Round Robin Challenge: "Nature"

Click on the above image to see a larger version.

"And spring arose on the gardens fair
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast
Rose from the dreams of it's wintry rest."

-Percy Bysshe Shelley, "The Sensitive Plant"

It's Round Robin time again, and what could be a better choice for a topic that, "NATURE," to celebrate the first full day of spring? Our challenge subject comes to us by way of Gina, author of the AOL Journal, "Gina's Space." I can't wait to see what we all come up with! :)

"Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of it's own; and from morning to night, as from the cradle to the grave, it is but a succession of changes so gentle and easy, that we can scarcely mark their progress."

-Charles Dickens

Sometimes NATURE brings us storms...

Sometimes NATURE is delicious...

Sometimes NATURE becomes cheese :)

Double Coconut

Sometimes NATURE is... um... RAW...

Sometimes NATURE is angry...

Sometimes NATURE is calm...

Sometimes NATURE isn't fair...

Sometimes NATURE doesn't want it's picture taken...

Sometimes NATURE shows us it's strength...

Sometimes NATURE shows us it's vulnerability...

Sometimes NATURE is misunderstood...

Meet my opossum friend, Ipson Pendragon.

Thank you Gina, for the awesome choice for this round. Be sure to visit all the participating Robins, to see their interpretations of this challenge! Just follow the links below. And be sure to check the official Round Robin Blog this Thursday, to find out the topic for our next challenge!

Linking List

1. Gina... Gina's Space
POSTED!

2. Karen... Outpost Mavarin
POSTED!

3. Nancy... Nancy Luvs Pix
POSTED!

4. Janet... Fond of Snape
POSTED!

5. Kerrin... A New Day, A New Photo
POSTED!

6. Carly... Ellipsis... Suddenly Carly
POSTED!

7. Annie... The Light's On... But No One's Home
POSTED!

8. Suzanne R... New Suzanne R's Life
POSTED!

9. boliyou... Percolation
POSTED!

10. Brad... We-Is
POSTED!

11. Meg... In Quest Of ***Welcome New Member***
POSTED!

12. Steven... (sometimes) photoblog
POSTED!

13. Dorn... Through The Eyes Of The Beholder
POSTED!

14. Gattina... Keyhole Pictures
POSTED!

15. Teena... It's all about me!
POSTED!

16. Julie... Stately Barrett Manor
POSTED!

17. TJ... Photo Inclusions: Every Picture Tells A Story
POSTED!

-OndineMonet

"Spring Arrival"

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Night Shots

Please click on the above image to see it in a larger size.

"I haven't a clue as to how my story will end. But that's all right. When you set out on a journey, and night covers the road, you don't conclude the road has vanished. And how else could we discover the stars?"

-Unknown

Your Monday Photo Shoot: It's Night! Take a picture. Naturally, taking a picture at night (i.e., where it's well lit and indistinguishable from day) won't do; take a picture that captures some of the quality of the night time. Also: No sunset photos. We'll save them up to do another time.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

I love the view of the San Francisco waterfront, as seen from Treasure Island. This photo was taken last April, as the city was celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 1906 earthquake. There were city wide events, but my favorite was the light show at the Ferry Building, on the Embarcadero. A rotation of beautiful colored lights lit up the building, and the night, it was a gorgeous, peaceful sight. :)

Ferry Building, as seen from, Justin Herman Plaza

Ferry Building, as seen from, Market Street at the Embarcadero

-OndineMonet
Ferry Building
1906 Anniversary 100 Years
San Francisco, California
April 18, 2006
Evening

On The Last Full Day Of Winter...

"I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape... the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show."

-Andrew Wyeth

Today is the last full day of winter... thank goodness! It has been a mild winter in the Bay Area, as winters go, but it has been a cold ride for me at times. I think I am more happy to see this winter go, than any other I can think of off the top of my head. Still, as goodbyes go, there is a part of me that will miss it's cold. I will miss how the sun shines warm on my face, while my toes are cold and tingly. I will miss Elvis getting up in my lap, and how he snuggles into my arms for warmth. The way how he sometimes manages to steal my winter afternoon nap blanket. Strange cat. LOL. I will miss my friend Mr. November, who I only really know now in emails, since he left my life in search of the future. Funny Mr. November chose a few days into winter to tell me he was leaving. Shrug. Seasons. Maybe I will bake some cookies later.

Carly Steps Up To The Karaoke Machine...

Big Yellow Taxi
As Sung By Carly

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique and a swinging hot spot
Don't it always seem to go,
That you don't know what you've had till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot

They took all the trees and put them in a tree museum
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to seem 'em
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot

Hey farmer, farmer
Put away your DDT now
Give me spots on my apples
But leave me the birds and the bees
Please!
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot

Late last night I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi took my friend away
Now don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've had till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

I said...
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't always know what you've had till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

Winter ends at 5:06 PM Pacific Time, Tuesday.

Note: I will be posting more photos from my trip to Lake Tahoe later in the week.

-OndineMonet
"Lake Tahoe In Late Winter"
March 14, 2007
Afternoon

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #156: Your Favorite Weekend Assignment Entry

"Making the simple complicated is commonplace, making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, now that's creativity."

-Charles Mingus

Weekend Assignment #156: Repost your favorite Weekend Assignment from the past three years. Or, if you can't choose, post the first Weekend Assignment you ever participated in.

Extra Credit: Should we keep doing the Weekend Assignments? Or after three years, should we give it a rest? Let me know, I'm curious.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Wow! Decisions, decisions. Well, actually when I thought about which Weekend Assignment might have been my favorite, it turns out that it was mostly the humorous entries I wrote, that came to mind first. It makes me happy to share my weird sense of humor, and hopefully I can bring a smile or two to your day. While my humor isn't for everyone, I got a few (11) comments when I originally posted the following entry on the AOL version of Ellipsis, in December of 2004. I hope it brings you a grin or two.

Extra Credit: Please don't stop giving us the Weekend Assignments John, I have enjoyed them so much, and learned a lot along the way! Thank you for them and the Monday Photo Shoots as well!
********************************************************

Warning: The following entry is rated PG-13!
Originally posted on December 10, 2004
********************************************************
"Nothing is as mean, as giving a child something useful for Christmas."

