Day 80- Finally, No Techno Glitches

I managed to recreate a bunch of stuff so I could, at least, print some note cards and photo cards. It would have been the perfect opportunity to redesign my business card but, hey, I like the one I’ve got. We’ve had a couple of great conversations while we’ve been back with our daughter and Mom. They both hid health issues while we were away. Mom helped put together a new PA boxed set of note cards and I printed some of the best snapshots we took on our trip, grizzles, big mountains, cute fawns and an amazing shot of a monarch butterfly on a sunflower head. They look great. It was a productive day and best of all, the Red Sox won as well.

The Catch 22

Today, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed and melancholy. I glanced at the rather thick stack of show applications that have been arriving almost daily. These demand my attention both in the filling out and the paying of the requisite fees so that I can fill in my show schedule. The problem is the coffers are nearly depleted so the writing of the checks is nearly impossible. And I can't add more money to the checking account until I exhibit and sell some product. You see my dilemma?This is what is commonly referred to as a "Catch 22". For those of you not familiar with the reference, I'll explain. This was the title of a movie from the 60's or 70's where a guy wanted to get out of the service. He tried to convince people he was crazy so they would release him but in order to be released, he would have to ask to be let go based on his craziness and a crazy person wouldn't know enough to ask to be released. I can't pay for upcoming shows without money and I can't get money without participating in those very same shows. So, here I sit, trying to figure out what move to make next. I think the guy in the movie had the easier task. Now for those of you asking about the latest and greatest of Red Sox nation, I can only give you a sample of the 2007 glory taken in Florida.

Baseball Is In My Blood

Close up on a few guys tossing a ball around and, as your mind’s eye pulls away, the entire ball field comes into view. Now, you pull further back to see traffic backed up for miles in all directions on it’s way to that park. Okay, so it’s the closing scene from the movie "Field of Dreams" but, it’s also the very conditions we found ourselves in today. We were to find out later that we were part of the largest crowd ever, 9,260 fans, to be at Holman Field in Vero Beach for a Dodgers game. The Red Sox were beaten 0-4 in the very last Sunday game that will ever be played on that field because after 60 years, the LA Dodgers will be joining the Cactus Spring Training league next year based in Glendale, AZ. I’m sorry that my guys got beaten but it was great to see regulars, Manny, Big Pappi and JD Drew take the field with some of the new guys. Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched well. I had only one option to try for a couple of pictures but due to the close quarters I found myself in, it didn’t matter that our seats were only 60 feet from the field. The seats at Holman Stadium are crammed closer together than coach seats on most airlines.

Ah, The Signs Are Changing

This morning, I woke to the brilliance of a newly risen sun and when I stepped out the door, I caught just the faintest whiff of springtime. I mentioned, a few posts earlier, a vague description of this very much desired time of year. As I stood there, I listened. At first there was nothing but silence and then I became aware of the soft sighs of a light and warm breeze. I heard the unmistakable decay of a nearby snow bank giving way to the insistence of a 40 degree day. There was the sound of birds singing as they foraged in the nearby branches. And, I caught the unmistakable aroma of fresh earth warming. It was absolutely wonderful just to stand there and soak it all in. Of course, the reason I was in the yard was to put my suitcase into the truck. Yes, the time has finally arrived. We're headed to Florida in the morning for Spring Training. Remember, this isn't a vacation. I'm working! It's my hope to get a couple of good images of key team members or maybe a manatee or two. I even have plans for a beautiful sunset taken by air boat in the Everglades. Wish me luck. And who knows, with some of that luck, the snow will be mostly gone when we return on the 17th.

Show Calendar Begins To Fill

And just as the subject of this post mentions, I have begun to fill in dates on my web site calendar as to where I'll be displaying my work this year. In fact, April is already fairly well filled in. If you'd like to check up on my whereabouts so you can view new images, just click on the link on the right side of this blog which will take you to the monthly calendar.

And another search engine has done it's job and found my blog. I'm still amazed that what I write here can be detected by others who may be looking for me to type in a specific word or phrase. I was contacted by The Boston Globe reporter, Mark Levenson, who was doing a piece on The RED SOX and how difficult it is to get tickets to the hottest club in town. I guess I should have been less shy about calling him because although I gave him plenty of material by e-mail, he didn't use any of it in his very interesting article. He did catch up with my very good friend, Bob Kidder, another fan who has even had his tomb stone etched with Red Sox sentiments. I'm a fan but he's way more than that. This reminds me to watch what I say about whatever I may be wanting to write about.

