The Time Sink

I'd really like to say things are back to normal here, but then I'd have to define "normal". ...and in the context of this place that could brush the edges of reality <g>! Suffice to say that the 'normal' temps are happening here this week, but that 106 and 106 aren't particularly 'user friendly' for those working outdoors. ...or soccer moms delivering kidlets here and there.

...and work is 'normal', meaning I'll be out and about more in the mornings rather than the afternoons (see above in relation to loading case lots at the local Costco and such). ...and 'normal' is bored kids driving Shelley crazy (yeah, a pool, video games, tennis, golf, volleyball, and on and on and on), but she's remembering how to tune them out and spend her entire day in a recliner eating bon bons. Not!

I'll blog about the heat later (since it will be worse in the next day or so), but I do have to say travelling to work in the morning in 82F temps doesn't make me all peppy about the day...

In other news...Yes, the two pieces I submitted were accepted for a show ("The Subject was Roses") at a local gallery:

Nope, no awards and no sales as yet, but it's my first time at this dance and it's all about learning (critical comment welcomed). I entered "Monday's Rose" (one from a few weeks back) and "After the Rain" (from the Desktops):

Shelley says she'd like the pink one when the show is over and I suspect the lavender one will end up at my office...

"Spiral", today's blog photo, generated a fair amount of comment e-mail (yes, feel free to e-mail me; the main reason I don't have comments is because I hand code and don't chose to add in that level of complexity just now. Just kill the 'no spam' bit in the address link if your e-mail client doesn't handle it properly)...

...but no, I don't know what the plant is; we call it a "trumpet plant" around here; it comes up in late Spring and early Summer after the vacant lots and empty fields have been disced under for fire control. It looks like it might be related to a melon? I've used it once before... I'll post an overview shot with leaves at some point and we'll see if anyone out there knows what it is.

...and for those who would like the shot information: taken at sundown, in shadow at f/3.5 and 1/200s with an ISO of 100 and with the flash at -0.7ev and forced (to darken out the background). I used a touch of selective brightening and some unsharp mask in the PS Elements 3 'darkroom'...

Just to put it in perspective: "Highs today in the valley from 108 to 113"... Yeah, we're not Las Vegas, but there's even some humidity here to make all sorts of fun to work outside. Not...

Short and sweet: It's been all sorts of hot here this week and I've been overdoing it at work and even at home. I've spent much of the evening just getting in and out of the pool trying to cool off, but the humidity is high enough to make even that not a lot of fun. Saturday will be the fifth day in a row with a heat advisory (unusual for us, but the humidity is driving it this time). I think the bed and a book are what I need...

...and manana lead to more of the same. I went blading; but man, that about killed me, even though I was back before eleven. The rest of the morning and early afternoon was spent trying to cool down (and stay cooled down) and re-hydrating...

...but Brad and I decided to make lemonade by cleaning some more pool tile and later working on the 'outdoor room' we're creating with the gazebo I put up last year. ...and with the addition of some misters on one side, a couple of fans, the garage stereo, and a margarita or two, it was pretty livable by the evening!

No post today. It's a local holiday...

Click image for larger version

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is
indistinguishable from magic."
Arthur C. Clarke, "Technology and the Future"

    Thanks for visiting!  
All content Copyright 1999->2005 Daniel C. Bowman. Most rights reserved.