Blog
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July 29, 2015 – We are planning a fall vacation trip – so I went back and looked at one we took in 2 and 1/2 years ago – What is a vacation trip? it is a smile while you:- take a photo – study an art piece – play a sport – exercise – talk to animals – walk and talk with a friend – study folks doing what they do – savor a new taste – wonder at a new sight – ride a new vehicle – learn a new skill – listen and see a story – Most of all we try to make it a worry free fun experience. What is old age (Why do you think I would know)? it is a smile while you:- take a photo – study an art piece – play a sport – exercise – talk to animals – walk and talk with a friend – study folks doing what they do – savor a new taste – wonder at a new sight – ride a new vehicle – learn a new skill – listen and see a story – Most of all we try to make it a worry free fun experience.
Now, see what a professional gardner can do – I December this garden looks better then my July garden! Ride a new vehicle More rides to interesting happenings. Watch a show – Actually a play – I think that is what it is called?? Love to see art in the street Often worked here – was not old or on vacation then – I do not remember the sidewalk artwork then – maybe I was focused on the demands of IBM then! Enjoy nw breakfast tastes and breakfast sights! I ask this gentleman why he came out on such a cold day and played the instrument – he had no bucked for donations – “Because I love to come out here” was his reply – then he got into to details of his teaching career – I think he came out here to find people like me who would listen to his story! Why -In this case make a few bucks! — But I listened and gave a few bucks – Why because I love the folks of Central Park in the winter – in the summer too! I love the color and the background – like a Christmas Card with real people! Please do not remove the horses from Central Park – they are not abused – they are required to be given a vacation in VT, I think it is, each year – sheltered in warm barns. They get petted all day long – feed and watered all day long – Perla would love it – and the “Animal right people” watch with ever increasing focus – looking for abuse so they can replace horses with an electric buggy???? On a lighter note – – Let us follow the arrow! I stood “HERE” and smiled! Who ever used the chalk that day made me happy – a smile an hour is important When you get there – enjoy old age – but do not wait – Jump rope now and enjoy your vacations now – Much better, enjoy the next hour, day week, month ……… smile while you:- take a photo – study an art piece – play a sport – exercise – talk to animals – walk and talk with a friend – study folks doing what they do – savor a new taste – wonder at a new sight – ride a new vehicle – learn a new skill – listen and see a story – Most of all we try to make it a worry free fun experience. -
JULY 27, 2015 – Today’s message – send more photos to your family – maybe one per day. – Help your family feel that “We were there” – THE NEW CELL PHONE COMMUNITY VS “WE WERE THERE” – For example. our spring house was like a family community spring house – I found this description of a spring house on the web: “Out the back door was the spring house, where a cool flow of water was guided down troughs in either side, usually deep enough to set a pail of milk and crock of meat, to keep it from spoiling so fast. A flat rock made a shallow place where a dish of butter could rest, and other foods for the kitchen table. The spring-house was the storage for the kitchen, and cool water to use.”
I was thinking – the Cell phone (Cell Camera) helps us feel like family – even though we are often hundreds of miles apart now days. Not like when I grew up. I was born and lived my first 20 years in the foreground farm – my GrandParents lived in the farm in the upper left – Two of my aunts and uncles lived in two houses on the farm not shown – just that far to the right. They all taught me in one grade or another throughout my 12 years of public school. Cell phone not needed – we were there! 
The special staff member, our grand daughter – I think she is saying “Oh Mother, you embarrass me” – with the cell phone photo – we were there 
Our famous actress Grand daughter – with the phone photo – “we were there” 
Our Grandson’s winning pitch – with the phone photo – “we were there” 
Dyna the dog got a real friend – Our Grandson is a computer game wiz and guess who he takes a break with – Dyna – to me this is a picture of true enjoyment – with the cell phone photo – we were there 
Vacations to an East Coast Island are happy family times – You can tell by this smile – with the cell phone photo – we were there 
In the “old days”, If someone got a new car we did not need a cell phone photo – we were there 
In the Old Days” – If someone got a new home we did not need a cell phone photo – we were there 
In the “old days”, If someone got a good dog we did not need a cell phone photo – we were there 
In the “old days” – If someone had a bad dog we did not need a cell phone photo – we were there 
“To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.”
said by Barbara Bush
“Between hugs – try a digital photograph – a photograph, to your family, each day would not be too many! Help them be there!” said by Me -
July 24, 2015 – One of the most consistent things in our life is the sky and the clouds – and are most visible from islands and open country. In my case, 35 years of living on Islands and open Texas ranch country – my iCloud storage is filled with snapshots of clouds. At The Cloud Appreciation Society we love clouds (There is such a Society). We love to see images in the clouds – You know – in our minds we see cloud formations of things – I urge you to go out now, look at clouds, and see things that are not – Just as I do ‘most every day. After dinner, here on the Isle of Drummond, Gloria and I have an after dinner drink over looking the Bay and of course the sunset and clouds over the Bay. (Well, to tell the truth – I have the drink.) I want you to look at the clouds – imagine that you see – a fish, a tree, a plane – and angel – what ever in the cloud formations. Take a snapshot of it – send it to me – I will post it for others to see!
