Ohio Part 4: The Stillwater River (Autumn)

From September 2014

From September 2014

From September 2014 From September 2014

Mirror, mirror….

From September 2014

This mirror hung at my Uncle Will and Aunt Jane's home.  (They raised my father - in Versailles.)  Uncle Will used it to shave with every day.  After he died and my mom hung it in our house, she used to expect to see his face looking out of it.  I don't think she ever did.  I haven't.

Now, it has hung in this spot at the bottom of our stairs for 40 years.  I am not a big mirror person myself, but I have looked into it before leaving for the homecoming dance, or trick-or-treating, or the prom.  And, wayyyy back when, I stood here and shot a selfie (before they had a name) to mail to my boyfriend (after waiting days or weeks to have the film processed) - because back then kids, there were no digital cameras and there was no internet…

I wanted to recreate it and I'd let you be the judge of my success, but my computer is developing Alzheimer's disease about some of my old photos, and while I can see the thumbnail in i-photo, I cannot open it, let alone upload it.

One day.

Ohio : Part 3 : Family

From September 2014

From September 2014

From September 2014

Ohio : Part 1 : Autumn color

From September 2014

Happy Fall from Bear's Mill, Arcanum, Ohio.

We were so lucky to be in the US during the peak (or part of the peak or a peak-ish period) of fall.  It rained, of course.  And, was gloomy and grey.  I felt so at home away from this dreadful, never-ending, mind-numbing sunshine that is Queensland…  And, I was very, very lucky that my mother is willing to drive me places or slow wayyy down or even stop when we are out so I can take a photo.  And, then, I borrowed the car for a brief drive around the outskirts of Versailles and Webster.  I wanted to drive out to Willowdell and take some shots ala Annie Leibowitz, but didn't have the time.

From September 2014

Pumpkins, gourds, and indian corn from Bear's Mill, Arcanum, Ohio.

From September 2014

Pumpkin patch, sincere, on State Route 121 between Versailles and Greenville, Ohio.

From September 2014

Stand of trees behind a field of dry soy beans, Versailles, Ohio.

From September 2014

Orange lining the street, Dayton, Ohio.

From September 2014

Yellow!  Bear's Mill, Arcanum, Ohio.

Ohio : Part 2 : Great Smoky Mountain Veterinary Conference

Because I didn't want to miss our flight (needing to leave for the airport about 5 AM) and because I was painfully jet lagged, I woke at 2:30 Thursday morning.  ARGHHHH.

We didn't miss our flight.  We arrived in Charlotte, original home of Zelda, picked up our rental car and drove to Asheville…where I stopped at a gas station/fast food joint and bought a map.  Fortunately, our hotel was easy to find and the wifi there was sufficient to allow me to get directions to the conference hotel.

It was a beautiful weekend in Asheville…a bit overcast and occasionally drizzly - but I was locked inside (Friday through Sunday) learning important veterinary stuff like the flea tablet Capstar can be given rectally and it will also kill maggots.  (WOW! and you get this info for free!)

Now, I'm disappointed that I didn't play hooky on that sunny Thursday and take in the Biltmore Estate. Instead, we studied the local halloween shop and K-Mart….hmmmmm…. I was playing hooky on Thursday, ANYWAY.

The brief slide show (above) from Asheville notably lacking any of the endoscopic images that were "slide showing" during breakfasts at the meeting.  Hope that's OK with you.

Thoughts about home

From September 2014

You probably feel a bit like you know Versailles by now.  And, really, considering the population of the world, you ARE pretty much an expert.  (I did tell you that to sound like you are from Versailles you need to pronounce the "s" with an "s" sound and not a "z" sound - 'cause if you do that, everyone will think you are from "up north" - like Minster.)

So, here I wanted to share a few things that are meaningful and probably specific to me.

