Sheep encounter
Sunset! I waited. It was a day of sun and clear sky. Sunset would be aided by clouds – only a few! – to reflect a brilliant orange glow in the sky. I awaited. It was only steps from the door to peer up and assess the progress of the sun… and moon. Ha! The moon! At this time of evening the photo of the moon is straight out of the camera. The brightness of sky matches well enough with the moon’s glow to allow for a shot without messing with auto-ISO.
In and out the door, pictures waiting a critical moment in the setting sun. iI was not too picturesque. Color? Glow? Orange? Red? Clouds? It all could have been better. This was the best it would be. Ok! Sunset! Got it.
Just below my vantage point of the sunset was the sound of gentle munching. Ewe! Figuratively and literally. Munching gently on the grass she paid me no mind. Yellow gorse in the background added more interest. Nice very nice! Heretofore we had seen sheep from the car in the distance of passing fields.
Ah?!! Colleen shot this from our moving car window through the tinted glass. This shot should not have worked out. And we, otherwise, would have nothing to discuss and admire. She shot this! Great shot! Sister Jane commented, “Framable!” I agree. Colleen has skill. It is a work in progress. Or, ‘ every once in a while, a blind squirrel finds a nut’ ?? … I am jealous, she really did get a brilliant shot!
There’s a story here
But, no pictures.
…Colleen told me so! Comeuppance! I shoulda listened!
Driving along the country backroads of Scotland… I passed a Coo shed. Eh? … milk vending machines! Don’t ask. We hit a pothole on the way home. Moments later the sound of a flat tire reached our ears. Foreign country, foreign car, new modern stuff, but an old reliable spare tire in the boot. Taking the tire off was problematic. .. I told you not to ask. A good Samaritan – Dan – thank you! – helped us.
Onward to two airports – rental car counter. Nope! The first stop did not have a rental car counter. Glasgow airport – everyone had gone home for the day! Hertz! I tried to call. No phone number to be found. Emergency service number would dispatch a tire repair guy but had no number to reach Hertz!
We limped home on the spare tire rated at 50mph max. Ha ha. Colleen got her way! Slow!
But we arrived just in time to catch Ailsa Craig on the horizon in the distance. It is where all the curling stones are quarried – Olympics! And I also got back in time to catch a spectacular sunset! Colleen refused to come and do a selfie with me. My penance. I think this is the last clear sun we might see for a few days. Clouds closed in shortly after the sun went down.
A day
Whoa! Wow! We did that?! Ailsa Craig – home of the curling stone. Colleen told me the island is the plug in the top of a volcano. Once every ten years (recently) they quarry granite for curling stones. She wanted one. Thankfully I did not have to go to the post and mail a 100 pound stone home! Moonlight to dusk… what a day! Miniatures!!
Sunset
Rain sun rain repeat. It’s the story of our trip in Scotland so far. But when the sun set… it was spectacular. … but cold. We donned all our warm winter gear.
The moon is but a dot. However, telephoto brings it in closer. Close! A good sunset is cheery. The glow of orange skies is so wonderful to experience. My partner was reluctant. Colleen did not want to leave the warm environs of our apartment. But then she did not want me wandering into trouble on the castle grounds. …nice shots.
Art
Really?! Heather. I like the quiet isolation. I like the color. Nice peaceful shot. We were in a café for afternoon tea and hot chocolate…
A cannon at sunset? I beg to differ. It is a mortar. I like the setting sun standing in for the exploding shell…
Ok ok … a bit obtuse. How about (which appear in today’s PhotoCritical too) moon shots. Middle of the night. No tripod, a handheld photo…. It can’t be done. Secret revealed in the other blog.
Spectacular. For me, I am impressed by my own ingenuity. I got shots! Semi-worthy. But even more so because I did what I would heretofore consider impossible without more planning and equipment. Suffice to say – the moon!
First impression
…again. We have returned to Scotland once more. Dawn over London. Sleepless night. I guess that is why it is called the “red eye” flight. Cheery, ever cheery, it is so nice. We laughed. Again. Every small town has a Chinese take away shop. No exceptions here. Haircut – lots of customers, the price was moderate. No pictures in the castle! A lot of people shot pictures. I asked and was given permission to shoot the guard. Right! He did not shoot me.
It’s Scotland. Great! Adventure! … rain came later in the day. But of course!
$64,000 question?
Game show 1955 to 1958. Ha! I was too young to watch or appreciate it…
The number? 64,000? It is an approximation of the images I have shot since September 2023. I switched external backup drives. This is the number on the drive now. 64,000 images in about six months. It amounts to about 1800 rolls of 36 exposure film. Remember film?
On average I shot maybe 100 rolls per year. You do the math.
First and last – Maine and Ohio. I shoot a lot of pictures these days. Worthy? Worthwhile? Memorable? Memory?
I shoot enough that I come across stored images like long lost friends all the time. I rate shots casually in Lightroom – zero to four stars. The outstanding shotts get three stars. I have 4000 three star shots. Ok!?