I see a fish – and other things too? — I will isolate and enhance the fish – maybe you can see it too. 
Now do you see a fish? 
i see an airplane. 
I see a school of fish 
I will isolate the fish. Think they are about to be eaten. – Do you see anything else? I do! 
Almost as snapped – but a little help from Photoshop 
Photoshop does helps me show others what I see. 
An angle bouncing along on a cloud? – Disney sees it for us – I hope you can never look at clouds again without searching for “Things” -
July 23, 2015 – Snapshot vs Photograph -The dictionary defines a snapshot as: a photograph that is “shot” spontaneously and quickly, most often without artistic or journalistic intent. Most often an image for capturing a memory or a moment. They are a foundation for story telling – telling a loved one of your day or of the sight you encountered. I love it – I love my snapshot camera (My cell phone). I have some great snapshots! — and Gloria must listen to my stories of the day’s encounters! See:
Since Gloria does not ride with us – I use my cell phone camera to tell her of the day’s ride: We three rested our horses by an old “Homestead” long lost in the woods in the Isle of Drummond. 
Since Gloria is an artist – we often talk of the impact of light and shadows At breakfast she talked of tree shadows she is using in her latest painting – I just happened to have this snapshot of one Gull almost hidden in the shadow of a tree – while two Gulls shown brightly in the morning sun! 
I like these siblings – two are twins with a one year old brother – he is sprouting tinny spike! The third fawn is a cousin! All snapped while I worked on the driveway leading to the corral. 
They just hang around – watching to see if I do my work correctly – OOPS lets get out of here he is getting too close with that silly cell phone camera 
Gloria sent me this with the request that I plant Milkweed around the house – See – a snapshot (Well I must say, her’s are photographs) used as the foundation for making a work request! But, it sounds like more work then I have time for – Maybe next year. 
I just wanted you to be encouraged to take more snapshots and use them at breakfast to tell stories of your yesterday’s experiences! Then, after the snapshot – take your “PHOTOGRAPHS” for your entries into galleries. -
July 22, 2015 – I went to Google and ask “what is a garden?” – I got: Liberty Bailey, a horticulturist, said: One plant in a tin can may be a more helpful and inspiring garden to some than a whole acre of lawn and flowers. So, say I, a garden is as big or small as you want – maybe just one plant! The word garden originates from the old German term “gart” which means ‘enclosure. Some say: ”A garden is a vast number of outdoor restaurants, operated by charity-minded folks, in an effort to provide healthful, balanced meals for insects, birds and animals.” In Japan, I found, a garden might be the size of a casserole dish. To the ancient Chinese, a garden symbolized a way of life, as illustrated in this proverb. “If you would be happy for a week, take a wife; but if you would be happy all your life, plant a garden.” I did both – but it best I say, “The wife will make you happy each week – even in the winter when the garden is long gone!”
Flowers, in the left half of the garden, arranged by Gloria at planting time – not only that but there is a matching arrangement on the righthand side! – WOW to her artistic eye – and God’s fulfillment of color – even in this cool summer on the Isle of Drummond! 
In the walk way looking for the restaurant – this dove is worth a photo opportunity it’s self – but back to the restaurant and some closeup looks inside the garden! 
Yipes – “I may be on the menu! – Please go take a close look at the flowers and leave me alone!” 
Seems to have more layers of petals then the next rose? 
OOPS! in the high winds yesterday a Gull lost a feather – But, the feather made a nice addition to my garden 
Hey, I see a smiley face! Do you? 
May your mind be filled with visions of your garden – what ever it’s size – I am speaking of the size of the garden – not the size of your mind! -
July 21, 2015 – ‘Tis a beautiful morning on the Isle of Drummond! One of us is studying the news of the world via the New York Times on the iPad. The other one is studying the morning light hitting the soaring bodies of one of the most interesting creatures on earth – the common old Sea Gull!
I think we both believe – after much real estate searching throughout many of the listings in the good old USA, finding a better place to read the New York Times than the Isle of Drummond is impossible! So, we stay here for now! 
Soaring behind the tree catching the morning light and casting shadows as I soar with the North Wind this morning! 
Light and shadow as we wait for the bait fish leavings. 
More light and shadows – as we head away from the rising sun 
Light and shadows create funny images 
Now can you see what the shadow has done in the previous photo? 
The people have gone and the bait leavings are for us Gulls 
So, my morning was studying the shadow and light patterns on Mister Livingston – totally ignoring the New York Times – it has been fun – come see flowers and stuff tomorrow! -
July 15, 2015 – I have been working to gain a little more sun light to the barn and to get a little larger turning radius for the camping and corral area. My friend runs the big machine. He runs it as if it were an extension to his own arms – pushing over trees, lifting out stumps, smoothing land – remarkable!
