ABC Revisiting G

On our very first snowshoeing expedition we went to the Nisqually Vista on a Ranger guided walk. Conditions were incredible that day--I've never seen them better though we have taken that route many times since--and I was enjoying the 10x zoom on my then new camera (three cameras ago) to pick up these adventurous snowboarders near the terminus of Nisqually Glacier.

G is for Glacier 

This revisit of a G adventure is brought to you as part of ABC Wednesday Round 9. Thanks Denise.

What's up with tattoos?

I don't really understand the drive to get a tattoo anyway.

But why would you tattoo "Vegan" across your back? A statement, I suppose.

Makes you wonder.

Are all tattoo inks free of animal products?

What is her purse made of?



There was another tattoo shot I wish I could have gotten this week. But my pocket camera was tucked away in my purse and probably would not have worked anyway as it is really acting weird.

I was having lunch at a fast food place and across from me was a tattooed man. Well, not from head to foot, but from shoulder to wrist on both arms, this was a pretty tough looking dude -- shaved-head -- wearing motorcycle leathers. Do you need a picture? I think I might not have dared pull out the camera anyway.

And he was sweet-talking and cooing with a tiny infant.

Priceless!

What stereotypes we have!

What odd shot did you find this week?

Optical Illusion

So I know now that I am not crazy, or as I am wont to say, there isn't current evidence to the fact.

Since I got my new glasses a couple of weeks ago, I have been seeing neon--or what appears as if there were a neon light just beyond the top edge of things. Mostly it's the horizon, and mostly when the light is bright. Like this:

Can you see the difference in these two pictures from the lake? The one on the left is the original. I doctored the one on the right so it would show what I see.

When we came back from the lake, we stopped at the optical department and talked to Leo--the young technician on his own that afternoon. He didn't say I was crazy, but you could see that, having never heard of such a thing, he was a bit skeptical. He didn't know what to do, or even say, but took my number so he could call me when he had a chance to talk to Linda, the manager. I had much confidence in Linda, who had fitted my husband's glasses for several years.

He was maybe a bit more skeptical when I told him that sometimes the "aura" was green--generally if I was looking at a wheat field. I've kind of pinned it down--dark against a bright sky shows up gold. Light agains a bright sky shows lime green. Like this comparison--again, original on the left and doctored on the right:

 So Leo called earlier this week, and after some discussion about the fact that I lived 40 miles away, had a very busy two weeks coming up and two weeks of travel after that, assured me that I could bring them in any time before the middle of October and they would check them and if they needed to be replaced they would be under warantee.

Hubby and I decided today that 99º heat on a Saturday afternoon was a good reason to drive 40 miles in an air conditioned car to the air conditioned mall where I could look into the glasses issue in and air conditioned store, and we could see a movie in an air conditioned theater. That and the fact that there wasn't much playing closer.

Leo wasn't there, nor was Linda, nor was the optometrist. So I had to explain my aura to Eric, another young technician on his own this afternoon. Linda was gone for the day already. Eric was just as puzzled as Leo, but as I assured him that Leo had told me to come any time, Eric called a manager at another store and described my illusion as "halos". I heard him assure the expert that he would use more technical language in describing it.

So he told me that she had seen this happen before, very rare, and it is a defect in the lens, and that I needed to leave the glasses so they could fix them and return them in a week and a half or so.

Since I didn't have my old glasses with me as a sub, and since I did actually want to SEE the movie--not just enjoy the AC, I will have to drop the glasses off sometime later to be redone.

BTW, sometimes it is blue. And today I saw a combination that made purple.

But I am not crazy.

Sunday's Psalm--Twenty Second Sunday of Ordinary Time

from Psalm 63



Weather news

The Weather Channel says today's east coast earthquake was caused by an unknown faultline running under D.C. and through Virginia. It is now being called Obama's Fault, though Obama will say it's really Bush's Fault. Other theories are that was the founding fathers rolling over in their graves or that what we all believed to be an earthquake was actually the effects of a 14.6 trillion dollar check bouncing in Washington....

Some things ae too good not to share. I know my immediate source for this, but don't know hwere she got it.

ABC Revisiting F

It was Fall when we visited far flung Fairbanks two years ago on a cruisetour.

Thye fountain of the First Family monument

 is a favorite feature of Fairbanks.

Having a plane parked on your lawn is not all that uncommon for homes along the Chena River that flows through Fairbanks. Residents are ready to take flight at any time, much as we might hop into our Ford and head down the highway to the nearest town. It's all the same--as the nearest town is most easily reached by plane.

Fairbanks reFlects the old and the new meeting in modern Alaska. 

Find other posts for the 9th round of ABC Wednesday.

Mt. Rainier photo

I post my own photos of Mt. Rainier all the time. You know I don't give you links without their being truly outstanding. Here is a truly outstanding image of the mountain that you all should see. I have seen nothing like it. And it is a good lesson in always having the camera ready to shoot.

Using my words

Why do I always think that a post must start with a photo? It isn't a photo blog is it? I have one of thosee, too. Well, maybe this one  is a photo and word blog and it is time for some words.

