Humpday history

A feature of this project that I just kind of started a few weeks ago is the documentation of photos I took before the blog began.   It's been pretty fun in that I have looked at earlier pictures and have noticed a transformation already in the pre-blog shoots and those I have been taking now.   I have grown a bit in the field and have given a lot more thought into shooting things with regards to background, setting, and even the time of day.   I tend to see things now with a different eye, in a sense, as I want to set things in a way that would make a good story.   On the other hand, I have become more aware of what is happening around me because good shots, I had learned, usually come about when I have least expected it and when I have planned to shoot something else.   One great example of that is when we attended a car show around the town square earlier this summer.   I know I wanted to have some good shots of the cars and the intricate decor that each one had, like the hood ornaments or brands that told their stories.   I found myself in front of a Buick Eight shooting the curves and color of the car when I noticed that the courthouse was well-reflected in its metal.   My original intention was to shoot the courthouse from the trunk of the car because I thought it would come out very well.    It wasn't until I downloaded the photos that I realized that, when I tried to get a shot of the fender's curves with the headlight, I had captured the moment I really wanted and it turned out very well.   The most interesting and telling photos really do come out when they are not expected, driving my interest and inspiration even more each day.

Don't freeze me, bro

Photographing frosty leaves and plants have usually left me with a foggy picture as the lens would always mist up upon stepping outside.   I've learned over the years to give myself plenty of time between going out and taking off the lens caps before finding subjects to shoot.   I take the foggy lens out of the equation and am able to take pretty neat shots of nature in full force.   It helps out a bit during this season since I won't see spring-like temps for several months, so my outdoor shoots have to take a bit more planning than just hopping out of the car for a quick shot.   I took this shot of a plant of some sort with its leaves covered with frosty needles and ice on an early morning walk in MO over the weekend.   The crystals always make the neatest patterns but what is interesting is that if you touch them, they melt instantly because of the heat differential from body heat and the outside temps.   I'll admit that I tested that theory a few times on the plants and leaves I saw.   The frost melted away shortly after this shot was taken so I felt pretty lucky to be able to have been there to see it.   As with most things, this past weekend gave me a lot of opportunities to be lucky enough to experience with family.

Yes, deer

Several years ago, visiting my wife's grandparents in Missouri, I sampled some very tasty venison summer sausage that her grandpa had made from one of the many deer he has gotten from his back porch.   While it was pretty good, as I have had others since, I mentioned to him how good it was.   A short time later, he brought up about a pound or so of the scrumptious sausage for me to take home.   Each time I have been back, the subject of the venison always comes up which is pretty endearing to me that he would remember how much I enjoyed it.   This year was no exception as the discussion of the day eventually turned to deer season and whether or not he was successful this year.   He mentioned how he got a deer, but it was much smaller than years' past, and had it processed for his freezer.   While no sausage was made from the meat, he remembered how much I enjoyed it and said that grandma had gone out and purchased some to enjoy.   I'm sure because of all the stuff going on over the weekend the subject was quickly forgotten; however, I know that next time we visit there will be plenty to snack on.   The sign I photographed is set just off his back porch near the big garden that gets planted each year.   I liked it a lot and I believe I may have mentioned something to him about it as well.   Next summer when we make our next trip, I wouldn't be surprised to see it wrapped along with some salted meats for us to enjoy once again.

Line of Tanenbaums

While it's not a beautiful vista of an Alaskan National Park with amazing, white-tipped volcanoes stretched out behind a massive, crystal clear sea, the pond behind my wife's grandparents' house substituted quite well for the former when I walked out to capture some of the morning activities in wildlife.   I really liked being able to capture some of the reflection of the native pine trees encircling the pond, some of them serving as nesting areas for some red-tailed hawks, golden chested woodpeckers, and lots of blue jays.   I saw some tracks where the deer have used the pond as a watering hole as well as some burrows where the rabbits and foxes dug out for their homes.   There was a very, thin layer of ice around the edge of the pond which definitely did not deter the gaggle of Canadian geese gathering there, resting for a bit before their trip continued a bit farther south.   Of course, by the time I got there with my camera clanking against my chest and my footsteps not being very quiet, they had left.   I was happy to get some photos of the trees reflecting in the lake with the water being relatively still.   I was happier, still, when I left the chilly weather behind me, making my way back up to the warm confines of the house.

