Thursday, July 28, 2011

Three Beautiful Things 07/27/2011: Dental Spa, Remembering Barbara, Photo Challenge

1.  I'm happy to report that Kris once again did splendid work cleaning my teeth and making my every three month visit to the dentist a relaxing one, once again.

2.  I was too shy to say hello, but there was Barbara in J. Michael's, wondering where she could find a Wilkie Collins novel.  No one has helped me feel more welcome to a place than Barbara and John did way back in 1979 when Eileen and I first moved to Eugene.   Hugh Davis set us up.  He thought we'd all get along.  He was sure right.  Seeing Barbara immediately brought to mind the scores of movies we all watched together, the countless books we discussed, the stories we told about things at the U. of O., where we all studied or worked, the many evenings when we enjoyed good food and wine/beer, the weekend we spent at the coast, drinking Gewurztraminer and playing Sorry, and on and on.  A certain (and favorite) time in my life passed before my eyes as I purchased my copy of "The Big Burn" and "Above the Clearwater".   Until Eileen and I separated and divorced, we spent more time talking, laughing, drinking, eating, and being young know it alls with John and Barbara than anyone else.  It's hard to believe it was thirty years ago.  It was a sweet moment in J. Michael's, tinged with remorse.

3.  Snug and I returned to the Fairmount Blvd. side of Hendricks Park for another thirty minute walk up the gentle grade and back down.  I'm working on a sibling assignment, taking pictures of a single color.  If you've been to the Fairmount side of Hendricks Park in July, you know what color I'm working with:  green.  Because I'm using my Tamron f/2.5, 28 mm (42 in practice) lens, I have to manually set the aperture and shutter speed and focus the lens manually.  I've tried to take some good pictures of green with Snug on the leash, but I've not been terribly successful.  Taking pictures on the Fairmount Blvd. side of Hendricks Park challenges me because of the widely varying light conditions.  So, I returned to this spot this evening, without Snug, and took pictures without Snug pulling at me and free of concern that Snug is out of the way when cars come and go or when cyclists and runners and walkers pass us by.  I took better pictures, but, at this point in my life as a novice picture taker, the Fairmount Blvd. side of Hendricks Park is kicking my Nikon fanny.  (I can live with that!) 

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