Well Did Ya? :)

"A woman is like a teabag; you never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water."

-Nancy Reagan

Yes, that's right. I am officially home. :) I had a wonderful time, so much so, that I considered staying on permanent vacation. I didn't realize how tired I was. I took my laptop with me to Nevada, so I would be able to post a picture or two from my travels, but when I got to the hotel I found out that there would be an additional charge to do so. AOL isn't the most dependable service anymore. If I leave my computer for longer then 30 minutes, I usually comeback to find out that I have been dropped "due to inactivity." Now before AOL dumps me off I usually get a little question box asking me if I want to remain online, but that only works if I am within earshot of the computer.

Sigh. I pay for unlimited access, so to be kicked offline because I need to do something in another part of my house, for longer then 30 minutes, is completely annoying. With that in mind, I just couldn't bring myself to pay for the additional access charges it would have cost, to keep up to date like I do when I am home. So, a few days completely away, seemed to be what fate had in store for me. And that was a good thing I think, because I now feel a lot more refreshed and hopefully Ellipsis will seem a little fresher then it has recently.

Ok, now onto the question of the week. Did you remember to wear pink? Have you been thinking pink? I wore my pink yesterday, and I promised to share, so I will. I wore a favorite fuzzy pink sweater, and pink under-things. All to promote Breast Cancer Awareness. Now of course no one knew I was wearing my pink undies, but I did, and there is nothing like wearing pretty under-things to make a girl feel good. I was also wearing a pink ribbon all day, and a smile, as I greeted each person I met out in the world. At the end of the day, I mailed two important pieces of mail, my pink lids to Yoplait Yogurt, for their, "Save Lids To Save Lives," campaign, and my absentee ballot. I thought I was going to be out of town for the primary, so I took no chances and requested an absentee ballot. Voting is important to me, especially during this rather bitter primary season. Frankly, I don't remember a year quite as nasty as this one.

I was rather surprised at how dirty the politics in Nevada is. It was all the news that was fit to print while I was there. The scandal involving Republican, Jim Gibbons is pure sleaze at it's best, and in the democratic camp, opponant, Dina Titus, has her own problems. What amazed me, was the fact that the bitter, sleazy, and smarmy campaign goings on in Nevada, made the California governor's race look like child's play. Sigh. All this back stabbing, all this money poured into dirty politics, not for our benefit, but indeed, for our representatives own greedy self-promotion and personal agendas. How could I not think about how much better that money would be spent in medical research? Every dollar donated, puts us all that much closer to finding a cure to many different types of cancer. As long as we keep putting the same selfish individuals in office, we get what we get. Speaking of selfish individuals, did you happen to hear about the heartless comments made by Rush Limbaugh?

When I first heard them, I felt my stomach go into a knot. That was a new low, even for him, but then I thought about the source, and a smile came over my face. Rush, baby, just keep running your mouth. Keep saying all the heartless, arrogant, ignorant things that occur to you, because every time you do, you demonstrate to the world what is at the heart of the republican party. Attractive... isn't it? Now of course, Rush Limbaugh isn't an elected politician, and more then likely never will be, but he speaks on behalf of conservatism in America, at least as he see it, and he is an example that some in America follow. Good or bad. I support his right to speak the truth as he sees it, I just don't know how he sleeps at night, knowing that his opinion is counted on by his listeners. Freedom of speech comes with responsibility, personal attacks on others should never be accepted. Sigh. I am aware that he doesn't speak for every republican, when he says things like he did the other day, but what I don't understand is, why anyone would listen to that kind of hurtful nonsense to begin with?

Rush Limbaugh On The Offensive Against Ad With Michael J Fox

Michael J Fox Responds

Michael J. Fox Foundation

-OndineMonet
"Pink Rose"
Half Moon Bay, California
October 22, 2006
Afternoon

Excuse Me, But I Must Be Skedaddling Now...

"A vacation is what you take, when you can't take what you have been taking, any longer."

-Unknown

As of right now, I am officially out of here! The next five days will be the out-of-town portion of my vacation, so at 8:30 AM today, I will be on my way to Nevada! If all goes well, I will be bringing back 2,000 photos from the various places I have mapped out to visit. Among the stops are, Sacramento, Auburn, Placerville, Lake Tahoe, Donner, Carson City, Virginia City and all the neon of Reno! Wish me light and good luck, I will be thinking of you! Be good while I am gone... ok?

Love, Carly :)

"Autumn Moment"
Half Moon Bay, California
October 22, 2006
Morning

PS I may post an entry while I am gone, and I will be checking in, you just never know with me! Tee Hee. ;)

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Things You Made

"Creativity can be described as letting go of certainties."

