One of Those WTH Moments

So there I was, driving home from work. Being December, it was dark.  I took a route home that I have taken hundreds of times over the years.  Part way up a wooded hillside I saw some lights.  Since it was during the winter holidays, I just figured they were holiday lights.  Just as I was driving by, I realized that there was something different about those lights.  I made a mental note to drive by a little slower the next time.  Well, traffic being what it often is (crappy), I took that route home again a day or so later.  I drove by slowly and realized that it was a carousel!  Like this:

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Next to it was another children’s amusement park ride.  It was circular, kind of like this, but without the umbrella:

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There were also signs like “Keep Out”, “No Parking” and “Private Property”.  And then I realized:    someone has a carousel and kiddie ride in their yard!  In a wet, cold climate!  What the****??  So, what does any normal, self-respecting person do?  Go home and look it up on Google maps, of course!  Here it is:

 

I’m not even going to guess what these cost in electricity and maintenance alone….  Now, I’m all for giving kids fun toys every now and then, but a carousel?  What will the parents do when the kids become teenagers?  Make a mini shopping mall?  How are they going to top private amusement park rides?  Wow.  Just....  Wow.

P.S.  Welcome, BragonDorn!

Happy Holidays!

2011 has gone by really quickly.  It was full of many more changes than I am used to, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.  If life was always the same, it would be boring.  Changes shape who we are, for better or for worse.  Good or bad, we learn from it.  When we don't learn from the bad, we will repeat the mistake over and over until we figure it out.  Sometimes the learning curve takes many turns.

What did I learn in 2011?  Nothing terribly new, just reaffirmations of stuff I already knew.  It doesn't hurt to be reminded sometimes.  One thing is that I am in charge of some things in my life, but not others.  Can I help what the economy is like?  No.  Does the poor economy make me not look for a job?  Hell no!  When I am out of work, I will look and look for a job no matter if I am getting monetary "unenjoyment" or not.  I won't find a job if I don't look.  Fortunately, my two years of persistence paid off with a temporary job.  It will end sometime next year, but I am thankful for the paycheck for the time being.  When the time comes, I will start the job search all over again.

I also learned that some things are worth stressing over and some aren't.  In general, I can't find anything worth getting all wound up about, so I consider myself lucky.  Things that stressed me out before (such as my gambling addict parents) don't anymore.  Crappy traffic?  I'll get to work when I get there - the same time as the car in front of me and the car behind me.  That doesn't mean it isn't frustrating or annoying, it just isn't worth blowing a (figurative) gasket over.

Another thing I learned is that I like blogging, and that I miss it.  It's kind of like a combination of free therapy and living vicariously through others.  I need to make time for it.  I think it's important and well worth it.

So here comes 2012.  What's in store?  Who knows?  If I knew stuff like that, I'd play the lottery.  At any rate, I'm looking forward to another year of life.  After all, I'm just happy to be here.

Happy holidays and a fantastic new year to you all!

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day - September

Hi everyone!  Although my schedule's not yet ready to allow me back into the blogging world (too many 12 hour work days), I did find time to take some photos for this month's "Garden Blogger's Bloom Day".  Many plants from June are still blooming, so I won't bore you with those (Lamium, anyone?).

Up first is not a bloom, but rather some foliage.  It's from a pygmy barberry.  Barberries are great because they're low-maintenance, they look good, and they keep rug rats out of your yard (i.e. they have thorns).

Next is one of my favorite plants, a smoke bush (or tree).  Like real smoke, they are difficult to photograph, but here goes:

There aren't many blooms left in my wildflower bed, just this

and this:

There are a few of these left (Campanula?)

along with Heuchera

 and some stuff that's new this year (Meadow Rue?).

Then there are some reliable staples, like Nandina,

some tall asters (~six feet tall)

and some short asters (~12 inches tall).

The Echinaceas had a hard time this year,

but the Silver Lace Vine went bonkers

and the Rose Campion bloomed reliably.

