A Photo For 6 Months: Day 152~ ... Said The Bitch To The PussyFighter

"The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue."

~Dorothy Parker

 

Not everybody thinks I am the bees knees. But that's okay. I would rather go to my grave being called a BITCH than being called a doormat, or worse, a PUSSYFIGHTER! I have a neighbor who likes to try and play neighbor against neighbor. He talks to some of us like we are dirt. If he sees something he wants, like someone else's parking place, he takes it. He let's his dog bark for sometimes 8 hours at a time, knowing how unsettling it can be. He has been told... many, many times to put the dog in when he leaves by the property management, but he doesn't and in fact never even tries to quiet the dog, now that he knows it disturbs some of us. Late last summer I had finally had enough, and told him off... loudly...with verbs and nouns...maybe even a expletive or two...or three.

 It was accurate, and no one came to his rescue. Lawnmowers stopped mowing. Birds stopped birding. Dogs stopped barking. It just got quiet. Really, really quiet. Later that day I found a booklet from the Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on my doorstep, and I am pretty sure I hear the Ethereal Musician playing The Bitch Is Back on his saxophone. LOL. Not kidding. So, when I saw this fabric the other day at the fabric store, I just knew I had to have it! I think it would make a nice skirt. And fair warning.

Now, for why I call him a PUSSYFIGHTER. He is a little over 30 and by the time I was done telling him off, he had called his mother to call me and tell me off. She didn't get very far.

He is renting his own apartment and he had to call... his mother?

I am not a confrontational person. Neither is Alan. If things could have been handled differently, it's the way we would have preferred to go, but I it wasn't working out being reasonable. Should I have let the brat bug me to that point? No. Would I change anything? No. Bottom lining things, I would rather die someday with self esteem against a bully, then have the word DOORMAT written in my obituary one day. 

It was the first argument I have had with a neighbor... ever! And now I carry the name BITCH.

Good For Me! :)

"Don't look at me in that tone of voice."

~Dorothy Parker


~ME :)


Today's Link Comes To Us From My Friend JR. :)

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-150.html

A Photo A day For 6 Months: Day 151~ A Tale Of Two October Cities

"There is something in October that sets the gypsy blood astir. We must rise and follow her, when from every hill of flame, she calls and calls each vagabond by name."

~William Bliss Carman

City One: Half Moon Bay

Pumpkins from Apple Hill. This years crop looked especially colorful, and a bit larger than last year. I keep expecting to see an Apple Hill pumpkin win biggest pumpkin in the annual Half Moon Bay Pumpkin weigh-off, but alas the official pumpkin this year was grown in Oregon, and weighed in at 1,775 lbs. The Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival is next weekend, and we haven't decided if we are going yet, but we will be in Half Moon Bay sometime before the end of October, and I am really looking forward to seeing the winning pumpkin in person. I will have to try adding pumpkins to my garden next year, we'll see.

:)



"A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises. Ghosts were created when the first man awoke in the night."

~J.M. Barrie

City Two: Zanesville Ohio

About 18 years ago, Alan and I flew to the east coast to spend October with family. His parents had moved back there about a year earlier, and we missed them terribly, so what better way to spend our favorite month than by spending our favorite month with them. The autumn in Ohio was amazing! Crimson, deep gold and hints of purple filled the landscape. I took a lot of pictures with my old film camera, and each one told a tale all on it's own.

One late Sunday afternoon, Alan and I went out for a ride. It was just the two of us, looking for adventure with our cameras, when sure enough... we found it! We came to the end of a road near Zanesville, Ohio, that gave us a choice. Would we take the safe road, or would we continue our journey down a road that at least hints at it's own possible evil ends?

Someday I will share what we decided, but for now, tell me, how many roads have you been on in life that gave you such an honest choice?

Possibly Safe?

Possibly Evil?

What to do... What to do?

~Bwahahahahahahahahaha

~Me :)

Today's Link is from my pal JR. Thanks JR for your continued participation! You're the best!

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-149.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 150~ The First Bite

"Ducking for apples... change one letter and it's the story of my life."

~Dorothy Parker

Alan and I went to Apple Hill last week, guess which bite of autumn we tried first?

That's right... a crisp, fresh Gala apple. Next came a ripe, sweet, juicy, insanely delicious Bartlet pear.

I love this season.

More to come... stay tuned.

~Me :)

Today's Link...

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-148.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 149~ Fleet Week San Francisco

"No city invites the heart to come to life as San Francisco does. Arrival in San Francisco is an experience in living."

