Vacation, Day 1, Whitehall

We ate at Crosswinds, at a table beside White Lake. We watched the sailboats and fisherman and enjoyed seeing the trees through the tops of the shande umbrellas. On the way back to the motel, we stopped in a sculpture garden where we tried to make the sculptures squeak like they did last time we were there--but someone had oiled them.

See another shot from this meal.

For Annie

Dark Lanterns

My plants are dead
when I get home from traveling.
I sit by their shriveled bodies and weep, wishing
I had friends who cared, someone to spill water
onto parched soil, someone
I could trust.

I have no friends.

I sit and think of you and cry.

You were a friend, and now you're gone.
A nurse, an actress, a humanist
an activist. Someone who cared.

You never smoked. You avoided even second hand smoke,
but lung cancer took you anyway, stole your breath
your hope, your life.

Always, you were a soft smile, a welcome in, a gentle ear.
You served brownies and cookies and smiles,
always smiles. Hugs. Healing hugs.

I touch the lifeless blossoms
that hang from brown stems like little lanterns,
empty of light
and remember your face, so full
of joy. Your eyes sparkled and shone with fun.
Now they are closed forever.

I pour water on those desiccated sticks,
wondering, hoping
somehow some bit of green,
some life remains,
some sprout will answer
my wet wishes.

But for you, the time to hope
has passed. This
is the time of sorrow.

Mary Stebbins Taitt
for Annie LaForest Phillips, July 2010

Digital Iris Painting

Iris, by Mary Stebbins Tait. I've been trying to learn to do art on
the iPad, because I took it with me camping. Today, I am home--came
home a week early due to medical issues. So I did a digital smudge
painting on the real computer, with the cintique tablet--I've got a
lot more control! I can do much finer detail!!! LOL! (What a
difference). I wonder if they wil have software for the iPad that
comes closer to this.

First light from our trip: Lake of the Clouds

I've downloaded the first card from our trip to the UP.  This card came from BB's camera.  I am attaching three pictures from Lake of the Clouds, by BB.  This was probably our favorite spot on the trip; I know it was mine.  We LOVED it there. It's in the Porcupine Wilderness area, at the tippy top of the UP (Upper Penninsula).

We are back now, but I haven't looked at my email yet, and probably will NOT do so at least until we're unpacked and the plants are watered and we've retrieved the bird etc.  Much to be done here at home.  We've cut short our vacation by a week.

Guitar Boy, sick

Still trying to learn--combining programs on iPad.  Kid was sick.  I'll be away about 3 weeks.

Sent from my iPad

insomnia

If's after 2 Am and I haven't slept a wink yet. :-(

Did this SP on iPad with Colorpad HD.

Wicked on iPad

I was at the Doctor's today for hours and attempted to do "Wicked."
I've just gotten the iPad and am not very good yet (I may never
be--it's clumsy and awkward.)

Two more poems being translated into French

Marie de Montpellier (in France) is translating two more of my poems into French.  She's already done two others.  Her current choices are one from Desire ("Forgetting You") and one from Counting Fingers, Smelting Light ("Remembering Ricky").  I am very excited, pleased and honored.  YAY!  :-D  Woohoo!

The Tortured Killdeer

Back when school was in session and it was cooler and quieter at the
marina, a killeer built its nest under a tree. Then one hot Saturday
when all the kiddies were out of school and picnics were in full
swing, someone occupied the cooker next to the bird's nest and the
people coming and going kept scaring the Mom off the nest. She'd run
back and try to get settled and get scared away again. I yelled at
one guy for scaring her. But we had to leave--I coudln't guard the
nest--I hope the nest, the eggs, the babies, the parents all survive.

Drawing #4 on iPad

I drew this with my FINGER at dinner.  If you check out how hard it was for me to sign my name, it may give you an idea how hard drawing on the thing is.  Sent from my iPad