-Kin Hubbard

For this Weekend Assignment, we're going to get creative. After all, if someone could make Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, certainly we can do better.

Weekend Assignment #38: It's the Holidays! Create your own festive Holiday Character and give him, her or it, at least one seasonally appropriate magical ability (or use it's native traits and skills to save the holiday season.

Extra Credit: Provide at least one stanza of your Holiday Character's theme song (to help you out, you may borrow the music of any familiar song).

-John Scalzi (By The Way )

Josie The Undercover Quake Whore Saves Christmas

By Carly Gordon

When Josie Duckinspicter, of the Santaville Duckinspicters, wasn't working undercover as a Quack Whore to keep the mean streets of Santaville a safe place to waddle in, she gave her all for Sitting Duck Platoon of the 101st Airborne Mallard Brigade, stationed at Ice Station Platypus, located just outside of the Last Chance section of Santaville. By day, Josie serves Santa's Air Brigade hot gourmet dinners all through the holiday season. Minnows in a Tangy Octopus Flambe, which is Josie's speciality. She works hard each day squeezing fresh octopus to give the dish it's unique flavor. "One must squeeze hard to get the right amount of juice, for the minnows to flame properly." Josie instructs. She has been known to squeeze 30 octopus a day, and she never complains.

One year, Santa wasn't feeling one-hundred percent, so Josie came through for the jolly old man, by preparing him a magical, homemade herbal remedy of "Mock Chicken Soup." Actually it's octopus in it's own juice, with some eucalyptus and lemon oil. Recipe to follow. In no time, Santa was feeling in the pink again, and he declared Josie to be an important part of the holiday season. He spread the word from land to land, "Josie, the Undercover Quack Whore, You'll Go Down In History!" Ho, Ho, Ho!

Mock Chicken Soup
By Josie

2 whole, recently deceased octopus (suction cups in tact)
10 cups vegetable broth
3 cups long grained wild rice
2 stalks celery
17 tbs. lemon oil
41 tsp. eucalyptus oil
11 different herbs and spices

Note: If octopus is unavailable, substitute squid squeezings (smooth, not chunky)

1. Bring to boil, broth, celery, and the 11 different herbs and spices, and simmer for 45 minutes.

2. Hollow out the head of the two freshly deceased octopus, reserving the eyes and beak for garnish.

3. Boil the octopus in a heavy sauce pan, until suction cups are tender and rubbery to the touch.

4. carefully remove the octopus to a decorative platter, and garnish it alternating eyes and beaks in a circular pattern around the platter.

5. carefully pour the broth mixture into the hollowed out cranium of the octopus and serve immediately with crackers and cheese.

Serves 6
Enjoy!

Extra Credit: "Josie The Quack Whore" to the tune of, "Frosty The Snowman."
As sung by, Leonard Nimoy

Josie the Quack Whore was working Christmas Eve
To make the streets of Santaville a safer place to be
Josie would work hard on special recipes
Taking her job just as serious, as serious could be...

Note: The song now fades into the tune of "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" for the medley effect...

Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say
"Josie my throat is sore and OH my aching head."
Josie the Quack Whore knew exactly what to do
She made some magic with a stewing hen and knocked
Santa's cold right out, and ended Santa's Flu.

The End.

-OndineMonet

Happy St. Patrick's Day

"Shamrock only exists on St. Patrick's Day. Every other days of the year, it's just young clover."

-Charles Nelson

I am officially back from my blogging break! I had a nice time. :) I feel much more settled and relaxed, and I have a lot of new things to share, including my new hair color and style, my trip to Nevada, and... well... you will just have to stay tuned. In the mean time, I hope your St. Patrick's Day is a pleasant one, and don't forget the "Wearing 'O The Green," or you might be pinched by a wee leprechaun! ;) I have a nice green sweater all picked out to wear today, and later, I am making a traditional meal of Corned Beef and Potatoes, with all the sides. I might even get in a little time with the camera, as the weather has been nothing short of stunning lately. That is slated to change early next week, some rain is said to be on the way, but that is then, and this is now, and right now, I am focusing on the present, not worrying about the future. :)

May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day.
May songbirds serenade you every step along the way.
May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that's always blue.
And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through!

-Irish Blessing

-OndineMonet
"Shamrocks"
Berkeley, California
March 16th, 2007
Afternoon

Lake Tahoe In Autumn

"There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in it's sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it could not have been."

-Percy Bysshe Shelley

Ok, so a little later today, about 5:30 AM, I will be on my way to Lake Tahoe, and other places in Nevada, as time allows. This is going to be a marathon day with the camera, meaning it will more than likely never leave my hand, even for meals. Which according to Alan, this is an every day occurrence for me anyway. LOL. We'll see. So, I am planning on this being a 24 hour day for me, with little naps in-between caffeine breaks. Since I know I will be needing some recovery time, I will return to Ellipsis in a few days. See ya soon, with some photos of the Sierra, as it appears in late winter. :)

October 27, 2006

-OndineMonet
Autumn In Lake Tahoe
South Lake Tahoe, California
October 27, 2006
Afternoon

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Bye-Bye Winter

"From December to March, there are for many of us, three gardens. The garden outdoors, the garden of pots and bowls in the house, and the garden of the minds eye."

Katherine S. White

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Post any winter photos you didn't get around to posting earlier. Because winter is going, going, gone baby. Think of it as a last salute.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Here is another shot of my trip up Mt. Hamilton, on March 1st. As you can see, the snow at the mid point was beginning to melt, but all the way on top, was another story completely. The road was closed at McCarthy Ranch, which is about half way up. Sigh. It was so beautiful, especially with the green mountains in the foreground. Spring doesn't arrive for about a week, and while this entry was suggested as a kind of last hurrah for winter, I am planning a couple more entries about the change of seasons. Stay tuned! :)

"Winter lingered so long in the lap of spring, that it occasioned a great talk."

-Bill Nye

-OndineMonet
"Cold Thoughts"
Mt Hamilton
Santa Clara County, California
March 1st, 2007
Afternoon

Time Changes Everything

"Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back."