Spring Training = Spring Fever

We're not planning anything elaborate in the way of trips, photo excursions and vacations this year. We are, however, headed to every baseball fan's ideal of the perfect way to spend a week. We're headed to the warm weather of spring training to watch my favorite team, the Red Sox, get ready to defend their 2007 World Series victory. We leave on March 7th and while we're staying in Fort Lauderdale, most of our time will be spent driving across Alligator Alley to Fort Myers, the winter home of my boys of summer. We'll watch two or three games on their home field and also get to visit the Dodgers and the Twins in Vero Beach. My husband and I even have tickets to a basketball game between the Miami Heat and the LA Clippers. I'm currently working on something sportsy to fill in the only free day we have, Saturday the 8th. At the end of the week we'll climb about the Royal Carribean Majesty of the Seas for a short but restful cruise out to the Bahamas and back. Our respite from all of this year's bad weather will come to an end on the 17th when we return to reality.

What A Weekend And More Coming

I don't get much sleep from September through Christmas because I'm a huge Red Sox fan and because of my show schedule. And this year is no exception. With the national television coverage of the world series games starting an hour later than normal east coast broadcasts, it made the ending of these games that much later. So, I sat like much of "Red Sox Nation", sleep deprived and deliriously happy about Sunday night's outcome. The celebration was much deserved. The team set records and showed America that 2004 was no fluke. They are a team to be reckoned with. Now, I can get back to other matters such as dentist appointments and gallery staffing. Today is one of those days. But tomorrow I'll be a starving artist once more, working in the studio to prepare for this weekend's shows at the Littleton, NH Elks Club and the Concord, VT High School. These are two small community shows which have excellent town response, especially in Concord where everyone participates by either baking or cooking or just coming out to the show to spend money on the Scholastic Book Sale, vendor's items or the Chinese Raffle. We are between the seasons that most of the country recognises, autumn and winter. We, here in the North Country of New Hampshire have an in between season called "mud" where it rains all the time and the ground just can't absorb any more water. Everything is brown and depressing because the leaves have fallen and snow hasn't arrived to cover up the gloom. This season occurs twice, blessing us with despair again between winter and spring. Aren't we lucky?

Go, Sox !!!!!!!

Congratulations to my Red Sox for the manner in which they have carried themselves. Never once has their success caused them to be anything less than cautiously optimistic about their progress or gracious when talking about their opponents with the media. And as a lifelong devout fan, I 'm beside myself with every pitch that takes us deeper into the post season. My faith in their abilities never wavered even when they were down 3 games to 1 with Cleveland. Now, I'm not saying that I believe in curses or even the proverbial "Gowdy" when talking about some one's hitting streak or the tossing of the all too rare no hitter, but I'm just superstitious enough not to say the words... What I will say is that I have really enjoyed the first two games of the World Series and will be sitting next to the radio in our camper on Saturday night to listen to game three. The pop up will be at the Friendly Beaver Campground in New Boston because we'll be doing a show at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester on Saturday. It's the last "away game" of the season for us and the last camping expedition for the season, as well. Play well, Guys!!

The Schedule Calls For Fun

This weekend is reserved for our granddaughter, Stephanie. We're going camping. Of course, it's a working holiday in that I will be taking photos during the weekend. The plan is to head to Ogunquit, ME and find some sleepy little fishing cove to remind people of what it used to be like up and down the entire coastline before the tourists became the mainstay. I'll let you know how that turns out.

This is also the beginning of the ALCS and I am a RED SOX FAN. So, with the campfire crackling away and Steph roasting marshmallows, I will be quietly cheering for the boys of summer to take the Angels out in quick fashion so they can move on up the ladder of success. Even though I choose to be out among nature and beauty, I also choose to follow baseball and either watch or listen to every game. There are few exceptions, like being at 30,000 feet in an airplane or in a foreign country ( Hawaii sometimes qualifies ). When the season is over, I'm lost.

Flu-Like Symptoms

Our weekend to St. Albans, VT started out with an unremarkable trip to the northwestern part of the state. During the first two days of the exhibit, we visited with hundreds of people who stopped to admire my work. Even our hotel room at the Econo Lodge was comfortable. Yes, everything was going according to plans. That is, until I woke up Sunday morning not feeling very well. I felt worse as the morning wore on and by lunch time all I wanted to do was crawl into bed. Carl stayed to greet potential customers and I climbed between the sheets to take turns shivering and sweating until the show ended later that afternoon. All I can say is that day was a blur and I'm really glad I wasn't alone. I've already marked my calendar for us to attend the 43rd Annual Maple Festival in 2008. I'm still not one hundred percent but this weekend is devoted to two of my other passions, the grandchildren and baseball. We'll be spending the weekend in Manchester, NH, where we'll enjoy two nights of pro bull riding and cheer for the Fisher Cats at an afternoon game. The newly formed single A franchise is an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The photo of my grandson was taken in August of 2005 while we were catching a couple of Paw Sox games. And yes, that is THE 2004 WORLD SERIES TROPHY he's touching. It was a major high to be able to have our photos taken with the symbol of an 86 year long struggle to achieve Baseball's highest honor. We all, as Red Sox fans, have loved ones who died before seeing the events of October 27th, 2004. I, for one, will never forget those games.