fawn visits, Minnie Adkins Day, and a baby snake!

post #240
        I had big plans to do a thoughtful post about clean water today. In fact, I am kind of obsessed with this topic, and I have some video ready to share.  But realistically water will have to wait a week when I will have more time than I do now to give the topic justice. In more than one sense of that word.
        It happens I do have these great fawn photos I've wanted to share.  I know deer are tick bearers, garden destroyers, and not very bothered by humans this time of year. In a word, pests.  They are also lovely.  And this fawn is a constant wonder! This is the first year I have had fawns running joyful circles around the house. It is no coincidence that this is also the first year there has not been a proper vegetable garden on the place.
        The doe that comes the most often to the two apple trees near the house seems to visit with a big fawn and a smaller one. I'm told a doe can take over the care of an orphaned fawn, which is what seems to have happened here. Most of these photos are of the smaller fawn as it acquaints itself with all the areas I can see from inside the house.

This is the best I could do to get both fawns in the photo with the mom.

in the lily garden....

another view of the stairs down to the house

       Then there is the baby snake, on the porch, but moved to the stream, obviously not by me since I am taking the photos....Thanks, Jason!

      Next, this is what I did this morning -- be part of the Minnie Adkins Day at the Little Sandy Lodge, near Sandy Hook.  Here is a photo of Minnie, who with her own charisma and hard work and artistry has stirred up a great deal of arts activity in our area. In typical Minnie fashion, she is telling me how great she thinks the bib is -- promoting someone else's work even though she is our star.

       A great many craft vendors set up. The heat was rather severe; at least it was dry, unlike last year. Everyone is a good sport. I only stayed three hours because I have out-of-town company, my college roommate, Meg.  Between the heat and the bright sun, I only made a few photos. Be sure to enjoy the last one!!

This happens to be my set up. I was the only one without any shade, but my neighbors let me sit closer and closer to them as the sun moved across the sky. I figured I could stand half a day that way. I enjoy being surrounded by so many in the community who are also pursuing their art choices.

      This last photo, the funniest, is saved for the end. It still makes me laugh, even tonight. Enjoy!  And be ready next week for my plea for speaking up loud and clear for clean water.

three popular posts during the third year of my blog, and regional seasonal art venues

post #217
        My weekly posts have readers from all over the world, but the most come from the USA.  As I start on my 5th year of doing these posts -- every Sunday -- I have been sharing a few of the ones most viewed during each of the first four years.  Today is for year three, starting with post #122 on 1/27/13, titled "with a wood stove in our kitchen."
       Appropriately for our unusually early cold weather it shows our wood cook stove in action.  Indeed the stove is providing heat here today.  I don't know if visitors to this post were researching wood cook stoves and my post came up or whether they were experiencing cold weather and needed to think warm and toasty!

ash holder drawer, on the bottom

       That post also includes some winter photos by photographer John Flavell, so perhaps that could also be the reason for the high viewing numbers of this post....

        A second popular post is #148, from 7/28/13, titled "the country way of making room for the stuff of photography -- Sideway Gallery."  I am so fortunate to be able to have had this space for my work for almost four years now.  Living in the country makes this place both possible and necessary.

        One of the most popular posts ever is #114, on 12/2/12, featuring more of the photos Chris Garris had recently made in Indonesia.  Three of them are below.  The official title is "photos of Indonesia, part 3."  It also has photos by Carolyn Franzini, from her visit to Borobudur.  Thanks again to you both.
        

Ashley and Carolyn at Borobudur

        Before signing off, I want to share information about an art venue that has reopened this month -- in the Kentucky Market Pavillion along Interstate 64 near Owingsville, KY, off exit #123.   The displays look great, and they have great food.  The best info is on their Facebook page -- basically they are open daily 10 - 6, and noon - 5 on Sunday.  I have some notecards there, a selection of 12 x 16 matted prints, and copies of Counting on the Woods, signed by both myself and George Ella Lyon.  (Phone: 606/674-6688)
       I also sell photo note cards at CoffeeTree Books and at the Kentucky Folk Art Center, both in Morehead, KY, and at the Kentucky Artisan Center in Berea, KY, right off exit 77 on Intersate 75.
        Enjoy!!  And stay warm!!  Buy local, wherever you are and whenever you can!!