Wednesday, May 8, 2013

The Invasion of the Tulip Time Tourist

It is Tulip Time Festival week in our lovely town. The weather couldn't be more perfect, especially given the cold and nasty Spring we have had. The tulips are in their prime, the sun is shining, the temperatures are in the 70's and the tourists are a happy bunch.

In a wonderful FB group that I belong too, that is filled with wonderful creative women, we have started a weekly creative prompt challenge. Many of us were feeling in a creative funk, and I wanted to get things stirred up, for the group and for myself. So we are taking a weekly prompt and creating something with it, whether it is a photograph, a poem, a story, or a blog post filled with one or more of these things. We are then posting it back in our group to encourage and share with each other. This week's prompt is AMUSING.

There is almost nothing more AMUSING than people watching, and this week our town is filled with them. So I thought I would share with you some AMUSING shots I took this week.


This one caught my eye right away. At a festival that is celebrating Dutch heritage, you have Pasties from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Yet there was not one vendor selling any Dutch food.


This lady had the stance down for her shot. I have always loved watching older people with this new technology "the digital camera".


My daughter has a very big infatuation with long married couples, so I partly took this for her, but also because they were so cute. From what I can gather from the conversation I overheard, they are from a local retirement community and came on a bus outing. The lady in yellow was taking their picture so that she could text it to friends of this couple that weren't able to go on the outing. I am not sure that the couple knew what texting was :)


 Obviously they do not have picnic tables in the town that these people are from.


This couple was happily sitting side by side, both doing stuff on their phones. Oh technology!


I know that I will get in trouble for this one, but honestly it is her own fault. My lovely daughter, Mallory, a tour guide at the historic Windmill that is located on Windmill Island. She is at the end of her  fourth day of 10 hour shifts.


16 comments:

Viv@Thoughts from the Desktop said...

Brilliant Sarah and thanks for thinking up this wonderful new idea it's great and because it's US we can let our creativity fly anyway we like... I love the shot of Mallory it's just the sort of thing my son would do only his would be a 'hard stare'.... looking forward to the next one word....

Kate said...

Thanks for sharing Tulip Time! I remember it so well. I too worked at Windmill Island and perhaps could still recite the "tour" of the windmill if I really thought about it. I remember the smell of the cotton candy, carmel corn along the parade route. U.P.Pasties were not among the choices then.
Great job Sarah!

Anonymous said...

There are always interesting things to see when people watching...looks like you found quite a few on your outing. I love the comment about the people and the picnic table shot!! lol!!

Anonymous said...

Well, you nailed "amusing," for sure. I loved all the pics of people taking pics! I think you have to admit that those bright yellow picnic tables aren't your run-of-the-mill park furniture.

Anonymous said...

You never cease to 'amuse' and amaze me.

Lovable Derek said...

Cool photos. It always amuses me to see people taking photographs of people taking photographs. I'm hoping one day to see a photograph of a person taking a photograph of a person taking a photograph. Don't suppose that it'll ever happen.
Have a nice day.

Simon said...

That group sounds like fun and a good way to keep the photography mojo going. I totally see amusing in these images. As for your daughter....anyone who mugs for the camera can get busted in my opinion. I try to be kind with my camera, but if they play with me, and it's a cute shot like yours-well, it's fair game.
The colorful tulips are gorgeous....and maybe they just don't have YELLOW picnic tables in their town. Thanks for that belly laugh first thing this morning.

Unknown said...

You obviously enjoy people-watching...and have a cute sense of humor. I've heard about 'U-pers' too!
I might just do this Facebook challenge.

Thanks for making me LOL.

xoxo

Cathy H. said...

I'm smiling at all these amusing images! I wonder if I look that amusing when I'm taking photos. Well, I know I do when I'm trying to get up off the ground after taking a "low" shot! Mallory shouldn't be to upset with you, it's such a cute picture! I know you're enjoying having her home!

Justine said...

what a great selection of shots and all perfect for the prompt. It must be so wonderful to have a tulip festival on your doorstep, lucky you!

Roxi H said...

Tooooo fun! I can't imagine being a sea of tulips! OMG! Cute shots. I can't believe they didn't have any Dutch food. That was just wrong.

Roxi H said...

O and by the way I LOVE your new header.

Karen Lakis said...

I love it - one of these days I'm going to add people into my photos - they add so much interest. This looks like a fun festival - I'd love to be surrounded by tulips.

Suburban Girl said...

How beautiful. I would love to see masses of tulips like that. Your people watching comments ARE amusing!

Ahayes1225 said...

Beautiful tulips. You visit such interesting places.

Justine said...

what a fascinating post and lovely shots