It's Been a Cold Week

I think last year at this time we had returned to Florida for Danny's memorial which meant we missed some really cold weather. This year during the middle of January it has been crazy cold although we have had no snow.  Because David and DAnna are 1000 feet higher they woke up to a white yard. So while we have had no snow, we have had are some interesting skies with all kinds of clouds;  having been out on walks many of those cold days I have seen them first hand! 

On this walk, the temperature was low, the fog was heavy, and most folks were not out walking, however I am committed to doing more, so I go in spite of the cold

Rarely do I take selfies yet when I looked down and thought, I'm sending this to my daughter-in laws because they were responsible for my hat, coat and bag. I wanted them to know that I appreciate their generosity.

Do I look cold or excited because I had just seen a Pileated Woodpecker?

Truth be told, probably a little bit of both. Scanning in every direction, I look for contrast or movement and in this case I found contrast. A little research told me the largest of these is an oyster mushroom. How cool is that? My first find of this kind.

Along the river I need to keep my eyes open hoping to find a beaver because if I had to guess, that is what was gnawing on this tree all the way around.

Friends, I have got a lot to share so bear with me will you?

Foggy sky--check. Red sky, and I do mean RED, purple, orange, blueish, at night, a rare occurrence -check.

We are having a heck of a time with our mail delivery, sometimes coming at 7:30 at night in spite of the fact that we live two blocks from the post office. I was getting my jacket to check around 6:30 and the sky from the front porch looked like this.

As you can see it kept getting more colorful. So good and a wonderful surprise. I believe that snow was predicted for overnight but I did not expect it because, as we all know, "red sky at night, sailors delight."

With that mail info in mind, I heard from Ann who told me that the Christmas card she sent was returned because she had a minor mistake with our address. I suppose without a regular carrier that can happen. I am so delighted that she persisted and sent another because it is a winner. Both she and Cynthia made their own cards and both were terrific. An interesting collage from Ann, while Cynthia's is paint and more?

I have some super talented friends!

Speaking of talent, that husband of mine has talent in spades. At a meeting in the fellowship hall, early last week, there was discussion about a table that needed to go away. A local charity was going to charge to pick it up was what we learned. While we were in Orlando we looked for a sewing table for me while we were shopping at Ikea, but nothing seemed right, so when I heard this, it caught my attention. Showing it to Bruce I asked his thoughts and his thoughts were positive. It was covered with water stains, had gum stuck to the sides, along with tape and in general did not look great, however, with difficulty we got it in the back of the Subaru, into the shop and he went to work.

Unfortunately I did not photograph the worst of it, in part because he got to it so quickly. It was meant to replace the folding table we bought as a stand-in and while it was serviceable, when sewing with any speed it shook like crazy. Note the table in this photo taken during Saturday's session to tidy up my fabrics. 

Which reminds me, did I show you the new quilt that I finally completed?

Much softer than the other one and it is keeping us plenty warm on the cold nights, some going down to 19 degrees!!

When I want to make something I dig through the baskets because if I can't make something out of what I have, well, it is just silly. I just have to get creative as I did with the pillow covers I made for the front porch using fabric from what is fondly called in the sewing community, "my stash". 

Before too much longer it will be time for spring pillows but for now I wanted something a little less cheerful.  Covering the Christmas pillows is how I made it happen.

Oh look, my Uggs, which are getting their fair share of wear this January!

So back to the table....while I was sorting and organizing, Mr. Peck was sanding and I do mean sanding for hours and hours. Then he stained it and after recruiting another fellow after church on Sunday, they managed to wrestle it up the narrow staircase and here we are. On a side note, the fellow is a local and was actually happy to come inside as he said he had seen the house countless times and wondered what was inside. 

And look who got to use it yesterday morning! (refer to photo above of quilt)

I ran the machine fast and that oak stood strong!

I think it was last Monday after we did yoga that DAnna insisted on taking me out to lunch for my birthday. Since a few of the others were going to play Mahjong and have lunch, we tagged along, neither of us having ever seen it played. Linda took this photo of me with the birthday cake. 

I have to admit, that was fun having folks sing happy birthday to me. Our food was delicious, our company great and now we have seen it set up to play. The lady sitting beside me owns this set which is 100 years old.

In this year of doing new things, maybe I will try it? Third time at yoga yesterday and oh my word....tough sledding for me! On the other hand, I do know how to walk and I am getting better at the terrain although, trudging up this hill was still hard. I was standing at the bottom contemplating and a couple asked me if I needed a ride which I declined. Here's a fun fact I learned about this hill today and that is the locals call it "laundry hill" because it leads to what is now a decrepit laundry. It is so good having local friends who know the lore!

I'm including this because lemon poppy seed muffins and oranges just look nice together and taste even better.

Here is some food that looked strange, but was super yummy.

What are those rolls you ask? Not a cut of chicken I have ever seen before but after cutting one in four pieces I arranged it on the bun and it was surprisingly good! Bruce enjoyed the other one. We were eating here because I needed to use the restroom and the only way to do that was to eat here.