-Harvey MacKay

I had the most difficult time, dealing with time today. Strange for me, in that the turning of the clock every six months has never effected me much no matter which way it went. I prefer the short days of autumn and winter, but in recent years, since being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, I have appreciated the longer days, and the warmth of the sun. Although, I can live without those unbearably hot days like the ones the Bay Area suffered through last summer. 110 for this area is really too much! I sure wish every day, could be like the one I spent last week at Stowe Lake, in Golden Gate Park. It was a warm day in San Francisco, a nice 70 degrees or so. One thing to remember about San Francisco, if you ever come to visit, you should always have a sweater or light jacket handy, because the temperature will change, from district to district. 70 degrees in North Beach, is not the same as 70 degrees in the Financial district. You will need a sweater at Fort Point, but not necessarily in Golden Gate Park. It's weird... but I love it.

Anyway, about the time change. Maybe it's because the clocks were turned forward three weeks early this year, or maybe it is because I just didn't sleep that well last night, I don't know, I just didn't wake up feeling my best yesterday. It didn't help that the only clock I managed to change, was the one on my cell phone. It also didn't help that I fell asleep watching Simon & Simon on the Sleuth channel. LOL. That channel plays shows in a kind of loop. The same episode of Simon & Simon that was playing when I fell asleep, was also on three hours later when Elvis woke me up to play mousie with him. LOL. Glancing at the TV, and seeing the same episode playing, led me to believe that I had just gone to bed less than an hour earlier. Duh me. LOL. So, back to sleep I went, with Elvis curled into my knees, annoyed, but still by my side.

I slept kind of deep, until I had a dream about an old annoyance, I mean old boyfriend, who recently crossed my mind. Sigh. The creep! LOL. He wasn't really a creep, but he could be kind of stupid sometimes. He will even tell you that. LOL. So tell me, why is it, when I think of stupid people I have known, I still manage to remember them at their best, and miss them so much? I swear, my brain retains the strangest memories, and most trivial pieces of information, and I am NOT as smart as a 5th grader. LOL. Maybe that's why. Maybe I am actually the stupid one, although I will never tell him that! LOL.

Why do I fight change so much? It's not like the "same old, same old," is getting any more exciting. Oh well, I plan to spend some time this next week near water, maybe that will help. Lake Tahoe should be a little bit of paradise. If there is time, I might go all the way up to Carson City, Nevada. We'll see. The mermaid in me has her priorities, she needs to see the lake, touch the cold, clear, water on her fingertips, and that might just take up the whole day. :) Talk about change, the water in the lake is never the same, it changes by the second. Bodies of water, are the perfect representations of change, and yet I am drawn to it as if I really were a mermaid, never fearing it's change, in fact, I depend on it! Sigh... Go figure. At least the time changing three weeks earlier this year, gives me more time in the water.

-OndineMonet
"Stowe Lake"
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
March 8, 2007
Afternoon

Sunday Quizapalooza

"Most great me and women are not perfectly rounded in their personalities, but are instead people whose one driving enthusiasm is so great it makes their faults seem insignificant."

-Charles A. Cerami

I love doing puzzles and quizzes. I have been enjoying the new FOX game show, "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?" I can, with a good deal of certainty, admit that I am about a third as smart as a fifth grader. LOL. Well, actually, it depends on the questions, but I do know that if I were to appear on a game show, it would probably be, "Deal or No Deal." At least the odds would be more in my favor, either the million dollars would be in my case, or they wouldn't. Alan's favorite model on the show, Anya, holds case #10, so I would choose that case. Then I would ask if Anya could sit with Alan in the cheering section near the stage. Am I a cool wife or what? I figure he has had to put up with my undying love of David Duchovny all these years, so I owe him one. :) Do you play the odds in life, or do you believe everything is really 50/50? Either it will or it won't.

How about having some fun, take the following quizzes and then share your results in the comment thread for this entry. Just click the links below. Here is how I scored...

*What Famous Work Of Art Are You?

***You Are Best Described By***
Claude Monet's "Impression Sunrise"

*What Do Your Dreams Mean?


"Dream" By Pablo Picasso

Your dreams seem to show that you're very well adjusted and happy person.
Overall, you are very content in your life.
You tend to be a productive thinker.
Your dreams tend to reflect your insecurities.
You have a very vivid imagination and a rich creative mind.

*What's The Part Of You No One Sees?

"Hidden Eye" By Vicky Brago-Mitchell

You are unique, witty, and even a little snobby.
You're quite proud of who you are, and nothing is going to change that.
You've paved your own way in life, and you've ended up where you want to be.

Underneath it all, you feel very isolated from the rest of the world.
It's hard to find people to relate to you on every level.
The mundane interests of your friends and family often bore or depress you.

Hmmmm.... maybe.

"If you have anything really valuable to contribute to the world, it will come through the expression of your own personality, that single spark of divinity that sets you off and makes you different from every living creature."

-Bruce Barton

-OndineMonet
"Lunch With Andy"
Berkeley, California
September 9th, 2006
Afternoon

Art About Town... San Francisco

"Personally, I experience the greatest degree of pleasure in having contact with works of art. They furnish me with happy feelings of an intensity such as I cannot derive from other realms."

-Albert Einstein

Art and Albert Einstein... all in one day! Well, just imagine it. I could totally see myself museum hopping with Einstein, who I consider to be one of the sexiest men of the 20th Century. Intelligent, witty, great hair, and a wild sense of humor. If he were alive today, I could see myself and Albert, roaming around, gazing at the various public art displays throughout the Bay Area, and engaging in great conversations about what we think, and feel, as the art inspires us. :) Yeah, I like to dream, and when I do, I like to dream big. Imagine... a day with Einstein.

I love art, especially public art, because there is a certain rare freedom in it. You might see it in passing, while driving past it in your car. Or it might be placed in a park or along the main avenue of the town you live in. It might be a commission of a great artist who is well known, or it might be the first piece of an up and coming artist on the edge of immortality through their creative vision. And as you either pass the art at 35 mpg, or while sitting in a park for as long as you want, the art will have changed you in some small way. You will have had a memory evoked, or a passion stirred... even if only for a moment.

In 2004, the city of San Francisco had heart. That is the year, San Francisco General Hospital commissioned the "Hearts in San Francisco" public art display. 130 beautifully painted hearts were placed all through the city, and were designed and painted by a number of artists, including Tony Bennett. The heart he designed, remains on permanent display, in Union Square. I am sure you remember the entry I wrote about it last year. If not you can read the entry here. Anyway, while I was in the city on Thursday, I had time to stop by, and photograph, one of the other hearts, from the 2004 collection, that remains on display as public art, titled, "I Left My Heart... And Shoes In San Francisco," by artist Stan Dann.

