Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Shy kittens, cheery bag and a lovely rain

- The back door area of the antique shop I love to stop in at after my walks at the Greenway park on the weekend.  Some startled kittens retreated to the shadows as I drove up, lowered my car window and snapped the photo.  If you click to enlarge, you can just see the orange kitten's face to the left of the white pot.

- When I downloaded this photo, I named it "cheery bag" - purchased last night at Whole Foods, because I forgot to bring one I had already.  It is made from 100% recycled plastic and only cost $.99.  How about that?

- For a bit of realism, this is my home computer desktop as it looked when I booted up my computer at 5am.  I noted the weather icon telling me it was raining and as the coffee brewed, I stepped outside to my covered front door (as is my custom) to see a soft, but steady rain falling.  I stood there a moment and took it in, just me and the rain.

Monday, July 29, 2013

Bounty, Saturday and Sunday in the park and whimsy

Weekend photos...

- Bounty from the season.  Friend Leisa brought me some tomatoes from Grainger County, Tennessee, which are coveted for their great taste due to limestone in the soil.  I had the first two in sandwiches. Thanks friend!  And peaches from Fort Valley, Georgia found at Whole Paycheck Whole Foods.  We used to go peach picking as a family, when I was a little girl, in orchards around that area.  Nothing better.

- Black-eyed Susans and some purple coneflowers beyond them at the Greenway park on Saturday.  I'm seeing the delightfully named Susans all over right now.

- Three friends watch the train go by, near the entrance to the Greenway park, on Sunday.  The three of them can always be found walking on Saturday and Sunday mornings there (and I suspect during the week.)  One of them carries a bag of dog biscuits for any canine friends they encounter.  (Click to enlarge.)

- And a bit of whimsy on this church sign near my house.  "Shock your Mama, Stop by this Sunday."  Ha!  A church sign with a sense of humor.  (Click to enlarge.)

Friday, July 26, 2013

Longed legged friend, back to school and back to normal


- This guy seems to be a resident of Tanyard Creek, the creek that runs through the Atlanta Beltline park where I walk after work.  I see him (or her) from time to time.  I spotted him when I went over the bridge, and snapped the photo with my phone when I made the return trip, standing so still and perfectly at peace.

- A dad and two little boys walk by near the school supplies area of Walmart.  The dad makes a comment about all the back-to-school stuff being put out and one of the little boys says plaintively, "Already???"

- The slightly lighter rush hour traffic has been nice in the morning, so I have mixed feelings, too, about young scholars getting back to school.

Ahhh - it's the weekend!  May good things happen to you this weekend!

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

What it looks like this year, a faun and Whiskers

- Another photo from last Sunday morning.  The couple who belong to this property have always worked very hard on making their side yard look beautiful.  (Click to enlarge.)   I've seen them out there year after year.  Quite beautiful on this day.

- At the Greenway trail last Saturday morning (early - about 8am), a faun ventures out of the woods to the left there, beyond the wooden area.  It stands there a moment and then realizes the women looking at it aren't its mother and darts back into the woods.  A man out running approaches and says, "That made it worth coming out here this morning!"

- No photo of this:  the gray tabby cat in the antique shop around the corner is sleeping on a settee, but looks up at me as I pass and stretches.  He jumps down and weaves in and out of my legs, then stands on his hind legs and stretches up to put his front paws on me.  The shop owner says, "He wants you to pick him up for a cuddle, but you don't have to."  Of course I want to.  He purrs and purrs and walks me to the door as I leave.

Monday, July 22, 2013

More and more flowers, it's just me and yard art

Another Sunday morning walk on the street where I live.

 - The last time I walked this way was at the end of June - it's really best walked early in the morning, as there is no shade at all.  On this overcast morning, I encounter the flower again that Hilary identified last time as cleome.  There was just one last time, but this time it has friends who have joined it.

 - A condo neighbor and her dog approach.  I see them all the time, walking up the street.  I ask her if she has memorized every crack in the pavement by now, and she shakes her head no, a little puzzled.  Maybe it's just me.  :)  Someone left their foot prints here for posterity, or until the sidewalk is replaced.

