Niagara Falls, ON The Aviary

Madagascar Cockroaches

An albino turtle

Bearded Dragon


Ibis

I don't have the correct lenses to get this right - but I was not going strictly as a "photographer". I knew this place had a big collection of birds - but the reptiles, and amphibians were a really nice surprise. You know what was not a nice surprise? The room of Madagascan Cockroaches...eeeeeeeeeew!

Niagara Falls, ON Day 3

Today the weather was a hindrance instead of a mere inconvenience. According to all available weather reports it was supposed to be partial sun and clouds - but they got it totally wrong. It was cold and wet with rain and snow mix. I walked around aimlessly for a few hours trying to decide what "attraction" I wanted to see... I decided that I did not want to leave without seeing "Journey Behind the Falls" which was the biggest let down ever. It is a tunnel behind the falls with two "portholes" that enable you to watch the water fall from behind. These were nothing but dirty messy masses of ice and I could not see anything. The tunnels were kind of entertaining in their creepiness though. There was also an area that offered a view of the falls from about 3/4 of the way down. Almost none of my photos came out though because of the crappy weather.

The other thing on my list was to walk the mile or so down to the falls at night to see the cheesy light display. That too was a let down because when I got down there they were not lit up at all. Thanks to Adam for staying on the phone with me the whole time so that I felt safe(er) walking around on my own after dark. You're a real pal, Adam. Thanks for the funny stories that assured every Canadian that passed me while I was laughing that I was indeed an American.

Since I am thanking people I want to send a special shout out to Theresa - without her advice I would have stayed on the US side which would have been a terrible mistake. If you are reading - I am so grateful to you for your advice and my trip portfolio is as well!

Niagara Falls, ON Day 2

Perhaps March is not the best time of year to visit Niagara Falls. Although it was really cold today, I am really glad that I chose this time of year because it offers a unique look at this wonder.

Niagara Falls: ON Day 1 (Oh, Canada)

"Oh Canada - such a stressful drive / Highway 402 - I'm glad I'm still alive / I should've brought my skis / one last winter tease / OH Canada! - at least the snow was beautiful"

"Free Breakfast."

Here are some brief notes on my trip:

OnStar - although they always keep me guessing - got me here in 4.5 hours (to spite the weather)

I was hoping that Canadian TV would prove to be more interesting to me than American TV. I watched a great show last night about the Saunders Portrait which is widely believed by many to be the only portrait of William Shakespeare painted in his lifetime. It is a great story - I feel a bite-sized history post coming on!

I am planning to go to the aviary, and possibly the Old Fort today since the weather is overcast and it is supposed to be sunny tomorrow.

Uphill.

I am not going to say that my life is hard; however some things happened in January that caused me to re-evaluate life on a daily basis, the directions I am going in, and how I deal with things.

On January 14th my dentist extracted my wisdom teeth. I have been avoiding this for years - but it came to a point where they needed to come out. I was nervous but my dentist seemed to think that it was not going to be bad. He was wrong - at least from my perspective. Because of a complication with my lower tooth he needed to saw out a piece of my jaw bone. To make it worse, I was not put under or out at all. I was fully awake and conscious for the whole thing.

I thought that I would be able to recover over the weekend and be back to work Monday. As it tuns out I was in pain all week, under the influence of loads of medication, and could not go to work. Being stuck inside alone all of that time made me crazy.

The next week was my birthday. I got food poisoning from my birthday dinner. I still had a wonderful birthday to spite this. I am really grateful for wonderful family and friends.

Around this same time frame I had been contacted by a guy from my past. After talking to him and meeting him for lunch I was really exited. I really wanted to see where things went with him - friendship, relationship - either really. He has the same level of ambition that I do, also he is interested in history. I think that he could have understood my crazy drive and work ethic. His other interests are so different from mine too. I felt that I could learn from him. Well, as it turns out he wants nothing to do with me. It is really hard because I don't think that I did anything wrong, and I had been exited about a new old friend. The experience has left me feeling that there is something missing in my life. Not a relationship - but a new kind of something or someone.

All of this inspired me to take up cross country skiing. I already had some skis that my Dad bought for me hundreds of years ago. I started small; around my apartment complex during the big snow. After that I was going to Mathai Botanical Gardens nearly every day and doing a little two mile trail complete with up and down hills. It was hard at first and I fell a lot. I had bruises and scratches and my arms and legs were killing me - but I knew that I needed to fall and get up before I could get better.

This week I went with a couple of friends of mine that are experts on a 3.3 mile course. It was really hard and I was aching everywhere - but what a sense of accomplishment I had when I finished. I have done the same course every day since then and it has gotten easier. I went around the course twice yesterday. (6.6 miles!)

I love this sport. I love the challenge and the freedom. I love to get going so fast that I almost feel out of control. I think that the confidence that I have gained from this will help me become more confident in other things. I CAN try new things; fall; get back up and fall in love.

The Still Life...

Well, for someone who takes a lot of pictures of landscapes, architecture and wildlife the winter can be unproductive and even a little depressing. This year I have chosen to try something that I have been meaning to do for a while.

Life does indeed seem sedentary these days; it begins to get dark around 4:30; there is no more holiday cheer; things are less happy and slower all around. Inside it is warm - but also dark. With the help of a tripod and a remote I found that I can take some pretty still life pictures using some old plates that I have lying around - and my groceries.

My favorite still life paintings are the ones by the old Dutch masters. Some of them have the precision of a photograph. My favorite still life painter is William Michael Harnett. He is Irish-American and a master of the trompe l'oeil (fool the eye) style. One of his pieces is on display currently at the DIA and no matter how close you get to it it still looks like you could reach into the painting and pick up the objects.

Today I found this site by an amazing artist Kevin Best. He is a master of trompe l'oeil in that his photos look like paintings by the old masters.

I think that I can expand this still life idea. I need to figure out a couple more things like lighting and lenses - but once I do I have some fun creative ideas!

VLB At the AAWA Art & Craft Show

On Saturday 11/20/2010 I participated in the Ann Arbor Women Artists Holiday Art and Craft show. This was my first really professional show and it was both exhausting and lots of fun! I would like to take a minute to thank some people: Thanks to Maria who helped me get some updated business cards quickly. Thanks to Mark, Trey, Nikki, and Joel who came out to support me! Big thanks to Adam who came to see me - brought me a mocha - did some shopping - and helped me carry my heavy stuff a long way to my car after the show! Thanks to all of the people that bought calendars and pictures. Finally a big HUGE thanks to Katherine R. Willson president of the AAWA and a truly gifted artist for helping me get my stuff on display and sharing her table with me! I am really looking forward to being a more active member of the AAWA and doing future shows and exhibits! Stay tuned to this blog and to my shutterfly site for updates and information!