My friend Carlyle really concentrates some times – We enjoy working together – of course we are “Two Grumpy Old Men!” do not tell him I said that. But I have always enjoyed working in the woods – Enen more now – Chainsaws now days are a lot lighter and easier to start and keep sharp then they were years ago when I grew up in Pennsylvania cutting wood to keep our new hatched chickens warm. 
Digging up stump number one! 
Got it! Now let us put stump number two on the other end – and off to the burn pit! – the tree is cut up and used for winter warmth – he figures we provided almost a month of fuel for his furnace – even if it is a cold winter! 
I looked up and saw this “cloud cat” in the sky chasing one of my sea gull friends – as you know I love to see sea gulls – yea, they are a little noisy and some times not so clean but they are the most interesting animals that I see almost any time I look outside and they can hover, dive, glide, – almost anything – that is why I named this one Mr. Livingston. 
Looked into the woods by our tree clearing project. “Mom told me to stay here.” 
I tuned my head just a little and my eyes spotted this – “Mom told both of us to stay here” 
But being kids (I mean fawns) we did not obey – we want to see what that big machine is doing! I love Johnathen Livingston and all those creatures around our home – even the regular toads that visit us every night! -
July 9, 2015 – “Don’t leave home without it!” Let’s go back to our roots of taking plain old snapshots that recreate the emotion we felt the moment we took the snapshot. I feel we get saturated with advertisements for us to take better professional digital photography if we only use this camera or that software. I do urge the camera club in my retirement community to take advantage of all of this and hang their professional results in the galleries the community provides -BUT I also urge them to tell their story thru just plain old snapshots – create memories and emotion with a series of snapshots of their trip, their family wedding, their 4th of July parade, their wildlife in the garden, or their BarBQ and then place the snapshots in an album like we used to do! So, I gathered a few snapshots I took in a few days (end of April) on my trip to our Island home (I brought our truck up for the summer. So, think of this blog as if it were a photo album that your relative made you sit down on the couch and look at!
We arrive on Drummond – the rive is open – no icebreaker needed. 
Some still walk on water – on an ice flow, that is! 
See, this deer has expanded it’s territory – both spits of land are now his/her domaine – the ice makes it all like one. 
This Robin found food in a little snow melt puddle. 
Out in the gap, the freighter beats toward the Soo Locks – They have been open for some time now! 
OOPS!, the weather on the Island if ofter fickle in the spring – can’t even see if a freighter is heading north this evening! 
But when the sun is shinning the horses head for their beach – there is a sand pit placed by the barn for their pleasure on spring days like this! 
So, create a snapshot album of your day – save and enjoy later – make relatives sit down and look at it too. You may not want to scroll down to the last snapshot – but I had to include it since I am showing a album of the real spring on Drummond! 
I really hesitated placing this snapshot here – but this is a true story of spring – and last winter the coyote needed to survive also – and the subject shown here is no different then the ribs we had for our BBQ on the fourth! -
July 8,2015 – This week is my time to say unto you again – “Don’t leave home without it” I was looking through my photos to see what “snapped” recently – “snapped” because I looked at a subject close up – Looking close up with a camera helps me enjoy the world just a little more – I see pretty things, weird things, mystery things – but, just because I had my camera (Phone), I saw them – thus the camera made me (helped me) see the beauty of life on this earth! Have a look see:
Beautiful up close pattern – Mayfly or Shadfly wing -From freshwaterblog.net: The mayfly’s lifecycle is one of the most fascinating and fleeting stories in the natural world. One of the many characteristics that makes mayflies the unique insects they are is the potential for two different winged adult forms in their life cycle. The nymph emerges from the water as a dull-coloured sub-imago (or dun) that seeks shelter in bankside vegetation and trees. After a period of a couple of hours or more, the sub-imago once again sheds its skin to transform into the brightly coloured imago (or spinner). It is not clear why mayflies have retained this unique step in their lifecycle, however it is thought that they may not be able to achieve the change from nymph to sexually mature adult in one step.
A mayfly’s life cycle starts with the males forming a swarm above the water and the females flying into the swarm to mate. The male grabs a passing female with its elongated front legs and the pair mate in flight. After copulation, the male releases the female, which then descends to the surface of the water where she lays her eggs. Once mated she will fall, spent, onto the water surface to lie motionless, with her wings flat on the surface, where fish pick them off at their leisure. The male fly rarely returns to the water but instead he goes off to die on the nearby land.
Beautiful up close pattern – How many seeds in a wild strawberry? I do not know but I think this: Strawberry seeds give rise to the strawberry plants that produce the strawberries we all love. We think everyone should have a fond affection for strawberry seeds (unless, of course, you get a strawberry seed stuck in a tooth or between your gums). 
Beautiful up close pattern -not sure what it is 
Beautiful up close pattern – collection of little pudding stones – see heart stone! 
Beautiful up close pattern – New pine growth in the morning dew 
Beautiful up close pattern – Flame in my burn barrel -OOPS How in the devil did he get there? 
Looking for Mayflys to eat!
