Scattered Thoughts . . .

We've needed two new screen doors for a few years now. This was just one of those projects that kept getting pushed back due to other problems arising and taking precedence. In early June, I decided it was time to pick up a couple of wood screen doors... but, I couldn't find any in stock! Sheila and I finally found a couple of doors a few days ago while we were out shopping for a new refrigerator. After looking at the available refrigerators, we walked around looking at other things on our list of projects for the summer. The doors we found weren't exactly what I was looking for but I knew I could make them work.  They both were bare wood so they would need some paint. Well... since the doors take a beating, they would need a few coats of paint. Now we needed to decide on a paint color. (This project, like all of my 'little' projects, kept getting bigger and bigger.) We have plans to repaint the house so I decided this was the time to address that too. We

I was talking with one of our lake house guests this morning about plans for this summer at the lake and that got me thinking about the last time they visited us. Naturally, I went back to a few of the folders on my hard drive that hold photos from that particular week.  One image caught my eye... when I looked at the date and time stamp embedded in the photo, I thought it was a bit amusing... I shot this photo at 6:20 am on 6/20! The morning fog was still well settled all across the lake but the sun had just broken through the fog illuminating some of the trees and a house directly across the lake from our house. I liked the way the sun lit up the fog and added depth, color and light to the trees on the opposite shore. Our side of the lake was still very much in the shade, hidden within the shadows and beneath the mountains behind the house. This 'first sun' of the day always seems to be the most dramatic... perhaps even more so than our daily sunsets.  Now that I think

As most of the east coast deals with a wet and windy tropical storm, we are experiencing beautiful, sunny and mild weather here in our neck of the woods which is really nice. There is definitely a feel of autumn in the air now. The past couple of times that I cut the lawn, I was mowing a leaf-covered lawn... mostly dry greenish leaves but definitely a sign of our approaching autumn season. I wandered outside yesterday morning with a camera in hand to see if anything was worth photographing in the backyard. I found a few things to photograph as the season changes... (I just remembered that I still have photos from earlier in the summer which I have not written about nor shared here... If my health continues to struggle and limit my activities, maybe I'll spend some time collecting some of those photos to share.)

...other than sharing very similar palettes. I shot each of these three photos a number of years ago. Two of them were actually shot with very old point-and-shoot cameras before I started buying used (but better quality) digital SLR cameras. I can see the flaws with these photos but I'm a perfectionist and most people probably can't see them. I thought these old photos were worth revisiting. I've never had any of these three photos printed but I think the first photo (the colorful springtime image) would make a nice print.   I shot the spring photo while out on a walk about five years ago almost to the day... it was May 6th, 2011... I can tell you it doesn't look anything like this out there this May! The lack of a normal winter and having continuous unseasonably warm weather has taken its toll, I do believe. I definitely prefer the bright, sometimes pastely colors of springtime over autumn foliage and this photo is a good example of springtime color...  Th

Waiting for the moon to rise above the treeline... As is the case when trying to accomplish anything, there were some obstacles to overcome when shooting the eclipse the other night. First, I should mention that there were a few things working in my favor which is unusual. The weather was good with clear skies at the same time as a major astronomical event. This combination has been a rarity in my lifetime. My health was doing quite well this particular day so I there were no major health problems to drag me down. (Plus, I pre-medicated with extra medications, just in case.) I was exhausted but I easily found a solution to that problem... just set up the tripod at the living room window and shoot out the window! The fact that these three things came together for one event was amazing... a rare lunar eclipse... on a night when we had clear skies... and also a day when I was feeling relatively well... this was amazing. Power lines and telephone lines getting in the way