Meanwhile, just wondering… and yes, I have a filing system that tracks pictures by the day, location, subject, and persons. Organization is a key. You cannot go back and do it from the start. I have kept this up for a very long time. Favorites? The list is ever growing larger.
Over 60
Suddenly single! It was complicated…
No! I was never “happier” being a single. Headline? Anything for a headline?! A defensive posture for the lonely?
The exact thought I had at the moment I realized I was single again… back in 2014… was I would like to find someone to hold hands with and enjoy a peaceful sunset holding hands.
I guess I was never single. I always sought the comfort of a loving relationship. I was very fortunate…. And I am happy now. I had never before that known the wonderful feeling of a cat who hugged me. Colleen brought three cats.
Happy?! All that and more! Everyone has a different measure of serenity. I would not trade for anything else than where I am at this very moment. I wish it would last and last…
Om
“Chanting Om or Aum is a sacred practice that helps our mind and body to energize. Sound of Om is considered sacred in Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism. It is called the first sound of the universe.”
Serenity! Before the household awakens…
Peace. The morning star. Clear blue sky. The promise of another glorious day. I hug my cat. I will hug Colleen when she awakens. All is right with the world. The day holds such potential. I shall try to be thankful to the universe.
OMmmm….
I love my wife
Frank Sinatra sang the song…I have loved before. Some days I do not know if I am coming or going. Sunrise? Sunset?
I work at it. I am trying. Trying to keep it all going. And … a handful in every sense.
Worry? Worry! Yes. I am holding as tight as I can, thankful for every moment together, knowing that we will part someday, and dreading it. As Frank sang, “I love my wife.”
New Year
Ring in the new… alas I am old and missed watching the ball drop in Times Square. Quite the crowd, some folks waited all day into the night. I was asleep and woke to a new dawn!
We had a luncheon. It was a spectacular dawn. The group gathered was a branch of the extended family. Could you tell? They were an amiable lot. So far the new year has started just right!
Past present
Is everything better with a story? Past posted pictures – I keep them in a folder… because.
Some pictures (sunset) need no explanation… while others beg to have context?
There is a fine line between documentary work and candid photography. Formal groups? Grouping? Special! The groups gather rarely and are precious to document! I struggle to get warmth into group shots. They are more like catalog work. Jump, shout, stick out your tongue? Ummm, nope, this group is too formal to go with humor. These groups are what fill Colleen’s old collection of photos over the years. I carry on the legacy. It lends to the thought that: what is old is new again.At the end of the day, it is interesting to see who was there then.
Winter solstice
Travel on the shortest day of the year…it gets dark at 5pm on Dec 21. Right? It always did for me. It wss a always a depressing day for me – the shortest day! And an uplifting day – it all gets brighter from here! And to travel with the one you love to visit loved ones? The best!
Darkness fell slowly as we traveled. It was still light outside at 5:45. Where is the dark? Colleen said that it got darker later the farther west you went. Same time zone just farther and later. Oh?! Who would have thunk it? She’s smart.
No matter. We were together on an auspicious day. The color was spectacular even though we shot thru a car windshield. Hey! It was cold out there and we had miles and miles to go.
Currently
…confusing perhaps, because I compose posts in advance of publishing them. I am currently about a month and a half ahead.
Therefore, it is old news to hear that we recently lost a beloved cat. He was an integral part of the family and missed sorely. It has been dark. Our thoughts – mine – have been much about mortality. Life is short.
This paused me to think on my own and whether I had done good overall. I report that there was good and bad. On the whole, it was mostly good. I have been responsible to help others live by the surgeries I did. (Some contest this thought.)
I am content to know that I saved lives that were perhaps guided by God’s hand on mine. Or as someone once said 99% perspiration and 1% genius. Yes, there were days when even I could scratch my head and wonder, “I did that?!!
In my current state of thought I am satisfied that I did good and changed many lives for the better. I saved people (because of my skills) many, who would otherwise not be here.
I am indeed thankful for how life played out to allow me to train and be a neurosurgeon once upon a time. The loss of my beloved cat leaves me pondering how little I can do but to think on how wonderous a life can be so precious.
I also think upon the odds that a poor kid could rise academically from West Virginia to be trained at a top program in New York just by being in the right place at the right moment and becoming a neurosurgeon who would do so much for others. I call it luck and am reminded, “Luck be a lady tonight!”
Seven cats … and counting. … one loving wife!
Breakout
Sometimes… it is just your smile. It breaks the mood, the melancholy thoughts. It lights up the day. Hope! Serenity. Contentment.
Live. Dream. Love!
Reset
I had a very odd night last night. Reset. I felt like I went through a reset like in a video game. Everything went blank. I could not remember anything – my address, how to drive to a destination…. To say it was a scary night with dreams (nightmares) would be an understatement. Stroke? Medical condition? What!?#$#$*&!! WTF.
Luckily it is all better today. Mostly. I am better. I think. No ill effects. No side effect. I am fully functional and operating the car just fine.