 - I like how someone put this dear turtle on top of a stump, with a little greenery around it, at the edge of their yard.

- The daylilies are on the wane, but there were these cheerful gladioli in front of the silent elementary school halfway home.

I was singing out loud along with a song from my iPod when I noticed a little girl in her front yard - dressed in her Sunday best.  I wondered if she heard me, then I realized she was doing the same, listening to music and moving to it in a little dance.  I waved and she waved back, each of us lost in our own world.  

Friday, July 19, 2013

Georgia peaches, Thursday gift and yummy food

- When I was leaving to come home last Sunday, niece's boyfriend remarked that he always stops in Barney, Georgia to get homemade peach ice cream when he takes the state highway I was about to take.  Hmmm.  Supposed to be on a diet, but homemade peach ice cream is not something I come across that often.  So I stopped at the orchard roadside stand in Barney and got a cup of that ice cream.  So good!  Plus peaches - one for every morning this week with my cereal.

- A power outage at work that shut the place down for a day, enabling me to work from home (as much as possible) and make food for the next few days.

- An afternoon walk, followed by Lemon Orzo salad, chopped Greek salad, white bean hummus*, and freshly brewed iced tea.

* White bean hummus:  a can of Great Northern Beans, rinsed, a clove or two of minced garlic, about 1/4 cup Tahini, the juice of one lemon (or more if you like lemony hummus), and a couple of glugs of extra virgin olive oil (at least two tablespoons), all thrown together in a food processor.  I like to use that "mini prep" food processor I have.  I like to eat it with leftover "scoops" of red bell pepper.  Yum.

And this, just in - the power is out again this morning, having come back on later in the afternoon yesterday.  I am waiting for the call to come in.  And if it's out again today, at least I know what's for lunch.  :)  Happy weekend, y'all!

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Down on the farm, hard at work and the crops


More images from this past weekend in northern Florida...

- The area around my sister's house has a park-like look to me.  So beautiful with its trees dripping with Spanish moss.

- My brother-in-law's "man cave" - the barn, complete with a Gulf Oil sign that used to adorn the family business.

- Future son-in-law Brandon, who is a full-time farmer, happily helped my brother-in-law plant crops on long neglected fields on the weekends.  Here he was doing some maintenance on them (still on the weekend.)  It must be lovely to love ones work so much.

- They have planted corn, peanuts, sunflowers (for my sister), and benne (sesame seeds.)

- Sister and I took a golf cart ride (with baby Monroe) to survey the crops.  So different from my usual weekends.  I love it down there, but was happy to get back to the city, too.

Happy Wednesday!

Monday, July 15, 2013

Welcome sight, remembered and getting a wave

- Driving into Thomasville, Georgia (at the very tip of south Georgia) on an overcast day, to meet my sister and niece for lunch on Friday.  This would have been a more beautiful through-the-windshield shot without all the power lines and cars, but still beautiful to me.  There was a tour group (all holding paper fans) on the steps of that church.  And beyond that - two beloved women sitting in a restaurant waiting, a welcome sight after the long drive from Atlanta.

-  A woman in a shop remembers me, even though I haven't been there since last December - something I only seem to encounter in small towns.

- Getting a wave from everyone inside on-coming cars on the highway on the six mile trip to my sister and brother-in-law's farm.  Whether they recognize you or not - they are always friendly there anyway.

More photos on Wednesday!

Friday, July 12, 2013

Distinction Bridge, a walk in the park and street art

Update on the "under the bridge" sanctioned graffiti art and artist that I posted about here.  His name is Peter Ferrari and when I posted that I spoke to him here, turns out he was finishing up.  Found on the internet:  "Leafy old Collier Hills is using a large wildlife mural to fight a scourge of graffiti under a Beltline bridge.  The artist, Peter Ferrari, hopes taggers respect his five-week project and won't deface it.  The cost was $8,000, paid for by City of Atlanta grants and donations from the Collier Hills Civic Association."

Photos taken with iPhone yesterday, in order:



I love how the artwork blends with the trees and rocks around it.  The walking path goes right under the bridge, so it makes for a delightful walking experience.





