Sunrise Sunset + Looking Back At March + Pink

"All photographs are memento mori. To take a photograph is to participate in another person's (or thing's) mortality, vulnerability, mutability. Precisely by slicing out this moment and freezing it, all photographs testify to time's relentless melt."

~Susan Sontag

Ordinarily I would post my monthly collage of photos on the last day of the month, but March it seems this year is a bit busy. HAPPY EASTER! LOL. No worries, especially since I air headed really bad last weekend and posted my Easter 2013 blog post a week early! LOL. Darned old cold... yeah... let's blame it on that... but in all fairness, I usually do have my dates and times better organized than that! Oh well, it was only live on the blog for a couple hours, and fortunately my visitors and readers have dwindled a bit, so I don't think anyone caught it! See, having no one read your blog isn't all that bad, right? And hey, you, the reader who does come by, get the occasional thrill of a post gone awry!

Let's just change the subject... shall we? I spotted the "Sunrise/Sunset" photo back in 2005, and found it again this week in a file I didn't even know existed, but when I saw it, I thought it was quite timely for this weekend. I wish I could remember where I found the two street signs, and there was nothing that ID'd it in the file, all I know is I took the photo using by old Konica Minolta. Oh well, it's a fun photo, and it made me happy to be able to use it. Now, on with March's best photographs, and a couple new ones at the end of the post.

ENJOY!



And now the photos I would have posted, if there were 32 days in March...





Beautiful! March, despite this ridiculous head cold, was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL month. Okay, in my old age, spring is growing on me. Gosh I hate change, unless it's summer to autumn~ LOL.

Mood: Happy :)

~Me :)

Steller's Jay and Blue Heron

Elk Glen Lake, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco 3/27/2013

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul."

~John Muir

 
Blue Heron

Yesterday, my travels about Golden Gate Park saw me enjoying all the bright shades of yellow that were dotting the park, but there was another color that kept showing up as well, which gave they day a nice balance. Blue. Lovely, calming, quiet... Blue. Just after finishing my time with the camera photographing the pretty yellow tulips at Queen Wilhelmina garden, I was fortunate enough to spot a gorgeous Blue Heron, sitting a little back from the road near Mallard Lake. While taking his photo, we were visited by a gorgeous Steller's Jay who wanted some attention as well! He made a racket! He photo bombed the perfect pictures that would have been, and generally stalked me until I gave him the proper respect and time he deserved. I happily obliged and it payed off with his showing up again, a short time later, and soon along came about 20 of his friends and family, this time a short walk from where we first met, in a small grove adjacent to Elk Glen Lake, inside the park.

Here, Have A Look...

Steller's Jay


To my delight, I actually found quite a few different species of birds yesterday, which means I can fill in some entries for my birdwatching journal. I am anxious to get out and do more birding. For now though I have to track down a couple birds I spotted yesterday, but couldn't identify. I like that part of birding... learning all about a new one. It's a mystery, but soon you find the information and it's like finding a new friend. I hope that makes sense! When the Steller's Jay came along yesterday, I hadn't seen one since the autumn of 2005. They are such beautiful birds! And really fascinating as well!

As soon as I I.D. the other birds I saw yesterday, I will post them to Ellipsis. :) But until then, tell me, do you do any birdwatching? If so, do you live, sleep and eat... well... not eat... but obsess maybe... on birds? If so, how often do you go birdwatching, and is it a hobby or just an occasional activity? How many different birds can be spotted in your neighborhood on any given day? And what bird would you say is your absolute favorite? Tell me everything!

Elk Glen Lake, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, Ca

Map of Golden Gate Park (PDF)

Mood: Happy

~Carly :)

And The Color Was Yellow

"On a traffic light, green means go and yellow means yield, but on a banana it's just the opposite. Green means hold on, yellow means go ahead, and red means where the hell did you get that banana at?"

