Blah No More

I've been having a pretty crappy day.  Sinuses are all plugged up, stupid people are everywhere I turn, and I'm tired.  The 2 hr. dozing nap helped a little, but not enough.  Guess it's definitely time to turn to the photos for a mood lifter!

I went out to Cox Arboretum the other day, mostly to see the new tree tower and see if I could make it to the top of it.  Physically that wasn't an issue.  Mentally and emotionally, I didn't quite make it.  I'm afraid of heights.  This structure is wooden, with a beautiful spiral staircase.  It was a very windy day.  Whether or not it really happened, by the time I neared the top, I felt slight movement in the structure and decided I'd gone high enough.  It was high enough to get some good shots of the tops of trees w/ the leaves changing color, as well as some of the pine cones clustering near the tops of trees.  I was VERY glad to get back down to solid ground.

Now that I selected the pics to share w/ y'all, I really am in a better mood.  I'm hoping that once they're uploaded to the blog and I make a few comments, I'll be well on my way to a good mood!

No, Mr. Duck, when you live at a MetroPark, you have absolutely NO privacy.  Besides, you're so gorgeous, you should be used to people stopping and staring at you.

Once again, I was as intrigued by the shadows as what caused the shadows . . .

Nice, bright, and colorful flowers that just made me smile.

The newly opened tree tower.  Pretty cool, but this girl prefers to be on the ground level . . . it was worth the climb, and I will try again to see if I can make it to the top.

Looking up at the tree tower from the ground.  Love the symmetry and geometric shapes.

I liked the way this tree looked at ground level, but there was something more intriguing about it when seen from above.

These branches were relatively close to the tree tower, several landings up.  I think I made it at least one more landing up after this one!

Back down on terra firma, I looked up to see these pine cones almost directly above me (quite a few feet above me, really).

I really like the Monet bridge, and thought it was interesting through the trunks of two trees.

More colorful flowers that made me smile.

This contortionist duck made me laugh, too.  I got about 5 shots of her preening, but this is my favorite.

In all of the trips I've made to Cox Arboretum, I've always looked for this border collie, Zipp.  He is a working dog at the park who keeps the geese away from the pathways.  This was the first time I'd sighted him, so I had to make sure I got a picture of him.  He seemed more interested in keeping an eye on the people walking around than on these ducks.  But since they weren't near the pathways, I'll cut him a break!  Would have LOVED to have been able to pet and play with him, but he was working.  Darn it!

Yes, I'm in a MUCH better place than I was when I started this post, emotionally speaking.  One of the many reasons I love photography - it has the ability to transport me to another place and time and completely change my mood.  When I'm out looking for pictures, it does the same thing, so it's definitely a win/win situation.

Crafty Nature?

I don't think many people who know me would ever accuse me of thinking inside the box.  Today has proven no exception!

I started the day finishing off one craft project, and trying another (no photo of it yet, that's another post!).  I made three of the "Awards" pictured for the nurses who participated in the skits during the Alzheimer's Association presentation.

That's a little plastic pink pig I spray painted gold, a small wooden plaque I spray painted the stone finish, and a small craft stick I used my label maker to cover.  How easy it was (once I found the right plaque and craft stick) to do this!  The surprise will be when the nurses get them; I'm trying to see if I can get the Executive Director to present them in a staff meeting.  And yes, these are the highly coveted Hammy Awards.


While I was waiting for some of the sealant and/or glue to dry, I lounged outside enjoying the backyard atmosphere again.  I waffled for several hours about where I'd go today to get some more nature shots, but finally went with a friend's suggestion.  I went back to Wegerzyn Gardens.

But, once I got there, I didn't take my previous path; nope, I took a LONG and meandering path.  I don't know what the plant above is, but I thought it was interesting, and I liked how the background washed of colors complement the colors of the buds.  Crafty nature.

Love how there's something growing on the roof of this building.  I'm not sure if it's grass or what, but it's certainly interesting.  Crafty Nature.

I know some of you will laugh when I admit I didn't know chipmunks made chirping noises.  I thought I was hearing a bird when I ran across this little guy.  Loved how he froze when I got "close enough" and then turned around, ready to run when I took another step.  Crafty Nature.

Loved the sun shining so the railing made a nice pattern on the "boardwalk".  Crafty Nature.

I think the sun was the main reason for most of my interesting shots today, especially this fern.  From another angle, with the light hitting it differently, it looked rather boring.  I found this kind of mesmerizing with the symmetry and contrast of the dark dots with the lighter frond.  Crafty Nature.

Found plenty of evidence on this tree of woodpeckers in the area!  Crafty Nature.

I thought this was a beautiful addition - the quote says "The energy of the mind is the essence of life."  Crafty.  Nature.

I have some of these pop up in the middle of the back yard!  Volunteer strawberry plants.  Crafty Nature.

I have no idea what this plant is, but it certainly stopped me in my tracks and almost demanded I take it's picture.  Crafty Nature.

I don't know if I can describe this tree adequately.  I was in the middle of the path and I leaned my head back to look up.  This is what I saw directly above me . . . the branches arching over the pathway (it seemed they were about a gazillion feet above me, too).  Crafty Nature.

Yes, even Mother Nature re-purposes!  Plants growing out of a fallen branch or log.  Crafty Nature.

I wasn't sure how the photo above would turn out.  I really like it though.  The sun was shining SO brightly that while my view showed a lot of leaves in varying shades of green, the result was an almost complete black.  I need to clean the camera lens because I can see the "flare" spots from dust or spots on the lens.  I like them here though . . . maybe I'll hold off on that cleaning!  Crafty. Nature.

