Signs 3

.

.

.

Yep, that's what I thought, "Pleasant" is a one way street...

.

.

.

.

I get to read these every time I go pick up the mail uptown.

Sign (1)

Signs 2

.

Two pic dialogue stories:

Dinghyspeak (Jan '08)

Daft (April '08)

The Domino Effect

.

.

.

Someone dumped a large clump of cut branches on the side of the road on top of leaves next to the woods. If only they could have put it five feet more, the sticks wouldn't be in the way of staying on your side of the small street. Every time in the past few days I've swung over a few feet for the turn into the driveway, the sticks were in the way, threatening to scratch paint off Little Truck if I wasn't careful.

.

Finally I had time after errands in the dark to go move the large, clumpy pile off the road. It's the first time in weeks I hadn't brought a little flashlight with me. Luckily I could see fairly well by the streetlamp, just before touching the sticks, that they were covered with large thorns.

.

The branches were parts of a large Rose bush. Without gloves, I wouldn't be able to pick it up. I muttered, "Have I mentioned how much I hate Lazy People?" while using my feet to kick the stuck-together bunch further towards the bamboo, n get the stick-ends parallel to the road, instead of sticking out towards vehicles moving on the street.

.

Daylight will be needed to do a better clean-up of the situation. The problem compounded into becoming more work n missed sleep hours for me again! Then I still had several loads of groceries to bring up into the house n put away. After I had all the bags upstairs I noticed yet another clean-up issue.

.

While moving the thorny branches with my shoes, I'd also managed to find dog-droppings along the way! I removed my shoes, put on another pair, n wiped n washed the soil off. "Have I mentioned how much I hate trying to do things in the dark?" Finally I got to the point of being able to put away the store stuff. Whew!

Apparently, I just don't have enough chores to do yet. Going to do one thing, turned into a very long list...

More Uni FX

.

.

.

With everyone busy on the road n with family dinner get-togethers, football, sleep overs, n shopping activities, I bet bloggy will be a slow traffic week-end compared to usual.

.

I think this effect came out well. Again, I'm taking a cropped photo of an original oil painting I did awhile back, n applying PaintShop Pro effects to it. This way, I figure, the original remains secret, plus I get a whole new art work out of it. (n I get to play) I miss this piece, which is currently in someone else's home, in it's original colors.

.

My Thanks Day plans aren't very elaborate... artwork

Light Day

.

Motovating factor clearing up some space, I finally made it to recycling today. I only get there a few times per year. Between the hall, backroom, n the shed, I filled up the whole truck back with bags of cluncky plastic bottles, tin cans, cardboard, n glass bottles. .

Most folks get curbside town service, but here I'd have to pay a private company. So I wash n save the stuff, n when it starts falling all over the place, I give up sleep hours to deliver it during the three hours, twice per week time slice the Recycle Center is open.

.

The weather report had informed me Day Off was expected to be partly sunny, so timing was good for Party Sunny too! After only a couple hours of shut-eye, I managed to get up n move it in time. I ran store errands, made it to the post office, n then I went on a walk around the village n front beach to get more light in.

.

The sky was hazy with high clouds, some blue visible in places. There was some sunshine getting thru tho. I spied alot of these nifty, large, Cherry-tomato-like berries on the bluffs. I wonder if they're toxic? I wasn't tempted to eat them, but took pics. (Hope little kids don't)

.

I got home with a few hours of daylight left to the afternoon. After putting away my store goods, I went out to clear more leaves off the deck with Mischief. After seeing another kitty out in the yard, she was really good, staying upstairs instead of starting a fight. The nieghbors were out, n I raked part the yard, even tho leaves were still a bit soggy.

.

There was alot of trash in the woods directly across the road. Bottles n cups were over there, then I found a huge pair of sopping wet, high-top black boots! Yikes, the dumping gets me angry... It's like trying to sweep the waves back into the ocean picking up that stuff.

.

Which reminds me I recently saw a DVD "Home" with awesome, arial Earth pics in it- anyone else watch it? It makes you think about water a whole new way. (Sorry Paige, I wasn't referring to your recent happenings, tho it sure seems like it!) Wish I could stop folks from messing up the environment, basically. Al Gore was just on SNL again with a Green-Week message I totally agree with...

.

This week I finally watched the new "Star Trek" movie, n think it's really good on many levels. I'm not a hard core Trekkie, but have been watching the different series n the movies too, ever since I was a child. I love Sci-Fi, but I hope living in space is never better than living on Earth!