Bruce had french toast and he raved and raved. Decorated with old records and covers, I got a kick out of seeing the old Herb Alpert cover which my parents owned. That cover must have been seriously scandalous at the time. 

We were in Andrews to play pickleball indoors because it was only about 20 degrees. The drive there never fails to delight me with frost on the ground, fog in the mountains, bare trees, and weak winter light. 

That said, when we came out of the gym the sky was gorgeous and remember what I said about clouds earlier? Following our impromptu lunch, I had to check this place out. Look at that cloud? A flying saucer of a cloud!

So cute and to add to the excitement I was feeling, across the street were horses!

And weird goats with wild horns!

If you were this horse, do you think you would wonder if others were better looking? 

Just a silly thought!

I took a lot of photos last week of birds, people, landscapes and food and you are seeing only a fraction of them because you will hate me if I go on for much longer! That said, you just have to see this crazy plant!

Beale's barberry is what AI is telling me, although quite often it is wrong and how do I know this? Because I can identify a number of birds and oftentimes I get the wrong identification. But you take what you can get. I tell you what the closest I am getting to this plant is with a camera in hand!

Final thoughts:

• What a game last night! Rarely do we stay up and finish watching a football game, but that one was so compelling for lots of reasons. Congratulations Indiana!
• Days are getting longer!! 5:00 pm comes and goes and there is still light in the sky.
• Detecting some tiny, and I do mean tiny buds on some of our plants is a joy.
• A dear church friend's sister was killed in an automobile accident Friday. Obviously we are sick about it as she was very healthy. 
• Bruce is doing well concerning Cris. Staying busy and focused helps.

So there you are, but before I completely say goodbye, another sky photo! 

And to think that all those bare branches will be drenched in leaves in just a few short months! In spite of times of sorrow, there are still the joys of everyday living.  May you have many such joyful days!

your friend,

Gail

Better and Better

That goes for both Miss Karen, and myself. Shopping came first today, so I didn't get to the hospital until around 3. Turns out, she's talking a bit and even had some applesauce today! Furthermore, they were preparing to move her out of ICU (into a regular room on the neuro floor) just as I arrived. Upon hearing all of the good news I decided to come on home to finish some chores; visiting tomorrow seems like a plan.

Taking a little side street, I saw this site, tailor made for a photo:There are a fair number of people for whom decay+windows+texture=perfect! Trifecta! What was so cool about this though is that after I knocked on the door to ask permission, I learned a bunch.Excuse me, I'm getting a head of myself! After ringing the bell,waiting, and then knocking gently, slowly the door opened to reveal the back of a pretty white head, seated in a chair, and a gentleman standing there with door in hand. Permission was granted after a low chuckle from the seated lady. She said, "Now honey, you can take a photo if you wish--my granddaddy built that in 1912!" When most people think of Orlando, they immediately think new, and compared to say London, it is all new, but this is pretty old by our standards. The street the house located on is named for her family, as well as Hansel Avenue, which all my Orlando friends know as the split on Orange Avenue. Now I can't remember if it was her grandson, or son in law, but anyway he came out there to see what I was up to and told me the family history. Did I mention the sweet lady is 90 and lives alone? Good stuff my gentle readers.

Here's something I found inside the garage, which would make modern parents go CRAZY!Gave me a little chuckle thinking about someone today strapping their little one into that seat!

Regarding myself, I can't remember when I've felt as good as I do now. Certainly, it was a long while ago. Not only am I not getting nearly as tired, my side pain rears its' ugly head only occasionally; if you can imagine, I got up at 4 today. I'm so sure you can hardly believe I'm still with it! Bill needed a ride to the airport for a 5:30 flight, necessitating the early wake up call. One caveat though--I was asleep by 9:30 last night. Originally Bill said his flight was at 6, so Bruce set the alarm accordingly. Awakened by the ringing telephone, I reach for it in the dark, hitting the speaker button by mistake. Bill corrects the flight time, and my response is, "do I have to get up now?" He laughed, "no mom, it's only 11:30. The alarm is reset by you know who. I was fully prepared to take him, but you know who I'm married to--Mr. Wonderful. He figured I'd definitely go back to sleep, however, I just didn't feel the need to. Orange juice, tea, and I was get to go.

After receiving my daily email from Digital Photography School yesterday, which included 124 blogger/photographers with their 10 best shots of 2009, I decided to look mine over. Pointless really--too many to look at, and I like different ones depending on my mood that day. I got through about May and gave up. Say, if you remember any you especially liked (I know, that's asking a lot!), remind me, will you?

For Christmas Jonathan gave me subscriptions to two photography magazines. Two issues arrived in today's post which means right about now I think I'll just go get educated. Of course, there is the matter of around 80 prints on the dining room table to be signed....

Listening to: Ride - Taste
via FoxyTunes

Words Almost Fail Me

Rewind to yesterday. I can't tell you how rewarding an experience the assisted living photography session was. In fact, as the title makes clear, it will be hard for me to describe it.