This is called a "gall" - where a fungus or parasite infested the tree, and the tree responded.  Crafty Nature.

 I'm guessing this is the red-headed step child of the moss family.  Crafty Nature.

Does anybody else think "The Scream" by Edvard Munch??  Crafty Nature!!

A couple of topiary dogs "guarding" an entrance to the Children's Discovery Garden.  Crafty.  Nature.


Not only was it a day of crafts and nature, some of the crafting was to benefit nature, and some of nature was definitely crafty (in almost every aspect of the word).  adjective cunning, scheming, sly, devious, knowing, designing, sharp, calculating, subtle, tricky, shrewd, astute, fraudulent, canny, wily,insidious, artful, foxy, deceitful, duplicitous, tricksy, guileful 
open, simple, frank, innocent, ethical, naive, honest, candid, ingenuous, wet behind the ears


I'm liking the idea of crafty nature; it certainly keeps me on my toes and keeps me looking for new and interesting.

Looking Up

It's been an interesting day.  I had been looking forward to getting some laundry and other things done around the house, just taking my time and then reading and watching movies.  I only got the watching movies part done, and not at MY house!

I'd been up, but not ready to do much of anything other than make a couple of phone calls, and sometime before noon my niece texted me.  I knew immediately that meant she was home from school, which wasn't a good thing.  She's been having a lot of stomach pains, nausea, & vomiting.  She's been to several doctors, and is due for an upper GI on Tuesday.  But, since going off some of the meds she had been on that weren't really helping, she's been vomiting more.  That's why she was home today.  Anyway, she was hoping for some lunch, which I got and took to her.  It was not something that stayed with her for very long.

I feel badly for her because it's been going on for several months, and none of the doctors seem to be able to pinpoint exactly what the problem is.  At almost 15, that's a tough age to be going through all of this (not that there's a good or easy age to go through it).  Regardless, it was great to be able to spend most of the day with her.

I took these pictures of the sky and clouds just outside my sister's and her family's house.  I loved the contrast of the darker clouds with the fluffy white clouds, as well as the blue sky and the green leaves of the trees.


I didn't realize the pics would also be so representative of the day!


When I arrived, my niece was doing OK.  Not great, but not horrible, either.  She ate her chicken sandwich and baked potato, and for a while, seemed to be doing better.  Thought good thoughts too soon, I guess.  I took some Sprite and took the fizziness out of it and had her sip that, which seemed to stay down the longest.


We did manage to watch two movies, one of which always makes me cry.  I love it, and I hate it.  She was watching "She's the Man" when I arrived, and it was kind of a cute movie (Amanda Bynes is adorable in almost everything she does though).  I was glad I got to see it, and that we could watch it together.  Next up was the tearjerker, "The Notebook."  


It's one thing to watch that movie from an objective standpoint, but once you know someone with any form of dementia (Alzheimer's is just one form of dementia, but the most widely diagnosed form), it takes on a whole new layer of meaning.


I'm sure by now you're wondering how in the world clouds, sky, and trees are representative of puking, crying, and dementia.  Well, the fluffy clouds and blue sky remind me of when things are going well; there's no sign of "threatening" weather or troubles ahead, just days where our plans move along and life cooperates with us.  The dark clouds remind me of when I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop; I know something not so good is going to be happening, I just don't know when or how severe it will be.  The leaves and the trees remind me that we survive those "dead" periods when everything seems to be going wrong or at least not much is going right.  Once we are firmly rooted in God, the storms, disasters, diseases, and emotional turmoil are survivable.  They still aren't easy to deal with, but we know who is ultimately in control, and know it will be OK.


I've discovered that looking up is almost always a positive move.

Springing!

I love spring!  Getting over the winter doldrums, seeing plants come back to life, baby animals, flowers blooming, and that bright yellow thing in the sky . . . oh, yeah, that's the sun.  There are a couple of places I like to go to take nature pictures (I'm trying to broaden those horizons, though), and I thought I'd share some spring photos.

Eastwood Metro Park
Loved the blue sky that day and was looking for
a different perspective.

Eastwood Metro Park
The clean lines and emptiness caught my attention.

Crocus (not sure where!)
One day I will have some of these in my yard.  I think they
are beautiful, and a SURE sign of spring!

Charleston Falls
I like coming here at different times of the
day to take advantage of shadow and
light changes. 

Charleston Falls
For some reason, the rocks at the bottom of the falls
caught my eye and held it.

Charleston Falls
I wasn't keen on that bare branch at the top, but now I kind
of like the contrast w/ the green on the right.  Loved the
movement of the water.

I haven't been out to Eastwood Metro Park or Charleston Falls yet this spring, but I'll be out there soon.

It's nice looking out the window and seeing color again.  The grass is definitely green in SW Ohio (and needing me to get out the lawnmower), plants are blooming, temps are higher than normal, bees are buzzing, and I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of hummingbirds.  The squirrels and I are about to do out dance w/ the bird feed . . . what will I try to keep them out of it, and what will they come up with to get into it?

It's also time for me to start cranking out the homemade suet.  I can't believe how much the birds (and squirrels) love it.  I found several recipes on the internet, but have begun adding cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, and chipotle pepper to those recipes to keep the squirrels out.  Love the antics the squirrels exhibit, but just wish they didn't take so much of the bird food.

Read this morning that we have a freeze watch until 3/27 @ 10:00 a.m.  Don't know how that will affect the plants, but at least I haven't planted anything yet!  I'll have to bring in one plant that I bought a couple of days ago, but everything else has already wintered.  Just when you get used to warmer, nice weather, it changes.  Sounds about like everything in life - nothing is as constant as change.