In and on the Rockies with Heather and kids

Heather calls this the 70's album cover shot. It was the day she took us on a scenic walk/hike around Lily Lake, not far from Longs peak. Great vistas, plus ducks, elk, snails, big rocks to scramble up, weather-twisted trees, a couple of fishermen in bellyboats, no bugs, and just a few people besides us in that vast space. Inspiring, fun. Love it.

Jake's snail collection from the

Lily Lake hike.

Long's Peak (Note: Big thank you to Brian D for photoshopping my pictures to improve their appearance.

Snack break in downtown Estes Park. Jake, Zach, Leah in pix, Torrey away at Camp Como

A couple hours of play at an Estes Fun Park included bumper boats, mini-golf water balloons and bungee/trampoline jumping. Sometimes it's safest to be the photographer.

Heather, Zach, Jake along easy-walking stretch of Lily Lake Trail

Lily Lake

This began as my unimaginative shot of Jake,Leah, and Zach, with friends Jackson and Lily Small, in the back of Pete's old pickup , but when Brian began photoshopping it, he recognized its potential to be something more arty, so off went the heads and shoulders, and on went his master touch with hues, shadows, and highlights. Now the knees and shoes tell their own interesting story, leaving room for your imagination to add whatever you like to complete the message of my July, 2009 with the Dawsons.

Comments

Sally said…

What a nice variety of events, keep posting pictures!!

July 21, 2009 at 8:55 PM

scott said…

This has to be the best blog page ever !!! It made me feel as though I was right there having fun with you all.I LOVE the shot in the back of the truck and the "70's album cover shot"...

You are just having too much fun I think !!!

July 22, 2009 at 12:17 PM

Hilary said…

I absolutely agree with Heather's title of '70s album cover. Perfect for that picture. Love what the final result of the feet in the truck picture. Very cool!

July 24, 2009 at 10:19 AM

Vivi said…

I didn't realize you'd posted something new until Heather told me - LOVE this post and all the awesome pictures. You and BD make a good team!

July 31, 2009 at 9:25 AM

The Gentle Smith Matriarch

We met in 1966 when she was 18 and I was 22. We began dating soon afterward, and as I recall never disagreed on much. Our childhood homes were 3000 miles apart and we loved Minnesota and each other, so we got engaged in July 67, married in December and moved into a house with a teenage foster daughter. This was followed by , Daughter 1 the following September, Daughter 2 three years later, Daughter 3, a year and a half later, ..and eventually Son, 3 years later. There were also about 15 different short-term teen-foster boys in those years. The gentle matriarch has worked her whole life, hard. I went to college nights for a few years, she worked outside the home part-time while the kids were growing. She spent frugally, loved lavishly, and has always cared first and foremost about her family. She is a gentle giant who has brought love, fun, discipline, imagination, good food, and artistic, creative homemaking to our big family....and as I write this she's preparing for Easter Dinner...

Red fiche- table with impatiens

It's an odd practice, in a way, but one I've come to like: you set a piece of old indoor furniture outside, and just let it weather, ......forever. I grew up in New England,where there were a lot of roadside antique (or junk) stores, which converted to fruit and vegetable stands in the growing season, or Christmasy craft stores and maple syrup places in winter. At any rate, I'm accustomed to indoor furniture outdoors, and since Nana likes it, everybody's on board at our house. She's selective, however, and requires that the pieces have some interesting, enduring quality. In the case of this red table, it served it's first 30 years as a sturdy table for fiche at Bethel College. When BC became BU, the fiche lost out to digital media, and the sturdy table hitched a ride 45 miles south to our Lakeville back yard, where it is now learning to give itself to a new audience of human admirers, plus a few daddy long-leg spiders, and a specimen or two of summer-sno...

I was invited back to Paragon for a day of fun

On a gorgeous August 13 morning, Sandie picked me up at home so that I could tour the new Paragon office and hang out with lots of great work friends for lunch on a river cruise aboard the Mississippi Queen. Jesper and Bill Lunch was a banquet of fine food, drinks, and desserts, which we enjoyed while leisurely cruising the vital Mississippi, including a couple of the locks, and a great view of the Stone Arch Bridge near downtown Minneapolis. Martin met me with a huge cucumber, which made it seem just like the old days for me. Paragon occupies a bright new suite with terrific views in all directions. Mid- morning I got called into Martin's office. When I stepped in, there were already people there, and they presented me with a handsomely-framed collage capturing many of my fondest days with this extraordinary collection of work-friends. I am a blessed and lucky man!

PTCPapa

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