Fountain Flows Again

This is the Priley Fountain, located in front of the County Courthouse in downtown Duluth. The fountain was built back in 1970, and was closed all summer for repairs. It reopened this week, so the boys and I went down to check it out after school today.

Marching Orders

The band at Calvin's school will be marching in an area parade this weekend. I went to the school to take pictures of them for my "other" blog (the school blog). I had so much fun!

Time to Empty the Dishwasher

Make a Wish

Swoosh

What?

Just because the kitchen is new, doesn't mean I want to cook dinner in it!

Actually, Paul's working late again and the boys both wanted Domino's. Fine. Done. (they rarely agree on anything!)

The pizza guy looked at me a little funny when I told him I wanted to take a picture of the sign on his car...Hey, it will give him something to talk about with the other pizza guys, right?

I Almost Didn't Notice

We've had a wonderful string of beautiful days here, but that is all expected to change tomorrow. We're headed back to our "normal" temperatures in the fifties, and rain is in the forecast. So today, Mason and I headed to the Lakewalk for some ice cream. While there, I took a few photos (that's what one does when doing a 365 blog, afterall). So above, is a shot from outside the ice cream shop, looking down on the lakewalk. This wasn't going to be my 365 shot...until I noticed something. The four-leaf clover shape under the word BOCCE. (click to enlarge if you don't see it)

It reminded me of this shot:
I took it several months ago while visiting the Aerial Lift Bridge, just about a mile down the Lakewalk from today's location. I never noticed before that the Fitger's sitting area and Lakewalk-overlook echoed the design of the bridge. Now, I can't see how I didn't see it!

This may require further research.

Last Game of the Season

The colors of fall make a great background here, don't you think?

They lost 2-1 tonight, but their one goal was scored literally in the last second. Very exciting for them.

Hard Work

He doesn't realize it yet...but Mason's 4th grade teacher is going to do him a world of good. Homework not done? No recess.

It's going to be tough at first, but I think he'll make it through just fine.

In or Out?

No goals tonight for Mason, but another victory for the team. Their last game is Wednesday and we're all sad to see the season end!

I Got The Call This Morning

My friend Julie (on the left, in blue) said she's ready to shave her head.

Now, that's not the kind of thing you normally hear from a grown woman, is it? Unless that grown woman happens to have cancer. My friend Julie is battling breast cancer for the second time this decade. I know, totally unfair! But since she's been through the chemo-thing before, she knew she was ready to stop literally "pulling her hair out". She called over a few friends, and we made an event out of it.
Julie can turn a negative into a positive with such ease...and though I'm sure she really didn't WANT to lose all of her hair today, she had fun with it. Let's just say she totally ROCKED the MOHAWK!
Alane did a great job with all the different "do's" (and one big "don't" involving a single curl on the top of Julie's head-which Sarah happily remedied), while I documented the event with about 300 photographs.
Julie OK'd the use of these photos for the blog today, but I don't feel right doing so without mentioning the Young Survival Coalition. Both Julie and Alane have been instrumental in getting the local chapter of the group up and running here in Duluth. This year, they had both planned on doing Hershey's Tour de Pink, a bike ride from Hershey, PA to Manhattan, the first weekend in October.
Unfortunately, the timing of the latest diagnosis thwarted Julie's plans to participate. If you'd like to learn more about the ride, click here, where you can read about Alane's journey to Hershey, and even make a donation if you'd like!

Birch Leaves

I love the golden afternoon light of fall...but it's hard to capture in a photo. This one comes close.

Pizza Party

The first photo I've taken to serve double-duty on both of "my" blogs...Kosmatka365, and the blog I'm doing for Calvin's school. It's getting too late and too dark to shoot anything else today.

Mason's Ride

Harvest

Today our neighbor Kay stopped by. While we chatted, I asked if she had any potatoes yet. Neither of us have ever grown potatoes before so we weren't sure if they'd be ready...but we took a look in her garden and found all of these potatoes just below the surface in about one square foot of space! I'm hoping to get the boys over there in the next couple of days to help her find the rest of them. I think she's going to need to pull out a cookbook...or maybe a big pan of hot oil! Oh, yeah...homemade french fries. What could be better than that?

