Macro Monday is easy to play, snap a macro (or any close-up) photo, post it on your blog and come back here and sign Mr Linky. Don’t forget to visit each other.

I held a lobster – aren’t you proud? In this photo, my son is holding the lobster though so I could get a shot or two. I didn’t take the macro with me, so once again this is me trying to get a decent “macro” with a 400mm.

On a moving boat. While standing. And Haden was standing. Yes there were waves. And wind. And wobbly legs. And an unhappy lobster. So yeah, as I said, this was an attempt.

The starfish wasn’t much friendlier.

We interrupt vacation memories to share some Wisconsin nature.

Brown Creepers don’t seem to like me much. This is only the second time I’ve ever seen one and he did not cooperate much more than the first one did!

Still, he was fun to watch hopping around on tree trunks.

As I was walking the trail later I thought I found a messed up bike tire.

Then I saw the end of the “tire” and took a step back. You may not realize it from my photos but I do not like snakes.

I really, really, really do not like snakes! But, I am more afraid of the ones I don’t see than the ones I do – if that makes sense. I do think the camera lends me some of its courage to pause and take some photos. But I still do not like snakes – deep down.

I spend a lot of time in parks, in the woods, on trails and off trails – sometimes in knee high grass. And it’s little fellows like this one that keep me having panic attacks while I walk through the weeds.

You see, my biggest fear is that I will step down on a snake, it will somehow get caught between my heel and my Crocs and as I accidentally smoosh it, it will whip back and bite me and because it is trapped between my heel and my shoe and I cannot get away from it. If Dennis gets further than a few feet from me my panic attack worsens until I am nearly hyperventilating. In fact, the deeper into the grasses I go, the more my panic heightens.

After all this time, I just thought you guys should know ~ I do not like snakes!

Have you ever seen a Puffin running across the water? Sure looks like he can walk on water to me.

Can’t remember what these birds are called, but I thought they were pretty cool.

Something startled up all the birds on the island and they all became airborne!  Like a scary movie!

Notice the boat beached? There are people on the island studying the Puffins and other birds. The little white shack you see is where they “hide” to study the birds closely.

And here’s another shack. The birds don’t seem to mind.

Many kinds of birds find the island a great place to breed.

I sure wish the Puffins would have come closer.

But this is as close I got to one.

Seals call another island home.

It’s easy to overlook them in the water when they sit there bobbing while being curious.

It looks like it would hurt to shimmy up on the rocks.

We’ve been biking a lot lately. We’ve always liked to bike, but a few years ago we got rid of our bikes since we were in the middle of house building (for those of you who don’t know, we built a 3000 sq ft house with our own four hands) then I had cancer so we kinda quit biking. Two falls ago we decided to buy new bikes and while Dennis still got a mountain bike he suggested a cruiser (comfort bike) for me. We rode twice that fall before the snow fell. Then we got them out once last year.

This bike got 80 miles on it last week alone. And I really love this bike! It is a dream to ride!

It’s a Giant Suede metro series. Very comfy! But the thing doesn’t really fit on a rack well at all!

Check out that nice padded seat! Yeah, a dream to pedal! It’s a 7 speed and I keep it 6th gear generally – take ‘er up to 17 mph on a flat surface – like 25 down a hill.

Not many miles on it overall. And I think it will be getting baskets so I can ride to the store and such.

But, we discovered some mountain bike trails near our home and, well, a comfort bike just can’t do them. Heck the handlebars wouldn’t even fit through some areas. So, it was necessary to get me a mountain bike.

I wanted to make sure it fit on the rack for travel so I told the saleslady I wanted a guys bike – but who knew Trek makes a women’s bike with a frame like the men’s!

The seat is cute, not quite as comfy as the Suede’s but still good. I do wear biking shorts anyway.

Check out the tires on this baby!

I barely had the bike 5 hours when the guys decided it was time to hit the trails. I had only rode it around the parking lot where we bought it. This is me after the trails, hot and sweaty, dirty and just a wee bit bloody.

I was terrified! I haven’t been on mountain bike trails in about 6 years! So I was still in my 30s. Is it legal for a 42 year old to go mountain biking?! Around one of the tight, downhill curves with stump on one edge and rock on the other I almost fell and my knee hit the pedal. Ouch! But I didn’t cry – nuh-huh, Dennis test drove me before he proposed, making sure I was up for things like this. Heck our first vacation together was spent traveling 14 states in 10 days hiking, biking and camping (in snow even!). It was awesome!!

