Stop the world – I want off.

Found these finest kind ferns out in the asylum garden today. There should be a dinosaur peaking out from the leaves. 

Well, Carlton, I guess you would like a report of how things are going. Things are going “just like they are supposed to”. Your money is OK. I presume that AA is OK.  Tennis is still being played. I am OK. (That was your order of importance. I  still know my place.) The world in not OK. But, neither the living nor the dead can fix the planet. I am not sure that the world has ever been OK since the humans took over. We are not the very finest species. If we are created in god’s image – she really must be a bitch!

Basically, Carlton, you got outta Dodge just in time. Things were getting a little weird around the edges when you left. But now – it is full blown Looney Tunes. Or, since you were more given to eloquence – queue up some Yeats:

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity. 

That worked in 1919 – and it works 99 years later. The center is not holding. I am far from the best but I am definitely lacking any conviction.

Once Again…

Today’s Fun = One Butterfly.

One origami butterfly was not my only fun. I also get Alexa AKA Computer setup to call for help. Well, actually call for anything. But, I think it will be good to have Computer at the ready, in case I need assistance. As in “Help I’ve fallen and can’t get up”. Right now I can say “Computer call THE DESK” and it gets security here at the asylum. But, if I change the name from THE DESK to FOR HELP in my contact list then I can say “Computer call FOR HELP”.  

I really see a big future for AI-type appliances as our population ages. Now, where is my robot cat? Little old ladies need robot cats. Not lame ones like the Hasbro cats – they are fine if you have dementia. Otherwise, not so much. 

I worked on the Last Great Photoshoot. And then I worked on it some more. 

Notice – the butterfly is an “aloha” print butterfly. Getting into island mode.

Computer, Lights on…

Last Flowers of September.

September has run the table. October comes in tomorrow. Hard to believe that 3 years ago today I had just signed Carlton and myself up to move into the Asylum, I have just purchased 1st class tickets to Hawai’i, Carlton had just bought new tennis shoes and a new bike seat, and the President of The United States spoke in complete sentences. A lot has changed. Not everything has been an improvement.

A friend who will be 101 on Tuesday mentioned that her husband had died in 1989. Which only means we should plan for the long haul but live for the short run. 

Roped a couple of friends into being photo editors for me this afternoon. All of their points were well taken.  

Today’s tech adventure was getting my new lamp connected to Alexa, known around here as “computer”.  COMPUTER LIGHTS ON makes me feel very powerful. 

On the the other hand, this does nothing to my self worth … 

Photo Fun With Shamu the Phone

Silver Building #1 – My doctor’s office.
Silver Building #2 – we lived here about 10 years ago.
Silver Building #3 – It used to be a Chevy dealership.

It is almost October. My very favorite month of the entire year. My real camera is fully occupied working on The Last Great Photo Shoot. But, I still like taking pictures – so here a few from this week taken with Shamu the Phone. I can not resist shiny buildings.

Saw a wooly caterpillar on my way to work this morning – in the dark. I am sure this is supposed to be sign of some sort from Momma Nature. But, I don’t know what it is.
One advantage of old age – you no longer need a Halloween costume – you are a Halloween costume. OR – Why I don’t do selfies.

Reflections from a non-believer on the end of the end… We have a friend, a dear friend, here at the Asylum. She moved in as a hospice patient. But, until this week, she lived a full and active life here in our community. We knew that we were only going to have her for a short time. She is not “losing her battle” with cancer. She is like Carlton, she sort of said too hell with cancer – now what can I do today. She is a person of faith – so – hopefully she will find peace and comfort in her faith as she travels through her last days. 

But, what am I thinking – well – I am hoping she has a spirit guide or family amakua to help her to the other side. In the unlikely event that there is an other side. 

It is not sad. It is not depressing. It just is. Nobody is promised tomorrow. Life will continue without our friend, and our lives are richer for the months she shared with us. Some teach us how to live, others teach us how to die – Susan continues to teach us both. Aloha my friend. Aloha.

Another Day – The Last Great Photo Shoot.

Picture of Liz who is never in her office.
Picture of Anthony who was always on the phone.
Picture of Aino, a therapy dog who was delighted to have her picture taken.

People should be more like dogs. My life would be easier. 

Back to my real job tomorrow. 

Seems that my clients…

My clients don’t like cleavage.
Not even a hint …
Finally…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was ready to spray paint a turtle neck sweater on the girl. Now this makes me rethink the photos that I have already post processed. Guess I need to run through them looking of evidence of what Carlton liked to call “bodacious tatas”. I guess I am a part of the “fake news” industry now. 

