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South Kakkalacky - part 4

Went on a drive this afternoon, and just had to share this series.

God Loves a Terrier

God loves a terrier
Yes he does!
God loves a terrier --
that's because
brown sturdy bright and true
they give their hearts to you
God didn't miss a stitch
be it dam or be it bitch
when he made the Norwich merrier
with his cute little 'derrier'
Yes God loves a terrier!

If you haven't watched Best in Show, you might not get it. But this little terrier made me think of the song.

Twilight stillness

These photos belie the fact that I was walking Zeus, which is anything BUT still!

Blackberries

Y'all remind me in July to pick these! They're across the sidestreet from my house, and the bees are all over them today.

Do we have an approximate ETA on that?

The spirituality that drove this well-meaning soul to place this sign in my path doesn't resonate with me. At all. I don't get it. I can't imagine he'd think this would be effective in....what? Getting someone to convert to his religion? Getting people to clean up their acts, and fast? Spreading peace and beauty and truth and goodness into the universe? I see these kinds of messages occasionally on the roadside, and thought this one looked particularly ominous today with the thunderclouds behind it.

Tattooed Twin

I came out into the mall lot today and saw that my car had a twin. Can you guess which twin I am? Probably not too hard for most to guess.

I used not to be that way. I used to never put any kinds of stickers on my car. In fact, until last year those cars would have been truly twins. But then I had to go and get opinionated about Walmart, I had to show school spirit, I had to buy an Apple, I had to indulge my outfitter-store-employed kids. It's kinda funny to me all you can learn about someone by the car they drive and the stickers they allow...wonder what people think of me?

I've blurred the license plates because of my uber-nefarious readership. :-)

Scarface

...starring George Washington.

Steering a course through a sea of green

OK, I must be obsessed. How could one possibly milk one spigot for two photos?? I mean, really. With all the diversity of the world, and all the glory of springtime, you'd think I'd be going for an alternative. But for some reason this lonely misfit of a spigot catches my attention. The grass has grown and the spigot is all but invisible. Today it made me think of a ship's wheel.

Salute to art

You're gonna have to indulge me. I couldn't pick just one. Too many beautiful sights, too beautiful a day, to be stingy with the photos. All these were taken at the art festival.


Belly dancers. Not the greatest photo, but I loved the form and shadow and movement, despite the bad focus.


Fiber art. Just love the texture and color, even though it's probably not something I'd purchase and hang.


With temps in the 80s, it's pretty hard to resist a waterfall.


I loved this piece, made of hundreds of little paper boxes. I liked the photo because the festival activity is reflected in it.

Early Morning Saturday at the Farmers' Market

Boomtown

Our area is the 5th largest area of growth in the United States. And it shows. Everywhere there are buildings popping up, like mushrooms after rain. Part of the reason is that there was this billionaire recluse who lived in a mobile home; he amassed a chunk of contiguous land, and never allowed it to be developed. When he died, he left it to a local university to be developed for their benefit. Essentially, it is enough land to build a new city, within our city, upon. And so the planners have planned, and the infrastructure has been laid, and the city is rising. But even before this donation, and for many reasons, it's been a boomtown around here.

All that as background. I've featured two recently-built office buildings that are on my well-travelled path. The first I really like. It is the headquarters for Hubbell Lighting. It is lit with blue lights at night, and the architecture is nice. If you ever drive I-85 through these parts, you'll see it hanging over the interstate. I could have gotten a better view from the interstate, but it wasn't worth risking my life over.



This one, part of a hospital complex, well, it reminds me of those plastic suction cups that stick things on glass. I imagine a giant sheet of glass descending from the heavens and this building sticking to it, so that when the glass ascends back to the heavens, it would take this building with it in situ. I know, I think weird thoughts. But what IS the function of all those suction cups on the roof?

Artisphere

Bill and I went to an opening night party for a local art show. Although it was raining, we enjoyed great food, drinks, and music under the tent. The photo is of a decorated tree under the tent. Below is some of the great food: deep fried risotto (shaped to look like pears) over fresh mushroom marinara.

Fireworks

This mahonia plant made me think of a fireworks explosion. They're such interesting plants.