This has been a very unusual summer. While we are usually off camping at least two weekends a month, we've only been out twice. Once to check out the location and then later the same month (JUNE) to camp with the kids. What is that about?

Well, what it has been about is growing older, I guess. Hard to admit it, but we are. I still chase ants with the kidlets but some of the spring has gone out of this chicken. I hope to get it back as things settle down. Will things settle down?

For much of the summer it has been twice weekly visits to North Star Lodge. These dropped to once a week four weeks ago. Despite my encouraging post about North Star here--and it IS a hopeful place--it is still a couple of hours of driving and no knowing from one time to the next if it will be an hour or an all day experience. It makes planning difficult.

Yesterday was a doctor visit at the Lodge and hubby had another bone marrow biopsy. The results of this will guide future treatment after this cycle of chemo is over in a few weeks. We hopefully await the report next week.

We have snuck a few things in--Leavenworth and a Mariners game, a day trip here and there, another quilt retreat, the couple of days at the lake last week, an occasional lunch with friends, our regular dinner on Wednesdays in an endless cycle through the local restaurants. I have even managed to hike a couple of times.

So there it is. Life goes on.

I can't do this without a picture. Just a little one.

What's odd, Anty?

Odd how a six year old and a three year old can get a grandma crawling along chasing ants with her macro lens.

Sunday's Psalm--21st Sunday of Ordinary Time

 Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,

for you have heard the words of my mouth;

in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;

I will worship at your holy temple.

 Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.

I will give thanks to your name,

because of your kindness
and your truth:

When I called, you answered me;

you built up strength within me.

 Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.

The LORD is exalted,

 yet the lowly he sees,

and the proud he knows from afar.

Your kindness, O LORD,

 endures forever;

forsake not the work of your hands.

 Lord, your love is eternal;

do not forsake the work of your hands.

from Psalm 138

Relax and Reflect

It has been a while since I have had a good shot for Weekend Reflections, but a couple of days at the lake with the kids, a low sun, and a bright float were perfect.

James sponsors Weekend Reflections.

ABC Revisiting E

View of historic Edinburgh and Edinburgh Castle from Calton Hill.

From our visit last year, here is a revisit of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. How I would love to revisit it in fact rather than just virtually and spend more time. For more views of Edinburgh see these posts from last year and these on my photoblog.

To see what others found for the letter E, look here at the ABC Wednesday site.

Odd Shot after the Parade

I didn't expect to see a gathering of couboys ordering tacos outside this Mexican restaurant the other day as I headed home after the annual local parade was over.

The light had faded too much for a later shot where I passed a number of other cowboys riding home with their cell phones to their ears.

I guess the no hand held phones while driving law does not apply to horseback riders.

Sunday's Psalm--Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary Time

O God, let all the nations praise you!

May God have pity on us and bless us;

may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.

O God, let all the nations praise you!

May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.

 O God, let all the nations praise you!

May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!

O God, let all the nations praise you!

from Psalm 67

Skywatch

I haven't done a Skywatch in a while. This was take Sunday on my way home from the coast.

Find Skywatch here.

ABC Revisiting D

How old are you?


If you aren't old enough, you missed the heyday of the TV show Death Valley Days, hosted at one time by none other than Ronald Reagan.


You may still be watching the syndicated reruns of this TV classic which  aired from 1952-1975.


The lead in to the show featured the Twenty Mule Team wagons of the sponsor, which in earlier days carried the mineral frowhich was mined in  Death Valley. This is one of those wagons.


And D is for Death Valley, which we visited in November of 2009.

The lowest place in the US and overall the hottest, temperatures top 120º F. many days of the summer. That makes November a good time to visit...

...whne you may even find a bit of water for a reflection shot.

It was difficult gong through the Death Valley photos to find just a few. Death Valley is a place that is both difficult and extremely exciting for photography. In the bright of the day ,colors can be washed out and a picture would be very flat.

But when the sun is low on the horizon and the shadows come out, the colors come to life.

Some earlier posts featuring Death Valley scenes are  here and here and here.

D is for Death Valley

Other ABC-Ds can be found here.

I had to laugh

When I came back in to help pack up library books the other day the staff had asked the city crews if they had some yellow caution tape they could use to close off the area where the packed boxes were stacked.

This is what they gave them.




I didn't think I would be able to post till later with the slow slow connection where I am at the moment. I am not going to try to get the linky code, so if you have an Odd Shot this week, please let us know in the comments.

Sunday's Psalm--Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time.

Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD — for he proclaims peace.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.


Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.


Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and prepare the way of his steps.

Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

from Psalm 85

slow

Excruciatingly slow WiFi connection at this conference center. Some can't even get online at all. Sunday's Psalm and Monday's Odd Shot will be late--after I have returned home Sunday evening.

Revisiting C

I am revisiting various places we have traveled during this round of ABC Wednesday. We have reached C, and C is for Caves.

On one of our annual Thanksgiving trips we visited Great Basin National Park and Lehman Caves.

We felt like real spelunkers as we were led through the dark passages.

Stalagmites hang down.




Stalactities build up.




looking up

 Find others playing in the ninth round of ABC Wednesday here.