-Gail Sheehy

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Take a picture of something you've made. Pottery, cookies, a drawing or painting, a poem or a pipe cleaner stick man - it's all good, it just has to have been made by you. Show off your creativity.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Tee Hee. This is an excellent choice for a Monday Photo Shoot Assignment, because as it just so happens, our blogfather, John Scalzi, has picked a subject that is eerily similar to our current Round Robin Photo Challenge theme, "The Creative Side Of You," which was chosen by our good friend, and fellow Robin, Pat (DesLily). LOL. Like my good friend Steven said, "great minds think alike," and he is so right! So, now we will have a very unique chance to share our creative side twice, and who knows, we might discover we are move creative then we thought we were!

Above you see a country hat, that I decorated myself. A few years back I did a lot of country type craft projects. Twig Wreaths, Bird Houses, Hats, Flower Arrangements, and so on. I was working in a flower shop at the time, and I picked up a lot of creative ideas for decorating. I had been planning on opening a small home based business, and then...well...life happened. :) So, I embarked on yet another of life's "plan B's." No worries, I still enjoy doing this type of craft, but the last few years the only country type crafts I have made for my home have been...Ooooooops...can't tell ya just yet, you will have to tune into my blog on Wednesday, November 1st, to see what I will be posting for the Round Robin Photo Challenge! Tee Hee.

If you would like to join us for the challenge, just pay a visit to the official Round Robin Blog to learn all the details. We always enjoy having new players, and it is a great way to meet new friends and have new folks visit your blog or journal. All are welcome to join in, no matter where you post your entries. :)

-OndineMonet
"Country Hat"
Berkeley, California
October 23, 2006
Afternoon

Family Day & Thinking Pink

"A year, ten years from now, I'll remember this; not why, only that were here like this, together."

-Adrienne Rich

Yesterday, Sunday, was a blast for Alan and I, it was our 16th official, "Family Day." That is a holiday, he and I made up, while we were on our honeymoon, as a day we would set aside to celebrate with the children we planned to have one day. We thought it would be nice to have a special day, between our anniversary on October 13th, and our favorite holiday, Halloween. It would be the official day we chose our pumpkins, and what could be more fun then sharing that experience with children? Alas, we never had children, there were many reasons why it just never happened for us, but he and I always celebrate, "Family Day," and have such a good time together, just the three of us. How could we have a family day, and not include Elvis? LOL.

Early in the morning we took a long drive to Pastorino's pumpkin patch, in Half Moon Bay, then we took a drive up HWY 1 into San Francisco, stopping at some wonderful pumpkin farms along the way. The city was gorgeous, with a nice blend of that perfect autumn weather you will find if you visit San Francisco in October, lovely sunshine one minute, and cool fog rolling in heavy the next. The shadows it creates are amazing, and quite wonderful for a shutterbug like myself. And the boats and ships on Richardson Bay, in Sausalito, were stunning! :) Here are some of the views we had yesterday...

I should mention that we usually celebrate, "Family Day," on October 23rd, there is a long story why, but I will save that for another time. LOL. So, for this year, it was, "Family Day Observed." LOL. :)

Also yesterday, I wore PINK to help raise awareness of Breast Cancer. Have you been saving your special pink Yoplait yogurt lids? Have you been sending them in? Remember that October is "Breast Cancer Awareness Month." Get involved, make a difference! See my sidebar for links to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and Yoplait Yogurt's "Save Lids To Save Lives," campaign. I am going to wear pink again next Friday, if you haven't already had your day of pink, will you consider joining me? I'll post my outfit, if you will post yours! ;)

"Never let go of hope. One day, you will see that it all has finally come together, what you have always wished for had finally come to be. You will look back and laugh at what has passed and you will ask yourself, "How did I get through all that?"
-Unknown

-OndineMonet
Family Day "Observed"
October 22, 2006

It's A Squirrel

"You can't be suspicous of a tree, or accuse a bird or a squirrel of subversion or challenge the ideaology of a violet."

-Hal Borland

Ladies, and gentlemen, my readers, this is a squirrel! It's not a dangerous animal that is going to kill you in your sleep, or hide out with it's friends, just waiting for you to leave your house alone, so they can corner you and steal the wig off your head. It's not talking about you behind your back, it's not a terrorist...it's a squirrel.

I am speaking, only slightly in the abstract here, because Friday while I was in Pacific Grove, I saw a couple, who obviously hadn't educated themselves, on what a squirrel is, hit one with a Coke bottle. An event which left my mood less then wonderful the rest of my day, and gave me nightmares last night.

Here is how it happened. There is a particular place Alan and I like to take a picnic lunch to, when we drive down the central coast. It's a peaceful place, near the water, and as it happens, it has a large population of squirrels. They are extremely tame, because they have been around a lot of people so they have come to be aware of their surroundings, and interact well with the public. A lot of folks enjoy feeding them, but it is a no-no to do so, because you don't want to give them something that might not agree with what their natural diet should be.

Unfortunately, because of the feeding, they sometimes come up to you at the picnic tables, or the benches, and are friendly and pleasant to be around, but they usually beg for a taste of whatever you are having. I have NEVER seen one be aggressive, or anything less then manageable. See, if you want to discourage them from being around you, don't feed them. It really does work. They become bored and move onto the next person's picnic. They don't hang around where there isn't food. Apparently the couple we saw assault the squirrel Friday, hadn't taken the time to find out about what wildlife you need to be concerned about.