~William Saroyan

It's Fleet Week in San Francisco! But it's also the America's Cup race. As if that weren't enough, the Bay Area is also celebrating the A's and Giants in the post season, plus there is a 49ers game scheduled for Sunday...GO BILLS! LOL. Now if none of that is your cup of tea, up in Golden Gate park is the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. Whew! I didn't mention it a few days ago when I listed some of the outings Alan and I have planned, because I wasn't completely sure we would be attending this year, but I have to say, after being so tired last year, from the Fibro and the thyroid problems, NOTHING was going to keep me and my camera from making a day of it! NOTHING!

The last time I saw the Blue Angels was when I was a child and my dad took me to see them at an Open House on the Alameda Navel Base. I could almost feel him beside me today. We both loved ships and the sea, but the Blue Angels is just amazingly awesome! Dad was an aircraft mechanic, and he said he knew which bolt on a plane had to come off to bring the whole thing down... needless to say he never flew, but he enjoyed seeing military aircraft at their best. The Blue Angels is just that! So, only a few words from me tonight, instead I am sharing all the fun I had yesterday through pictures. Enjoy!

Scenes From Fleet Week...


















It was a good day!

By The Way... The Events I Listed At The Top Of The Blog Post Is Just The Start. Click To See A Full List! 

~Me :)

Today's Link Comes From My Pal JR! Go Say HI! :)

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-147.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 148~ RRC: Tell Me A Story

"A garden is a friend you can visit anytime."

~ Unknown

RRC: Tell Me A Story

 

Some years back, after an especially stressful day, I decided to create a Zen garden. By Zen garden, I simply mean that I wanted to create an area that would bring about thoughts of peace and tranquility. I had a basic plan in my mind. The area would be sectioned off by a small garden fence and there would be some flowers, such as stock, baby carnations, and roses that would fill the area with a spicy comforting scent. Stock and baby carnations both carry a heavy cinnamon/nutmeg scent, as do certain types of roses. I decided to make the center of the garden the focal point, by planting a Japanese maple tree. I found one that transitions from a deep crimson red in spring, to a bright copper color in autumn. That tree gives me the feeling of autumn all year long. And it has a name.



I call him Paul. After the man who owned the cottage we live in.



When we first moved in here, 12 years ago, it was under some extremely stressful circumstances. Alan and I were tired and a little shell shocked from life and all the fun curves it can throw you. We had seen some places, but frankly, from the minute Alan and I saw the cottage, we knew we had found our home. I don't own the cottage, we are merely renters, but it feels like it was waiting for us somehow.

 

 Paul was happy to rent to us, and in his time as our landlord/owner of the property, he stayed on top of things until just a couple months before his passing in 2009. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2005, and in the fours years after it had turned into 5 different kinds of cancer that slowly and painfully ravaged his body. I remember one of our last conversations, he called to be sure we were all set and didn't need any repairs. He always ended his conversations with me... "Thank you dear." Like I was his daughter. He was a special man.

So with Paul the tree in the center, I have planted a nice variety of fragrant, long blooming, beautiful roses. It is a pleasant place to sit, and watch the leaves turn, and see the different native birds to the area build their nests, and the butterflies and dragonflies bounce about, and occasionally, there might be a neighborhood cat or two who will come by and rest for a while among the flowers. I know my Elvis would have loved this place, he was always crazy about scents of all kinds. He taught me about stopping to smell the roses. It's true. I have a rose in the garden that I know he would have loved for its especially spicy scent.

 

There is a special rose in the garden for each of the friends and those I have loved who are no longer on earth. And when I spend time caring for them, or appreciating them, I feel especially close to those who have moved on.

Sometimes I still hear the ethereal musician off somewhere in the hills playing his music on his saxophone. After all these years, we still can't tell where the music is coming from, but I have giving up caring about that, I am instead just happy that as much things change, at least that is still a part of my day to day life... hearing whatever song the mysterious saxophone player wants to share. Its just all a part of my life... living here... in a small cottage in the East Bay hills.

 

About a year ago, the property was sold to new owners, and there is the possibility that I may have to move. It breaks my heart, but sometimes life pushes you through new doors. It's just the way it is. If I hadn't been pushed through a new door in 2001, I wouldn't be sharing about my garden in this post. But I am not going to fret about the future, right now, I am home, and all is well.

"Earth is so kind, that just tickle her with a hoe, and she laughs with a harvest."

~Douglas William Jerrold

Now that you have visited my blog, be sure to visit all the participants of the RRC! Just clink the link at the top of the post to be redirected to the official Round Robin Blog. That's where you will find the links and all the information you need to play along!

And also pay a visit to my friend JR. He has been a loyal participant in my A Photo A Day For 6 Months project, and he is an awesome photographer! If you haven't had the chance to pay him a visit, you should! He's fun!