The blind side

Near the back of my grandparents-in-law's farm is a giant man-made lake stocked with all sorts of regional fish like the tasty bluegill and the bass.   I've only been out there in the middle of it once, with no luck at the sport of fishing, but enjoyed the serenity of sitting in a boat out there.   My wife has had good luck in that pond, as a young one, catching more of her share of the nightly dinner.   During our trip there, I trekked out by the pond to see if there was anything new I haven't seen since the last few times I've been out to their house.   I thought about clambering up the ladder to the treehouse that was installed several years ago for the young grandchildren to play in, but since I'm not that young age any more and I neglected to pack proper footwear with which to hike in, I decided against it.   Coming around the back of the lake, I started back to the house when I saw a deer blind nestled back in a group of trees that I had never seen before.   Probably because I have never been there in the winter months, so the foliage would have definitely covered it then.   It's lost it's purpose these days, as my wife's grandpa just uses the convenience of his back porch as a gun perch when the deer season comes around.   He's pretty successful at it each year since his freezer is pretty well stocked with all sorts of venison cuts.   It was a neat subject to shoot, even though there was not much color at that time.   I can just imagine how much fun it used to be to sit out there waiting for that trophy buck to put up on the wall.

Welcome

In front of my wife's grandparents' house is a nice, little, stone statue of a girl just sitting on a bench near the front door.   Every time we go and visit, it's almost like she's aware that we are there, welcoming us into their house.   I've always seen it there and have commented on it, either quietly to myself or aloud to anyone within earshot, about how neat it is and what the purpose of it is.   This time, I mentioned to nobody in particular that it would make a great picture and it would be interesting to know why she made her way to that particular spot.   With most things; however, when all the hustle and bustle of arriving, unloading, hugging, talking, and unpacking got into full force, the impending question of its origin disappeared into the night along with the warm spell.   The next day, I went out early to catch some good photos of frost and saw her still sitting there on her perch welcoming the new day.   As I snapped the picture of her, I made a mental note to myself to ask what the purpose of her sentry was, and I continued throughout the farm.   Walking around, I saw birds, ducks, hawks, and all sorts of other interesting things that I soon forgot about my little friend near the front door.    When I came back to the house, I barely gave her a glance when I went inside.  It wasn't until leaving this morning that I thought about running back inside to get the information I so wanted.   We left, though, so I suppose she'll still be there in the future, sitting on her bench, welcoming all who gather there, never giving out her secret of how she got there in the first place.  

Jack Frost

Walking around my grandparents-in-law's farm this morning gave me a great opportunity to see a lot of foliage covered in the first major frost of the year for this part of the country.   It was quite brisk as I took the stroll and the scenery was definitely not disappointing.   Tree branches, wood piles, grass stems, and wildflower remnants were covered with all shapes and sizes of frost.   There is a lake here on their farm that I wanted to walk down to as well and saw a thin layer of ice around the perimeter of the man-made water hole.   I heard birds chirping, or rather screeching as I walked too close to their nests, as well as other wildlife scampering away from the menacing human carrying nothing more than camera equipment.   I had many shooting opportunities this morning and look forward to the next few days I'm here to make up for some lost time traveling yesterday for my blog entry.   This photograph is of some wild berries growing pretty fruitful in the woods.   With the sun rising behind me, the light was a much welcomed assistant to my photography giving the berries amazing color and allowing the frost gathering on the plants a neat contrast. Next time I go out, though, jackets are a must have, along with a pair of hiking boots as I realized after taking these pictures that I was a long way from home.

