Song for Friday...on Thursday

 Happy Anniversary love...

Parting shots...

The other night was a full moon and I was experimenting with the different settings on my camera...

I put it on the 'fireworks' display and moved the camera whilst holding the shutter open...

Sea serpent???

In between goofing around with the camera, I was thinking about  a wee holiday Tom and I are taking.

You see it's our 11th wedding anniversery and we managed to both get 4 days off together.

So off we'll go...

Take the van

and the tent

and the dog

and some bubbly

an iPod full of our favorite tunes

And go up Island just like young carefree hippies...

Up to the mountains, lakes and beaches.

No house

No chickens

No garden to water

All taken care of.

Who knows what kind of stories will come back with us....

Stealth...

These are not the most detailed photos I've taken but...

they tell a story just as much as the fine tuned pictures.

Every year, up in the peak of the roof we are hosts to a maternity ward of sorts.

For bats.

They come and set up at the same time every year.

We can hear them with their high pitched murmers as the sun goes down and then...

out they go...foraging for insects to feed the new babies.

You can pretty much set your clock to the time when they begin to fly out.

As soon as the moths and mosquitoes come out.

It starts at between 9:10 and 9:15 and lasts for about 5 minutes until you can't keep track of them anymore.

Stealth.

Flutters in the corner of your eye.

Gone out into the night before you barely see them.

This is one of the more difficult subjects I've photographed. 

Like trying to catch someone blinking an eye.

Although steeped in stories of horror and myth...

they are fascinating animals who do us a world of good.

They eat 1/3 of their body weight in insects every night.

Imagine the world without them.

The real life adventures of farmlass and the fishing ballerina...

It was a hot July afternoon.

The kind of day when you can here the buzz of crickets.

The kind of day that keeps you close to water...any water.

As long as it's cool.

Farmlass and the fishing ballerina were out with the dogs, wondering where the day would take them...

Past the little farmhouse...

...taking care not to disturb that cranky junkyard dog, especially on a hot day such as this.

A day like this deserves shade.

A ramble through the tall trees that provide a welcome canopy over the paths.

Across the bridge and then...there! They spot it...

An over grown path into the woods!

"Must be an old trail into the Boy Scout camp that they don't use anymore."

The farmlass runs ahead, knowing that somewhere up here there used to be a way across the creek.

And then, as if the genie had granted them a wish, there it is!

The hand powered cable ferry!

 Block and tackle in perfect working order...

 "This is heaven on earth!" the fishing ballerina cries out.

"Who knows what lies on the other side!"

And so over the creek they go...dogs pacing in excitement...the other side coming closer and closer...

"we could just jump off right here in the middle..."

 But something lures them to the other side...

deep into the canopy of alders...

The path is much smaller now, overgrown from inaccessibility and soggy, muddy ground.

But the path leads into the light.

Into the back of the farmers fields...

"Keep quiet you dogs! We don't want any trouble."

The grass is as tall as we are and we feel as if we are on safari...

Sneaking, stealth like, hiding in the grass from hungry tigers...

Then back into the woods and onward through the scrubby bush...
Once again they see the light!
"What is it?"
"Another way over the creek!"

This time the way over is not so smooth..
The fishing ballerina uses her expert balance from years of dancing to guide her across...

And then, before their eyes...
The best water hole EVER!

The dogs plunge in...

They explore along the bank...
Finding evidence of the farmer...

Wild oyster mushrooms to bring home for dinner...

The tiny fish tickling their legs as the water brings cool relief...

Then, almost blending into the dappled shadows on the bank, they see this...

A newly fledged robin!

With his clown-like mouth and tufts of feathers above his eyes,
we are probably the first humans he's ever seen...

The day is getting late...
farmlass and the fishing ballerina must get home for supper...
The dogs are tired from swimming...
"It's my turn to take us back!" the farmlass says, eager to power the ferry.

 And so ends another farmlass adventure...

The End.
For now.