Tag: vacation

Ohio House Front Yard

The blog has been a real family effort since I have been on vacation. My DIL drove by slowly so I could shoot the giant flag and Mustang on the lawn.  This is one of those 100+ days we had in early July.  Already we are past mid July!  Oh my.

Now it’s drought conditions around here so the lawns are more brown. The thunderstorms just don’t provide enough precipitation

Care, Compassion and Competence Plus a Quirky Sense of Humor with a Canine Skeleton

Shoot where you are.  Still Columbus. Actually, Galena, OH on Monday afternoon.

Took Murphy to the Vet down the road as he broke a toenail on his hind leg and was limping around.  The family had swim championships and so Maura and I drove him up to Cheshire Road just before Sticky Fingers Ice Cream. (Isn’t that a terrific landmark?)

We were welcomed and Murphy was remembered from his last visit. Received a compliment on his good manners. He’s a popular guy.  One of the women had an Airedale at home and seemed to enjoy talking with Murphy and trying to find his favorite scratching spots. He weighed in at 71.9 pounds.

We were invited right into an examination room, past the cats in the carriers and another dog with the same malady.  Not much time waiting in the waiting room. Hooray.

Once in the exam room,  I looked up and there on top of the cabinets, I saw this Canine Skeleton dressed for the Fourth of July.  You know with a birthday on the 4th, one has an eye for Patriotic decor.  This one was a stand out.  I asked for permission to photograph it as I thought it illustrated a good sense of humor. Told them I had a blog. You know I’ll tell that to anyone who will listen.  Ha!

I was told this is the first time the skeleton has been dressed in female attire!

One of the techs told me they change the costume for the different holidays when I asked about the decoration.  She said I should see it at Easter.  The teaching skeleton gets a lot of comments from what I hear.  Reminded me of the Museum of Natural History.  I looked it up and a dog has on average 319 bones. Obviously there is a wide range in dog breeds from Chihuahua to Mastiff.   No one knew the origin of this skeletal model but you can purchase anatomical sets (I saw on the google search)  I am including a link to a canine quiz about dog anatomy and the three skeletal systems, sponsored by Ohio State University.  You know how teachers like to learn stuff and share. I didn’t even know there were three skeletal systems.  It’s pretty interesting.

Murphy did well and he’s sporting a bandage that will come off tomorrow.

Thanks to Dr. Carrie St. Clair at Don R Mann, DVM, Inc. for such excellent care.

Shoot Where You Are

Culled from the day’s catch- didn’t photograph any food making today but here is what I photographed on Saturday.

School’s out for the summer  so I’m not in my home territory.  Most days I shoot photographs as I drive around the city. But I am seeing different scenery these days.  We went to a T-ball game on Saturday morning.

Four Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies fell out of the van onto the pavement and their bright orange caught my eye but I thought, nah, four bitty snack crackers are not worth a photograph since we have to get to the game and haul  the fold-up chairs and the bag of snacks for the team.  I mean another day I could do a Snack Cracker still life but we were in a rush.

Imagine my surprise when we returned to the van. The neon orange obliterated.  Ants working hard to live.

 

 

and a close up detail

 

and then as we pulled out of the school parking lot by the baseball fields, there was a church parking lot and a scene I wanted to photograph. This is when you are probably annoying to your daughter-in-law but she doesn’t mind and pulls over by the dumpster and I got out and took about 4 quick shots on the gray day.

 

 

 

and the detail. My DIL asked if I wanted to come back and pick it up to take back home since it wasn’t broken!

 

A quick trip to the zoo and the reptile house.  The kids got a chance to touch the Rosy Boa. I photographed the Pythons devouring rabbits but it is too graphic.

 

The Columbus Zoo has a lovely 1914 Carousel, restored.  The youngest 3 grandkids took a ride.

 

 

and youngest granddaughter Maura in a quiet moment

3 Year Blogoversary- Food Truck and Cart Fest, Columbus Ohio

Thanks for following, looking, commenting and sharing. I appreciate your writing emails and sending photos to me.

 Three years ago today I started the blog.

This is the 1027th post as I didn’t postaday when I started, it was just random.

Thanks to the nice mom and dad who said I could blog their baby eyeing the pizza from Late Night Slice and great idea SIL James.

* The Boa Constrictor’s name is Sally May*  

Ceramics by Katie Kikta and Eric Rausch

Pittsburgh Steelers T shirt by 8 Bit Apparel

Vintage and Handmade Jewelry by Katie Guagenti

Camera Onesie by KLZART

And you can see This Guys Art on Cardboardmetravels.com today

Food Truck and Cart Fest info 

Swim Coach Clay Saves the Day

After the Dive Championships at Worthington Hills Club in Ohio, we were waiting around for the results and awards presentation.  Jack McG (5) threw his favorite Woody (Toy Story) t-shirt up into the air.

A gust of wind caught the shirt’s billow and sailed it up onto the Pool Clubhouse roof.  Uh-oh.

