The 22nd day of the sixth month in the year of the Camellia

STILL DELUSIONAL

Think I'll go for a walk!

The 21st day of the sixth month of the year of the Camellia

JUST A REMINDER.  I WILL BE SHOWING IN NORTH WILDWOOD NJ ON THE 17TH AND 18TH OF JULY AT THEIR MARITIME FESTIVAL. 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/North-Wildwood-NJ/Hereford-Inlet-Lighthouse-Maritime-Festival-/281195478051

I was just fooling around with some digital distortions and came up with some cool interpretations of some of my photos. 

Take a look at the "Docks at Cape May at Night"

Just some fun, off the wall, stuff which I just might include in my travelling dog and pony show.

 You know the kind where they use to sell snake oil and the barkers yelled .......

Come see her folks...

She walks!

She Talks!

She crawls on her belly like a reptile!

Only one thin dime!

Guess I've gone delusional!

The 18th day of the sixth month of the year of the Camellia

ST. AUGUSTINE LIGHTHOUSE

I have visited St. Augustine, FL a number of times and until this last trip have been unable to photograph the lighthouse to my own liking.  The above image is probably stronger than any images of the tower itself.  This morning I got there a little earlier and the light was a bit better than on previous visits.  I love the way the Keeper's house is nestled in the Oaks and the whole place just reeks of the old south.

The light  is just a hoot n holler from the Alligator Farm, and  two shoots can be done on one trip.

I must admit that I have spent so many hours lapping at the Fountain of Youth, that I almost miss having time to do anything else. 

The light tower has proven to be difficult for a number of reasons.  First the trees all around it mask it's presence.   Then there is the fact that it is open to the general public.  Getting any lighthouse without people is always a waiting game.  First find "The Spot" and then "The Light", and then wait for the people to clear from the frame and hope that the aforementioned "Light" has not changed too much.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Augustine_Light

I have included the Wikipedia link for this light because it's history is long and a bit complicated to include here.  If you have an interest please use the above link.  The light is basically constructed to be the sister to the famed Cape Hatteras light.  The structure, while shorter here, is quite similar.

The 17th day of the sixth month of the year of the Camellia

TWO TOES AWAY

Watching this young great egret exercise his/her wings was a real treat.  The bird remained in this spot flapping it's wings just to get some lift.

All the while holding on for dear life with what I imagined were two of his toes.

He must have been practicing for ten minutes, never leaving the same spot.

  A much younger wood stork on the left casts an inquiring eye.  I image saying "Hey bird are you crazy? There's alligators down there!"

Perhaps it was the same feeling that Orville and Wilbur had before they lifted off that hill at Kitty hawk so many years ago.  The flight of the birds most definitely influenced their attempts.  After all when you can achieve the grace, power, beauty and actual flight like the egret's predecessor....why not?

Perhaps Orville and Wilbur just said OK........ "Alligators be dammed"  and they just simply let go.

The 16th day of the sixth month of the year of the Camelllia

IT'S LONELY WHEN YOU'RE RIGHT!

Well, that's pretty presumptuous of me.

I have no idea why I am so drawn to that part of the heron family called the Louisiana.

I guess it's because they are colorful.

Any you know I am right!

At the Alligator Farm in all his mating plumage.

The 15th of June awww-ready in the year of the Camellia

SOMEWHERE POST, UGLY, DUCKLING

The great egret can be one of the most graceful of all the long legged wading birds.

 (That's part of the heron family for those of you educated in our government run public schools)

When they begin to grow up and get out of the "Chick" stage, they become much more graceful.  Now don't go crazy, I am using the term "Chick" as it refers to the young of the bird families.  Not the popular vernacular used in most singles bars and meat markets.  (Do they even exist anymore?)

Don't get me wrong, the blue herons, little blue herons, Louisiana herons, green back herons and snowy egrets can be very graceful in their own right.  But the great egrets have a certain aplomb that some of the others do not display. 

 I like this image because of the age of the young bird and the fact that he is beginning to display the dignity of his parents.  The light and composition is good.  I am sure this bird will continue to avoid the alligators waiting below. 

The 14th day of the sixth month of the year of the Camellia

FROM HUNTER GATHERS TO THIS?

OK, I never "Huntered" all that well, but have been  able to gather a bit along the way.

And the title probably has nothing to do with the rest of what I am writing today.

  This past weekend was just a warm up, so to speak, for today where we topped out at a 103 degrees.  Just love it, particularly when the air conditioning is working.

  I am also very happy to report that the AC is working on the grand old, green lady, of a Ford Explorer that I drive.  She has seen over 300,000 miles with me and I finally got her repaired after five or six sweltering years.  Only a few more modestly smaller repairs and she'll be like new.  Or like a new used car.  Sweet old lady has been with me from Maine to Florida .  But I digress!

I generally do some pretty dumb things when the weather gets to be over-bearingly hot. This weekend past was no exception.  I put in about fifty feet of board on board fence in the backyard.  Four by four posts, ten feet high, with concrete feet. A ten foot, treated, 4x4 is a heavy sucker!  Of course an eight foot long, six foot high, section of fence is not a light weight either.  Got up to 98-99 on Saturday and the century mark on Sunday.  When we get a storm, it's going to be huge!

  So you know the drill....go outside.....drive a nail or two.....back inside in front of the AC, ice tea, nap......out and drive a nail or two.  Repeat when necessary.

Two years ago, I replaced the roof on the pergola at the side of the house in 95 plus weather.  That little trick lead to a stint in my chest.  But I got er done!

  

This pergola is the entrance to our "Charleston" type side and back yard.  I just measured it and it is about 8 feet wide and 40 feet long.  The roof is transparent plastic, all nailed, glued, and sweated over.

Sooooooooo!

This year we added to the fence in the back which is now 2/3 finished.  The fencing that is.  I figured it was either fifty cents worth of shotgun shells or $800 of fencing to get rid of the two barking, junk yard, dogs next door. 

I would really have enjoyed employing the fifty cent method much more, but the resultant jail term was a little "Give it a rest ish" 

Besides I would definitely would not make a good jailhouse bride.

So we put up a fence.

It needs to be stained like the other one in back, but tomorrow it's supposed to be even hotter.

Tomorrow, I think that I will go out and help them tar a roof somewhere!