Better Late Then Never

I imagine you were expecting me to write this installment of Camera Crazy much earlier today and typically that is my pattern. Not so today as you've already discovered if you came looking for me earlier. Instead of writing, I spent almost the entire day reading a novel that I just could not put down. It was that good, or at least to my way of thinking. And really, why should I put it down? I'm all alone, unless you count Baxter, so instead of feeling sorry about that I went to New York in the middle to late 1800's. My friend Carol recommended, City of Promise by Beverly Swerling, a novelist I've had the misfortune not to have discovered until now. Talk about intrigue, ambition, greed, corruption, romance--it's all there in the early days of New York City. Read this novel!!! Or rather, devour it!

I convinced Bruce to stay home Friday night and so we did. Saturday, while he was visiting his Lakeland job I was vacuuming so as not to disturb his conference calls during the week. Until 3:00, the rest is a blur. After 3:00, I know just what we were doing. Last year on June 2, our friend Connie's 31 year old daughter was buried after committing suicide. Horrible, I know. The headstone was finally ready and friends and family gathered to commemorate the occasion. What a terrible choice of words, but other ones fail me at the moment, probably because the thought of it all is so darn disturbing. Connie asked if I might take some photographs which may sound weird. but I'm glad I was able to help in some way. Because I had my Olympus with the Pancake lens in my purse it was fairly unobtrusive.

That's Connie on the right and her former husband. Tragic.  Nonetheless, the family seemed to be holding up fairly well and we were glad to lend our moral support.

Now I remember what I did on Saturday morning--pick up some prints from Mr. Roger, however, the added prints proved to be unnecessary because the market was oh, so slow. Yes, it was hot, but not that hot and despite the 95 degree temperature, the humidity was so low it didn't feel THAT bad. Meanwhile, in London, Matt was braving the rain and cold to see the flotilla commemorating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. He got some really great shots that show the crowds lining every available surface despite the dreary weather.

Thinking about London, I came across this article about the mixed feelings the Brits have about Anish Kapor's Orbital. The article includes a very cool time lapsed photography segment on how it was assembled. You'll remember we visited the Olympic Park viewing area last summer when it was this size:

I'm sure I've said it before, however, it bears repeating--I CANNOT WAIT for the Olympics. I love the pageantry, the sports, and the stories, which are pretty much the main attraction. Although those venues looked pretty darn cool as well.

The other day Bruce was saying Baxter was getting on in years and of course I responded, no he's not. "Ask Siri" he said. So, I did and for once she was helpful, or as helpful as a robot can be. Anyway, turns out our little Baxter is 9 years old which may not sound too old but according to you know who, the life expectancy of a Yorkshire Terrier is between 12-15 years. Hmm.... Here he is as a little pup in my Mom's arms.

The occasion was her final birthday party. Seeing this photo for the first time in a long time, it's hard to believe she was dying of ovarian cancer. That crazy dark hair of hers,  which if things don't change any time soon, will be on my head at that age! Poor Lisa, I can't remember what was wrong with her hand.  And then there is this funny video Jonathan once took of Baxter as a youngster.  He used to love to walk on the curb, but no longer, he's such a lollygagger.

Because I've been riding my bike every morning instead of walking him, I decided to take him to the park today and oh my, the rose garden looked spectacular.

Every single plant just covered with gorgeous blooms as were the trellises.

Because the days are heating up so, I've been leaving the house around 7 and as it turns out, five miles takes me no time at all. I probably could do more, but Bruce cautioned me to take it a little easy, lest I lose any weight. I'll see how it goes. This morning on my ride a neighbor had these on their mailbox following a graduation party last evening.

I have no idea when Boone High School added blue to the mix, but there you go. They have. Not only Bruce, but all four of our sons graduated BHS. Maybe there were big graduation parties back then, but for some reason, I don't think so. Everything, it seems, is a very big deal these days.

Which makes this new graffiti I've found now around town in several places very curious indeed.

Maybe there is more to it than meets the eye, but really, how in the world can anyone be bored in this day and age, what with a million television channels, places to go, people to see?