When you go to a national park, monument, or seashore, you are going to encounter wildlife. Butterflies, dragonflies, deer, rabbits, raccoons, spiders, seals, sea lions, cats, rats, gophers, squirrels, and maybe even the occasional moose, depending on where you are. Right? You are in their space, they are a part of the natural terrain. If you are in their territory, a little respect is called for. In this day and age, no one should be unable to either pick up a book and do some research, or hop onto the net and find out the facts.

It hurt my feelings, angered me, and offended me, to see a small ground squirrel, hop onto a bench, sit up on it's hind legs with it's hand stretched out, only to be knocked off the bench with a blow to it's head. When it landed on the ground, it put it's paw to it's head, as if rubbing the spot that hurt, and seemed a little shaken. I got mad, and yelled out my car window at the offensive couple in an attempt to stop them from doing further harm. She yelled back at me, which gave me a great deal of joy, because she ended up embarrassing herself as others looked on toward her... not me.

All I wanted to do was get her to stop hitting the squirrel, and give it a chance to get away. When a squirrel becomes frightened, it stands still, which is what this one was doing. She may had interpreted that as defiance. So, I was glad that doing a small thing, stopped a bad situation from becoming worse. Here is the thing. I do know that squirrels can be a nuisance, and I do know that there are traps that can be purchased or rented from local animal shelters to remove them safely, for you, and the squirrel. Damaging a part of nature, when there is ever another course to take, is the irresponsible way to handle things.

I understand about fear. I, at one time, was afraid of everything, including my own shadow, then one day I got tired of living my life in fear, and did something about it. Now, when I am afraid of something, I get proactive and educate myself regarding the object frightening me. It's the only way to live. I was once deathly afraid of opossums, since I did a little research, I have found out what amazing and fun creatures they are. Don't let their appearance fool you, they are kind, and actually clean little critters. If you don't like them in your yard, or if they have gotten into your garbage and made a mess, educate yourself on the facts. Is there something you can do to discourage their visits? Are you inadvertently part of the problem?

I was glad that yelling a simple, "Hey lady... knock it off," out my car window did the trick, because I didn't want to have to pick up my cell phone and call the police and a park ranger. Beware, harming an animal, in a national park, in California, is against the law. I am sure there are similar laws in each state. So, if you go to a park or beach or any other spot where you are likely to encounter nature, and you are unsure about what to be concerned about, it's really simple to do a little research so that you don't have to worry about things, and can enjoy your visit. If on the other hand, you are the ignorant lady from the other day... SHAME ON YOU!

The Squirrel Place

Compassionate Action Institute

Project Wildlife: Living With Squirrels

-OndineMonet
"Little Squirrel"
October, 2006
Afternoon

10,000

"I've watched you now for a half-hour; Self poised upon that yellow flower, and little butterfly... Indeed I know not if you sleep or feed. How motionless! Not frozen seas. More motionless! And then what joy awaits you, when the breeze hath found you out among the trees, and calls you forth again!"

-William Wordsworth, "To A Butterfly"

Imagine, a perfect autumn day, spent driving along the 17 mile drive, which winds along the central California coastline. That autumn sun, so golden, the air rich with the scent of the last wildflowers of the year, and the sound of sea birds, making a joyful noise. That was my day Friday. It was an almost perfect day, as days go. Life was everywhere and nothing was being taken for granted. I saw beauty in the light, and the colors of a typical autumn day.

As if all that beauty somehow wasn't enough, I was given a late afternoon gift. We arrived in Pacific Grove at about 11:00 am, and immediately drove to the Monarch butterfly Sanctuary. I wanted to try to photograph the butterflies in the earliest light possible. The temperature was quite warm, which meant the butterflies were at their most active. If you sat down on one of the benches, and trained your eyes toward the blue sky, you would see 20 or so, large monarchs dancing across the sky. They were easy to spot, because the mid-morning sun was casting off their crimson wings, making them appear among the eucalyptus leaves, as red hot embers.

It was difficult to get good photos, so we decided to comeback later in the day, when it would be cooler and they would be more likely to be huddled together for warmth. We arrived back at the sanctuary at about 4:00 PM, to find that the butterflies were indeed now huddled in clusters, high in the trees. I set my camera toward one particular cluster of dead leaves, hanging low from a lower bough. As I snapped away, I caught sight of more clusters of Monarchs nearby.

Suddenly, I heard Alan exclaim, "Oh my!" As I took my eyes off the grouping I had been photographing, I looked upward to see what was later estimated to be, 10,000 monarch butterflies, which had decided to take flight all at once! And fly they did, dancing above my head, silently, but their beauty was stunning all the same. I was caught so off-guard by what I had seen, that I stopped looking for that perfect photo, and just allowed myself to make a memory instead.

