Whale Breath

Sorry for being so absent lately. I've been really busy between work and Joe's parents visiting. Luckily the weather has turned around a bit and we've been able to get outside and actually do some things. We've been hiking, biking, blueberry picking, and yesterday we took Joe's mom out whale watching. We went back in the spring when she came to visit, but we were a bit to early for the whales, so the company gave her a voucher to come back again.

This time we got on a newer, larger boat (still for free, since we work here! yay!). And we saw three whales. Two of them hung out by the boat for quite a while, providing us with some good photo ops. I learned a surprising amount about whales, and was pretty astounded at having actually seen them up close. We got so close we could hear them blowing air out of their blowholes and even smell their breath (a pretty unpleasant odor). The two humpbacks that hung around the boat were named Viper and Flyer. Apparently the whale research organization out here was the first group to discover that the markings on their tails are all unique and allow us to identify, name, and track the whales. It's really great how there's so much talk of environmental alliances out here. There's such an abundance of wildlife and a lack of pollution. I'm really just lucky to be out here, able to experience all of it...

OK, sentimentality aside, here are some pictures of the whales and the sunset on the return boat ride (we were 28 miles off shore and traveled at 30mph! woo)

Move Over Betty Crocker!

I baked a pie. That's right...I did it. And you know what, it tastes pretty darn good if I do say so myself. Aside from the fact that when I lifted out the first piece, the filling gushed into the whole to fill the space like some dark indigo pond, hungrily gobbling up extra land to add to its inky darkness, it turned out rather well. I'm pleased with my first attempt. Maybe I'll go pick some blueberries in the park today and make a second attempt with the help of Joe's mom. --Yes yes...the two and a half week marathon of visitors has begun! yay! --I have lots I'd like to share, but for now, I must run to the farmer's market (me too Michael!) I'll leave you with a picture of my pie :) Too bad I can't let you have a taste as well.

Family and Domestication

So I'm sitting here at work, with no one in the gallery, doing nothing--as you can tell--and I have two things running through my mind:

1. I can't wait for mine and Joe's parents to get here. Joe's parents arrive on Saturday and mine arrive the following Friday, followed by a visit from one of Joe's - and mine as well - friends. It's going to be a busy month, but I'm ready for a slice of home. I'm a family girl, and I've been away for quite a while. I talk to my mom rather frequently and I'm looking forward to actually seeing her. We're both pretty silly, and we tend to have a good time together (provided we're not being stubborn and arguing over something stupid). I think I'm mostly just excited to show them that their daughter is doing well, living happily in a really great place.

2. I've turned into a regular do-it-yourself, Betty Crocker. Joe and I canned pickles last week, have a large jar of strawberry cordial brewing in the basement, yesterday we made clam strips and mint brownies (which are a bit closer to fudge than a brownie) and now I'm about to take on a blueberry-raspberry pie. What is this? Does living on my own in a house turn me into Dotty Domestic? It's like a switch flipped and I'm all of a sudden the domestic girl from some old poster with a tray of muffins balanced in my oven-mit covered hands. I'm 21!?! What is this?

OK OK...It's probably more likely that I simply enjoy cooking and finally have time to do so instead of sitting down to some art history homework or something, but it's different.

We Made PIckles!

I think the title kinda gives this one away, but Joe and I made pickles the other day. I have a bunch of dill growing and the best possible use for it seemed to be making my own dill pickles. And luckily enough the jars all sealed! Now I just have to wait 8 weeks before I get them...grrrr.............

The King of the Neighborhood

I wanted to sneak in this picture for everyone to enjoy my favorite neighbor....Elvis!!!



Elvis belongs to a couple down the road, but he struts around the neighborhood like he owns it. This past weekend he was hanging out with me and Joe, chasing butterflies in the yard and lounging in the shade. He is a definite love sponge, soaking up any and all love and attention that he can get. As soon as you pause, pulling your hand away from his fluffy, fuzzy head, he's rubbing up against you and staring at you as if you were wasting valuable rubbing time. I'm considering stealing him, but for now I'm settling with spoiling him rotten so he'll come back and visit often!

Natures Little Wonders

Have you ever cut a mushroom in half horizontally and taken a look? Well I did the other day and was pretty excited at what I found. I sound really silly saying this, and I know I'll never actually do anything with my discovery, but I was just so pleasantly surprised. Nature is always full of fun, silly little surprises that make my smile for no real describable reason...The pattern reminds me of so many different things and all of them just make me happy!

Over The River And Through The Woods

Last weekend Joe and I managed to sneak away from our busy--or rather my busy--lives to go camping on the other side of the island in Quietside Campground. When we finally managed to find the campground, tucked away on the opposite side of the island, we found out that the woman at the front desk is from Chelsea, Michigan. It was fate!

The campsite was perfect: hidden down a small path was a rather large clearing with a picnic table, wooden platform, and stone fire pit. I was in heaven!

