Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Sled Dog Races, Ice Fishing, and Fun....

 On Saturday, my sister, her husband, and my husband and I headed 70 mi. north to watch the dog sled races.
We had never been, but always wanted to go. For more information on the races click here.
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Look at these little dog sleds. They aren't like the ones you see in movies. They are made of lightweight aluminum.
I didn't expect that. 
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The dogs were ready and raring to go.
For a better view, just click on any one of the pictures to enlarge them.
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 My beautiful sister, Robin.
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Some of the sled dogs patiently waiting for their turn.
 
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I love this little guy peeking out of his kennel. He had the bluest eyes.

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Pink booties!

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Folks came from all around. Some pulling kids in sleds, and some riding big toys.

After the dogs left on their journey we headed over to the lake for the ice fishing derby. More info on the derby, as well as winning fish sizes, click here.

We ventured out onto the lake, so I could get some pictures.

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This is the first time I have ever done something like this, my sister and I were pretty sure we were going to fall through. My husband and brother in law kept reassuring  us, but we were still on pins and needles the whole time.

These are some of the ice fishing shacks.
This one has an ice auger sitting by the front door. That's what they use to drill the hole in the ice. I wish I could have gotten a picture of that for you, but all the holes were drilled already. I wanted to knock on one of the doors and ask if I could take a picture of the inside, but my husband didn't like that idea, so that didn't happen.
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 Most of these little shacks have wood stoves inside for heat, and maybe some fish frying. (smile)

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This young man was eager for us to get a picture of a couple fish he caught. The bigger of the two was almost 3 lbs. As you can see, he was pretty happy.

This is what the the ice trap looks like. It sits above the water, the line hangs below, and when the fish bites, the flag flips up telling you that you caught one.
 
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A young fellow is checking his line.
 
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Sadly our day came to an end. We headed back home after a full day of fun, laughs, and almost peeing our pants.

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A really great day! Any day spent with my sister is an absolute blast. We laugh so hard and do such silly things…even at our age. 

Yes. That's me in the picture above. My ears were freezing, so my sister offered me her scarf. A little wrap here and a tie there, and VOILA! You have Jacob Marley!
As you can see, I was laughing too hard to even open my eyes for the picture. 
Have you ever laughed so hard that you almost pee yourself??
That's what happens when my sister and I get together. 
Our poor husbands. They were pretty sure we had lost it.

I am so fortunate to have my sister so close by. She and her husband recently moved down the road from us, so we are able to spend much more time with each other. I love my sister. She is my very first best friend.

This is the end of just one adventure, but we have many more planned for this summer. I can't wait!

Blessings, 
Julie

Monday, January 12, 2015

A Few Photographs....


For Christmas, my wonderful husband bought me a new camera.
I absolutely love it! 
I really love taking pictures, and have thousands of them that I have taken over the years.
The only cameras that I have ever previously owned were small pocket cameras, but always the Cannon brand. They take such quality pictures, so I have always stuck with them.
Why fix what isn't broken, right?

I am still learning all the functions on my new camera. There are so many settings and things to figure out, and to be honest, it's a bit intimidating. Thank goodness our youngest son's girlfriend is a photographer. She has been my biggest help.
Thank you Damie!

 While I certainly don't pretend to be the greatest photographer, I do think my pictures look pretty good.

Our front door

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A simple vignette

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My grandmother's prayer book by candlelight

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Santa's pocket watch
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A collection of oil lanterns

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Our mantle
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A guestroom vignette
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 Long underwear
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My writing desk
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Our hallway tree
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The lamp post


I hope you enjoyed these pictures. I have been having a lot of fun taking them.

Thank you for stopping by our little red saltbox. 

Happy New Year everyone!

Blessings, 
Julie

The Potager Garden

Good morning folks! It's another cool rainy day, here in Northern Maine. Our long winter has turned into a long, cold spring. Let's...