I did finally take a fall. Coming around another steep-loose-soil downhill curve I was confronted with a tree trunk across the path. I braked and swerved and got in leaves and fell – crash. The crankset (thing with the chain and pedal) bit me on my way down. . .

And a tree got my arm. But all bruised up I still felt good and am ready to go again!

From day one, I have done anything Dennis has suggested, (within two weeks of knowing him he took me skiing, I was on my butt more than the skis but whatev‘) why stop now! So, Hon, when are we going bungee jumping?

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Bar Harbor, Maine as seen from the top of Cadillac Mountain (1530 feet) in Acadia National Park. We managed to go up at night and see all the stars in all their glory and go back up during the day. We did not manage to get there at sunrise – have I mentioned that I’m not a morning person? – Since Cadillac Mountain is the tallest point on the US Eastern coast it is where the sun strikes first and I’m sure it’s a glorious sight to behold. If only I weren’t so out of it in the mornings – then add it that we were on Eastern time, instead of Central like I’m used.

Bar Harbor has lots going on at all time. The boats I posted a couple of days ago were in that bay. And that big island you see has a visitors center that can be walked to when the tide is right.

Haden and Dennis were eager to get over to Thunder Hole so off we went.

Thunder Hole is a small inlet, naturally carved out of the rocks, where the waves roll into. At the end of this inlet, down low, is a small cavern where, when the rush of the wave arrives, air and water is forced out like a clap of distant thunder. Water may spout as high as 40 feet with a thunderous roar! Hence the name: Thunder Hole.
~taken from Acadia Magic

We weren’t there at the right time of day to hear the thunder but we enjoyed the splashing anyway.

We could have used another week in Bar Harbor easy!

We decided on a quick run to one of the lighthouses in Door County, as we got closer we drove into fog and the air was significantly cooler than in Sturgeon Bay.

There was moisture in the air, and spider webs everywhere!

What you see here are my attempts at “macro” shots with a 400mm lens. A lens that requires a minimum distance between camera and subject of 5 feet.

Other than the lens to contend with there was also the fog, and wind – it was very windy! And, well, webs move in the wind.

I never saw a spider – just plenty of webs!

Wonder what’s out there.

Another lighthouse. You may remember it from a sunny day a few years ago.

Good thing I’m not arachnophobia!

When we first went out to Tidal Falls the water was calmly coming in. Have I mentioned how awesome the tides are Maine? The water washes in and out every twelve hours and I don’t just mean a foot or two – it goes way out, and comes way back in. I found it very interesting that the water was always moving!

We did an earthcache at this point – GCQ7YK for you geocachers out there, the cache page gives more information about the hows and whys and a link to the tidal charts.

I just find it amazing that so much life still manages with the inconsistencies in the water. This seaweed stuff (sorry have no clue what it is) just lays around on the rocks without water – I can only assume the bulbous tips help them survive while on land.

Then as the water comes in they become afloat with potential eating places for various critters.

My husband thinks he king of the hill – or rocks in this case. Silly man!

As far as we can remember, it was our first time seeing the Atlantic Ocean so we had to do a self-portrait.

The puddles left from low tide provide viewing of many small creatures.

Peace out dude!

We became shadow art momentarily.

I wanted to take a piece of driftwood home but the guys wouldn’t allow it.

When we stopped back by later in the day it was amusing to see the birds trying to stay on rocks while the tide was roughly going back out.

Macro Monday is easy to play, snap a macro (or any close-up) photo, post it on your blog and come back here and sign Mr Linky. Don’t forget to visit each other.

Check it out, I found some Common Eider. I had never seen these before!

The brown one is the female and the other one is male.

A feast?

Hope you’re having a great 4th!

In trying to share my vacation (which I love doing btw), I am falling behind on some current stuff, so please accept a hodge podge. Dennis and I went to the Dells Comedy Club and had a great time! The hypnotists were hilarious – they are the couple from the Jerry Springer show. Even though we were right up front we did not volunteer to be hypnotized, but we sure laughed our butts off! We used to go to comedy clubs from time to time, but it had been probably 7 years since we’d been!  It’s a goal to go more often – everyone needs to laugh.

We bought tickets for Gallagher! We’ll be right up front and they tell us he wants people to bring their cameras! Yippee! We saw him in Joplin 7-8 years ago, but we weren’t that close. However, he signed a shirt for us and was very nice! Can’t wait for the show!  Hope I don’t get watermelon in the camera.  Hmmm, how do you watermelon-proof a camera anyway?

