Claudia — Page 784

Dinner With Friends

August 23, 2018 at 9:42 am by Claudia

Things I’ve seen in the past few days when I didn’t have a camera handy:

A monarch butterfly flitting from one zinnia to another, all the way down the row of flowers. Then he turned around and did it all again. I saw this two days in a row.

Hummingbirds in the flowers in the secret garden, on the geraniums in the barrels, and out among the wild flowers on the edge of the property. I also saw one pop up right in front of us on the porch.

A squirrel sitting on the bench on the Funky Patio. He jumped up from the bench to the rim of the birdbath and took a drink.

It’s never boring around here.

Some photos from yesterday:

We had dinner with one of my former students (who is only 13 years younger than me) last night. Don knows him, too, as they acted together in plays at the Old Globe. He’s one of the funniest people I know, so dinner was full of laughter. We had such a great time. Then we went back to Rick and Doug’s for dessert – pie! – and the talk turned to politics. A lively discussion ensued. We are all of the same mind about the dumpster fire that is this administration.

Doug and me.

James and me. James is looking a little skeptical about whatever Rick is saying.

James and Rick.

Don was taking the pictures on my iPhone.

We had such a great time!

Today? I’m off to get my car inspected.

Happy Thursday.

Rust

August 22, 2018 at 10:11 am by Claudia

This old glider has been through a lot with us. Don found it for sale on the street in San Diego for $25 and he drove home with it in the back of his Blazer. It sat on our porch for 6 years, then it moved out east with us and sat on the ground in front of our rental cottage (we didn’t have a covered porch) and then it moved here. We’ve let it rust, partly because I’m too impatient to remove the rust and repaint, but mostly because we like the rust. We’ve had it for 22 or 23 years. It’s been a source of comfort for me many times. Sitting and rocking and pondering and healing – all of that has happened on this glider.

I cleaned out our office yesterday. Don has piles of bags full of stuff from ETM – opening night presents and notes and things from his dressing room. It was getting too hard to get to the window, so I sorted it all out and put it in one bag. I hung the hat he wore for so many performances on the wall, along with that picture I took of him taking his final bow. I had it enlarged on mounting board and gave it to him shortly after he moved home.

I cleaned off my desk which was full of stuff that was in the desk at the base of the stairs that we moved to storage. It’s tax deduction time for us again (we always file an extension) and we have to get it done by the end of the week and I need a clean surface to tackle this job (which I absolutely hate doing.)

Here are the girls. The one on the left came from Australia this week. The one on the right is the one I purchased from a lady in Canada The eyes on #2 are a bit wonky, but I sort of like them that way. The S in “Snow White” is partly missing. #1 has a clearer “Snow White” and the eye paint is intact. These were hand painted and I find the differences in their facial expressions fascinating. I like them both! They may be twins, but…let’s say their fraternal twins.

Both of them are residing in the cubby cabinet.

We’re having dinner with Rick, Doug, and one of our former students tonight. James was in the first class that Rick and I chose for the program in San Diego and remains one of my favorite people. I’m really looking forward to it.

I guess it’s time to gather up my receipts!

Happy Wednesday.

Flowers, Birds & Perspective

August 21, 2018 at 9:42 am by Claudia

A surprise this morning:

And there are two more buds ready to open. These roses bloom early in the spring and then, when you think they’re done for the season, more leaves emerge. Then flowers. Such a nice later-in-the-summer surprise.

Yesterday morning, we were sitting on the porch having coffee and I heard this amazing bird call. I looked across the road. Since I had brought my big girl camera with me, I quickly got up and took several pictures. He was way up in a tree and the gray skies made a dark background, but here he is:

A pileated woodpecker. I’ve seen them around here before. They are large birds. And noisy! See the two little birds to his left?

Now, a cropped, zoomed-in version:

And one more:

Pretty good for a dark and gloomy morning!

Edited to add: No, the leaves haven’t all dropped off the tree. It’s a dead tree.

Let’s see…I mowed a bit yesterday morning. Not too much, just the corral and the grass surrounding it. Ran errands. Cleaned. Read.

It’s been cooler; still humid, but much more bearable when it isn’t in the nineties. It’s cool this morning and gray and darkish again. We were just out on the porch and I remarked to Don that if we didn’t know what time it was, we would think it was early evening! I’m starting to feel the beginnings of the seasonal change. I cling on to summer as long as I can because I know that after fall comes winter. But this has been such a tough summer weather-wise, that a part of me will welcome the cooler temperatures.

My second Snow White egg cup arrived in the mail yesterday from Australia. She’s safely ensconced in the cubby cabinet. I’ll take a picture of both of them later today.

From my chair on the front porch, one perspective:

And another perspective:

I love playing with the focal point of a photo and depth of field. And I really love my new camera.

Thanks, by the way, for all your great supportive comments about the cubby cabinet. It was a chunk of money that I hadn’t expected to be spending, but, in the end, it was very clear to me that I had to get it. I will never see something like it again. It’s truly one-of-a-kind. I haven’t regretted the choice to buy it for one second. I pass it several times a day and I smile each and every time I see it. You guys are the best!

Happy Tuesday.

Dinner With Friends

Rust

Flowers, Birds & Perspective

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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