The night before the actual Honey Moon

Last night before I went to bed, I decided to go out for a short walk. I'd forgotten about the Friday the 13th full moon, the Honey Moon. I had to come right back inside and get my camera! When the clouds cleared, I zoomed, focused, and held my breath. This one's the clearest of the clouds and the circle that is the moon. Too bad I couldn't get focused on the surface of the moon. However, considering I was standing in a city neighborhood, I like the result.

Flower Study, No. 2

It amazes me how these clusters of blossoms just come out of the trunk, not on stems or tiny branches, just right through the bark. I cannot remember noticing such a sight back in my home state of Mississippi. Of course, I hardly ever got out and walked because there were not sidewalks in our neighborhood, the heat and humidity were stifling, and some months the mosquitos smothered anyone who went outside.

Sunny Saturday! Been to a lecture and walked around taking photos. About to go out again into the sunshine, just as soon as I get this posted!

Walking from The Circuit Bouldering gym just of NE Sandy at NE 18th, on my way home today at 12:46 p.m. I had stopped for a few minutes to visit with Lamont and Leland who were in there bouldering. Lucky for me, they had a few minutes to stop climbing and visit with their little ol' Mom! Lucky for me also to get this photo of the two buses that I ride home from work--the 12 and the 19. That's my usual stop that the 19 is at--it's named NE Sandy and NE Flanders. The 12 is at the traffic signal at NE Sandy and NE 20th. The multi-browns brick building is the triangular one that houses Halo Salon, on the tip, and right behind it, The Blue Diamond PDX, my practically-perfect-in-every-way neighborhood bar. Depending on whim or weather, I can walk either direction at the tip of that triangle to get to my building--there's a side door if I go right, and there's a front door on the street parallel with NE 20th. Often I go to the front door so that I can get in a few more steps.

Can't stop sharing these photos of my snowy neighborhood, even on Valentine's Day!

It's just that this particular bus shelter means so very much to my life. And to see it blurred by the falling snow sort of tickles me. Not that I want it to snow like this again any time soon. I took this photo on Saturday, February 8 at 10:37 a.m. The colorful building in the background houses the Oregon Children's Theatre. An abandoned car, in the drive-through, going against the actual direction for service, at the Community Consolidated Credit Union. Club 21, also within walking distance of my building, but across NE Sandy Blvd., so I have never been there. I see no reason to cross a busy street on foot to have a good time. Here's my favorite neighborhood spot to walk to for a good time--The Blue Diamond PDX--which is on the same side of NE Sandy as my building. I took this photo on Thursday, February 6 at 5:24 p.m. Lots more snow fell during the night and on Friday and Saturday. Finally, here's the Blue Diamond on Monday morning at 9:14 a.m. Look at all of that snow beside the sidewalk. I took this photo standing to the east of my bus shelter while I waited for the first bus of the morning commute. I had waited to go to work so that the ice on my sidewalks--which had fallen from late Saturday afternoon, through the night, and into Sunday--had a chance to melt a bit. We were above 32 degrees and had a light rain falling. By the way, I have no idea when NE Sandy was plowed because I didn't go outside at all on Sunday, and the last time I saw it on Saturday at 3:02 p.m., it looked like this. It's obvious that no plowing had happened--the street is practically the same level as the sidewalk, only tamped down some by the vehicles that managed to get from Point A to Point B, wherever that may have been. You can't see it in the photo, but take my word for it. The freezing rain and/or sleet had started to fall, so I walked on home.

Happy Valentine's Day, y'all!

Nature's beauty, No. 20

Looks like the spiderweb has just about completed the webbing for the insects' circus tent, doesn't it?

Nature's beauty, No. 19

Alongside the front windows on the east wing of the Albertina Kerr building is a trimmed hedge--I think it might be some sort of boxwood although I cannot say for sure. I squatted down for a closer look at this dewy little cloud of spiderweb with these tiny branches coming through it. I liked what I saw enough to take a photo and share it with you.

Nature's beauty, No. 18

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Decorative grasses filled a rather large pot on the patio at Albertina Kerr. I spied this triangle-shaped dew drop formed at the intersection of those two differently colored blades of grass. Although I had stiff fingers from being out in the cold for several hours, I worked at getting at least one decent photo of it. This turned out best. I like the lines and the triangles and the soft curves. Concentrating on that particular dew drop, I didn't notice the others until I downloaded the photos to iPhoto.

Nature's beauty, No. 17

I certainly would like to know how these dew drops formed as far apart as they did. And what makes them not slide together? Is it the surface tension of the water juxtaposed with the stickiness of the spiderweb? And on that top strand, whatever made those eight larger dew drops form alongside dozens of teensy ones? You can tell the wind blew as I took the photo, but I just had to share it with y'all. Someone may know the answers to my questions! I'm having a blast with these dew and fog photos.

Nature's beauty, No. 12

Another cropped close-up from underneath the rose on the tall stem. Thanks for indulging me with my photos of these flowers, dew drops and spiderwebs.
 

The same photo, uncropped.
 

And here's the same flower a moment later, after the wind had rearranged the spiderweb beneath the petals on the right.

Nature's beauty, No. 11

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Almost all of this delicate rose, a bit past its optimum bloom.
 

A close-up. I like that these roses grow so tall because it makes for a unique perspective.

Nature's beauty, No. 10

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These dew drops make me think of mercury glass. If you don't know it, take a moment to Google Image "mercury glass balls" so you can see what I mean--please and thank you.



I can't decide which part of these dew drops I like the most--the ones on the spiderweb or the ones on the leaf stem.

Nature's beauty, No. 9

Cropped into the square shape, sharpened, and resized at PicMonkey. This sort of rose is my all-time favorite because my dearly departed husband LeRoy always gave them to me when he gave me roses. Thank you, darling. I have loved you since lightning struck when I first laid eyes on you at try-outs for that play at The Foolkiller--Transcenmental Hippiedations--on July 31, 1972, in Kansas City, Missouri.

Nature's beauty, No. 8

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Part of an image that makes it look like I own a macro lens, but I don't. I lucked out and got a clear enough wide shot that I was able to crop to this dew-drop-laden stem to share with you, along with a few spiderwebs.

Nature's beauty, No. 6

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An upward bound trio of rose buds, beautiful in front of the fog shrouded Albertina Kerr Center. It's such a good time to get to see sights like this and to then be able to get photos of said sights. Such a good time. I am certain owning a camera and living in a picturesque environment which is easy for me to experience plays a major role in keeping me sound, mentally and physically.
 

A closer shot.

Nature's beauty, No. 5 AND Happy Birthday, Leland!

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OK. No blossoms here. But, just take a close look at this cloth-like spread of spiderweb. I cannot even imagine how tiny the spider or spiders must be who spun this exquisite patch between these small leaves. I'm making a decision that there were at least two spiders at work because I want to imagine one going this way, one going that way, over and over, until they were done. How in the world did they not run into each other as they worked?