Egrets Stand Watch

Another shot taken at The Trinity Center this past weekend.

SotD: "I Don't Believe You" by Pink

Too Much Cuteness!

A few weeks ago I got to meet my friend Pepper's new kittens, Gipsy and Earl. Is there anything cuter than kittens playing? Not much time this morning to fix red eye, etc. but here's a few shots to share. You can find out more about them on Pepper's blog: www.peppercory.blogspot.com (also in the links to the left).I will rid the earth of all evil mice!
I am kitten, hear me roar!

What a Weekend!

Well, it's back to the work week, eh? I'm feeling refreshed from a truly incredible weekend. I joined my mom for a conference on church music that was held at Trinity Center, a retreat and conference center owned and operated by the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina.

Later on I'll tell you more about the conference itself. For now, I'll just tell you that the clinician was Dr. David Flood, the Master of the Cathedral choristers and the organist at Canterbury Cathedral! Yes, *that* Canterbury Cathedral! The man is truly amazing.

For this morning, I'll just share two pictures I took at the outdoor chapel on the grounds of Trinity.

Foxy!

One of the truly amazing things about going out to the barn is being able to enjoy the simple beauty of nature in all her glory. I have enjoyed watching the local foxes raise families each year. While not tame by any means, they are accustomed to our being out there and working with the horses. They will allow us to get pretty close to them as we go about our business.
They keep an eye on me to make sure I'm not up to trouble, but they're not particularly concerned...the one sitting ended up lying down too.
But at other times they ignore me completely and go about their business. Which, the other evening, involved some serious play time. There are three kids born this past spring and boy, can they ever get rowdy! I wasn't able to capture any of the actual play, but I was enchanted as I watched them pounce and cavort--very cat-like in their mannerisms.

P.S. SotD: "In Color" by Jamey Johnson

Thoughts on Blogging...or, the size of the world is shrinking

So, did you miss me? Sorry to have been absent for a bit. I've been battling the unknown crud for 2 1/2 weeks...not enough to be flat out for long, but enough that I've had no energy and have been resting a lot when not at work.

I've been thinking about technology. Some people talk about technology depersonalizing us. For example, few write actual letters anymore. There's certainly something to be said for taking the time to put pen to paper, take it to the post office and send it on its way. There's a delight in receiving a real, bonafide letter. But if you're like me, perhaps you keep in contact more often with people in your life when you can dash off an email in a few seconds. With letters I generally feel compelled to update the person on everything that's been going on with me since last we spoke. Whereas with emails I'm more inclined to just hit the highlights.

Then we come to blogging. While I started this blog specifically to share Westminster dog show pictures with family and friends, I realized it was a fun way to share random pictures and random thoughts. As I began blogging, I also began spending more time following other bloggers. What's fascinating to me is the ability of some bloggers to truly open up a window into their world. While some of the blogs I follow are those of people I met "in the real world" first, some I have never met in person. And in regularly following their blogs, I feel a sense of kinship with them...like I know them...I can rejoice with them when they share a personal triumph, or mourn with them when they lose someone close. (For example, the poignancy with which the Fat Cyclist shared his wife's battle with the cancer that led to her death earlier this month was incredibly uplifting and powerful...see www.fatcyclist.com). So what I'm saying is, the world is shrinking. I can check in with people all over the world and see what they're up to with a click of the mouse.

Oh, there's definitely a downside. There's lots of junk out there. People using the internet for all sorts of horrible, degrading purposes. (We watched the movie "Untraceable" this weekend. Talk about disturbing! It portrays a serial killer who makes his kills live on the internet and the more people log on, the faster the person dies. How creepy is it that I suspect there are a lot of people out there who would check out something like that!!!)

What are your thoughts on all the internet madness? Like it, love it, hate it?

Okay, I really must head towards the job....Just wanted to say I've missed you guys and will get back to you more regularly soon with more wacky musings and some fun pix.

btw, SotD: "Mississippi Girl" by Faith Hill

Quick Draw

So I was actually outside surveying the status of work being done to the house one evening when this flock in their loose v-formation flew over. I quickly drew my camera out of its holster...er, you know...anyway, I at least amused myself by being able to just point and shoot and catch this. (I'm actually quite easily amused.)

Meanwhile, I can't believe it's August already. Just saying.

We did the summer blockbuster thing by going to see the latest Harry Potter film last weekend. More on that later. Have a good start to your work-week.