Visitor at the front door

We couldn’t hear his knock. The crane fly simply clung to the window waiting for me to notice that he had interest in a portrait session. After a few shots I took the SD card to the computer to review the proofs. When I returned (for possible reshoots) the visitor had vanished; leaving no forwarding contact information. Wikipedia says, “…most crane fly species exist as adults only to mate and die.” Perhaps this one wanted to be remembered.

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Leica R8/DMR, 100 Apo Macro Elmarit

Rick Benoit becomes new Wisconsin Coordinator at Vets Journey Home (and needed a new portrait)

Rick Benoit took over responsibilities from Donna Barth as Wisconsin Coordinator for Vets Journey Home. Rick and I had a delightful photo session at my studio last month. Today I installed their pick from the session proofs, along with Rick’s bio, at the Vets’ who we are page; which I designed and launched last year. Kudos! to Rick and all those at Vets Journey Home who give so much to nurture the hearts, minds and bodies of our returning vets and their families. If you know a vet please let them know about this exceptional group of people who’d love to hear from them. The weekend program is offered at no charge to the veterans.

Sunday — Global Union 2009: music, dogs, children, dancing

Alverno College kicked off its 50th annual Alverno Presents season with Global Union 2009 at Humboldt Park this past weekend. Always a wonderful time and place to enjoy people, music, children, dogs and dancing (additonal images in slideshow).

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(Leica M8, 28 mm Summicron)

Thursday: a day with Sophia

Waiting in front of her school
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after stopping at the hardware store and replacing a dowel in the kite

the surf, shells and stones held more interest than the kite

we traded off winding the kite in

the gulls fighting over flying bread

made us hungry for chocolate malts and french fries

back at the house Sophia fished for cats with a shoe string

All images Leica M8 with 28 mm Summicron, except last (Sophia fishing for cats) with Leica R8/DMR with 100 mm Apo Macro Elmarit

Vets Journey Home truly supports our veterans

We have the honor of launching, this very evening, a freshly redesigned web site for Vets Journey Home, a remarkable group of caring souls who offer a much needed, healing weekend to our vets, at no cost, because they know that our vets have already paid.

“a unique weekend program for veterans, designed to help heal the emotional wounds of military service. The program was created in 1989 as The Bamboo Bridge, co-founded by VietNam veteran Christan Kramer, and a Sargeant Major’s daughter, Patricia Clason. They were committed to giving VietNam veterans the Welcome Home they deserved and helping them heal their hearts and bring peace to their souls.

Since then, our country has been involved in many conflicts and wars. They also discovered that the emotional wounds many veterans carry can also come from service in peacetime – it is not only combat that wounds the heart.

In 2005, VietNam veteran Gene McMahon took over the lead for this work and re-named the program Vets Journey Home, to be inclusive of all veterans. Today, Gene and Patricia are joined by other instructors and a large community of volunteers, both veteran and civilian, who desire to serve those who served our country, by offering this compassionate and welcoming retreat, where any story is heard without judgment.”

New forms by Dan Nauman

Dan Nauman of Bighorn Forge continues to bring new forms to his hand wrought home furnishings.

“There is no substitute for feeling the stone, the metal, the plaster, or the wood in the hand; to feel its weight; to feel its texture; to struggle with it in the world rather than in the mind alone.” — William M. Dupree

“The artist is a man [or woman] who finds that the form or shape of things externally corresponds, in some strange way, to the movements of his mental and emotional life.” —Graham Collier

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(Slide show of additional views of this table)