Anticipation

The countdown has begun as it most always does before we take a long road trip.   This weekend, we are making the trek down to Farmington, MO to visit with my wife's grandparents and a lot of her family.   It's been quite a while since I've been able to make the trip and I am very excited to be able to go and see all of them again.   Of course, the stressful part is just beginning: deciding what to pack, how many pairs of socks will I need, is the car properly conditioned for the ride, will my backside be able to survive the road?   All the fun things running through my head as we gear up.   Like always, my intentions are good and sound.   I want to leave as early as humanly possible, make stops very few and far between, and get to my destination before nightfall.   As with most things; however, my intentions never really pan out.   We will stop probably at each rest stop for bathroom breaks, the stars will be well overhead before we get to where we are going, and the snooze button for the 4AM alarm will be hit many more times than the manufacturer's suggested usage allows.   I thought of a clever way to document this day and I wanted to do a suitcase photo that may suggest what we are feeling.   Overflowing with clothes shots were out because of my decency of not wanting others to see our dirty laundry and I didn't want to shoot a stuffed animal trying to escape from the confines of the case so I wouldn't arouse the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Stuffed Animals (SPCSA).   Just the simple case in the yard was good enough for me.   It will be a great trip and nice to see all of the relatives I haven't seen in a while.   Even if we turn this 8-hour trip into little over 11.

Another Wednesday walkback

Several months ago, I heard about a "reenactment" that was being held about 45 miles Southwest of here.   I use the quotations because while it was a living history event, there was no actual battle being fought on this ground, nor were there any historical skirmishes being reenacted.    The land it was held on had been designated a spot just for reenactments and the battle was the fictitious battle of Morseville.   What is interesting is that each time the battle is fought, there is no pre-determined winner.   Whoever shows the most tactical savvy and drill perfection is declared the winner for another year.   I met up with a lot of new people that enjoy the hobby and hope to be able to be part of them for the festivities next year.   What made this outing fun was that I went along with a co-worker who, I found out only a few weeks earlier, was as much into Civil War living history as I am.   He enthusiastically went with me, albeit suffering through the abnormally high temps, and enjoyed the historians blasting at each other with cannon fire and musket rounds.   Standing with the rest of the spectators, I found a great shot with the battlefield in the background and him looking away.   I found it to be a pretty telling photo and was glad that I could catch him in that moment.  

The stormy present

Christmas time around our house has become stuff of legends with regards to some of the lengths we will go to try and surprise each other with gift-giving.   One year, I sent a gift ahead to Nashville when we were first married to have my wife have a gift to open at my mom's.   We've opened email accounts under assumed names to hide online purchases and changed passwords to hide ebay bids so that we could do a lot of surprises.   There have been times that we were generally surprised at what was given, but most years, there is an ongoing dilemma on how we can get each other.   Most years; however, one or the other of us tend to guess what the gift is and make the holiday miserable for the other one.   It's almost an inhumane sense of humor, but it has passed down to our daughter.   She loves to play the game and the fun part of it is when she gives out the clues as to what could be in the box.   More often than not, her clues are exactly what is in the box making the guess work pretty easy.   My favorite part is to pick up the boxes and do the old "shake test" to rile up the gift giver in hoping the secret is given up.   This year, I have yet to launch a successful guess so it looks as if this year will be one of those memorable ones that will lead to a big surprise.   I guess I'll have to start early for next year, create a new account, and let the bidding begin on that special gift that will surpass anything from Christmases past.

Dog tired

My dogs have lots of personality, as would most dog owners say about their canine friends, but I would have to say mine will never cease to surprise me.   I was having a bit of a mental block today, as I couldn't think of anything to shoot for my entry today.   While I was watching a little bit of television this morning, I looked over on the couch and saw both my greyhound and mixed breed dog sharing a small space on the couch for a nap.   I've seen them before napping together, but they usually have a bit of a more comfortable position for their bodies.   This time, while there is plenty of space on the couch, my grey has his head, neck, and almost the top third of his body hanging off the couch, almost touching the floor with his nose.   Instead of snuggling up next to him, my mixed breed dog kind of propped herself up on the corner of the couch looking like a human just lounging around for a movie.   It most certainly doesn't look comfortable to me for either one of them, but they seem to be okay as they laid there for a time well after I took the picture.   What this has to do with personality, it's pretty evident that only some dogs who have a bit of crazy attributed to them would even attempt to lay like this.   Tomorrow will bring another day and probably more silly antics from my dogs, even if it is something as simple as lying on the couch.

