About clouds.

A Break in the clouds by Raymond A. Foss

In the driveway this morning
gray clouds, lowering sky
a break in the clouds
bright light, a shimmering dove
hanging there, only momentarily,
a thought of the words of this poem
starting, a title, a line or too
a feeling of a need to remember
to capture the thought
The break closing,
before time for a photograph
frozen only in my mind
Reappearing, going with me,
at the town dump, unloading recycling
reminding me of your presence
of the grace, the dove descending
captured in flight once again
brighter now, hanging in sky


September 12, 2009

Copyright by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010.

Nothing gold can stay.

Nature's first green is gold
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay. 

Robert Frost.

Tilt-shift.

"Tilt-shift photography" refers to the use of camera movements on small- and medium-format cameras, and sometimes specifically refers to the use of tilt for selective focus, often for simulating a miniature scene.

Local Dari, Hebron Illinois.

Clint and Jenni walking in park, Crystal Lake, Illinois.

New house, back yard.

Monster trucks, real people in stands (they look fake).

Prairie Avenue Hebron Illinois.

Cattle in field west of local bar on edge of town (Rumors).

St. Albans street after a storm. (Hebron, Illinois)

Monster trucks at Allstate Center, Feb. 2012.

St Albans street.

Local Dari. Four corners, Hebron, Illinois

Strawflowers.

Took Sunday afternoon, 11-16-11. Beautiful day, big clouds.  I will add more pics later. 



Late in coming, these strawflowers are really taking off.

The winds are coming.

September 29th, looking northeast. High winds were moving into the area. 
(After the fact, it wasn't too bad a wind storm.)


I just got home and caught these passing overhead just before all turned dark and sprinkles started.

From fun

Lily bunch.

 


Amy's gift to me a couple years ago. Gets better each year.

Storm day 2011-07-11

Monday morning the 11th of July , 2011, we had a derecho pass through Northern Illinois.

We didn't get it as bad as neighboring towns - 800,000 people affected. Scores of trees and power lines down.

As of Friday there were still a few people without power. I was lucky to only be without power Monday.

This was taken Monday evening. The storm was long gone but after a sunny and pleasant afternoon and evening, the eeire looking clouds followed. Plenty of time to take pics since with no power there wasn't much to do inside.

Fall Night and Dark Pets.

Dark Night and Fall Pets would work too.

Saturday night Clint and Chad stopped
by for a visit. Holly too (a little later).

Drinks in the driveway with
a fire keeping the chill off. Nice night.

Thanks Clint for bringing beer.
Thanks Chad for only bringing
lemonade for your mixed drinks. 
Bastard.

I later took this picture of
Cubbie (the lab) and Teddy (the cat).


Cubbie never likes looking at the camera
(thinking it might steal his soul?)


Teddy never photographs well
because he's so black.


I set the camera to b/w mode and
used the flash - since it was pretty dark.

I like it overall except for the leaves.

With the black and grays,
they almost look like layers of burnt ashes.

An illuminating fall.

I usually associate fall with bright autumn colors and shorter days.

This should brighten (and lighten) things up;

Moon flower pods and Chinese lanterns.

Straight from the garden.

I picked as I was cleaning up brush so I could find and dig up my dahlia bulbs.

As much as I try to keep order, by end of summer my dahlias are entwined with moon flowers,
morning glories, and new this year, thunbergia vines.

Signs.

Theme is signs. First thing I thought of was M. Night Shyamalans' movie, Signs; well filmed with a quaint farm and it's occupants surrounded but not protected by a corn field. Great looking farm. I would rate the movie supernatural lite. Loved the visuals.

Back when Mel was only an actor,

And Phoenix not yet a rapper,

a Culkin, not Macaulay,

played an asthmatic son.

It was Bo the daughter,

who turns out at the end,

had left clues all over,

and who would have guessed,

They looked quite invincible

but that wasn't the case,

turns out the alien's weakness

was something home based:

WATER...

(I love the baseball reference. Ha, you had to watch it to understand.)

Taken tonight, edge of backyard. Cornfield.

From Butterflies 07-11-10.

From 2010-07-30corn-etc

Uprooted.

Last Sunday I was gardening and accidentally pulled up these buttercups. I felt sorry for them, so I put them in water and took some pictures. It was rainy out - these are real raindrops, not hose water.

Wet.

I like the enamel like texture of the flowers but just below they look more crepe paperish.

Below you can see the enamel like texture of the flowers

Way-Back Road.

Way Back Road

filled with turns and

lasting memories.

During school years

I rode our school bus

under this bridge...

...spanning the

border of states

Illinois and Wisconsin.

It looks no older.

It looks no worse.

Like it's been cast

a timeless curse.

Backyard (tire) fire.

Last Sunday I was out in the backyard (for the first time this year) getting the garden ready for planting.
One spot (and adjoining rocks) is always overrun with small little (fire?) ants.
They swarm up your hands and arms, annoying and sometimes biting while you weed around them.
Later, playing around with the camera, I took a close picture (with lens), closer (with more lens), and a closest (macro).
I don't have a DSLR so it's pretty hard to keep the focus right on. I thought they came out pretty well.
Anyway, fire ants (maybe they are?) in the backyard brought to mind a somewhat local band that's been getting alot of radio play lately,

Backyard Tire Fire: Roadsong #39...

