Friday Music: No Love Today

Roger and I started listening to Chris Smither many years ago. We hadn't in a while, but my day on Thursday made me think of this song, I got no love today. I started the day by finally deciding that I would upgrade my Anti-Virus/Anti-Malware program to their premium one. I'd been using it for a while and thought it was time to buy it. So I did, and that started a multi-hour nightmare of miscommunication; programs not linked or log-in-able; a third party accounting firm that sent information with malware attached; and Apple Computer advising me after all of it that the program would no longer be compatible with the next operating system update. I'm sure you must have heard me SCREAMING all day. We're still trying to figure out how to handle the mess, and I will probably just restore my computer from a backup I did six days ago. There are things about computers that really annoy me. The ONLY upside to all of this is that I didn't think about politics all day. Whew. It's good to find a bright spot. Thank you for reading this. 

What Is That?

 Walking up the steps to our front door after our walk I noticed this hanging just below the one of the steps. Mmm? What is that? I know it's a praying mantis, but what's going on there? What is that white creature that seems to be eating the mantis? That just seemed wrong in every way. I bent down and touched the mantis. It did not move at all. I thought, oh wow it's probably dead. 

I went in the house and did a few chores. Then I remembered to go back out to see if the mantis was still being consumed. When I went out the mantis was completely gone and the white thing was still there. Interesting critter. Then I noticed the mantis was trying to climb up the front wall of our house. It was still alive. So I googled around and found that this praying mantis was  actually laying eggs under the little bit of stair when I photographed it. So now I have a new project documenting what becomes of these praying mantis eggs.

The little metal mesh thing is one of our many preventative measures in stopping the yellow jackets from nesting under our entry way steps. They are truly an aggressive nuisance and nasty as well. Oh wow that just reminded me of someone, but I won't mention who.

Countdown

The skies have been blue. Blue in every direction and not a single cloud anywhere to be seen. So, no atmospheric optics. Nothing to draw me out into the sunlight to catch a glimpse of something ephemeral and heart-lifting. We're still mostly staying at home, only venturing out for our weekly shop and daily walk around the neighborhood. Yeah, it's starting to really drive us a little bit crazy, that and the looming election next week have us awake in the night contemplating the possibilities of our future. We have already voted. Submitted our ballots in a real county-approved drop box. I actually checked with the county a few days later just to make sure it was received. It was. Roger's too. Whew.

One of the main streets in our little town was torn up and repaved a few weeks ago. Not sure what kind of pavement mix they used but it glitters and reflects in the sunlight. So without any natural ice crystals in our atmosphere, I have managed to find and be amused and briefly distracted  by the halos on our street. I have no idea how this happens, but I  am glad it does. (Click on the pic and take a look!)

Countdown to election day: A little more than 168 hours; 10,080 minutes; 604,800 seconds. And then, the real count begins. We're hoping for an indisputable landslide. We wait... it's a countdown to the count.

Hope you are all well and getting through these times.

Friday Music: Romeo and Juliet

 From Shakespeare to Mark Knopfler the story of Romeo and Juliet 423 years later.

Nasturtiums From Light To Dark

 I never really noticed the colors of the nasturtium flowers in our front yard, well except to notice that they're not all orange the way they are in our back yard. So when I was photographing flowers last week to celebrate our clean air, blue skies, and sunshine, I photographed a nasturtium. It made me want to photograph the colors that we have here. So here they are from light to dark.

Taking a good look at the details of their beauty is a wonderful way to forget about the world for a while.

Woolly Bear Caterpillar

 

Curled up in Roger's hand

Lately, whenever we are out walking we've been seeing these caterpillars out and about. Mostly we find them on the road trying to get from one side to another. We always feel so bad for them because we've seen so many of them that have not made it across the road. We find their little squished bodies more than we find the ones slow-walking across.  So, of course, we help the ones we can. We always hope we're putting them someplace that will be safe for them and the perfect environment for their future cocoon stage. 

My twin brother called me other day to tell me about the 24 monarch caterpillars he and Kim found in their yard. It reminded me that I've never looked up what kind of caterpillar this is and what kind butterfly it will become. So, I googled it. Oh wow, what a surprise that was. I learned it's a Woolly Bear caterpillar, and it doesn't become a butterfly at all but a beautiful Isabella Tiger Moth. 

Isabella Tiger Moth image from Wikipedia

 I can't wait to see one of these beauties in the future. Perhaps it will be one we rescued from pavement trekking.

