... mike and beth, my brother and sister-in-law, came up for a visit ... we've enjoyed going out to eat, watched some movies, and took nice drive up into the western mountains ...
... we parked at a scenic overlook to view the beautiful skyline ... as usual, beth made sure to read all the information signs and historical markers, then she and mike strolled off into the woods ... me, well, although i know there're no "lions or tigers," there are bears, so i stayed up by the car figuring someone had to be responsible enough to notify the warden service if they didn't return ...
... while waiting i provided a nice couple with a little "lesson" concerning the merrimack trough and the "rebound" effect maine is still experiencing from the enormous weight and pressure of the mile-thick laurentide ice sheet ... while we spoke their little girl noticed my camera and started posing alongside a granite post ...
... her dad sighed, "it's my fault, i think i've trained her to do that" ... i responded, "nah, i have two of 'em, it means you've done a good job as a parent" ...
... we wandered up along the kennebec, through solon, bingham, moscow and carratunk, until we reached the forks, where we drove up the big hill and then hiked in to view moxie falls ...
... asking mike and beth to pose sitting on the wooden rail above the falls, i learned that beth is not all that comfortable with heights ... mike, of course, went instantly into his protective/reassuring mode ... a pleasant memory, watching him i recalled when as a little boy it was me who found refuge in his arms ... i remember when in very frightening situations he could bring a smile to my face, too ...
... and, yes, i've been playing around with photoshop "filters" ... while the rest of the world is going crazy with instagram i'm not going feel guilty toying a bit with "topaz labs" ... here's a more conventional image ...
... we're having a fine time, tonight the girls're coming over for supper ...