Special Delivery

Driving east out of Monroe, just past the small town of Brodhead, there is a house situated essentially on the Green County/Rock County line.   A long driveway winds its way from the main street up to the large farmhouse through quite a few trees obviously planted long ago for protection from the wind.   At the entrance of the driveway, the occupants of the house always place large planters throughout the year that have fun themes to them.   This past year, we have seen an old-fashioned bicycle with flowers planted in the front basket as well as a wooden wheelbarrow stuffed full with topiary.   Today, as we were driving past, there was an antique truck filled with Christmas trees as if on its way to a delivery stop somewhere.   What made the whole scene dramatic was the life sized mannequin of Santa Claus, so realistic that you would have to make a double take to ensure it wasn't someone broken down.   His face was pretty authentic as well as his hands on the wheel.   Walking up to him, I half expected him to offer up a "howdy" and ask how the day was going for me.    I was pretty fortunate to be able to catch him before the sun dropped below the horizon, actually allowing the deep red colors of the truck and his flannel shirt to come out.   I have to admit though, as he was pretty realistic and seemed to be watching, I had to remember that I have to behave for at least one more week in order to stay on the nice list.

Snow birds

I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later this year; however, no matter how much I think I'm prepared for it, I never expect it when it finally does snow.   You'd think that after so many years of living here that I would already have supplies, gear, and whatnot for the snow season, but I don't.   While today's snowfall wasn't anything for the record books (a mere 3 inches), it still drove home the reality that I never can get prepared early enough.   Today, after the temps rose a bit to melt some away, my daughter and I drove up to Madison to do some last minute shopping.   Coming home, I stopped in the small town of Monticello and took some shots of Lake Montesian, documenting the winter wonderland.   It was iced over with a layer of snow on top, making it look pretty inviting to go and make an ice skating attempt.   Obviously, it wasn't a good idea for that and my skills of skating are pretty bad, so we just decided to make it a photographic trip instead.  I shot the bridge linking the banks with the small island in the middle of the lake where many a fisherman has tried their luck at catching dinner.   While we both walked around a bit, we took some more pictures and got ready to get back in the car.   At that moment, a couple of geese thought it should be their moment in the spotlight and flew in at the right time, posing for their fifteen minutes of fame.

Kilroy Claus was here

In an earlier post, I referenced the once-famous "Kilroy" phase that has its origins sometime around the Second World War.   It was so prevalent in the war effort that there are reports that the graffiti would show up behind enemy lines causing the enemy leaders to believe that it was an Allied spy ring with a code agent named "Kilroy".   There are other versions of the graffiti hero in other countries, but the best known is of the bald figure peeking over the wall with just his hands showing that I have come to know and love.   Here in Monroe, probably done without this intention, is a Santa playhouse for the little ones to occupy themselves in while waiting in line to see the big guy.   On the chimney is a wooden Santa appearing to either slide down the chimney or climb out of it.   The figure is constructed in a way that makes it appear to be "Kilroy-like", at least to me.   I thought it would make a good picture and it was finally a morning where we didn't have rain, clouds, or high winds so the colors and structure would be photographed well.   Looking at it through the viewfinder, I had a fleeting moment where I thought it would be funny to grab a Sharpie and make the indelible mark under his face.   Since none of the children visiting the house would get it, and I might have had to write this blog from the Green County Jail, I thought against it.   Kilroy Claus will just have to fade back into history along with the pet rock and Tab.