~Mitch Hedberg

When you first pull up to the curb in front of the Queen Wilhelmina Windmill Garden, in Golden Gate park, you most often see the color purple edging around the entrance, but that doesn't mean there is purple stealing the show inside the garden itself, so I try to look away when we first get there, just to give myself time to imagine what flowers of amazing beauty will be planted this time! If it's March, you can usually count on it that there will be tulips, and sure enough, when I visited yesterday, it was! Gorgeous yellow tulips were the main attraction, but the left side of the park had some soft pink ones, and there was a lovely display of white ones, surrounded by bright orange California Poppies in the middle of the garden!

Here Have A Look...



It was a lovely, gray, overcast day. Big drops of rain? Not so much, but there was a lot of fog, and an actual misty drop or two, so we didn't stay very long. My cold is about 85% better, but the body aches continue, as does the occasional coughing rant. Also, the Fibromyalgia is not to be out shadowed by the lesser head cold, so it is in full on rage, meaning body aches, extreme sleepiness, joint pain, Fibro-Fog (that thing that makes me think a certain word, but say a different one instead) but it felt really good to get out of the house for a few hours. Today I plan to take it easy, and just tend to the basic stuff around the house. I have a couple errands, but that shouldn't take very long. We'll see! For now I am concentrating on the beauty of yesterday, the color was yellow after all! Who doesn't smile when they see yellow?

:)

Mood: Hopeful and Happy

~Me :)

Why?

"I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose, I would always greet it in a garden."

~Ruth Stout

 

Ellipsis is going to be a bit flower and garden heavy for the next few days, except for an update I have planned about my adventures with Windows 8. It's been a little over a month, and I have figured some things out so I want to revisit some previous gripes I had. Good, bad or otherwise, I am immensely happy that I have been able to learn something new. Over all I am a happy girl, but there are still a ton of questions I would love to ask Microsoft! LOL.

Like maybe... WHY? LOL. That's all, just... WHY?

Stay Tuned!

 "Spring won't let me stay in this house any longer! I must get out and breathe the air deeply again."

 ~Gustav Mahler


Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Carly's Garden Digest 2013: Day One... March 25th, 2013

"When one of my plants dies, I die a little inside too."

~Linda Solegato

 

Mumpfh. It's spring now, and sick or not, it is time to get the garden ready for vegetables and flowers. You know... the stuff good living is all about! The yard itself is lush and green, and that's the good news. There is a lot of healthy going on! Just look at the lavender, isn't it gorgeous? I have big plans for my lavender this year, lots of herbal remedies and a sachets for better sleeping! There is nothing like tucking some dried lavender in a light cloth pocket under a pillow. Lavender is amazing for clearing the mind of noise and clouds. Awwww. That's the stuff dreams are made of!

Unfortunately, the rose garden is in a bit of peril. It seems the aphids did a very good job of overwintering, and came back to my rose garden in force! Blech! When I did a once around of the garden yesterday, I found that they had attached themselves in great numbers to half the rose plants, but that left about half in decent shape, with NO signs of damage to them. No black fungus damage or frostbite from that quick chill we had. So, I am counting my blessings, and spending the day preparing for some deep gardening later this week.

I am making a DIY spray to rid the garden of the nastiness. A small amount of cutting back comes next, then I will sprinkle a generous helping of ground cinnamon at the base of each rose, then place some foil on top of the cinnamon, secure the foil with bricks, and sprinkle a little more around the outside for good measure. Once that is done, it will be time to plant between 8 and 12 small mint plants in the ground between the rose plants, and perhaps one or two new, healthy roses (perhaps mini roses) to encourage new growth. Lastly, I am going to plant (3) 5lb pots of lavender against the fence and let it run along the back. It's work, but I have Alan to help me, and it's going to be amazing a couple months from now.

You'll see!

Here We The Before View...


If All Else Fails, I Will Do What I Did A Few Years Back... Buy Ladybugs!


Pretty Soon... Hello Beauty! :)



"Gardening is cheaper than therapy, and you get tomatoes."

~Unknown

Mood: Happy but Determined

~Me :)

Good News Should Always Involve White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

"Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart."

