from the porches

new at the pool

 
Monday I took Madeline and Oliver to the swimming complex at the University of Florida for their new round of swim lessons.

 
After our recent record heat spell I was dreading sitting in the sun, even for thirty minutes.  But there were a few new changes which distracted my mind from the heat.  Men instructors for the kiddie pool, for one thing.

 
Men instructors in Madeline's class as well.  I must say there seemed to be quite a number of young mommies watching their children and I'm thinking I might know why.

 
Now when I take the grandchildren swimming, I always take my camera.  I don't know why because the sun is blinding and the pool area is pretty boring (except for my grandchildren).

 
So I usually turn on my camera, scan the pool complex, and just start taking photographs, hopeful of a decent picture of something. . .anything.

 
Ah ha!  A new umbrella and more than enough chairs for the mommies to sit in. . .for once.

 
And what's this?  A yellow chair that is new to the pool area.

 
Gotcha' goggles.  I haven't seen you before.

 
I watched this dangling rope and noticed they call the baby pool a "spa".  Never noticed that before.

 
And when the thirty minute session was over Merry Jennifer's friend, Julia, appeared.  It was good to see her again.

 
Did I mention that it certainly was hot at the pool?  At least I had my camera to take my mind off the heat!

a chink

 
Today was one of those days when I rode to Jacksonville with Truett because our crew was installing a stained glass window at Arlington United Methodist Church; and more specifically because Truett needed a driver on the way home. 

I took my camera in hopes of photographing something interesting or pretty or weird.  And after all is said and done, I came home with a story about the real world.  The world where everything is in place and then there's a chink.

 
When we arrived at the church our crew was on the inside of the church while a contractor was on the outside of the church spraying water on the outside plate glass window. 

 
It seems there were leaks in the frames.

NOT GOOD! 

Not good at all because Advent Glass Works, Inc. couldn't do their job if the frame guy didn't do his job correctly. 

That's when I  realized taking photographs of my day wandering around in a church was my only possibility of photographic material. 

Blah! 

Not my kind of fun!

 
So to find the leaks, someone had to spray water on the outside to see if there were leaks on the inside.

And the watering of the windows began. 

All leaks had to be found.

 
There were discussions about where the leaks came from.

Twenty minute discussions.

Twenty minute discussions of pointing and saying,  "Uh, huh. . .Up there.  Over there."

By now I'm getting pretty antsy because that is way too much discussion.  Just call the frame guy!!!  (A woman would say!)

 

Finally, the frame guy came (with an attitude, I might add.) 

 
So to kill time. . .precious time. . .

 
Our guys brought in a panel to check measurements until the frame guys "got it right!".

 

 

 
Finally, our crew left and the frame guys stayed.

Now I'm wondering if I have to go back tomorrow.

I hope not!

I don't like chinks!

 

slice and dice

 
The other day I drove home from High Springs to see this Clay Electric truck parked beside the studio.  I realized these utility workers were about to slice and dice my trees hanging near the power lines.

 
North Florida learned a big lesson in 2004 with four hurricanes: Frances, Charley, Jeanne and Ivan, causing damage to our area with heavy rains and high winds.  Trees toppled causing major damage to power lines and week long power outages (twice) all across our area.

 

It was after that hurricane season that the utility companies began trimming tree limbs, causing beautiful oak trees to look maimed and distorted.  Even though I hate seeing the trees all mangled looking, I know this action lessens the damage to power lines and assures us of having electricity most of the hurricane season.

 

 
 
The first year the utility workers trimmed out a chunk of my golden raintree, I about died.  I couldn't believe they were so heartless in destroying such a beautiful tree.

 
But the other day, they reminded me of my other option . . .no power. 

 
I do not like the slice and dice thing going on, but having the comfort of air conditioning and water far outweighs the ugly deformed looking trees.

football season

 

Football season officially started for Truett and me today.  Actually, the first Florida Gator football game was last week when we were in Kentucky, so today was our first of this year and we followed our usual football game routine.

As we drove into our parking spot I saw familiar fans milling around, drinking and laughing and doing the Gator Chomp! If you are not a Florida Gator fan, just substitute your team's favorite colors in the next few photographs because fans are fans regardless of the team colors.  We all have our routines.