San Francisco General Hospital eventually auctioned off most of the hearts, with the proceeds going to the enhancement of patient care at the hospital. The monetary goal for the auction was to raise $1 Million, as of February of 2005 they have raised nearly $2,000,000. It's so amazing to me, when art goes from raw materials and vision, to a reality that benefits the community. There is something soul stirring in that for me. I don't know, maybe it is because over the years, at times of great sadness and grief, art has always been available to help heal the pain I was in. My friend H. P. tells me that I do some of my best photography, when I am depressed. LOL. He never wishes pain on me mind you, but he does remind me that depression doesn't have the lock on me it once did. When those times of sadness, that everyone has, appear like a dark cloud, he tells me to pick up the camera. So does Alan. In fact, as you probably remember, it was Alan who put a camera in my hand, when I was at my lowest, and encouraged me to find life, not avoid it.

This year, San Francisco General Hospital is again participating in the "Hearts in San Francisco," project, and have recently held a fundraiser, where tabletop versions of the hearts were actioned off at charity luncheon, with the proceeds again going to the enhancement of patient care at the hospital, and a special award was given to a member of the community who had displayed "exceptional and inspirational" behavior. There are four full sized hearts, 60-inches tall x 39 inches wide, that are currently on display in Union Square. I am hoping to get over there sometime later this month to photograph them. This next week, I am planning to finally get up to the Sierra to photograph some snow around Lake Tahoe. There is nothing like the art of natural beauty as well. :)

"A good exercise for the heart, is bending down and helping someone to get up."

-Proverb

-OndineMonet
"I Left My Heart And Shoes In San Francisco"
San Francisco, California
March 8th, 2007
Afternoon

The Focus We Choose

"It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it."

-William Somerset Maugham

Long day with the camera. Good day. Productive day. A day where at the end, I feel like I accomplished something... GOOD. I am helping with a project, more of which I will share at a later time, that is helping me weed out all the head noise that has been bogging me down since late December. Sometimes, when we are willing to set the bar higher, and not settle, the best things come our way, and we find that what we thought we could never do, is only a matter of closing our eyes and jumping head first into the future. I know I make it sound easy... it's not... resistance to the future is normal... but sometimes the future is the focus we choose, for me, the future lives in the lens of my camera. :) Don't you just love the affirmations this time of year provides? :) It's all new, in every direction. Life.

-OndineMonet
"In The Pink"
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
March 7th, 2007
Afternoon

Round Robin Challenge: "The Hand... Untouched"

"Fine art is that in which the hand, the head, and the heart of man go together."

-John Ruskin

The great female photographer, Diane Arbus, once said, "The world can be grasped by action, not by contemplation. The hand is the cutting edge of the mind." She's right, it's true. Sometimes, when I have had an especially good day with the camera, I will sit in front of the computer, looking at the images that I was able to capture with the camera earlier in the day, and wonder about how quickly the message goes from my brain to my right hand... the hand that snaps the photo.

Many times, it doesn't even seem like my brain has anything to do with the photos I achieve, when I am on the run, and I have to go on instinct. I think maybe, after the point where I am aware of the lighting around me, it's like little unseen, artsy, fairies who actually get the photo. LOL. Nah... it's me who takes the picture, but it is certainly a combination of eye, hand and the quiet mind, not the noisy mind, that sees the photo in time, as to not loose it to momentary hesitation. Sometimes contemplation makes me over think the shot, and lose the perfect photo because I hesitated. I think my photos have been getting better in the past year, because I have learned to slow down my thinking, block out the noise in my brain, that has nothing to do with the picture in front of me.

Thank you Brad, I learned a lot from this challenge. Now to answer the questions about the settings I used. In the case of this photo, I used the portrait setting, in low lighting, with the auto focus setting. Other than a soft focus (noise reduction) I used no other enhancements.

Be sure to visit all the participating Robins, just follow the links below...

Linking List

1. Brad... We-Is
POSTED!

2. Carly... Ellipsis... Suddenly Carly
POSTED!

3. Janet... Fond of Photography
POSTED!

4. Suzanne R... New Suzanne R's Life
POSTED!

5. Karen... Outpost Mavarin
POSTED!

6. Julie... Julie's Web Journal
POSTED!

7. Linda... Blah Blah Blog
POSTED!

8. Steven... (sometimes) photoblog
POSTED!

9. Gattina... Keyhole Pictures
POSTED!








-OndineMonet
"My Hand"
Berkeley, California
March 5th, 2007
Late Evening

The Orator

"The hidden harmony, is better than the obvious."

-Pablo Picasso

This sculpture is one of my favorite pieces by Picasso. It is titled, "The Orator." I first saw it in person, last year, while visiting the Legion of Honor, during the Monet exhibit. I can't tell you how many times I have opened the file of photographs I took that day, just to be transported back to one of my most inspirational days with my camera. Not only had I got to spend the whole day admiring some of my favorite art pieces by Rodin, Gauguin, and of course, Monet, but when I was walking out of the museum, there was a young couple, just married, and in full wedding attire, posing for their wedding photographs on the lawn in front of the museum. I was able to photograph the candid moments of such love between the two, and the overwhelming adoration that was in their eyes, as they became living portraits... a true work of art. I found the following quote tonight, as I was studying an article on Picasso, earlier this evening. I had a long day today, and I am feeling a bit tired, but it was so lovely that so I thought I would share it with you. It seems to fit life at this moment, and like with most truths, it's message is timeless...



"The Orator" Pablo Picasso, 1933 or 1934 (Plaster and Mixed Media)

"Each second we live is a new and unique moment that will never be again. And what do we teach our children? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capitol of France. When will we also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique in all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move. You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up, can you can then harm another who is, like you, a marvel? You must work, we must all work, to make the world worthy of the children."

I was a lucky little girl, that I had some amazing teachers who encouraged me to spend time looking at art books, and studying the natural beauty of the world around me. The best day of my life as a child, was when a teacher put a camera in my hand, and told me to look beyond the obvious, to find the light that surrounds everything. It was the best piece of advice that I ever got, in regards to art, photography, and life. :)

So tell me, is there a particular piece of art, or an art form, that you find especially inspiring? Please share with me in the comment thread for this entry.

