Life in progress

Tag Archives: photograph


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Research laziness

There are so many things I want to know! The minutiae of details I’d like to put into my stories require a vast amount of research. While I enjoy doing most research, it’s not all easy. For instance, I’d dearly love to know enough about horticulture so that I don’t have to search for pictures in order to name the flora I can so easily envision.

Like this:

hedge

I’ve been living with this hedge for three and half years and do I know what it is? Not a clue.

I’m good with researching things like diseases, psychology, historical eras and objects, sexuality, (okay, that one’s fun), culture, geography – all kinds of things.  But when it comes to botany…

hedge flowers

It’s just real purdy.

(I did just look up the difference between horticulture and botany.)

What do you have a hard time researching?


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Singular

Dandy
You are unique. I know you wish you weren’t. I know you don’t want to be thought of as different, but the fact is that you are.

There are not thousands of you, or even hundreds. There is you.

No one else thinks the way you do. No one looks like you or sees the things you see in exactly the way you see them.

No one even smells like you; you are sweeter than the rest.

When you go, the people who have known you will grieve, but they will also learn to smile. They will remember the joy with which you illuminated everyone around you.

Be proud to be unique. And know that the way you touch the earth is precious.


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Adventures on my Paper Route – What I wanted to say was….

I had help today! 😀

Slave... I mean Alex

Slave… I mean Alex

He even took some pictures for me!

His favourite

His favourite

But the real adventure didn’t start until we came across the lady playing catch with her unleashed dog.

Me: (holding Alex by both hands as the dog is running towards us) He’s afraid of dogs.

Lady: Oh, he’s friendly.

Me: But he’s afraid of dogs.

Bitch: (looking around me at Alex who is straining to see where the dog went) Does he want to pet him?

Me: (hanging on to Alex for dear life so he doesn’t run into traffic) No, he’s afraid of dogs.

Psycho bitch: But he’s smiling…

Me: (in my head) Hey fuckflap! Have you ever considered how shitty you would feel if a kid got run over by a car because of your friendly fucking dog that you won’t restrain because you obviously know my son better than I do? Wake the fuck up and listen to me! HE’S AFRAID OF FUCKING DOGS!!!

In reality I said nothing because the dog had run off again. I should have said something.

Shadow


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Adventures on my Paper Route – Getting There!

So it’s not really ON my paper route – I took these pictures in my own front yard. But I was on my way home from my paper route, so I’ve decided this counts.

weeds

My perennial weeds

I just wanted documentation that spring is coming.  It is! And soon I’ll be able to leave my winter coat at home.

gotcha

Gotcha!

Doesn’t it look like this daffodil is about to attack? I haven’t seen the neighbourhood feral cat in a few days….


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Adventures on my Paper Route – Ice

Ah, the pleasures of living in southern Ontario.  Instead of the forecasted mountain of snow, we’re having an ice storm. Power is intermittent. If it wasn’t so pretty it would be intolerable.

Ice 4 Ice 3 Ice 2

It took a bit of bravery to deliver my papers today. Having to listen for cracking from above and dodging falling branches.

Ice 5

Timber!

Living in an old part of town is pretty, but it’s also pretty dangerous when the ancient behemoths come crashing down.

Ice 7

My backdoor neighbour’s tree

I didn’t expect to post two of my adventures in one week, but today certainly deserves honourable mention.

 


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Adventures on my Paper Route – Spring is … bent

Well, the good news is my laptop didn’t get stolen. Right, I should probably start at the beginning.

Upon stepping out my front door this morning with my papers I was pleasantly surprised. Not only has it warmed up a few degrees, the sun was coming out and … YAY! so are the flowers at the front of my house. I went back inside to get my sunglasses and my camera and, newspaper bag over my shoulder, set my glasses down absentmindedly to take a few shots of the new spring blossoms.

Spring

Lovely, yes?

So, both satisfied and happy with myself I stood up and reached into my pocket to find my sunglasses. Not there. Feeling a little sick I looked around my feet. Noth…. what’s that under my foot?  Oh look!

Ouch

Bent sunglasses!

So, cussing along my way, I finished off my paper route, but not without stopping by one of my customers – a dry cleaning business where the TV is always on – to find out that we’re to expect 15cm of snow Thursday and another 10cm on Friday.  That’s a total accumulation of 10″ for my friends who haven’t caught up to the rest of the planet. You know who you are 😉

And then, to top it all off, I arrived home, put the key in the keyhole and…. locked the door. In my giddy glee I forgot to lock the house up.

The good news is… yeah. I have something to blog with.


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Adventures on my Paper Route – The adventure just isn’t

This is more of a rant than anything else. My paper route is becoming an adventure in monotony. Why, you ask?
Take a look at this elm at the front of my house:

DSC00110

what do you see?

Bare branches, right? No leaves. What the hell? It’s April 3rd and I’m still waiting for one day when I’m at least tempted not to put on mukluks, a parka, a hat, my hood, gloves and underneath all that my fur-lined liberty bodice!

So what’s the deal here? And who do I complain to?


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Adventures on my Paper Route: Why did the hen cross the road?

Chicken’s eye view

So there I was, standing on the curb, waiting as I do every day to cross one of my town’s main thoroughfares. It’s not a particularly wide road, nor is the speed limit fast, but it’s busy enough that I have to wait most days. Today there was only one car coming, or so I thought. I was poised. I made the decision to cross.

Now, you know when your body is ready to move and suddenly you realise that maybe you shouldn’t let it? I didn’t see the other car. It wasn’t that close behind the one I did see, but it was close enough to make me hesitate. What it did was make me twitch. I had to make a split second choice. Stay or go. But my body was already in motion — so I ran!

Obviously I made it across the road — I’m here to talk about it. Had I been younger it would have been a little thrill. Since, however I’m at my age it was an adrenaline rush I’m still recovering from.

So why did the hen cross the road?

To feel like a spring chicken 🙂


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Adventures of my Paper Route

Image

The squirrels have been busy

It happens while we sleep. The squirrels — the most talented of them at least — sculpt likenesses of themselves around the neighbourhood.  Here are two kissing. They will be the skinny ones that have no time for nut gathering, just in case you’re wondering which ones to look out for.


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Dawn

Promise from sunrise springs

a new day brings

the sunImage