Saturday Suggestion

Share a hamburger with a friend.

Sweet Home Alabama

My hometown is in Alabama, and I have family and friends across the state.  I visited my best friend when she was at the University of Alabama, sharing an apartment with 3 other girls.  That apartment was on 15th Street.

It's all gone.  All of it.  She says when she looks at the photos of Tuscaloosa, a place she spent 4 or more years and visits at least annually when her son competes in a bike race, she can't make out anything.  There are no landmarks anymore.

It takes my breath away.  I cannot imagine what today must be like for the people who lost homes, businesses, family, friends.  Everything.

My immediate family is okay.  I'm not aware of any friends that are affected, but I'm sure there are some.

Today, sweet home Alabama is in my thoughts, prayers and my heart.

Ack!

A Play in 3 Acts

Act the First

Act the Second

Act the Third

One Second

Just one moment of peace during Cotton's supervised visit to the back yard. Her reflux-esophagitis really flared up today and has been unrelenting.  She has to be closely supervised to be sure she doesn't eat inedibles in her pursuit for relief.

5 Years

Around 5 years ago, these plants were moved from the wilderness at the back of my yard to my patio area.

There they've sat without much noticeable change.

Until now.

At 6 am this morning, in the near darkness, while policing the dog's yard visit, I noticed this.

A bloom!  Here's a closeup.

And the other plant has a bloom on the way, too! See?

I'm very excited.  I've been kind of wondering if they need to be moved somewhere else.  But not this year anyway.

Sombreuil

This is my heirloom rose.  That I totally neglect.  But at least once a year it gives me a dazzling display.

And it's happening right now.  I selected it sight unseen from a catalog, but when they said it had a wonderful fragrance, I was sold.  White flowers are usually my favorite fragrance in cologne, so I thought, why not?

Along with the divine fragrance and the lovely flowers, there are thorns.  Not your average hybrid-tea rose thorns, but some mack-daddy thorns.  Prehistoric, even.

I'm sure that's an analogy for something.

But I'm not sure what.

I'm going to get a band aid.

Discombobulated

Well.  I have been completely thrown by the disruption of my schedule.  I have gotten myself a replacement for my ailing computer.  Ailing, or dead.  Who knows?

Anyway, even though I can load my programs on the new one, all the tweaks I'd given them are gone.  I'm telling myself it's good to be shaken out of the routine, to try things a new way.

I don't buy it either.

On the other hand, this new kid takes up far less space and is blazingly fast.

I think we're going to be fast friends once I get my bearings.

The photo above was supposed to be of Gus gazing out the doors.  It looked really nice in the viewfinder...and as I snapped, Gus looked back at me.

Computer Crash

So, I have already learned that I could live without cable tv, but I am going to really miss Internet connection and 'processing' my digital pictures. This is going to expedite my new computer decision. And at 5 years or so...I think I've gotten my money's worth from this computer. On the off chance I can fix it though, I'm running utilities and blogging from my iPhone.

Trio

Day 2 of Denis Reggie workshop

Today was the last day of a 2 day seminar with Denis Reggie, who is an internationally renowned wedding photographer.  His clientele list ranges from prominent American families to celebrities to the girl next door.  He is generous, gregarious and passionate about what he does.  He photographed Maria Shriver's wedding.  The wonderful photo of JFK, Jr kissing his bride's hand on Cumberland Island, GA?  That was Denis.

It was a wonderful time spent with photographers who want to get to their next level. And I am fortunate that he offers seminars like this where I live. No luggage or hotel.  No getting camera equipment through airport security. 

Awesome.

Back Yard Pastoral

Ordinary Day

White Flowers

Every spring, my neighbor's dogwood and my azaleas combine for a dazzling show.  This is only a portion of the azaleas.  The are almost a solid wall across the upper yard.

I am fond of my azaleas because they are all white except for the strip of pink there in the middle.

Facts:

There was a couple that owned the house for 40 or 50 years - he worked at Lockheed (poster of planes made into his work bench in the basement), she was blind (audio record for the blind in the trash at the back of the yard) and had a german shepherd seeing eye dog (my neighbor Patti). 

Fancy:

The gentleman planted the azaleas in the back yard and described them to his wife each year when they bloomed.  And he told her about the rogue pink in the middle of all that white, his error, and they laughed together about it each year.

I am doing some work in my lower back yard, and that means these azaleas will have to be cut back significantly.  But Tim the gardener says I will be surprised in how they come back.  I've made him swear, promise and declare they will come back, because I've grown very fond of them both because of how they look each year when they explode and because of the couple I imagine enjoying them all those years ago.

Doggy Run-around Day

1. On the way to dog daycare

2. On the way home from (note one dog is completely missing - already snoozing)

Cherry Float

Last night we had a heck of a storm.  Power flickered (but didn't go out, thank goodness), the wind was like a freight train ~ 40 mph or more and the big yellow dog became a lap dog, quietly unnerved by the storm. I wondered how many of these blooms would be left the next day.  Although my yard is covered in pink petals, many of the blooms remain on the tree to be enjoyed a bit longer.

Waiting Supper

Saturday Morning

Possibilities

What do you see when you look at this photo?

I see possibilities:  lemonade, lemon curd, marinade, salad dressing, a wedge for tea...oh, and added to a crab boil.