Imagine, 10,000 monarch butterflies, flying above your head, and making your mind swirl, as you try to follow them in all directions. It was magic! I am so glad I didn't capture that perfect photo, because I may have missed the memory of the butterfly ballet, that a perfect October day gave me.

"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 had not been!"

-Percy Bysshe Shelley

-OndineMonet
Pacific Grove Butterfly Sanctuary
Pacific Grove, California
October 20, 2006
Afternoon

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment # 135: Songs For A Spooky Evening

"Can love really travel back in time and heal a broken heart? Was it our joined hands that finally lifted Maria's curse? I'd like to think so. But there are some things I know for certain; always throw spilt salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for luck, and fall in love whenever you can."

-Sally Owens -From "Practical Magic"

Weekend Assignment: We're making a Halloween Music Mix! Suggest a song. The song can be scary, spooky or silly, but it should fit into Halloween somehow. All genres are acceptable; indeed, I'd be very interested to know of a country or samba song that would work.

Extra Credit: Are you spooked easily?

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

There are a few musical pieces that seem to run through my head this time of year, two of them are instrumentals, that were featured in the movie, "Practical Magic." The first tune is called, " Practical Magic," the second is a companion piece titled, "Amas Veritas." Both are lovely, and would go nicely on a mixed, seasonal CD, especially if you have seen the movie." When hear those tunes, I immediately think of all that is autumn, including Halloween.

However, as I said, they don't contain lyrics, so my second choice for this entry would be the very spooky, "Rhiannon," by Fleetwood Mac. While this song wasn't featured in the movie, it is keeping with a theme. Rhiannon is a haunting enough tune, which for whatever reason, has always seemed to send a chill up my back. See, Rhiannon is a witch, and apparently a rather spooky one...

Rhiannon
By Fleetwood Mac

Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night
And wouldn't you love to love her?
Takes to the sky like a bird in flight
And who would be her lover?

All your life you've never seen a woman
Taken by the wind
Would you stay if she promised you heaven
Will you ever win?

She is like a cat in the dark
And then she is the darkness
She rules her life like a fine skylark
And when the sky is starless

All your life you never seen a woman
Taken by the wind
Would you stay if she promised you heaven?
Will you ever win?
Will you ever win?

Rhiannon, Rhiannon
Rhiannon, Rhiannon

She rings like a bell through the night
And wouldn't you love to love her?
She rules her life like a bird in flight
And who would be her lover?

All your life you've never seen a woman
Taken by the wind
Would you stay if she promised you heaven?
Will you ever win?
Will you ever win?

Taken by, taken by the sky
Taken by, taken by the sky
Taken by, taken by the sky

Dreams unwind, love's a state of mind
Dreams unwind, love's a state of mind

If you haven't seen the movie, "Practical Magic," see the movie. Better yet, if you haven't read the book, "Practical Magic," by Alice Hoffman, read the book. If you like really good music, the soundtrack is fantastic. :)

Extra Credit: No, I don't scare too easily, although once in a while...EEEEEEEK moments occur even to this fan of all things spooky. BWAHHAHAHAHAHAAHA!

-OndineMonet
Screen Shot from Practical Magic

Beauty Everywhere

"Everyone needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in, and pray in, where nature may heal and cheer and give you strength to body & soul alike."

-John Muir

Yesterday, (Wednesday) was my last visit to the Butterfly Exhibit at the Conservatory of Flowers. The exhibit closes next week, and I won't have a chance to go back before it closes. Sigh. It makes me a little sad to see it go, but at the same time, it has been such a great source of inspiration for me. I have learned a lot about photographing butterflies from that exhibit, and other winged creatures as well. :) I am not as afraid as I once was, to jump right in and photograph the flowers and all the beauty that surrounds them... even the bees! :)

I am completely tired tonight, it was really warm in San Francisco today, so I am afraid I was tempted to push myself a bit. It was beach weather really, and I considered going down to the beach and letting the sand tickle my toes, but instead I decided to go home early when I began to feel tired. It's a good kind of tired that I feel, the kind where all I can think about is how good life is. :) I was supposed to go on a trip down the coast today, to photograph the Monarch mirgration to Pacific Grove, but I am too tired, so we are going on Friday instead. That's ok, it's just one of those plan B's I mentioned. :)

Scenes from Wednesday...

Orchid

Amazing Hibiscus

Polydamas Swallowtail

An unusual, hairy, orchid! Weird!

Blue Bananas growing on the ceiling of the conservatory.

Pink Amazon Water Lily

Golden Gate Bridge, as seen from Twin Peaks. The hills behind the bridge are in Marin County, (the Headlands) and if you look very closely, you can see the Waldo Tunnel.

-OndineMonet
"Beauty"
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
October 18, 2006
Afternoon

Round Robin Challenge: Very Scary

From ghoulies and ghosties
And long-legged beasties
And things that go bump in the night
Good Lord, deliver us.