Friday Music: Kathleen's Song

When Roger and I first met on New Years Eve 1988-89 this was the music he was listening to. On our first date he played it for me, and our two broken hearts started to meld and mend.  The other evening he surprised me and played it. It had been a while since I heard it and my heart lifted. I knew I had to share it here. Here's one of our love songs by Ray Lynch.

The Air Finally Cleared

 For more than a month we had smoky skies and unhealthy air. We had to keep the windows closed all the time and not go for our usual walks. We did get out there a few times in the early morning, but nothing like our daily routines at all. It was not easy. Really, it was spooky to add unhealthy air to our psyches already overwhelmed with Covid and the Mad Man. But then a wonderful thing happened. It rained. It really rained. We had .75 inches of rain (1.905 cm) on Saturday. Sunday morning was clear and beautiful. We actually had a sunrise. 

The weather inspired me to go out and photograph the flowers still blooming in our front yard, as we get ready for fall to really arrive.

Nasturtium

Alstromeria

Dahlia

Yellow Rose

Cosmos

 And then the sunrise on Tuesday was another beauty. If you look carefully you can see the tiny crescent moon. Earlier Venus sparkled like a gem. 

Ah clear air. We so love it. The temps are going to rise and winds pick up again. The news is saying more bad air will be coming. For now we are grateful for this respite.

Friday Music: Glory

A friend posted this on Facebook and the moment I listened I fell in love with it. The harmonies are beautiful and the sentiment so uplifting. It is a spiritual song, which is quite unlike anything I am drawn to. It is the perfect song to listen to in these times. 

 

Told me rivers of gold would come
Had me chasing to see
I was kissing my only one
Left my pain with the breeze
I rise up in the morning sun
Take a flight with the wind
I know better of days will come
So I try to believe
Look there's more to be hoping
And there's doors to be opened and I
When it's all said and over
They'll be oceans to wonder for miles
Passed the clouds and the coldness
They'll be flowers and roses so
Keep your head up you’re coping
And it feels like Glory lord
Glory lord
And it feels like
It's in your heart now let them now this
It's in your heart now
And it feels like
It's in your heart now let them now this
It's in your heart now
And it feels like
It's in your heart now let them now this
It's in your heart now
And it feels like glory lord
Told me rivers of gold would come
Had me chasing to see
I was kissing my only one
Left my pain with the breeze
I rise up in the morning sun
Take a flight with the wind
I know better of days will come
So I try to believe
Look there's more to be hoping
And there's doors to be opened and I
When it's all said and over
They'll be oceans to wonder for miles
Passed the clouds and the coldness
They'll be flowers and roses so
Keep your head up you’re coping
And it feels like Glory lord
Glory lord
And it feels like
It's in your heart now let them now this
It's in your heart now
And it feels like
It's in your heart now let them now this
It's in your heart now
And it feels like
It's in your heart now let them now this
It's in your heart now
And it feels like glory lord
Look there's more to be hoping
And there's doors to be opened and I
When it's all said and over
They'll be oceans to wonder for miles
Passed the clouds and the coldness
They'll be flowers and roses so
Keep your head up you’re coping
And it feels like
It's in your heart now let them now this
It's in your heart now
And it feels like
It's in your heart now let them now this
It's in your heart now
And it feels like
It's in your heart now let them now this
It's in your heart now
And it feels like glory lord

Oh What A Tangled Web...

 ... it's hard not to think about all the craziness going on in the good ol' USofA when walking past all these spider webs. Spider season happens in a very big way here on the north coast of California. There are webs everywhere. I am not going to write the name of the person who inspired this post, but I've been wondering for days if any word out of anyone's mouth affiliated with that person is a word of truth. Is it all deceit? Perhaps spider season happens in the White House. 

 We wait and see what comes next and hope the webs come tumbling down in November. That's the way the season of the spider finally ends.

Friday Music-- Northern Sky

While looking for something else on Youtube I found this. I had never heard it before and fell in love with it. It's mellow and beautiful in every way.  Northern Sky by Nick Drake.

 

I never felt magic crazy as this
I never saw moons
knew the meaning of the sea
I never held emotion in the palm of my hand
Or felt sweet breezes in the top of a tree
But now you're here
Brighten my northern sky.
I've been a long time
that I'm waiting
Been a long that I'm blown
I've been a long time that I've wandered
Through the people I have known
Oh, if you would and you could
Straighten my new mind's eye.
Would you love me for my money
Would you love me for my head
Would you love me through the winter
Would you love me 'til I'm dead
Oh, if you would and you could
Come blow your horn on high.
I never felt magic crazy as this
I never saw moons
knew the meaning of the sea
I never held emotion in the palm of my hand
Or felt sweet breezes in the top of a tree
But now you're here
Brighten my northern sky.