-OndineMonet
"The Orator"
Legion Of Honor Museum
San Francisco, California
July 27th, 2006
Afternoon

As Of February 28th, 2007

"I've decided to cut out the part of the speech where I say anything nice about Democrats."

-Ann Coulter

I wasn't going to address the latest mean spirited pearls of wisdom that came pouring out of conservative political commentator Ann Coulter's mouth this past week, but I can't help it, the woman offends me on all levels, and sometimes, I just have to say exactly what's on my mind. Ann Coulter doesn't belong in the public eye, she is the worst possible influence on our young people, especially the young women of this country, and her kind of hate will only further widen the painful tear this country has suffered. Does she have a right to freedom of speech, of course she does, but it should be stifled at hatred. What constitutes a hate crime anyway. Are mere words enough to be charged, or do you actually have to inflict bodily injury? Her most recent attack, this past week on former North Carolina Senator, John Edwards, is not by far the most heinous words every spoken by Coulter, does anyone remember this bit of nonsence?

"These broads are millionaires, lionized on TV and in articles about them, reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by griefparrazies. I have never seen people enjoying their husband's deaths so much."

-Ann Coulter, referring to the widows of the victims of 9/11.

In her attack this past week, in front of an audience at the annual, Conservative Political Action Committee, Ann had this to say about Edwards...

"I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, but it turns out you have to go to rehab if you use the word, "faggot."

Shameful. Republican Presidential candidates, John McCain and Mitt Rommey, where quick to distance themselves from the remarks by Coulter, so I have to wonder, who was sitting in the audience, and who found it so funny? It bothered me that laughter could clearly be heard after her remarks. What kind of person would laugh at such idiocy? I have many conservative friends who I have a great deal of respect for. We have been able to share our opposing views, without bending to this type of hatred. I have learned from them, and I would like to think they have learned a little from me. In a perfect world.

It seems to me that as long as someone, somewhere, welcomes the likes of Ann Coulter to speak at universities, and rallies, and talk shows, the longer we will have an air of misinformation too available. We live in times like never before. Times when it seems like every country in the world has their finger on the trigger. God I hope I am wrong about that. Things in Iraq are NOT improving, they are getting worse. Walter Reed Hospital, in Washington, was supposed to be the flagship of care for our wounded men and women who have returned home from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. What kind of a conscience allowed them to live in such deplorable conditions? Who dropped that ball? We have problems way too devastating on American soil, to be taking up our time giving our attention to a person or persons consumed with hatred. Ann Coulter is a person, consumed with hatred. I wonder sometimes, if my conservative friends cringe when she speaks. Shrug. To be truthful, that is none of my business, that is between them and their conscience.

There is interest in the next presidential election, like never before. I have to say, I admire Edwards for not lowering himself to Coulter's level, by slinging a slur back in her face. That is what I am looking for in a candidate. Someone who can see ignorance for what it is, and remain calm under the circumstances. Someone who recognizes the true needs of America, which is to feel safe and prosperous on our own soil, and to be able to provide for our families. Someone who will bring an end to the national nightmare, that is the Iraq war. It would be nice to have someone in office who will actively pursue Osama Bin Laden... remember him? It would be nice to know that the young men and women we are trying to woo into the armed services, will have the proper care as veterans. America needs to be fixing the existing problems we suffer with right here in America. Bigotry, health care, literacy, living wages, the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast. You know the list. How long do we want to be updating our memorials? Do we have time for the influence of Ann Coulter? Do we have time to continue to hold her up as any kind of positive example?

Your turn, you tell me, is Ann Coulter hurting, or helping America? What should our focus, as a nation, be on? Who in politics is really listening to and addressing our needs? Who, at this point, seems like they are most in touch with America? Will we every be free from the current air of division in America? When does freedom of speech go too far?

As of December 2nd, 2006

As of January 24th, 2007

In Memory Of 3154 Soldiers Killed in Iraq As Of February 28th, 2007

NOTE: The Lafayette Memorial is updated each weekend.


-OndineMonet

The Puppy Song In February

"I've seen a look in dogs eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts."

-John Steinbeck

Have you ever looked at your pet, be it dog, cat, hamster, opossum, parrot, rabbit, goldfish, ostrich, cobra, otter, chimpanzee, and noticed them looking back at you, with an expression on their face that seemed to say... "Just what exactly is wrong with you?" LOL. Sometimes, I will be sitting here at my computer, writing an email, which I tend to say out loud as I write, or maybe editing some photos, when I will feel the strangest sensation that I am being stared at. Some might think their house is haunted, but not I, because I know when I turn around, there will be Elvis... contemplating the wonder that is me.

He always has this, somewhat perplexed, yet completely loving look on his face when he is looking at me, as if he is thinking, "I don't get it, she is weird, but she is mommy, so I love her." LOL. And he does. We are best friends, and over all we do understand each other, still, there are those times when I think both of us wonder about each other. Cat, unlike dogs, do not have to love you if they don't want to. They are much more discriminating when it comes to love. Dogs will pretty much love anyone who feeds them. For the most part. When you have been gone all day, a dog will run to the door to welcome you home, a cat will shoot you a look that says, "What took you so long?" Again, not all dogs and cats are the same, Elvis usually meets me at the door, because he wants to be fed, always, and he is not afraid to tell me the minute I come home. :)

Sometimes I miss having a dog. Cats don't like the beach, and sometimes, I miss playing on the beach with a puppy. I spotted the dog in the above photo at Baker Beach, in early February, when I was there to photograph the arrival of the Queen Mary 2. I had a blast watching him running in and out of the surf, playing in the cold winter water of the San Francisco Bay. Actually, I suppose at that particular point it is actually the Pacific Ocean, as it is just outside the Golden Gate. But he was a happy camper all the same. I could imagine him on his own surf board, riding the waves to shore, barking happy thoughts, and wondering to himself, why his human companion doesn't go to the beach every day. How nuts is it, to not go to the beach every day? :) There is nothing like a warm, sunny day in winter, sitting on a California beach, listening to happy noises, and having your own happy, nutty, thoughts.

