license [plates] to photograph

post #464
       Long story -- Friday morning I planned to drive two hours west to Frankfort, Kentucky, the capital of our state.  At 10 a.m. I would get on a small boat for an hour's tour sponsored by the local Audubon group. We'd look for birds and wildlife in general AND learn more about the way the river fits into the landscape along with some history. Because I already had an appointment for that afternoon in nearby Lexington, I thought I could make it work, despite the challenges of getting there and finding the boat landing location. I had never been there before.
      OK, well, several things got in my way. I knocked my glasses off the bed just before leaving home, and a lens fell out and of course I couldn't see to fix it. But then I remembered the eye doctor in Morehead opens at 8 or 8:30, on my way, so I could take it to them to fix! And they did! But since I hadn't left home in a timely manner anyway, it was now going to be a close call to get there in time. I didn't put the location info into my phone in a timely manner either. And of course I had to visit the rest stop on the interstate, since we had been notified that there were no facilities on the boat!
        SO, as you can imagine, a little extra errand here, a little vagueness about the layout of Frankfort and the river there, and a short side trip to the parking lot of a bourbon distillery by mistake, I didn't get there in time. However, I am proud that I missed the departure by only 10 minutes at the most.  Even though I had really wanted to have been on the boat, by now I was mostly amazed to be where I had planned to go, with my camera in my car! 
        OK, making art makes for better self-esteem, so I had an idea of how to honor all the people who managed to get there in time.  I would take some photos of their license plates and bumper stickers -- knowing how interesting the folks might be who had been just a bit better about getting ready to go out on the river on this beautiful day. (Every plate is a Kentucky plate.)
        SO, here are the photos. I have to add that during my recent trip to northern California I had encountered more than a few people who had looked politely stricken when I would tell them I was from Kentucky. They didn't know whether to ask about my politics -- how could I be for Mitch McConnell -- or not.  On these cars are several stickers in support of Amy McGrath, who is running against McConnell... so I hope this reassures folks not in Kentucky that many of us are indeed trying our best to finish his Senate career. 

Anyway, here are my photos, and thanks for sticking with me through this shaggy dog story!!

THE EMPTY BOAT LANDING

Note: I don't show more than one plate of the same kind, AND my car is one of the plates..... Also, the University of Kentucky basketball team is called the Wildcats....

If only Google Map could tell me that the entrance to the boat landing is exactly opposite this unique row of multi colored buildings, I might have made it on board. I hope I get to meet some of these people some other time if I ever have a second chance to go out on the river with them.

 

walking where a poet works

post #352
       Recently I had lunch and a walk with friends W. and T. who live on the Kentucky River. Their part of Kentucky is not in Appalachia, but, in our state, artists, writers and social action people are very connected and supportive of one another. It's one of the amazing riches that our state seems to create. I met W. with other writers and photographers he had gathered up to begin some awareness of the terrible harm done by mountaintop removal mining. Articles, poems, books, and artworks grew out of this shared effort over a long period of time. Yes, MTR mining is better known and understood by now, but the clean water and community health issues continue to be as urgent as ever. Many of us continue with this work and more.
      After our lunch and the visit part, W. went back to work, and I took a walk. It's wonderfully flat there along the river. Here are a few photos that I made just because I was happy, grateful and energized to be there on such a beautiful afternoon. Thank you, friends, as always, for your kindness and generosity and caring about so many things.

what's hot on a winter stove in August....

This looked like a grand palace entrance to me....

 

I love a gate and always have.

       On the way back to my car, I suddenly felt I wanted to try to capture where I was as if in a dream to take with me to revisit. So, first, here's what my eyes saw, there on the poet's path, and then I made a photo how it "really" looked as I got ready to return to a more public place. I have no idea if it works for anyone else. But, believe me, I loved giving it a try.

        There is so much to say. I hope my photos speak as well as my words might. 
        I'll save my thoughts about what goes on in the world until next week. Thank you for visiting my post this week.

a week of just being where I am

post #195
       It has been the kind of week where even trying to take time this afternoon to pull together this post benefits from some dumb luck.  It is now 5 pm, and I think I'll make it this time....

        Here are photos from throughout the week: 
      

This year's hay fields seem particularly beautiful.  Some are already cut, but this one is not - yet.

    The milkweed starts again to be showy, and, to me, continues to be fascinating!

      Our son graciously brought his daughter here, from the west, for her summer visit - wonderful to see them both!  Luckily we have fiber optic wi-fi so that even from here he can do what needs to be done.

      Our grandaughter is staying for a whole week, though, on her own!

We've seen a deer along our driveway, and admired the neighbor's well-tended garden,

      and visited with our friend's rabbits:

 

      Then, after a few days, our daughter and her daughter came from the east, also for a week, which makes for a cousin overlap! This is "first time" wonderful.

    We have been swimming in our pond, watching a lot of hummingbird activity on our deck, 

 

AND yesterday all five of us here were on and in the Kentucky River, during a gathering in celebration of a wonderful man who died this spring, at age 100.  He would have loved the day honoring him.

 What a full and fine week. The last photo, below, is of one of the great-grandchildren from yesterday.   And all of us need to remember, as his great-grandfather would say: "be particular."