Midsummer Madness

August is halfway gone and swept by in a whirl of wildflowers, Grassroots Shakespeare, cold neon conventions lights, and sultry summer nights.

I have many pictures to share this time. Some of them are more information than art...but you may choose just which is which. The first set is from my second walk up at Albion Meadow. There are different flowers blooming depending on which week you go. I'm hoping to make one more trip up there late in the month to see what else my hungry camera can devour.

The second set of pictures are from a performance of "Midsummer Night's Dream" by a company of players called Grassroots Shakespeare. My daughter, Tasha, performed with them in the park.

The third set of photos are from our annual Gen Con appearance in Indianapolis, Indiana. We've been going for 28 years! Are we crazy? Well, you may judge for yourself....

Utah Penstemon (Blue stalks)

Here is the aptly named Monk's Hood, and Indian Paintbrush is twining in coral complement.

Lewis' Monkey Flower
What I want to know is where is the monkey??????

OK, I confess I have no idea what this tiny moth is named,

but I think he looks like a silk bow-tie.

This splendid little chap posed for the camera quite sweetly.

The Grassroots Shakespeare Company gather for their eveing performance in the park
of Midsummer Night's Dream


Actors seem to have a second sense about where the camera is pointing. And yes, there is some sort of kinship with one of the pictures above.

Bottom rehearses

Titania Rehearses



Tahsa strikes a swash-buckling pose

TJ practices her Florentine technique

Tahsa as Helena in the evening performance




And now , Gen Con in Indianapolis:
Here is a typical building in Indianapolis. It just looked like an establishing shot for some old fortie's film to me. Well that, and I found the old clock irresistable.



Here is a cu of the clock. Whenever I was outside the convention center, I found myself focusing in on clocks wherever I was at. The convention is completely in it's own time(less) zone. I was always surprised by what time of day or night it was.

Costurmes are ubiquitus. Most are homemade. (I noted that there weren't any Klingons this year, but tons of vampires.)

Here is a very merry band just outside the convention center.


Steam-Punk was a huge theme this year.

Here is a shot of the crowd at our Killer Breakfast Event. Tracy does two hours of improv- role-playing with about 200 players and nearly 700 more on-lookers.

The audience do cheers with us and sing on demand. Here, Tracy bursts into song and the audience happily joins in.

This was a great moment. This young couple have just become engaged on stage. (Note the sure-grip she's got on both him and the ring-box.) The entire audience spontaneously leaped to their feet and cheered for them.

I had to get a picture of this group. Here are our ultimate KB players. They have come up with some pretty amazing set-ups over the years.

The Haase family had a great schtick this year. Many thanks to Candice Haase for the KB pictures of this and the proposal photo.


Here are two characters from Dragonlance who showed up at the booth. (Bupu and Raistlin)



In the booth.
On the left is Emily who helped Tracy earlier this year with Killer Breakfast at a convention in Ireland.


Here was my end-of-day treat on Saturday. Felicia Day, is a fan of Tracy's (and we are fans of hers!) she came to the booth because Tracy had mentioned to her I was stuck there. She is sooo nice! And gorgeous and very funny. Did I mention I'm a fan? ;)


Ahh, once again the time of day surprises me, but with a soothing evening-blue. I shot this from the balcony of our room. Which is a view of the old Indianapolis Union Railway Station.

Mountain and Valley

July is a month to be out-of-doors. Despite my shade hat I have freckles and a farmer's tan to prove I've been out there gardening and walking.
I was fortunate enough this month to attend the Wildflower Festival at Alta. Albion meadow has amazingly beautiful flowers in July. Tracy and I walked the upper trail with dear friends and a good guide. It was a blue-skied heaven. Camera in hand, I fell silent as the day wove me into it's spell. The first few pictures are from that walk. Please note that I felt quite daring capturing the bumblebee among the bluebells.

The second set of photos were taken the 24th of July in my son and daughter-in-law's newly acquired backyard. It is a sweet flower-filled haven. After I put down my camera, I picked up my pencil and sketchbook. I love hollyhocks and they come in a rainbow of colors in their yard. (Not to mention all the roses, sunflowers, clematis and lilies!) The butterfly and the honeybee (wow, I must 'bee' lucky this month) seemed to be contented residents there.

White columbine is my favorite wildflower.

Shooting stars, hiding shyly beside a stone.

Indian Paintbrush.
It comes in many colors in the meadow. Paintbrush apparently takes it's color cues from whatever plants are nearby that it has conveniently tapped into.

I was surprised as I looked through the camera and discovered what Indian Paintbrush looks like from directly above it.

This little fellow serenaded us by singing in the willows.

Pausing next to a vast stand of bluebells, I could hear the little creek further down the hill and a gentle choral thrum of busy bees.

And now, into the valley:

Just one of many, many Hollyhocks.


Bee at tippy-top of Hollyhock

I couldn't resist this sunflower

Could not help but think of the times I'd held cloth aloft to the sun wishing to be awash in the change of light beneath it.

This is a center detail of a Daylily. What secrets are kept deep in a lilie's heart?

This shot was a truly lucky one as I just happen to be laying on the grass as this butterfly, fluttered by. Click on it (or any photo you desire) for more detail.

Next month: Gen Con and Grass Roots Shakespeare

Sweet Peas

June was quite a month for huge blessings in Thumbalina-sized packages.
This is my third year growing a little vegetable patch at the community garden. This is the first year that I've attempted one of my favorites; sugar snap peas. It was a bumper crop. I decided to photograph them as though I was Alice in Wonderland. And yes, I tried to avoid it, but of course there was mud involved, but not on the camera!

The second set of photos are from my rose bushes.it's been an amazing year for roses.

The third set are of my newest granddaughter; Alexandria Diane Peterson, our Thumbalina who was born June 22nd at just 17 inches and 5lbs and change. She is already growing into her name. Many thanks to her mother, Angel, for allowing me to do this photo shoot ala Anne Geddes and giving me the chance to use her very fine Cannon Rebel camera. The two of us learned that you need about 6 baby wranglers to make it all happen or one determined grandmother, a willing mom and a mostly cooperative baby. (Where did that binky go?) Angel post-processed the photos of Alex like the pro she is. Please enjoy and click on the photos you wish to see in larger detail. --Laura

P.S. The musicbox this month is set so it doen't play automatically. Just push play. It's worth listening to Jewel's sweet guitar version of Twinkle ,Twinkle Little Star. It has all the verses!

Curiouser and curiouser!

I discovered water on foliage this month. Gotta' experiment more with that!

I loved the abundant roses this year and they were huge too.

This rose reminded me of the billowy petticoats that were worn in the 50's

I often use one of my photos or a detail for the 'skin' on my musicbox. This pink lady was the winner of that honor this month.

I could not resist enlarging a center detail of this rose. I was fascinated by the dew in her petals.

Ah! And now to the sweetest rose of the season:

Child's Play

The May Queen's basket of pleasures yielded very few rays of sunshine this year. But for my Granddaughter's birthday party we found a sunny day. For this special day we went to Angel Jane's favorite place; the park. It was great to watch my 'grown-up' children playing alongside the kids. Here are a few moments I snapped of them at play. After these are two pictures which I found like lucky pennies in the May snow.




Negotiating


Take off

Flying!


Ready. Set...


perfect landing


I can't resist these blue eyes when accompanied by a sweet little 'puhleeease'.



And here are my two May finds:

This poor little bird seemed rather forlorn, but cute all puffed up on the railing of my porch during the recent snow storm.



And lastly, this charming sundog, actually part of an amazingly bright corona at noonday.