Golden Arch

Golden Arch

Golden Arch © 2008 Bo Mackison

On the Mississippi Riverfront at Dubuque, Iowa. The bridge in the background is the Julian Dubuque Bridge and connects to East Dubuque, Illinois. I was attracted to the patterns and colors in the glow of the setting sun.

We pulled over along the river to take a few photographs and when I got out of the car, I was immediately swarmed by buffalo gnats. Evidently the wet weather and high waters have provided the little beasts with a perfect breeding ground. I took only a couple of shots, and I did those super fast. Yech!

Capitol at Dusk

Capitol at Dusk

Capitol at Dusk ©2008 Bo Mackison

Walked around the Capitol Square on Monday evening. It wasn’t your typical mid-June stroll – I had on jeans and a heavy sweatshirt – but it was a pleasant night, a tad windy. I dragged my tripod and camera around for a couple of hours. Shot the sunset over Lake Mendota, the flooding in the Tenney Locks area, and finally wandered around the Capitol.

Set this up at dusk just as the Capitol Building’s lights turned on, and managed this shot while positioned in the middle of Washington Avenue. The drivers of the passing cars were kind enough to avoid hitting me and my tripod, though “my Sherpa” was keeping watch.. No editing this time.

Me and My Sherpa

Today is one of those milestone days, the special ones people celebrate because so many years ago on this certain date, a special event happened.

Today is a special day for my Sherpa and me.

My Sherpa is the guy who hangs around with me and lugs my camera gear when we go on our weekend photo shoots. I’m the one that gets to ooh and aah and click the shutter, and my Sherpa is the one that cheers me on. He’s also the one that usually pulls out the checkbook at the camera supply store and signs the receipt. He’s the one that says, “Go for it!” when I get crazy ideas.

Sherpa and Me

Sherpa and Me © 2008 Bo Mackison

Sometimes we get tired and feel rather down on the ground and spend days searching for the best way to climb all those stairs that make our knees ache. But together we climb to the top, and it’s doable because we don’t have to go it alone. We struggle upwards together.

Me and My Sherpa

Shadow Play, Me and My Sherpa © 2008 Bo Mackison

Other times we’ve made it to the top and we stand together and cheer. Cheer for the really good parts of life and cheer because we are lucky to share our lives this time around. Cheer because we’ve fought the hard parts and survived – and survived to smile again.

32 years ago today, it was 90 degrees in central Illinois and together we stood in a packed church and while I sobbed and he cracked jokes, we both managed to say “I do” at the right time. We both made a promise to do our best, to live our lives together, to be there for each other – good times, bad times, sickness, health. So far we’ve done just that.

And so today we celebrate . . . because life is good. Together.

“Soprano” Vanilla Spoon

Soprano Vanilla Spoon © 2008 Bo Mackison

Osteospermum hybrid.

A fun sort of flower, this little purple blossom with spoon-like appendages.

Brocach – The Badger Den

Brocach - Gaelic for Badger Den

Brocach – Gaelic for Badger Den © 2008 Bo Mackison

For those of you not intimate with University of Wisconsin sports, the UW-Madison teams are the Badgers. As in “Go, Wisconsin Badgers!”

Brocach is the Gaelic word for Badger Den. What a great name for a Madison pub on the Capitol Square, just across the street from the State Capitol building.

This wonderful bagpiper was playing at Saturday’s Farmers Market.