-Scottish Saying

We are upon my favorite time of year, autumn, and in this season sits my favorite holiday, Halloween! When I was a little girl, holidays were not really embraced in our home, in fact most holidays became of the time for family squabbles, rather then the joy of spending time together, but for some reason, Halloween was the one holiday when my parents didn't fight, and my siblings ignored. That left a good amount of time for my father and I to just relax and just enjoy the fun of the day. The costumes, the pumpkin carving, the ghost stories on TV...we were ready for all of it. Halloween is still my favorite holiday, it is the bestest time of the year!

I am a big fan of ghost stories, as most of you know, so it probably doesn't come as a big surprise to you that I watch my favorite movie, "What Lies Beneath," several times a month. LOL. There is a scene that was deleted from the movie in which, Claire Spencer, is looking at a photo she had taken of the roses in her garden, and finds something rather sinister instead. In the window of her home, directly behind the rose she is photographing, is the ghostly face of a young woman! How spooky would that be? To think you are photographing something as lovely as a rose, only to find something much different in the photo?

I had a Claire Spencer moment earlier this year, after a visit to the Haight/Ashbury section of San Francisco. Alan was driving down Haight street, and I was snapping photo after photo. Haight/Ashbury is a very photogenic part of town, there is all kinds of colorful businesses and people. Lots of style and art to be seen. When I got home from our jaunt across the bay, I began to have a look at the photos I had taken. When I got to the above photo, at first I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, but the second time I looked at it, I saw the blue face in the window. I have to admit... I felt a pang of fear, and I sat up with a start! Funny how something like that can catch you so off guard. :) It was cool to have a silly little scare, in April. No waiting for Halloweeen this year! :)

Here are a couple more close-up's of the face in the window, and a few more things that could be scary, under the right conditions...

"Where there is no imagination, there is no horror."

-Arthur Conan Doyal, Sr.

A dark, lonely, isolated road at night...

"There are few monsters, who warrant the fear we have of them."

-Andre Gide

An approaching thunder storm...

"Tis now the very witching time of night, when churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out contagion to this world."

- William Shakespeare

Marriage... Beatlejuice, Beatlejuice, Beatlejuice...

"Anything I've ever done that ultimately was worthwhile... initally scared me to death." - Ruth Gendler

Spiders...

"There are very few monsters who warrant the fear we have of them."

-Andre Gide

A full moon, on Halloween or Friday 13th...

"How like a queen comes forth the lonely Moon, from the slow opening curtains of the clouds. Walking in beauty to her midnight throne!"

-George Croly

Thanks goes this time to our friend, and fellow Robin, Julie. She is the author of the fabulous journal, "Stately Barrett Manor." Thank you Julie, this was a lot of fun to do. Be sure to visit all the members of the Round Robin Challenges, by clicking the links below. Don't forget to stop by the official Round Robin Blog on Thursday of this week, to find out what our next challenge will be!

Linking List

Julie... Julie's Web Journal POSTED!
Steven... (sometimes) photoblog POSTED!
Carly... Ellipsis...Suddenly Carly POSTED!
Dorn... Through The Eyes Of The Beholder POSTED!
Karen... Outpost Mavarin POSTED!
DesLily... Here, There and Everywhere 2nd Edition POSTED!
DesLily... Here, There and Everywhere POSTED!
Suzanne R... New Suzanne R's Life POSTED!
Danella... Deep Red Style POSTED!
Linda (Lou) ... Blah Blah Blog POSTED!
Robin... R's Musings ***Welcome New Member*** POSTED!
John... Personal Effects POSTED!
rRose... WAIT-NOTYET-/ POSTED!
Janet... Fond of Photography POSTED!



-OndineMonet
"Wanna See Something Really Scary?"
Haight/Ashbury
San Francisco, California
April, 2006
Afternoon

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Off-Color Photos

"Artists can color the sky red, because they know it's blue. Those of us who aren't artists must color things the way they really are or people might think we're stupid."

-Jules Feiffer

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Turn something an unexpected color. Most photo editing software will let you fiddle with the hue of your photos. Use that feature to make your photos subject a color it would be impossible (or at least unlikely, very unlikely_ for it to be in real life.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

I put several photos into the color adjuster in my Photo Explosion workshop, and this is what I came up with. I thought it would be fun to include the original photos, so that you can see the before and after of each one. Enjoy!

Pink Amazon Water Lily

Green Sunset In San Simeon

San Simeon Sunset as it actually appeared.

Blue Tiger

Isn't he amazing? :)

-OndineMonet
Conservatory of Flowers
San Francisco, California
San Simeon, California
San Francisco Zoo
2006

Tick... Tock... Meme Monday

"What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter... a soothing, calming influence on the mind, rather like a good armchair which provides relaxation from physical fatigue."

