Winter Moon Rising

Waxing Gibbous Moon 83% Of Full

"If it's true that our species is alone in the universe, then I'd have to say the universe aimed rather low and settled for very little."

~George Carlin

Not all that long ago, it came up in conversation with Alan that when he was a child, he thought it was odd that he could sometimes see the moon so clearly in the middle of the day. The mere fact that he had, on occasion, seen the moon while on his way home from school, or while playing outside, or at any time before dark, had ruined all werewolf stories for him. It was a closed case! All werewolf stories must be total crap!

For me, I didn't give up on werewolves because I saw the moon in the daytime. I just figured that the person who was inflicted with lycanthropy was especially sensitive to the moon at night, because everything got colder and darker, which in my child mind meant that while the sun was sleeping, there was no heavenly body keeping track of the moons actions. In short, while the suns away, the moon will play!

Now, just a few short years ago I did have quite an epiphany about the Invisible Man. Did you know that the Invisible Man, while always well dressed for the time, had the habit of going... commando? Well, he did! I made that observation one night while watching, Abbot And Costello Meet The Invisible Man, on Turner Classic Movies. In one scene, the invisible man began to disrobe, to prove that he was indeed invisible, and off came the tie, shirt and jacket, followed by his undershirt and then his pants. I was kind of intrigued, because I always wondered if the Invisible Man was a boxers or briefs kind of guy. Well, as it turned out, he was apparently a commando kind of guy!

Hmmm. Odd. I posted an entry in the old AOL Ellipsis blog about the situation, musing that it probably upset the censors to see a grown man take off his underwear, it was 1951 after all, but as it turns out, that had nothing to do with it. It was something much more routine and pertinent to the day. You see, during WWII there had been a shortage in elastic, like what is generally found in the waistband of men's underwear. Even a few years later, things were still being caught up in the availability. So, as it turned out, the Invisible Man was simply doing his part for the war effort!

One never knows where one might find a fine example of patriotism!

Let Freedom Ring!

Now, you have a story to share with your family and friends on Memorial Day!

You are welcome!

:)

Mood: Silly

~Me :)

A January Sunset

From For Ellipsis Album 2

"To photograph is to hold one's breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality. It's at that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy."

~Henri Cartier-Bresson, The Mind's Eye: Writings on Photography and Photographers

Alan and I took a trip out to Treasure Island last Monday night, to photograph the buildings that are lit up in red and gold in honor of the 49ers making to the Super Bowl. There wasn't any fog to worry about, and the day itself had been warm for January, but you have to always keep in mind that the Bay Area consists of micro-climates, and the East Bay can be warm, but San Francisco more than likely isn't. Of course, that depends on what part of San Francisco you are in. If you are downtown, either in the financial district or the theater district, it will be warmer than if you are out at Ocean Beach, or anywhere along the coast. All those lovely tall buildings work as lovely cold and windbreakers.

When it comes to Treasure Island, you pretty much have to start all over! LOL. Winter, spring, summer, or autumn, it's a good idea to have a sweater or jacket with you! LOL. San Francisco weather... you got to love it! It always has a little something for everyone, and I wouldn't give it up for the world! I love having as many choices as possible when I am out with the camera. I have learned to bring all three of my current cameras with me when I go to the city. I sometimes have to work really hard to accomplish what I would consider a good photo, and then there are those times when all I have to do is point and shoot.

This particular sunset illustrates that point I think. You can't fake a moment like that. The city lights were down, but the light in the sunset was more than enough color to bounce the ambient light off the water. Again, each and every day I get a reminder about things I need to work on when it comes to my photography. I need to be better about documenting times of day, weather conditions, temperature and surrounding conditions. I like to keep track of why I chose a particular scene, or perspective. Was I in pain from my arthritis when I took a photo? Was the weather warm enough to allow me plenty of mobility? It's not just enough to know the basic environment, I need to know how my Fibromyalgia factors in.

In a lot of ways I believe that my Fibromyalgia and my arthritis has made me a better photographer. I can say without reservation that I work to achieve a photo, rather than just aiming without regard and hoping for the best. Because of my Fibromyalgia, I have learned patience. I have learned that my instincts are, generally speaking, pretty good when it comes to my photography. It's so strange that I struggle sometimes to find simple words, and they allude me. I will sit here and compose a blog entry and read it over and check it a second time, and yet there can be all kinds of mistakes that I don't catch. It's so disheartening. But when it comes to the visual... the taking of a photograph... the seeing of an extraordinary moment... it's almost as if my mind speaks to my hands and tells them when to press the shutter, to find hold that moment, and I am let in on the secret only after the picture is taken.

Apparently, I have an angel on my shoulder, or a muse in my camera bag, either way, I know I never deserve full credit for the photos I take. I just took the picture.

