The Reality is ...

I suck.  I wish I had a really good excuse for my absence because the real one is just lame.  After years of avoiding it altogether, last week I finally capitulated to the electronic media hierarchy.  I succumbed to peer pressure.  I now have a Face book page (with my real name).  In so doing I've come in contact with people that I had completely lost contact with, some for as much as 30 years.  Still, reunions are not what has kept me away.  I'm ashamed to admit this, but in less than a week I've become addicted to Farmville (oh the shame!).  I'm not going to tell you I can quit anytime I want ... I know me better than that ... but I CAN continue to function!  So I'm about to get back on track here. 

Today I'm guest posting on Rabbit's blog The Journey.  If you've not yet discovered him, you really ought to poke about a bit while you're there.  He's funny, irreverent, and a bit raw ... like life is sometimes, and he keeps it very real.  Please come take a look.  My bit is titled The Reality is ... shit happens.

Weird Wednesday: Mall Madness

Even as a child I couldn't stand the 3 Stooges.  As far back as I can remember "stupid" has pissed me off.  It's not funny ... it's stupid.  Don't even get me started on the Jackass Movies.

I was raised to respect my elders.  For the most part it's something I do almost instinctively, and I don't begrudge it a bit.  Unless the "stupid" thing overrides it.  When it comes to stupid, all bets are off. 

I was driving in a parking lot at a mall in southern California.  Even while in my early twenties I was a careful driver, so I was racing along at maybe 15 mph.  On the sidewalk in front of the store there stood a little old lady.  I kept my eye on her for a bit, deciding whether or not she was coming into the roadway.  She watched me as well, and she had plenty of time to cross the road 4 times before I got there ... even at the speed old ladies move, but she didn't offer to make a move so I figured she was waiting on someone.

                                                            
When I finally creep up to where she is, she jumps off the curb RIGHT in front of my bumper and I have to stand on the brakes to keep from hitting her.  WTF!!!  Was she trying to commit suicide?  I about had a coronary.  I was not happy (read I was PISSED) but hey, it's an old lady so you have to let it slide right?  I find a place to park and walk up to the store ... where the old bat is back up on the sidewalk.  Like she's waiting for someone again. Still I keep my cool, as I was taught and continue on my way.

"Miss! Oh Miss!"

Was she talking to me? 
Calling me over? 
Really??
She WAS! 
And she started chewing my butt.



"I noticed you have out of state plates.  I don't know how you do it in Michigan, but in California we BRAKE for pedestrians."



Now I'll take a butt munching if I've earned it, but when YOU screw up and then think your going to harangue me for it, not so much.

(Remember she's old, you must not yell at her, you must not ...)
In the calmest voice I could muster I said

"Bitch, in Michigan we're not stupid enough to jump out in front of a moving vehicle."


 

"This post is an entry for Fickle Cattle's Very First Fabulously Fantastic Giveaway!"

Yellow comes in all shapes and Sizes

I wanted to get a few more shots of "Yellow" in before the new theme starts tomorrow.  I had a few different ideas starting with this one.  This turtle was at the Aquarium in Charleston.  I've had this thing for turtles (esp. sea turtles) ever since Finding Nemo introduced me to Crush.  Dude he was just too cool.

This grasshopper was happily sunning himself on the bright yellow leaf.  I think is was a coleus of some sort.

Yeah I know, any excuse at all to get another spider shot in there huh.  But her back IS yellow albeit a very pale yellow.

This is one of the many types of Crab Spider.  I had never seen any of these guys until I moved to South Carolina.  There's an abundance of them here.

The fall harvest equals "Fair" time in most parts of the US.  As I write the County Fair is in full swing here.  I'm going on Saturday which will be the last days it's here ... until next year.  I'm not a fan of crowds, but it always makes for a great photo ops and fattening yummies.  Night shots are hard at the fair.  Plenty of bright lights but far too crowded to be able to use a tripod.  Although I liked the composition in this shot, it wasn't sharp enough for me and became "Art"

And this golden shower is one last reminder of summer.  The 4th of July fireworks display down at the local baseball field.

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

                                     J.R.R Tolkien

Medusa Rocks

For the Costume Party at the bar where I sing karaoke on Friday night I went as Medusa, and I have to tell you ... my costume rocked.  Having no source of income, I couldn't just go out and buy a costume so I had to do my own thing.  It took me all day Saturday to get ready, but I was really pleased with the results.  The costume didn't include a mask however, and I was concerned about sharing the photos.

Because I want to feel free to divulge any dirty little secrets that I deem blog worthy, I have chosen to remain incognito here on the blog.  Should any of my real life peeps happen across my little space here (highly unlikely) they may recognize their part in my stories, but they cannot claim that I've outed them to the world.   Neither would any potential employers be able to connect anything here with my legal persona.

Yes, it is quite possible that I'm just paranoid.  On the other hand as a wise man once said ...

"Sometimes paranoia is just having all the facts" - William S. Burroughs

I believe I've done it though.  I think I've found a way that I can keep the blog anonymous and still show you actual photos of me in costume.  Although the people that know me best might not be fooled, people I know only casually didn't recognize me when I walked up to them, so I think I'm safe.  If not, I'm just going to have to live with the consequences because I had too much fun with this outfit to keep it to myself.  Don't forget that with Medusa, looks can kill.

Happy Halloween

I'm taking a friend and her granddaughter trick or treating in my neighbor shortly so this is going to be short and sweet.  Went to a Costume party last night and had a blast.  I went as Medusa ... took me all DAY to get ready!  When I get copies of the pictures I may just have to share.