-Henri Matisse

Glenda, sent me a cute little meme yesterday, it is one of the memes that gives us a closer look at our pals in the land, so I thought it would be a fun entry for a Monday. :) Thanks Glenda! Also, about the art in the above photo. I will probably feature it in one of my upcoming, Art About Town, entries. It is a stunning sculpture which sits on the Embarcadero, just outside Pier 14. It was dedicated this past June, but I haven't had the opportunity to drop by and get a really good photo of the sculpture in the sunlight. It is made from a dark bronze, and tends to show up in silhouette when it is cloudy like it was yesterday. Still, not bad for a photo taken out the window of a moving car! LOL. Now on with the meme.

Tick... Tock... Test

1. What is the most important expression that you need to really feel loved?

A. I guess the complete attention of another. Not constantly, I am a little more self-assured then that, but when I am sad or feeling lost.

2. After work, on the average day, the thing that would mean the most to you is?

A. Well I am not working right now, but when I did, it meant a lot to me to have 30 minutes all to myself to shake the day off.

3. When you come home to a messy house, it makes you feel?

A. Tired, because I knew I should have cleaned before I went out.

4. When you come home to a clean house it makes you feel?

A. Relaxed. :)

5. A great night out is?

A. A really good meal, and really good company.

6. A great weekend is?

A. Time out with the camera. Any season. :)

7. Your top five favorite things to do are?

A. Camera time, spooky movies, Listen to music, create new recipes, play with Elvis.

8. One place that you just can't get enough of?

A. Golden Gate Park.

9. Name five places you have never been to before that you would like to visit.

A. London, Seattle, Juno, Paris, Tuscany.

10. The one thing in your life that you would never want to change?

A. How quiet my life is. :)

11. The one thing in your life you would most like to change?

A. My Fibromyalgia. It is holding me back from things I wanted to do. Oh well.

12. The chore you most enjoy?

A. Cooking. I like feeling creative, and putting together recipes is very enjoyable to me.

13. The chore you most dislike?

A. Cleaning the bathroom.

14. If money were no object what kind of house would you have and where would it be located?

A. I would love to live in a house, next to a lighthouse. Anywhere along the Pacific/Northwest.

15. If money were no object, what kind of vehicle would you drive?

A. I like Jaguar's, but to be truthful, I have been really happy with my Saturn, so I would probably still own my Saturn ION. :)

16. What is the most important thing you would like other people to know about you?

A. That I have a serious side. I let my sense of humor run freely, but there are some things that I feel quite passionate about. The issues that are most serious to me, I am rigid about, because of the level of care I put toward them.

17. What do you like to do in your free time?

A. Sketch, read, listen to music.

18. What is your favorite food?

A. Italian food... or cheesecake. :)

19. When you get angry should people try to calm you or get out of your way?

A. I have learned the difference between MAD and ANGRY. If I am ANGRY, they should leave me alone. I usually get over it much quicker if I am allowed to process it without interruption.

20. What are your favorite TV shows?

A. Biography, Ghost Hunters, Men in Trees, Lost, 2 1/2 Men, Desperate Housewives.

21. Define one good thing about the person who sent this to you.

A. She has a great sense of humor, and makes me smile with her comments. Whoooooooops...that was two. ;)

22. If you could be anywhere on the planet right now, where would that be and why?

A. I am right where I want to be... home.

23. Where have you traveled?

A. Arizona, Nevada, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, New York, Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas, West Virginia, Ohio, Virginia, Arkansas.

24. What is your favorite color?

A. That changes all the time. At the moment green, but that could change with my mood.

25. What is the one character trait you most desire in another person?

A. Sense of humor. Without it... no one could ever stand being around me. :)

So, there you have it! Me, Me, Me. LOL. If you would like to do this meme... go for it! Just copy this list and put your answers in your blog or journal, then come back here and leave me a comment with a link in the comment thread for this entry! Come on... you know you want to! ;)

-OndineMonet
"Passages"
Embarcadero Pier 14
San Francisco, California
October 15, 2006
Afternoon

Wanderings Through Other Worlds

"A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam
And for a brief moment it's glory and beauty belong to our world,
And though it flies on again,
We feel so lucky to have seen it."

-Unknown

I am tired from all the recent day trips, but they have been so much fun. My camera has been getting an awesome workout, with more fun coming up this next week. :) Since it is Sunday, I thought it would be nice to share some of the lovely butterflies from last week, when I visited the conservatory. Next week, I will be taking several more day trips so there will be lots of new photos, but until then we have these... ENJOY! :)

Woodland Skipper

Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor (Female)

Palamedes Swallowtail

Great Northern White

Queen Butterfly, Palamedes Swallowtail, Buckeye

"Northern Europeans thought that dreams were the result of the soul-butterfly's wanderings through other worlds."

-Butterfly Lore

What a nice thought. :)

-OndineMonet
Conservatory of Flowers
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
October 11th, 2006
Late Morning/Early Afternoon

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment # 133: Heroes Of Free Speech

"If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led like sheep to the slaughter."

-George Washington

Weekend Assignment # 133: Share with us a person or persons who you think is a model for free speech in the United States. It can be one of the Founding Fathers, another historical personage, or someone who is living right now. Yes, this is slightly more work than the usual Weekend Assignment, but you know. Free speech is worth it. For those of you in the UK or Canada, you can nominate someone who represents free speech in your own country, or pick someone from the US.

