubles, and the poetry as well. Cool, huh? I think the poetry happened sort of the same way the photos did. One person did their thing, then sent the film/poem on to someone else who added their stuff over/under/in-between the original layer. I can't wait to see it. And if anyone wants a copy, just let me know! I'm not sure how that will work yet, but I will find out on Friday, if not before. You can see another one of the images from the book at Ked's blog, as well as read more about the book. Very exciting, ya'll.

Here is a shot Ked & I did together last year>


You can see more at my Flickr, and at his Flickr. Ked is also at kekida.

partakable

This morning it was 50 degrees. Right now it is down to 85 degrees, after reaching the low 90's. I'm enjoying one of my favorite adult beverages, Breckenridge Brewery's Vanilla Porter. This is a luscious bread pudding of a beer: dark, rich, & toasty.

Just finished Life of Pi last night. Still pondering the ending. It thoroughly enthralled me. I even found myself nauseated on the characters' behalf during the very seasick passages.

Tonight I will finish reading Finn Family Moomintroll to the girls. I'm so glad to know the library here has 2 other Moomin books. The girls are captivated, especially by Thingummy & Bob. I like The Hemulen and The Groke.

So, just now, I googled Thingummy & Bob to find an image I could steal and I found a website where you can buy all these Moomin character dishes! Lookit:

Thingummy and Bob on a plate for 26 EU! They even have a Hattifatteners mug! I'd forgotten about them. They scared the shit out of The Hemulen! Deservedly so, since he stole their sacred barometer, but still.

sunset, last night

taken from my backyard deck.

Also, the big winners from my haul at the Farmer's Market last Saturday?
Fresh edamame (so tender! unbelievably tender + delicious!) and pears (so sweet + juicy!).
I hope they have more tomorrow.

Field Trip!

Yesterday we made our first trek to Rocky Mountain National Park. We are lucky to live so close to it. We didn't leave our house until almost 11 and were home just after 4pm, yet we felt like we had plenty of time to explore, at least for the first time there. I'm posting small photos but, as always, you may click to enlarge. The weather was beautiful as we began our journey.





It was lunchtime when we parked at Sprague Lake, our chosen destination. We'd decided on this trail because it is an easy 1/2 mile, level trail around the lake and you can park there, rather than having to park somewhere else and take the shuttle bus. Later on, we were really glad to have the car so close. Don't worry, I'll get to that story soon. Anyway, we unloaded ourselves and our picnic and noticed that the change in elevation (from 5k feet at our house to 8200 feet at the picnic table) had strangely affected the Smart Puffs bag. Lookit:

It was surprising difficult to open, considering that it was about to burst. I walked away from from my sandwich for a minute and a piece of it was stolen by one of these guys: a gray jay, also called a camp robber.


After lunch, we noticed the clouds in one part of the sky getting a bit dark, but no worries, right? At this point I should note that the temp. was about 61 degrees. When we left home it was 72 degrees. Anyway, then I really starting shooting alot of photos, and the girls were running all around having a great time.







This little caterpillar was hauling ass. I think it knew that the rain was coming, and fast. We only figured it out when we saw these kinds of clouds:





Right after I shot that last one, I unzipped my hoodie and wrapped my camera in it while we all ran back up the trail, across the small parking lot and to the car. We were about 25 feet away from the car when the hail started coming down. Holy Shit! And now the temp. was down to 51 degrees.

This is why I'm so glad we were at Sprague Lake close to our car, and not at Bear Lake with all those poor saps waiting for a shuttle. We sat in the car for awhile to see what the weather would do, and sure enough the rain stopped after about 15 or 20 minutes. After taking potty breaks, we set out again to walk all the way around the lake. We saw alot of these:


I must have shot about 45 pictures of duck butts, just to see how close I could get with the telephoto lens.

We also realized that, had we know where to stand, we could have remained perfectly dry like one-half of all of these trees. Then again, as we were running to our car I remembered what our guidebook said about how many people die in the mountains every year because of lightening. It said if you hear thunder (Yes!), get away from tall trees and bodies of water. Shit!


On one part of the trail we spotted some ice leftover from the brief hailstorm.

The part the girls loved most of all was climbing on all the gigantic boulders


and attempting to call to the ducks.



and Canadian Geese.







When we left, it was looking rainy again. It did rain on us a bit on the drive home, but then the rain followed us and the sky behind us cleared. In the rearview mirror, the mountains were topped by gorgeous blue skies which made us a little sad to have left them. But apparently Sugarbear was tired and had had enough, both of the hiking and of the Smart Puffs.

fresh

Hiya! I hope all of you are having a great weekend so far. Yesterday & today have been pretty good to me, aside from sugarbear's occasional screaming fits. It is, right this second, 92* degrees outside and perfect. The girls are in the backyard making "salad" with whatever is at hand. Mr. Man is at work, today being his Friday. He didn't leave for work until 11:30, though, so I got to visit the Farmer's Market on my own, with my new pet: a Nikon D80. Don't forget to wish me Happy Anniversary, Happy Christmas & Happy Birthday, as this was my present for all those occasions. How awesome is that Mr. Man??

So far, every time I've been at the FM, I've seen hot air balloons off to the west in front of the mountains. I don't know what happened today, maybe the winds were different, but for some reason they drifted right over the Market (really frighteningly close) and I snapped this.

I was not using a zoom lens. This was shot with a 50mm lens, to give you an idea of how close they were. Click to embiggen, and see the flames under the balloon.

Here's what I got at the Market, most of which were grown without pesticides, some were certified organic :

7 ears of peaches & cream sweet corn,
3 red peppers
2 globe eggplants
2 zucchini
5 pears
1 pint of wild plums
2 pints of cherry tomatoes
1 big bag of salad mix with wild arugula
1 pound of edamame
1 T-bone steak + 1 sirloin steak, both grass-fed with no hormones or antibiotics
1 jar of roasted pineapple & poblano salsa (so good!) made in Fort Collins
1 round loaf of asiago/basil bread





Alas, I didn't buy any dahlias today, but I did snap some photos and even managed to focus on a tiny bug crawling on one of the flowers. Mr. Man says it looks like I photoshopped it in. But swear it was there. Ya'll, some of these flowers are as big as dinner plates. They are the Eartha Kitts of the flower world, so bold are they, and so audacious.



Tomorrow we are heading up to Estes Park for hiking & a picnic. And more photos, natch.
Apologies for that.

*when I started this post. Right now, a little while later, it has dropped to 85. Still gorgeous, though.