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-146.html

~Me :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 147~ Fruits Of The Harvest

"Accept what life offers you and try to drink from every cup. All wines should be tasted; some should be sipped, but with others, drink the whole bottle."

~Paulo Coelho, Brida



Yesterday Alan and I went to Apple Hill. I found out about the amazing area quite by accident one day when searching online for recipes for apple pie. Situated in the Sierra foothills, just above Placerville, Apple Hill is a favorite autumn harvest destination for any apple and autumn fruits enthusiast in Northern California. At first glance, one would think the region is all about the apples, but indeed there are many delicious reasons to long for autumn. My favorite thing is the amazing apple cider donuts, from Rainbow Orchard in Apple Hill. Cooked to order, and served warm with sugar sprinkled on top, they simply melt with spicy goodness in your mouth. Wineries are quite plentiful also, and lots and lots of colorful grapes still on the vine dot the landscape. It is an amazing sight to see the small hills of the area completely covered in deep purple, ripe grapes.

 

Everything about Apple Hill is photogenic, from the pumpkins to the many varieties of apples... the whole area is absolutely beautiful! I will be posting more photos of our trip to Apple Hill on Sunday. Tomorrow (Saturday) is the next we play another round of the Round Robin Challenges. This time out the subject is "Tell Me A Story." I know Karen would love to have you join in the fun. Click the link below to be redirected to the official Round Robin blog.

Round Robin Challenge: Tell Me A Story



Stay Tuned...
There's More Apple Hill To Come

~Me :)

Now, be sure to stop by and say hello to my pal JR. He's an awesome photographer!

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-145.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 146~ Motion Sickness

"The true measure of a man is not what he dreams, but what he aspires to be; a dream is nothing without action. Whether one fails or succeeds is irrelevant; all that matters is that there was motion in his life. That alone affects the world."

~Mike Norton, White Mountain

Did you see the presidential debate tonight?

Personally, I found it breathtaking. It was like some kind of a weird nightmare after eating too much chili and ice cream. Obama was like something out of a 50's Science Fiction movie. You know something like Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Or maybe he just showed us the closest look at his true self that we have ever seen. All I know is... at 5:45 pm Big Bird's job was safe, but by the time it was all over, Big Bird is applying for unemployment. Was he the 47% Romney was talking about?

Wait, what's that?

Oh... lookie there...

I think I have the tred marks from a bus on my back.

Damn, I always liked that sweater.

SHIT!

Don't know what to say.

But I know one thing, I am not looking forward to the next month or so.

Damn scary world... and getting more so all the time.

Thank GOD for my camera.

Because I just can't look anymore.

"Never mistake motion for action."

~Ernest Hemingway

~Me :(

Today's Link From My Pal JR...

JR
 http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-144.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 145~ Friendship In Autumn

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."

~ Anais Nin, The Diary of Anais Nin, Vol. 1: 1931 - 1934

 

I have a lot on my mind this week. I am happy about vacation, I have really needed it this year, but as happy as I am about this time of rest and relaxation, I am also very sad, remembering my friend Steven and my cat Elvis, both having passed from life, and my life, way too soon.

Elvis passed away on October 8 2008. He was 11 1/2 years old, and the kitty love of my life. Smart. Funny. Determined. Understanding. Loving. Giving. Considerate. Charming. Quirky. Chauvinistic.Commanding. Confident. Compassionate. Loyal. Gentle. Womanizer. And there are many more single words that could describe him, but I will leave it here. These were his main traits. I miss him so much, sometimes I can barely breathe, but at the same time I know he is on the other side of life and fate, and he is happy, and he is cancer free. For that I am grateful, but at the same time not a day in 4 years has gone by that I don't think about him... and miss his silly ways.

 

 Steven and I met when we both had our blogs on AOL Journals. We became good friends. We both shared a big love of photography, and often shared our latest photos with each other. We had a twice yearly challenge between us. On Memorial Day weekend it was "Hamburger Day." A fun little challenge to see who could produce the most photogenic, and of course, best tasting hamburger in the land.

It was fun.

Every October 30th, Steven and I played a very different challenge... Haunted Refrigerator Night. I looked it up, and yep it is a genuine Wacky Holiday. And again, we had tons of fun with it. Sometimes I went for ultra spooky, sometimes silly and spooky, sometimes a little of both. :) I miss those times with Steven... I miss his friendship. His counseling. His suggestions about my photos. His understanding. He is willingness to be a friend when I needed one, and his ability to step back when I just needed to be quiet. When Alan tried his hand at photo blogging, Steven was the first AOL Journals friend to welcome him. That meant a lot to me, and it was fun to watch he and Alan become pals.