Walkin it back, Wednesday

Today is a pretty awful day for picture taking, as it is raining and will be throughout the day.   Not like one of those light drizzles but a full-on, Forrest Gump-like "fat rain" that is just persistent and is forecasted to stay throughout the day.   Since the conditions are going to fight me in photographing something new, I've decided to do a "flashback" of a picture I took earlier this year.   Last June, my daughter had a camping event with her Girl Scouts that I wanted to go to with her because I thought about how her and I would be able to bond, camping together in a tent.   My expectations were high as I went through all the fun stories we would tell and games we'd play trying to go to sleep.   Of course, all of that changed quickly when she wanted to sleep in others' tents and hang out with her friends.   I walked around a lot that night taking pictures of them making Smores, singing songs, and just being best friends.   As her and some of her friends were playing around the campfire, I stood up on a pile of stumps and started taking pictures of them as they were hugging each other and going around in circles.   What transpired was a great photo of my daughter and two of her friends in a moment of sheer happiness.   My favorite part of the photograph is how my daughter's love for her stuffed rabbit is evident, including it in her fun.   All three of them were full of joy and their embrace completed the human "Circle of Friends".

I'm with the band

Who hasn't been to the park during the summer concert season and heard their favorite Sousa march played by the community brass band or taken part in a theatrical portrayal of a neighborhood Shakespeare festival?   Bandshells are an essential part of park recreation and serve as meeting spots for family and friends alike.   Whether they are made from wood and steel or erected out of overlying stones, they are a timeless reminder of the coliseums and amphitheaters of ancient Rome.   Shakespeare's England was full of these neighborhood concert venues and their very shape allowed for magnification of voices and instruments without the modern invention of microphones.  

Here in Monroe stands the aptly named Twining Park bandshell dedicated in 1960 and modeled in the Swiss-style construction.   During the Independence holiday, the community band sets up shop in the bandshell and plays the standards from Sousa and originals from local composers.   Theater is performed there from the most intricate English tragedies to simple skits and talent shows.   And when there is nothing going on, it stands as a play area for adventure seeking kids or people like me looking for time to kill and a picture to take.   I would lie if I didn't stand up there and face the empty audience, try out a bit of stand-up comedy, and imagine one or two people laughing at my adolescent humor.   Judging from the cool reception I got from the empty seats, I figure I'll stick with trying to improve my camera skills.

Up, up, and away

Santa sightings are in full force this holiday season and it's always a treat to find out how someone will display the big guy on their lawn or somewhere on their house.   One I look forward to every year I've been here is the display on top of the bank on the town square.   While there really isn't anything special about the display, it's a lot of fun to turn the corner and drive up the east side of the square and see him in his sleigh ready to pull off with his reindeer.   It's a hit with kids also who may be strolling around the courthouse with their parents looking at all the woodcarvings and decorations in the shop windows.   They look up high in the air with anticipation as they see his sleigh and immediately begin to wonder about that magical night when time seems to stand still so he can deliver his toys throughout the world.   I wanted to capture it in a different light, so to speak, as there have been quite a few pictures taken of the display since it was erected several weeks ago.   Shooting it from an angle made a neat story as it appears that he is getting some assistance from gravity to get his toy-laden sleigh up in the air with as little effort at all.   The original picture was a bit more severe in its angle, so I straightened it a little bit, which made it more powerful in the story telling.   The sky was neat also, as the clouds, blueish hue, and rising sun came together to make a great backdrop.   Now, the question remains, as to where the man in red will make his next appearance and be a subject for an aspiring photographer.

Don't look down.

