Seventy plus three hundred sixty four in the year of Emergence

Some more "Gunk"

"One Twisted Lily"

"The Red Poppy"

Nine days in, nine months out in the year of Emergence

Just a couple of more Gunk images.

"Red Wave Twirl"

"Yellow Grey Ghost"

The 8th day of the fourth month of the year of Emergence

You ever have one of those mornings where you wake before anyone else for absolutely no reason.  Wide awake.  The usual mind games don't work.  Sleep won't come back no matter how hard you try.  When this happens, I usually take my mind to a favorite fishing or photographing spot and re-run the one that got away.  Other times, like this morning, sleep seems irretrievable.

The only alternative is to slip out of bed and quietly put the Pike Peak Roast in to brew and give up all sensible attempts to go back to bed.  It's quiet in the house and neighborhood at four in the morning.  I guess that's why they say most home break-ins occur between three AM and dawn.  Everyone else with a modicum of sense is still deep in never never land. It's just me and the crooks out and about.

Yesterday, I ventured out to the zoo in search of an image of four or more howler monkeys in a single tree.  Yes, there is a buyer out there.  Well the monkeys were there, but not in the numbers I needed so that op never happened.  It was interesting, however, to stand along a fence with a hundred other people looking at potential predecessors, aka ancestors, swing from branch to branch screaming their heads off at each other.  Or perhaps they were screaming at us!  If you would like the zoo page just go to Riverbankszoo.com.

Remember to double click the image for full size.

These animals actually have incredible strength in their hands, fingers, legs and arms.  They swing from branch to branch with such ease that you would think they could support themselves with one finger or toe.  The large pouch under their chin fills up with air and a low rumbling sound is emmited.  That sound is often followed by a howl that can be heard for miles.  There were only four out and about yesterday in two separate trees, so the photo needs weren't met.  I did get some decent stock out of it and the weather was outstanding. 

Our zoo also has a huge garden which is not only a great place to photograph flowers, but insect life as well.  I did spend some time with the flowers as I intend to start a section of the website devoted to computer or digital manipulation to create what we used to call modern art.  Me, I am going to call it "Gunk Art"! 

An example.

These will be pieces of bright color which can be used as wall accents.  The source of most of the photographs will come from nature or some man made brightly colored creation.  The one above is a lone poppy I found in the garden.  The image of course I have manipulated to create something else with the base shape and color of the original image.  This is not pure photography and I don't purport it to be, but rather a form of digital art.  Kinda fun.  Will it sell?  Who knows, but we're going to find out.

A blue circular saw?

The Sixth day of the Fourth month of the year of Emergence

We got down to where we had frost warnings last night.

Almost went out to cover the Victory garden so that it wouldn't freeze.

Well I'm on my own, so why shouldn'tt the garden be as well?  All I got to do is talk to the plants and they will be strong!  They will make up their deficit.  No sense in me taking responsibility for it!  Freeze baby freeze!

I also strongly suggest that part of our longer term happiness boils down to one simple action.  Do not, I repeat do not,  listen to the morning news on TV or the radio.  It's that simple.

So I will do what the other fifty percent do......live on in ignorant bliss.

I think I'll try that, at least for an hour or two anyway!

If you want to see my real rant, go to my twitter page at;

http://twitter.com/#!/skipwillits

The fifth of the fourth of the year of Emergence

We had a pretty stiff storm front move through about four this morning.  The temperature dropped at least thirty degrees.  No damage done other than to our Ambien induced beauty sleep.  Missy, our border collie mix still thinks that she can chase and herd the thunder.  I wrote some time ago about how she took off for about two hours during one such storm.  Took her two weeks to recover from that little trek.  It was one of those things when I found her, did not know whether to hug her to pieces because I found her or kick the stuffing out of her cause I was so mad. 

I found these images that I made some time ago on Assateague Island, Virginia.  The storm came in from offshore, but didn't quite make it to land.  Great photography op and we didn't even get wet from the rain. 

I framed the aftermath so that one could not tell it was beach side other than the sand.  Could well have been desert.

The bush beans I planted in the garden a week ago are just making their presence known, and the rest of the "Self Defense" garden is filling out.

The 4th of the 4th of the year of Emergence

Saturday we spent the day at a Scottish festival here in town.  Never been to one before, so it was a nice experience.

One of the competitions they had was a rope toss!

The object of this event was to take a three prong pitchfork (farming implement), stick it through a sixteen pound burlap sack of rope.  Then your throw it over a suspended bar.

That bar is over 22 feet high.  And you do all this without flashing your panties from under your kilt!

The Hammer toss was also interesting.  Long stick, big metal ball weighing either 16 or 22 pounds. 

Now, just in case your wondering.  Yes, they are wearing Kilts.  No bad jokes because these guys are huge and probably don't like kilt jokes.

It' all a generational thing as well.  I was surprised to see so many young people participating in this.

The Border Collies were also on hand demonstrating their herding skills.  Now I know what to get my own border/spaniel mix. 

Just what I need to go with the two dogs and a bird.  Four mix breed mallard ducks.  These dogs were good though!

Finally, only in the south can this happen!

My son and family stopped by on Saturday night on their way back north from Florida.  We had a great dinner and good camaraderie.  All in all a good day and weekend.

The first day of the fourth month of the year of emergence

This morning seems to be acting like it wants to end our week long monsoon.  The river has risen, the gardens and lawns are super soaked, and the temperature is supposed to get over sixty degrees.

Congress has decided to cut two Trillion, with a T, from the remaining 2011 budget which they never made in the first place.

The President has pulled all the troops from Libya, Iraq, and Afghanistan effective immediately.

The 2010 health care lie has been repealed.

The SEIU has agreed to permanently shut up.

Congress has decided to grant (aka give) every citizen one million dollars each to end the recession.

Governor Walker in Wisconsin has be re-elected in perpetuity.

Chuck Schumer as started a new blogging business called "Lies you father never told, but that you will believe because I am smarter than you".

And the President has agreed to finally lead, if only he can find his way from the basketball court to the Oval office.

Remember, it's my blog and you gotta live with it.

Oh, and happy April Fools day!