~Mood: Grateful

~Me :)

Frozen Hot Cocoa

"Withstanding the cold develops vigor for the relaxing days of spring and summer. Besides, in this matter as in many others, it is evident that nature abhors a quitter."

~Arthur C. Crandall, New England Joke Lore: The Tonic Of Yankee Humor

I went out to the rose garden yesterday, to see how my roses have been faring in this unusually cold winter that the Bay Area has been experiencing. I knew that there would be at least a little damage, and of course, there was, but it broke my heart, just a little, to see what would have been some lovely new Hot Cocoa roses, almost open completely, but instead blackened and dead from the frost damage. The leaves have some black spotty fungus, which is easily taken care of. The key to all of it is letting nature take it's course. The current freeze damage is just a matter of ignoring it, as the dead parts of the rose stems protects the plant from further damage, and as for the fungus, a simple removal of the affected leaves in early in spring, along applying with a healthy dose of plant food, and a heavy dose of cinnamon at the base of each plant, will promote new, slow growth starting about a month or so after the first application.

All and all I have high hopes for the garden this year. :)

 

The key is to NOT PANIC! Believe me, thats easier said than done!

;)

~Mood: Hopeful :)

~Me :)

It's The Har-Bowl, Unless It's The Bro-Bowl Either Way, It's The Super Bowl

"I love seeing other channels counter program the Super Bowl. PBS: "DAMN RIGHT we're airing a new 'Masterpiece Classic'! Fuck off, sports!"

~Tara Ariano

 

Yep, San Francisco is definitely going to be RED and GOLD another two weeks! San Francisco 49ers will meet the Baltimore Ravens in New Orleans for Super Bowl XLVII. As you might have already guessed, I will be rooting for the 49ers, but even Las Vegas has them winning by 5, or 4.5 depending on who you ask.

I don't know, I have to admit the 49ers did have me a bit worried last Sunday when they played the Atlanta Falcons. The first quarter was unreal, as the team seemed to have no real defense, but by the time they came back from half-time, they had corrected whatever short circuit that was going on, and came back to win by 4 ending with a score of 28 - 24.

Oh well, stuff happens... right? We won't dwell on the mistakes of last Sunday, or the god awful record Akers has as a place kicker, or the nasty little accusation against Michael Crabtree. There's NO crying in football! On February 3rd, the only thing I will be thinking about is whether or not we have enough munchies for the game. I think I will do an special menu of football worthy nibbles.

We'll see.

Stay tuned!

But in the mean time, tell me, who do you like in this year's Super Bowl?

Is Las Vegas right with their projected point spread?

Buffalo Wings or BBQ Sliders?

Har-Bowl or Bro-Bowl?

Red & Gold or Purple & Gold

Jim or John?

Tell Me Everything!


~Happiness

~Me :)

It Feels Like A New Day

"National parks and reserves are an integral aspect of intelligent use of natural resources. It is the course of wisdom to set aside an ample portion of our natural resources as national parks and reserves, thus ensuring that future generations may know the majesty of the earth as we know it today."

~John F. Kennedy
World Conference On National Parks (June 23 1962)

I was born six days after John F. Kennedy spoke those words. I wish public parks were as important today as they were in 1962. For that matter, I wish there wasn't such a drive to continue to invade and impose into our places of natural beauty for any reason, let alone for the greedy reasons that we tend to hear about most often... drill baby drill.

California has some magnificent parks. From the great big ones where one could get lost for days, to the small ones like this one, Greenridge Park, but more and more they are taking a financial hit, and it came very close to the permanent closure of many California parks after Governor Schwarzenegger's his term in office. Thank goodness, Governor Brown was able to take steps to fund most of the parks, at least in the short term, but there is still a lot to be concerned about. But with a surplus in the budget that California is currently enjoying, there is a lot of possibilities.

Sometimes things work out so strange. I was hoping President Obama would be more proactive with the environment, but he hasn't done much in regards to conservation. And I thought we had a champion in Al Gore, but I don't think I really know what his values are anymore. If I ever really did. I guess some things aren't always what they seem to be, but it really hurts all the same when someone you thought you could count on becomes someone you don't recognize.

When all is said and done, I voted for President Obama, and I wouldn't change my mind for anything. I think I have grown to appreciate the man for his ability to try and now his ability to know when to stop trying. The bible says even God stops knocking at some point. In retrospect, I think the frustration I would feel over President Obama's over reaching in his efforts to reach bipartisan conclusions, forced me to put a little more thought into what I really hold important. Perhaps in the next four years President Obama will do more about protecting the environment, so when I am finally at the age that all I can do is sit on a park bench and feed the birds, there will be a park bench to sit on.

Hope... it does a body good!