Today, my daughter and I went to run some errands and we had planned to go for a little walk around the square for some decoration sightings and a picture or two with the Zoli-inspired Santas.   It took a little bit of a detour; however, when we were passing the pedestrian bridge installed earlier this year over one of the main roads here in town.   I asked her if she wanted to jump out and walk across it since we really had nothing else to do today.   Of course, walking across this wide span seemed like a great idea to me at the time, but when I got to the middle of the bridge, my incessant fear of heights and the swaying of the structure from the passing cars underneath caused me to quickly turn around and high tail it to the beginning.   I thought about the times when I attempted a cross of the swinging rope bridge at Fall Creek Falls, going all the way to the end of the Infinity Room at the House on the Rock, or not even walking 1/4 of the way up the Shelby Pedestrian Bridge in Nashville.   For some reason, high bridges are not my cup of tea.   Not so with my daughter, though, as she enjoyed standing there watching the cars pass underneath.   She went from side to side checking out the traffic and decided not to do any posing for me, so I just had to wing it on this one.   That was actually a pretty good accident, as I believe I caught some really good moments with her just horsing around.   It helped that I was on solid ground and had to live the experience through her eyes and the laughter she made when playing around.

Sandy Claws

Today, I volunteered my time to play Santa at a pet store up in Madison.   I've done it now for the past two years and have had a lot of fun doing it each time.   It's not difficult, really, as I just don a suit, sit in a chair near the front of the store, and talk to all the pet owners that happen by.   Being that Christmas is just a couple weeks away, the store was understandably busy and well traveled with customers wanting a quick photo with Santa.   It was all to benefit the Greyhound Pets of America group that we adopted our big guy from a few years ago.   Sitting there, I met all sorts of interesting pets: a chihuahua that barely fit in the palm of my hand, a greyhound well-known to the group, a puggle that couldn't get enough of my beard, and an amazing Akita that looked ferocious but had a coat on him that was softer than a goose down pillow.   Lots of traffic came through, earning the GPA a lot of much needed proceeds for the hounds, and I had a great time portraying the man in red.   While I wasn't able to take a picture of myself for the blog, I had a bobble head Santa that stood in for me just fine.   I hope that since I worked hard at listening to some kids' wishes as well as being helpful with the hounds, that Santa will remember this day and put me right back on the nice list.

Moonshot

Tomorrow morning, probably when the sun is coming up here in WI, there is going to be a total lunar eclipse.   I'm told that the best place to see it will be on the west coast and mountain region where there will still be some darkness before dawn comes.   It is supposed to occur here, as the totality happens, precisely when the sun rises, so I may not be fortunate enough to see it in its entirety.   I think I have only seen one or two total eclipses in my life and they are always spectacular.   Even if you are not an astronomy nut, the experience of it is truly amazing.   As a kid, I missed my very first one as it happened in the wee early hours and I was asleep.   I remember reading my older sister's journaling about the experience and she had written so eloquently about the different colors and hues that the moon turned during the event.   It was as if I was standing there next to her watching it.   Stellar events such as an eclipse aren't things that happen daily and I do my best to see as many as I can.   One night, several years ago, I witnessed the Northern Lights for the first time, an event I'm sure some of my friends can see whenever they wish.   Meteor showers, comets, and solar eclipses are many amazing scientific things that happen throughout one's life, bringing more show power and amazement than a Pink Floyd concert.   I walked outside tonight to pick up my daughter for our date when I saw the moon just hanging over the horizon like it was placed there on a nail.   I was pretty surprised to be able to capture the shadows of the moon in my photograph, thinking that it would be a great experience early tomorrow morning, watching the eclipse with my sister and dreaming of time gone by.

I dare you

Who hasn't played the game which brings all sorts of hijinks and hilarity with it all for the sake of causing someone else to hurt themselves in a funny stunt?   We've all done that: daring someone to take a leap off a high structure, walking outside in cold temps with nothing more than socks on, or eating a slice of limburger cheese without gagging.   It's all fun and games for us whether we are 6 or 76.   Making others laugh through the harsh antics we call the "dare" is just part of the humor we all have.   Sure, most of us control it and don't plan too many "bad" dares for others to do and resort to safer trickery to have fun.   Probably one of the first movies to have "the triple-dog-dare" as an iconic movie moment is The Christmas Story, on a short list of my favorite holiday films.   No matter how many times I watch it, I cringe each time that scene comes up as the tongue gets frozen to the pole.   Sure, it's cruel that they all dared him to do it in the first place and the debate can continue about how it correlates to the ongoing bullying problem in schools today, but it's a timeless event that I am sure is replicated in school yards, playgrounds, and frat house back yards, I'm sure, each time the temp plunges into the single digits.   I photographed one of the many "Christmas Story" ornaments that we get each year and was surprised at the lifelike resemblance to the character.   It was fun to do as I tried to make today's posting a bit more playful.   'Course with the temps to plunge into the single digits tomorrow, I am going to steer clear from any metal poles beckoning me to test the movie scene for myself.   Unless, of course, you employ the "triple-dog-dare" tactic.