Jack’s face would have made a good photograph but I’m not that fast.  He didn’t expect the shirt to disappear on the roof.

This kind man, who happens to be a coach of the Penguins of New Albany, came over and pulled over a stool AND a big golf umbrella, climbed up onto the stool and retrieved the favorite shirt, snagged it and flew it down to Jack.  What a nice guy.

By that time I had the camera to my eye, shot this image and then asked if it would be okay to blog him and he graciously agreed.  Thanks,  Coach. Good sportsmanlike conduct, eh?

Sisters Separated at Production in the Doll Factory

or What Love Looks Like-

It’s been almost two years since I posted Baby Doll (the loved doll) and her “sister” who was bought as a replacement but never really played with or looked at as far as I know.

Baby Doll (b. 1979) belonged to Erika when she was little and now Anna has loved her for 8 more years.  I just stitched her arms up as they were coming off.  And since I’m visiting the family and not driving around the city today I am showing the effects of two more years of loving.  Maybe someone who reads this post will send a photo of the same doll in a similar condition.

 

One thing I know is they are most cooperative when I set them up to pose for the shooting!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I Shot as my DIL drove- 3 Pickup Snap, Pig on a Pole & a Message-

Sunday afternoon. We’re doing family things. Gathered together for lunch.

We had just left the Northstar Cafe on High Street and instead of turning to get on the Interstate, Erika drove north on High Street which was definitely the scenic route.

I enjoy being the passenger and thought there might be something interesting to photograph on the way home.  Stopping and dilly dallying was not an option with four kids in the back of the van and the high temp outside. (Stef, I was like Quick Draw McGraw)

More like snapshot time and a slice of the scene around Columbus.

Everything a bit tinted by the van windows shading. Makes the photo quality poor and a bit retro.

Two out of the three Erika called!

I was too busy looking to see.

This is not my usual method of photographing for the blog, subjects and scenes usually just present themselves and I don’t go out to hunt for material.

Remember  Erika found the men painting the water tower almost a week ago.

The pickups stopped at the intersection were first.  I shot right through the glass window. The GoodGuys Rod and Custom Association Car show was this weekend in Columbus at the Expo Center.

Then she said “Look at the pig.”

I’d gotten the local Dairy Queen before and I know PIERCE Cleaners was a subject for signage at night time once on the blog.  One of my followers and longtime friend Mary Corbett used to say this exact message on the sign at the cleaners.

Pig and another American flag.

The Radio Said One Hundred One…..

German Village, Columbus OHIO. Back to the Book Loft on Third Street.

We were headed to Cup O Joe for an iced coffee or something wet. The thermometer said ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN!

And the humidity was right up there along with the temperature. The boys T-ball games cancelled due to the heat.

When I showed the iPhone image to Mark after supper, he called the boys to look at the photo asking them Who would like this picture? They said it would be me.

They looked more carefully than I did. They saw the Stars and Stripes of the American Flag reflected. Because I was born on the Fourth of July, my DIL and son have told the grandchildren how I love American Flags and everything Red White and Blue. A real Yankee Doodle Dandy !

They point them out everywhere we go. It has become a game in the car to see who can find them.

How comforting it is to know that when I’m gone and they see one (sometimes they are 1/4 of an inch on a cereal box) I will come to mind-

They call to me and tell me to look so I can see it. This year one of my birthday presents was a Red White and Blue apron with a flag motif.

Being so focused on the temperature this afternoon and the quick iPhone shot as we left the Book Loft, I did not even notice or see the reflection of the flag at the 12 spot if it were a clock.

What a gift of a reflection, captured unintentionally.

Water Tower Message Completed

It was a wonderful milestone birthday celebration and there are photos of sparklers and candles and fireworks seen from the backyard. They are still in the camera.

The cake Laura baked, Erika’s garden eggplant, Mark grilling shrimp, the kids enjoying Grandma’s birthday party, the card they made for me- waiting on the flash card til tomorrow.  Below is the breakfast of a special raisin loaf (avert your eyes, Greg) that Marlene (Erika’s mom) brought up from Roanoke.  You might remember we were supposed to go to VA for the fourth celebration but they lost power in the violent storm almost a week ago and still don’t’ have it back.

And a crazy couple of shots from a sweltering parade July 4th AM.  They are in the camera on the flash card and not uploaded tonight.  But I wanted to return to this scene on Tuesday to photograph the sign on the water tower I had photographed on Monday..

No longer just d-e-l-a-w .  You might have seen the partially painted message on Tuesday’s post d-e-l-a-w-

I offered to return the library items and took Murphy for a ride, cranked up the AC and left the rear window open a crack for that rush of air he likes to feel on his nose.

Pulled over right after the railroad track and got out and took three shots.  How those men were able to paint in this extreme heat I can’t imagine.

I didn’t know this area was considered a playground but it is complete and here is the photo of it.

And isn’t this handy?  A drive through library return?  I ‘ve never seen one where you drive through. In the city they have large metal depositories outside the library but nothing this convenient.  A smart design.