It's a strange feeling as I sit here writing this. President Obama was sworn in yesterday, officially, and today he is sworn in again for all to see. In some ways it feels like he is beginning his first term, and not his second. He has shown a lot of strength since the shooting in Connecticut. And a lot of courage to. I know that if the republicans, and the NRA wanted to be a part of a positive change in how we go forward concerning gun ownership, he would have been happy to have their input. Unfortunately, the NRA only wants their way or no way. And they don't care who they threaten. But President Obama didn't cower in fear, instead his is walking into the future and allowing his conscience to be his guide.

Thank You SO Much Mr. President!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

Sarah Palin once asked... "So, hows that hopey, changey stuff workin' out for you?"

Well, 1/2 term Governor Palin... Pretty DAMN WELL! Oh and by the way, the British didn't want to take our arms, they didn't want us to begin our own nation. Sheesh. And shes allowed to pretend she knows how to sue a gun.



~Happiness :)

~Me

Wishes Granted

"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 even 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

Autumn, this year, seems a little reluctant to let go of it's day in the sun. I don't remember too many years when it was this colorful, for this long. To me it is an absolute delight. It is wonderful to see that colorful burst of autumn color and life, among a forest of stick figure trees. It's January, and to my delight I am still able to find all kinds of color and light, that if I didn't know better, I would swear could only occur in deep October to mid November. I know I should probably move onto more subjects unique to January or winter, but as along as the leaves are smiling at me, I am only too happy to stop and spend a little time with them, because clearly there is a message in them, or at least something to be learned. A little more practice with low light photography, if nothing else. Or maybe, someone who decides these things grants silly wishes like... "I wish I didn't have to wait so long for autumn to come around again." Hey, who knows, what does it hurt to throw out a wish once in a while, you never know when Mother Nature, or God, or Goddess, might just say... "WISH GRANTED!"

And it doesn't hurt that the leaves seem to be showing off their finest shades of red and gold, almost like encouragement for the San Francisco 49ers to make it all the way to the Super Bowl.

Just Saying :)



"A few days ago I walked along the edge of the lake and was treated to the crunch and rustle of leaves with each step I made. The acoustics of this season are different and all sounds, no matter how hushed, are as crisp as autumn air."

~Eric Sloane

~Happiness

~Me :)

UPDATE: Go see what my pal JR has been up to! He always has wonderful inspiring photography posted on his blog, and his latest work is no exception! :)

JR Cline Photography

Not The Hotel California, The California Hotel

"Somebody once said we never know what is enough until we know whats more than enough."

~Billie Holiday

2013 has brought me some renewed interest in checking out places of historic interest around the Bay Area. I haven't been able to get out and about as much as I have wanted to the last couple weeks, but with the ant invasion fully solved, I now have some free time to put together at least a loose itinerary of places to visit. I enjoy old buildings and historic properties. I like imagining the ghosts that might still roam the grounds. Ghosts aren't always scary, sometimes they are quite charming and helpful. Sometimes they merely encourage one to venture out beyond one's own limits. That is a very good thing, when one is a shutterbug. When I hosted the Monday Photo Shoot, I always tried to encourage participants to go beyond the obvious. I tried to ask my friends to think of every possible angle and interpretation.

I did that to challenge my thinking as well, but I took almost a year off from regular photography and I find that now I need that extra bit of challenge that comes from giving myself structured assignments, rather than simply grabbing the camera, heading out, and hopefully finding something visually interesting. Not that there is anything wrong about that approach, in fact, sometimes when I assign a subject to myself, I find wonderful things along the way. I have to admit that the picture above was done last evening in one of those "on the fly" photo jaunts. The California Hotel always catches my eye when I past it, because of the song "Hotel California" by the Eagles. I love that song, and while this hotel isn't the real Hotel California, I always found the name somewhat amusing.

After doing a bit of research, however, I found out that the California Hotel actually has it's own unique musical past. At one time this was a hot spot for celebrities and Blues and Jazz enthusiasts. Built in the 1920's it was one of a few hotels in the Bay Area that allowed African Americans to stay, and featured many African American performers. Billie Holiday once sang in the lobby of the hotel, as well as headliners Fats Domino and in later decades, Ike and Tina Turner played there. I wish I had a better photo to show you, unfortunately I was losing the light fast, but no worries, I will be back soon. It is a grand place that has gone through many changes, especially in recent years. It went through major renovations in 2011, and was converted to lower income apartments. It lives on in the community that embraced it. I love the architecture, and I love the history. So, for now I show you a kind of sneak peek, but like I said, I will be back soon!

Stay Tuned! There's More To Come.

The Richmond San Rafael Bridge

"The bridges that you cross before you come to them are over rivers that aren't there."

~Gene Brown

I don't give the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge the proper photographic attention it deserves. I want to fix that this year. It's a gorgeous bridge, day or night, and it connects the East Bay with San Rafael in Marin County. Marin County is breathtakingly beautiful and I don't visit up there nearly enough! The Richmond is not the longest of the Bay Area bridges, but it certainly provides a stunning view of Mount Tamalpias. Additionally, if you are making your way across it's span to visit a friend, or foe at San Quentin prison, why this is the bridge for you, as the prison sits just off the west side of the bridge. In fact, when heading back to the East Bay, you are reminded, more than once, that the San Quentin exit is the LAST MARIN COUNTY EXIT! LOL. I think, for some, it's the last exit period, but it's a lovely spot for a prison!