The Puppy Song
By Harry Nilsson

Dreams are nothing more than wishes
And a wish is just a dream, you wish would come true, woo woo

If only I could have a puppy, I'd call myself so very lucky
Just to have some company to share a cup of tea with me
I'd take my puppy everywhere, La, La La, I wouldn't care
And we would stay away from crowds, and signs that said
No dogs allowed
Oh we, I know he'd never bite me, whoa la, la, la,
Oh we, I know he'd never bite me

If only I could have a friend to stick with me until the end
And walk along beside the sea, share a bit of moon with me
I'd take my friend most everywhere, La, La, La, I wouldn't care
We would stay away from crowds with signs that said no friends allowed
Oh we, we'd be so happy to be whoa, la, la, la
Oh we, we'd be so happy to be together

But dreams are nothing more than wishes
And a wish is just a dream, you wish to come true
A wish to come true.

-OndineMonet
"Wishes In February
Baker Beach
February 4, 2007
Afternoon

What? It's March Already?

"Time is a sort of river of passing events, and strong is it's current; no sooner is a thing brought to sight, than it is swept by and another takes it's place, and this too will be swept away."

-Marcus Aurelius

I am so happy it's finally March! Jeepers, did it seem to anyone else like January wasn't going to end? Sigh. It went on, and on, and on, and on... ! February, had the class to end early, or on time, I am never quite sure what is up with that. Either way, here we are, firmly in the month of March. Finally. I have to be honest, my year hasn't gotten off to the best of starts, long story, so I would just be very happy if we were in June already, even with the fact that I turn 45 in June. I am OK with it, age has never been something I have had a problem with. Forgetting things, making weird noises when I have been sitting too long, the gray hair I have been collecting, and the sore, swollen muscles I have... now that I have a problem with! Gosh, I was watching an old episode of "Mama's Family" the other night, and it occurred to me that she wore support hose, and by golly, that might not be a bad idea for me. LOL. Hell's Bell's... as I actually sat pondering the idea, it dawned on me, can space diapers be far behind?

Anyway, I took a drive up Mt. Hamilton last Thursday, in search of snow, but unfortunately, like with Mt. Diablo, I wasn't allowed to go up to the very top, where Lick Observatory is, due to... SNOW. Lick Observatory... does that sound like the name of a strip club to you? I mean as opposed to a place where you look for heavenly bodies. ;) Anyway, I was able to take some photos from McCarthy Ranch, of the beautiful snow covered hills, and the not so snow covered hills, and well, what you see below...

I'm not in a bad mood, really I am not, but I am ready for 2007 to be over already. I am RESTLESS. And yes, I know, a watched pot never boils, and time flies whether we are having fun or not, and life is not fair, but it is not fair for everyone, so that is what makes it fair, and...

"It takes a long time to understand nothing."

-John Emerson Dalberg

Lick Observatory

-OndineMonet
"Mt. Hamilton"
San Jose, California
March 1, 2007
Mid-Morning

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #154: Your Car Or Your Computer

"If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1000 MPG."

-Bill Gates

Weekend Assignment #154: Your Car or Your Computer: You must pick one. Which one do you choose? Yes! You must choose between the car - beloved icon of American greatness and freedom - and the computer - the defining machine of the 21st century. If you choose the car, you do not get to touch a computer again, except for basic work related purposes at work. If you choose the computer, no more personal wheels for you. And for those of you in a two-car family, there none of this "oh, I'll just ride in my spouse's car" stuff. Any rides you bum have to be outside your immediate family. Similarly, no using the spouse's or kid's computers, and those of you with super-enabled cell phones will henceforth use them only for phone calls. No Web-browsing, e-mail or text messaging. See, no it;s gotten harder, hasn't it?

Extra Credit: Which was more expensive: Your first car, or your most recent computer?

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Car? Computer? What's a girl to do? Both objects mean a lot to me, however neither means everything to me. Sigh. Here are the pros and cons of both...

Car - Pros

1. My car takes me to all the beautiful places in the Bay Area, such as Fort Point, next to the Golden Gate Bridge.

2. My car is handy should an emergency occur, and I need to get to Alan.

3. My car takes me on my photo jaunts, and gets me out of the house, and into life.

Car - Cons

1. Gas is way to expensive.

2. Driving can be a bit scary in the Bay Area... lots of tense people on the road.

3. I was in a serious car accident when I was 16, I can sometimes still hear the sounds of it.

Computer - Pros

1. I have met some amazing people on the Internet, that I never would have, had the computer not been at my disposal. I really love my Internet friends. :)

2. I can keep in touch with friends and family who have moved out of my life, a lot easier this way.

3. I have a digital camera, which is in fact, now a part of my actual body. To own a digital camera, without a computer, would be silly, and make sharing photos a lot more difficult. So having a computer helps me realize my creativity a lot easier.

Computer - Cons

1. Sometimes, the time spent on my computer eats into time I could be spending out in the real world. And by real world, I simply mean, enjoying a pretty sunset, or seeing friends. Time in computer time seems to flow differently... it can get away from you, and before you know it, things have changed all around you.

2. Sometimes computers die, terrible, grizzly deaths, for no apparent reason. This is never good. And it is always expensive to just up and replace one at a moment's notice.

3. Ever see the Sandra Bullock movie, "The Net?" It had it's far fetched moments to be sure, but one thing is true, the computer does store a lot, if not most, of our information. Where we live, where we bank, who our friends are. And now Americans are, in fact, being watched regularly by our own government. EEEEEKKKK. Hackers, malicious virus creators, identity theft perpetrators, it can be a weird world sometimes, and let's face it, the computer has in some cases, made it easier for bottom dwellers to wreak a good deal of havoc on our lives.

My Choice In The Car v. Computer Debate?

"The car has become a secular sanctuary for the individual, his shrine to the self, his mobile Waldon Pond."

-Edward McDonagh

I have to go with my car. I love getting outside, and seeing the sights of the Bay Area. If you have been reading me for any length of time, you know that I would rather take photographs then breathe. I love my digital camera, but I also enjoy my good old-fashioned film camera. So, if I have to live without either a computer or a car... I am afraid the computer will have to go. Besides, hopefully whatever friends I have made on the Internet, might keep in touch with me by snail mail, and as for the family and friends who have moved away... ::smile:: ... in a perfect world, if we are important to each other, we will find a way to keep in touch, or we will simply, finally, let go. Life is for living, and at this point in my life, for the first time, in a long time, I kinda like the real world. Besides, look at my car Lilith... isn't she lovely?