We had a good time, grilling hot dogs and s'mores and drinking beer. We could see one neighboring campsite through the trees, but they were barely even there. It was as if we had the whole forest to ourselves. The weather held and out and Joe's small tent was just the right size to give us somewhere reasonably comfy to sleep. It wasn't quite like the camping trips with my family -- three bedroom tent, and a big breakfast feast with plenty of bacon -- but it was just what I needed. I've been getting burnt out from my work schedule and the camping trip seemed to stretch the weekend even though I had to go to work the same night we returned home.

All in all...fantastic time. It was the lift I needed. Now I've got the prospect of both Joe and my parents coming to visit soon to keep me in good spirits! Yay!

Burnt Popcorn -- Sadness to Follow

Burning a bag of popcorn is such a bummer - and that's exactly what I just did. I was making myself one of those convenient "mini-bags" in a microwave I'm not used to, and less than a minute later I realized I had messed up. I openned the bag and caught a whif of that awful burnt butter and my heart sank. Funny how a burnt bag of popcorn can be so upsetting. I guess it's because a perfect bag of popcorn is so great--especially when you're really hungry!

**I'd like to point out quickly how I decided to post this without thinking of Michael's latest post about ruining his dinner...funny how we're doing a sort of "call and response" through our writing... :)

Indecisiveness Strikes Again!

I've been working on some business cards for gallery I work at, and now that I finally have something done, I have to send it out to get them printed. Well...little indecisive me can't seem to choose a color combination. I've narrowed it down from 5 to 3, but I can't quite decide between these last three. The gallery is an extremely bright, cheery, fun, and funky kind of a place, so any of them could work. A lot of the pieces are also extremely girly, so the pink/purple combo is also applicable. Basically I just can't decide, and when I'm about to order 5,000 of them, I feel as though I should take the time to actually think it out. I think I'll ask my boss her thoughts tonight. Any suggestions are welcome.

--I apologize for the grainy quality. Blogger didn't like any of my file formats, and in the process of converting them, the quality when funky...But the colors are still there at least--

Fly Away

I have some pictures from this weekends Flamingo Festival, but before I get to them, I have exciting news...I bought a plane ticket to Colombia!!! I've been wanting to buy a ticket for some time, and I finally decided to do it. The price was right and the timing was perfect!!!

On to the Flamingo Fest. The parade was along the lines of your typical town parade, floats, cars, and a few added boats. But what made this parade special, was that everyone was wearing pink and feathers. It was really fun to see everyone in the town wearing pink and carrying balloons. I was genuinely surprised at how many people actually dressed for the occasion.







The "gallery show" that accompanied the festival was also rather surprising. I think I'll just let the pictures do the talking...

Big Kids Need Big Toys

Joe and I made a fun purchase this past weekend...After a phone call from a guy named Frank, we came home with a shiny new...

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KAYAK!!!!
Ok Ok, so it's not actually shiny or new, but to us it is!!! And we have had ourselves a fun time trying it out in Eagle Lake. It's a sea kayak, so it's made for the ocean, but we decided that it would be best to take it around the lake a few times to get our sea legs primed and ready for the freezing cold ocean. I have yet to take my camera in the kayak, so these pictures close to the shore are all I've got, but maybe one day I'll ziploc up my camera and take a few snap shots of both me and Joe in the boat, paddling around the island!

Yay for new toys!!!

This One's For Mom

That's right...Mount Desert Island has a festival for those pink,feathery creatures my mom loves so much. And the flamingo I designed to represent the festival found a place on the front page of the paper. I'm not really sure what flamingos have to do with the Wild West, but I don't really know what an east coast island has to do with the Wild West either. I suppose I'll find out soon. In case that doesn't answer your question, yes, mother, I'll be checking out the festival Saturday morning. I'll be sure to take lots of picutres for you. :)

Preparing for the Journey

I have plans to travel to Columbia in a few months and for once, I've been doing some research. When I studied in Chile, I was surprised to find myself the only unprepared traveler. I arrived with no knowledge, no travel plans, no guide books...nothing. I was a clean slate. And in some ways, I think that was a great idea for that trip. At the same time, however, I feel as though I may have missed out on some fascinating places or some potentially interesting conversations about the culture or history of the country. But this time is a bit different. I have a bit of knowledge about Columbia--a smattering from my friend Paula and then just bits and pieces heard from the news. I also will be traveling without the supervision of a university or secured housing. Sure, I have friends that will be there, but Columbia is a whole different ball game. I'm sure everyone has some sort of preconceived notion about Columbia and drugs and kidnappings--and I do to. But Paula has made her country seem so wonderful that I can't help but want to visit and see it for myself. So this time...I researched. And I'm so glad I did, because the country has really turned itself around, and it's no longer that frightening country we've seen on the news where its recommended that you stay in doors and off the public transportation or out of rural areas (although a few of these are still precautions...you just have to be smart about it). So now I'm back to being excited! Yay!