 

Steven had a cat named Pickle. Pickle and my cat Elvis became Internet friends. LOL. The two would cross post photos of themselves when the opportunity arose. During the 2008 primary season, Pickle and Elvis debated on who would make the better democratic candidate for the office of President. As we get closer to the election time, I might rerun Elvis's stance. It was a humorous post, with some serious undertones. Anyway, Pickle also had his say... it was a great way to open a dialog about the future. I wish I would have saved Pickles response, as Steven's blog has been closed and I will never get to read it again. That picture above was a gift from Steven, he emailed it to me that summer, I am so glad I saved it to a special drive on the computer.

On the day I wrote my post about Elvis's diagnosis with cancer, Steven confided that Pickle was also sick. Not with cancer, but rather because of his age... kidney failure. Pickle was 17 and he had lived a long life. So, between the the spring of 2008 and the early autumn of that year, Steven and I shared our heartbreak, and it made it all a little easier to take. Both of us lost our pets that year, and I think something in both of us died a little with our kitties. Alan and I adopted Hendrix and Dylan fairly soon after Elvis passed away, and while it didn't make the grieving hurt less, it did open this other bright sunny window that I think helped me cope a little better.

Today would have been my friend Steven's birthday. It feels strange to not be able to send him a card. He passed away a few days after his birthday in 2009. One's birthday and death should never come in the same week methinks.

I miss my friend.

But I can also hear him say... "Go find the photo." :) Like he is still here. I guess in a lot of ways... he still is.

Happy Birthday Steven.

"Words are easy, like the wind; Faithful friends are to find."

~William Shakespeare

~Carly

Today's Link Is From My Pal JR. If You Haven't Had A Chance To See His Marvelous Photography... Go... Shoo... Go See It! :)

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-142.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 144~ Let The Baking Begin!

"Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap."

~Barbara Jordan

Cookies anyone? These are Lemon Tea Cookies. They go great with milk, and even better with white wine. Go ahead... take one. LOL.

Yesterday was a good day. There were one or two irritating elements to it. Grrr. Nothing a good cookie couldn't fix! :) That's all I needed. 30 minutes of quiet. A homemade lemon cookie and the company of a certain orange tabby cat. I am a simple girl with simple needs.

Life Is Good!

"A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand."

~Unknown

~Me :)

And now... today's link to an awesome photo blog authored by my pal JR!

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-141.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 143~ Just Yesterday It Was September

"Outside the leaves on the trees constricted slightly; they were the deep done green of the beginning of autumn. It was a Sunday in September. There would only be four. The clouds were high and the swallows would be here for another month or so before they left for the south, before they returned again next summer."

~Ali Smith, The Whole Story and Other Stories

Where did it go? I know September is around here somewhere! Oh well, another September come and gone, way too fast. I wish time would have moved this fast when I was a kid. There were days back then that seemed like they were 100 hours long. 100 hour long days pretty much transitioned into year long months. LOL. Eventually I hit my 21st birthday, and it's all been a blink since. Even years that I thought would kill me, seem like it was done in a weird kind of slow motion warp drive.
Someday, I must have a talk with GOD about time. This girl has some questions. Oh well, on to October...

See the photo composite above, that is something new I am thinking about doing on the first day of each month. Like the one above, I will post a picture featuring my favorite photos from the previous month. It's just my way of looking back on what I was seeing. The moments that I found some sort of inspiration in. I hate looking into my archive from previous years, and not know the exact reason I was drawn to a particular scene. Recently, I found a wonderful, free, photo editing software on the net called Photoscape. For a free program, it has a lot of cool features, one of them being the ability to put different photos together in a set, with little effort. If you are looking for a new photo editing program, its definitely worth checking out.

Let me know what you think about the monthly look backs. If you would like to join me on the first of each month, I would love to see your photo sets, and hear about why you chose the photos you did.

October, and the early part of November, will be a busy time with the cameras. In that the trees have already begun to show their Autumn colors, I predict that there will be a lot to see and photograph in the next 40 days or so. I feel all kinds of happy inside, and I am excited to see what's waiting for me. :) And now, a preview. I took these photos just last night.

Signs of Things To Come...

I love the color purple in Autumn.

 

I see Autumn everywhere, or does Autumn see me? Do you see the EYE of Autumn?



~Me :)

Today's Link...

