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Here are a few images from Venice that piqued my artistic interest and fit well together as a series. I promise to post some more “traditional” ones tomorrow night 🙂

After a normal day of Whippi Dip and some yard work planting daylilies, we pulled out a couple dozen trays of Jeff’s dad’s slides full of family memories and images of Vietnam. After fighting with a cranky slide projector, we sat for a few hours laughing at bad faishions, remembering Christmas presents past, and telling stories of relatives long gone.

I had done this very same ritual in Richmond with my family on my last visit. The ritual made me think. In the digital camera age, will we have the ‘bad’ or ’embarrassing’ or ‘accidental’ images to show the next generation? Or will our electronic picture boxes be only those images that we didn’t delete and re-shoot a half dozen times until it was just right.

And what about those helpful notations (‘Sunrise over hog yard – Aug 1962.’) that help you remember a place oe names. Who takes the time to rename all those ‘IMG-5362’ file names?

As I have been pulling up images from college, I chuckle at the bad hair and the high white socks and the geeky poses. But these go hand in hand with my fond memories.

You know, some days are just relaxing without being eventful. And of course, the addicted blogger must…fill…the…void! Today was sunny and warm and uneventful. There was more kayaking and Whippi Dip and eating on the deck…but nothing to write about.

Our best topic today was around a photo I took of a hummingbird feeding. I used the continuous mode to try and catch the essence of the hummingbird. In one frame, there is a yellow streak that shoots across 2/3 of the shot. Until my parents can tell me otherwise, we have dubbed this the hummingbird peeing shot.

Talk about a slow news day!

Today, we spent a few hours kayaking down the lazy White River, which is north of Muskegon. Jeff’s dad dropped us off at the Happy Mohawk Canoe Livery, and met us downstream. In between, we paddled through lush green terrain bounded by old hardwood trees loaded with birds. Freshly fallen trees in the river made for a twisted course. A chocolate lab named Dakota kept us busy at the takeout while we rested.

Afterwards, we enjoyed a dog of another style: chili dogs for lunch at the historic Dogs and Suds drive-up in Whitehall. Some cool rootbeer to wash it all down.

We finished the day with a crackling bonfire at Jeff’s sister and brother-in-law’s house. It took the chill off an unseasonably cool summer night.

Spotted ONE lone firefly!

Yesterday, when the kids arrived for the big July 4th family meal, our pirate theme (including monster cave and coconuts) was replaced by Batman. Dominick and Natalie became Batman and Batgirl, who kept getting trapped in the walls of the Batcave requiring a brave rescue.

Unfortunately, the kids’ image of Batman had been formed earlier in the day by watching the George Clooney Batman and Robin film! So Jeff became Govenor Schwartzeneger’s Mr. Freeze. And I became Alfed…who aparrently was terminally ill in that film?!?

But good food on the grill (mmmm, homemade bbq ribs), family on the deck, and fireworks over Muskegon Lake saved the day. And of course, we got our daily Whippi Dip fix…vanilla softserve with ‘blue goo’ flavor burst today!