Extra Credit: My first car, that was mine all mine, was a 1999 Saturn SL1. It was most definitely more expensive than my first computer.

""They think they can make fuel from horse manure... Now I don't know if your car will be able to get 30 miles to the gallon, but it's a sure gonna put a stop to siphoning."

-Billie Holiday

-OndineMonet
"Lilith At The Bridge"
Ft Point
San Francisco, California
Late Summer, 2006

Snow Days

"Excuse me everybody, I have to go to the bathroom. I really have to use the telephone, but I'm too embarrassed to say so."

-Dorothy Parker

After my appointment with Sarah yesterday, I took a ride through the Caldecott Tunnel into Contra Costa County. As I exited the tunnel, I caught a glimpse of Mount Diablo, and saw that it still had a fresh dusting of snow from the night before. How ironic is that? Tee Hee. Actually, the northern slope had much more snow on it, but this was the best point I could find to snap a photo. This is the view from the west. Most of the Bay Area hills, Mount Tamalpias, Mount Hamilton, all had a fair amount of snow on them, but cars weren't allowed up to where it was. We seldom get snow in the Bay Area, and folks don't know how to deal with the ice on the roads properly. Sigh. Later today however, the road up Mt. Hamilton should be open once again, so I am going to try to get as far up to the top as possible. I want to play in the snow. I could go to the Sierra, where there is plenty of snow, but it's too long of a car ride, it's about 4 hours one way, and I want to stick closer to home for the next few days till things warm up a bit.

A nice surprise was waiting for me when I got home. In my mailbox was my certificate for a free haircut from Supercuts, and a certificate for a free Giant Stuffed Burrito from La Salsa. How much fun is that? I got them from my local ABC affiliate, KGO, channel 7. The consumer reporter for the station, Michael Finney, does a weekly spot called, "Finney's Friday Free Stuff," and each week there is something new to try. Sometimes it's Starbuck's, or maybe a service of some kind in the area, it's always something kind of cool though. I have no idea why, but I never used to respond to the offers, I don't know, last week when he was describing the free Supercuts certificate and the free La Salsa certificate, it kind of sounded like a nice way to spend a day, sometime soon, all to myself.



It's time to cut the mermaid hair I think. It's too long. I am tired of my brunette looks, so it is time to go back to blond. It's been forever since I was a blond, but it sounds like a fun way to shake off the blahs. Alan always said being a blond suited me, so why not? I think I will go for a cut similar to Kassie DePaiva's. She plays Blair, on "One Life To Live." It is a natural flowing cut, that should be easy to manage, and at the same time it can be worn up or down. I like that versatility. I was blessed with fantastic hair. I have always been able to handle it, and except for a few bad perms in the 80's, it has pretty much behaved itself. So yes, one of these days, before my free "Girl's Day Out," certificates expire, I think I will declare it a snow day, and go have some time with myself... as someone else... and yet still just me. You ladies reading this know what I mean... right? ;) And hey, Cal Berkeley is looking for test subjects, so who knows, that could really round the day out nicely.

Volunteers Wanted For UC Berkeley Behavior Experiments

"Rivers pain you; rivers are damp; acids stain you; and drugs cause cramps. Guns aren't lawful; nooses give; gas smells awful; you might as well live."

-Dorothy Parker

-OndineMonet
"A Cold Day On Mt Diablo"
Berkeley, California
February 28, 2007
Afternoon

Wednesday's At 11 With Sarah

"I quit therapy because my analyst was trying to help me behind my back."

-Richard Lewis

Leonardo da Vinci once said about art that, " it is never finished, only abandoned." If that's true about art... then I believe it is certainly true about therapy. I have been in therapy, in one form or another since I was 7 years old. That is a long time. LOL. Actually, there was a brief time in the early 1990's when I was blissfully sane. All was right with the world. Then the inevitable happened... LIFE. Well, actually, LIFE and Death. And also in there came stupid health issues like Epstein-Barr, and the onset of Panic Attacks. I still don't exactly know how or why I began having those, but I tell you what, I resolved to stop them from happening, and I saw it through. I occasionally get a pang of anxiety out of nowhere, but it no longer paralyzes me. I worked hard. I still work hard, just like so many other folks out there who are brave enough to face their personal demons, and deal with pain.

Pain. Does it ever amaze you just how many different directions pain can come at you from? Loss, unrealized desires, life frustrations, physical health issues, geographical moves, and so many more. I have dealt with my share, or so I always say just before some new stupid thing happens to make me sad. I like to think I have control over my own life... but realistically... of course I don't. My free will doesn't affect the decision someone else might make about their own life, which consequentially might spill over into mine. Take for example the drama that happened last week between my neighbors. I was sitting right here, happily working away on my computer, editing photos from a brilliantly lovely day, last year. All of a sudden, my neighbor is outside, screaming stupid, incoherent nonsense to the top of his lungs, which might be best described as a hissy fit. A grown man, stomping his feet and foaming at the mouth, because he was put out over something trivial.

That's not how I wanted to spend my night. Sheesh. "Hey buddy, do you need a plugsy (pacifier)?" Well, of course I didn't say that... but I wonder what he would have said, or done, if I had. Who knows? I wonder sometimes to myself, and I even asked Sarah a couple times, "Why should I be in therapy, working through stuff that is incredibly painful, trying to achieve good mental health, if nobody else is?" POUT. "Well," said Sarah, "Because you deserve to life the full happy life, and the truth is, you can't control how other's choose to live their life, but you can choose how you live yours." See, that's why she is the therapist. LOL.

"The Lamp" By Roy Lichtenstein

Sarah is the 45th therapist I have had in my lifetime. I asked her a little over a year ago, if she thought I might ever never need therapy, or was I doomed to have a standing appointment with the couch for Wednesday's, at 11, for the rest of my life. Does there come a point when, I will be done, finished, graduated to the world with a certificate in sanity? She smiled. She said nothing. For a long time. Then she said, " You have made amazing progress, you have all the skills you need for living in the world. So the question is... do you feel ready, or is there still some things you want to talk about?" I sat there, on that well worn in couch, where I am sure many tears have been shed over pain similar to my own, and suddenly I was aware of just how quiet the world seemed. I wasn't laughing, I wasn't crying, but inside my brain was a thousand questions... and I knew... I still had a ways to go.