Close.

Closer.

Closest.


Wiki:
Backyard Tire Fire is an American trio that formed in Asheville, NC in 2001. The band began in the fall of that year with founding members Ed Anderson (vocals, guitars, keyboards) and Tim Kramp (drums, percussion). After encountering several line-up changes, the Tire Fire moved from Asheville to Athens, Georgia in 2002. They (along with then-bass player Warren Hawk) released their first album Live at the Georgia Theatre later that year.

After the release of their debut album, Backyard Tire Fire relocated once again to Bloomington, Illinois and added Anderson's brother Matt (bass, vocals) into the mix. The Anderson brothers had originally grown up in St. Charles, IL, Tim Kramp in Bloomington, IL and Ed Anderson received his masters in Interpersonal Communication from Illinois State University (located in Normal, IL, Bloomington's sister town).

Sound logic.

My house reflected in a driveway mud puddle.

Here are some thoughts to accompany it:

If I lived in the house in the puddle,

would sounds be distorted or muddled?

Hearing verse, would it be reversed?

POP staying POP but ON becomes NO.

Sound from above, I’d hear below?

These are just some reflections in H20.

(Jack Handey inspired)

Ugly Sweaters.

Quick shot before Ugly Sweater pub crawling and Ugly Sweater Party.

Personally I didn't think they were all that bad looking.

If I had run across one on sale, I might have bought it.

(Note Angie's holiday socks pulled over her boots.)

Shoot the moon.

See the moon the other night?

Fantastic.

I only wish I took more pictures.

I was watching the game.

I only noticed it after letting Cubbie out on Monday night.

From Almost full moon. The day before it.

From Almost full moon. The day before it.

From Almost full moon. The day before it.

From Almost full moon. The day before it.

Garden stuff: 2008.

Summer is officially here. I'm starting to get some morning glories. I took these pictures just before work this morning.

Right now they are at a manageable size - but they are extending their vines, reaching out as we speak.

I tie up strings so they can grow up over the garden fence they are on.

They end up covering the corner of my garage and the same with my side porch.

More pictures as they progress. I like them at this size because you notice individual flowers more, but as they grow bigger, then you notice all the color at once. It's a trade off I guess.

Corner of my side porch where the morning glories are already reaching the porch roof.

This is a good place for revolving plants in and out of the sun. I switch them all every couple of days.

I was standing on a lawn chair, tying up strings for the morning glories to climb on.

This was shooting over my head and over the edge of the porch roof - right into afternoon sun.

Worked out fine. I was even lucky with the focus.

Also just off the porch, I have some red lily flowers growing. Aimers gave me bulbs a couple years ago.

Each year they get bigger and prettier. Wish I knew the name of them.

Nice thing about them is I don't have to dig them up in the winter.

Must be because they are close to the house and don't get as cold / frozen.

Straw Dog(s) Days of Summer.

Well, they got my name right. I just don't know where that extra P came from.

15 second video. Saturday planting with Wilco.

Peace.

Excuse the lack of enthusiasm in my voice. Planting flowers is relaxing but also a long drawn out task. This was after about 2 hours of cleaning out / digging out areas for bulbs. Amy always gives me too many things to plant - she has a terrible concept of gardening space (room). I always make them fit somehow. Ha. She just enjoys the cuttings later in the year. Kids.



NPR is my station of choice on Saturday afternoons but it also scares me a bit because I used to associate it with older people. Saturdays have Car Talk, Whad'ya Know?, 3 hours of Blues from Northern Illinois Dekalb, Prairie Home.

Anyway, maybe its catching up with me. Wilco (described as a Chicago alt band - with the "alt" out of touchingly mispronounced as "alt" in altitude) was featured on A Prairie Home Companion. That made me feel better - I catch so much crap from my kids when they hear one of the "banjo" or "fiddle" type groups that are more the norm.


Happy Mother's Day to all it applies to. I'm walking over two yards to celebrate Mumsy's at my sister's house in about an hour. Hope it warms up some. I'm feeling guilty being inside but I needed to let my deviled eggs warm up to room temperature. Sooo good. Sooo bad for you. Or so "they" say - I'll still enjoy them with potato salad and burgers today.



Rock and Roll Mumsy 5-13-2007.

15 second video. Sunday nothing...

Sunday was warm and Monday, today, was even better. I'm told I should expect freezing weather this weekend. Typical.

I spent most of Sunday taking down my remaining Christmas decorations. Needed a ladder. I was waiting till it got warm. No one wants to see icicle lights hanging from the gutters when Spring approaches. Where did the time go?

While taking down and boxing the lights carefully for next year, I stepped into my next chore. Dog crap. Nothing like melting snow; a beautiful layer of white slowly revealing a forgotten yard and a winter's hidden treasures coming back to view for cleanup. That done, I took a break to watch the Nascar race. Boring video included.

By the way, son Clint went down to Atlanta area where tornadoes hit a couple of weeks ago. I lent him a camera and hope he took some good pictures. Coming soon, maybe... (he went down with someone that might be contracted to help clean up the mess.) There is still a lot of work needed down there.

15 sec vol 1
15 sec vol 2 and 3