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/09/apadf6-140.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 142~ Vacation... All I Ever Wanted

"A leaf fluttered in through the window this morning, as if supported by the rays of the sun, a bird settled on the fire escape, joy in the task of coffee, joy accompanied me as I walked... "

~Anais Nin

Tomorrow, at exactly 6:00 AM, Alan and I will officially begin our 5 weeks of vacation. We have an amazingly full schedule this year, which is fantastic, because it feels like forever since we have been able to take a big bite out of autumn. Our 22nd wedding anniversary is on October 13th. 22 years? How could it have already been 22 years? Like any other marriage, we have had the same ups and downs as most people I think. We have had some lows that I didn't think we could possibly pull out of, well I actually mean I wouldn't be able to pull out of, but sure enough if you can find a way to ignore the people and things that work to cause you pain, it makes it all the more sweeter to get to the other side of pain. Of course it helps to know that love is waiting... and keeping faith in you... and encouraging you. Yeah, I know I am lucky... believe me... I thank GOD for my guy, and wonder, what did I do to be so blessed?

So, on with the Itinerary...

Apple Hill (If you live in Northern California, it's a MUST!).
A sightseeing trip of San Francisco Bay from a small plane.
A day pass to a gorgeous Quarryhill botanical garden in Glen Ellen (autumn leaves and vineyards).
A sightseeing tour of the landmarks of San Francisco and the bay on the Ride The Ducks amphibious tour.
A trip to Pacific Grove AKA Butterfly Town USA. And the 17 Mile Drive.
And last but not least... Celebrating the turning of the leaves in Plumas County.

All that plus...

Pastorino's Pumpkin Patch in Half Moon Bay on Family Day (Our own made up holiday)
Halloween
And our plans are always subject to sudden changes, so there might be more events and outings added.
And let's not forget all the fun of a National Election! LOL.

***Spoiler Alert***

As I write this blog post, President Obama pretty much has it cinched! LOL. But you never know!

I think I am already tired. LOL. So, sshhhh... don't tell my Fibromyalgia.

YIKES! Wish me luck... okay?

~Me :)

If you haven't visited my friend JR's blog yet, go do so now. His photography is awesome!

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/09/apadf6-138.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 141~ Bzzzzzz

"The only reason for making a buzzing noise that I know of is because you're a bee. The only reason for being a bee that I know of is making honey. And the only reason for making hones is so I can eat it."

~A.A. Milne, Winnie The Pooh, The House At Pooh Corner

Bzzzzzz. I love photographing busy, buzzy things flying about in my rose garden. And I marvel at that because there was a day when just the thought of being in close proximity to bees or any other creature with a stinger would have terrified me. Well, I had good reason, you see my mother was highly allergic to bees, and apparently somewhat suicidal, because she planted in her garden every bee enticing flower she could find. On especially hot summer days, she would put on her garden hat, and her gloves, and head out to tend her flowers, or as it seemed to me and everyone else in the family, to dare the bees to sting her.

My mother did things like that.

 

One day, after my father went to work, and my sister went to school, mom set about on her daily walk on the wild side, because the "plants needed tending." I didn't go with her as I usually did. I was happy to sit inside with my dog, but I did watch from the window. It was the usual drill, she visited each plant, checking for aphids or some loathsome creature, but in the middle of all the usual, she suddenly stood up straight, grabbed her arm and promptly fell backwards.

My pup and I went running to her, to see what had happened, but deep down I already knew... she had been stung. I could hear her laboring to breathe, and without reacting I screamed for the next door neighbor to come help, as I ran inside for the small brown kit the doctor had prescribed for her. By the time I got back to the yard, my neighbor was there and talking to her. The neighbor took the syringe from the kit, and injected her with the Epinephrine.

I only saw that happen one time, but believe me, once was enough.



I am not allergic to bees. I always knew this, but just the thought of them being around me made my skin crawl. It took many, many years to learn to appreciate their magnificent beauty. I love Bumble Bees, and Honey Bees, and I have had definitely made my peace with them. I could live without Killer Bees, and Wasps. Hornets just plain give me the creeps, but not as much as they once did. Mud Daubers are dreadful little creatures. One day, Alan and I found a nest over the door on the inside of our storage unit. Blech.

I think I am mostly happy about being able to get past my aversion to flying creatures. I have learned that if you have aphids in your garden, and Home Depot doesn't have a supply of Lady Bugs for sale, you can instead purchase Praying Mantis (The State Bird Of Texas By The Way) and they will eat all the aphids in your garden in a relatively short amount of time. They are good guys, but I will always ask for the Lady Bugs first. It's hard to be put off by anything called "Lady." LOL.

Sometime I will share about why and how I know that the Praying Mantis is the state bird of Texas. I will have to save that for another time. But as a teaser... it involved a bus, 3:00 AM, a roadside diner, in Where-The-Hell-Am-I-Texas and (and I kid you not) a waitress named Flo. LOL. Ahh yes, summertime, summertime... good times, good times. LOL.

Okay, so tell me, do you mind small flying creatures? Which ones do you kinda dislike? Are you allergic to bees?

"Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring."