Just before last Christmas, I asked her the same questions. Was I there yet? She said, "Yes." I anticipated that she might ask me if I felt I was there yet. She didn't, but I thought about that question anyway. Sigh. I think about a thousand questions came to mind, this time, however, I was answering them for myself. God I hate loss, I hate change. I hate that sometimes, people leave your life before you are ready to say goodbye. I hate the limbs that life makes us all go out on. I hate that love can be, at the same time, Ecstasy and Hell. I hate that I don't understand how it works, or how it can happen without our permission. But I know that I am happy it exists, and that I have it in my life in many forms. I don't really fear it like I once did, because sometimes love is just what happens to you, when you are busy making other plans. ;) My wonderful therapist Sarah, who has helped me find my way back to life, will be moving on to other opportunities at the end of the summer. I will miss our Wednesday at 11:00 appointments, but I am looking forward to just being in life again, flying solo, knowing I will land safely.

"Art enables us to find ourselves, and lose ourselves at the same time."

-Thomas Merton

-OndineMonet
"The Lamp"
Berkeley, California
Autumn, 2006
Morning

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Fridge Magnets

"The senses have been conditioned by attraction to the pleasant and aversion to the unpleasant. A man should not be ruled by them, they are obstacles in his path."

- Bhagavad Gita

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Show off your refrigerator magnets. Because you know you have 'em.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

What a fun and easy Monday Photo Shoot assignment! Well, except when it came to finding a quote to go with my entry. Oddly enough there isn't too many quotes about refrigerator magnets. Anyone want to leave an original quote about refrigerator magnets in the comment thread for this entry?

Now about my magnets. The ones you see in the above photo are, of course, not the only magnets I have, but they are some of my favorites. A giant purple butterfly, which is actually part of a 4 butterfly set. The Pillsbury Doughboy is part of the collection of Doughboy products I have all over my kitchen. The Crayola Crayon bears, came as a set of 6, all different colors. Next we see Fred Flintstone, holding his daughter, Pebbles. Again, that magnet came as a set with other Flintstone characters. The flowerpot in the upper left hand corner, is actually, a pad to write my grocery lists on, which I always forget to use, lol. Finally we come to the Eye in the lower left corner. That is not just a magnet, it is also a calendar that my eye doctor gave me, on a recent visit to his office. I can never have too many calendars, so that was kind of nifty.

There you have it. Those are the magnets I am displaying at this time, but comeback six months from now, and you will probably see something completely different on my fridge. I have a drawer full of magnets that were given to me over the years. Funny, I hadn't thought about the cute set of veggie magnets my mother gave me, along with a tablecloth, as a wedding shower gift. Funny how the silliest things catch you off guard sometimes. She and I had the best grin over those silly magnets. Sigh... :)

-OndineMonet
Berkeley, California
February 25, 2007
Evening

Four Seasons In One Day

"In those vernal seasons of the year, when the air is calm and pleasant, it were an injury and sullenness against nature not to go out and see her riches, and partake in her rejoicing with heaven and earth."

-John Milton

My friend Steven gave me a great suggestion this past week, for how to break out of the winter blahs. He suggested to me to "go out and find spring." It was a good idea, I knew it was a good idea, but I was wondering to myself, if I would even recognize it if I actually did find it. Sometimes when my Fibromyalgia has been especially problematic, and I am in pain, it is nearly impossible to go anywhere, let alone have the energy to pick up the camera. I worry in those phases, that I will somehow slip back into Anhedonia. Truthfully, now that I know what it's like to have it, I don't think I will ever let that happen again, but the thought crosses my mind all the same. "What if I wake up today, and suddenly no longer have any creativity?"

Another piece of advice Steven gave me a couple years back, was to suggest that I do "still life" photography during those times when I am housebound. It will keep the creative juices flowing, and it is a good way to practice with lighting and settings I don't use as often, such as the portrait setting. Good idea. I have been enjoying doing that very much this past autumn and winter, but for this weekend, I needed to get out and smell the fresh, cold air... despite whatever grasp the Fibromyalgia had on me. I decided to push my assignment a bit further than just looking for spring, I challenged myself to find all four seasons in one day. Here is what I found...

Autumn

Spring

Winter

Summer

"Four seasons in one day
Lying in the depths of your imagination
Worlds above and worlds below
The sun shines on the black clouds hanging over the domain

Even when you're feeling warm
The temperature could drop anyway
Like four seasons in one day"

From "Four Seasons In One Day" Crowded House


-OndineMonet
"Spring Mist"
Berkeley, California
February 24, 2007
Afternoon

The Dragon & The Buddha's Hand

"As the soil, however rich it might be, cannot be productive without cultivation, so the mind without culture can never produce good fruit."

-Seneca

San Francisco will hold it's annual Chinese New Year Parade this Sunday afternoon, come rain or come shine. It will definitely be raining according to the weatherman, which means I will have to miss this year's celebrations. Oh well, there will be other years, and I will be looking forward to it. I am not to sad about it, because I had a pretty good time recently at the Conservatory of Flowers, enjoying their citrus blossom exhibit in honor of the Chinese New Year. I loved photographing the gorgeous citrus blossoms and fruits, and of course, this festive dragon that was hanging in the lobby of the conservatory. I considered using this picture for my recent Round Robin Challenge entry as the subject of "RED."

All the citrus fruits looked wonderful, and mighty yummy, but one fruit in particular that I found interesting was the, Buddha's Hand. I had never seen it before, but through a little searching on the Internet I found out that it is also known as citron, and it is used often in fruitcakes. I have been eating it for years, I just had no idea how interesting it was in appearance. It is more sweet then most citrus fruits and therefore it can be used in a lot of different dishes from rice pilaf to candied fruit or even a light topping for fish. I also found out that it can be used as a natural room freshener, because of it's clean, sweet fragrance. I am going to see if I can't drop by one of the markets in Chinatown, and see if I can pick one up. I would love to try some new recipes with this exotic fruit. I will let you know what I come up with. :)

-OndineMonet
"Dragon"
Conservatory of Flowers
San Francisco, California
February 14, 2007
Afternoon