Busy day. Up and at it at O’dark hundred. Took pictures of some of the night shift.  Did some  Photoshopping. Went to my doctors office to visit with the nurse practitioner to get my blood pressure and sciatic pain meds renewed. Doctors office is 2.6 miles away. I walked. The nurse said “well, I guess that means you are fine”… I bussed and walked home. Took more pictures. Took a nap. Went to dinner. and now I am calling it an early night. 

This morning. Old Bat Cave.

And why am I not making reservations…

Right next door to my lodgings. At this very instant. 

And why am I not making my reservations to fly away home? To my ocean? To my modest lodgings. With a lanai. And a bath tub. And an ocean next door.  Not to mention Carlton is over by the blue dot. 

Feel sure that no one is obsessed by politics. Well, except local politics. And even that doesn’t matter as much as surf conditions and fishing. 

I feel like I got stuck in some sort of small time warp and I am living in the 1930s. And, then I recall Carlton’s favorite lines from the 1859: “I am now quite certain, that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but by blood.”   I have been concerned about  transient electromagnetic disturbances for years. That is my personal zombie apocalypse.  I used to be worried about natural EMPs. But, throw a high altitude H-bomb in the mix and we humans will  end life on the plant as we know it.  

Its time for some Hawai’i…

Carlton and I seem to have been stuck in 1859 – he with the run up to the Civil War and me with the Carrington Event. 

Today – more work on the Last Great Photo Shoot…


Knocked off about 20 people today in the Last Great Photo Shoot. And I did all the processing. I can not take another 16 hour day of post processing.

Someone asked me to take pictures at some event in November. Nevermindthat, I’ll be in Hawai’i by November. The is The LAST Great Photo Shoot. Looking forward to getting back to bugs, flowers and the occasional sunrise. None of these subjects complain that my pictures make their ears look fat!

Don’t get me wrong – I am glad that I am doing this. But I will be gladder when it is done.  

Glad too that Mr C isn’t around to see our dumb-ass Orange Lord. It would kill him…

The blog entry for today has been cancelled

because I spent the whole entire day from 9AM to 10PM working on the Last Great Photo Shoot. Well, I did eat dinner.

I will note that today is the 3rd anniversary of my move into The Asylum.

I made contact sheets for my clients to review. 15 pages of contact sheets. Looking forward to going back to work at the hospital tomorrow. AND looking forward to Hawai’i.

 

Well Damn…

The Last Rose of Planet Earth?

Well damn, the world was supposed to end today – and we are still here! Where is a good apocalypse when you need one? I was looking forward to it. More than I am looking forward to a nuclear attack. Oh, but look on the bright side. The day isn’t over yet… 

Dinner tonight

I completely missed this one – but after dinner (and wine) a friend noticed that the catch of the day was a cow! 

Took some more pictures today, called up my hotel in Kona, went for a swim, and updated my new iPad to iOS 11. Slick new keyboard. Some of my oldest APPs don’t work anymore.  No great loss there. All and all, it seems to be a great update for a newer iPad. But, for now, I am going to leave my iPad mini alone. 

High Sierra comes out on Monday – assuming the world is still here. I will not update Forbin until The Last Great Photo Shoot is in the can.

The Pen F welcomes fall.

Fall arrived at 4:02 PM today – I was out to welcome it.
Macro lens seems to work…

The Pen F doesn’t focus as quickly as the OMD-EM1. But, fast enough. It doesn’t focus the legacy 43rds lenses at all. It barely acknowledges that they are even attached. 

And another day at the asylum comes to a graceful end…

Handheld, available light not too shabby. 

 

The Last Great Photo Shoot Continues…

dawn’s early light in the OBC

Don’t often see the sun come in my windows. I am usually “out”. But, this morning, I was “in”.

I should have been “out”. I should have been photographing the night shift people. Nevertheless I am happy with the progress I have made. One woman asked me today “Are you spending ALL day taking picture?” No, I am actually spending all day trying to convince people to let me take their picture. 

At about 3PM, I bagged photography for the day and packed up my old camera for shipment to New Jersey for repairs. Walking outside, I find:

The bike is on an adventure…

A bike that is have way too much fun for an old folks asylum. When I come back, the bike’s owner is suiting up and heading out for Florida. I ask, have you been out having fun?

Yes, been surfing with the icebergs in Newfoundland…

We talk story for a few minutes about surfing. I never surfed Newfoundland. Apparently very few people have. He was visiting his auntie who lives in our building. Says he always makes it a point to stop off and visit her and get a good meal. 

Wonder what will happen next in our world?  Earthquakes, hurricanes, The Orange Lord and that kid in North Korea. May you live in interesting times. Why not go surf Newfoundland? Seems like a plan to me.