 There are some plants whose buds promise future blooms, like Hydrangea,

 sunflowers

and Clematis.

Best of all was a late summer surprise:

This is the first year I've had this clematis, and I had no idea it would bloom twice in one season!  I kind of like the "leftovers", too:

Hope you're all doing well!  I still have some traveling left to do, along with busy weekends for another month or so.  I'll have to catch up with you all sometime in October.  Until then, take care!

Something for Everyone

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Hi everyone!  Just wanted to let you know that my summer blogging hiatus will be continuing until September-ish.  Being away from home 12 hours a day has really put a damper on my free time.  Anyway, I wanted to stop by for a quick (but important) message.  Recently, I received news that a relative was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy.  She is only 40 years old.  Ladies, please, please stay current with your mammograms and monthly self-exams.  Guys, you are not off the hook.  We all know how much many of you love breasts (c'mon, admit it!), so pay attention to your partner's breasts.  If you notice a change, say something.  If any of you in a same-sex relationship, the same thing goes.  We are all human.  This can happen to any of us, even men.  Cancer does not discriminate.

Enjoy every day.  You don't know what will be around the corner.

Cool!

It's been crazy-busy around here, with no signs of slowing down!  It's just going to be awhile before I'll be visiting blogs, commenting, etc.  I sure miss bloggy land, but it's summer....  During the summer, I try to live every minute I can outside.  The rest of the year is pretty dreary.

Since most of the nation is basking in heat, here's a photo I took a couple of weeks ago on a trip I took to the mountains.  Hopefully it will help you feel coooooool. :-)

Early Curmudgeons?

So here I am, in my office at my keyboard.  It’s the evening of July 4th, and fireworks are going off everywhere.  I’m just not into it.  What is it about July 4^th that makes people say, “Yeah!  We’re ‘murrican!  Let’s get drunk and blow stuff up!”  Now, don’t get me wrong:  I occasionally like to see things get blown up, set on fire, or otherwise destroyed.  Say, watermelons or something.  But when it comes to Independence Day, it seems like common sense goes out the window.  So many people seem to use what is supposed to be a day of celebration as an excuse to behave poorly.

When I was a kid, July 4th was a lot of fun.  We got to play with sparklers and wave them around.  If we were really feeling naughty/clever, we could “write” bad words in the air with the sparkler.  We were also allowed to play with the “snakes” (little black tablets that, when lit, made moving tubes of ash).  When we got older, we were even allowed to light my favorite, ground bloom flowers (little spinning “flowers” of multicolored sparks).  An annual highlight was watching Mom or Dad light the carefully-chosen fountains.  It never seemed like enough; we would have been happy to watch the fireworks for hours.

Now, we live near a Native American reservation.  Reservations around here are known for selling illegal fireworks.  We’re not just talking about ½ sticks of dynamite, we’re talking about fireworks that launch into the air, making huge displays.  The fireworks that can be seen from any window in our house rivals professional shows.  Yes, there are that many of that quality.  It is what I imagine a war zone to be like, sans the combat, etc. (recurring, house-shaking explosions).   This is a fantastic, fun thing, right?  Well, if you enjoy them….

Maybe I’m becoming a curmudgeon before my time.  All day, I kept thinking about how I would get very little sleep due to the constant explosions, get up early to go to work and come home to a yard filled with other people’s fireworks debris.  Well, at least I’m not alone.  DH just came into my office and said, “I don’t really want to watch the fireworks.  Maybe I’m turning into a grump”.  Well, dear, then we’ll both turn into grumps together!

Here's a quick clip I took through my office window:

Rough

This week's photo theme from written, inc. is "rough".  Here are my contributions:

Bark with fungus:

More bark, but with a different camera and a flash:

  

A rocky pathway (I can't imagine how long it must have taken to do this):

 A giant, whimsical garden sculpture.  It's materials remind me of steel wool: