sitting here, waiting for happy

I finished my SoFoBoMo book yesterday... I wish I could say that I learned something in the process; or that I feel newly inspired or have felt a sense of accomplishment. Instead, the conclusion is anticlimactic.

The summer drones on... with extreme heat and severe thunderstorms. I went to the pool yesterday morning. I like to get there early to enjoy the peace and quiet, while also getting some exercise. I can't tolerate the hottest part of the day, even in close proximity to the water. I remembered another time, a couple of years ago, when we came early to the pool. The first thing I usually do is clear the toys, floats, etc that have blocked the skimmers overnight. On that morning, when I pulled away the toys, I was greeted by two huge bullfrog eyes! Can I walk on water? Perhaps not, but I can move very quickly! Jeremiah hopped out of the skimmer basket and into the pool. He was eventually rescued and evicted from the pool area (read: over the fence). I didn't realize at the time what a happy memory this would be.

We take these moments for granted. If I had looked around me on that morning, I would have seen the happy, smiling faces of my family; not one of us could imagine that it would ever be anything different. There is a phrase "The world was made round so we would not see too far down the road."

So now I am waiting for happy, hoping I will recognize its smiling face.

sprint to the finish

I have nine days to finish my SoFoBoMo project and still need eight photos... I'm experiencing more distractions than abstractions, it seems. I need to keep clicking!

Summer is only days old, yet we are having our 10th (or 14th, I can't remember) day of 90+ degree temperatures. America has fallen in love with soccer... sort of. At least there is more interest, discussion and watching-on-tv than I have seen in the past. It's too bad that some people are so fanatical about it all. Sheesh... get a life, folks! Have a Cherry Coke!

the games people play

I am trying very hard to get into the World Cup; partly because I know that it is the number one sport in the world and also because South Africa holds a special place in my heart. I even bought a decal for my car (see above).

But... it's just so exasperating; all that exertion for very little reward. Not just scoring a goal but just getting the chance to attempt scoring a goal. I find myself thinking "If I had been playing this game since I was a little kid, I should be better at it."

And nooooooo, I am not soccer-bashing, which seems to be all too prevalent in this country. And I readily admit that I know precious little about the rules and nuances of the game. And I understand that other countries look at some of the USA games and yawn.

So I asked myself why my favorite game to watch is baseball. I think the answer is precision. The players have very specific places to stand, the location of the bases is precisely defined and the ball must cross the plate within the parameters of a very small box. And it would be impossible for a player to score a run for the opposing team.

Maybe if soccer teams had more players or if the field was smaller...

The Shrimp Boat story...

We were heading out (away from the casino, hehehe) to do some sightseeing. We spotted three shrimp boats in the inlet, headed in the same direction as us. We tried to get ahead of them, in order to have time to stop and take photos but "No Left Turn" signs kept us from getting into position.

We finally came to a traffic light, made a turn and parked next to the dock. I grabbed my camera and headed for the dock... there was one last boat headed toward me. I lifted the camera to my eye and... I couldn't see a thing! The camera was still cold from the hotel room and the outside air was hot and humid. The lens was fogged up and the boat was getting closer! I wiped the front of the lens but that didn't help much. The lens was a zoom and as they are not air-tight, the inside was also fogged up.

I took several shots anyway, hoping I would be able to bring the ship out of the mist in post-processing.

Here is the image as it came out of the camera:

catching up

I'm putting my camera down for the day. I'm caught up and on-track with my SoFoBoMo project and I can relax a little.

It's amazing how quickly you can get out of the habit of taking photos. I've been really lazy lately... seeing possible photos and not picking up the camera. This current project is giving me a nudge, but I still fell as though I am in limbo - in every aspect of my life... not just with photography.

We will see...

wait for it...

I had seen this shot back in March, when I took this photo:

... but I didn't take the time to get it. We were on the same route yesterday and pulled off the highway to get the "8" image.

Meanwhile, I have lots of photos to process from my week traversing the Southeast. I have no shots of oil on the beaches though because while we were there, the oil hadn't reached the Mississippi coast... I doubt it will remain untouched for long.

SoFoBoMo Cover

Abstraction is the process or result of generalization by reducing the information content of a concept or an observable phenomenon, typically to retain only information which is relevant for a particular purpose.

Distraction is the diversion of attention of an individual or group from the chosen object of attention onto the source of distraction. Distraction is caused by one of the following: lack of ability to pay attention; lack of interest in the object of attention; greater interest in something other than the object of attention; or the great intensity, novelty or attractiveness of something other than the object of attention.

I finally settled on a theme/topic for my SoFoBoMo project. I feel good about it and I think it is broad enough to give me options, yet narrow enough to provide a cohesiveness to the 35 photos. My initial book description is "the art of seeing".  How often do we "see" things because our brain makes assumptions and fills in the blanks... and our lazy eyes just fall in step? "Yep, that's an apple.(or a bridge or a boat)" But if we just see, just look - at the shapes, the light and dark, the lines - it doesn't matter what "it" is, only that our eyes take control and the brain follows.

"A thing is not what you say it is or what you photograph it to be or what you paint it to be or what you sculpt it to be. Words, photographs, paintings, and sculptures are symbols of what you see, think, and feel things to be, but they are not the things themselves." Wynn Bullock

the doldrums

There are no waves, no currents to carry me.

T he days and weeks fly by and yet I have not moved.

I sit, holding on to my piece of wreckage and I wait.

I made a splash once and nearly lost it all.

I floundered into the unsure waters, with the greatest of confidence.

And discovered, almost too late, that it was just a mirage.

So now, I survive and wonder.

"Given the choice between the experience of pain and nothing, I would choose pain." ~ William Faulkner

the cat worrier

So Now... I have become the cat worrier. There was a heavy downpour last night and I could hear the Mama cat meowing on the deck. I opened the back door, she wouldn't come inside. I opened the garage door and put out some fresh food to lure her inside - no go. So I finally put a tarp over a couple of chairs and gave her a place to at least get out of the rain. I should add that there is a very large dog house that I bought for the outside cats last winter and it is ten feet away from the deck; a nice, cozy, dry refuge that they refuse to use now.

And I worry about her three little kittens. They are so afraid of humans that if I open the door while they are playing on the deck, they immediately jump off and hide underneath the deck. There is a reason I'm not a farmer...