Dandelion

After sitting for over 50 years, you can imagine the nervous anticipation of "popping the cork". My review: Delicious amber color, very clear, and decent viscosity ("legs" ... with crutches). Delicate aromas ... of dust on the bottle. Drinkable, but ambiguous to the palette. Conclusion: Dandelions are better for making wishes. Thought for the Day: … Continue reading Dandelion

Light Painting

Light Painting Looking for ways to beat the oppressive heat? Try light painting in your basement. Set your camera on a tripod. Turn off all the lights and block any light coming in the windows. Using various exposure times, use LED pen lights to paint your subject. Experiment with various light sources and exposure times. … Continue reading Light Painting

Memories

1939 Plymouth This is the driver's side rear bumper, tail light and trunk of a 1939 Plymouth. The old car was parked next to the house near Cross Creek, FL where Marjorie K. Rawlings wrote her Pulitzer Prize winning novel, "The Yearling" in 1939. Thought for the Day: One cannot and must not try to … Continue reading Memories

Big Smooth

Old Vine Zinfandel Meeting old friends and getting caught up are special times. Sharing a bottle of wine adds an exclamation mark. Wine is said to improve with age. That applies to friends too. Thought for the day: Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints … Continue reading Big Smooth

Hand Cart

Avebury, England The sight of this old hand cart reminded me of the classic Radio Flyer Red Wagon I had as a kid. Well, sort of. My metal wagon had a handle and four wheels too, just like this cart. My wagon is probably buried in a land fill somewhere, totally "recycled" by now. This … Continue reading Hand Cart

Friendship Patio

Reminders The Friendship Patio is a roofless three-wall "shelter" near the flower garden in Comstock, Nebraska. It is what's left of the original electric generation plant built in the 1930's. A few donated chairs, some scattered toys and the remains of a stove and refrigerator is what welcomes visitors to the patio today. Thought for … Continue reading Friendship Patio

Sagging Barn

Resting Comfortably Another interesting site I found along Sargent-Ord Road in northeast Custer County, Nebraska is this barn squatting on its haunches. With the words, "Cross Wind Mercantile" painted on the front, it appears to have been a business, possibly an antique dealer. The white vinyl fence in front looked totally out of place, as … Continue reading Sagging Barn

Shadows

Shadows Shadows was the theme for the Iowa State Fair's 2020 Photography Salon, which was also cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus has impacted the entire world; it has reached every nook and cranny of each person's "normal routine". Nothing is as it should be. Not that I would have entered this photo … Continue reading Shadows

April Snow

Frosted Leaf Just when I thought we had seen the "last gasp" of Ole Man Winter, we get five inches of heavy wet snow. The flower beds had been cleaned of mulch and winter debris, flowers blooming, trees were leafing out, the grass was emerald green and recently mowed, and spring vegetables had been seeded … Continue reading April Snow

Quarantine

Quarantine!? - Now What? The coronavirus that started in Wuhan, China in December, 2019 is causing major disruptions around the world. It spread rapidly to Italy and Iran, and the WHO declared it a worldwide pandemic on March 11, 2020. Two weeks later there were half a million cases world wide, with the epicenter being … Continue reading Quarantine