Night in the Tropics

My tropical garden at night during the month of October.

Ghost gums

I'm not entirely sure that they are ghost gums, but in that light they seem to have that sort of appearance. This morning my latest attempt to escape the heat took me to Austinville. I figured I could go a little further on this morning's ride after the earlier start -- I had given up the attempt to sleep at around 3.45am. The dirt road in the final stretch (visible in the lower portion of that picture) seemed a little rougher than it was last time I was here (about a month ago). Looks like the storms may have taken their toll out there.

Some very minor flooding on one of the causeways offered some relief, but in reality it was never going to be enough water. That said, the air is always slightly cooler and cleaner in the rainforest -- perhaps I should have just stayed there.

Surprise Pressie

Mom tried to help me paw out our address, but it sure is messy! However, check out the cool address label! Wow!
Look who I got this neat package from! Huge woofs for this pawesome card!!! And look! I've already got my snooter deep into the box!
Oh sooo cool! I love this squeakie stuffie!!! I love it so much that...
... I immediately carry it two rooms away to my bed before I investigate the rest of the box! That's stuffie love!
Dad lures me back to this amazing-lookie box and you won't believe what's inside! Yumzers smell!
Ohhhhhhh! Cookies!!! Not only that! They are homemade by Sedona's Girl Twin! Givemeonegivemeonegivemeone Dad.... Please?????
Aren't these gorgeous? I don't know how she made them, but they are delicious as well as bootiful! She oughtta go into bizness hehee! And here's a movie of me sampling a couple of these exquisite petits-bones! Thank you so, so much Sedona and Girl Twin! xoxoxoxoxo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qls3o7h2xjc

Balance Defined

This is our latest family photo taken last Sunday when our new daughter-in-law's Assyrian family came for a visit. Unfortunately, our son-in-law is missing, because he was taking the photo.
If we do not limit our inflow, we become swamped by the life demands of others. If we practice too much solitude, we risk being flooded by stagnation and a moody narcissism as our life and our art become emptied of all but the big question "How am I doing?" What we are after is a balance, enough containment and autonomy to make our art, enough involvement and immersion in community to have someone and something to make art for. Taken from Walking in this World by Julia Cameron.
I've swung too far wide in both directions in the past. It's easier for me to now recognize when I get out of balance. If I stay home too much, I get slightly depressed and too inward-focused. If I stay away from home too much, I get grouchy because I'm not doing my work at home and also not being creative.
So I try to stay home as much as a twelve-year-old's schedule will allow. I do need contact with the outside world 2-3 times a week for me to feel connected. Of course, I'm talking to my children and parents on the phone throughout the week. I also connect with friends by e-mail and Facebook. I also try to have lunch once a month with a friend, and I have bookgroup and art association once a month. I keep my four grandsons at least once a week. Add church fellowship and homeschool group once a week, and that's plenty of 'peopletime' for me in a week.
My problem is having enough solitude and long stretches of time to think and be creative. That's the lack right now. Until the summer, that's the way it'll have to be; unfortunately.

A touch of color at Manido Falls

Okay, here is the first image that I am sharing from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This is a close-up shot of one small section of Manido Falls on the Presque Isle River in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. I was enthralled by this waterfall! I spent a total of about 3 hours photographing this waterfall, 1 hour at dusk and 2 hours at dawn. There is just so much variety to it. It is a long waterfall with several steps and cascades. I spent a lot of time with my 100-400mm telephoto lens isolating different areas of the falls. I can't wait to go back and camp at this park and explore more of the wonderful beauty that it has to offer!

Multisport club brings athletes together with multi-faceted expo

When you become immersed in an activity, it's good to know that there's other people out there who are just as crazy about it as you are.
For all the exercise enthusiasts and cardio junkies out there, the Inaugural Greater Mankato Multisport Club Expo served as a proclamation that they were most definitely not alone in their interests. The expo was held Monday night at X-Force Fitness and guest speakers on bike maintenance, injury prevention, triathlon transitions and general nutrition for long-distance runners.
After starting off with a group run (go figure, the phrase 'Exercise is my medicine' is on the back of the club's racing jerseys), those in attendance were broken off into groups and rotated between speakers. The guest speakers were mostly coordinated through Dawn Naples, a personal trainer at X-Force Fitness. Aside from the speakers, there was also a raffle for assorted prizes, massage tables and body fat composition tests available for those in attendance.
"We wanted to make (the expo) as inclusive as possible to all athletes," said club organizer Chris Crocker, who kept himself busy by giving the presentation on triathlon transitions, "The topics we're going over are things that all athletes are interested in. I remember when I first got into triathlons and how useful this information would've been to me at the time."
Despite being a new club, Greater Mankato Multisport has already gained some considerable local popularity. The club's Facebook group has 195 followers and Crocker said the estimated total membership is close to 300 people. The club also has a wide range of sponsors like ISJ Heart Center, Nicollet South Bike Shop and Health Improvement Partners.
"The local support for this has has been awesome," Crocker said, "There's a definite interest for it in the area. Whether it's experienced athletes or first-timers, we just want to get people out and exercising."
Crocker said the biggest appeal of the club is in the social connection it gives people. Through the club's Facebook group, members are able to set up group exercises, look for relay teams, set up carpools to races or ask for advice on training. The club also provides what Crocker describes as a "safe environment" for first-time triathletes to try their hand in the sport.
"One of the biggest things that keeps people from doing triathlons is the open water swimming," Crocker said. "But with the group swims we do, experienced swimmers are there to help get people through it."
"Besides," Crocker added. "If I can learn how to swim, anyone can."
As far as future events go, Crocker said the club will try to make the expo an annual event and that they are currently trying to set up open water swims at Hiniker Pond once summer rolls around. The group has weekly runs every Sunday morning at the Mankato YMCA and they usually have a few members sign up for most of the local racing events.
Coming from an self-proclaimed exercise junkie, I like how the multisport club is being so inclusive to all levels of exercise discipline. It's not a club for the elite athletes of the area; it's a club for like-minded individuals who are just looking for some companionship with their hobbies.
Anyone who's ever done a long run by themselves knows how bad it sucks. It's good to know that there's clubs like this out there that help make those training runs a little less lonely.
The multisport club's website can be found here.

Long Shadows

Took a little break from blogging. Think I needed it after the trip! Took a short trip to Wisconsin to see my family for Thanksgiving.

Over the last couple weeks, the weather has been unseasonably warm. Really great bicycle riding for later November/early December. Sunday it was about 60 and filtered sunshine - the bicycle trails around Council Bluffs were very busy.

In just over 2 weeks we will have the shortest day of the year. With the sun so low in the sky, the shadows are long even in the early afternoon. In a 2 hour ride you can start out comfortable with long sleeve base layer and jersey with a light jacket. The sun starts warm you and need to shed a layer. And quickly, you are quickly donning the jacket again.

But a cheap price for mid 50 degree days in December. Soon the temperatures drop as the sun starts on its arc back up toward the equator. For now, we just enjoy the warm weather riding our bikes.