While we were in the Dells we stopped by the outlet mall and I found a new swimsuit at Eddie Bauer. They had all the swimsuits on sale for $9.99 each – I got a tankini – black bottoms and pink top with black trim/straps. I stayed away from the Coach store this time. Lol

But I discovered the Croc store! Had no idea there was a Croc outlet store!! I’m so excited! I got the shoes above for $9.99! And Dennis got some sports themed crocs (normally $39.99) for $14.95! I will definitely be going back there!

Why did they have to discontinue my favorite smell? I still have half a bottle of perfume but the lotion is nearly gone. I will miss it! I have been using this tube stingily for, oh, 8 years. I love to mix a little with a little water and scrunch it in my hair – makes the smell stay all day. *sigh*

Over vacation I caved into the smooshing penny craze. My son kinda pushed me over the edge, he likes to turn the crank but doesn’t want the penny and I’ve always avoided them. But I thought, what the heck. So we smooshed pennies – then in Philly we bought the little book to put them in so I don’t lose them. Before we bought the book I was not sure what I’d do with them.

Lavender bath salts ~ my husband spoils me! Smells divine!  I didn’t use the stuff for a week while we debated about how much to use.  The instructions never said how much to add to your bath water, but the container was huge so I figured it was enough for at least four baths.  Dennis thought I should through it all in at once.  Since we couldn’t decide I just didn’t use it – finally, I used half in two baths.  How much do you use?  And do you take the little netting thing off your sea sponge?  I’ve always taken them off but Dennis says the net stays on. . .we’re going to be such confusing old folks aren’t we.

Doesn’t my husband make a lovely Hannah Montana? We were caching and the wig was in the cache so it was photo time. Yeah, it was night and I did not take the big camera, photo isn’t that good – but it’s still funny, no?

My daughter is married to a Nick Smith – I say, “a” because I imagine there are a lot of them. Well one day I noticed my daughter had a new friend on facebook, said friend had no photo, but was named “Nick Smith” and I assumed her husband had signed up. So I friended him and after he approved me (If you’re not on facebook you may be lost at this point, but I think you’ll still see the humor), I discovered that he lived in Canada – uh, wrong Nick Smith.

I thought it odd that my daughter knew two Nick Smith’s, but oh well. About a month went by before I remembered to share the story with her. And when I did she started laughing and said she didn’t know him either! Nick told her he had signed up and when she searched she thought it was him. Once she was approved as this Nick’s friend she noticed the birthday was wrong! So, there’s a Nick Smith in Canada who may be starting to think he’s all that.

I have been trying to get more photos added to my gallery. And I’ll be adding more each week, so pop over when you have a chance. The link stays in my footer, way down there, and on my about me page.

Thanks for staying through all my rambles! Hope you’re having a great weekend!  Be safe with those fireworks!

This week I’m more about the story than the photo. But doesn’t it look festive and patriotic?! Last 4th of July, I tucked one cupcake in the spare fridge to snap a photo of later. Then, in typical Lisa fashion, I promptly forgot about it.

The fridge didn’t get used much (we sold it in the garage sale), but each time someone got in it, the cupcake sitting on one shelf, all alone, always brought laughs. About May, it was decided that maybe we should just tuck it on the plate with this year’s cupcakes and see who grabbed it.

But I’m not totally heartless, so here, one year later I took photos of it – then threw it away. Now I can’t say how it tasted, but doesn’t it scare you that a Wal-Mart cupcake looks so good after a year?!

I could not resist a trip to Mount Hope Cemetery while in Bangor. I have to say that I think this is the biggest cemetery I have ever been in!

Coming of age
On April, 23rd. 2009, Mount Hope Cemetery will officiall turn 175 years old, making it one of the nations oldest garden cemeteries. Established in 1834, concurrent with the incorporation that same year of Bangor, Maine, the cemetery’s host city, the Mount Hope Cemetery Corporation, beginning with fify acres, owned roughly 264 acres of land by 1996.
America’s second garden cemetery
Mount Hope, recognized as America’s second garden cemetery, also managed the adjacent cemetery holding of the City of Bangor during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In total, Mount Hope owned or managed some 300 acres by 1995, property visited by the general public for educational and recreational purposes as well as providing crematory, mausoleum, and related cemetery services.
~taken from the Mt. Hope website

This memorial greets you as you enter.

I find the death angel kinda creepy, but in a fascinating way.

The ponds reflect the stones back, making there appear to be more graves than there are.

Full of slopes and walkways and ponds it’s more like a park than a cemetery.

Another memorial for our fallen features canons and a turret(?).

I would have loved to spend more time there but our stomachs were rumbling after our bad experience in New Hampshire so we only spent about 45 minutes.

I could not resist approaching this mausoleum/crypt. And maybe it was the time of day, or the quiet of the evening, but as I walked up closer I swore I heard sounds from within.

