Hunky actually pointed this one out for me. There was an area down Grande Ave that is lined with trees in the middle, and there was only one tree that was budding in the whole line. I wasn’t thrilled with the way it turned out. It’s not even immediately obvious what I was trying to show you. Maybe I’ll go back and select all the green buds and turn everything else black and white. But that’s a project for another day.

I actually took both of these a couple weeks ago on the way home after a 12 hour shift. I hadn’t gotten a good nap the day before so I was essentially up for about 24 hours straight at that point. I pulled over and took the picture. I got back in the car and started to think about how I was so tired, I felt drunk. And not in the good way. In the gosh-I-hope-I-don’t-get-pulled-over way. Just then, I almost missed a stop sign, but I did stop behind the sign and didn’t even have to stomp on the brakes. The guy going by on a motorcycle called me a stupid bitch and a whole lot worse than that on his way by anyway. If I wasn’t so worried about keeping this blog PG-13 I’d tell you what I called him. 

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I took these exactly a year ago today. I wish I could take the credit for growing these little blooms, but I didn’t. I was missing my husband and fighting a bad funk so I grabbed my camera, threw the boys in the car, and we went to Bever Park.

I do like this shot, but I didn’t succeed at capturing the vision I wanted. Later I realized that I needed an extension ring or a macro lens to do that. Do you see that small bud in the middle that hasn’t opened yet? I was appreciating the tiny, exquisite curves of the unfurled petals. Someday, I’ll have the equipment to try to show you the vision inside my mind. That is, if you want it. That’s really kind of a scary thought. *wink*

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‘Em are baby hostas daylilies!

I’ve lived in this house for six years in July. Every year, the hostas come up from anywhere around 04/18 to 04/24. Ish. Last year we had a great soft spring rain just as they were coming up, and these shots resulted.

I just wish I had a fancy-shmancy macro lens to get even better pictures this year. I’ve been shopping for a macro lens for a few weeks now, but anything decent is too expensive for me to justify spending the money. I did, however, order a Canon Powershot from Amazon with VIDEO, mah peepull! I found it for even cheaper than 5am’s Clu6 and N3w E99 in case you might be wondering how I justified that purchase. Well, the price and, I’ve been really missing having a point and shoot since Rocky killed the last one.

Next time he wants to video him and his friends skateboarding, he’s just going to have to put up with his lame ol’ Ma doing the shooting, because if he thinks he’s getting his clumsy little hands on the new baby, well, he’s got another think coming, buster.

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I’m so glad that I saw Tell Me Thursday tweet a reminder. I had thought about participating before, but hadn’t gotten around to it yet.

I was working at the Shelter last night and had all my chores done and everyone was tucked in, so I started flipping through my flickr photostream looking for inspiration. I usually try to come up with a theme each Wordless Wednesday, with 3-6 pictures that go together nicely that can stand on their own, wordless. For whatever reason, I chose just one picture… this one.

This is Chelsea. She’s a classy old lady. Like most classy old ladies, she’s loudly insistent upon having it her way. She knows she’s earned it.

We got Chelsea a couple weeks before I graduated from high school in 19… *mumbles and trails off* Ok; I’ll admit it… 1991. (That’s me right before I graduated, and a piece of The Girl Beater. Let’s all throw things at him. Like tomatoes. And tranq darts. And pipe bombs.)

She’s moved from Coldwater MI to Cedar Rapids IA to St Louis MO.

Chelsea was on my mind.

Why?

I had gotten these emails recently.

————
From: Mom
To: all the family
Sent: Tue 3/17/09 6:07 PM
Subject: Chelsea News

Chelsea had a tumor appear suddenly on her right hind leg. She had surgery, this afternoon, and appears to have come thru it well. The pathology report will tell us if they got all the cancer.

Prayers are appreciated!!

Love,
Mom
————

then…

————
From: Mom
Sent: Wed 3/18/09 7:46 AM
To: all the family
Subject: Chelsea News – Update?

As of late last night, she was awake, eating and drinking. We hope to bring her home today. She’ll have to wear one of those cone collars and won’t be allowed to jump for a while.

Continued prayers are appreciated!

Love,
Mom
———-

then I posted my Wordless Wednesday post starring Miss Chelsea at 2:31 AM.

A few hours later, I got this email…

————
From: Dad
Sent: Wed 3/25/09 9:11 AM
To: all the family
Subject: Chelsea’s prognosis?

Good morning,

Our vet has called me with the results of the pathology tests on Chelsea’s tumor. The tumor was cancerous, and samples from the surgery area indicate that the surgery did not eliminate the cancer. He feels that the tumor may reoccur in the next 6 months.

We do have the choice of chemo and radiation treatments, but the radiation is done in Columbia. That would mean a lot of travel and time away from home for her; she’d have to be there at least twice a week for 9 to 10 weeks. Chemo can be done here in St. Louis. The side effects of chemo woud make her uncomfortable.

I feel that the best choice for her is to stop treatments and just let her live out the rest of her life at home in as much comfort as possible.

Love,

Dad
————

My heart hurts.