Hurricane Irene in Instagrams.

Our original, pre-Irene plan for this weekend was to have a tag sale in Ludlow. We'd spent all month sorting through our stuff and picking what we could part with, assembling boxes and tubs for the tag sale. Then Irene happened, and we went ahead anyway. Mike came out the big seller with his $1 worth of rubber duckies (four of them, if you were wondering). I spent most of the morning making/eating waffles and embroidering this laser cat for my dear friend Nabi.

Friday night we braced for the storm, buying organic basil and cilantro plants for our windowsill, peanut butter, and tuna. Unfortunately the water aisle at Big Y left us a little parched. Saturday night we killed zombies until about two in the morning, and it didn't rain one bit. Sunday we woke up to this:

Alas, Ludlow was spared again, and this was all of the damage to speak of. I've heard there were some trees down in my neighborhood and my office is closed today because of a power outage and a tree down. These are the days I hate the ability to work from home. Hope everyone else fared as well as we did. 

before the day begins.

I love early mornings. The intimate feeling of meeting with the sun before the rest of the world. The flirty, slight bits of light that precede the boom and majesty of the day. There is a tree outside my window, and most mornings I lay staring through my window, through my screen at it. I watch its leaves and its branches move, giving shape to the breeze. I love coffee and bike rides and really really good books, but early mornings, those I love the most because no matter how many others may feel it is theirs, I know that it is my own.

This particular morning, I am listening to this:

Saturday morning cartoons.

When did Saturday morning cartoons turn into Saturday morning coffee? Okay, so this isn't a photo and it isn't mine (found it here), but it is how I find myself feeling some of these days. Thinking of making this phrase my own and embroidering it or something similar. Ideas? 

Reminiscent photo dump.

1. Almost a month ago, Mike and I headed out on the open road to Bangor, Maine, where a free hotel room (courtesy of his dad's travel points) awaited us. It's kind of a small town, but Acadia National Park is only about an hour's drive away. We spent some time there, some time in town at the State Fair, and some time along the trip up and back.
2. The walk around Acadia was beautiful. We took one of the trails that wrapped around the reservoir, then veered off and up to Bubbles, one of the lookout points.
3. It was almost a straight shot up stone steps to the top of Bubbles, but the view was worth it. We took a lot of breaks photo opps.
4. We swam in Echo Lake, which is much warmer than the ocean swimming options. We played football and generally avoided the large, loud family that camped near us in the sand.
5, 6, & 7. Friday night we headed to the Bangor State Fair for fresh lemonade, french fries, soft serve, a sea lion show, and a lumberjack show. We wandered in the cool night, people-watching and holding hands.
8. We made a point to stop along the way to Bangor including Portsmouth, NH, and Portland, ME. In Portland, we ran into some friends from Cambridge who were there for a Beirut concert. We stumbled on a Taste of the World event, where vendors representing countries from all around the world served food and sold handmade goods. There was live music, a nice breeze, and a big lawn where we could relax and enjoy the smells and the people.
9 & 10. Mike and I celebrated (too soon, it turns out) reaching the top of Bubbles in Acadia. We still had a little ways to go, but our muscles were pretty strong at this point and so, we documented.
11. We stopped for lunch on the way back on Monday, and this awesome sign was standing proudly outside. Too bad they didn't spring for a copy editor.

This was by far one of my favorite weekends/trips of this summer.

Postal Service.

I've been listening to Postal Service a lot lately. The Postal Service Pandora station accompanied me last week while I drove to work from my dogsitting gig, and it's been in my ear all morning. I had a great weekend, despite my intense Six Flags hangover after Saturday. I just need to accept that rollercoasters aren't my thing. After two rides, my head hurt and I had the beginning wisps of a nausea that still threatens me even today. Other than that, mini-golfing on Friday and all kinds of delicious ice cream and veggie pizza and Twin Peaks made it a good weekend despite the rain. I went to Joann's Fabrics yesterday and got supplies for Christmas gifts and a skirt that I want to try and make. More updates on that later, for now I'm working, jamming out, and reminiscing via Instagram.

The moon was incredible during our mini golf game. Too bad my camera couldn't quite capture it. 

Sunrise, sunset.

These aren't the best of the batch, but I do love them. The creeping ivy, the bright sunshine outlining objects out of the frame, the distinct rays of sunlight and puppy feet, and the colorful bunting at the church next door. There are so many rich colors in this not-even-quarter-of-a-mile walk around the block, and I've been enjoying seeing them with the early morning rays and the last rays of the day. 

Reflections in the glass, shadows on the wall.

Some more photos from our walk on Monday night. I couldn't believe the beautiful shadows. Mike was patient, walking Sheba ahead of me while I snapped away. It's amazing to me how many new things you notice each time you walk past the same thing. Here's to keeping an eye that can spot the many changes happening all around. 

Jamaica'n me crazy.

Sunday night, after my many naps, Mike and I ventured into Jamaica Plain for some dinner. If you ever see the Purple Cactus: You must go. And order the portabella and spinach quesadilla. You will never regret it. 

Scenes from a dogsitter.

These were all taken while on a walk with Mike and Sheba Monday night. On my drive home the skies opened up and I watched, sitting at a five minute red light, as puddles formed and lawns were watered. I thought of Cyndi, of that never-dying urge to run outside when it's pouring, of my lapsed hobby of sitting on a porch during a rainstorm. After the brief downpour, the skies opened up again and we had the most beautiful sunset, complete with thick and lively shadows and cool reflections off the puddles. I couldn't get enough of the rich colors.

Going to town.

My friend let me borrow the Nikon D50 her dad passed down to her, and I've been getting to know it intimately ever since. Now that I don't have the constraints of the cost of film and developing, I can experiment with all different kinds of exposure and angles and zooms. I'm like me in an ice cream shop! There are simply too many options, and the only thing I'm more excited about than taking pictures is heading back to look at them.

Traveling fair.

I just about hyperventilated in the car when I spotted the Ferris Wheel as we approached the Bangor State Fair. I'm a mess of contradictions: I never want to live in Georgia again, but I miss it dearly. I miss land stretched beyond the highway; deer on the side of the road, their quick gestures at the approach of headlights; simple pleasures like annual festivals and dollar theaters and running into people you knew growing up; the crunch of the gravel driveway to my parents' house; the smell of my grandparents' house, my grandpa's pipe and heavy southern accent.

As I get older and once-abstract concepts like "marriage" and "children" take shape and join my realms of possibility, I become more nostalgic for the place and the people I will always call home. Bangor was even farther from home than I usually am, but the redneck tendencies, the minimalism, reminded me of home.

I'm listening.

Another side effect of getting to know my Pentax has been the random photo. While I find that I'm more selective about what I photograph (because of the cost of film & developing), it's always fun to get back a stack of photos and not know what to expect. I love my green walls and the oversized headphones my dad gave me for Christmas; and I love this twilit view from my desk.