In fact, I quickly snapped this photo of the vines and lept (hey, you may have leaped, I lept!) away!

Still I cautiously crept onto the ‘roof’ to survey my surroundings.

Nearby, I could lie on a mound and take this shot where I think it looks like I’m arising from my grave.

I am not positive that this is the oldest portion of the cemetery but it appears that way to me. I have never seen graves mounded in this way before, and I think it lends to the creepiness factor.

While this cemetery was not the inspiration for Pet Semetary it was the location that Stephen King used to write much of the novel. And it appears in the movie – which btw King insisted be filmed in Maine. My middle son was named Gage after the boy in the movie. Nah, I’m not a fan at all. lol

Sidenote: Some you have mentioned that I seem to be sharing tons of cemeteries lately and it’s true. But they are not a new found fascination, nope, not at all. I’m not sure exactly when the fascination began. I know my mom and i would do etchings when I was a girl and we would explore new ones we saw. Ad adult, it seems I might have gotten interested in them again when I was pregnant with my last child. We lived across the road from a cemetery and walked in it many times. I would look at stones for neat names for my upcoming baby. Didn’t end up using any from there, but the fascination has stayed.

For my birthday in 2006, Dennis I went to as many Chicago cemeteries as we could. I had never explored them before and had a blast! There are several old posts on my old blog about previous trips, as well as the ones here. But you’re seeing a lot of them all together because one of my vacation goals was to step into at least one cemetery in each state we went to. I only missed New Jersey.

Wonder why some stones are black. Anyone have any ideas?

1. A view from above (looking down)
I love rollercoasters! But, have you ever tried to photograph your ride? Let’s just say I had to ride a few times to get a decent shot.

2. A macro shot
A trinket I forgot about for a few years, but finally sent off to my mom.

3. Laughter
A child’s laughter is precious!

4. Relaxation
The best place to relax is on daddy’s shoulder.

5. A celebration
I bet you know what kind of celebration we were at.

6. A sunset
Last Thursday, Dennis and I went to a get together on a boat up in Green Bay. After our cruise, on our walk to the car, we paused so I could snap this pretty sky.

7. Sun/lens flare
The soldier moved at the same moment I clicked and the sun bounced back at me off one of his medals.

8. A bridge
Just one bridge?

9. A shadow
Me, waving at you!

10. A garden
Unfortunately, not my garden. But pretty nonetheless.

11. A Park
Some of you followed my facebook status last week when Dennis left me in the woods and I hoped he didn’t forget where. This is the park we were in, although we left the trail. Dennis did come back for me and helped me climb up the steep slope, he’s considerate like that.  Then I took the easy path back out of the woods, while he went back down the slope to grab the car.  Some guys saw us go into the woods together, and Dennis said they sure were watching him come out alone, and they kept looking back toward the woods.  I bet they now have a story to tell.  They never saw him pick me up on top, lol.

12. A street scene
Well, this is as close as I could get. At the annual Golf Spectacular, with over 200 golfers,  it’s such a chaotic mess as everyone races to their tees.  Here a few of them are, waiting to be released.

13. Signage
Had never seen one of these signs before.  And, uh, I think spring is over.

14. A summer activity
We didn’t get our canoe out at all last summer, but I’m happy to say we’ve had it out twice so far this year.

15. A summer treat
YUMMY! Need I say more?

16. Earth
How about half? This is a satellite/clock, representing our geocaching craziness.

17. Air/wind
I think you can see how windy it was by how the flags were whipping about.

18. Fire
I waited for the last minute to get this shot. So here I was grabbing a mirror, candle and the camera (no tripod – I’m stubborn like that) at 8pm last night and shooting my last photo. Oh well, I kinda like it.

19. Water
Raindrops are falling on my head.

20. Something Vintage
A Grotto that we recently discovered.

21. Something made of glass
Sea glass (mermaid’s tears, beach glass, lucky tears) found on our travels. While it isn’t technically made into anything yet, it will be made into jewelry or used on cards. And it used to be bottles and other items.

22. Something made of wood
Anyone know what this instrument is?

23. Something that floats
I’m sure Mary hopes the kayak continues to float. I know she was pretty nervous about her first trip out.

24. Something railroad related
Kayla and I got left behind. Dennis crossed the bridge with her parents for some photos. Kayla and I waited, somewhat patiently.

25. Something Round
Can‘t think of what this is called – my brain is tired – so, huge dandelion puffball.

And now, it’s well after midnight and I think it’s time for sleep.  See you all tomorrow.  Did you have a favorite?