Birdhouse

Remembering warmer days at the Rocky River Nature Center in North Olmsted, Ohio during a snowstorm. Decided to give this photo a painterly look.

The Queen of Narnia Hereby Bans Global Warming

From atop this high precipice be it decreed that in order to save the planet, winter must reign. Global warming is banished. Let there be cold, snow, ice, blizzards, and all manner of freezing! Trust that these measures are for your own good, sons of Adam and daughters of Eve. Sooner or later you'll come to appreciate the finer things of winter.

Look here, it's duck weather!

Author's Note: Photos taken at the Rocky River Reservation in North Olmsted, Ohio.

An Epiphany of Ruby Slippers

As today is the Feast of the Epiphany, it's the last official day for mentioning Christmas in my blog.

"Epiphany" can be defined as a manifestation. Wizard of Oz coincidences have been cropping up everywhere for me this past year. Finally, thanks to a dear friend who sent me a Christmas present in the mail, I had something physical to show for it ... well, besides some photos I took on August 25th, 2009 which happened to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Wizard of Oz movie release. I'm still working on that batch of photos, and you've already seen "Over the Rainbow" and "Morning Pasture in Deep Emerald Fog," which are on display in Niagara Falls.

Before getting to the main action, the more memorable Wizard of Oz coincidences include:

1) Having a street person at Tower City look at my photos (which didn't include any Oz-themed ones at the time), stare straight at me, and sing "We're off to see the Wizard ... "

2) A few weeks later when I DID have Oz-themed photos, selling my first 4x6 matted print of "Over the Rainbow" at Tower City and then hearing the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" as piped-in mall music an hour later.

3) Actually watching the pastor in a church do an impression of the Wicked Witch of the West!

So anyways. Back to the main action:

One day driving home from work in early December 2009, a Cleveland radio announcer on a classical station was holding one of those contests where they play a movie song and you're supposed to guess the movie it came from. An instrumental version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" came on and everyone was getting it wrong and guessing Bing Crosby. Finally, as I pulled into my apartment parking lot, the announcer told us that the correct answer was the movie "Meet Me in St. Louis" ... and then added that Judy Garland had starred in it. (Yes, the witch's Dorothy!)

Minutes later inside the apartment, I opened a package containing a set of the blank note cards shown above with the ruby slippers and yellow brick road!

The Cafe Press receipt read, "Wizard of Oz Greeting Cards, judy_garland."

Adventure awaits ...

On the Road Again

As Dierks Bentley would sing,

"Pair of boots and a sack of clothes

Free and easy down the road I go ... "

Then again, maybe not. We’re under a Lake Effect Snow advisory all weekend! So I was wearing the boots and had a spare set of clothes just in case I got stranded in a snowdrift. Don’t worry, the photo is from two years ago.

Today I journeyed from Cleveland, Ohio to Lockport, NY because it was the last day of the holiday art exhibit at the Market Street Art Center. Starting Monday the art gallery will be closed during January for renovations. So it was now or never to pick up my artwork.

All the way there, I was picturing the framed photo “Mineral Water” and my plans to possibly enter it in another show or two this year.

Plans change. Walked into the gallery to claim the photo … to discover an empty space on the wall! Well, almost empty. Looked for my name, didn’t see it. What I saw was a placard bearing some OTHER artist’s name, and one of those little bright red “sold” stickers! Good news is, it turns out that my “Mineral Water” had indeed sold!

“Welcome to Narnia” was still there to pick up and take home, which I did. But you know, even if both photos had sold and I had driven all that way through patches of challenging winter weather (as in … Hey, What Are Those Purty Blinkin-Lights ... AAAAIIIIIIEEEEE, IT’S A SNOW PLOW ….. good thing the brakes are working!) … it still would have been worth the whirlwind out-of-state trip "there and back again" to pick up nothing, just to find out the news in person that Something had sold.

From here?

"Ain't no tellin' where the wind might blow

Free and easy down the road I go ... "

Say Cheese

Simply delicious comfort food on a cold, snowy, icy New Year's Eve. Just right for a photographer's dinner. Spending this year quietly at home eating a grilled cheese sandwich, just because.

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year and all the best in 2010.

Funny thing I noticed at the grocery store while shopping after Christmas. Apparently, the world has become so PC that some people are apparently afraid of offending anyone who doesn't celebrate New Year's Day. I was actually wished a "Happy Holiday."

Offhand, I can't imagine anyone who'd prefer an Unhappy New Year to a Happy one. So to you who celebrate, enjoy a glass of champagne, or maybe a shot of Kentucky bourbon, or a glass of your favorite non-alcoholic beverage. To you who don't celebrate ... do you even exist? ... I dunno, life is just getting too strange these days! I suppose as long as there's no "whine" with the cheese it's all good. * lol *

BTW ... Yes, the style of this blog entry is a tad different. I tried being a serious blogger all last year. Tried my hardest. Ended up getting too intimidated to write, a lot of times. In 2010 I resolve to have a lot more fun blogging. :-)

Who knows what new direction this blog may take? Life is an adventure ...