See the above landscape.  When I was growing up, we'd drive every Sunday 30 minutes to my grandparent's farm for dinner (lunch).  It was during these drives that I first became impressed by the way that when you'd look at the horizon, there was an unbroken line of forests.  It really helps to appreciate that Ohio was a wilderness not that long ago.  Trees, trees, trees…  And, how much work to clear all that to make the acres and acres of farmland!

From September 2014

This is the church at Webster (Scenic Webster on the Stillwater River or maybe it is Webster on the Scenic Stillwater River) - just outside of Versailles on SR 185.  Isn't it beautiful?  It is no less pretty in the middle of winter with everything covered in snow.

When I got my first 35mm camera with my first roll of film I headed out to Webster.  I don't think I've ever taken this shot, however.  It involves parking along the highway.  Thanks, Mom.

(My second roll of film was taken on a post-graduation trip to NYC…. )

From September 2014

I suppose everyone is imprinted with a love for their "home" waterway.  All around the world there are people who have left their hearts on an important coastline or a majestic river.  For kids from Versailles, it is the Stillwater River.  The Stillwater features in a post every time I'm home.  It is small and simple, but in my eyes it is beautiful.  Someday, I'll gather photos from the seasons on the Stillwater.  I am sure I can do spring, winter and fall from the same bridge.  This is the Stillwater taken from the bridge we'd cross going to the farm.


Finally, what feels more like being at home than looking out the front door?

From September 2014

Review of October….

From September 2014

So, how did that rehabilitation of October go… exactly?

No one died or became critically ill. That's pretty darn good for October, I'd say.

On the other hand, the compressor for the car's air-conditioning needs to be replaced. And, oh yeah, Kevin needs a new job.

Happy Halloween!

from our house to yours….

Exxopolis - at the Brisbane Festival

We finally took in some seasonal culture at the Brisbane Festival.  

Exxopolis is an large plastic tent-like installation that is illuminated only by natural light filtering through thin, colored plastic "windows".  It seemed to be inflated from within - sort of like a jumping castle - but there is no jumping!  The walls are very thin - can you tell yet that this was emphasized in the orientation?  No running!  No jumping!  Maybe there was some sort of hard skeletal structure... I remember there were cement blocks lining the outside edge...no throwing yourself at the wall - you could fall onto the cement block and crack your head open...

We didn't run...but someone scooted on his knees as quickly as he could.

"The Accidental Tourist" by Anne Tyler

From September 2014

 

 "I said to you the other day, I said, 'Macon, now that Ethan's dead I sometimes wonder if there's a point to life.' Do you remember what you answered?"
     "Well, not offhand," Macon said.
     "You said, 'Honey, to tell the truth, it never seemed to me there was all that much point to begin with.'  Those were your exact words."

But Macon had the feeling that school never went very well for Alexander.  He came out of it with his face more pinched than ever, his glasses thick with fingerprints.  Her reminded Macon of a homework paper that had been erased and rewritten too many times. 

     "It's my opinion that sex is overrated."
     Macon looked at him.
     "Oh, when I was in my teens I was as interested as anyone," Charles said.  "I mean it occupied my thoughts for every waking moment and all that, but that was just the idea of sex, you know.  Somehow, the real thing was less… Why, I don't mean I'm opposed to it, but it's just not all I expected.  For one thing, it's rather messy.  And, then the weather is such a problem."
     "Weather," Macon said.
     "When it's cold you hate to take your clothes off.  When it's hot you're both so sticky.  And, in Baltimore it does always seem to be either too cold or too hot."
     "Maybe you ought to consider a change of climate, " Macon said.  He was beginning to enjoy himself.  "Do you suppose anyone's done a survey - city by city?  Maybe the Businessman's Press could put out a pamphlet."

