Notes on blogging...

I have discovered that I really do enjoy blogging.  I think that I am reasonably good at it...most of my sentences are full sentences, and almost all of them have subject and verb thingies in them.  I am more aware than any reader that what I write is simple "blather" that allows me to process my life in a semi-public way.  I have no illusions of importance of anything that I write.  It is mostly for me, and for the 3-5 people who do read this.  I think that really is the extent of my audience--there has been only two people who I have not specifically invited who have ever read this--one high school friend, my editor at the Purple Wings, who no doubt thought I needed editing just as I did then.  And some kind soul who just found this this blog by mistake or luck.  

But I find that I walk a fine line.  Three people, 50% or more of my readers, have commented that I seem sad in my postings.  And here lies the problem with blogging.  I really have tried to keep personal things out of my blog, at least true personal things.  No names, no specific instances or causes of thoughts, etc.  But if you do this you will let things about you slip out, and I know I have.  Life is like that, and mine is no different.  Sometimes it is hard, sometimes it is confusing, and sometimes it is not all that you might want it to be or even need it to be.

Two things.  I hope that this undercurrent of life doesn't interfere with what I am really saying--trust me, it is mostly background noise and not the noise that drives my life or days.  Secondly, I will reach out if I need to.  I am fine.  I would change things in a few parts of my life, but I refuse to think that all of us wouldn't say that if we had a chance.  But I am fine.  

I guess lastly, thank you.  I am blessed by having one or two people who care enough to ask.  

The end of the walk

The walk, metaphorically, ended at sunset tonight, a sunset which featured this incredible band of yellow sky over the San Juan Islands.  I don't have any clue as to what the week will bring, either with the weather or with other stuff.  It is comforting to know that there probably will be other sunsets though, right?  Kind of a sad day, but I looked for something to smile at or about, as someone told me to do.  And you know what?  I found it.

I know someone at work who has just an incredible office, filled with art.  It is bright, and the art ranges from kid's class projects to what some would call "real art."  I have thought about doing something like that with photos in my office.  I do have a few photos hanging, but nothing significant.  So, I guess that this is my wall. For what it's worth.

A walk, continued...

A walk, continued.  Wow, even a people picture, though I did not get their names for the cutline.  I apparently am in a horizontal mood.  I was at a bookstore today, and saw a title of a book that caught my eye, in part because of the picture above, but really because of many of the photos on the blog of Bellingham.  The title was "Best Places to Kiss in the Northwest."  I am glad that I know that there is a book of that tells me where.  I did not buy the book...

A sunny day, a walk, and...

It was a wonderful weekend, with warm (sort of) weather and sunshine, a commodity that has been in somewhat short supply of late.   I know that people (you singular?)  may be getting tired of vague, unspecific pictures of colorful things.  For those who know me, you may be thinking that these photos are out of character for me.  Maybe they are.  I think that I see them as kind of place holders for me.  I want to take other photos, but I do not know of what.  These photos are pleasant, and perhaps even semi competent.  I recognize they are photos of nothing but they keep me taking photos.  Photography is a journey, isn't it?  I am just walking around on that journey.

Along with the idea of we are what we eat...

As they say, "Phat"  I am sure that this is the exact word that people would use, as in cool, hip, etc.  Or maybe it was fat.  And fuzzy.  In the past month, I have grown a beard.  Lots of reasons, I suppose.  One reason is that I can.  Not physically, but I can at work.  This place is a whole lot more casual that my previous place of work.  Two of the three vice-presidents have beards (thankfully the third doesn't--she would look awful) and I can easily get by with wearing a tie a day or two a week, and jeans at least on Friday.  And no one looks at you as if you have dog doo doo on your shoes if you do come to work casually dressed.

For those of you who remember me or knew me 25 years ago, I had a beard for several years.  It went with the "Animal" persona that I so carefully cultivated.  Remember Animal from Lou Grant?  Well, I digress.  My beard then was red, and soft and curly.  I was, of course, pretty hot and cool.  Yeah, that's it.  Anyway, this is the longest I have had a beard since probably 1985.  And now, my beard is gray and bristly.  I am not sure how that happened.  I am not sure if the beard will stay.  It is kind of a protest thing, but if I am going to protest, I suppose that I have to figure out what I am protesting about.  It is hardly a fashion statement, but I thought that someone might like (and laugh) and perhaps smile at the images.

A mirror view of one my other favorite places for breakfast

Ave. Bread

Color and food.  What more can you ask.  Avenue Bread probably makes the best bread in town, and it has a nice space, too.  I often end up there to steal their internet signal and sip coffee and have a treat.  Of course, I always get their smallest offering, often just a small plain, crust of bread and plain dry water.

You are what you eat...

You are what you eat, as they say. and this place was one my recent culinary exploits.  Can't much recommend the food, but I absolutely loved the name.  Makes me wonder why they bother promoting salads.

Dog days...

This has to be one of my favorite dog photos.  Bellingham is a without a doubt a dog-friendly city, and this one was a city-friendly dog, just plopped down on a pretty busy street waiting for its owner.

Black and white...

Sometimes a little snow is just as dramatic and pretty as a lot of snow, not to mention a whole lot easier to drive in!  Perhaps that is a small metaphor for life, too...

Life is interesting here, I guess.  I have had long conversations with friends about being alone, alone-ness, and loneliness, all similar words but with very different meanings, and with very different levels of comfort.  I am not uncomfortable being alone--often it is a choice and I am fine with that.  I think I am struggling in part with a sense of loss and the lack of direction/comfort/balance that can come with that.  Certainly a great deal of that loss has come from the loss of my father this year.  That has been magnified by the season, and that his birthday was this past week as well.  But I am also struggling with the difference between losses which you have no control over, and losses in which you or often others have control over.  I am unsure as to which loss hurts more, or affects me more.  Friends are rare things, but rarer than family?  I am not blameless in these losses which are magnified by choices, perhaps making this a bit more of a struggle for me.

Perhaps it's the control thing or the ego thing.  I certainly struggle with both of these as shortcomings.  But we all need opportunities that let us grow, right? RIGHT?????  Nothing terminal.

School begins tomorrow, which really indicates the start of the new year, with all that this means.  Adventures await, I'm sure.

Blue-ness

It is again a gray, rainy, snowy day, one largely devoid of color as the clouds are hovering way too close to the ground.  I wandered around and looked for color, and even made some of my own, or at least arranged some color with flowers.  I made some prints from the flower photos, and while they aren't incredible, they are OK.  What I find amazing is just how good the lens that comes with a Nikon D40.  This lens has plastic elements, and the entire lens is in a poly-carbonate barrel.  I can't imagine that there is a penny's worth of metal in the whole lens.  Still, I made 11X17 photos which were razor sharp.  I think the lens probably sells for $69, which is basically free.  Twenty five years ago you would have spent hundreds to get the same results.  I know, way too technical, but it is interesting.  To me at least..

More color...