And a bridge!





 



And the view heading back to the East Bay...



~Happiness :)

~Me

It's What Happens In January

Of winter's lifeless world each tree
Now seems a perfect part;
Yet each one holds summer's secret
Deep down within it's heart.

~Charles G. Slater

The leaves continue to turn and fall. It's what happens in January. Still. Quiet. Dark. No fanfare. Just a necessary event to encourage an earthly renewal. It's a good thing, and I am already planning which roses will bring new life to the rose garden in 2013. Perhaps I will embrace the muted tones this year. Honey Dijon and Pumpkin Patch. Both unusual and lovely. We'll see. For now, I share the last of the roses of 2012.

Just a little something to keep you warm.

 

 

 

And some leaves...

 

You knew there had to be leaves... right? ;)

~Happiness :)

~Me

2016

"Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you a member of Congress. But I repeat myself."

~Mark Twain

Okay, short post for tonight. Kachoooooooooo. KACHOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Yep. I have the flu. Or a common cold. Or a special cold. Don't know. But I don't feel good. But I am enjoying the hell out of the raging fever I have. It's pretty. So I will just ask one question of you, dear reader...

Will it be Chris Christie or Ryan Gosling in 2016?

You know... for President Of The United States.

Chris Christie or Ryan Gosling?

And who would each man choose as their Veep?

Speak. Speculate. Ponder. Consider.

~Happiness

~Me :)

Palm Trees In The Sunset

"Trees are as close to immortality as the rest of us ever come."

~Karen Joy Fowler

Palm trees. I don't really like palm trees. They don't have seasons. You can't watch their leaves turn bright beautiful colors, then turn muted earth tones just before they go bare for the winter. You can't kick their fallen leaves around, because they don't have leaves, they have palm fronds... whatever that means. They come in different varieties, so that's probably a good thing... if you like palm trees. Palm trees don't have rings inside to tell their age by, but I am guessing that like some humans, all palm trees are about 39.

Some palm trees produce coconuts. Alan is allergic, and it has never been one of my favorite flavors, so while pleasant enough, I wouldn't miss it if I couldn't have coconut ever again. On the other hand, one of the best tasting salads ever has hearts of palm in it. So okay... that's a plus. Palm fronds are also used in basket making and in clothing. Palm trees have a strong religious significance as in the Palm Sunday. In Judaism, the palm represents peace and plenty.

Okay, so I have done my research, and palms absolutely have their place. They make the world a better place. But that being said, they still aren't my favorite tree. I just don't like them that much. But my goodness, when you see a palm tree or two, against a beautiful sunset, they sure display an amazing scene. Lovely. Calming. Safe. And most certainly needed!

Okay, palm trees can stay.

:)

~Happiness :)

~Me

The Hills Are Alive With The Sound Of Mooing

"The cow is of the bovine ilk; one end is moo, the other milk."

~Ogden Nash, Free Wheeling

I spent a little time in Marin County late last week. I didn't get a chance to mosey on over to the shoreline or to the headlands, but I did see some lovely places in and around the town of Novato. Like the cows you see in the picture above. On the way home we were treated to an awesome sunset, which was a bit obscured by the hills, but there was enough to get a few really nice representations of the color. I must get back up to Marin soon, with any luck perhaps later this week. We'll see.





~Happiness

~Me :)

Woody Allen's Summer Project 2012 Gets A Title

"We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I will be spending the rest of our lives."

~Woody Allen

 

It's official! The name of the upcoming Woody Allen movie, which was partially filmed in San Francisco, and I pretty much obsessed over late last summer, will be called... Blue Jasmine. The release date has yet to be announced, but I assume it will hit theaters sometime in late spring or summer. Personally, I am hoping for a date sometime around my birthday on June 29th! A couple years ago Alan took me to see "Midnight In Paris" on my birthday, and I loved that film! So sweet, and Paris was... as you might expect... breathtaking!

San Francisco and Manhattan will be the backdrops for the filmmaker's latest film, which couldn't make this fan happier! As much as I enjoy the European locations, it is going to be a thrill to see some familiar San Francisco neighborhoods, some of which I was in during the filming last summer, and also get to see the very best of Manhattan, the number one place on my Bucket List of must see places before I die. If you read my Ellipsis entries last summer, during his filming in the city, you know that Woody Allen had a place in my dream of New York.

