Nissa the Photographer

I've discovered you can't put Nissa in a small enclosed space with a toy that clicks and flashes. In 20 minutes she took 137 photographs; these are the best of the group.

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Minneapolis Skyline Viewed From Lake Harriet

We were at the lake and spotted this attractive view of the skyline. I particularly enjoy the sailboat that is floating left of the IDS building.

It's hot today so there's a bit of a haze.

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Now I Know Why Alethea's Purse Is So Heavy

Alethea started to show us what was in her purse. We never finished since the gyros arrived but I'm in awe.

art journal
check book
credit cards
notebooks
a tin of earrings
pens
bottle caps
cell phone
Leatherman multi-purpose tool
flashlight
duct tape

It's like having lunch with MacGyver.

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Sidewalk Cafes Are Pure Bliss

We went to the French Meadow in the Uptown area of Minneapolis. The coffee shop/bakery has a popular outdoor seating area where Nissa and I shared this decedent chocolate cake. Alethea had apple crisp (not my favorite thing but she likes it).












































While waiting outside for the girls to order I enjoyed a bit of Italy, Pellegrino bottled water.

I tried to make the bottle look like it was sprouting a tree, I think they may have taken a bit too long to order.

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Family Time Has Changed

I left my studio/office, went into the living room and Nissa was on the couch, Alethea in a chair and Bryce was at the dining room table. Everyone was on a laptop. I wonder if this is the modern version of a nuclear family.

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Let's Play Blingo

The restaurant Fridays has a fun activity for people dropping by late in the evening, Blingo.

They call it Blingo due to copyright restrictions and when you win you call out Blingo!

You get 3 cards for every round and color the squares in. I don't know what the prize is since I didn't win but it was a lot of fun to play while you grabbed a sandwich.

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A Day At The Pool

I feel like a piece of fruit floating in an umbrella drink.

This pool In Maple Grove, Minnesota has a sand bottom and beach.


These are the clouds about an hour before the storms hit on Saturday.

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Cow vs Alien vs Zelda

The alien picked on the wrong cow but neither was a match for Zelda.

Nissa was playing a claw machine and won 4 aliens in one grab. When she triumphantly came back to the table and told her story, a herd of eavesdropping children stampeded for the claw machine.

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Are You Going To Eat That?

Marilyn wanted to lick the foam from an orange ice cream float out of a glass.

We held it up to show her there was nothing interesting in the glass but we were wrong.

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Sweet Little Convertible

This pretty little MG Roadster Convertible was parked outside the Roseville Barnes and Noble with Kaching vanity plates.

The car is a match for my vision of the more modern Nancy Drew' s sporty blue roadster except she would not have had flashy plates.

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Costco Tourettes and Costco Haiku

Costco is my DH's happy place, not mine.

I almost never go inside the store since my husband has the shopping gene that I seem to lack. I wanted to see if they had a humungo package of markers—which they didn't—so I consoled myself with roasted chicken and croissants.

I went to the self check out rather than get behind the caterers with their multiple flat bed carts. The blinking slot said put card here. I slid it through the slot and the computer said invalid card, a Costco employee will check it. I start telling the computer that my card is not invalid and move to get behind the little league coach with 3 carts. Before I could change lines a clerk ran my card over a glass screen, not the blinking insert card here spot.

I turned my puddley chicken on it's side to have the window look at my UPC code and set it on the conveyor belt. I'm such a pro. I held the croissant's UPC sticker up to the window for the computer's appraisal and it gives me the go ahead. I set the bread on the conveyor and the machine announces that there is an error and I need to start over.

I say to the machine what do you mean I need to start over? I utter some phrases relating to it's faulty components which brings the clerk back. She quickly scans the bread and places it on the conveyor.

Now I need to try to pay. The clerk is standing next to me since I think she's afraid I'll either run a drumstick through the card reader or go get take out from a restaurant down the street. The register wants me to show it my American Express card and I slide it through the slot with the blinking light. It won't let me complete the transaction until I take my purse off the tiny window that I'm supposed to sign my name in. I considered letting my signature consist of initials for a phrase that you still can't say on TV but I didn't. The machine reminds me to get my receipt so I can go stand in line at the exit to have a clerk count to 2 and check to make sure I'm not smuggling a gallon of pickle relish underneath my lunch.

siren call to shop
cavern of oversized goods
SUV's overflow

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Zelda Discovers The Joys Of A Running Garden Hose

Zelda spotted a flowing hose that had been set down and proceeded to splash and play.




This is what she looked like right before she came in.

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Everything Looks Better In Blue

Last time we were at the cabin someone was tossing a bunch of benches. We put the picnic benches by the fire pit and brought this one home.

All the benches received a spiffy new coat of Rustoleum acrylic blue paint and now the bench has a cheery new home under a burl oak tree.

I used to paint this type of thing green but I've decided that blue is the new green.

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I'm Glad I'm Not a Burlap Bear

Nissa dusted off her bow and shot this poor grumpy bear in the nose with her first shot. She doesn't hunt but that's the type of target the archery range uses. Notice all the holes in the metal roof over the target.

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Minnesota Suburbs Are Getting Tougher

This yard has a helpful tip, beware of pirates.

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I Got My New Toy From Woot

The warning label on the electronic device included "do not ship or store near radioactive fields". Where the heck do they ship, Chernobyl?

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Cabin Daylilies and A Hollow Tree Trunk

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More Wildlife

I was taking a bath this morning and saw something float by, it was a wood tick swimming towards my toes. I felt inspired to share some more attractive wildlife that my husband photographed last weekend at the cabin.
We drive around looking for deer on the backroads at dusk. This evening 21 deer were spotted but this one posed the best.



Three wild turkeys.











When we arrive the hummingbirds thump on the window glass if we haven't put out the feeders.

They don't fly into the glass but actually seem to knock for our attention and we drop everything to run and give them sugar water.

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It's Wildlife Week

I was talking to my daughter through her window—spotted movement—and let out an eep!

Nissa responded by instantly shutting her window. She still hasn't forgiven me for sliding the dried out, flat goldfish under her door. An eep followed by Niissaaa puts her on her guard.

This sweet frog was in the flowers outside her window. Sitting, he was about 3.5-4" long. He is the largest frog we've ever seen at the house.

He thought he was invisible so after taking some photos with the zoom lens we left him to enjoy his frogy thoughts.

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Zelda Is Off The Menu

We were on the porch, the dogs were nearby on their leads and I spotted a red tailed hawk flying overhead.

We saw it fly past and start circling low over the dogs. This photo of a hawk is from Wikipedia since my first thought was the dogs not the camera on the table next to us.

The hawk was less than 20 feet away and since I've seen one take a squirrel from the yard I wasn't taking any chances with a 5 pound Lhsapoo.

The disappointed hawk went to a birch tree, made the oddest raspy noise and left for better hunting locations.

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