Oh my gosh, that reminds me! Jonathan and Alissa went to some event in Austin this weekend where many of the young cast of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS were featured. There is photographic evidence of them meeting them! Vince, Landry, Becky, Grandma Saracen and more!!! Honestly, those children of mine are always doing the most remarkable things. It is such a pleasure living vicariously through your children, particularly when you are not putting pressure on them to do things, such as sports. We are some lucky, lucky, parents for sure.

I finally washed my hair tonight after swimming today so it must be attended to if I have any hope of taming it into the bob. Good night my dears and stay tuned tomorrow for a look at my Mother's Day gift which arrived in the post from London this afternoon. You're going to love it!

Take the Long Way Home

I don't know exactly what I was expecting heading to Winter Haven to see some graffiti yesterday morning. Seriously, in such a small town, could there really be anything worthwhile? Yes and no.

While at the Lakeland show a woman insisted I needed to go to Winter Haven, going so far as to write down some very complicated directions to the site. I studied them. I pondered if it would be worth the 50 mile drive. Because I had nothing better to do I went, but not before consulting everyone's favorite resource. From my Google search I learned that what she was referring to was an art project meant to bring not only money, but awareness to an area of their city that could use some help. Referencing that, the woman had written down that it was a yucky part of town. When I got there I thought it looked pretty decent to me. My perspective as an outsider of course.

So it turns out they allowed artists to paint on a blueberry packing plant on New Year's Eve, calling the event, Circ' de Spray. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depends on how you look at it, blueberries had to be part of the art work. Here's how they started things off:

To clarify, Eloise is the name of the area adjacent to Winter Haven. With that out of the way, here's how the walls looked:

And here is a view from the back of the plant:

As you can see, the plant is adjacent to the railroad tracks, with an orange packing plant on the other side. This area of Florida is prime orange growing country. Blue, blue skies, however, oddly enough, we are still enjoying low humidity. I told someone the other day that we've had nearly six months of perfect weather which makes me wonder what's coming next! Despite some thunder last night, no rain fell. Furthermore, the weather forecast for today said rain after noon which may or may not come to fruition as it is still sunny as can be at 3:30 in the afternoon.

The drive over was easy as can be on I-4 to exit #48. Once I got off the interstate I took County Road 557 towards Lake Alfred. Driving along at almost highway speed I saw this place on the right side of the road causing me to be grateful no one was traveling behind me as I was able to make a quick U-turn and check it out. It was then that I remembered my friend Beverly telling me about the place and how she loved to go there, especially in the fall. The garden shop was really something, under large oak trees and in fact, some of them going through what some might call a roof.

My goodness it was a fun place. I managed to leave with only two things, a cardinal outdoor thermometer and a owl figurine. Believe me there was more that i thought about but I don't want to clutter up the outside too much. Or, do I?

Initially I planned to come back by and eat lunch there, however, as some of you know, I oftentimes prefer to take "the long way home." And boy howdy, this trip I got just a little more than I bargained for. Stopping to ask directions, I know, I have my handy phone, but just the same, I like to ask the locals. So far, so good. Nice drive through a diverse area of homes, lakes, and orange groves. It was just that when I did get to US 27, I should have continued on to I-4 rather than head towards Haines City. Whatever road I was on lead me to Dundee, a small citrus town. Then again, they are large enough to have this railroad depot museum:

History is so darn interesting. When you travel through these small towns, unless you stop, you never know what you are missing. Truthfully, all I saw was the outside because the museum has very, very, limited hours, as in Thursday for a few hours and Saturday the same.

Talk about some primary colors in this photo--my goodness--they did it all for me!

Onward I drove, using my handy little compass that came with the car. What I didn't have was a map which would have been oh so useful. Maybe mine did not transfer from the Element, don't know, but I need to buy one ASAP if I plan to continue being Miss Out & About. Make that Mrs.