Ferrari named the project "Distinction Bridge" and says he saw all the animals depicted in the artwork within this park.  If you have time, click here and watch the two minute film in which he talks about the "street art" project.

Thanks for going on my walk with me today.  :)  I hope you have a lovely weekend.  Cheers, y'all!

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

The Mitchell house, reflections and people watching


- This is the Margaret Mitchell House, now part of the Atlanta History Center.  Margaret Mitchell wrote her famous novel, "Gone with the Wind" in one of the apartments on the lower floor.  The house sure looks spiffy today - Mitchell referred to it as "The Dump" when it was located on nearby Crescent Avenue.  It was moved to its present location on Peachtree Street several years ago.

- I was there on Monday evening for a lecture from crime writer (and friend) Karin Slaughter, who has just published her 13th novel, "Unseen."  She walked in with a copy of "Gone with the Wind" and started off by reading a passage from it, the one in which Scarlett has killed a man who invaded and threatened she and her household, and ends with Melanie saying they need to bury the body.  She says that "Good writers know that crime is an entre into telling a greater story about character."  And this passage demonstrates that.  She went on to say that in every single book signing she has been to in countries outside the US, someone always asks about Atlanta and Gone with the Wind.  Fitting then, that this lecture and book signing was inside the very home in which GWTW was written.

- Karin spends a lot of time on the road and says that she ends up with tidbits for her books from just people watching in airports.  She put a bit in one of her books about a man clipping his nails in public and says she sees that all the time, and suggests that she hopes to not see that again.  :)

It was good to see my friend, who I just see about once a year at book signings now.  I read Unseen this past weekend - a great rainy day (or sunny day) read.

Monday, July 8, 2013

Hiwassee River, watching the world go by and purple

- It's almost as if it has forgotten how to not rain!  :)  It rained the whole time during the long weekend, but that's OK - the river is still gorgeous and serene, as always.

- This Carolina Wren always seemed to be watching the river go by from its perch on the deck beyond the screened porch.  See it?  Click to enlarge.

- Everything is so green after all the rain.  Love the purple flowers on the Hosta in front of the tree there.  I didn't want to leave, but it was good to get home, too. 

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Morning walk, Daylilies, mailbox decor and home

Seen on a recent morning walk on the street where I live...

- These guys seem to be everywhere right now - Daylilies.  I used to see a therapist years ago after some trauma in my life and he was kind enough to let me come to his home for sessions (he was a family friend of a close friend).  His late wife had loved Daylilies and his back yard was full of them.  We used to walk the yard and he would tell me about each of them.  I realize  now that was probably part of the therapy - a gentle walk with quiet talk.  I will forever think of him when I see them blooming.

- Love the special decoration on this mailbox and wonder if the residents of the house behind it have a child who did that.  I like to think so.

- This pretty flower staunchly guards another mailbox along the way.  I spotted it in my first 1.5 mile up the street and snapped the photo on the return trip.

- And the best view of all - the driveway to my condos when my 3.0 mile walk was done.  A beautiful sight.

Happy 4th of July everyone who lives in the states!  And a belated happy Canada Day to my friends to the north.  :)

I'm heading to the hills tomorrow with no internet access, but will catch up with blogs on Sunday.

Monday, July 1, 2013

Getting ready, The B-52s and your heart's desire

- It had stormed in the late afternoon, and then it turned steamy, but with clouds looming, nothing could dampen the enthusiasm of the concert goers at The Atlanta Botanical Gardens.  A more than beautiful venue, the stage was being set up here for...

... The B-52s!  A band I saw the last time in 1989.  And of course, there was one of my favorite songs "Love Shack."  One of the singers (Fred) said we looked like a sedate dinner theater crowd, so we got on our feet when that one played.  :)  The rain held off until the encore song.  So much fun!

- And on Sunday evening, a Georgia Shakespeare sponsored play "Metamorphoses" - based on the myths of Ovid.  This one was thankfully indoors.  :)  There was a therapist character in one of the acts who says,  "So it remains important and salutory to speak...both privately and publicly."  And so in the lobby of the play venue, they asked patrons what they desire?  Click the photo to enlarge and you can read most of them.  My favorite, "A pony and a monkey."