It started by my hearing on NPR about a photographer visiting a nursing home and photographing the residents. Before some of you knew me, I was a queen with old folks. I had patients in their 90's, and we got along famously; they looked forward to their yearly mammogram. This seemed like an excellent idea for me to pursue. Serendipitously (is this a word?) a woman who comes to the market frequently turned out to be an activities person at a local assisted living center. We made plans, they got moved, we made plans, this time it was a go.

When I first arrived no one was waiting. It wasn't long before one woman came forward, then another, and you get the picture. I would introduce myself, shake their hand, ask their name, and age. Some were proud to tell me.

Rose, pictured yesterday, suffers from macular degeneration, a disease of the eye, rendering the person nearly blind with extreme sensitivity to light. She was game, however she pressed me to hurry as the light was hurting her eyes. One of my favorite pictures of her is with her head down, and hands to her eyes. She'll never see it, but I'll enjoy it myself. I told her she looked good, she said she was wearing her school girl clothes. I said indeed; I liked her cardigan and pleated skirt.

Today I've posted Isabella's picture. Another one that won't be seen, but I like her wistful look. As it turns out, this 93 year old woman is not well--surprise! The marvelous part is that her daughter (69) was visiting from North Carolina and was absolutely thrilled that I was there. She asked if I would photograph them together--need I tell you my answer? When I was leaving, my contact told me the daughter was so grateful; she was worried it would be the last picture taken of her and her mother. Naturally, yours truly teared up at the thought.

It was one of those things you do as much for yourself as for others. That may sound selfish--most of our actions are in some regard. The blessings I received were great. My intention is to provide them with an 8 X 10 for free--we don't need the money. I was hoping to make them feel special and that someone would do something for them with no strings attached. At their age, every person that helps them is paid. I will not be counting myself among that group. Hopefully it will be a blessing to them as well.

I called my contact this morning to let her know that we had some wonderful shots. She replied that there were those who were disappointed not to have had it done. Would I be returning? Again, you know how I responded.



----------------
Now playing: The Charlatans - You're So Pretty
via FoxyTunes

It Only Seems Fair....

Because I've taken everyone else's picture I thought that I show you what I look like these days. I went out back to clean the pool and heard our cardinal from last spring. If you don't recall, we had a nest with three eggs--only one survived. I brought my new tripod out to see if I could get a photo of the male when I was done with the pool. He disappeared quickly, probably because Baxter goes nuts when I use the cleaner. He barks like a little maniac which is unusual for him. I finally had to put him back inside. Did I mention it was 80 degrees today? Really nice.

I realized after getting done with the pool that I could try taking my own picture with the self timer and tripod. Believe me, it took lots of tries before I got this one. I cropped it because previously it showed how my upper arms have gotten so weird since I've not been lifting weights. Even though I am very slender, skin sags where you don't want it to at my age. I suppose I'm lucky that I'm just experiencing this phenom.

I followed Bruce to the BMW dealership to have some light fixed in his car, dropping him off at work resulting in being out early. I've been sleeping entirely too late, this was a good reason to be out and about early. Naturally, I did not waste the opportunity to use the wonderful morning light. I traveled out to Kissimmee to see their little downtown, but ended up at Lake Toho. I'm using the short version of the lake's name as I'm uncertain if I can spell the real name correctly. It's one of the largest lakes in Florida with a waterfront park in downtown Kissimmee (I use that term loosely). Although people think Disney World is synonymous with Orlando it is really closer to Kissimmee. A little more history of the area--it used to be cattle ranching and little else, now it is filled with hotels, tourist traps, and traffic. I spoke with a native today who echoed just what I've long thought--they are terribly distressed with the changes.

Nevertheless, the lake front was still marvelous. Let's put it this way--the lake is so huge you can't see the other side. I met some interesting folks--one man who had a Panasonic camera which is a rare sighting. As you know, that is what I use, but not too many people do. Carl was the fisherman's name. I'll share his info tomorrow, but I will tell you he caught some tiny fish which he then threw on the dock for us to photograph while the heron and egret scrambled for it. Florida is home to many birds; mostly they have long legs and beaks to facilitate finding food along the shoreline. I've never shown it but I previously photographed a vulture very close, today I think I found a bird, that at least in the face, rivals the vulture for ugliness--a wood stork. More later.

Sunday I sold the print of Ron Jon's--the famous surf shop in Cocoa. The girl was buying it for her boyfriend's birthday. I only have the one surfer picture; when we got home I mentioned to Bruce I should probably go to Sebastian's Inlet because it is a large surfer haven. Serendipity prevails. Not one hour later Bruce saw on television that a huge surfer contest was going on all week in Sebastian!! Those readers familiar with Florida geography know Sebastian is just above Vero Beach. You guessed it--he has a job site visit there tomorrow and yours truly will chauffeur. That's right--I'll drop him off at the restaurant and mosey for the time he is working. I'm sure you will much prefer a surfer picture to the wood stork, of course, you may still get the wood stork at some point.

One caveat--I've no makeup on as you can probably tell!




----------------
Now playing: Keane - Crystal Ball
via FoxyTunes