When I got to stand on the corner 20th and Lexington, and on Ulloa and Claremont, in San Francisco, during three days of filming, an element of my dream came true. I had imagined seeing Woody, sitting across the room from me at the Carnegie Deli, eating a sandwich. That's it! My total perfect Manhattan day consisted of merely seeing my favorite filmmaker eating lunch! LOL. You see, if I were to try to say hello, it would come out a little more like... haaaallaaaalloooo. LOL. Completely incoherent and perhaps a bit... ummm... dare I say... stunningly embarrassing? Yep, that's the correct word... EMBARRASSING.

I kind of got that confirmed last summer, when upon arrival at the 20th and Lexington location, I experienced the oddest panic attack I have ever had. The minute I turned onto 20th, I suddenly became aware that I was mere steps away, from Woody Allen! He is a legend. He is the living embodiment of comedy! And why did I think that the outfit I was wearing was appropriate? Who, I ask you, who wears black pants with a grey top? What was I thinking? LOL. My mouth went completely dry, and I was wearing a wildly ridiculous outfit! NOW WHAT?

I can laugh now, but at the time, it was high drama!

It's a memory I wouldn't trade for anything. We live in a harsh world, and filmmakers like Woody Allen make things bearable by giving us a respite from the pain of being human, and for that I have thanked him, quietly to myself, about a million times since last summer. He gave me three days my cameras and I will never forget. And soon, he will give me one more memory when Alan and I go to our favorite theater to see Woody Allen's Summer Project for 2012 Blue Jasmine. It's a lovely title, and I can't wait to see how it fits the film, but that movie will always be simply... W.A.S.P. to me.

Once again, thank you Woody! :)

Link:Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine Acquired By Sony

And now, the trailer to the movie Sleeper. I love that movie!




~Happiness

~Me :)

Go 49ers! Go Akers!

"There Definitely needs to be water on the sidelines for these players, but I also had some Gatorade just in case they were allergic to the water or vice versa."

~John Madden

 

San Francisco landmarks have had their red on for the last couple days in support of the San Francisco 49ers, who will face the Green Bay Packers this evening in a playoff game. It's a fun thought to imagine them in the Super Bowl, I mean who doesn't want to see their home team take it all? I love football, and I have been watching them closely this season. While I admit that I am first, and foremost a Philadelphia Eagles fan, but I love the 49ers too, so, in fact, I guess I have two loves in football! One on the east coast, and one right here at home!

San Francisco Mayor, Ed Lee, has made a friendly wager with the Mayor of Green Bay, James Schmitt. You can read all about it here, but I have to tell you, those cheese curds sound terrifically delicious! I bet it would be just the thing to enjoy with with a nice, warm, freshly baked slice of bread from San Francisco bakery Boudin! I am eating a slice of their bread right now as I type this, and I can tell you... YUM!

I know the 49ers will probably win their game against Green Bay, but I have to say it has been difficult to watch their kicker, David Akers, miss so many field goals this year. But from what I have seen and heard, no one has been sadder then Akers about his performance this season. I feel for the guy, as I do for the rest of the team. I have no doubt that if he could change the past, he would. It makes me crazy that he had to actually close his Twitter account because of death threats. What the HELL is that about? The death penalty for a bad year in football? Seriously? Wouldn't you just love to know not only the work ethic of a person who would hate that much, but what about their job performance? In the world they have made in their own mind, would they be safe?

A little tidbit for all the haters to remember...

On September 9th, 2012, Akers tied the NFL record for longest field goal by kicking a 63 yard field goal off the crossbar against the GREEN BAY PACKERS! So instead of acting like a fair weather football fan, how about giving the guy some support! NO ONE respects a fan who is only a fan when things are going well. David Akers has my respect for going out on the field week after week in spite of the hate!

Sometimes, America doesn't seem mature enough for football.

 :(

Come this evening, Alan and I will be cheering on the 49ers, and especially David Akers. 

Go 49ers!
Go Akers!

~Me

 NOTE: After the game I will comeback and update this post with the score.

UPDATE: It looks like San Francisco will be wearing the RED and GOLD a little longer!

San Francisco 49ers: 45
Green Bay Packers: 31

The Invincible Autumn

"Fall Colors are funny. They're so bright and intense and beautiful. It's like nature is trying to fill you up with color, to saturate you so you can stockpile it before winter turns everything muted and dreary."

~Siobhan Vivian, Same Difference

I know what you're thinking... "Here she does again, yammering on about autumn." LOL. Of course you aren't wrong. I am yammering on about autumn, but to be fair, when it's cold outside, and a bit gloomy and maybe even a tad depressing, my eyes, almost instinctively, look toward any natural color that is to be found. Sometimes it's a gorgeous sunset, sometimes an amazing rainbow, but somehow if there is just one autumn leaf still hanging on for dear life, I feel like I must give it the gift of photographic immortality. And if I am lucky enough to still find a tree that is covered with autumn light, I spend a few moments under it, and pray that autumn won't take too long to comeback.

