Day 38: BCS Quest

Five new backpackers from Brocton enrolled in Quest today!  In our first class, two student leaders from the 2010 Quest group, led the human knot game.  Their laughter and teamwork reminded me again why we do this.  Even though the numbers may low this year, every child who has the Quest experience is richer for it.  Whether there are seven or seventy, we will provide the best outdoor adventures we can.

Day 37: Aliens have landed!

Milkweed pods.  The wispy sinews and tight clusters of seeds within crispy husks are living sculptures.  I love to photograph them, but they also remind me of alien creatures.  When I was a girl, one of the most terrifying science fiction films of the 1950s was "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."  Giant pods produced replicas of human beings that replaced people while they slept.

Those movies of the 50s had a huge influence on me and directed me toward more recent and benign alien beings in Smallville and Star Trek NG and the more malevolent Cylons on Battlestar Galactica.  Today on our walk, I photographed a little green Martian that occupies a garden on Liberty Street.   What a great sense of humor that gardner has!  Maybe she agrees with me.  I don't think it's logical to assume that we are the only living, intelligent beings in the cosmos.

Day 36: Super Sunday

It was a gorgeous, sunny day for a walk in Arkwright so we drove to Burnhams Hollow with the plan to hike to the spot where Colin and April were married.  With camera ready, we stepped from the car and heard shots. Then more.  Steve said it was a 22.  I snapped a few pictures along the creek and more shots rang out.  This time from a 45.  I ran back to the car and we took off, a beautiful, peaceful day rattled.

Much of the nation is absorbed with the Super Bowl.  It's hard to understand why so many people love a game that distorts values and does so much harm to the human body.  Nevertheless, it's fun to get together with friends to visit and eat great snacks on a Sunday evening.

Day 35: Sunset

We spent most of the sunny afternoon working inside on sets and costumes, so I was eager to get outside when we finished.  I dashed down to Lake Erie State Park's beach and captured a breathtaking sunset.  Nothing I can say adequately expresses the beauty of those moments when the sun quivers on the horizon.

Day 34: History Lessons

My mother said I was born a teacher and she was right.  Choosing history was natural as well because I always want to know the story behind any event, person or object.  As we walk through town each day, my eyes rest on the wonders of nature and symbols of our local history or family.  

After days of gloom, the clouds broke.  We walked almost two hours, stopping by the Post Office where we viewed the mural created by WPA artists during the Depression. Then we wandered through the pioneer cemetery where I snapped pictures of the graves of Steve's ancestors, the Osbornes and Cobbs.   His family's roots stretch back nearly 200 years in Fredonia.  Captain Thomas Osborn was one of the earliest settlers and fought in the war of 1812.  My family were much more recent transplants.  

Even though we walk by the creek every day, the endless variety of textures and colors always delights.   Sunlight glints on the surface of the water and pierces crisp seed pods.   

Day 33: Just because

I'm ready to escape these gray, gloomy days and go traveling.  In two weeks, we'll go to NYC to see our sons and have an adventure, but for now, I am climbing the walls.  So Steve brought me a bouquet of spring flowers and made a batch of chocolate chip cookies.  He knows how restlessness I get. Adding to the anxiety, we are waiting for news on Justin.  Perhaps the second interview tomorrow will finally yield a positive result.  He has waited long enough.  

Day 32: Bear Crossing

Where else in the world would you see a bear crossing sign?  After typing transcriptions of interviews for a few hours, Steve and I drove to Olean where the regional EMS council meets.   It was a dreary day with no signs of color on the horizon and very little to photograph.  Steve did not want to drive alone at night because his eyes are still adjusting and we are both afraid a critter will jump out in front of the car.   We didn't see any deer or bear crossing the roads on this trip, fortunately.  Perhaps the animals also heeded the warning signs.