He’s a superstar!  He’s the Fat Cat!  He is everyones cat!  Felix, the Rite Aid cat had a big party today welcoming him back home after his abduction last month!  The party was complete with hotdogs, chips, cokes and lots of people coming by to see Felix.  While I was there a little girl with her parents came by and left a sweet drawing of the kitty.  A family made a banner for Felix that everyone signed, another person created a beautiful watercolor of Felix and there were tons of cameras…Felix’s own paparazzi!! 

Looking dapper with his new name tag.

What a set of whiskers this cat has!

He was being quite the poser for me for about 5 minutes. I think someone was promising him chicken.

the banner

Grooming.

Going inside now.

Okay I'll give you one more!

Playing with a customer's shoelace.

High atop some cans of cola looking out on his kingdom.

Poor Felix!

Hanging out in front of the Snugglies.

Bye Mary, I'm going to take another nap...see you later!

For the life of me I can not remember if Luna came into my life in 97 or 98.  She was actually my old boyfriend’s cat but when we split up he wanted to take her and have her live in his truck…. I mean really!!  So she stayed with me and Pita.   I do remember that Dave found her on the summer solstice and she was probably a few months old at a lumber yard over on Charlotte Pike.  I can remember when he introduced her to me.  He was working on a construction job and told me to come over for lunch.. there she was in the back of his truck… this little, tiny tabby cat.   Luna is the momma in the house, the animal that connects to all the others in the house.  

Pretty green eyes and sweet moon face.

Yes, Luna is a big cat!

I just love this family.  These kids have so much imagination.  Their personalities shine through in these images.   

Looking serious.

I really like this image. AC refused to join the group. She is wearing a dress that her mom wore.

The youngest...so sweet.

With mom.

The next few images are my favorites from the session. I love all the messiness and chaos.

and more chaos!

This makes me laugh!

The orange and pink tutu.

So great to have brothers and a sister.

Hamming it up for the camera!

Were you there?  Why not?  This is Nashville’s newest and by far, coolest weekly music show live from the Loveless Barn.  The show plays live on WSM radio with radio host, Eddie Stubbs every Wednesday night.   This was the second week.  The inaugural event took place last week with Mary Ann Kennedy and Pam Rose, Emmylou Harris and emerging artists, Annie Crane and Robin Aigner.   Last night’s performances were  soul stirring, energizing, make you dance in the aisles, sing at the top of your lungs GOOD!!  I mean come on, Mike Farris singing “Mary Don’t You Weep” and “Sit Down Servent”  … please don’t make me sit down ’cause I just got to HEAVEN!!  Just got to heaven and I can’t sit down!  I had a hard time sitting down listening to that.  In fact, visions of visiting a holy roller church danced in the mind of this catholic girl.   Honestly the photos don’t do this show justice… these are lazy, sitting in my chair in the audience shots.   Check out more about Mike here.

Mike Farris.

In between sets, Craig Havighurst interviews the artists.  Craig is an amazing music writer!  Check out his MCR blog here.

Craig interviewing the legendary Sam Bush.

Next up on the roster was the week’s emerging artist, Caitlin Rose.  This girl has an angelic voice and funny vocals, they made me laugh a bit.  ”True love’s a shotgun wedding, you can’t plan it out.”

Caitlin and her band.

Miss Tess and the Bon Ton Parade, love this music.  Vintage feeling taking me back to a time when I was not even a thought.  Seeing myself swing dancing in a flapper dress and really cute hat!   And this woman’s guitar is from the 1920’s and she named it Mary because she found out that the former owner’s name was Mary.   Just great!   I also found this link to Miss Tess and the Bon Ton Parade playing background on the Mad Men story on the Vanity Fair website.   “I’m on top of the world looking at the people below.  I’m on top of the world I ain’t got no place to go.”  

Miss Tess and Bon Ton Parade.