:) Beautiful In Winter...








And as if the occasional collection of invincible autumn leaves wasn't enough to make me smile, I am happy to report some significant progress has been made in riding the cottage of the ants, but the battle continues!


~Happiness :)

~Me 

Yesterday's Twilight

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It goes on."

~Robert Frost

 

I have been happy with a lot of my late afternoon lighting opportunities. I take my camera with me wherever I go, even if I am just running another one of life's mundane errands, because you just never know what wonderful moment is just waiting around the corner. Yesterday I had some luck with the lighting, in the final moments of daylight I caught a sundown that dazzled in those lovely earthy muted tones that make me so happy inside.

 :)

~Me

Hey, Hangers Don't Grow On Trees You Know!

"Last year I built a Courage Machine, but I thought it might be noisy and was too afraid to turn it on. So I coated it with glue, covered it with cat hair, mounted it on my wall, and started claiming it was an exotic animal I killed on a Safari in Africa. I'd like to believe people believe me, on account of it being so strange that it has to be true."

~Jarod Kintz, This Book Is Not For Sale

Still battling ants. But on the plus side, I have been visiting Walmart a whole lot in the new year! LOL. You didn't really think, I thought, that visiting Walmart more often was any kind of plus did you? A plus? LOL. Well, to be fair I guess there was a plus in the fact that they had Combat round ant stakes on sale for $1.00 less than Home Depot. So okay, I am giving the devil, and the Walton family, their due. Shopping at Walmart has it's pluses, you just have to let yourself embrace the minuses.

On the other hand, wouldn't it be nice if Warren Buffet would consider starting a discount store, similar to Walmart, only a lot less greedy? It could be called... BuffMart. Or how about... WarMart? Nah, that last one sounds like a one-shop-shop where rednecks could buy bullets and wedding invitations, you know, like Walmart. Of course if you are in the market for bullets and wedding invitations, Walmart is a definite plus! Nope, no minus to be seen!

Hey, I totally get it. I shop at Walmart because Alan works hard for us, and a name brand product, like Combat ant stakes, is just that, a name brand, and good, bad or otherwise, it's cheaper at Walmart. It doesn't make sense to buy the ant stakes at Home Depot and spend extra money. I just wish it didn't feel so awful about doing it.

Bottom lining it... Hangers Don't Grow On Trees!

"Sleeping in a tinfoil suit keeps me warmer and helps prepare me for my voyage to the moon. Would you care for some licorice?"

~Jarod Kintz, 


~Me

Golden Skies And The Surreal

"Lord of the far horizons
Give us the eyes to see
Over the verge of the sundown
The beauty that is to be."

~William Bliss Carman

 

The temperature rose to a balmy 50 degrees yesterday! Time to break out the flannel shorts methinks! Which is amazingly good news, because I was growing tired of the fleece lined leggings anyway! Well, actually, there is no real need for special clothing exchanging, according to the weatherperson, we are not only due for more colder weather later this week, but there could be snow as low as 2,000 feet, which is pretty much Grizzly Peak Blvd!

:)

 Hendrix... grab mommy's mittens!

Dylan grab mommy's scarf!

Alan... grab my cameras and the top to the garbage can, and lets take the boys tobogganing!

Have you ever tobogganed with a cat?

It's not for the faint of heart! I imagine. LOL.

Anyway, as Alan and I continue to battle the ANTS, I haven't had a lot of time to go out and do many new photos, but good photographer that I am, I had my trusty small red Kodak EasyShare M5320. I got a chance to snap some photos on the run, an activity that I am having a lot of fun with, and I am happy to have gotten a few more photos that I am filing in the folder titled... "Sun On The Run." So far, I am a happy girl... unless we are talking ANTS and the $300 we have now spent trying to rid that cottage of them. NOTHING is working.

Honestly, I don't quite know what else to do. I think it might be possible that they are nested in the roof, which opens an entire new can of worms. I refuse to let myself believe that the rest of 2013 is going to be as messed up as the last 7 days have been, but it's not too easy to keep my spirits up either. Oh well, the sunsets help a lot, and if we are graced with snow, it will make me very happy, and hopefully it will slow the ants down a bit.

Hope.

It's better than NO HOPE.

 

 

 

 




~Happiness

~Me :)

P.S. Last week's Ellipsis Poll is now closed, but there is a brand new Tuesday poll for your blog visiting pleasure! Enjoy! ;)

The Ghosts Of 5:31 P.M.

"The people you love become ghosts inside of you, and like this you keep them alive."

~Rob Montgomery

As Alan and were traveling though Crow Canyon the other night, I was snapping photo after photo because it was pretty close to sundown, and there was some wonderful shadows and last light of day to play with. I love this time of day for taking photos, but I don't enjoy this time of day for driving. I guess it's my 50 year old eyes failing me, but I just don't see as well as I would like to, so I happily hand the key to Alan, and sat back, and enjoyed doing photos while on the move. Like with the sunset photos I took last month while we drove along Grizzly Peak Blvd, it was impossible to know if I was getting anything good enough to post, and taking the time to check each photo would have meant losing a lot of chances. So, I snapped when it felt right, and crossed my fingers.

