Photo Journal, no. 66 | Halloween, pt. 1

The Kid carved the tiniest jack-o-lantern (a draculantern, he called it) for Ella.

Wolfman's birthday cookies.

J. Boogie is 31 years old.

October begins, Day 1, with the wedding anniversary of Sierra and The Kid.  (They just celebrated One Year.)  Then, the twelfth is the birthday of My Love.  And, on the final day of the month, the 31st, Halloween, Wolfman and I celebrate another year married.  October is big for us, in short.  My heaven is one of Octobers.

Always charming.

Unpacked some familiar faces.

Photo Journal, no. 65 | This Blog is Full of Spiders

Hand-made potpourri from The Perfect Piece in Cary

Autumn creeping up on Salem Street, Apex.

The Rusty Bucket, Apex.

Scoping out Halloween in the big box stores (Mama and Papa are more psyched than Mads).

These last late tomatoes are never gonna ripen.

Autumn lanterns on the Chinese Flametree at the edge of our property.

Sgt. Doofus is being Halloweeny, as all cats are, always.

In Case You Were Wondering Why the Hell I Never Get Anything Done

I spend all day every day cleaning up Apples to Apples cards.

Photo Journal, no. 64 | Pagan Pride Days Festival

Grandma & Mads, enjoying the drum circle

Ella picked out her own clothes for the first time today--her purple tutu'ed bathing suit.

I've got a little scrap of paper tucked in my wallet with a rune drawn on it and photos of strangers wearing flower crowns and antlers on my memory card.  Once again, with the Autumn Equinox came the Pagan Pride Festival out at the fair grounds.  Each year it gets a little bigger and a little better attended and better organized, it seems to me.  This year, we brought two new participants ourselves (well, three if you include my sister's husband, The Kid, allergic though he is to any kind of earnestness).  Mads' and Ella's favorite part, other than the big, friendly dogs up for adoption, was the drum circle.  I'd never seen either of them so chill for so long, so perfectly content to just sit and marinate.  We'll be back next year for more drumming.

"What a little hayseed," says Grandma.

As we were saying goodbye and finding our car in the parking lot, we could still hear the drumming and Wolfman did the goofiest thing I've ever seen him do--a little dance.  I could've cried.

Photo Journal, no. 63 | Endless Summer

Mads gets the full summertime experience by eating grass and moss.

I planted wildflowers in a big ol' pot on the Spring equinox.  They bloomed!

Wolfman tends many a fire.

The Boy and The Dog, always at the window, watching their man shoot arrows and do yard work.

We celebrate the 4th of July with The Chester family.

Many a walk in downtown Apex.

Encounters with wildlife.

They bloom, they bloom!

Mads' hair gets long.

We throw a shin dig (and then don't take photos).

Many a walk in downtown Cary. (Here we are outside Lucky Pie Gallery.)

Taco Tuesdays at Torero's in Cary.

Our friends, Selena and Bryson, get hitched at the NC Botanical Gardens in Chapel Hill.

Mads & Papa are best buds.