Camera Crazy

...and grows, and grows, and grows.

It must have been about two years after buying our present home, that, one Saturday afternoon the doorbell rang. It was a young man, well, maybe thirty or so, who introduced himself, and proceeded to tell me that he grew up where we were now calling home.  During our conversation he produced a photograph of said house without a tree anywhere to be found. Oh my, have the trees grown since that time. There are huge, and I mean huge pine trees, make that five, as well as a ginormous Laurel Oak tree in the front. Additionally,  there is a Live Oak which grew from an acorn, and, of course, the new oak tree. I mention the different varieties because to most people in the know, the Laurel Oak is considered to be somewhat of a liability. I can't tell you the number of tree people who question the safety of such a tree, as does Bruce. So, for a while now we've been thinking how to make it smaller. See how big it is?
Or, more accurately it WAS that bi…

Nancy called the other morning. Our conversation was both long and varied. At some point we got on the topic of health fads, and all the so-called professionals telling us what to eat and drink, or for that matter, what not to. As you may already know, I am extremely skeptical of all that sort of advice, having lived long enough to know that it all comes, and goes. The latest, gluten free, is everywhere these days, with little evidence to support the need. Celiac disease, a result of gluten intolerance is extremely rare, however, marketing is not. Make of it what you will.

Then too, we talked about our Mother, and all the exercising she used to do. That gene is absent from me, however, my sister Lisa is a queen exerciser. She might be too young to remember a song that went along with President Kennedy's physical fitness program, and the truth is, I had to have Nancy sing it to me before I did. She told me Apple was using the Chicken Fat song in a recent advertisement. The article …

While it is not quite the Dust Bowl around here, it is dry. My word, where has the rain gone? It has been nine days since last we had rain, longer than I can remember, however, you and I know that's not saying a lot. Seriously, what are the television weather shouters doing without being able to hype afternoon rainstorms? I know what our market managers are doing--because it was "raining" in Lake Mary, about fifteen miles from downtown Orlando, they came around at 12:30 with the sun shining, to say we were to close the market down. Typically I'm fairly easy to get along with, but not so much then. I about flipped out is putting it mildly. To think that it took Bruce nearly 2/12 hours (with some help from me) to put the display up, and because there was rain FIFTEEN miles away, we were to take it all down after 2 1/2 hours of selling????? Of course, not a drop of rain fell....

Instead of being in my tent Sunday afternoon, we got on the "Game of Thrones" band…

Last Sunday night Bill mentioned, with trepidation of course, that the pool was getting a little green. Oh my gosh son--how much chlorine is in the floater??? He admitted not much. Pour in a jug ASAP. If only it were that simple....

After nearly a week of daily fiddling, we now have the bluest water since Bill bought the house SIX MONTHS AGO! I'll spare you all the details, however, it goes without saying that I am overjoyed, as is Fallon who left me a message exclaiming how phenomenal it looks.
Finally, it is ready for swimming and not a moment too soon as the weather ALL week long has been warm and dry. Let us hope and pray that the dry spell does not break tomorrow when I'll be at the market!

If you can imagine, Bruce bought into my idea of painting these little panels that fit inside the garage door windows, blue. Because our door is a little low to the ground, he likes to keep them covered, and they were, however, the panels were showing their age. It looks amusing now do…

Strictly speaking, this picture of a triplet sunflower doesn't really fit into today's category, however, I thought it was so cool that I'm showing it because I can. Driving over to Bill's last week, taking a different route for variety, I came across a yard with a big patch of sunflowers, which I naturally had to stop and photograph, as they were adjacent to the street. I bet you would as well...
Isn't it gorgeous??? Not something I see every day that's for certain.

Then too, when was the last time I saw an owl except at the zoo? Now I have for two days in a row!! While watching the World Cup match Saturday night at David and Cheryl's home, she, or maybe the other guests, mentioned a home in Southern Oaks with more than one owl in their tree. Because we live just across the street from there, and I knew just the house because their gardens are so lovely, I rode over the other morning to see what I could see. I scanned and scanned the trees until suddenly I…