When I got home and took a look at the pictures, I found about 4 or so out of the group of 20 photos that I was pleased with. The one posted above struck the loudest cord. It immediately reminded me of a photo I had taken about 30 years ago while on a ride through a different canyon, while my friend Judith drove. Even 30 years ago I preferred to hand the keys to someone else during twilight if at all possible. Hmmm... maybe it wasn't my 50 year old eyes after all! LOL. Anyway, Judith and I were coming back from having spent the day in San Jose. Judith participated in Dr. Who meetings that were at that time held at channel 54. She had spent the day picking up materials for the meeting that was to be held the following day, and I was simply along for the ride.

We left the studio fairly early in afternoon, and with the extra time we decided to take the long way back to the east bay, by way of connecting the canyons, starting with Calaveras Canyon. We were having a good time talking about the upcoming Dr. Who meeting, and the prospect of maybe getting George Takai for the Star Trek convention she was also working on. The slow ride back home was fun and relaxing, and I had a nice opportunity to take some photos as the spirit moved me. There wasn't digital back then, so I had to be a bit more picky about what shots I took. The music on the radio was good, the conversation was fun, we could really make each other laugh over the stupidest things, and it was an amazingly clear night at the end of a week of heavy rain. I couldn't have been more comfortable, but then IT happened.

"IT" being a MASSIVE case of the wiggins. We had just finished laughing our butts off at something... I don't remember what... and there had been a momentary lull in the conversation when all of a sudden Judith and I both turned and looked into the back seat of the car, for no apparent reason, well, except for the overwhelming feeling that something... or ... someone... was sitting there with us! We both got the feeling at the same exact moment. We both looked back at the same time! Suddenly, there was a decidedly heavy feeling in the car! As we turned to each other, we both began to laugh nervously. "Did you...?" Judith asked. "Yes," I answered. "I just felt like there was someone telling me to look in the backseat." "Me too" she said.

I can tell you this, you never saw two people get the hell out of a canyon so fast! There was a heavy feeling in the car throughout the drive back to HWY680! Judith and I decided to stop for a bit and in the clear light of a very well lit Denny's,  and my friend and I decided to talk about what had just happened. Was it a case of both of us experiencing the same subliminal thought? Had a certain stretch of the road jarred some distant memory of a show we may have both seen at some point? We couldn't say, so we began to consider and discuss what was happening just prior to the feeling of  suddenly something riding along with us in the car.

Let's see. Neil Sedaka and Elton John were singing Bad Blood on the radio. That wasn't it. There were a couple cars ahead of us, and a couple behind us, so it wasn't like we were all alone on a deserted road. It wasn't completely dark yet, but rather on the edge of twilight, so yes there was still some light. We had been discussing how many lists it took to put on a proper science fiction convention. That wasn't it. What else... what else? Scent, could it be something associated with scent? After all, the senses store memories we aren't always aware of. Did either of us smell anything unusual just prior to the thought we shared? Nope. I hadn't, and she didn't think so either. We talked for about an hour, but nothing really seemed to fit.

We never really figured it out. We tried a couple times to make it all happen again, just to put the questions away, but had no luck recreating the incident. Finally, we just let the whole thing go. It was just one of those weird, unexplainable things that happens in life to keep it all interesting. Maybe someone was there, maybe there wasn't, but either way we were none the less for wear, and had an interesting story to share. It was all good. What can you do, right? I just put it in a file with all the other silly times Judith and I had in our friendship, and there were a million of them.

A couple years after that incident, Judith and I had a falling out, and our friendship never recovered. There was no way to fix it, but neither of us held onto the badness, it just wasn't really who we were as people. We grew apart, and just kept going our own way. My pal passed away in 1992 of a heart attack. I was so sad when I heard of her death because her heart simply gave out, and I didn't understand why God or whoever makes these decisions, didn't give her a warning or a second chance. Something. But that was the grief. It just was what it was. She was just gone. I missed my friend, but I don't know that I would have done anything different in the path of our friendship.

I miss her when I watch Star Trek sometimes. I miss her when I do something incredibly stupid, and I know I need to lighten up. I think about her when I see a really good spooky movie, because we both had always enjoyed that kind of thing. I think about how infuriated she would have been over George W. Bush and his presidency. I think about what a nincompoop she would have thought Sarah Palin was and is. I know she would have enjoyed meeting my cat Elvis. Everyone did. I know all that because she was my friend. Sometimes, well rarely really, I can sense her nearby, especially when I hear that old Herman's Hermits song, Henry The VIII. Every time I was in her presence and it came on the radio she would crank up the radio really loud and sing along for all she was worth! It was hysterical. Goodness... she could make me laugh!

