Happy New Year!

I'm borrowing a couple of amazing images from the Hubble Telescope to usher in the new year. "Fireworks displays" from the Universe.

Hope 2011 brings many blessings to you!
http://hubblesite.org/gallery/

A little weathered, but...

sturdy and strong. A resilient heart by any design.

If you love someone, put their name in a circle; because hearts can be broken, but circles never end.
~ Anonymous

Stretching it

We've seen the sun in and out for a few days. But the pros say a snow storm is on its way within the next couple of days. I'm already tired of nasty weather and winter has just begun. So, in the words of bluesman Jimmy McCracklin, "Lie, lie, lie lie, lie to me..."
(I'll forgive ya, just the same)

Nothing ruins the truth like stretching it.
~ Anonymous

Holiday spirit

Lights last night downtown Boise.

Good wishes and greetings from family and friends.

Happy holidays, everyone! :)

Sound of geese...

overhead, call and response,
as they swiftly flew by
and vanished

Holiday blur

How can time pass by so quickly -- and so slowly -- simultaneously?

Once again, we come to the Holiday Season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes, in her own way, by going to the mall of her choice. 
~Author Unknown

At twilight

Pink clouds today around sunset, along with a half moon. Finally a little more color in the sky!

More light play

Tis the season for light and lights.

Other thoughts about light:

In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary.
 ~Aaron Rose

Firelight will not let you read fine stories but it's warm and you won't see the dust on the floor.
 ~Irish Proverb

Trawling?

Can't hardly stand to read the news right now -- too much fishy stuff going on. But I guess it's "the same as it ever was," as the Talking Heads would say.

Here are more fishy observations:

"Carpe Diem" does not mean "fish of the day." 
~Author Unknown

It has always been my private conviction that any man who pits his intelligence against a fish and loses has it coming. 
~John Steinbeck

May the holes in your net be no larger than the fish in it. 
~Irish Blessing

A good sign

As seen at a garden earlier this year. Bill must be a real character....

Three, six, nine

"Cloud Nine", the Temptations
"Revolution 9", the Beatles (actually John and Yoko: "Number 9, number 9....")
Counting by threes
The retired jersey number for several famous athletes
The bottom of the ninth
Symphony No. 9, Beethoven (Ode to Joy) -- and superstitions

And a host of other associations -- what are yours?

Shadow play

Hand me a little sunshine....

 

to chase away the gray, winter blues....

Too much winter

The schools rarely close because of the weather. But today, nearly all the schools and colleges were closed due to hazardous roads.

Some people got the day off. But some of us had to drive to work --

At least it was beautiful with the snow clinging to trees and bushes; like a magic snowland.

Idaho special fleet

As seen on a street in downtown Boise.

Natural holiday decorations

It's been a busy week as well as a cold and snowy one here.

We've had wonderful visits with friends as well as great food over this holiday weekend. Much to be thankful for.

Change of seasons

Now it's the cold and snow of winter. But each season has its marvelous beauty. As I drove to work this morning, the sky had cleared a bit (before the next storm rolled in), and I was surprised to see a big, full moon edged by mauve and pink clouds. I couldn't snap a picture because I was dealing with a slick road. But the image remained all day, even when the skies turned gray again.

Fall flashback

This was taken on a lovely day in September during a walk by the river. It's cold and gray now, with rain and snow mix, and an arctic front is moving through, which is predicted to give us a very cold blast next week.
 
But the morning clouds have been gorgeous this week (as seen while I'm driving to work and not able to snap a photo) and occasionally a V of geese fly overhead.

Happy weekend to you all.

Aerial crossroads?

Or X marks the spot?

I went down to the crossroads 
tried to thumb me a ride
I went down to the crossroads
tried to thumb me a ride
but nobody seemed to know me
they just passed me by.
~Robert Johnson

Two views

Another take on "the corporate view".
(No, this is not where I work) :)

Last hopper

Taken a couple of weeks ago right before it turned November cold.

Some hopper humor:

-Why would you swallow a grasshopper? So you could have internal locust of control.

-A grasshopper walks into a bar. The bar tender says to him, "Hey we have drink named after you." The grasshopper replies, "You have a drink named Murray?"

In honor and tribute on Veterans Day

My grandfather fought in World War I on the front lines and in the trenches. He was very proud of his service to our country.

In honor of all those who have served our country. In remembrance of all those who lost their lives.

Old timer

As discovered during a walk a few weeks ago. I'm guessing this is a Ford Model A; anyone out there who knows for sure?

Weekend

Late morning.

Lovely fall day out, even if it's a bit warm for November. Tomorrow the weather is changing and we'll probably see the shimmer of rain on the red and golden leaves.

 

Have a blessed weekend.

Got mail?

As seen during a walk. How many of them can you name? :)

Red glory

As seen during a walk. I was taken with how brilliantly red the leaves were. Happy November to you :)

Happy Halloween!

The creaking of a gate, howl of an animal in a foreboding forest, shrieking wind, footsteps in the alley -- then  --

TRICK OR TREAT!

Near and far

Light glowing through colored leaves -- like stained glass.

Ready for harvest?

Big enough to make several pies (sans bug), and a large jack-o-lantern.

Fall dreams

The moon was full last night, clear and crystal where you could see detail in the craters. Silver light shone through our windows and illuminated the white rock rose blossoms in the back yard. Magical.

Today the skies are cycling bursts of rain and sunshine. Against the gray, colorful leaves glow and shimmer.

A peak time for those who like to dream....

Like Sisyphus?

During the last few weeks, these guys have constantly been scaling the windows. They slip, struggle, waggle one leg about, climb a little higher, then, finally fall to the ground. If they make it to the top, there's no reward that we can see.

Maybe it's a calling from Grasshopper Mind....

Color and light

I love fall colors like these.

Newcomer

After two rounds of emergency repairs, my trusty Saturn had become not so trusty. (To be fair, I'd driven her for 16 years).

So today we went shopping. And tonight there's a newcomer in the garage.

My new Honda Fit

Fun to drive. Great reviews. Excellent gas mileage. Killer audio system.

I'm psyched :)

Inner rose

After a morning rain

Orange, purple, blue

.Hope your Monday was a colorful day....

Moon and stripe

A jet jetting off to another city, another place, while the moon looks on.

Happy weekend!

Music

Music has always been a big part of my life.  I like how Ntozake Shange says it in her poem (excerpt):

i live in music
is this where you live?

Others' thoughts on music:

Music was my refuge.  I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness. 
~Maya Angelou

Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom.  If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn. 
~Charlie Parker

Music is what life sounds like. 
~Eric Olson

Exactly.