Anyone have a favorite potato recipe?

The Lost Symbol

Not sure Calvin plans to put it down...

Night Sky

Lots of bats out tonight and I think I may have captured one in this shot. Right hand side, between the post and the bottom wire. See that blur? Likely a bat. (shudder) At least it's outside where it belongs, and NOT in my house!

*for readers who don't know, before we re-roofed last year, we had several close encounters with the creatures. When they're in my house, I'm sorry, I break out in a flop-sweat. This summer, we've had two inside our cabin. I hide under the covers, while Paul works to get them out. ;D

After A Long Practice

It's a Slugfest!

We've had a couple of tree trunk "slices" in the yard serving as a soccer goal for the summer. Today we went out and bought a real soccer goal, so we rolled those pieces out of the way, revealing all SORTS of nature we didn't know we had!

e-bay Comes Through

Paul first bought a pair of these shoes back when we lived in Madison. That was between 1990 and 1997. He deemed them "the best shoes ever". (I called them clown shoes.) Merrell eventually stopped making them.

Well, for at least the last three years, Paul has had a "watch" for these shoes on e-bay. Every once in a while they come up. He's purchased two pairs in that time (both used), but today when he opened his box he was SO excited to find these BRAND SPANKIN' NEW in the original box with tags! I wonder if he'll wear them, or keep them in the box for special occasions.

I'd like to know...what's your best e-bay find?

First Day of Fourth Grade

Doesn't he look excited?

It's All I've Got

Some days just get crazy busy. Today was one of them.

Here's a shot of the bathroom under construction. Thanks for checking in!

Backpack Safety Tips

While most kids went "back to school" today, Calvin has already been in school for a full week. (his younger brother, on the other hand, doesn't start school until Thursday...THURSDAY!)

So here's a few backpack safety tips...brought to you by the American Academy of Pediatrics website.

• Choose a backpack with wide, padded shoulder straps and a padded back.
• Pack light. Organize the backpack to use all of its compartments. Pack heavier items closest to the center of the back. The backpack should never weigh more than 10 to 20 percent of the your child’s body weight.
• Always use both shoulder straps. Slinging a backpack over one shoulder can strain muscles.
• Consider a rolling backpack. This type of backpack may be a good choice for students who must tote a heavy load. Remember that rolling backpacks still must be carried up stairs, and they may be difficult to roll in snow.

The reason I bring you these safety tips? Take a look at the above picture. See what happens when you sit down? You roll backwards. After I picked up Calvin from school on Friday, he got in the car with such "gusto" he managed to wedge himself, LIKE A TURTLE, on his back between the bucket seats of the car. Don't let this happen to your child.

In case you're wondering, Calvin's backpack weighs 17.5 pounds...more than 20-percent of his body weight.

Crossing the Blatnik Bridge

We headed back to Duluth from our Michigan cabin this afternoon. These are shots I took while crossing the bridge (Paul was driving) into Minnesota.

Scattered Showers

Like Glass

Another Peek

The kitchen is not quite ready for its closeup! Here's a peek at the latest additions...the backsplash and the stove.

Playing Catch with Dad

He Shoots, He Scores!

I raced down the field because I just FELT it...Mason was shooting a penalty kick...something we'd practiced in the yard together this afternoon.

I barely got the shot. He had no problem with his.

My photograph of a chest bump with a teammate is priceless...but there's just a few too many identifiable faces there and I don't feel comfortable putting them on the internet without their parents' permission. But trust me. A bunch of nine year olds doing chest bumps and fist pumps. It doesn't get much better than that.

Ghostly

It always seems I want to take a photo with a high shutter speed when the lighting conditions aren't right. So instead,  I tried something a little different tonight, and got this interesting result. This is a LOW shutter speed photo in low light. Mason was kicking the ball...one, two, three, kick ---while I went one, two, three, click! I don't think I could repeat this if I tried.