There's just something about latin culture that I absolutely love--maybe it has something to do with food playing such an important role in their life styles :) They have such a different attitude about life, and I must admit that I wouldn't be miserable living somewhere south of the border.

Lobsters on the Run!

I'm finally getting some pictures put up here. Here's a smattering of some things. The first few are from the fourth of July, an interesting and fun time out here. We saw the traditional lobster races that continue throughout the afternoon. Local businesses and individuals can enter a lobster in one of the many "heats" throughout the day. You can also place bets on your favorite lobster...This race was anything but a close call. Although it was a bit interesting to see them start off--none of the poor lobsters felt like moving much. It took a good chunk of time and a bit of friendly nudges to get any of them to move much. Maybe a bit of food at the other end of the tank could have provided a bit more of an incentive. Sadly, I'm guessing that all lobsters, winners and losers, met the same fate at the lobster cookout tent that was nextdoor to the races...So in the end, there were no real winners, just dinners.



Joe and I watched the fireworks that night from some rocks out on the shore. We went with some new friends who are all students at the local college-College of the Atlantic. They led us to the school's pier--yes, the school has a pier, how cool is that!!!!--and we watched from the rocks beneath the dock. It was particularly nice to be able to watch the fireworks while sitting a few feet from the water. We didn't venture down town, but I'm guessing it was a zoo down there with the large influx of tourists for the holiday weekend.







Next are just a few random pictures, one of the cruise ships that came to the harbor, a view of our house with our newly blooming flowers :) yay!--I love to garden!!! And a bridge that we discovered to be a historical landmark.

I Wish...

I wish there were book clubs around here...I really would love to discuss some of the books I've read lately, as dorky as that may make me sound. --and those commercials for laughing cow cheese aren't helping...if you've seen them, you know what I mean. I think I'm going to have to go to grad school eventually if only to get the chance to be surrounded in discussion and peers with shared interests.

Cameras and Tea

While posting those last images, I remembered the other couple that took the ferry with us--yes there were only four people on the boat. On the way from Big Cranberry Island to Little Cranberry Island, we passed the large sign with a birds nest settled in the top. As soon as it came into view, I reached for my camera. The male half of the other couple turned to me and said "I thought you said you live here" --referring to a conversation we had had about their being on vacation and Joe and I having just moved here. I understand he was just teasing me for being as camera happy as his fiance, but that sort of got me thinking. True, tourists are going to be more likely to have a camera out on an occasion such as a ferry ride, but why can't residences? Why do we only allow ourselves to pull out a camera if we're in a foreign location? I know that those times are more intriguing and are full of things to photograph, but things change so much in our own surroundings that I believe in always having a camera with me.

Hold on...this sounds a bit silly, but let's think about this seriously, take away the camera aspect which seems a bit cheesy, but really, I think there's something there. I think that people take their surroundings for granted, assuming it's always the same as it was yesterday, and the day before, and the day before. But it's not. So much changes around us every day and we let it go by without noticing the phases in between.

Ok...I"m done.

I think there's really something to be said here, but I'm not saying it very well,

On a lighter and more easily explainable fact...I bought some tea from this adorable and awesome tea shop here and it's fantastic. I'm enjoying it thoroughly.

And The Ostrich's Head Emerges

OK, OK. I'll admit it. I've been a bit anti social lately...one might even say a bit hermit-ish. But then again, I suppose that's a bit easy seeing as how I don't know that many people out here. But I have put a bit of extra effort into it the past week, and I apologize. Work has been a bit of a precarious situation for me recently and I've been in a bit of a funk because of it. But things seem to be brightening up--I'd like to say a week of solid pouting helped, but I'm sure it's more the change in my perspective of it all--and I'm coming back out to be my good old social self (look at me be social on my blog!)

Unfortunately, with my lack of socializing, my photography has been put on hold as well. I'll throw in a big batch of the only photos I have--a sunset boat trip back from Little Cranberry Island. I have to admit that that trip was rather nice. We found an actual art gallery on this little tiny island--really, people drive golf carts instead of cars. This couple simply wanted to provide a location for locals to display their work and I have to say it was fantastic! There's nothing like a home gallery!!! Joe said he'd open up the Michelle Panars gallery in our home one day...I might hold him to that!

This past week has actually had some great moments and I feel bad making it sound all bad. My high school art teacher is in town with her husband and mother in law and I've been able to spend some time with them which has been great. It really means a lot that I've been able to keep in contact with someone who has had such a great influence on my career as an artist. If anything, this entire week has been a bit of an inspiration for me as far as my art, although yet again, I'm still bogged down with work and unable to set aside a reasonable chunk of time for art. Boo.

Anyhow, my apologies for the lack of socialization, but here's those sunset cruise photos I mentioned...I can still feel the freeeeezing air and hear the distinct laugh of the boat driver in training...I love days off--especially on the weekend.