I thought about her when I saw this picture the other night. I haven't felt her visiting me in a long time, I assume she is in the part of the heavenly afterlife known as SciFiVania. LOL. She is discussing Star Trek episodes with Gene Roddenberry. Or begging James Doohan to speak in "Scotty." She might be following H.G. Wells about the afterlife, discussing how time machines could absolutely work, and thanking him for having thought of it. Or she might be driving Henry The VIII crazy by singing that song to the top of her ethereal lungs. I can just imagine his reaction, especially when I think about all the different reactions it elicited in the living, depending on how much you liked her. LOL.

I see her off somewhere, grinning ear to ear because she now knows what happened on that canyon road all those years ago, and I have to wait until forever claims me before I find out. In other words, she is off somewhere... just... being... Judith.

"Trust me, you see the dead walking around, you learn not to scream, laugh, or piss yourself pretty quickly."

~Stacey Kade, The Ghost And The Goth


:)

~Me

Two Ants Walk Into A Bar...

"Night was spreading slowly around the spinning Earth. It should have been full of pinpricks of light. It was not. There were five billion people down there. What was going to happen soon would make barbarism look like a picnic... hot, nasty, and eventually given over to the ants."

~Neil Gaiman

 
Miss Agatha Pendragon, of the Berkeley Pendragons

ANTS. We still have ANTS. For almost a week now they have been a constant presence in our kitchen. We have tried ant stakes and traps. We have tried spraying RAID. We have tried wiping down the walls with HOT water and ammonia. We have tried caulking about the cabinets in an effort to stop them from coming in one of the pinpoint holes they frequent. The are under the cabinets and have spread to my nearly brand new stove. I don't know what is feeding them. We have both wiped the counters and taken everything out of the cabinets and wiped them down throughly. As for the stove, I am pretty much psycho about how clean I keep it. Alan bought it for me, and when we bought it, he let me choose the one I wanted. I didn't purchase the most expensive one, but I didn't choose the cheapest either. I wanted one with preheat timers, and delay cooking features, and the really nifty 4 option burners, you know for sauteing, boiling and, well you get the drift. We have spent the last week or so doing everything we can think of and NOTHING is working! Alan and I don't really know what to do!

The only left methinks is to once again wipe everything and paint the cabinets and walls. Hopefully that will wall them up throughly enough. It would be different if we owned our cottage, but we don't, we rent. The landlord has only owned the property for a little over a year, and in that time they have refused to replace appliances that are in other units because they have to. Having a working washer or refrigerator is not guarenteeed a tenant in California. It sucks, but it's true. We haven't personally asked the landlord about this issue, but if things don't change after our next effort of painting, then I am going to call and ask politely to have them hire an exterminator. An option I am dreading. Not because of the cost, so much as the risk to all my favorite little critters that frequent the yard. My oppssums, birds, kitty friends, deer, raccoons, which I don't really like, but look cute from afar. My favorite of all those is the oppossum.

Why do I like opossums? They RARELY if EVER get rabies, because they are flea free creatures. They clean up the yard by eating fallen fruit and vegetables. And oh yeah... THEY EAT ANTS JUST LIKE AN AARDVARK!

I guess I have one more option before contacting an exterminator... I could go down to the nature center and adopt a opossum! When Elvis was alive he had an opossum friend that used to come by to see him every night. We named her Agatha Pendragon. She was a beauty. Agatha had a little boy that Elvis just loved. We named him Epson. We called him that because when he would run he would across the yard he would make this sound that was similar to "epppp... epppp... epppp." Epson and Agatha would come by to see Elvis most days at around 2 in the afternoon, which is heartwarming in an odd kinda way, because opossums are nocturnal. It was just a little bit more magic we experienced by owning Elvis. He was very special, and I still miss him to this day, and his friends. Agatha stopped coming to the yard after Elvis passed away, and Epson was poisoned by an ignorant neighbor who didn't have enough sense to educate themselves about opossums. I miss Agatha and Epson, almost as much as I miss Elvis. But I digress I think. Anyway, wish us luck... okay? But if you ever get the chance to own an opossum, do so. You will never have to worry about ANTS!

:(

And Now, The Ant Conservatory Theater's Production of "Two Ants Walk Into A Bar."
(not really)

Ant #1
So, uh, do you ever worry that your itsy little neck is just going to snap under the weight of your head?
Ant #2
Stop asking me that. You ask me that, like every five minutes.
Ant #1
Sometimes I notice my antennae out of the corner of my eye and I'm like... AHH! Something is on me! Get it off! Get it off!
Ant #2
Yeah, the antennae again. Listen, I just remembered, I have to go walk around aimlessly now.

~Jim Benton, Okay, So Maybe I do Have Superpowers


~Me