If Ethan hadn't died, Macon thought, wouldn't he have grown into such a person?  He would have turned to give the boy another look except that he couldn't manage the movement.
     The taxi bounced over the cobblestones.  The driver whistled a tune between his teeth.  Macon found that bracing himself on one arm protected his back somewhat from the jolts.  Every now and then a pothole caught him off guard.
     And if dead people aged, wouldn't that be a comfort?  To think of Ethan growing up in heaven, fourteen years old now instead of twelve eased the grief a little.  Oh, it was their immunity to time that made the dead so heartbreaking….
     He felt a kind of inner rush,  a racing forward.  The real adventure, he thought, is the flow of time.  It's as much adventure as anyone could wish.  And, if he pictured Ethan still part of that flow in some other place, however unreachable, he believed he might be able to bear it after all.  

I picked up "The Accidental Tourist" after finishing "The Beginner's Goodbye".  I had read the book years ago - I think when I was living in Wooster - and I had loved the movie.  I remembered Gina Davis's  quirky "Muriel" - an excellent rendition of a truly original woman from the movie (obviously) and I remembered from the book enjoying Macon's quiet but exceedingly odd family and boss.  I saw/see myself being a lot like Macon - who wants to feel like he's always at home and that things are stable and predictable.  I thought it would be good to go through his journey and remind myself of the gift of Muriel.

What I didn't remember was why Macon and his wife had separated.  And, so I found myself reading another story of death - in this case the death of a child.

Wow.  Painful.  And, so beautifully written.  You pretty much get that from the above excerpts.

The Cold Cold Ground: Book One of The Troubles Trilogy by Adrian McKinty

From September 2014

The riot had taken on a beauty of its own now.  Arcs of gasoline under a crescent moon.  Crimson tracer in mystical parabolas.  Phosphorescence from the barrels of plastic bullet guns.  A distant yelling like that of men below decks in a torpedoed prison ship.  The scarlet whoosh of Molotovs intersecting with exacting surfaces.  Helicopters everywhere: their spotlights finding one another like lovers in the Afterlife.

Beautiful start but these prose don't extend beyond the first paragraph.  I was hoping to find my next James Lee Burke or Ray Bradbury.  My search continues.

Breaking my cycle of bad luck

For years I've been not going to concerts.  If someone was coming that I wanted to see - Prince, Laurie Anderson, Joan Armatrading - we'd be out of town.  Or, we'd have the tickets - front row tickets - like to The Pretenders and Blondie - only to have the concert rained out.  But, I've got my ticket for December.  I'm going to make it.  It is going to be good - from this point on....



Well, that didn't last long.  Laurie Anderson is performing at OSU Oct 12 - while I'm away in NC becoming educated.

Rehabilitating October

From September 2014

Planning a short trip back to Ohio in October.  I am going to watch leaves turn, rake them in big piles, jump in them with Zupe.  I'm going to drink apple cider.  I am going to a pumpkin patch.  I am going to decorate for halloween and make a costume and party with my people.  I am going to study the clear blue sky.  I am going to love my family.

Odd Spots

#3 Starfish do not have brains. (That hardly makes them unique.)
#49 Giraffes cannot swim. (But, can they ice skate?)
#?? Oak trees are struck by lightning more than any other tree. (Note: should oak trees need to stop playing golf during storms!)
#19 Birds have the right of way on all Utah highways. (Yeah. Right.)
#23 There are around 61 trees per person in the world.  (Probably better than there are 61 trees around each person in the world.)

From 6/6/14 : Words to live by....

From September 2014

Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day.

Sincerely,

E. B. White

Thoughts in my head

From September 2014

Are their words or phrases or questions that pop into your head repeatedly?  I hope so.  It happens to me all the time.

For the last couple of years its been either

"I don't know what to do"
or
"I've got to stop crying".

Can't say there is much mystery to why these might haunt me - though for the record, the latter never occurred while I was actually crying.  I just figure I was pretty much crying constantly inside.

Now, my inner voice asks,

"What am I going to do".

I think it is an improvement.

Work survey

From September 2014

Photo by my brother-in-law, Sam.  Thanks, Sam.

I'm guessing it is a project for The Office Facebook Page - a survey asking us to introduce ourselves, so to speak, by answering a series of questions.

What are your qualifications?

"I went to school for a long, long time and then went to school, again."   