Anyway, somehow I ended up driving through Haines City and still it was 40 some odd miles to Orlando! My next stop was Davenport, another tiny town, which according to their website is charming. Not to my eyes, and the downtown they claim you can stroll?--about a half a block long! Goes to show you that relying solely on the web can be misleading. So I stopped in here as it was past lunchtime:

Not only can you not rely on the web, you can't always rely on signage. During my lunch I discovered that the restoration stopped long ago, as in the late 90's because they have no city sewer lines and apparently they aren't coming anytime soon. I would love to recommend this place, but unless you want to spend $12.95 for a mediocre meal, you should keep on driving. I think they try real hard, maybe just a little too hard. My brocoli salad had more stuff in it than was necessary, as did the chicken salad. The soup might have been better chilled.

To be fair, I could have left once I saw the menu which is prix fix, but the room was so tiny I felt I should stay. The elderly ladies sitting adjacent to me gave it rave reviews. Re, the sign claiming to have won a pie contest, that very well may be true. I could not eat the dessert offered, instead opting to take my slice home with me. It was delicious.

Instead of getting home around 1, by the time I pulled into the driveway it was 3:00. Good grief!!! You live and learn don't you?

I was thinking as I drove to Winter Haven what a good name that was for a city in Florida. Others must have been quite as literal when they named Winter Park, Winter Springs, Windemere, with promises of wonderful places to escape the cold of winter. My mind has gone blank, but believe me, there are other Florida cities with Winter in their name. Who can blame them?

Finishing up, The Family Fang, I remained delighted with the novel, which as I mentioned before, is so darn clever and is reviewed by the New York Times here. While looking for this review, I've discovered that Nicole Kidman is making a movie from the novel. That should be interesting.

Well, I have indeed, just put the kettle on

for some iced tea. I said it wasn't humid, I didn't say it wasn't hot! I'm thinking a glass of iced tea and a session with my latest novel, Rules of Civility, which is very hard to put down.

Furthermore, it is so very hard to believe this is post #999.

Whimsy

Back by popular demand--LONDON! And BATH!

As anyone who has perused my baskets of photographs for sale knows, I am a big fan of whimsy. Actually, I call it "funk", however, I believe that is going to change beginning this very weekend. Whimsy is such a delightful word, don't you think?

I will warn you in advance--this is going to be a VERY photo-intensive post. None of my ramblings; hopefully the photographs will do the talking!

So, let's see...where shall we start?

How about this crazy sight, seen during our visit to the Columbia Road Flower Market? The sad dog's owner was nearby, and if my memory serves me correctly, he was playing some sort of musical instrument. Undoubtedly, Matthew or Bruce can fill in the details for me. Sad, but true, using a blind dog to attract money.

I guess this person really wants a pet? I took this early one morning while doing my breakfast run.

On our first day in London, we strolled along the Regent's Canal from Hackney to Shoreditch. But you already knew that didn't you? Silly me. Matt wanted to keep us moving, lest we fall prey to jet lag. During this pleasant stroll, Matt explained that artists were encouraged to make a piece of art that was enhanced by the location. This person had the right idea.

Aren't folks so clever?

Although, not technically whimsy, I thought these flats along aforementioned canal were super cool:

One of the nice things about taking photographs during our stay was the lack of intense sunshine. What is that supposed to mean you ask? Well, in Florida, the light is so darn bright, invariably, there are what I'm calling "hot spots" in the photo. For example, the walk, pictured on the right would be so bright as to take away from the photograph. Technical details that mostly I ignore, but even I know that much!

Moving on, very roughly in order, Sunday evening while in Soho with Bruce, I saw this funny sign in the restaurant:

It kept flashing off and on, amusing this blogger. After dinner, we roamed around a bit, taking in the sights. People, people, and more people! There was a big crowd around this:

Years and years ago, or more specifically, while I was pregnant with the twins, Bruce worked in an exhibit shop here in Orlando that made things such as this huge sparkling pump. Pump, now there's a funny word for you. This makes me wonder about the origin. Then again, where did the term stiletto come from? Curious.

Here in Orlando, this might cause quite an uproar, however, no one seemed fazed to see this on a busy street:

The say sex sells, so probably I should include this image in one of my collages...

This wasn't the only time we encountered SUPERBOY!

