Category: Carolina Home

Lady Friend Visits

The Viburnum by my apt. window is reaching full bloom. I trim it by hand, protected from the weekly “Landscaping Crew” and their “Two-Cycle Symphony”. Its density provides nesting for Chipping Sparrows and shade relief for Rabbits. Bees discovered it week ago. Today, hiding out “a la Paris”, from heat & humidity due to an errant Jet Stream, while enjoying a libation, had a visitor, an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. Feeding, “She” (Blue Spots on Tail) , allowed me time to fetch a camera and my favorite portrait lens.

And So It Goes

Made this photograph long ago (27 Dec. 2010). Had just found my footing as a photographer. This corner at Academy & Chatham Streets is being converted from an automobile gas station & repair shop to a restaurant.

Catty-corner at the intersection, Ashworth’s Drug Store is being converted to the Once in a Blue Moon Bakery & Cafe.

The Town of Cary was my landing place in late 1998. New job, new house, fresh start. Today, I don’t need a GPS to get around. And just down the street from the above photography is La Farm Bakery, where I buy my daily bread – weekly! The only constant, is change. Yet, it still feels, like home.

Carolina In My Mind

This week has been acoustically interrupted by the young couple in the apartment behind me, moving out. Discovered via a neighbor that job issues dictated a move back to Texas. Lucky for them, it’s to Austin. I am Old Man Grateful to be able to stay where I belong. At peace and comfort. Yep, lucky!

Click images for full size

87 Today – In March!!

It was a lot warmer when I made this photograph (Squirrel Splooting). But much later in the year, when the Carolina Long Leaf Pines were not adding a thick, sticky layer of Yellow Pollen that caused me today, to surrender $15 to a Drive Thru Car Wash (a downside of apartment life without a garden hose connection). And aggravated my informally adopted Grand Daughters and a lot of other folks, Allergies. Good news is, a. Lower Utility Bill and b. Open window and door screens for ventilation with a gas range. Meanwhile, trees are having sex!

Sunday Ice

The Ice & Snow Forecast was correct. Underneath the modest snow fall is a sheet of ice that’s going nowhere for a few days, same as me and my truck Apartment Maintenance liberally spread rock salt on the walk yesterday. Futile.

This AM, watched a young dare devil in his “Pocket Rocket” discover the ice layer and impossibility of motoring up the modest grade. He backed to his parking space, walked to where he got stuck, brushed the snow with his foot and found the ice sheet. And wisely went home.

“Saturday, I go out to play”.

1947, T-Bone Walker wrote this lyric. My hearing of it is Eva Cassidy.

Today, this old carcass got out to the Cary Downtown Park to test drive some new gear. A monochrome only sensor (take that Bayer Filter!) and some colored filters traditionally used on B&W film. I was today, a novitiate.

Another gray hair did a presentation at Cary Photographic Artists and I hit that thing like a bass to a lure! Turns out, odd duck that I am, been using Pentax gear forever. So I already had the glass.

Weather turned from ugly to wonderful. So test drive today aka “play” with a monochrome only sensor and colored filters (it’s a physics / visible spectrum / traditional B&W film thing). Saturday, in the park. Click each for full size.

Shoo!

Heard my upstairs neighbor empathically say, through blessedly open screens to fresh air after a rain cooled off the unrelenting heat of the week! She is rightfully resentful of Rabbits munching her plantings. They are gastronomically cheeky, as a lady a few apartments down, feeds them.

And having been self embarrassed at previously missing a photo opportunity by having to dive into my camera bag to find a lens, mount it and check the battery and memory card, I’ve left a ready camera near my door. Disclaimer: I tossed a piece of celery leaf from my dinner outside. It was left, ignored – I was had! And the missing piece of ear -not easy being a Rabbit! Still, we both agree on Billy Holiday.

Lucy’s Song

As I explained to my young neighbor, it’s all her fault! Bringing her dumpster rescue dog to visit after her work day, to visit and talk story.

And I told her about the N.C. State Vet Student who was fostering this rescue that was her proof of ability to spay. Who I connected through a connection of dog rescuers. And volunteered to a make adoption photographs. And we did!

Raleigh – November 2010

Into The Sun

Made this photograph nearly 15 years ago, on a weekend. Hiding out from some of my late wife’s about to visit relatives.

North of Hatteras, found an off season, duck hunters motel in Manteo. Cheap. And like the song “Sheets so thin, I could see myself grin”. The National Seashore is open 24×7. 0430, fuel up with guys filling boats with ice and gas.

Later, got a pre-dawn, cursory glance from an ATV riding Park Ranger, patrolling the beach. My tripod explained my presence.

So I was left in peace. It is, in a way, a prayer.

And my plan is, in about 10 years or so, or whenever one of my vital parts hits its expiration date, my ashes will be scattered, about three miles east. In compliance with North Carolina State Law.

Which allows that maybe, 100 years from now, I could be a speck of a kids sand castle on Nag’s Head. And so it goes