Extra Credit: A favorite controversial book (it doesn't have to be from an American).

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

I put a great deal of thought into this weeks assignment, considering all the folks I feel truly champion freedom of speech. From newspersons, to artists, to folks who encourage literacy. I even considered and admire many different bloggers who share their thoughts on all kinds of tough issues, and ask their readers to share openly of their opinions. But there are many ways to speak your mind in this country, so I went with one of the most affective ways freedom of speech has been used, music.

I think it really came into it's own, as a celebration of free speech, during the Vietnam war, when the popularity of anti-war songs came into social prominence. One of the most effective songs of the time was probably, Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction."

The eastern world, it is exploding
Violence flarin', bullets loadin'
You're old enough to kill, but not for votin'
You don't believe in war, but what's that gun you're totin'
And even the Jordan River has bodies floatin'

But you tell me over and over again, my friend
Ah, you don't believe your on the eve of destruction

Don't you understand what I'm tryin' to say
Can't you feel the fears I'm feelin' today?
If the button is pushed, there's no runnin' away
There'll be no one to save, with the world in a grave

And you tell me over, and over again my friend
You don't believe we're on the eve of destruction

-From Eve of Destruction

There were other songs, that reminded us of what we had lost, such as Dion's, "Abraham, Martin & John," as if we could forget. Music fills our lives with messages to remind us of memories, or to jar us into political consciousness or to simply make our days seem a lot less stressful. It encourages us to share our feelings and perceptions of life. Music is one of the most powerful mediums of free speech, and like all forms of communcation, it comes with responsibilites. It was those early artists, who paved the way for groups such as the Dixie Chicks to share their political thoughts with their audience, through their words and their music. So, I think I will go with musical artistry in general, and the artists who try to make a difference with their music, as an example of the perpetuation of freedom of speech. Be it through hymns, war songs, anti-war songs, childrens songs, or love songs, music encourages us to speak what is on our minds.

Extra Credit: "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings," by Maya Angelou. Based on the early years of her life, it is part of her personal collection of 5 autobiographical volumns. "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings," is about her early life, to about age 13. She wrote the series, in part, to remind others to not give up during difficult times. I will never understand the wisdom in book banning, or the attempt to quell the personal vision or truths of another. Sigh.

-OndineMonet
"In The City"
San Francisco, California
October 11th, 2006
Afternoon

Changing Times: Goodbye Tower Records

"If you're in a bad situation, don't worry it'll change.
If you're in a good situation, don't worry it'll change."

-John A. Simone Sr.

Sigh. I suppose everything eventually changes, but does it always have to be the really niftiest parts of my childhood? Gone are most of the walk-in music stores, and now one more giant, perhaps one of the last great music store giants, Tower Records, is closing it's shop on Jones/Bay/Columbus, after 38 years. What a great location, right at the edge of North Beach, and what an awesome bit of San Francisco history it was a part of. This store in the record shop's chain, opened in 1968, just one year after the "summer of love," and was around during the counter-culture movement of the time. Close your eyes for a moment, can't you just hear the music of that era in your head...

People Got To Be Free
By The Rascals

All the world over, so easy to see
People everywhere just want to be free
Listen, please listen, that's the way it should be
Deep in the valley, people got to be free...

The music of the late 60's meant something to me. When my brother left for Viet Nam, he asked me to care for his record collection. The Beatles, The Rascals, Lovin' Spoonful, The Irish Rovers, I loved them all. Sometimes, I would play them on my brother's record player, and for a little while it seemed like he wasn't so far away. When he came home from Viet Nam in 1970, he and I went to San Francisco in his new car. It was a gorgeous summer day, somewhere around my birthday. We drove all over the city, listening to music on the radio, and enjoying the sights. The last thing we did that day, was to stop and shop for some music at this very Tower Records store. I don't remember everything from that day, as clearly as I remember stopping in for there to grab some new music.



Ok, I know, CD's sound a whole lot better then the old vinyl. Ordering and downloading music from iTunes is a lot more affordable then buying entire albums, and it's also true that purchasing music from big box stores such as Wal-Mart makes financial sense, but I wish that there was a way that we could have it all, and that having more choices for things didn't mean the end to doing some things the old fashioned way. Too bad the time machine hasn't been invented yet, which would allow us to visit those perfect days we file away in our memories, where everything just seemed to be working right, and the pursuit of a better way wasn't a part of our thoughts. simply because we were happy in the moment.

Oh well, I visited the shop the other day, and purchased a Paul McCartney CD from his years with Wings. "Wingspan." I will probably be dropping in there every so often, until it closes for good. I have a list of music I want to pick up, including some of the great music my brother shared with me. Music plays really loud to my soul, sometimes to the point a certain tune will haunt me. Remember when "Take The Long Way Home," played in my head for about 26 weeks or so? LOL.

