It is sunrise season again…

sunrise w/crane
sunrise w/crane

Good thing I took my series of sunrise shots last fall. The cranes are interesting. But, I am not sure they add much to the photos.

Ah, Syria. What a mess. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. But, as far as Syria (and Egypt) the enemy of my enemy is still my enemy.

Lovely Fall Like Day

Carlton in Grad School at Virginia Tech
Carlton in Grad School at Virginia Tech – late 1950’s

This one is from the Ephemera Project. I think Mr C hired a photographer to take pictures of his thesis project – and this photograph was lagniappe.

Had a lovely early fall day today. One of those crispy blue days that reminds everyone who was here that day of 9-11.

Still preparing “mushy” meals. How many ways can I scramble eggs? Meatloaf, anyone? How about applesauce? Not to mention ice cream.

Guess who is coming for dinner?

A redtail hawk lands on the roof next door.
A redtail hawk lands on the roof next door.

AND

He swoops off in quest of dinner.
He swoops off in quest of dinner.

Taken with the ZS15 from inside my living room. The hawk only stayed around for a couple of minutes. Glad the ZS15 was handy. Maybe he’ll come land on my ledge some day. We have lots of nice tasty looking starlings.

Getting Ready…

Young Starling
Young Starling – taken from inside with the ZS15

Over the last couple of weeks, our summer visitors, the starlings have changed behaviour. Mating/nesting/hatching activities have ended. And most evenings a couple of dozen starlings show up on our ledges for what appears to be a social gathering. It would appear that they are sizing up potential travelling companions for this fall’s migration.

I continue to be way too busy with my volunteer job. Just when I think I am going to be getting back to a lazy 3 mornings a week routine, something else pops up. I have just about battered our new software system into shape – but a massive upgrade is scheduled for next week. My fall migration can not come soon enough!

My summer “vacation” – how does one have “vacation” when one is retired? My vacation was cancelled due to Carlton’s medical issues. I am having a fantasy about hopping a plane maybe in early October to maybe Iceland to try to catch some northern lights. “They” say this fall “might” be awesome.

Bolivian Dance Festival

Bolivian Dance Festival
Bolivian Dance Festival

On the Sunday closest to the Feast of the Assumption, every Bolivian dance troupe in Virginia comes to the church across the street (a Spanish language Anglican Church). It is always huge fun. But, there is so much going on in a very small space – so photography is sort of iffy. This year, my head shots were best.

Little Girls
Little Girls …

AND

Big Girls
Big Girls

The Ephemera Project

A slide from Carlton's collection
A slide from Carlton’s collection

In 1965, Carlton was busily doing a cost assessment of nuclear war. Those were the days!

Some photos are almost beyond saving. So, the lesson here is: If you have any old color snapshots around the house rescue them ASAP.

A Kodak snaphot from 1954 is beyond help.
A Kodak color snaphot from 1954 needs more help than I can give it.
scan0232-Edit-3
This is as good as I can get it.

 

Old B/W Prints

Old Diner in Colonial Beach
Old Diner in Colonial Beach

When we moved out of the house I dumped a bunch of B/W prints. I still have some left. But, I am no Margaret Bourke-White. After I am gone, and I will be “going”, no one is going to want my old prints.

So, I am scanning them and will try to trash them. I have two archival boxes of ephemera. So, they are next on my crazed digitizing project.

When you die, you should leave nothing behind. I might leave a stack to photo books behind. But, they will be real easy to cart off to the trash room in the old ladies home.

Still back in ND in the last century

Carlton and the Little Missouri River
Carlton and the Little Missouri River

I didn’t take enough photos when I was in ND. Don’t know why not. There was lots to photograph. But, I was using color film. And, it was expensive to buy and process.

Speaking of expensive. Airfares to Kona this winter is out of sight. But, I made reservations today. Heading out Sunday, November 10. Mr C is having a hernia repaired on September 6 and he wants 8 weeks to “recover”. He should be recovered in 8 days. But, we remember what happened with his “little” skin cancer surgery this spring.

For the last 5 years or so we have gotten to Kona on Alaska and/or Delta. This year Alaska/Delta will take 20 – 35 hours to get from DC to Kona. Yes, boys and girls, 20 – 35 hours. This is at their “cheapest” rates. US Air is will to haul us from DCA to KOA for $860 in less than 14 hours, steerage. Or $882 in less than 14 hours, 1st class. We be riding in Row 3 this year. I am sure that USAir 1st class will be only mediocre. But, it is bound to be $22 better than steerage.

slipcovered sheep

ND State Fair
ND State Fair

This is one of my favorite memories of North Dakota. Slipcovered sheep at the State Fair. Last summer when I stepped off the train in Minot ND for a “smoke break”… What should I see, but the ND State Fair.

I took the following photo on that smoke break. All these years later, ND is still fascinating to us city folk.

 

My guess, This guy in not from North Dakota.
My guess, This guy in not from North Dakota.

Well…

Picture Rocks National Lakeshore - ca 1997
Picture Rocks National Lakeshore – ca 1997

Well, the Declutter Program is over. It wasn’t a resounding success. Maybe one bag of stuff to trash and 3 bags to give away. Trash has been taken out. One bag has been given away and two more bags are scheduled for a trip to Goodwill. Problem is there is no reason to declutter. Have space for everything. No move on the radar.

Wow – windows open. The canons are blasting away at Ft. Myers. Hope we are not being invaded. Think it must be some special Tattoo Ceremony.

About the photo – I must have taken that picture on the way back east from one of our summers in exciting downtown Medora ND, population 101. 20 years later the population is 112.

What The….

Another One from ND - Tatakana - the tail is UP and as I recall - that means look out.
Another from ND – Tatakana – the tail is UP and as I recall – that means look out.

What the … Amazon just bought our dead tree newspaper, the venerable Washington Post. The good people who brought down Richard Nixon. Does this mean I have to sign up for Amazon Prime to get my paper delivered same day?

It is like discovering that your Grandmother ran off with the UPS man.