~Erma Bombeck

It's official... I am better! The cold is finally lifting, after a long four weeks, I can breathe again, and OMG, I can sleep for longer than an 1 1/2 hours without waking up with the sensation of choking to death! Yippee! I slept yesterday for... wait for it... 6 straight hours! Yes, woke up coughing, a little bit, maybe 30 minutes or so, but that is a huge improvement! At the peak of the cold, I would wake up choking and coughing, and I would be in a spasm of coughing that would last up to 2 hours! Several times I felt like I was about to break a rib, and I pulled more than one muscle, but thankfully the pain didn't last long! If I continue on this course, I think next week at this time I should be 100% or better. I am aiming for that.

Come HELL or HIGH WATER, I am getting out one day this week with the cameras! Ideally, I would spend the day on the peninsula and in the city, because that would maximise my chances of doing a lot of spontaneous photography amongst my self assigned ops. I love those photos that come along by pure chance, when your mind is concentrating elsewhere! Those moments, and images, are the gifts of the muse. Sometimes I prefer to jump in the car with no preconceived ideas or notions about the day in photos. It's fun! It's exciting! Well... to me it is! LOL.

So, that's the good news. And so is that luscious White Chocolate Raspberry cheesecake! Alan brought me home a slice, and I made a deal with myself to make it last 3 days! Don't get me wrong, I could inhale that yumminess in one quick breath, even with my cold, but the truth is I don't need all the calories at once, so I am pacing myself and counting calories accordingly. Everything is managed when you are a diabetic. It's all good.

Okay, do you have any good news to share? Feel free to leave me your thoughts in the comment thread!

"Dessert is probably the most important stage of the meal, since it will be the last thing your guests remember before they pass out all over the table.'

~William Powell

Mood: HAPPY

~Me :)

Eat. Play. Love.

"The cat has complete emotional honesty... an attribute not often found in humans."

~Ernest Hemingway

My goodness, I think Hendrix has caught my cold. Since I first found this lousy illness, about a month ago, he has been a constant companion, just like his brother Dylan. In fact, both he and his brother have been keeping my feet and my shoulder quite warm as I sleep.

I am loved.

But unfortunately, I think Hendrix, and possibly Dylan, have caught the cold.

I know there are some illnesses that can be shared between fur-babies and their human parents, one of them being the H1N1 flu. According to Petside, there were 10 documented cases of that particular flu having been shared between pets and owners. Yet other websites claim that there is not enough evidence to say for sure about the possibility of transmitting a simple cold to a cat, but careful hygiene while around your kitty cat friend is strongly encouraged.

Hendrix has been lethargic, uninterested, and generally displaying an extremely quiet demeanor, which is not his usual self. Hendrix is the more playful of the two. He LOVES to look for the red laser dot, and follow his favorite mice on a stick. He is loads of fun, but while play is important, so is LOVE and EATING. They are the only two things that he will consider stop playing for. His priorities are EAT. PLAY. LOVE. So, when he stopped playing the last couple of days, you can imagine how much it worried me.

The good news is that he has been eating small amounts of food, and cleaning his fur. He is using his box regularly and on time. And when pushed, he will at least follow the laser mouse with his eyes. There is a part of me that thinks Hendrix might be simply tired out from taking care of Alan and I. He walks both of us to the bathroom, and he comes and sits with me when the coughing gets so bad I feel like I am going to stop breathing. On some level he is worried about that also I think, yet he will not let me go through it alone, which pretty much makes him my best friend. :)

Last night we fed him a half a jar of his favorite baby food, Chicken in Chicken Gravy, Gerber's #2. He seemed to perk up a bit after that, which lifted my spirits more than I can tell you! Dylan and Hendrix both are due to visit Dr. Barrett for their annual checkups soon, so I think I will schedule them for this week. It's always good to touch base with Dr. B., he is a great man, and actually he is considered a hero to our family! One day Dr. B. will retire, and I don't even want to think of what we will do. I wouldn't take my little boys to just any pediatrician!

Ooops... I mean veterinarian.

NO, I mean pediatrician. Well, veterinarian/pediatrician

Yes. That's accurate.

Yes. (Insert nodding head here)

Think good thoughts for my boys... okay? :)

Mood: Happy but concerned.

~Me :)