He seemed to be flying all over East London. (taken through bus window)

Near the entryway to the Museum of London, we came across this:

Play Me, I'm Yours. How cool is this? Decorated no less.

Later on, before our Tift Merritt concert, I wandered in a little shop that sold clothing and accessories--like dresses made out of comic fabric, to name one of the items. Who knew you could use old vinyl for flooring material?

Here's one way to look at what is happening on the street:

Even in the "World Heritage" city of Bath, I discovered graffiti:

I couldn't pass up this street sign:

Our niece Laura came to mind. Last I checked, she was using it for her Facebook profile picture. :-)

The garden behind the fun wine bar we went to had this bright little whirligig amongst their nasturtiums.

It's all about color coordination folks!

Before we left Bath I just had to take a picture of those pesky seagulls perching on all the rooftops. I never knew they could be so loud!

Please don't take offense at this silly graffiti we saw during our tour:

You have to admit it's pretty well done.

Ben Eine makes an appearance once again. This was taken from the vestibule of the restaurant, Cargo, where we took a short break in the action during our tour. Some years ago, Banksy did a show there. To prove it, there are two old Banksy pieces preserved under plexiglass. Shepard Fairey makes an appearance there as well.

The full piece says scary....gosh that red is good! I neglected to mention previously that for about half the tour there were these people from France filming the tour for a documentary. Gotta keep the cameraman dry!

Finally, the South Bank was full of goodies, such as this cool art piece documenting children's immigrant experiences in London on paper.

The fountain provided much amusement, watching the folks playing in the cooling waters:

It was mostly kids, however, I did see a few brave adults.

While Bruce was perusing the book stalls, Matt was enjoying watching the children play in the giant sand box set up for the summer, possibly remembering his childhood.

This is the kind of thing that suburban dwellers, like ourselves, take for granted. Our children just loved playing in both of the fancy sandboxes Bruce built for them. In the distance on the far right is the Charing Cross station in case you're wondering.

I roamed while they were doing their thing, coming across this:

I'm thinking this one was done with permission. I just now noticed that one of the eyes is a heart...

This seems like an appropriate place to end this photo excursion---- from my heart to yours. Thanks for joining me.

Random Notes

Several months ago, for unknown reasons, I quit taking my hormones. Probably because the weather was so darn cold that I was fooled into thinking hot flashes were in my past. Well, I was wrong--they are back with a vengenace! I have somewhat of a disdain for modern medicine these days, thinking there are way too many drugs on the market for conditions that most of us can live with. I'm not talking life threatening problems but seriously, most of the advertised drugs are advertised for a reason. Yes, money. The thought that pharmaceutical reps can make more money than 90% of working people makes my blood boil. Whoa there Gail--this is not a political forum, this is your blog!

With that in mind, what's a woman to do? Here's a piece from the Times focusing on the dilemma most woman of a certain age face:Estrogen or Not

Switching gears here---

While chatting with Matthew on Monday afternoon, our conversation was wide ranging, from the fallout (I'm a comedian now!) from the Icelandic volcano, to the planned Olympics in London, and so on. Just yesterday I read something which stated that matronly and cool were rarely compatible in either a sentence, or our thoughts. It's funny how you come across things like that because one of the topics we covered was my business, and how my grafitti shots are big sellers. Most young people would think their mom was either crazy, or an embarrassment for selling some of the things I do, however, I think Matt is amused. Thus, he shared this cool link from The Guardian:
Philadelphia ProjectoI'm ready to hop on a plane any day for this! Before I forget we touched on parts of speech which went right over my head....

Wouldn't you just know it--earlier in the day an email invitation came from "Decoy", the talented grafitti artist in town, to an international graffiti event downtown on Saturday . I'm not sure if I'll be heading over there or not, but yesterday afternoon I went by the venue after a trip to the library. Here's what I sawNormally every surface is covered with tags, and on occasion something cool. This definitely qualifies as cool!

Those rain clouds you see over the skyline did their thing with overcast skies continuing this morning. If you can imagine I'll be posting a little later about a fantastic adventure Angela and I shared on Monday. Stay tuned....