Gone Fishing... Kinda... Sorta

A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you've been taking. ~Earl Wilson

Okie Doke, officially I am outta here! Well... kinda... I am going to participate in the RRC coming up next Saturday. I just couldn't resist! LOL. Like I said in a previous entry, I will be around. Hey, while I am on vacation I will be doing a lot of photography, and I will probably be eager to share it with you, so be sure to check back here from time to time! If you can't, no worries, I am going to create a special gallery that you can view when I get back!

Now, on with the business at hand...

Linking List for EMPS#105: Nostalgia 08/30/2010

NOW CLOSED!

1. Freda

2. Greg

3. Jama

4. Karen

Beginning tomorrow, Karen is starting a new Monday meme called, "Karen's Quest and Question!" As I understand it, it will be a photo meme, but with the added twist of a question to go along with the photo! Be sure to drop her place each Monday to see what's up!

And...

Just one more thing. We are about to enter into autumn, my favorite time of year, so you know I will be snapping away, in fact I already have some big plans! Recently, while researching my next BIG photo jaunt, I came across a fascinating article in the February 2007 edition of Vanity Fair magazine about the power of photography, and how an image can affect the viewer. THIS IS REQUIRED READING! LOL. Just kidding, but please, when you get the chance, read the article. Even if you don't really have a change of seasons, you will still enjoy this article. IT IS A MUST READ!

Autumn, And The Plot Against Me (Vanity Fair, Feb, 2007)
By Nick Tosches


See you back here on Monday, January 3rd, 2011 for EMPS#106: ? (To Be Announced)

-Carly

Happy 2nd Birthday, Dylan And Hendrix

"It takes a long time to grow young."

-Pablo Picasso

Alan and I were going to celebrate the boys birthday on Thursday. Everything was planned, but good old Murphy's Law intervened and Alan had to work overtime. Sigh. The party would have to be delayed a day. No worries. So, we celebrated the boys special day a day later then we had planned, as it turns out, their birthday fell on Friday anyway! I had written the day down wrong in my datebook. LOL. Sometimes things happen for a reason I suppose. We had a great time. Chicken Alfredo Pizza, and Black Forest cake for dessert! Next it was time for the birthday pinata! 2 dozen new mice and some yummy cat treats! Not too bad for a 2nd birthday... right? It's hard to believe that my little guys are now 24 in cat years! They're still my little babies!

They grow up quick!

:)


And then it was time for bed...



Happy Birthday Boys!

-Carly

The Music In My Head...

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

"A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence."

~Leopold Stokowski

I have had this song in my head all day. Why fight a good thing? :) This song is one of my Top 5 all time favorites!

How about you? What songs would be in your top 5?

-Carly

Weekend Assignment #333: Writing On The Wall

"Is there life before death?"

-Unknown Graffiti Artist

Weekend Assignment #333: Writing on the Wall

I apologize for the blurry picture, but there is a good reason it is the way it it. You see, I had to capture this particular image while driving on HWY 13! If you don't live in the Bay Area, you probably don't realize how harrowing that can be. Hwy 13, aka the Warren Freeway runs along the hills between East Oakland and Berkeley. Hwy 13 becomes Ashby avenue, and if you don't make any turns at all, you will eventually find your way to the Berkeley Marina or that approximate general area. This particular story takes place at the HWY 13/HWY 24 junction, and while it wasn't the safest place that someone could have chosen to play out this drama, it sure brought me a lot of amusement as it unfolded. First came the above message. Within a week it had been removed by the whoever it is that cleans up graffiti, but a couple days after that, the gray cover paint had been replaced with the second message...



This message was again covered in gray paint, but the artist had one final message for those who would dare stifle his message...



I LOVED watching this bit of artistic drama play out! It's something I will never forget. I needed that original message, and the humor that followed. As it played out over those weeks, I found myself contemplating what the author meant, and who the author might be. To cover his uplifting message seemed almost wrong somehow, but art is subjective... right? And we humans so tend to pick and choose our evils! Case in point... In the days after 9/11 a large American flag mural was painted on a retaining wall which faces HWY 680 near San Jose. The retaining wall is owned by the State of California, therefore Caltrans eventually painted over it. Well, the ensuing public outcry was deafening. HOW DARE CALTRANS PAINT OVER THE FLAG! It's sacred after all! IT'S THE FLAG! Well, no, it was graffiti, but eventually the screamers got their way and the graffiti artist was allowed to put the their flag back.

Too bad the simple message of FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS had no value what so ever.

Maybe if there had been an American Flag to accompany it.

Who knows?

It seems to me that if the motorists along 680 really wanted a flag near that retaining wall, they could have removed the flag mural/graffiti, and installed an actual flag!

Strange the way people think.

In any case, I will always be grateful to the HWY 13 graffiti artist who tried to give the world a message of hope and did so with proper punctuation I might add!

:)

If you haven't played this week's Weekend Assignment, there is still time. You can find out all about it by clicking here.

-Carly

HWY 13

Governor Sorry About Flag Caltrans Painted Over (SF Gate)

A moment of AWWWWWWW!

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."

-Unknown

I love cats. There, I said it! Someday, I will be the crazy old cat lady with 31 cats! I am really looking forward to that day!

I found this cute little graphic at Paw Nation. What kind of kitty would be right for you?



I want them all!

By the way, tomorrow is Dylan and Hendrix's 2nd birthday! Be sure to come by on Friday to see photos from their party! Yes, of course there's going to be a party! Silly!


:) -Carly