Day of infamy

Taking a picture of a picture has never been something I've been keen on, as it is pretty hard to do.   It's a lot easier to just scan it and then work on it through Photoshop.   However, I thought that it would be a unique challenge to try and make it a good photograph.   The subject for today is a picture taken of my grandfather with some of his Navy buddies stationed somewhere during World War 2.   It depicts a pretty relaxed scene as they're all just having a good time drinking a few brews.   I can't imagine what must have gone through their young minds, though, just a few months or years earlier when the skies erupted with explosions from the attack on Pearl Harbor.   Who knows where they were at the time, but I can only imagine that they felt that same type of loss, devastation, anger, and revenge that I did 10 years ago on 9/11.   Unlike these days though, it seemed like there was a national call to action for everyone to get involved with protecting our homeland and defeating the enemy who brought the war to our soil.   I'm sure some of it could have been fabricated, but people were mesmerized by the war bond drives, the heroes of Iwo Jima, and Rosie the Riveter.   My grandpa was part of a blimp crew that flew up and down the coast searching for enemy subs on missions to harass our boys.   He answered the call of duty as did thousands of other young men on this day when bombs rained down upon a sleepy Naval base in Hawaii, killing too many soldiers and civilians.   All probably enjoying some quality time together not too unlike these sailors who met over a few cold bottles of liquid relaxation.

U-*-#-Y

What is it about the holidays that bring out the contests pitting all sorts of people against each other in a battle of jersey knit and appliquéd decorations?   I can't say I've ever participated in such contests; however, I have seen many of the entries in them and they can bring quite a bit of ugly with them.   Now, I must tread lightly because I don't want to offend anyone that may wear them proudly whether as a cherished tradition or merely as a cheap and affordable clothing piece to combat the seasonal chills.   This weekend, my wife is going to her annual Christmas party and will be participating in such a contest.   They may be calling it something else, like a holiday shirt contest, or most spirited shirt, as not to offend anyone there, but it's still nothing much more than a contest for shirts that may never be worn again as a part of every day outfits.   I think it's pretty creative, as she has taken a Santa purse and is in the process of putting it on the front of it.   Eventually, it will serve as a pouch for artfully made wrapping paper and presents made from felt and pipe cleaners.   It's almost ironic that the posting I did yesterday regarding stars came into play today as a bright yellow star is prominent in Santa's hat.   I'm pretty positive that if a contest is started for shirts, she will win it.   Of course, I will hope that it doesn't maneuver its way into her repertoire of outfits any time soon.

A star is born

A very intriguing shape is that of the star.   It's found on flags of all nationalities, symbols of religions, and copied by young 6-year old artists worldwide.   You can find them on sidewalks depicting someone's life, on wallpaper in kids' rooms, and swirling around a cartoon's head after getting blown up by an ACME bomb.   Stars are everywhere in all shapes and sizes with all sorts of meanings behind them.   It can be used to describe sports heroes or musical artists and they twinkle up in the sky as we wish upon them.   It amuses me that we got the star shape from how the stars looked like in the sky to our ancestors, yet they are all round, according to scientists from time's past.   One of the biggest holidays depicting a star is, of course, Christmas.   We find stars topping our trees, stars for decorations, and even hold one particular star in a place of reverence for it's the one that led the shepherds to the manger.   We have a wooden star hanging on our front door for the season in place of a wreath usually hanging there.   It's interesting to me because of the structure giving the viewer two stars in one.   I attempted to get a shot of it earlier this season, but either lighting didn't cooperate or my observations didn't come to fruition.   This time, I believe, all of the variables fell into place giving me a good subject for today's writing.