I was shaken. Reset? Memory? Age? Stroke? Eh? You suddenly feel mortal. Lucky for me it was merely a reset. Everything seems ok again. Thank goodness. I held on to Colleen extra close and will keep on doing so.
I was treated to a sunrise and sunset that were at once reassuring. We had a splendid day and attended a one man performance of Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol performed by his great great grandson. Wow!
I am relieved! Normal? Everything seems to have gone thru a major shift and reset. I am in control of my thoughts once more. Memory is something I just test and test again. So far, so good. I am ok?! Well, at least I am as ok as I was and have been. So far. One could question if I was ever really playing with a full deck!?
Start to finish
… a very nice day indeed! More than 1000 pictures. Oh my! I do not dwell on numbers of photographs, except to be sure I have enough battery for my camera. We left early and as usual shot our “bridge.” Two museums, two Christmas displays later, and dinner in a favorite tavern… we were treated to a spectacular sunset. It was the perfect coda to a lovely day.
It’s coming
There is a beach cam. We are situated about a mile from the beach. Some mornings you know a great sunrise is coming. I shoot. I screen capture on my laptop. It can be pretty awesomely spectacular. The color! The clouds! As soon as this sunrise was complete, the color faded, the clouds moved in, and we prepared for the rain to come. Meanwhile, I was treated to a wonderful sunrise. I have no complaint except to say that the camera is inadequate at times to capture what I have experienced.
Sunrise
Pick one… We get spectacular sunrise out my window on occasion when the clouds cooperate. I shoot and shoot. Quintessential shot? I try. Every shot is filled with intense color and better than the last until… it’s over. It is indeed ephemeral never to be again, each different, each beautiful, I treasure the wonder of nature and am glad I was present in that moment to record the beauty I have seen.
Redux
Do over?
Scattered somewhere else in this blog… I just let the image catch my eye. Ah! Masks! Covid! It seems so long ago… And Ray?! Yes, we still miss him. So that makes Mozart a future acquisition. Strange days? Past present. I have seen and shared some great images. I hope to see many more.
Not much
Average day? Sunrise or sunset. Waves. Beach. Pigeons?! Cats. Family.
Somehow everyday seems to have its own blend of photo ops. I strive to get the cats – eyes in focus, composed… We have spinning wheel overload. Ha ha! Waves. Lately we are walking the beach. It’s good exercise. I go for the photo ops. Waves. The bird feeder is always a source of interest. Pigeons?? Yup, they were there on the beach. Lost? Flying south? Groups shot. The family gathers infrequently enough that it is worth a group shot. How much longer are we here? Sunrise, sunset. Which? But always the color is worth a second look.
Is there a day average or ordinary? Photo ops are all around me. I try to take advantage. And yes, there are plenty of selfies… just not enough room to be posted today.
Everyday
Everyday a post. Everyday a photo op. Is there a post?
I am consumed by my cats. They consume my life. No kids. The “grands” are too far away. Travel? I shoot bridges. Actually, nowadays, I point to the camera sitting on the dashboard and Colleen knows the drill. She takes our bridge shots now. Sunrise, sunset, easy subjects. Wildlife? Sure?
Color. Pattern. Unusual. Ordinary. Extraordinary. No matter. Anything is fair game. What I see. What we see. Memory is nearly limitless. Take pictures. Volume does not produce quality but without taking a picture, you can never know. With a camera constantly at hand, there is always a photo op. Some days are better than others. I can assure you that it is nice to be retired. I have peace in my life. I wish it could be so for others. I have been blessed with good karma. Ohm…
Spectacular
The sun comes up every day. But there are days when the sunrise is spectacular! Which day? Catch it with your camera. Go down to the beach at dawn? Beach cam? Dedication? I am not quite OCD. I am lazy. I like to be in my cozy robe.
Out the window – my window. I could see from the window and the beach cam it would be a good sunrise. How good? Well, one never knows. Promise! Many days are promising….
I just shot and shot. … till the sun was in the trees. The color! Oh my! It is entirely painterly. Almost religious. Angel light – sun rays in the clouds! It was too good to be true and lasted too short a time. I saw it. I photographed it. I could have done better. But then, I saw it and I was able to share it. To have seen the changing light from promise to done was so special for me. I can share it but never really transmit or translate the experience. It recalls the time we were in Pemaquid, Maine and saw the sun rise out of the ocean in the east with the Pemaquid lighthouse in the foreground.
You can see it. but sometimes you are not able to capture in a camera the profound beauty you are witnessing. Do better? Do different? At least I was not faced with mixing colors on a paint palette Nay! The camera sensor and its notion of white balance could not handle the subtle orange and blue purple hues of the rising sun. I have but a poor attempt to show you the view from my window today.
Sunset
We went to a restaurant recommended and arranged by Jen. The view! We arrived at sunset and I was placed ideally to catch the waning sun over the marsh until it was an afterglow on the horizon. Oh! and the food was good too!. How lucky is that?
Critical moment? You choose. I shot and shot. It was spectacular entertainment from drinks to dessert. No complaint.
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