This got shortened to DVM from The (of course) Ohio State University and PhD in Biopsychology from Duke University.  I left out the MA and the BS.... 

What is your background?

Fortunately, I had the advantage of seeing other people's answers to know that this meant, "Where are you from?"  On my own, I would think it was asking what I had done in the past.  Not all that different.  But now no one will know I was a corn detassler, a documenter of dragonfly behavior, a castrator of doves, or a catcher of radioactive horse pee.  You, dear friend, already knew all of this... so I guess I overstepped with the use of "no one".  

I am from the Poultry and Egg Hub of the Midwest.... or what at one time was the Poultry and Egg Hub of the Midwest ... like at the time I was actually becoming from there. 

 The questions got harder.

Your pets.

Hmmmm.  There is this gecko that lives behind the a/c unit in the bedroom.  Would he (please be a he an not a highly fecund female!) count?  

It seems sad, and possibly suspicious, for a vet to say "I have no pets" or "My pets are all dead."   

In the end, I went with sad.  "Still missing our bad girl, Zelda."

What animal would you like to be?

Sigh.  I don't want to be anything that has to run really fast to get her dinner.  I don't want to be an animal that has to run really fast to not be someone else's dinner.  I don't want to eat rotting animals.  I don't want to bite into a live animal and have my mouth filled with gushing blood.  I don't want to be a cow and constantly vomiting - even just a little - into my mouth.
I went with jelly fish.  They look so beautiful and so relaxed.

Feel free to comment with your own answers....

The Year of the Flood

From July / August  2014

Farewell is the song Time sings...

from 2/17/2013

"The Big Over-Easy: A Nursery Crime" - from May 2013

From July / August  2014

Oh my goodness!  What fun! I had grown tired of Thursday Next - though never of her name - but loved both this and "Shades of Grey: A Novel".  Pick up a copy.  You deserve it.  Meanwhile, off to order "The Fourth Bear" from Amazon.

"..Well, there's usually a rule of three somewhere.  Either quantitative, as in bears, billy goats, blind mice, little pigs, fiddlers, bags of wool or what-have-you, or qualitative, such as small, medium, large, stupid, stupider, stupidest.  If you come across any stepmothers, they're usually evil, woodcutters always come into fame and fortune, orphans are ten a penny, and pigs, cats, bears, and wolves frequently anthropomorphize."

...

"Do they know?"
"Do they know what?"
"Do they know they're nursery characters?"
"I think sometimes they suspect, but for the most part they have no idea at all.  To the Billy Goats, Jack and Jill and the Gingerbreadman, it's all business as normal.  Don't worry-- you'll get into the swing of it."

...

"What happened to your last DS?"
"His name was Alan Butcher.  A good man.  He died in a car accident."
"I'm sorry."
"Not as sorry as I was; I was the one that ran over him in my wife's Volvo.  But it wasn't my fault--he stepped out in front of me."
"Was he...tall?" asked Mary a bit recklessly.
Jack shook his head sadly.  "You've heard about the giant killing already?  Sometimes I think the station talks of almost nothing else.  Well, hear it from the horse's mouth: Aside from Butcher, they were all self-defense.  When someone that big comes at you with a knife, you don't stop to worry about using lethal force.  It was him or me.  Same as the other two.  Mind you, only one of them was technically a giant--the rest were just tall. .."

...

"...By the way, how many giants have you killed?  I ask only by way of curiosity and self-preservation, you understand."
"Technically speaking, only one," replied Jack with a sigh.  "The other three were just tall."
"To kill one giant might be regarded as a misfortune," said Brown-Horrocks slowly.  "To kill four looks very much like carelessness."

Look what is new at our house!

From July / August 2014

He started last week Wednesday. I think it is because I dressed him in shorts and his little knees were tender after being covered all winter. (I'd insert evil laughter here if it had been even marginally foreseen.)

Go, Zupe!  Go!

Oh, and it is MOSTLY just a function of the video - that Zombie gait that he's displaying.  He is, however, our son.