On a sadder note another friends ex wife was shot and killed last night.  I know her because they were friendly and I often saw her when she was bringing or picking up their autistic son.  She was a nice, friendly person.  I haven't gotten to talk to him yet but  I'm sure the family could use any prayers you can spare.

For now I'll just wish you all a safe an Happy Halloween.

Sunshine Yellow

 

Thematic Photographic 121 see more interpretations of Yellow at Written Ink

Once again Carmi has made it difficult for me to choose between photos ;)  With a color theme there are just so many different ways you can go.  Unlimited subjects, limited only by color.  Most often I like to choose the less traveled path.

Halloween is the Pagan New Year.  And while I have a traditional spooky shot or two left to post for the holiday (and will before Sunday) I got to thinking about the meanings behind the customs.  It was a day to celebrate the harvest and prepare for the coming dark of winter.  In lieu of that I thought I would make use of this theme to honor the Sun that I so deeply miss during the winter months.

Nothing says sunshine to me like flowers.  Hope y'all enjoy them as much as I do.  I may revisit this theme later in the week for some yellows that aren't flowers.

Sometimes I like to play with my editing program.  The colors and the spread of these petals reminded me of the rays of the sun.  The little guys in the center seemed to be paying homage, so I titled it Worship.

The South Carolina summer sun is harsh, very bright and intense.  Someday I'll get a polarizer for my camera.  These are Golden Ragwort, a weed wildflower.  If you look closely you'll see the one on the left has a hitchhiker. 

  Sometimes it's just all about the texture.

This is Wild Strawberry blossom.  Unlike the wild strawberries I remember growing up as a kid in Michigan, these seem not to have any taste at all.   

I'll leave you with this shot, which like my first photo, is a Yellow Jessimine ... the State Flower of South Carolina.  While the first is a macro of the inside of the flower with the sun shining behind, here she is in all her glory basking in the sunbeams.

 

Weird Wednesday: Doctor Dolittle

My Magic Man was no angel.  My personality type is basically conservative with a wild streak.  He, on the other hand, was a wild child with a old fashioned streak ... rebel to the bone.  Seems he was always in trouble with the law, and much of the time we were together was spent apart because he was in jail.

Now before you start thinking that I'm as bad as my blogger bud Just Plain Tired's Useless Co-Worker, and lacking a few screws in the judgment department, let me just say that this was in small town, rural Kentucky.  Think more along the lines of Bo and Luke of The Dukes of Hazzard and you'll get the idea.  Only in real life the "Boss Hog"s of this world mostly win and the boys end up in jail.  Hard as it may be to believe for most city folks, that show was really not much of an exaggeration.  The culture shock wasn't easy for me at all.

Hawk was Magic Man's totem animal.  They were always around him and when he went to jail it seemed they watched over me like a guardian spirit.  I wouldn't see them for weeks, but whenever I had a decision to make they would show up again. Whenever I made the drive to visit MM they would act like spotters along the way.

One time there was an accident up ahead of me on the freeway, but no way for me to know it.  The traffic hadn't even started backing up yet.  As I approached the exit before the accident, a shitload of hawks gathered and circled and swooped above the exit (hawks ... not buzzards, I know the difference) and acting strange enough to get my attention.  I knew something was up, exited the freeway and stopped at a gas station.  Because I had paid attention to the hawks, I avoided a big mess.  When I had to make a choice where to live, a hawk came up and landed on one of the trailers I was looking at.  I knew I had found our home. 

When I got back to South Carolina after the funeral for MM, I was an emotional train wreck.  In the space of about 6 weeks he had left me for the 2nd time, a friend had totaled my car, I had bought a truck, packed and moved to a place where I knew no one, got a job, got the call about the accident, gone back to Kentucky to bury him and had survived the funeral from hell.  Suffice it to say I was not thinking much about the mechanical workings of my 'new to me' used truck.

I wasn't feeling up to socializing at my new job yet.  When lunchtime came around, I'd go outside and find a place to sit by myself in the sun to eat and contemplate life.  My attention was pulled out from the constant running dialog going on inside my head one day by the sound of a hawks cry.  I looked up, there were several of them off in the distance, riding the thermals and calling to one another.  I watched them for a bit before I went back inside. 

When I came back out at quitting time, I heard the first cry ... out of sight and to one side of the parking lot.  Then an answering cry from another.  Definitely hawks, I was quite familiar with their voices by this time.  It felt rather surreal as I walked towards my truck. Suddenly there is a loud screech right over my head as this big black hawk flies over me to my truck where he swoops down and all but lands on the hood ... okay, okay you have my attention! ... only to fly on, then circle around and come back toward me BITCHING at me the whole way!  What in the world could that be abo .... "Check the oil"  ... what?  Where did that thought come from? "CHECK THE OIL"  Okay! Okay!  So I lifted the hood and checked the oil.

The dipstick was bone dry, nary a drop of oil on it anywhere.  DUH!  It's  a wonder I hadn't blown up the engine.  MM was great with engines and could fix anything mechanical.  I hadn't had to think about car maintenance in a long while because that was his department, so I don't suppose it's any great surprise I hadn't thought to check it.  A co-worker took me up to get some oil to put in before I drove it any further and all was well.

Some of you, I'm sure, will have what you consider to be a more rational explanation for this story than the bird put that thought in my head.  I can understand why you might think so, but I'm telling you that Hawk told me to check the oil.  Animals can communicate just fine, if we will pay attention to their language.  It's not always verbal, and when it is ... it's not always English, or even necessarily "audible".