I was wondering to myself the other day, had Janis Joplin ever stopped in this particular shop to purchase some music? Maybe, so just imagine how cool it would have been to maybe have been the customer standing in line directly behind her. :) LOL. So tell me, do you have a favorite era of music? How about a great memory you have, centered around a favorite song? Please tell me about it in the comment thread for this entry. Go ahead...sing it...you know you want to! :)

Click here to read more about the closing of Tower Records.

-OndineMonet
"Tower Records"
San Francisco, California
October 11th, 2006
Afternoon

16

"Sensual pleasures have the fleeting brilliance of a comet. A happy marriage, has the tranquility of a lovely sunset."

-Ann Landers

Alan and I have been married 16 years today! As long as I live, I will never understand what a man such as Alan sees in me. He is strong, loving, funny, hard working, talented, handsome, and he can do math. LOL. What could he possibly see in me?

Yesterday, as we left one of our favorite restaurants, we overheard an older couple of about 75, as they got into their car. The wife was impatiently yelling all kinds of disparaging things to her husband. Mean things. The older gentleman simply took his wife's abuse, as she yelled at him even louder. Finally, the two got into their expensive, well-made foreign car, and drove away. The wife, however, could still be heard, yelling at the man, who sat with his head in his hands.

As the couple drove away, Alan stopped walking to the car, and turned to me. "Carly, give me a hug." I looked up into his eyes, and saw love looking back at me. "Thank you, for never treating me that way, and for letting me know over the last 16 years that you never will." Sigh. "It's easy to not treat you that way," I said. "I love you too much to ever behave that way toward you." And then we kissed.

We have sensual pleasures that burn like a comet, and we have the tranquility of a marriage enjoyed, but I will never, as long as I live, understand what he sees in me. But as I stood on the cliffs at San Simeon, and gazing at this sunset, I realized while taking this photo, that maybe I don't have to understand what he feels for me, I only have to enjoy it, and watch it burn bright.

Happy Anniversary Alan
-OndineMonet
"Passionate Night"
The Cliffs Below Hearst Castle
San Simeon, California
October 12th, 2006
Evening

A Wednesday In Autumn

"Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun."

To some, yesterday was just another Wednesday in autumn, to me, it was the beginning of our vacation. For the next couple weeks, Alan and I will finally have the chance to just stop all the clutter of every day life, and enjoy each other's company. We have tons of things planned, more then we will probably do, which is just how we like it. We have a ton of day trips to some special places around California, so the cameras will be busy, but if for whatever delicious reason we don't actually leave the house... it's ok. Some of the best days of my life, started out as Plan "B" days. ;) We'll see what becomes of our time together.

But first, I have to share with you about yesterday. I woke up to the sound of George Bush's voice, as he gave a news conference from the White House. Did anyone else think that news conference seemed a little bizarre? Anyway, I hadn't even gotten out of bed yet, and my mood was on it's way to the dumpster. LOL. Alan turned off the TV, gave me a big hug, and said, "Carly, grab your camera and tripod... we are going to see the butterflies in San Francisco." And off we went. It was a fabulous day at the conservatory, there were at least four new varieties butterflies to enjoy photographing, and enjoy them I did.

I took over 200 photos inside the conservatory. The autumn sun shining through the window cast all kinds of beautiful light on the walls, and on the butterflies themselves. It made them look like little panels of stained glass. The type of butterfly in the above photo is a Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis Sennae). I have seen this particular type of butterfly at the conservatory before, but yesterday I had my best luck with photographing it. It is a busy little lady, and she doesn't like to sit down for long. It takes a lot of patience, with both myself, and the butterfly, to capture a really good photo. She was kind to me, and we made friends. There is nothing like talking to a butterfly, they are great little listeners. :)



After I finished in the conservatory, we went out to the Dahlia garden which sits to the side of the conservatory. There is probably 500 different dahlias. I was loving the colors of the flowers and the sun...well...the sun was amazing. I swear, the sun in autumn is all I need sometimes, to make me feel as if I will live forever. It truly effects me in all kinds of good ways, and it is something I look forward to all year. More then anything else, I look for that specific light. Never been able to figure out why it affects me the way it does, but maybe some things aren't supposed to be understood. You know? :)

So, that was my first day. I will be sharing the photos I took yesterday, but I think I will save some back for those cold, dark, days of winter, when I won't be able to go out with my camera. Nothing like bringing some sunshine to a rainy day. :) Today, I will be on a long car trip down to HWY 101. I am planning on taking around 700 photos on my journey. :) Next week, there are three special day trips planned, then during the last week of the month, we will be heading out of state, to Nevada. Can you believe it? The Sierra got 11 inches of snow the other day! That will make for some gorgeous photos if all goes well. But if it doesn't, there is always Plan "B". ;) Lots, and lots of plan "B's." ;)

-OndineMonet
"Cloudless Sulphur"
Conservatory Of Flowers
San Francisco, California
October 11th, 2006
Morning