Chapter 10 - I Walk the Line 5/27/20

And so it continues . . . This small studio has always intrigued me. The light plays on it and gives it a different character each time I pass by it. And I pass by often.

Most often there's someone in the yard puttering about and I just look but don't take a picture. But today, the light was right, the yard was empty (does that sound a bit pervy?) and I took my shot.

And I like it.

And I took another, iron hot sort of thing, right?

It is a pleasant as it looks, too. And every so often they rearrange things a bit adding and subtracting small things just to keep it fresh.

It being Memorial Day the flags were out. It is good to see these little tributes, reminders of the significance of this day. At least, that's what the flags bring about in me.

These flags are at the stop sign where Greenbrier Road runs into Hollywood Road.

The flags were the reason I walked down. There were some more just a ways down and on the other side of the road.

I appreciate this Merry Land tradition of recognizing a day with a small and personal display.

And as I was shooting across the road, I got photobombed. And it was a nearly perfect effort. Great timing!!

I noticed this odd scene driving back to my place the other day and I wanted to check it out to see if it were actually what I thought it was.

It was. What I'd seen was on the pole to the left of the flagpole in this picture. Can you see it? It has a small, box-like object on top of the pole?

Let's look a bit closer, shall we?

Haha, look at it!! How cool is that!?!

It's a miniature replica of the house. It's a bird house like the big house.

It was fun to come back and see it.

Walking back, I ran into this fellow catching some rays from the afternoon sun.

I've not given the American Robin its due, I think. It is, when you really look at it, quite a lovely bird. Unfortunately, it's so common it has lost any attraction or appreciation.

I'm going to try and give credit to this bird.

And just down from where I'd seen the first robin this Tiny Dancer was singing away on the wires overhead.

Nice coloring.

I got this fun puzzle from Joe and Sara. It was more of a challenge than I thought it would be when I first started it. Still, it was a lot of fun. 

Thanks!!

The first thing I noticed when I woke up the other morning was the fog. For the second day in a row, the morning was obliterated by a deep fog. 

Going to the window because I'm nosy, I spotted this cardinal fellow singing, there are a LOT of bird singing here in Merry Land.

So, naturally, I grabbed my camera and, mildly surprised he was still on the wire, opened the window and got this shot. Actually, I got around 10 or so.

It just makes life better, this picture-taking thing. It colors and informs my world.

    

Hahaha, this was the way I started each day for over a week. A hot cuppa and some work on the puzzle. 

My rule is simple. I work on the puzzle for at least two cups of coffee. During that time I must place at least 10 pieces of the puzzle into place.

This regimen allows me to stretch out the days I get to enjoy the puzzle. It gives me something to look forward to in the morning.

 Here's the final product. And, yeah, it was fun.

I did the characters first and then worked it from the bottom to the top.

The kids have been kept apart for a long time and, finally, Michelle and Sara felt comfortable enough to let them get together for some fun. It's a small group as they don't play with others. They enjoy the heck out of it each time they get together.

And Michelle got some 'me' time to work on her own stuff while watching the kids.

Frances loves being the baby-sitter. She's kind of the odd one out, age-wise, among the girls and she gravitates to the younger ones so she can run herd on them.

Ellie and Delaney made a couple of key-chains. When they showed me I caught on quickly that they were key-chains but I totally missed the other half.

Ellie's key-chain is an egg while Delaney's is a piece of bacon.

Eggs and bacon.

Hahahaha, wonderful!!

There it is. It's been ready since the third week of April. It's been sitting fallow all this time.

This is the brand-new Library and Senior Center. Hahaha, I was really looking forward to, hopefully, getting involved in some fun activities at the Senior Center. Maybe find someone I can teach dominoes to or play some cribbage with. But, alas, it is not open. And won't be for some time into the future.

Ratz.

Taking a walk, I get to see some of the greatest things. My joy is in looking for pictures in whatever I'm seeing. 

I realize most, 99.99%, of all my pics are bland, banal and boring but they appeal to me. It really is a good life to travel through with a camera and see.

I'm seeing leaves a bit differently these days. I especially like the backlit leaves. I look for those now.

Hahaha, bear with me, will you? It won't hurt too much.

Ka-POW!!

I've learned to, when I see a butterfly, stop and wait to see where he goes. I spotted this fellow flitting about in the trees and stopped. He began moving away and so I followed as best I could. 

He lights!! I bring the camera up and watch as he takes off. I followed him and watched him land in the leaves of the tree.

This time he stayed in place long enough for me to get a good shot. Oh, yeah, I have also learned that it's important to get 'A' picture. It doesn't have to be wonderful but, for me, it's important to have that visual proof of what I saw. So I always shoot early and then, once I have that one in the bag, I zoom in some more and compose the picture best I can.

Which I did with this male Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. How cool is that, eh!?! This one is a guy as the females have much more blue scaling on the hindwing.

And these. I have a couple things I always shoot. Birds, scenics and flowers. I enjoy each for its own particular reason.

For flowers it is that they are there!! They're waiting and ready to pose for a great picture if I am artful enough to 'see' it.

Honestly, at times it is almost too easy to get the average good shot of flowers. I get those, it's my metier I suppose. And I seek the above-average shot. It's there, I just have to see it and then capture it.

The saying is, "Photography is painting with light."

I like that sentiment. It is true. While I am still in the finger paints part of painting I am, at least, in the running. And enjoying it tremendously.

And despite my clumsiness and ineptitude, bottom line, photography, this painting with light, allows me to see and appreciate moments like this.

There are times when just a vista, a scene that really appeals to me. That touches me. 

Like this. I have not failed yet to get a good picture of this pond. I've shot it from several angles and all of them give me one image that sings a bit to me. 

Look at that green. The clouds in the sky.

BAM!

A common Canada Thistle. And it is beautiful. I really revel in shooting the small world around me. 

I see these small beauties everywhere. 

And this one got into the clay, too. Don't be deceived by how skinny this Minnie is. She can put down some food when it strikes her fancy. 

So it was no surprise to me that she decided to make a donut with her clay. And she did a pretty good job, too. I think I'd eat that donut if it were real.

We're in Phase I of our Ray/Aina COVID Recovery.

And that means some close socializing with a small nod to distance. Very small nod.

Alexis and Cade sent me this puzzle. 

I know, it looks like a lot of fun.

It might be tricky but I think I'll enjoy it tremendously.

Here's part of my collection of puzzles to do. I'm working on the Wolves one right now. 

Not pictured is the Texas puzzle I got from Michelle. I've got to figure out some way of doing that 1,000 piece puzzle. 

Lots of hours of fun.

Michelle got in touch with my sister, Darcie, and asked her if she had any recipes from my Mom. Darcie did and sent this one written out in my Mom's elegant script.

This was just nice to see.

And that's it for another couple days in my life. I am tired of being in my apartment. I know I'm self-quarantining and it is already gotten old. I'm pretty sure in a wee or two I will be going around and doing something more than just stay in my apartment.

Life is good.