Ruby Tuesday: A Horse of a Different Color

Found this in an art gallery last year, and loved it.

Carousels, and especially the horse figures, are among my favorite things.

The shot of the other side is out of focus, but I thought you might like to see it.

Visit theteach's blog, Work of the Poet, for more Ruby Tuesday entries.

Sepia Scenes: Fading in the Sun

The view from inside this old barn isn't nearly as interesting as the window that frames it. I loved the textures of the peeling paint, and the shadows cast on the wide sill.

There's more to see at Sepia Scenes.

Ruby Tuesday: Paint My Door

For reasons known only to the former owners, my front door is pink. This does not please me.

In the near future, it will be either this warm shade of red or the dark pine green. (The siding is beige with white trim.)

Which do you like, Tuesday Tribe?


*P.S: We were supposed to find something Thanksgiving-y this week, but all I have is a leftover from last year. Still, there's a bit of red here and there.

For more Ruby Tuesday, stop by at Theteach's place and check out the other entries.

*P.P.S: For those who asked, here's what the rest of the house looks like. So... red door? Green door?

Odd Shots: Phantom Hunter

We've seen a lot of strange things in the woods, but this is by far the oddest to date. Click the photo to enlarge.

* Click here for the story and another view.

Be sure to check out all the entries today over at Katney's Odd Shots!

Whispers from the Cellar

Once in a while, in my line of work, I find myself on the phone with a customer from my home state of West Virginia. Good natured banter always ensues, as we are a friendly and clannish folk. The customer relays news from home, and I dutifully lament my loss at having left the place. Yesterday, though, the usual script took a surprising turn.

At the end of the call, the client recited the first line of the West Virginia state song: "Oh the West Virginia hills, how majestic and how grand." To which I found myself adding, without hesitation, the next line: "With their summits bathed in glory like our Prince Immanuel's land."

Where the HELL did that come from? I haven't sung that song since grade school. In the '50s.

But wait, there's more: Today on public radio, I heard that researchers have discovered that baby boomer brains are still carrying around an extra load of carbon 14 from the nuclear bomb tests done when we were babies. Some parts of people regenerate completely over time, but the brain just keeps packing new stuff into its original equipment. Hmm. Permanent, radioactive memories. This explains so much.

So it seems I have reached the age where I can't remember whether I took a pill with the glass of water I am still holding in my hand, but factoids from half a century ago are on speed dial. Nature has a cruel sense of humor, and she loves to screw with old people.

Sepia Scenes: Soaring Spires

There are some great churches in this area, and this is one of my favorites. Its Gothic spires dominate the neighborhood. I half expect to see Batman up there one day, brooding over the streets below.

*Click to enlarge

Check out the other entries this week in Sepia Scenes.

Odd Shots: Going in Circles

These vines seem to have had a hard time deciding which way to grow, and ended up in an odd sort of double loop. It's amazing what strange things you find, once you're looking for them.

(FYI, We all survived the move! More on that later on the Havenwood blog.)

For more Odd Shots, click over to Katney's Kaboodle.

Sepia Scenes: Out to Pasture

Anyone know what this is? It looks like something that was dragged behind a tractor. Whatever it did, it hasn't done it in quite some time. We found it here, reclining against a giant old maple, dreaming of days gone by.

I took this one with the Sepia setting on my camera. I think I like the effect better when I convert a photo from color.

For more entries, stop by Sepia Scenes.

Ruby Tuesday: Bless This Mess

This one seems to sum up the week. We're moving, and everything is in disarray. Ruby Tuesday is a little touch of normalcy in an ocean of chaos. Thanks, teach, for helping to keep me sane.

Check out the other entries at Work of the Poet.

Fall Back

So what did you do with your extra hour when you turned your clock back this weekend? I frittered mine away online. I considered staying in bed longer, but the lure of the Internet was just too strong. Looks like I made a bad choice.

According the Los Angeles Times, the New England Journal of Medicine reports that there is a 5 percent drop in heart attack deaths the day after we reset out clocks in the fall. On the flip side, there is an increase in heart attacks when we "spring forward". And why is that? It's sleep.

Everyone knows that sleep deprivation is rough on your whole system, including your heart. But experts are surprised that one hour apparently makes a big difference.

And so, on that note, I'm off to catch a few of those Zzz's I missed. Nighters.

How To Get Great Medical Care

My sister sent this to me by email. Just sharing:

Two patients limp into two different medical clinics with the same complaint. Both have trouble walking and appear to require a hip replacement.

The first patient is examined within the hour, gets X-rays the same day, and has a time booked for surgery the following week.

The second sees his family doctor after waiting three weeks for an appointment, then waits eight weeks to see a specialist, then gets an X-ray that isn't reviewed for another week, and finally has his surgery scheduled for a month from then.

Why the different treatment for the two patients?

The first patient is a Golden Retriever.
The second is a senior citizen.

Next time I get sick, take me to a vet.