 
Our favorite way to get to the stadium after parking the car is by bicycle.  Pump! Pump! Pump!  I thought I saw this fellow wince when he saw our sizes, but he accepted us anyway, and he definitely accepted his "tip" as he called it. 

 
Ummm!  Mmmmm! The grills were heated up and the burgers and ribs were smoking. 

 
An odd little car drove by on University Avenue advertising Red Bull.

 
Security was beefed up and I anticipated a body search like I had in Jacksonville last year.  My roll around my middle evidentally was cause enough for a pat down.  But today I got away scott free.  No pat down, thank goodness!

 
Then the long, long climb to the top.  Huffing and puffing.

 
Up. . . up . . . up to the top of the stadium.  All the way up to row 85!

 
We were up so high we could practically kiss the clouds.

 
We saw our old friend from St. Augustine. "Hi, Nick!"  We met Nick about twenty years ago on row 85...way up high in the Swamp.

 
Pretty soon the game against USF began. 

Boy, what a day.  The heat index was 105 degrees and was just barely tolerable; however, the Gators ended up with a win over the University of South Florida and for the next five months football will reign over our lives. 

Football season is back after seven long months.

 

 

tribble

 
Recently I had a conversation with a couple of friends who are not on Facebook for their own personal reasons.  One thing that they obviously can't tolerate is reading tribble . . .nothing seemingly worthwhile to them; however, I think privacy is one of the the more important reason they don't use Facebook.

 
Since I am an avid Facebook writer and reader and use it to share my photographs and blog, I tried to defend the great things about Facebook. . . the ability to know what's going on in others' lives.  Their happy thoughts, their anxieties, the funny things their children say and the hilarious thoughts some FB users think.  I learn when someone needs a prayer for themselves or a relative.  I see happy families smiling because they're on vacation. 

You get the point. 

 
Well, as the conversation continued a couple of Facebook lines were quoted as tribble.  Then one of the women said, "You may recognize this one. . .I'm sitting on my porch watching the squirrels and listening to the..."

 
Suddenly, it hit me like a lightning bolt, "She's talking about me!"

I lurched in the person's face and gave her a few choice ugly words.  I do admit it and feel horrible that I would use profanity with my friend.  No at my friend, but it shot out of my mouth without rational thinking on my part.

 
For days now I've carried this burden of embarrassment about hurting my friend's feelings for that is more important to me than the tribble I put on Facebook. 

 

But now I have taken a step back and realize I have the power to de-friend people who are only voyeurs.  People who smirk at other's lives.  It doesn't make me happy to de-friend others, but it may be my only choice. 

Now  on a happy note.  For ALL my readers of my blog or on Facebook.  I love you and appreciate you stopping by to see what's happening with me.  I especially appreciate the like button and the comments you make on my blog.

 

It is time for me to muzzle the naysayers and continue showing you tribble and photographs and stupid stories about my life.

P.S. There is no such word as tribble. 

 

 

reach for the sun

what's a camera for?

 
"What's a camera for?"

I've only been taking photographs for three  years and I have found the answer of  "What's a camera for?"

For me, having my camera with me at all times gives me the opportunity to  photograph things that jump out at me and scream, "Don't forget this image!!,"  i.e., the dinosaur at Cave City, Kentucky. . .

 

 
or... this building in Nashville, Tennessee.  No longer do I drive into Nashville and think of guitars and music, I drive into Nashville and think, "Where is that Bat Building?"

 

 For me, having my camera with me at all times gives  me the opportunity to remember beauty, sadness,ordinary things and the  quirkiness of  life here on Earth. 

Believe me.  When we passed the truck on the right as we were heading to Louisville, my heart did a quick two-step when I saw a semi heading toward us.  

 
 These Canadian Geese caught my eye . . .

 
as well as row after row of tombstones in Cave Hill Cemetary.

 

Merry Jennifer borrowed my camera to photograph this luscious Kentucky Derby pie. 

 
These potato pancakes at The Fish House could only be described best through a photograph.

 
I wanted to remember this woman and her child so I took a photograph as she walked away. 

