Shadow Shot Sunday

Shadows on our mulberry tree this afternoon.

I have no idea why Blogger wasn't working for me today. It's almost midnight, and this is the third time I tried to create this post. It kept saying Service Unavailable when I tried to upload. Was anyone else having a problem?

Anyhow, it's not quite Sunday and I'm about to hit publish! I did it.

Go see many more shadowy photos at our awesome Aussie friend Tracy's Hey Harriet blog and join in the fun!

And from the e-mail bag ... a chuckle

Two priests decided to go to Hawaii on vacation.

They were determined to make this a real vacation by not wearing anything that would identify them as clergy. As soon as the plane landed they headed for a store and bought some really outrageous shorts, shirts, sandals, sunglasses, etc.

The next morning they went to the beach dressed in their 'tourist' garb. They were sitting on beach chairs, enjoying a drink, the sunshine and the scenery when a 'drop dead gorgeous' blonde in a topless bikini came walking straight towards them. They couldn't help but stare.


As the blonde passed them she smiled and said 'Good Morning, Father ~ Good Morning, Father,' nodding and addressing each of them individually, then she passed on by. They were both stunned. How in the world did she know they were priests?
So the next day, they went back to the store and bought even more outrageous outfits.

These were so loud you could hear them before you even saw them! Once again, in their new attire, they settled down in their chairs to enjoy the sunshine.

After a little while, the same gorgeous blonde, wearing a different colored topless bikini, taking her sweet time, came walking toward them. Again she nodded at each of them, said 'Good morning, Father ~ Good morning, Father,' and started to walk away.

One of the priests couldn't stand it any longer and said, 'Just a minute, young lady.' 'Yes, Father?'

'We are priests and proud of it, but I have to know, how in the world do you know we are priests, dressed as we are?' She replied,

“Father, it's me, Sister Kathleen.”

~ ~ ~

Have a great Tuesday!

Ruby Tuesday ~

Two of my favorite rubies!

Here they are after the Center for Disability Rights' annual Wheel-a-Thon yesterday at the beach in West Haven, Ct.

I missed seeing the obstacle course competition, but Ralph said all went well and lots of people took part.

Allegra and I got there just in time for lunch and cake ~~ we were at church when the event started Sunday morning.

All in all, it looked like it was a major success. Kudos to Ralph's friends and colleagues who organized the fund-raiser!

To see lots more Ruby photos, visit Mary T's Work of the Poet blog.

How much is that bunny in the driveway?

... the one with the pointy black ears?

Does he look relaxed, or what?

We have some funny bunnies hanging around the neighborhood. I first spotted a black domestic rabbit by himself, in August. Click here to see him (or her). That was startling enough.

Now we have this white rabbit with black "trim" hanging around too. Both of them have been in our next-door neighbor's yard and in our yard, eating grass, twitching, hopping, and eating more grass. We don't know where they belong. Or to whom they belong. Escapees? Not sure.

Below is what I found as I started to go out to the car yesterday. I was afraid to get in the car until he hopped away. I don't want to run over the little guy. ewwww..

And I took these two pix last week through a window screen.

I think they like us. And our "natural" yard.

Shadow Shot Sunday

Welcome to our "natural" backyard. No chemicals used here! It is what it is.

I just took these this afternoon.

Hope you like my shadow finds!

Go see many more shadowy shots at Tracy's Hey Harriet blog. You won't be disappointed.

Thursday afternoon at our house

Linus jumped out from under this tunnel plaything right after I took the photo. He uses his imagination and amuses himself....when he's not napping, that is.

Soon he will be ready for preschool, don't you think?

After the raindrops

There was a passing shower this morning. In these photos the dark cloud on the left is being pushed away by fluffy ones coming from the West.

It's sunny now. Yay! Happy Wednesday to all.

Ruby Tuesday

I took these photos today. They are the first red leaves I've spotted. Seems early, but a farmer told me the crops were ready two to three weeks earlier than normal this summer. Maybe the trees are following suit.

