Magnolia #10

Today's magnolia just out of the L1. Using pancake lens.
Today’s magnolia just out of the L1. Using pancake lens.

Sort of bored today. Nothing wrong with that!

I decided that picking out an old folks asylum is a lot like picking out a college. You look a brochures. You make site visits. You are horrified by the cost. You fill out applications. And, you are accepted or rejected. You pack up your stuff and move off to a small new space. Etc. Etc. Etc.

Enjoy Every Sandwich: Roast beef, bacon and cheese.

Magnolias #9

I was doing my walking in the cemetery ... and along comes mr c.
I was doing my walking in the cemetery … and along comes mr c.
don't know what this is - but I like it.
don’t know what this is – but I like it.
magnolia try #9
magnolia try #9
and another magnolia
and another magnolia

Just having fun making pictures today with the old Panasonic L1 and the cheap pancake lens.

Enjoy Every Sandwich: Grilled ham and cheese.

Let the butterflies begin…

Silver Spotted Skipper
Silver Spotted Skipper – L1 w/Leica Glass

Lazy day today. Well, as lazy as I can be when I am still trying to log 4+ miles everyday on the FitBit.

Carlton continues to be “fine”. He just finished hanging his radiation mask on the living room wall. Some people have animal heads. We have a radiation head. I put a red/white/blue bow on it.

Enjoy Every Sandwich: I am thinking maybe grilled salmon on pita… And melon.

Birds! Lots of Baby Birds.

Invasion of baby birds
Invasion of baby birds

Early this morning I was drinking coffee and reading the paper. Along came a bunch of baby birds. They flapped and jumped round for about five minutes. Then the resident starling parents arrived to run the intruders off. I shot the picture with the L1 and the macro lens – from my chair. You shoot with what you have. Moving to get a better vantage point or a more appropriate lens would have scared the birds.

It was chilly and rainy today. SO, I read the the disclosure documents that I found online yesterday from the old folks asylum. Carlton is convinced that he will be dead before it is time to move in. But, he wants to have a place for me to move to after before he kicks the bucket. I suggested that maybe I could move to an asylum in DC. He did not approve.

Enjoy Every Sandwich: Chicken salad for me, tuna melt for Mr. C

Magnolias #8

Sometimes I just do stuff just because I can.
Sometimes I just do stuff just because I can.

I missed the best magnolias today. Because, I forgot to take my camera to work.

The original.
The original. 

Enjoy Every Sandwich: Cheese Burgers!

I did some serious internet searching about the old folks asylum we visited yesterday. I found about 1000 pages government filings, financial statements and “fine print”. Wish I had a lawyer on retainer. I’d turf reading the stuff to my legal staff in a wink. If I had a legal staff. Let the reading begin.

Old folks home

20140619-183152-66712650.jpg
Goodwin House – Bailey’s Xroads

We bravely went to the old folks asylum today. We didn’t see many people. Most of the people we saw had canes/walkers/wheel chairs. The neighborhood is a junky stripmall area. The flower were real but several days past their prime.

But, the apartment we saw was lovely. They have 31 styles of apartments. And 31 different waiting lists. You can apparently wait from 1 to 10 years for a unit. Depending on how fussy/lucky you are.

We got one new idea – apparently some of the “residents” don’t actually live in the building. They pay, but they don’t stay. They come over when snow is predicted. Or when they are in town they use it like a hotel. Basically these people use Goodwin House like an insurance policy. You have a place to go if you need it – but you don’t have to go there. Well, except maybe to eat lunch or dinner from time to time – because you pay for $400 of dining room credits every month.

This same operation runs another facility – it also has waiting lists – it is in a more residential area. I hadn’t considered this facility – but we will go check it out.

Enjoy Every Sandwich: Roast beef, bacon and cheddar.

Too Hot …

 The Milkweed, again.
The Milkweed, again.

Too hot to go hunting for magnolias today. I rather like the milkweed in B/W better than the color version from earlier this week.

A large family of Saudis has moved into several apartments around us. Last evening, round about dinner time – one of the young women showed up at our door. She had a plate of just made hot and crispy samosas. She specifically asked for Carlton and gave them to him. Carlton has been working very hard at being respectful of the women folk in the group. I guess he is doing a very good job. (those of you who know Mr C. will know how hard it is for him to sort of pretend that attractive young women don’t exist.)  Our view of Saudi neighbors has definitely improved. Actually they are perfectly fine neighbors. They completely furnished their apartments from IKEA. Furniture, linens, kitchen stuff.

Enjoying Every Sandwich: Carlton had tuna melt today and I had a chicken salad sandwich.

Magnolias today #7

magnolia try #7 w/bee
magnolia w/bee

Nice hot summer day today. I worked this morning. Went for a walk. Read a book on my back (shaded) balcony and finally went up to the pool for a little swim. In our pool a little swim is about all you can do.

Mr C went to his volunteer job this afternoon. He says he is “tired”. But, he didn’t sleep very well last night. And, since he was at volunteering – he missed his nap. So, I’ll not start up the worry machine just  yet.

Enjoy Every Sandwich: Beef, Cheddar, Bacon on sour dough roll.

And a sepia bee-free magnolia
And a sepia bee-free magnolia

Heat Wave Starting

milkweed
milkweed

Didn’t get any good magnolia today – had to make due with a milkweed.

Just heard some unfortunate news – one of my favorite events – the Solar Decathlon  is going to be in California henceforth. Seems that it was too hard on the grass on the Mall. Well, it was great while it lasted.

Carlton played tennis again. He says he isn’t too very perky on the courts. This could either be a bad sign or simply a sign of advancing years.

Enjoy Every Sandwich: Turkey and swiss on whole wheat.

And more critters from the Zoo. I have been using my old L1 everyday. But, I still want a new camera.

river otters
river otters

 

Magnolia & Bee, try #6

magnolia and bee
magnolia and bee

Another fine day. I happened to find a bee when I was looking for the perfect magnolia.

I barbecued some chicken today. We had chicken and pineapple for lunch.

Enjoy Every Sandwich: I’ll make barbecued chicken burritos for dinner.

And another one from the zoo…

somebody is going to get a licking!
somebody is going to get a licking!

Magnolia – Try 5

Still have magnolia to photograph
Still have magnolia to photograph

Lovely day today. Warm, not hot, not humid. Carlton played tennis. I logged enough miles to make my FitBit happy. We talked about the old folks asylum.

Enjoy every sandwich: Pizza today. Pizza is a sandwich. Just like tacos are a sandwich.

How about another photo from the zoo?

It was the lion cubs first day in the outdoor enclosure.
It was the lion cubs first day in the outdoor enclosure.

Just Showing Off…

Peacock - National Zoo
Peacock – National Zoo

Went to the zoo today as planned. The animals did not work out as planned.

My favorite animals are the red pandas. But, no red pandas. Seems that the red panda are vacationing in the Shenandoah Valley. Where they are supposed to be producing more red pandas.

My second favorite animal was Pandora the Octopus. She died of old age.

Third favorite animals are the giraffes. The zoo doesn’t have giraffes anymore.

Enjoy Every Sandwich: Fish tacos.

This is rather Jurassic Park like.
This is rather Jurassic Park like.