Day Lily Day
Several citizens of Plastiqueville traveled to Slatington, PA today, to enjoy some time in Anne Zagarella's day lily garden. Anne is a member of the Palmerton Camera Club, as am I, and every year, she opens her backyard to club members and day lily nerds. This year, Knitting Lady chose to spend some time sheltered by a large bloom, and you can decide whether she simply looks peaceful, or whether she's in danger of being picked up by one of those claw thingies you see in vending machines at the Jersey shore. The little people wish they'd spent more time with the day lilies, but the temperature was rising rapidly. We did some home with over 300 images, of which over 200 were worth keeping. Not bad for a morning's work. And it seems that we weren't the only ones in day lily heaven. Here's an ant, eagerly approaching his career path...
Some like 'em bigWe were riding around the other day in the new "family van", with Randy at the wheel - which meant I got to ride shotgun and make pictures, a rare pleasure. Our travels included Route 248 through Bath, PA, past this local landmark with the big animals in the front yard. We were making a sharp turn when I got this one, so I had to concentrate on keeping the camera steady AND not falling over into the driver's lap. I was focusing on the animals - and I didn't even see the owner and his lawnmower until I reviewed the images later. But wait! It gets better. I posted the image in all the usual places (Facebook, Instagram, Flickr) - and much to my great astonishment, it went viral. At this writing, we're at 285 shares on Facebook, more than I ever had on any image! I was really hesitant to post it - after all, who wants the world to see you dragging a lawnmower around your yard in 90 degree weather? But apparently this guy is really nice, and somewhat well-known in the neighborhood. His house has even made it onto the Roadside America website, which is hugely cool, IMHO. So maybe I'll have to print this out and slip it in his mail slot. I think we have something in common. A test drive for the new furnitureLast weekend's yard sale score included a lovely hand-painted table with matching chairs. Sometimes the little plastic people like to try these items out on my desk first, before we go to the trouble of setting up a whole scene. Here we have Mask Dude, one of the wrestlers, telling wild stories of his life before Plastiqueville, including how he lost the tips of his fingers on his right hand. (I suspect a dog chewed them off, or maybe a kid did it.) Yard sale score supreme!
I thought this was going to be one of those rare yard sale days where I come home empty handed. The first two sales offered almost the exact same merchandise. It was uncanny. Glassware and Christmas decor, and cookbooks cookbooks cookbooks. We were on our way to that one last sale when we passed it. Big yard, plenty of parking. Still, I was beginning to think that it was just more of the same - until I looked down and saw the crate: the piano, the red sofa, the little bed. Five bucks for the whole darn thing. All wood, not a speck of plastic, in played-with-but-still-pretty-good condition. So, it looks like I'm going to be a little busy for a day or two. I'm thinking more incense pictures, floating out from behind the closet door, or maybe from under the bed? Some words about Fathers Day
Randy's two sons descended on our household today, along with the grandson and - bonus! - Randy's brother Ron. In years past I would have the camera, but today I spent most of a very hot afternoon trudging between the kitchen and the back yard, delivering potato salad and barbecue tongs. The people of Plastiqueville were occupied with their own Fathers Day celebrations, and my hands were too greasy to juggle a camera, so no photos this year. Instead, we reach into the past, where we find my dad and me at "The Land of Make Believe" (I believe that was its name), a tourist attraction in the Adirondacks of New York State. I share this with love and pride because it's so natural, one of the few candids I have of Dad where he's smiling and totally unaware of the camera. (Thanks, Mom! Good one!) |