I am looking forward to the fall foliage!

See lots more photos featuring a little or a lot of the color red at Mary T's Work of the Poet.

Warning: gross photo ahead

I noticed this weird glob yesterday on a piece of yard art in the garden. It wasn't there Friday.

Unfortunately it is still there today, so I took this photo.

I was hoping it would disappear overnight so I wouldn't have to deal with it today.

Time to get the hose ...

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.

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.

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Any idea what it could be?

Sounds silly, but it makes me sad

Feeling sad today about losing a tree. Not my tree, but a beautiful tree from the yard of the house right next door. I don't know what kind of tree it was; I suppose I could research it.

I was only gone for an hour and a half yesterday morning. When I returned and pulled into the driveway it seemed sunnier than usual. I didn't know why.

I was startled to see a stump where a healthy-looking, graceful tree once stood. I can't imagine why it was cut down.

There must be a reason.

I liked that tree. It not only provided shade but it added beauty to the neighborhood. It's an empty feeling now when I look outside.

Better late than never, I s'pose

I've not been keeping up with my blog or my blogging friends.

I'm trying to get back on the blogospheric track..I visited blog buddies yesterday and hope to do the same today.

Yesterday I started working on a book of my mother's memoirs. She has so many memories of growing up during the Depression. And they are truly vivid memories of her family and friends living in a small town in New Jersey.

I'm urging her to jot them down so I can compile them into a book that I'd love to self-publish someday. That's my goal.

Shadow Shot Sunday

A beautiful day in the neighborhood.

Friday afternoon was simply gorgeous, so I ventured outside (!) to seek some photos for two fun memes, Looking at the Sky on Friday and Shadow Shot Sunday.

Whilst out there, I accidentally captured a shadow of moi.

See many more shadowy photos at our awesome Aussie friend Tracy's Hey Harriet blog.

Looking at the Sky on Friday

I just went outside to take a photo of the bluest of blue skies and this "cloud face" greeted me. You do agree it looks like a face, don't you?

I'm not totally losing my marbles, am I??

It's Friday and I'm late posting for Tisha's fun meme, Looking at the Sky on Friday, but I'm here.

What I like about these photos is the color is not enhanced.

The sky is simply stunning this afternoon.

Happy late August afternoon to all!

I met a little angel last week

I briefly met a lot of wonderful children on a recent visit to a day camp program, and one of them in particular was what I would describe as an angel. She was so bright, so adorable, and so wise for her years. She made me smile.

I've found that when life is not going as well as it could, someone always seems to come into our lives and puts us back on a positive path. The 10-year old I met did just that. She stole my heart.

I wish I could have stayed longer to talk with her. She told me so much about herself in a few minutes. She has not had an easy childhood, but she seems to be coping with everything pretty well.

We live in the same town; maybe I'll see her again. I hope so.

Shadow Shot Sunday

Linus posed for the camera this morning!

I'm feeling lucky. =^. .^=

Visit Tracy, our awesome Aussie friend, at Hey Harriet, to see lots of shadowy shots.

Sepia Scenes ~ experimenting

I thought I'd try something different with this night photo of the gazebo on the Derby, Ct. Green. It's fun to experiment!

As you can see I was out ve-r-r-r-y late the other night. Not a soul in sight. (I wasn't alone, my companions are just not in the frame.)

But more on that later. See lots more sepia-fied photos at Mary T's Sepia Scenes blog.

Foot pain

Darling daughter has had a really painful right foot since Saturday. It hurts every time she puts her weight on it.

We are going to have it looked at this morning. Wish us luck.

:- (

UPDATE: We talked to nurse at local CVS who said it was most likely from being on her feet with her new job. She suggested taking pain relievers and soaking the foot in cold water, which daughter already did. And she needs to get some better shoes with good support.

Shadow Shot Sunday

I call this one "Patti needs a Pedi."