Yoga class

I like the way yoga practice makes me feel: aware, quiet, flexible, fit, meditative, reflective, intentional.

Spigot in a Sea of Green

High Cotton

I took two of my boys out for brunch today after mass at a restaurant overlooking the river, called High Cotton. And high cotton it is! It's a beautiful, airy contemporary space with delish food, impeccable service, and rich coffee. We had the best seats in the house. I had cream cheese stuffed French toast; C had Eggs Benedict; and G had Steak and Eggs -- yes, these are safe choices but they ARE teenagers after all, and I had a sweet tooth! We sat right beside the keyboard and bass duo, and listened to jazz. We rarely do a brunch thing, and it was a nice departure from the ordinary.

Catching up

Saturday in large part was spent catching up on reading my magazines by the fire. A day with no schedule! How great is THAT?!

Assemblage

This is an intersection through which I often travel. It's a funky corner: the yoga studio, an independent record store, and a cafe (called the Bohemian) are just out of sight to the left. The elements appear as if in layers: the public sculpture (a tree?), the old pickup truck, the mural of dancing children, the Budweiser truck (it's frequently there), the Drop In Store, and the house in the background. I dunno. It is an intersection that always makes me take an extra look.

The Soda Shop

Walking into this soda shop is like walking into a Where's Waldo? picture. There's so much going on everywhere you look!

Aha!

It's so rare, catching Clark in a teeth-baring smile! He tried his best but I caught him anyway.

Tanner's Big Orange

Clark and I stopped by an old, tatty local restaurant famous for their orange punch and hot dogs. I just liked the angles in this view as we drove around back through the drive-through.

Skin deep

Self-portrait (in need of moisturizer) in photo I. In photo 2, the skin is on a drum brought to me by a friend from Uganda.

Good Catholic Family (van)

...and one more on the way! I returned one of Clark's friends to his home from spending the night, and his family's car caught my eye.

Opening Night

NOT free-range hens

Those Peeps get started early in life, laying colored eggs.

The Time Between

Holy Saturday is always a bit odd for me....the mourning, deprivation, and somber sensibility that marks Good Friday morphs into a held breath: some anticipatory suspension of belief awaiting...what? A different outcome? To wake up from a bad dream? A resurrection?

This photo (obviously not chosen for its artistic merit) shows the sanctuary of the church as it exists only on Good Friday and Holy Saturday....bereft. No candles, no statues, no vestments, no Host. A stripped stone altar; a tabernacle with door flung open announcing that yep, No One Special is here. A completely empty thing.

I've given up hope before, and I've experienced a resurrection before, of sorts. But that period between, that emptyness -- perhaps it's a necessary place to exist, but gratefully short, just as the time between Good Friday and Easter is short. God must know we just can't wait too long for our resurrections to arrive.

Black/White

I spent most of the day in activities appropriate to Good Friday....but at the end of the day, I just had to get practical and go shopping for something to wear! I liked the contrasts in this shot.

Happy things

This is the view from the hammock, where I spent over an hour today.


And this...is a Tshirt made for my by Judy. If you'll notice the tag, it is printed using my photo posted last week of the swimming pool. The shirt design is made of collaged photos from the beach trip, words, curlicues, and assorted this-n-that. She has got incredible creativity and vision. I love it.

A dog's life

Zeus engages in some 'inappropriate sniffing', then glances back to see if he is being watched.



Then he gets some face time with his best friend Nanook.

Friend

My friend Beth and I got pedicures yesterday. She's got a bum toe and has to get it painted to disguise the black part. So we went to this nail artist who paints little miniatures. Put a flower on her toe (and food in her stomach) and Beth is among the most companionable people on the planet, and a fabulous friend.

Why is this night different than all other nights?

Last night was the first Seder of Passover, and as we've done for the past 24 years we celebrated with our friends the Lassers and their extended family and friends. Last night's gathering had people ranging from 16 months to 96 years. This is my youngest son Clark. L'Chaim!

Palm Sunday

On days like this, I love being Catholic. It's all very moving: the procession with palm fronds, the a capella chants and hymns, the gospel reading (during which the congregation shouts, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"), the incense, the veiled statuary... the whole experience. It really makes Holy Week more meaningful for me.