It's clouds illusions I recall...

Rows and floes of angel hair, and ice cream castles in the air, feather canyons everywhere, I've looked at clouds that way....


When I walked outside yesterday morning, the clouds stopped me in my tracks. I, of course, ran back in and grabbed my camera and started taking pictures.


I can remember as a kid I used to lay in the grass and imagine the clouds were different things. Rather, I would decide what a particular cloud looked like. Me and my sisters or friends would say things like "That one looks like a horse!" Or, "look at that! It looks like a dog!

I'm willing to bet most folks have done that a few times in their life. Now, the thing about me is, I still do it.

For example: Can you see the face (actually it's sort of half a face of an alien in this one? Or a profile of a dinasour?

How about here? Can you see the face of Jack Frost (remember the movie with Michael Keaton)

or how about a couple of snub-nosed lizards having a face off?

I guess there are just some things you do that you never quite outgrow.

Well, I haven't anyway...

What do you see?

What I see...

when I drive up to my house at night...













I love my little place in the country. People have asked me before if I am scared to be so far out in the country alone. Heck no. I love the solitude. And I REALLY love the trees.



My yard is full of massive cedars filled with spanish moss. There is a majesty to them that is hard to describe. They are so very old and I can't even imagine what they might have seen in their long lifetime.





There is also an incredibly beautiful crape myrtle that blooms pink in the summer. This time of year I can appreciate the beauty of it's bark and the interesting way it's limbs twist and turn.


Several years ago, I went on a vacation out to Oregon to visit a dear friend. During the course of a week with her, I got to experience both time on the ocean and time in the massive redwood forest. One day I was laying INSIDE a massive redwood looking up into the tree and came to a full realization of my soul. Given a choice of being around water or being around trees, I choose trees.

I belong in the trees.

I'm so proud!

My first Marshall Ramsey original cartoon!!

For the story on how I came to be the proud owner of this one-of-a-kind drawing, click here: http://dhcoop.blogspot.com/2009/02/hearts-against-aids.html

WOOHOO!

I give you flowers...

I was approaching the daffodil field and no one was behind me. Then I see a car coming up fast (as usual), so I turned my blinker on and pulled off to the side of the road.






The wind was blowing HARD and I wasn't sure if the pics would come out. I got out of my car and walked across the road to get a better shot.



The wind was whipping them pretty hard.

Mission accomplished!

Well, foot!

That's what my Mom says when she's disgusted.

"Well, foot!" Now, where that comes from, I have no idea, but it came to mind when I created this post and didn't want to title it "Well, sh!t!", or "Well, crap!"

I passed a field of daffodils the other day going to work and wished there was no one behind me so I could stop and take a picture. I decided to go that route again this morning in hopes that I could get the shot. Right before I came to the field, a car was coming up fast behind me. Darn it! I slowed as much as I could, rolled my window down, and got this picture.

Obviously, it's a bad picture, but you can get the general sense that this is a HUGE field of daffodils. I've already decided that I need to go by again and actually PARK on the side of the road to take some pics. It is really beautiful.

Now, back to the subject of expressions. My Mom is in the hospital right now and heavy on my mind, so I guess that's why I'm led to thinking about some of the expressions she uses. I've never heard my mother say a cuss word in all of my life. But, she DOES use exclamations from time to time that, I guess, are common amongst people of her generation.

"Well, foot!" - substitute as demonstrated above. Could mean Shit! or Crap!

"Well, I'll be John Brown!". Now, keep in mind, for YEARS I thought my Mom was saying "Well, I'll be jun brown". I had no IDEA what it meant, but I heard her say it a LOT. Along comes google and I looked into it. John Brown (May 9, 1800 – December 2, 1859) was an American abolitionist who advocated and practiced armed insurrection as a means to abolish all slavery. ...he was hanged for revolt and treason.

So, I guess the expression "Well I'll be John Brown" equates to "just hang me!"

I did google "Well, foot!" but didn't get any results. Perhaps she made that one up on her own...

Do you have any memories of expressions your parents use or used? Just curious.

Oh, and I WILL get a pic of that field before it's finished blooming. I MUST!

Ok, so I couldn't stand it...

I've done 5 posts about something other than cats and I couldn't stand it any longer.

That's because I got treated to something I hadn't seen before during the night last night. I was awake with extreme hip pain and saw Bruno jump up into Scooter's chair. I figured the next thing I'd see was Scooter bailing out of the chair. Nope. So I reached out and gently swiveled the chair so I could see them. Obviously, grabbing the camera was my next action.

Scooter bathed Bruno a minute, then gave herself a little bath, then they snuggled down to sleep.

I envied them.

HeARTS Against AIDS

I joke about how I shouldn't be allowed to go to silent auctions because I'm bound to come home with something I do NOT need. Case in point being a 4 foot tall metal flamingo that I got the last time. Scooter is a full grown cat so that should give you some perspective as to how big this sucker is. It was just one of those things that I HAD to have once I put my name on the bid form.

Well, last night, I went to the HeARTS Against Aids benefit and spied a Marshall Ramsey original cartoon in the silent auction.

Needless to say, there was no WAY I was walking out of there without bidding on it.

I placed my bid and circled the room and came back and saw that someone had outbid me. Well! That just won't do! So I upped the bid, went and got a drink and looked around some more and circled back in on the prize. There was quite a good turnout for the event.

I upped the bid again and asked someone for the time. There was an hour left. hmmm, well let me see, circle around and hover, but don't look too conspicuous about what you are after in case someone else is after it. In this case, CLEARLY someone else was after it because they kept OUTBIDDING me!! WHO IS THIS BEAST! I placed another bid and circled and looped back and THERE he is, upping my bid. mmmmm Do I know this person? Is he MRBA?? Does he DESERVE this original Marshall Ramsey print as much as I do??? I think NOT!

So, I bid again and hover and circle and take more pictures and bid on a cheese tray made from a flattened Grey Goose bottle.

I circled some more and when there was about 20 minutes left I saw the guy (handsome young man) go over and up the bid on the MR original. HOW DARE HE!?! It's MINE!!!! At this point, I would have probably paid a ridulous amount for the thing because I was so determined to have it.

I decided to take preemptive action. I walked over to the guy (by this time he had already seen that it was me he was bidding against) and just asked him "Should I know you? Are you MRBA?" He laughed and admitted to being a lurker, he knew exactly what I meant by "MRBA" but isn't in a position where he is able to post. He said he had posted a couple of times right after the blog was begun but I don't remember what name he said he used. I said "I'm dhcoop". He laughed again and literally bowed to me and said "Then I defer to you. I will not bid any more. You can have it"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA It's now MINE! *doing the happy dance*