.

Before daylight was even over, I did more work on the backroom. Still have to do window-frame painting before moving everything so I can Paint the last fourth of the room. It was still warm enough, here at the end of November in New England, to open the windows! (This is a freak happenstance).

.

It's also unusual that I'm able to get up n function all day without enough sleep, n enjoy the daylight. TG it's Day Off so I don't have to work tonight- cause now I'm really feeling pooped!

.

Now, back to the relaxing portion of Day Off...

Time Vessel

Sands drain to the lower glass,

I'm reminded of the past,

All I'd thought would be different.

.
The gears of time burn

But much does not change.

Names, faces, people,

How they affect me.

How to get through a tough day.

.
Always fighting to stay afloat.

Don't lose the paddle to the boat.

Thought I'd be somewhere else by now.

.
So tempting to toss away

Start anew, pack light,

But the anchors hold.

Tho I chomp the line-

Dream of better times...

.

poem

artwork

Out There

.

.

.

A month ago I visited my fav place on Earth, n took this pic of Kite-Surfer Dude. You know, I've been watching these guys for several decades n still have no idea what their names are...

.

They always seem to head over my direction to give me a show-off display of skill. I'm sure they remember me, too. Someday I might get up the gumption to go over n ask as they pack-up. (there are two guys) I get really brave like that sometimes. I haven't made it back there this month yet.

.

The earlier Eastern-Daylight-savings-time schedule has really messed up my outing regimen. I'm having alot of trouble getting up earlier to get more sunshine into my day. (I get seasonally depessed with less sunlight) When lucky, I'll get to glimpse sunshine out the window before I head out to work, because by then it's always heading around the planet already.

.

Always, it's a fight to get up, n sleep less as a trade off. More Sun, Less Rest... But that's what I'll have to do to get back out there. I'm getting to the "have to" point.

Good thing I have these pics to remind me why I want to-

Ida No

For those readers worrying about the latest storm, I'm reporting that nothing too exciting happened here on the south-facing Cape Area today.
.
The tide is astronomically high (Spring Tide) this week, n at 6 this am the water was way up at the very top of the boat-ramp beach. I went out on the deck to check before going to sleep today. I could see the water up near the sea-wall top from the window. We've had some spotty rain at periods thru the day, but nothing torrential. I'd already raked the storm drain of leaves yesterday, after hearing rain was on the way, to head that flood-option off at the pass. I'm lucky to be on a hill, but keep an eye out for the folks down the hill near the M-cove.
.
When in doubt, if you want to track a storm, n you know a bit of geograpghy, you can click the "Infared Satellite" Link in my sidebar to get a live radar of the East half of the USA n the Atlantic ocean. Of course if there were a prob here, I wouldn't be online to update without power...
.
Today I got up after only a few hours of shut-eye, n went out for a few errands. Then I came home n fell asleep again a few more hours. I got up really late due to that interruption, with less than an hour of grey, drizzley outdoor light. I didn't take any photos, n promptly got back to more errands n chores. The temps this week have been in the balmy 50F range. The warmth is great, in spite of the grey, dark, murkiness.

On the way back tonight after 7pm, the water was way up on the Boulevarde beach down the hill on M-cove, but not spilling into the road at peak tide. (Maybe 10 feet away.) The winds have been gusty all day, n mostly from the NorthEast, not affecting this place as much as South of Boston beaches. The wind was strong enough to knock over the six-foot Blue-Spruce tree-in-a-barrel on the deck tho, n there's a good eighty pounds of soil in there...
-I righted it after the winds died down, n all is well.
.


Halfway thru the Month already, n there's barely a dozen pics in the folder so far! Here's one, in sepia tone, of pine cone clusters down next to the M-cove Marsh pic from last week. I'm sure they were covered under the high water today.

I hear Ocean City New Jersey n Viginia Beach zones weren't as lucky...

Two Mystery

.

.

.

Twice altered with different effects, these unique images both came from the same simple subject photo found on my Mystery Roll in September. I'm wasting alot of time doing more n more of these fun experiments lately.

.

.

.

I'm working hard to get more fun into my free time. Really, I should be doing laundry- I find both of these appealing, n can't choose between them.

.

I love that they look nothing like the ordinary thing it is in reality...

.

(Care to guess?)

.............................

The Original Photo

Salute

To all who've served freedom-

The injured returned,
Ones who were lost,

Three World Wars
Police actions intense.



