Let me be clear about this.  This is not a well planned, well executed, nor super processed. It was shot through the window of a moving car across the seat around the driver because it captured my attention and imagination began to stir.   I was lost in the moment.

Twice each day between night and day and again between day and night there is about a 30 minute period call dawn and dusk.   It is a magical time of intense colors, sweeping panoramic views, and a time the spirit dares to dance in the wind and across the sky.

Have you ever been captivated enough to put down life and just be still soaking it all in?

Life is a series of circles both in the earth and in each of our lives.  There is a beginning, a full season, a period where things wane away, and an ending.  In the earth that is Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.   In our lives conception, childhood, young adult, and then our senior years.   There is a particular beauty to each one.

I never think about the circle and how it goes around and around until it is Autumn.  It is in the death of the flowers and leaves, the shortening of the days, and the dropping temperatures that bring it all back to me to consider again.

I have enjoyed so many beautiful memories walking beside water and through forests.  I have outgrown, wore out and grown tired of a fair number of sweaters and warm socks that were so comfy on my walks.  In the beginning my wrinkles were few and my step lively.  Now there are a number of lines across my face and my step slower.  When I was young I admired many Fall seasons with joy until something else caught my attention.  Now I greet this season with reverence and contemplative inner peace knowing each new one I get could indeed be the last one.   It is not a sad thing.  Instead it is one of respect, and a time for me to slow down and drink it in.

What brought it up today?  It was……

It was 2004 when I snapped this. I was with a dear friend of mine.  Thompson, Illinois at the market on the right as you go through town.  We were on our way to Galena.

Now and again I do something that later has me wondering just what I might have been thinking.   I got a wild urge to let my hair go from red to the gray underneath to check out how I might look that way.  MAY I SAY……..I AM OVER IT!  HELLO RED!

After a few days in the sun on weekends we sprayed Ron to enhance his tan.  Excessive time in the sun or tanning bed often has serious consequences.

Tuna tartar.. let’s talk about it a little.  You can tell it is fresh by its beautiful purple color. Now don’t freak out about eating raw fish.  I am not a fan generally speaking of fish that tastes like fish. Translate that to mean I like lobster, shrimp, crab, and scallops.  BUT I love tuna tartar at Bix Bistro because I have every confidence in its freshness and how it is prepared at Bix Bistro!  You have got to try it if you haven’t yet!

Bix Bistro has some incredible new offerings on their menu!

Saturday I was in Hotel Blackhawk waiting for a wedding party.  Guyla looked at me. I raised the camera joking around. She gave me a pouty pucker.  Perfect.  She is without a doubt one of the nicest people which makes her twice as pretty on the outside.

Last night at Connections in Davenport the community came together to say good bye to a friend and fellow entertainer Morgan St Claire.  Twenty One female impersonators brought their talents to the Connections stage. Many of them were dear friends of Morgan St Claire, and they often expressed how they were nurtured and helped enter this field of entertainment by Morgan.

The evening was all about saying goodbye and raising funds for the family.  I had the privilege to photograph the evening and listen to Morgan’s friends and fellow entertainers express their love.

More images to follow. This is just a sneak preview.  There is only one Tara…….one of her many images throughout the night.

Slideshow of the Renwick …  Studio D has a love affair going with this grand old lady.  She’s still very beautiful. All it takes is a bride or party planner to see her out of the box.

We get really excited when we hear it is Milan Flower & Gift Shop. Damian rocks! Unique. Fresh. Unexpected. Innovative. All are words I would use to describe their florals.