Oh you guys, I am having sooo much fun! Today we slept in (have I mentioned this bed? I believe I have), had coffee, had an *amazing* brunch (sweet potato, turkey hash), shopped (two new pairs of shoes! Columbus is the home of DSW!), had phenomenal drinks at a mixology bar in the German Village, had the best caprese salad of my life for dinner, then headed over to Jeni's ice cream for DELICIOUS ice cream and a walk around the park.But the best part might have been on the walk to dinner, when I noticed a couple in their back yard with their dog, cat, and PARROT. Of course I approached them to see if I could photograph the bird (poor Julie is slowly getting used to this habit of mine) and this couple was so kind and not only did they a) let me shoot photos of their parrot b) tell me the bird's name is Taco (fabulous!) but they then told me that the bird could dance. And then. Then! They started SINGING and the bird began to DANCE. First they sang New York, New York, and up next was that song "You've Got to Move it, Move It." I am not lying.This was so fantastic. Anyway, so the photo of the day (without a doubt) had to be of Taco the dancing parrot. And I asked about his loss of feathers and they explained that he's a "plucker" and he pulls out his own feathers! So that's why he looks a little different. But man, still such a beautiful color.For the rest of my photos from today (including a snap of my fabulous hosts), you can click here.For an official Internet Share of the Day, I'm sending you to this amazingly interesting video on how the U.S. / Canada border is all kinds of crooked and weird and how that happened. I promise it's more interesting than I just made it sound.

Today I got to fly to Ohio to visit my amazing friend Julie. She just moved to Columbus this summer, and I couldn't resist a visit. And so far I am super impressed. Here's why:• The guest bedroom is nicer than my own bedroom at home. You know when you walk into Pottery Barn and they have those bedrooms set up with all the blankets and pillows and you just want to crawl right in? That's what this is like.• She keeps plying me with amazing food. From tons of healthy snacks to delicious mixed drinks to a fabulous meal in the back garden of a quaint Italian restaurant. It's a good thing I'm only here for the weekend, that way I'll only put on 25 pounds.• Tonight she took me to a festival on the river where they build giant bonfires in floating cauldrons on the water and keep them going all night while bands play nearby. The sparks and reflections are lovely! (As seen above.)• Oh, and the river is also surrounded by beautiful fountains and tons and tons of porch swings. Serious props to the Columbus urban planner who came up with that idea.• The weather is phenomenal right now.If you'd like to see more photos of my adventures today (plus a shot of the Amazing Julie, herself), you can do so over here.

I finally got a photo of the birds!! And it only took a month! I'm a professional, really, I am! And of all the birds, it's only a sparrow...But guys, I like *all* the birds. Have you ever noticed that the male sparrows have different feathers on the tops of their heads? It looks shaved or like a mohawk! You can barely see it here. I love watching the birds in the morning out the kitchen window. And yes, thus begins my slow descent into senior citizenship.I really wanted to capture this little black and grey guy so I could ask you, the Internet, what kind of bird he is, but man is he... flighty (ha). He is so afraid of me, that the only photos I've gotten are a blur as he flies away. But what I really want to show you is the yellow finch. I got that guy on my iPhone the other day, but I'mma get him for real pretty soon...For my Internet share of the day, I'm gonna send you to this rad photographer in NYC who is also a cab driver and shoots from his cab with a point-and-shoot. His stuff is AMAZING. Watch the video about him here.

Tonight I finally got to take photos of the High Heel Dash! I have always wanted to photograph this event, but it happens each year on a Wednesday night -- and when I worked at vita.mn, I had deadlines on that night.How fun is this, eh? The race raises money for charity, and while four of the five heats are women racers, the males were my favorite. You can see images from the full event over here.And for your internet share of the day, I finally get to tell you about my secret project! On Thursday (probably today), the new issue of vita.mn comes out, and Magda is on the cover!! I have been writing a story about five dates you can bring your dog on around the city with photos to match. It took a lot of time for the research, writing and photography, but man that was some fine entertainment. Last Sunday when I posted the image of Mags was howling at me in frustration? I had to crop out the bowl of spaghetti in front of her. I wanted to caption it: Give me the damn spaghetti you cruel, cruel woman! You can see the photos and the story over here. Enjoy!

Today was my monthly lunch with the dear friend Nyberg (thank Goodness!). I hadn't seen this lady in probably more than a month (is that possible?) and I needed the break like nobody's business. Remember all those shoots I had last week? Running all over town? Photographing like crazy? Living the dream? Yeah, well this week I get to color correct and retouch all those images!Now, actually, I might be one of the few photographers that enjoys this part just as much as the shooting (sometimes even more). So I'm not complaining AT ALL about the work, it's just that after a week like last week, it's tough to sit at my desk just working in front of the monitor for ten hours straight. How did I used to do this ALL DAY LONG? Amazing.Anyway! Back to lunch! We went to the Smack Shack for lobster, and man, it was delicious. We sat in the sunshine on the patio and got all caught up. Also? I made a reservation for about 10 days out so when my Mom and Dad come to visit, we can go there for dinner. (You're welcome, Mom!) And yes, my folks are coming back for a visit! There will be delicious food and some walks and time with the pups and some shoe shopping. There will not be discussion of politics.OK, let's get on to the Internet share of the day, shall we? So I think you're all aware of my obsession with well designed screen-printed concert posters? I have honest-to-god contemplated wallpapering the basement in them since I already have that many. Anyway! One of my very favorite concert-poster designers, Jason Munn (who is extraordinary), has come out with a bunch of new posters for the Postal Service tour. Ah, yes. I love the Postal Service as well (was a touch obsessed in 2003...). Anyway! Should you be a fan (or anyone you know), these posters would sure make a fantastic gift, no? I sure think so... (hint, hint)