~Marilyn Monroe

Trivia Bonus: LOL. The actual State Bird Of Texas is the Mockingbird. But I can make make a good case with the Praying Mantis. ;)



~Me :)



 

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 140~ A Face In The Crowd

"Deep in the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond logic."

~Frank Herbert

 

Do you see what I see? Do you see that little woman with the red curly hair? When I looked at this lifeless little dahlia, I saw a little old grandma with reddish/brown hair. When I first showed this photo to Alan, he said he saw a Raggedy Ann doll. Alan gets the creeps from any kind of Raggedy Ann or Raggedy Andy dolls, so the dahlia really gave him the creeps.

I don't get the wiggins from Raggedy Ann or any random little grandmas with red hair, so I am not put off by it, but at the same time it's not like it's not weird that it so closely resembles a doll of some sort. Sometimes you can put such things down to the mind simply filling in details that your eyes can't focus on. And that can be good or bad.

When I was a little girl, a dear friend of my mother's showed up one afternoon with a surprise gift for me. It was a painting by Thomas Lawrence called, "Pinkie." It was a painting of young Sarah Goodin Barrett Moultin. She posed for the painting when she was about 11 years old, but unfortunately died a year or so later. Had she lived, she would have been the aunt of Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

The painting, and the story behind it makes for interesting reading. But long before I had heard of the details of Sarah's life and demise, I had to admit... I HATED THAT PAINTING WITH A GREAT PASSION! In fact, it scared the SHIT out of me. I was pleasant to the lady who gave it to me, but I would have nothing of it actually hanging in my room. KICKING AND SCREAMING as I recall. My mother finally gave in and put it my parents bedroom, but it didn't work out there either.

 One night, about two weeks or so after my mother hung the painting in their bedroom, my dad got up in the middle of the night, took the painting off the wall, and hung it in the spare bedroom where my brother stayed when he was commuting between San Francisco and Sacramento. It didn't work out well in that room. A few nights later. my brother, again in the middle of the night, got up and took the painting off the wall, and set it next to the sofa in the living room. No questions were asked. We all knew it was a spooky painting.

Everyone except my mother, who insisted we were all full of beans, and had watched one too many Creature Features movies. She took it upon herself to hang Pinkie in the living room, coincidentally on the wall opposite the large brass mirror. The mirror my dad could see from the desk in his office.

Once again, in the middle of the night, my dad got up, this time from his desk where he had been working, walked to the living room, took the painting off the wall, and turned it around and hung it backwards toward the wall it was hanging on. I just happened to be passing through the room when he did it, and felt a good bit of satisfaction at seeing others feeling uneasy. There is safety in numbers... right?

"Well, it's just that the eyes kinda follow you around" said dad. "Yep." Said I.

The next day the picture was moved to Mom's plant room, where it hung for about 20 years or so. About a month later another coincidence took place... mom stopped watering her plants before bed, and started watering them first thing after breakfast each day. We never talked about it, but I am pretty sure Pinkie had finally gotten to her to, but being the good natured, respectful daughter that I was I never said... I TOLD YOU SO!

:)

Is creepy in the eye of the beholder? Is one man's creepy another man's beautiful? Is creepy subjective? Had we watched too many episodes of Creature Features? Were the eyes in the picture following us around the room? Was it all just our imaginations? Was it all just the power of suggestion? Was it a haunted painting?

I'm thinking... ummm... yes! And we will leave it at that.

Now, tell me, do you see the face in the dahlia? If so, do you find it cute or spooky/creepy?


 

"In dreams you don't need to make any distinctions between things. Not at all. Boundaries don't exist. So, in dreams there are hardly ever collisions. Even if there are, they don't hurt. Reality is different. Reality bites. Reality, reality."

~Haruki Murakami, Sputnik Sweetheart

~Me :)

Today's link comes from JR.

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/09/apadf6-137.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 139~ The Black Phoebe

"Summer makes me drowsy. Autumn makes me sing. Winter's pretty lousy, but I hate the spring."

~Dorothy Parker

 

Yesterday, Alan and I decided to take the new toy to San Francisco. Golden Gate Park is great this time of year, everyone is back at school, and the tourists are waning off. It's so much easier to find a place to park this time of year. The summer can be downright frustrating, so we didn't spend a lot of time there this year. Now it's time to make up for lost time!

The gardens within the park are absolutely gorgeous! One of our favorites is the garden at the Queen Wilhelmina Windmill. During the spring months, the landscape is usually covered with brightly colored tulips and California Poppies. But in the autumn the garden is transformed with flowers of crimson and rust colors. It's lovely. I got a nice surprise while visiting yesterday, when I spotted a Black Phoebe resting for a bit on one of the small rock walls. Happiness! I wish I could have gotten closer to the Phoebe, but I wasn't planning on doing birdwatching, so I am just happy I got this photo no worries!