 
This is a photograph of Hadley Pearl, my newphew's daughter.  Her eyes captivated me.

 

And finally, I took a photograph of Maddie (far right as you look at the picture) sitting outside of Olive Garden with her second cousins. 

Taking photographs allows me to remember special moments in life.

changes

 
During our recent trip to Louisville, my husband and I were amazed at the changes in the city and suburbs of Louisville. 

Truett grew up in Louisville and I lived there for only a few years; but as we drove down the city streets we couldn't help but notice the changes. Some of the changes have only come about in the past two to three years.

Familiar buildings were being gutted as skyscrapers were being built where landmarks once stood. 

 
Some of the buildings that were once restauarants are now apartments.  Others that were department stores are now restaurants. 

Truett and I walked down memory lane in our conversation.  We talked about shopping here or meeting there. There was a lot of "Remember when"  in our conversation. It was sad in a way.  It felt like our memories were being chipped away.

 
I couldn't find the bank I once worked in.  The one where I sat day after day in the vault and counted  filthy money.  I used to count stacks and stacks of ones, fives, tens, twentys and hundreds until my finger tips were black.  Then I would wrap them up in a paper band and set them aside for the end of the day's total.  It was a stressful job for me spending eight hours in a dimly lit basement counting money.  The only real pleasure I got from it was reading notes scrawled across Benjamin Franklin's face.  Notes that said, "I love Robert" or "Follow this bill." 

One day I just up and left; and rather than lose me, I became a secretary on the teller's floor until October when I realized it was Columbus Day and no one in the bank knew it.  But I knew it for I had been a teacher and teachers remember these things. 

On that day in October I missed my replicas of the Nina, Pinta, and the Santa Maria as well as the third grade children's faces as they listened to me teach this bit of history. So it wasn't long before I found that banking was not my calling and I returned to education for life.

 
We drove through neighborhoods where Truett once lived.  We drove his paper route to the train tracks and Truett told stories.  One story was about him being ten years old and walking through the city and across the bridge to Indiana to get a bicycle from his aunt.  I thought that was pretty brave, and we all know that would never happen in today's times.

Meanwhile, Merry Jennifer recorded Truett's anecdotes while Maddie and I sat in the back seat of the car and made up stories about cats and goats and princesses. I imagined a story from an old building's view point and it's fear of being imploded or smashed to the ground with a giant iron ball.  Maybe I'll write that story.  Maybe the children save the building from the villain, Mean Old Progress.

 
This last photograph shows change in Louisville.  The old and the new side-by-side. 

Changes. 

lynn's paradise cafe

This morning a few members of our family went to Lynn's Paradise Cafe for breakfast.  I had been there before but had forgotten how unique this restaurant was.  Take a look:

 
Outside of the cafe was a board that Maddie and Truett just had to have their pictures taken in.  There was a little squabble about who got to be the tomato.  Maddie won of course.

 
 Lynn's Paradise Cafe is a heaven for visual learners, but I imagine would frustrate left brained customers.  So many stimulating, weird, odd and colorful sights awaited us inside.  Just up my alley!

 
Unique sunglasses.

 
Legs perched on the walls high above the tables.

 

Color!  Color!  Color!

 
Maddie liked this table game.  Tiny toys are in this plastic jar and the object is to find a dinosaur, whale, feather, etc. by twisting, shaking, or turning the jar.  A great way to keep children occupied.

 
One of my favorite hanging thing is this used tea bag lamp shade.  Who would have thought?

 
But we didn't go to Lynn's Paradise Cafe just for the atmosphere.  Check out this ginormous biscuit.  Delicious.

 

If you ever get to Louisville, you must eat at Lynn's Paradise Cafe.  You will come out all in a tizzy.  But I would rethink taking children with ADHD!

kentucky sights

Needless to say I am experiencing overload after our drive to Louisville.  I will only post a few photographs because I left my computer mouse in Manchester, Tennessee last night and I am way too impatient to deal with this sensitive keyboard.

Here are pictures that brought back fond memories of the years I lived in Louisville.

 
Park benches on hills

 
Kentucky hills

 
and wonderful old buildings.

More will follow when I have the time and a new mouse!