life in the old lane

Not unexpected, but still unwelcome. Just got a notice telling us that we have to wear masks around the building. That’s all they have told us. So far. I will try hard to avoid “living in the wreckage of the future”. And just take this latest inconvenience as it comes. Actually at my age – a mask is a good thing. Covers up 50% of my facial wrinkles, ripples, and sags.

I failed to find any bugs waiting to be photographed. But, I did find a bunny – and I decided to mess with digital zoom, which I never use. But, it does come up with some interesting looks.

Hope to get a Pixel 6 this fall. Also hope it has a “telephoto” lens option. 

Well, got go dress for dinner. It is an Asylum Sister Birthday tonight. Also have to round up a mask. Good thing I didn’t burn them all. I did toss some of the cloth ones. Pretty much going to use KF94 masks this time, I think. To Be Continued I am sure.

I don’t think that sticking them to the ceiling with museum putty is actually the way to do it. But, I didn’t know that until I tried it. I think I have to attach the birds to something sky/cloud-like and attach that to the ceiling. 

When I was prowling around the art center looking for another way to fly the birds, I found people crocheting sleeping mats for the homeless out of plastic shopping bags. 

See what you have to look forward to if you are lucky enough to get old? Kinda scary, isn’t it? 

Fortunately, these guys are really easy to fold.  Our art instructor decided that it would be “fun” to hang doves from the ceiling like has been done in several cathedrals, (See National Cathedral). I decided that white wouldn’t look good in her white art studio – since I have almost 1,000 sheets of blue paper – it’s bluebirds. Bluebirds of Happiness. Ain’t that sappy?

Best thing that happened today was I discovered a cache of vintage Japanese origami books online in pdf format. So, now I have 10 books of origami that is way past my level of expertise. But, all it cost me was a little cloud space. 

The exhibition doves are flattened and secured in a flat position. I plan on using my bluebirds as fat and not flattened. But, I guess tomorrow I should hang some from my own ceiling just to be sure. Doves are sleek. Bluebirds are fat.  In my mind’s eye at least.

A wonderful start to August. I even got an origami rose to turn out OK. But, I did get drafted to teach residents how to make origami doves for an “installation”.  The doves look great done with white paper in cathedrals. But, I am thinking that blue doves will be better in our largely white exhibit space. 

But, back to origami roses.

I am only starting to attempt models that a done with crease patterns.  I have never come anywhere near a success.  The recycle bin is my most important piece of origami gear. 

 

It was supposed to be a box.  On the other hand, I had better luck with small flying insects this afternoon.

The screen was OK when I went to Happy Hour yesterday. When I returned a couple of mai tais later, there was a big hole in my screen.  It is right by my desk. I am sure it wasn’t there when I left at 4:30. Too bad I didn’t get it on camera.

Nice “cool” summer day today. According to Alexa it is only 81 degrees. 

OK. I have been complaining about OLD. Well, there are a few advantages to OLD. 

• • If you want to laze around all day you can. If you are criticized for being lazy you can say “I am old”. 
  • You don’t have to save anything for a “special occasion”. If you make it out of bed in the morning without assistance and through the day without Depends then it’s a special occasion.  So drink the good beer.
  • You don’t have to ever consider an “extended” warranty again.
  • You don’t have to worry about your stuff wearing out. You will wear out first.
  • The prospect of “Life in Prison” isn’t much of a deterrent. 

I thought that the shirt was being photographed – but she got me too. I was down to take pictures of the “knife and fire dancer”. I didn’t attend the “luau”. Somethings I will not do.

Always fun to mess with the photos.

Much nicer weather today. Mai Tai’s on special at the saloon this afternoon. Life is good if you ignore the Delta Variant. Which is increasingly hard to do.

And. There was a tiger swallowtail out this morning.

I think this is a male. But, it only matters if one is another sallowtail.

In fact, all the photos from Montana and North Dakota can just be deleted. I think this might be the most interesting one that I took on July 1, 2021.

Thank goodness for GPS. 

Gotta note the passing of Dusty Hill. The man was 5 years my junior. More of this getting OLD shit. And, I think I heard the ambulance pulling up to the asylum. But, it isn’t coming for me. Yet. 

Before I forget. A parting shot from Chicago.

The crow sat on the ledge long enough for me to go get a camera. With an almost proper lens. 

It was a strange day. I almost missed the bus to the dentist. But didn’t. That’s a good thing. My dental hygenist for the last 10+ years is moving to a practice nearer her home. That’s good for Lenore. Not so good for me.  But, I am glad that I got to tell her goodbye, and thanks for seeing that I only lost one tooth on her watch. I took the Mac to the Apple store hoping to get a new battery. Well, not only can I no longer replace the battery myself but the Apple store doesn’t do that either. It has to go off for “a week”. Well, that wasn’t happening. I can just keep it plugged in. That’s $200 that I didn’t spend. After I see the fall 2021 Mac specs, I might just get a new MacBook Pro. This is a little bittersweet, because, I think this will be my last computer. It’s that OLD age thing again. To end on an upnote, I found this nice out the train window photo while doing today’s photo culling and cataloging. 

For me moving train window shots are 100% luck. 

 

Alexa says it’s 97°, but I think she is exaggerating.  Suffice to say it is summer in July in DC. 

I gave myself the day off today. Because of the heat. Because I did barre and yoga class. Because I am old. 

This old business is starting to suck. People who are my age or younger regularly appear in the obits. I have to spend way too much time “maintaining” the body. And, let’s not get started about the brain. 

It is legal to have 4 marijuana plants in Virginia. Now. It isn’t legal to smoke anything in our building or on our grounds. BUT… how about I grow some weed in my Wild Child Garden Box?  Management says “go for it”. 

My photo cataloging has gotten to Seattle. I didn’t take many pictures in Seattle. It was too darn hot. But, I did make it to Chihuly Garden and Glass out by the Space Needle. I like that place. I liked it enough to wait in line in the heat.

Along the way, I checked out some public art. 

Still going to be hot tomorrow. I am going to the dentist in the morning. I was going to take the computer in for a new battery as well. But, I might save that for a cooler day. I really want to get all this sort of stuff done in case we get locked in the asylum again. 

There I go again. Taking a crack at wildlife photography. 

Last week was sort of a lost week. Felt like nothing was accomplished. Nothing was started. Nothing was finished. Nothing was learned. 

This is a new week. Two people had easy computer issues. And I plowed through more photos from my Way North trip. 

Really glad that I went when I did because the Covid situation seems to be getting outta control again. Largely thanks to the assholes who refuse to get vaccinated. And, in some of our fine states, the legislatures have drastically limited the ability of the public health folks to do their jobs. If the current crop of humans were in charge during the 1950’s we would still have people dying of polio every summer.  

I always sort of suspected that I might watch the world end in a nuclear war. I never imagined I would watch it dumb itself to death. But, here I am.

Of course, there were no fine butterflies when I went out this afternoon hunting for them. You shoot what shows up, with the camera you have.

Wouldn’t you know? The day I go out for a little late afternoon walk armed only with my phone I would find a pipevine swallowtail.

Kyle took his game to the next level this afternoon. Would that we humans could have that option.  I’ll miss Kyle.  I will honor his memory by enjoying more naps.

Aside: Kyle wasn’t my cat. He was a dear friend’s cat. But, cats don’t really belong to anyone.