Just a Little OCD

Some might say that I'm obsessively overstimulated by the letter, O, to the point of being obnoxious. Oh, if only they understood. Instead of oodles of O words this week, I offer you an onslaught of O-shaped objects to ogle with your eyes...or, as they say in Spanish, para observar con sus ojos!

Okeedokee, if you haven't guessed, it's Alphabe-Thursday and this week's official letter is O. Head on over to Mrs. Jenny's to see the other o-o-o-offerings.

All Over the Map

Snowing this morning. By this time last year, we were "winding down" on our ski season (meaning we'd had so much great snow we were beginning to get sort of ho-hum about the whole thing). Today, finally, for the first time this season, we threw our skis in the truck and went. Considering that we live 15-20 minutes from an Olympic venue, that's kind of sad. But we went and it was fun.

On the way back we took a little detour to a county park that I'd never seen...from the looks of things, you would never have known that it was snowing that morning. 

And then, later in the afternoon, another storm...full on blizzard-like. Crazy weather, but we love this place.

Harvesting Snowballs

It snowed last night...and this morning...and continues now. The snow piled up against the fence in the dog run, allowing the little rascals to escape. They might have short legs, but they know how to put them in low gear and power up and over the top. Scotties on the loose ... into the woods they go.

Albert, who can't stand being too far from food, hurried home as soon as he heard us calling him. Jake, on the other hand, was off on a grand adventure and wasn't about to cut it short for some lousy little dog treat.

So, we put on our snow shoes and headed into the woods...up, down, around that tall tree, and so on following the fresh track they had left behind. When we finally caught up to him, he came running and greeted us with wagging tail...'oh, look at me, I'm having so much fun, yessirree!' .... and his own collection of snowballs.

Another Grey Monday

One More Dad Deploys...

Children, grandchildren, a wife, family, friends...all will be left behind for a season for the sake of country.

Thank you G&K and all your family for your sacrifice. We love you. You will be in our prayers.

The Chair

The chair dominated the small room*, silently pleading for someone to sit. Dusting it, I chuckled to myself.

The corner had needed the perfect chair – not too big or small, not too contemporary or rustic, equal parts appealing to the eye and soothing to the body.

We never found the exact one, so we had one made. Upon completion, we carefully secured it in the back of the pickup and drove home.

Wind gusting, something caught RT’s eye in the rearview mirror. Our precious new chair. At the side of the road. Hijacked by a freak wind.

Now it stands, mostly unused, but perfectly rustic.

 *And, that, my friends, is my Saturday Centus for this week. (And, by the way, it's true). This week's prompt, above, is in red. Ride the wind over to Mrs. Jenny's and try out the other Centusian's chairs.

The Boy's Got Skills

When we were in Hawaii last year, we spotted this guy on the Big Island near Waipio Valley. I had completely forgotten about him until Luke decided to paint him in his art class. Yup, the boy's got skills.

Totally off-topic, it was a beautiful sunny spring-like day today. Winter seems to be losing its grip on the reservoir which is melting around the edges. They say it's going to snow tomorrow, but I've stopped worrying about whether it is or it isn't and if we're ever going to get some decent snow for skiing. Honestly, at this stage I'm ready for spring...which means, of course, that we'll probably start having weather soon and it will last until June. Go figure. I couldn't pass up shooting the ice, though, while we have it.

Nikon Not Necessarily Needed. No. Not Now. No Nonsense.

As I noodled over what narrative I could offer up for the naughty letter N, my mind went numb. I was nervous that I might end up with nil...nothing...nada.  I thought to navigate the dictionary one more time, but it was for naught as the niggling thought nearly made me nauseated. And then in a nanosecond, it hit me like a nasty pair of neglected Nikes straight to the noggin! The neurons started firing like neon flashbulbs in the night. What do I know, after all? Nikon, yes, my nifty Nikon.

If you know me, you may have noticed that from time to time I lift my head from my navel-gazing and my narcotic-like addiction to my much loved Nikon with its amazing nano-technology and shoot with my namby-pamby cell phone camera instead. Perhaps you think I’m nuts, even a numskull.

I hope you know that I'm not some nincompoop neophyte. It’s not a negative thing that I would use a camera intended for a novice to nab a shot.

I’m not naive enough to think that my cell phone produces the kind of images that are the norm for my Nikon. Nowhere near! Needs like shooting nature, nebula or night scenes necessitate using a more sophisticated camera, where I can control the nth degree of detail, negotiate the amount of light and keep digital noise to a negligible level. Nonetheless, with numerous improvements in technology, the nuances are only nominally noticeable to the naked eye.

Notwithstanding all its wonderfulness, the Nikon can be a nuisance to have hanging around my neck like a noose. True, there is nothing like it. Nonetheless, there is nothing like not having to navigate its complicated network of controls and the novel approach of shooting willy-nilly from the hip and getting numerous non-standard images that can be little nuggets of art.

In the not-too-distant past, we even shot with film - yes, negatives - if you recall, which sometimes produced...well...nothing. And then all one was left with were neurochromes...little nebulous memories that need to be nurtured in one’s mind because they exist nowhere else.

Now, what's next? I say shoot with either or, but never neither nor. Nice new stuff is always nipping at your heels. For today - at least until noon - no Nikon. Soon my new Nikon will be arriving neatly on my doorstep and I, living like a nabob, will be starting a whole new nefarious love affair with it!! Nanner nanner manner.

Hope you enjoyed my no-Nikon images...

And that's my nickel's worth on N for Alphabe-Thursday. Nullify any notion to be a nay-sayer or turn up your nose; navigate your way over to nearby Mrs. Jenny's (by clicking HERE) and nibble on my nice Alphabetarian neighbors' notes on N.