The final set was Sam Bush.  I remember the first time I learned about Sam Bush.  My friend Lynne worked for the local photographer, Jim McGuire aka Senior McGuire.  Jim had a dog named Shorty who would appear in photographs.  Shorty was on the cover of “King of My World”.   Sam is a bluegrass legend, laid back and funny.  Rockin’ music!    Loved “Blue Mountain”.  For all of us Gulf Coast lovers, Blue Mountain Beach!!  After Sam’s set all the musicians came out on stage and gave us “Up On Cripple Creek”.   Just one amazing night here in my sweet Music City!  

The jam session!

Check out the Music City Roots website!   I am so excited about some upcoming shows including, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, John Cowan and Cherryholmes.  

Also MCR has some great merchandise including two limited edition Hatch Show Prints.  They are only $10 and limited!  Get yours and get yourself to a show or two or three. You won’t be sorry and you’ll be telling all your friends about it just like I am doing here!

Such a wonderful concept!!  You can thank Todd Mayo for that, the creator of Bluegrass Underground!! 

Waking up this morning I could feel it.  The damp cold of what promised to be a beautiful foggy morning in this amazing neighborhood of mine.  As Bear and I walked around the corner of Jones and 8th by the church heading toward the lake I could only see the trees in the foreground.  Thick, dense fog covered the lake blocking my views of the other side; the sun was just beginning to burn off the blanket.  Bear and I continued on our walk joining up with Cindy and Molly and as we made our way back up Riverside we slid behind Di’s house and up on the deck.  This is the vantage point of the first image and then headed a couple houses down to Shane’s to check out the vista from his yard and the last images were created.  I love the fog when I don’t have to drive in it and can just enjoy the anticipation of what will be presented to me once the sun does his job.  

Amazing light and color prisms in the clouds and an airplane in the upper right corner. What a great day to fly!

Serene and peaceful, a balance of black and white.

So lucky were I live!

So much history on this lake. I have heard stories from a neighbor about visiting the little island when she was younger.

I was finally able to find the time to process these photos of Felix, Old Hickory’s Rite Aid kitty.  He is so happy to be home with his people!  The store is throwing him an all day Welcome Home party on Friday, October 30th 10-6.  Stop by and give him a pet.  There is even a rumor that some head of something from RA corporate came down to see him.  

Felix seems to have missed me!

Napping next to his house.

Fluff ball.

sleepy head!

They fall from the tree like tiny cannonballs.   Black (American) walnuts have a green bocci ball -like green husk that turns black with time.  Inside is a walnut just the ones with which we bake and eat roasted although I don’t recommend eating one that falls from a tree in your yard. 

as opposed to magic mushrooms.  Probably don’t want to eat these as they grow wild under a pine tree in my yard.  I am fascinated with mushrooms… they are just so weird.    

These are from earlier in the summer.

A line of mushrooms.

Mushroom puddle.

I like the flower shape.

Mushroom bell.

Mushroom gills.

This one was just emerging from the ground.

Abstract inspiration.

This looks like it is from the depths of the ocean.

Meet Tate and her sister Ansley.  I photographed their parents wedding about 6 years ago!  They keep coming back to me and I am thankful for their love of my work.  We did Ansley’s first year photos a few years ago and now have begun Tate’s.  Here she is at 3 months.   Check out these sweet girls and their Momma!! 

Tate and Kaelin. All window light.

Tate's big sister, Ansley. All window light!

I love this image.

"Cute, cute little baby, little fingers, little toes!"

I have always thought Ansley was wise.

Tate distracted by her sister.

Cuteness!!

The girls on the front porch.

I love October!  I love pumpkins and those pumpkin farms with corn mazes, petting zoos, games, home made goodies!  This past Wednesday I photographed Ginnie and her husband, Justin at the Walden Farm near Smyrna.  Here are a few of my favorites sans people, those will come later.  

Beautiful pumpkins ready for your front porch or to be transformed into Jack-O-Lanterns!

In color!

Sweet little dairy calf.

Tom turkey!

Chickens and a Rooster.

A big bunny!

The gregarious goats.

baby profile

Hey, check out my teeth and then give me some hay.

A male pheasant.

The baba black sheep who says maaaa... this guy cracked me up.. I love his eyes and the second one looks like he is so content! I think he really liked me.

View from the parking lot. There was a hummingbird fluttering around but he was so quick I couldn't catch him!