Ye olde tanenbaum

I find it amusing that each year we never really set out to decorate our tree.   There's never one of those "Hallmark" moments where we bake some cookies, heat some warm cider, and have our favorite Christmas tunes playing on the stereo.   Snow's usually not falling and we're definitely not dressed up in our appliquéd sweatshirts depicting all sorts of holiday cheer.   This year was no exception as I had the tree put up several days ago.   I decided to go ahead and put the strings of lights on so that at least there would be a partially decorated tree to be proud of.   As it usually happens, our daughter came in wanting to put "her" ornaments on before I even had all the lights strung.   When they were all put up, I told her that we could go ahead and just put a few on, as I didn't really want to do it all then.   Since you can't really have a partially decorated tree, the few ornaments she put on turned into a full-fledged, all-hands-on-deck tree trimming festival.   We all converged on it like a hungry pack of dogs on a trash bin and got it all spruced up.    I was very pleased with the glow of the blue and white lights we have on the tree as they reflect on all of the ornaments, especially with the glass ones.   This picture shows one of my favorite ornaments: a simple silver word hanging up high in the tree.   There are a few more hanging which completes all of the decor, but this one looks very nice and essentially defines the year we are about to have before us.

Hitting and running

Today we had a gift practically thrown into our laps of a free babysitter for 8 hours.   Our daughter had a girl scout event that required her to be with her troop from 9 this morning until 5 this evening, making cookies.   Not to kick a gift horse in the mouth, we capitalized on the opportunity and made a run to Madison for some kiddo Christmas shopping and alone time.   It has been pretty rainy all day, not to mention a December-like cold temperature, so it would be safe to say that one would need to be a bit more careful when driving.   All that said, we had just gotten off the interstate getting ready to go to the mall when we got rear-ended.   Obviously that's not a feeling we're used to, so it took a minute or two to figure out what happened.   When I got out of the car, I checked on the guy that hit us and looked at his car which was pretty banged up.   While ours was not hurt really at all, except for a scratch or two and the small dent in the bumper, I told him that we'd pull off the main road over to the side and call the police.   He said he was okay and that there wasn't any need for it.   After I drove on to park, he got in another lane and took off.   A bit later, the police came out and did a report on everything and things were taken care of.   

I write about this all because of the humor that we found in the incident.   The guy wasn't driving his car as it wasn't registered to him and we kept playing out the conversation he would have when he got home to explain the busted up hood on his car.   Maybe he would say he hit a deer, a pole, or he was the victim of a hit and run.   Our car came out relatively okay, we were both fine, and the shopping trip continued on as planned, albeit a bit delayed and on more alert nerves.   My photo today was essentially for the insurance, but I thought I'd try to make it as interesting as I could to match the interesting story that complemented it.

Behind door #1

Ah yes.   The season is fast approaching with the ceremonial untangling of the Christmas tree lights, the obsessive sorting of the ornaments in color groups, and the NASA-inspired countdown to the big day.   One of the other traditions we have is that of the Advent Calendar, one that many families I know have as well.   I've had many different ones in the past as simple as a cardboard fixture pre-filled with tiny candies to the wood one we have now with hinged doors and ornately decorated.   With my family's penchant for all things peanut butter and chocolate, the candy of choice is always Reese cups.   Yet while we have fun with it and my daughter can hardly wait each day to open the door and grab the tasty treat behind it, the meaning of the calendar sometimes can be lost on us.   But, as with most things, we regroup and work to remember the spirit of the season and truly be thankful of the gifts we have gotten from our friends and family to get us to the place where we are today.   A journey made more enjoyable with a small morsel of peanut butter and chocolate to help out along the way.