This waterfall was one among many in a noisy mountain stream. I was so engrossed in photography that I was unaware of activities going on behind me on the bank.

When I was done I looked behind me and was greeted by a dream come true. Men in crisp white shirts and carefully pressed black pants were setting up tables with white table cloths. They were opening a bar!

A young couple had planned their wedding there on the rocks of this happy little brook.

I was told that the bride's parents had chosen not to show up. So when I passed her I made sure to tell her that she had chosen a beautiful spot to get married and that she looked lovely (she did.)

We Have Purple Bear

So I learned one thing for sure. It is not as easy to make a ransom note as it looks. I guess this is how they made them in the Lindbergh era. Before CSI.

I had little letters and pieces of newspaper all over my kitchen. It was sort of like when you take out the Christmas tree...... and for weeks you are finding pine needles in places you cleaned up already.

I had cut up newspaper pages in my trash. With just the right letters missing from each of those pages.

Each letter was glued to the piece of 8.5 x 11 paper I had pulled from my printer. That means each letter had my fingerprints preserved in the aforementioned glue.

Of course Ialso had dried glue on my fingertips.

I was an FBI agent's dream come true.

Kidnapped!

As photographers we are always looking for the perfect photo.

The perfect landscape, the perfect waterfall, or the perfect portrait.

Maybe sometimes we should just have fun.

At one time our dog's favorite toy was Purple Bear. I don't know

why, but one day I decided to kidnap Purple Bear! Of course I needed

a photo with the daily paper as "proof of life."

And I needed a ransom note.

One Hundred and Fifty Five

In the Smoky Mountains there is a waterfall that one has to climb 155 steps to see. Not easy if you are too proud to stop and catch your breath!

After elbowing my way in among many others to photograph the waterfall my pictures were nothing to brag about. Just another waterfall. Disappointed, I left the viewing area and noticed another photographer working in the creek below. When I looked at the LCD on the back of his camera I said, "Oh look! A cat!"

He had been so busy photographing the scene he had not noticed that the rocks and the water formed a cat's face and whiskers.

As soon as he was done I set up my tripod and took my own photo.

Some people see an old man or a baby in the area below the cat's nose. What do you see?