:)

Vacation officially starts Monday, and I am planning on doing a lot of bird watching. I am hoping to post at least one new bird photograph per week. If you want to join me, we can designate one particular day to post our cross posts. Let me know what you think!

Only 40 more days left in my project, "A Photo A Day For 6 Months." If you haven't participated, and would still like to, you are more than welcome to do so. Jump in anytime. Just post your photo, of whatever subject catches your eye that day, and leave me a link to it in the comment thread. I will make sure your name is added the the participation list with the next post. Joining in couldn't be easier! At the end of the 40 days I will announce whether or not I will be relaunching the Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot (EMPS). Let me know how you feel about that project. If there is no interest, no worries, perhaps it was time to let it come to it's logical end, but if you really enjoyed it, I will be happy to host it.

Just know... NO worries either way. Okay?

:)

Okay, that it for me, now go visit my pal JR. He has been a great and loyal friend. Its those like him, that make me thankful that I took on the MPS, because I have enjoyed viewing his photography very much! If you haven't been by his blog... go... view... be happy!

JR
 http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/09/apadf6-135.html

~Me :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 138~ Our Blue Heaven

"Always focus on the front windshield and not the review mirror."

~Colin Powell

It's a boy! Well, at least I think it's a boy. It's blue. Or is that sexist? I am not sure. What do you think? I mean when a baby is born, the hospital usually puts little boys in blue blankets, and girls in pink ones. At least they did the last time I saw a new human. When my nephew was born, about 28 years ago, he was wrapped in an cornflower blue blanket. It was a lovely color. That blanket came home with him. Every time I see that particular shade of blue, I can't help but think of the day I met my nephew.

The color of our new car is quite similar. So yeah... I think the car is a boy. :)

And now I have to think of an appropriate name.

What do you think of the name Corny? Too corny? LOL.

Oh well, there's time. I will figure it out. I will be out driving around and it will come to me.

Right now, I am exhausted. I was sad trading in my lovely Lilith. I wish Saturn/GMC would have stood by it's cars. I wish they wouldn't have been so damned underhanded. I wish there was more oversight to protect the consumer against lemons. But you know the old saying... "If wishes were horses... "

Goodbye Lilith...
 

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."

~Soren Kierkegaard

~Me :)

Now, go see what my friend JR is seeing with his camera! He is awesome!

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/09/apadf6-134.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 137~ Hot Chocolate

"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt."

~Charles M. Schulz

A truly well done Hot Chocolate is a thing of beauty. :) One of our favorite traditions in autumn, is to spend the day after Thanksgiving in San Francisco, watching the mad dash of holiday shoppers going here and there in Union Square. Alan and I consider that day, known in shopping circles as, Black Friday, one of our favorite holidays. We have our turkey feast the night before, pass out cold by 7:30 pm, and get up in the wee early hours of the day after Thanksgiving, to get a head start on watching the shopping crazies try to beat their fellow shoppers to Macy's or Bloomingdales or even Walmart, with the goal of getting one of the specialty priced... oh... say... left-handed monkey pliers for Great-Aunt Mauggie. You remember her... right? She is your aunt 17 times removed. LOL But she always remembers you during the holidays by sending you an over sized, musical Christmas card, with postage due.

Oh... I kid the strange aunt. LOL. Alan and I don't have anyone all that dramatic to deal with, in fact except for his parents, that's the only family we have. Otherwise we are just us in this world. Gosh, I miss his brother this time of year. Daryl passed away in 2008 at age 50. We talked a few times a year, especially during the holidays, so I think of him and miss him, but I also smile because of all the games of Monopoly we played on holidays when we were kids. I met Alan and Daryl on Memorial day in 1977, and after that when our families got together for Christmas breakfast, or New Year's celebration, the three of us, and whoever else was there, always played board games after dinner. But that was back when I was a kid, and could eat a heavy Thanksgiving dinner, without succumbing to a carbohydrate coma.

Daryl was a great guy, it doesn't hurt to think of him anymore. In fact, this might sound strange, but sometimes I swear I can hear him laughing. Especially during those times when I trip or some other self embarrassing moment. LOL. He and Alan were the only ones who could get away with teasing me about my stumbles. LOL. We were the best kind of family, family you wanted to have as opposed to the ones God, in his odd sense of humor, gives you. I have a lot to ask God about. LOL. Daryl was a gift to everyone who knew him. He knew Alan and I were in love long before we did, but he let us come to that realization on our own, and in our own time. The day we got engaged, we called to tell him, and in a voice soft with happiness he asked... "What took you guys so long?"