I had a pedicure once. I think it was the '90s.

See lots of shadowy pix at our awesome Aussie friend Tracy's Hey Harriet blog.

Straight out of the camera ...

Sunflowers!

Zinnias!

Thought I'd post photos I took last week. Wish I could say this was my garden. ;- )

Sepia scenes

I snapped this yesterday while on assignment photographing a despicable act of vandalism to a memorial. The monument was installed in the 1990s to honor a local man killed in combat during World War II. The memorial area is in a park next to a reservoir.

The photo reminds me of an old-fashioned swimmin' hole on a hot summer afternoon.

And the original:

See lots more sepia scenes at Mary T's blog of the same name!

Bowled over

Told ya we bowled! (See last week's post here.)

Here's proof that Allegra and I were actually in the bowling alley. Notice the lanes behind us.

One of the folks who works for the non-profit that hosted the bowling night took this photo. I thought it came out cute.

We were hot and tired, but we managed to have a lot of fun!

Shadow Shot Sunday

I hope reflections count as shadows. Ralph tells me they do.

;-)

I would not want to miss out on participating in Shadow Shot Sunday for two weeks in a row. I wasn't happy that I didn't get around to posting anything last weekend.

I took a walk with a friend yesterday morning and took some photos. It was nice out; the heat hadn't yet gotten out of hand at 7:30 a.m.

The river was so calm, almost mirror-like, and I think these photos make an old mill town look nice. Hope you agree!

See many more shadowy shots at Tracy's Hey Harriet blog. You won't be disappointed.

Looking at the Sky on Friday

Took a walk with a friend this morning. After I took a photo of the church steeple, I walked a few steps further and saw this dramatic cloud formation.

I hope the changing sky means a cool front is approaching. I can't take much more humidity.

See lots more sky shots at our CrAzY Working Mom's Looking at the Sky on Friday meme.

Had to share this

This morning I got a close-up for the first time of a bee doing his thing ~

A re-post with some linky love

For several days I've been meaning to write about Ralph's new venture in the blogosphere...he is trying to figure out how to work for himself and forge a new career path.

The part-time job he has now may not be there for much longer.

He has started a blog called Lapareau Consult.

Please take a moment to check it out! Thanks in advance.

Mystery photo ~

Hop, hop. Twitch, twitch.

It's a bunny, I know, but I don't know where he came from. Seems like someone's pet escaped from its hutch. It doesn't look like any of the brownish-colored wild bunnies I've seen.

Hop, hop. Twitch, twitch.

I was walking in the yard last evening talking to my mother on the phone. It was starting to get dark and I saw what I thought was a black cat. Well, it was a wascally wabbit. =<^.^>=

I ran for the camera, and took these pix on night mode. I lightened them on the computer because the bunny was in the shadows and you couldn't have seen him otherwise.

He hopped away after a few minutes. I hope he found his way home!

Ruby Tuesday

Tuesday is back, and so am I. I can't believe that five weeks have flown by since last I participated in Ruby Tuesday.

My excuse is the July heat and humidity made me sluggish..lazy..too hot to post.

haha. I hope August brings us some more bearable weather.

So, I went out this afternoon and found these pretty red doors on an Episcopal church about two miles from our house.

Christ Church was built in the late 1890s. It is made of Ansonia granite and New Jersey gray stone in the English gothic style, according to its Web site. Construction was completed in 1896, in time for Christmas services to be held there.

When I got home I took this shot of a flower from a plant a friend gave me. Unfortunately I don't know what kind of flower it is. I haven't planted the plant; it's still in the pot.

See lots more photos featuring a little or a lot of red at Mary T's Work of the Poet blog.

Giving my love some linky love for his new blog

For several days I've been meaning to write about Ralph's new venture in the blogosphere...he is trying to figure out how to work for himself and forge a new career path.

The part-time job he has now may not be there for much longer.

He has started a blog called Lapareau Consult.

Please take a moment to check it out! Thanks in advance.