Infantry, Calvary, Navy, Seals,

Air Force, Marine, Special Forces,

Uniforms, medals, colors,
Bars, Stripes, n Stars,



Veterans all, living n past.

The free salute you!

.
.
.
These pics were taken at a rest area Veterans Memorial on my way home from northern Vermont at the end of August, n saved specifically for this day's post.

Yel Low

.
.
.
One morning this past week I stuck my cam out the kitchen window in the crisp air to grab this bright sunrise over the B-cove. Soon after, it was beddy-bye time. Later I awoke to the rain. It has been cold. Now time to return to work again, n here comes the warmth.


There were so many errands to run today, I didn't get many chores done this Day Off. I'll be catching up all week. Have I mentioned recently that I really hate shopping on Saturdays due to the crowds? I hate blocked isles slowing me down.
.
All these huge vine leaves out the window are down now, along with most of the woods.

As predicted the marsh grass down near M-cove has lost most of the yellow hue it had earlier before I got there today. When I drove by here yesterday, there was a Blue Heron wading right here. Even tho the sky was blue, cam only recorded the haze, n only the water reflection shows it.
.
I've had a pretty low-key day...

Only Three

.

.

.

A city in my state, Dudley MA, has a Three Cat Limit Law. Anyone with more than three must apply for a kennel license, n if the home isin't zoned in the right area for it, license will be denied. They are fining folks $100 dollars per day if they have more than three felines. The woman in this article owes $1700 so far!

She's trying to sell the house n move, because she won't put down her rescued friends.

.

I know several folks who'd be very distressed at being confronted with that situation. I wonder what happens if a cat has kittens?

.

Currently, I only have one cat, Mischief. But when I aquired her abandoned mother with three, unweaned, female kittens, I already had two cats. It took time to find some of them homes. Still, I ended up with four cats for a while, until old age n illness thinned down the number over the years.

.

In our town you have to own a certain amount of acreage to have large livestock such as horses, cattle, sheep, n goats. Most yards n cottages here are small. Alot of local folks have chickens, which wake up every one crowing at all hours, or dogs outside that bark when owners aren't there.

.

Felines are small, quiet, easy to fit in small homes, n usually an easy to care for animal. When is it too much for the government to decide what pets you should allow in your home that you pay for?

.

Why can't such a law be sensibly based on square footage of living space available? It seems this law may've been invented to keep that "Cat Lady" from inhabiting the neighborhood. Many folks have been unapproving of homes full of cats, even tho they've been created due to a proliferation of unwanted animals of irresponsible owners tossing them aside, n a desire of someone taking responsibility to help them.

.

Some folks are capable of caring for more animals, others aren't. Some can tolerate it, others can't. Why is it only an enforced punishment when the neighbors complain? What cat-haters invented this one?

.

This type of constraint rule really gets my kitty dander up!

Reflect

.

.

.

Day Off will be a scheduled rainy day, according to the TV predictions. The overnight temps are getting icy now. Maybe it will even snow tomorrow early am. I prob will be new pic-taking challenged. I noticed the marshy bog grass down the hill has turned a wonderful shade of yellow this week, but don't know if drizzle will curtail that walk, or if it'll still be there when I get around to it. I've got plenty to keep me busy indoors, anyhow...

.

I left tons of things halfway done in my free time last week. I'm still painting part of the backroom which I put the primer on, those worst walls which had black mold. They'll end up a tan-white color. Then I'll try mixing some old blue with left-over white to make a very light blue, n try out my mini-roller stencils (bought awhile back) for fun.

.

There's a whole kitchen wall-ceiling area on one side of the room covered with big spiders staked out every few inches. I'll try to corral them into jars n take them outside for a release party when it's dry. They've done a good job getting most of those Gypsy Grain Moths, but there are far too many arachnids now, n their babies. I won't squish them. They prob won't survive long outside, but maybe they'll make good wild bird food. It's a time-consuming method tho.

.

I need to clean out the gutters around the deck again now that most of the leaves are down, but will put that job off in wet weather. The deck is covered with leaves, n the plant pots need to be arranged before snow-time. I need to work on the indoor weather stripping soon, also. The chore list is endless. (Of course I'd rather just sleep, read, n goof off- but I'm unlikely to get away with it...)

.

Today's post pic is from my prolific October file, a reflection off the brook across town. I like seeing the blue sky in the water, n all vegetation forms. The fact it's difficult discerning the reflections from the actual components appeals to me. It seems to be a window to another place...

.

I'm reflecting alot on reflections...