Let sleeping sheep lie

Here is one of the sheep from yesterday's farm. The interesting thing about these ladies is that they appeared to be sleeping... and eating at the same time! Talk about efficient! ;) Or... maybe they were just dreaming about eating??

It's love

Today was an amazingly awesome day. I got to spend it with my BFF from high school. She is a writer (check out www.mainemaven.com) and we went to Freeport for a freelance story she is working on. We started at Wolfe's Neck Farm where we saw chickens, sheep, and goats. One awesome little goat in particular. He really seemed to take to Kristen immediately. I would call it love at first sight. Prior to meeting this goat I was telling her how I would love to have goats someday and she was iffy on the prospect. Well, she's sold now. Check this out - it's clear from these pictures that this little chèvre is actually smiling:


This depicts the start of the nuzzling and affection.


Shortly after the nuzzling and affection began. Note the corners of this goat's mouth. That is totally a smile!!

After this experience, Kris and I got to tool around town and meet some interesting folks and eat some great food. We continued our journey into Portland for dinner, where we ate at the bar at the Corner Room. Gnocchi with brown butter and sage - molto bene! Kris had a pasta dish with wild boar, which I didn't even know people actually ate.

So all in all, a wonderful day. It's so great to be able to spend time with people you love. And to realize how many great friends you have, as well as family. La vita è bella, truly.

Mmmmm

Here is this morning's breakfast:

Toasted semolina bread with butter and homemade strawberry jam. Why post this? Why not? Stranger things have happened. Take, for instance, this blog: http://notitleyet.tumblr.com/, where the author (for some reason I feel like it's a woman) takes a polaroid of everything she eats everyday. And then posts it, often with some interesting quote or thought, sometimes in English, sometimes in French.

When I lived in San Francisco I had the opportunity, among other things, to join a few food photography shoots as a food stylist's assistant. What a sweet gig. Now that I've tooled around with my camera for a while, I'm starting to daydream of getting into that scene from a photography perspective. Who knows? Life's possibilities are endless. My friend currently has a great quote on her emails, which is "Life has no limit, if you're not afraid to get in it." I'm not sure if this is her personal quote or what, but I love it.

On that note, I took my first salsa lesson last night, and I'm thoroughly hooked!! Yes, it is as fun as it looks. And no, it's not as easy as they make it look. It gives me a whole new appreciation for the folks who go on Dancing with the Stars. It's no joke!!

Random old pic

I was organizing my photos the other day and came across this one. It's simple, but I like it. It's one of my earlier pics with my DSLR, from the wedding gig. If these flowers were in front of me right now, I probably wouldn't be able to smell them because somehow, mysteriously, despite the fact that I am not back at school and surrounded by teenage germs, I have gotten a cold. Maybe somehow my body is now just programmed for this routine. Bizarre.

Holy Mackworth

Today was yet another beautiful day. I went for a hike with my friend Danielle, on Mackworth Island and then at Gilsland Farm. The sun was shining and the air was crisp and smelled of the ocean. It doesn't get much better than that. We both decided that Maine is beautiful... and if we could trade in three months of winter for three months of this kind of weather, it would be perfect. But then, what would happen to our reputation as "hardy Mainers"?


There was a decent crowd of fishermen on one of the jetties, apparently fishing for striper.


Trees galore.


The last of the season's sunflowers. Not far from these were enormous ones with heads the size of mixing bowls, so heavy they had fallen over and could only be seen from underneath.

Animals and rides

The weather was gorgeous today - perfect for checking out the animals and rides at the zoo. I'm not sure how I feel about zoos. I know they're educational, but I don't like seeing animals in cages. And there's something really weird about seeing kangaroos in Maine! Nonetheless, the boys had fun and are probably sleeping soundly now.


Quack.


Beebee goats are so cute.

First shave

Tonight the boys got their first experience with "shaving." So cute.





On another note, it's September! And I'm not back in school! I thought I might feel weird about it, but I don't... which I guess is just further reassurance that it was the right thing. Also - just about a month until I leave for India. I'm currently looking into an around-the-world plane ticket and considering visiting Australia and New Zealand on the way back. I figure, if I'm going all that way, it would be crazy not to, right??