Cheers to TGIF

It's been quite a busy week at work while we "work" to have fun for our United Way campaign. One of the fundraisers was "Send a beer and a smile" so people could give someone a Point Rootbeer and smiley cookie.

Two very nice people sent me beers and smiles. So I got a tasty cookie for breakfast yesterday! Feeling the love.

Speaking of love... after worked I raced down to Rapids so I shoot some pictures of our Lady Royals tennis team. It was Senior Night so I got there in time for that anyway, and the first love-love serve! 

From there I headed down to the Lake Camelot area to take some senior pictures. This handsome young man also happens to be on the Shermalot Waterski Show Team I photograph. So it was no surprise that after a few "land shots," we were in the boat!

That was so fun to see him show off his bare-footing skills! Fun. 

I even got a bare-footing father-son duo photo!

I think ON THE WATER is my favorite new photo shoot location. Just sayin'!

Maybe we all be in for some this weekend!

Birthday Anniversary Birthday Palooza Concludes

Our 5-day birthday-anniversary palooza has come to an end. My birthday Wednesday, our anniversary Saturday, and hubby's birthday today. I just had to share some adorable childhood birthday photos.

Carter looked like him at this age.

Casey resembles him here.

Bicentennial year. Whoo-hoo!

And this could be Clay. Brown-eyed legacy lives on.

If you're doing the math, you realize someone turned the big 6-0 today! He golfed at Bullseye Country Club while I caught up on a little housework, visited the chiropractor, then go a much-needed deep tissue massage. Standing for long periods of time for a week doesn't do any favors to your body. Even if I'm not 60!

Tonight we celebrated with our friends Craig and Sara (and Craig's sister and brother-in-law Jane and Kevin). Grilled out then cruised Nepco Lake in their pontoon. All day it was sunny and hot (as in 92). But once we hit the water, the clouds came, the temps dropped a bit and it was delightful!

Make a wish!

The top photo was Jim sporting celebration glasses and me with the birthday tiara.

With the girls!

Captain Craig.

The kiddos.

And even Prince E. the dog got into the partying spirit!

Gorgeous evening for a ride. The sun hit the top of one cloud in the sky. Otherwise, it was just gone.

Stopped for awhile by the dam for a swim. Not us, but three of them anyway. Then we saw some ominous skies and a forecast of rain and storms. So we pulled anchor and headed back.

Caught a little "heat lightning" on our way back. After docking, the winds came up and a little rain. But the radar is showing a potentially dramatic weather pattern while we're sleeping.

With the air cranked – tomorrow will be 91 – we hopefully won't notice. Either way, no alarms will be set in this house!

Have a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July!

July 4th Foggy Fireworks

After on-and-off rain Monday, we were excited that it cleared up a bit by early evening when we were going to dinner with friends at Bullseye – and then out on their boat to watch the fireworks. It was our first time doing that so the photographer in me was especially excited to be close to the action.

It didn't quite go as planned. Even though the rain had stopped, the air was thick with moisture. So humid it was almost foggy. We still trekked up river a bit in their pontoon and dropped anchor close to downtown Wisconsin Rapids – along with a handful of other boats.

As the first ones went off, I was like yes, this is very cool!

But then we noticed that because it was so still out and so humid, the smoke cloud from the fireworks just hung there. Each time, gathering smoke and blocking our view of the actual fireworks.

It was weird. Like mushroom cloud weird.

But at the same time, kind of cool!

The most unusual "natural" no-filter pictures I've taken, that's for sure!

Thinking Armageddon-type movies!

Every color of firework reflected in their respective cloud!

Here comes the grand finale!!

Is somewhere in there!

I do hope the hundreds and hundreds of people on shore had a better view. But I wouldn't trade the experience. Another bonus – not much traffic on the way home! #foghorn

Hope you had an enjoyable 4th of July!

Road Worthy

Woke up and decided to take a 336.2-mile round-trip road trip. I mean, why not? Gas is cheap, right? Honestly, although a graduation party was on my calendar for quite sometime now, I was waffling on my decision to go. Since hubby had a previous golf engagement, did I want to drive to Marinette by myself – almost 3 hours each way to spend an hour in between? And with these horrendous gas prices?

When I woke up this morning, I decided yup. These friends are worth more than the price of gas! If I didn't go and something happened to one of them, I'd regret it forever.

And it was the best decision! So very, very glad I went. I needed hugs from these almost-lifelong friends. Three decades and counting. Cindy (left), Sally and I had worked together at the daily newspaper in Menominee – my first job out of college! Cindy and her family took me into their fold and they literally were my family when I lived in Marinette – since driving home to Luck was a 6-7-hour drive so I missed some holidays. Love both these "girls" so much!

Cindy's daughter Sara was 7 when I first met her. Now she's the mother of the graduate! I've got to see her grow from a little girl to a strong young woman to an amazing mother of two!

And I've known her brother since he was born. Love my little Jacob! He's gonna be 30 this summer so yeah, somebody here is getting old!

After much-treasured hugs and visiting (3+ hours not 1), I hit the road. But not before touring around some of my old stomping grounds. Mainly the Lake Michigan waterfront wrapping around Marinette and Menominee.

This car breaks for beaked-creature pictures!

Looking across the waters of Green Bay you can see Door County in the distance! I loved that when living up there.

And I had to stop and see my lighthouse. Yes, MINE!

The memories here are classified, sorry.

Don't miss the gulls though. Their poop, that is!

Slams on brakes midair.

Dives for something.

No sure what because he surfaced empty-handed and empty-mouthed as far as I could tell.

Watching the boats – and occasionally riding one – never got old. And still doesn't.

New (to me) statue in Menominee.

And a Robyn-sized lighthouse replica that I couldn't lift to take home in my car. It wouldn't have fit!

Driving back into Wisconsin, I just felt so blessed and grateful that I decided to make the trip. These people were my family for 4 years and still are. 

My advice: Always take the trip. Make the time. See that person. Get that hug. Always!