Christmas Quiz

The above photo is called "Christmas Tree Dream" and was taken last year in my apartment lobby.

Picked up this neat meme idea from Jane who runs the blog called "I'm Downtown" at http://imdowntown.blogspot.com/

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?

Both. That said ... the gift bag sure makes life easier. Went to an anonymous gift swap where we exchanged unmarked packages. Someone picked up mine and asked, "Who brought this Charlie Brown gift?" Yes, the wrapping paper looked that bad! *lol*

2. Real tree or Artificial?

An artificial tree that I once set on fire unintentionally by lighting a purple rain candle underneath it on the coffee table to set the mood while I read "Moby Dick." The tree was only slightly scathed ... I trimmed off a blackened branch and a bit of tinsel.

3. When do you put up the tree?

Used to do it the first Sunday in Advent. Now I don't put up a tree as I travel at holiday time.

4. When do you take the tree down?
Used to do it on the Feast of the Epiphany.

5. Do you like eggnog?

Ick! No way! For several years I tried to force myself to like it. What's the point? Better to go with what you really do like.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?

A set of plastic Native American figures in action poses, back in the days when they were still called Indians.

7. Hardest person to buy for?

If they seem hard, they get a gift card.

8. Easiest person to buy for?

A dear friend of mine.

9. Do You have a nativity scene?

In fact I have two of them, a traditional one where the moss falls off the roof of the stable and a modern one with white porcelain figures. Maybe someday I'll use one ... Hopefully next year.

10.Mail or email Christmas cards?

Mail.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?

I'm always happy when someone thinks enough of me to give me a gift.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?

A Charlie Brown Christmas Special. Okay, so it's a tv show.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?

Whenever I see something somebody might like, provided I don't give it to them for their birthday first.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?

Probably, if it's never been used.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?

Sponge candy. If you never had any, you haven't lived. If you want to try some, get it from Buffalo, NY / Western New York. That's the very best.

16. Lights on the tree?

Electricity and I have a weird relationship, and I already burned one tree with fire. No thanks!

17.Travel at Christmas or stay home?

Travel to the Buffalo, NY area / surrounding region of Western New York.

18. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?

Yes! :-)

MERRY CHRISTMAS, and may God bless us, every one!

One Christmas Season, Two Holiday Art Shows ... Or From Narnia to Oz, and Back Again

The day this photo "Over the Rainbow" was taken, August 25th, happened to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Wizard of Oz movie release.

What a long, strange trip it's been. Ohio, New York, Narnia, and the Land of Oz. Haven't been blogging due to life being so darn adventurous lately, but in a real good way! Sure have missed everybody meanwhile, and I look forward to being around more ... it'll have to be a New Year's resolution!

Two of my photos are once again on display at one of my favorite haunts, the Market Street Art Center in Lockport, New York. These featured photos are "Mineral Water" and "Welcome to Narnia." The "Deck the Halls" Holiday Show runs from November 21st, 2009 through January 3rd, 2010. Been so busy decking my own halls, writing cards, and wrapping gifts for Christmas that just now do I have time to share this happy news!

You've seen "Mineral Water" before. An abstract image of my favorite frozen pond named Dreamkeeper.

Another one you've seen before, "Welcome to Narnia." Well of course as the self-proclaimed Queen of Narnia I must share winter's finest with the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve in the form of a cold and snowy scene ...

The other big news is, my work is also currently being featured at the Niagara Arts & Cultural Center in Niagara Falls, NY. There I have three photos on display. Namely, "Over the Rainbow," "Morning Pasture in Deep Emerald Fog," and "Stairway to Winter." The NACC Artists & Friends Exhibition runs from November 21st, 2009 through January 9th, 2010.

Somehow in the weird weather combination of strange wind that moved only the British flag while leaving the American flag untouched along with the dense fog on a fateful morning I began blogging about earlier, I apparently was transported to ... could it be the Land of Oz? Perhaps this is where the Horse of a Different Color lives ... in a field not too far from the Emerald City. Thought I heard at least one horse through the heavy fog. Didn't see any Yellow Brick Road, but something felt like a familiar adventure, so I followed that instead. And called what I saw "Morning Pasture in Deep Emerald Fog."

My very favorite season, as shown in "Stairway to Winter." Stone steps hewn out of weathered rock at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Northeast Ohio. The sedimentary glacier-carved rock formations along the Ledges Trail date back 320 million years to the Paleozoic Era.