Daryl would have loved Black Friday as much as we do. I can almost see the three of us, sitting at the shiny silver outdoor table at Emporio Rulli Il Cafe in Union Square, laughing at all the shoppers fighting over the awesome bargains. LOL. Is there anything more relaxing than finding your zen in the middle of complete Chaos? LOL. But it's just Alan and I and our memories of all the holidays, and laughter, and wild debates about whether or not Alan and I make up our own words when playing Password. LOL. If I had a nickle for every time Daryl said... "THAT'S NOT A WORD!"

I hope Daryl knows that when we meet again one day, the Hot Chocolate is on me! LOL. And I can already hear my friend/brother laughing about it!

~Me :)

Now go check out what my pal JR is up to with his camera!

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/09/apadf6-132.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 136~ 6 Mondays Till Halloween

"Thin clouds form, and the shadows lengthen out. They have no breadth, as summer shadows have, there are no leaves on the trees or fat clouds in the sky to make the thick. They are gaunt, mean shadows that bite the ground like teeth. As the sun nears the horizon, its benevolent yellow begins to deepen, to become infected, until it glare an angry inflamed orange. It throws a variegated glow over the horizon."

-Stephen King, Salem's Lot

There's more to autumn than earth tones and falling leaves. There is my favorite holiday... Halloween. Including today, we have 6 Mondays to get through before the veil between this world and the next thins to a silky gossamer shadow, like the ghostly cobweb that you sometimes see floating on an invisible autumn breeze. October is a magical month. The light begins to dim, which can make one see things that may or may not be there. What better time to start a new photography project? So, this October, I thought I would finally do something I have always wanted to do... start a photo essay of Bay Area cemeteries.

I have written in stone, pun intended, my plan to do just that. I know some would find that a bit creepy but I have found cemeteries to be places of great comfort. Not that I want to move in or anything, but there is a lot of history to be learned there. I definitely don't fear cemeteries because more often then not, I have felt a different, personal kind of comfort I am thankful for.

The town of Colma, which is just south of San Francisco, is known as the "City of Souls. There is a  resident count of approximately 1600 above ground residents but a count of 1.5 million "souls" occupying the 16 cemeteries. I don't think I would enjoy being there in the event of a zombie apocalypse. LOL. Hey, it could be a thing, apparently the Office of Homeland Security is preparing for the possibility. LOL. So I can keep and open mind.

But Zombie Apocalypse aside, for a history buff like me, Colma, California, is a great source of inspiration. Among the permanent guests of the town are, Wyatt Earp. William Randolph Hearst. Joe DiMaggio. Levi Strauss and Emperor Norton. Emperor Norton... now there is a fascinating historical "soul." If you haven't heard of him, take a moment to read about him here. What a character!

Does it sound morbid that I am looking forward to just visiting as many cemeteries as I can on vacation? Perhaps. But at least I won't have to do too much waiting in line. Well, other than the line we are all waiting in anyway. So that will be one of my top projects in October, but I probably won't be in the cemetery on October 31st, well, if I can possibly help it, you know... just in case that whole Zombie Apocalypse is an actual thing. LOL.

What? It could happen!

;)

~Me :)

Today's Link...

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/09/apadf6-131.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 135~ The First Full Day Of Autumn

"Autumn that year painted the countryside in vivid shades of scarlet, saffron and russet, and the days were clear and crisp under harvest skies."

~Sharon Kay Penman, Time And Chance

Okay, now I can post a new autumn photo every day, and no one can accuse me of trying to rush the year along! LOL. Truth is, I know I begin to miss autumn the day after Christmas each year. It's that week, between Christmas and New Years, that I begin to see the colors of autumn fading away. I don't mind winter, it holds some wonderful opportunities for a photo bug like me, but the smell of fireplaces, and the taste of apple cider and the delicious seasonal feasts of Pear and Havarti sandwiches, with a mug of freshly made French Onion soup, makes those short beautiful 90 or so days feel like a big warm hug. No other season comes close to giving me a sense of well being quite like autumn does.



"Squeeze your eyes closed, as tight as you can, and think of all your favorite autumns, crisp and perfect, all bound up together like a stack of cards. That is what it is like, the awful, wonderful brightness of fairy colors. Try to smell the hard, pale wood sending up sharp, green smoke into the afternoon. To feel the mellow, golden sun on your skin, more gentle and cozier and more golden than ever the light of your favorite reading nook at the close of the day."

~Catherynne M. Valente, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In A Ship Of Her Own Making

And now the beautiful "Amas Veritas" from the movie Practical Magic...




If autumn had a theme song, I believe it would be Amas Veritas.

:)

Now, pop over to my friend JR's blog and say Hi. He is awesome, he always makes me smile. :)

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/09/apadf6-130.html