...a year of record-low unemployment, and job opportunities for ex-prisoners and black and other minority workers...until it wasn't. A year of thriving small businesses, after-work drinks at our favorite Chinese restaurant, and ample overtime work due to a full order book at my aerospace job...until it wasn't. Quite quickly, 2020 turned into the Annus Horribilis. …
Continue reading When I was 71, it was a Very Bad Year. The Year of “Closed” and “Canceled”
Better known around here as the Washington State Ferry System, which connects the Puget Sound mainland cities of Seattle, Edmonds, Tacoma, and Mukilteo with the numerous islands in the Sound, and the Kitsap Peninsula, and even Canada. Thousands of island residents commute via ferry daily, either walking on or driving their cars. And every year …
Welcome to Christmas time at Hogwarts Castle. Harry Potter's first Christmas at Hogwarts was perhaps his first, real Christmas of his life. He had been mistreated by his only living relatives most of the time, and had no idea of what Christmas was all about. [Editorial comment: There is no mention of anything really religious …
I've had a pretty long life, at age 71. I've been through two marriages, multiple careers, dozens of jobs, many layoffs, a fair amount of therapy, and years of education. This year, the Plague Year, has had its share of precious moments, especially, for me, those moments when I chose to defy the first actual …
Continue reading Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #127: Precious Moments
This week's challenge turns out to be more difficult than I had anticipated. I had lots of subjects in mind, but then thought a little harder. With all the very upsetting things happening in our Nation this year, I have decided that, for me, the most important "A" subject must be, America. At age 71, …
Continue reading Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #126: Alphabet, Subjects beginning with the Letter “A”
As long as I get to pick my subjects, I will post some of what I consider to be the best photos I have taken for this blog. Most have been spur-of-the-moment captures that just said "take my picture". This picture of the LaConner Marina just says "tranquillity" to me, and I remember thinking that …
Continue reading Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #125: You Pick It
This was last week's challenge, and I couldn't think of anything, certainly not related to the pandemic. This post has zero to say about that-I have spoken at length here anyway. So, here are a couple of "now and then" photos from my back yard. Then: Japanese Maple tree in full fall red foliage. Now: …
Continue reading Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #124: Now and Then
This week has been bountiful for our back yard going into the winter season. We have had a profusion of birds coming to our seed and suet feeders. Birds that we rarely see in the yard have visited more frequently than before, and birds that we normally see in winter are around now. These birds …
This afternoon, Hubby and I drove up to the Skagit Valley, just to get out of the house. The weather was cool and crisp, and the clouds were ominous sometimes. When we got there, we took our favorite road through the fields. A little farther on, as the sun was just setting: Around the next …
Our yard this week has been a bird madhouse. We have had flocks of bushtits, a rufous-sided towhee, black-capped and chestnut-backed chickadees, a Bewick's wren, red-breasted nuthatch, and juncos. And who should put in an early appearance? Our Townsend's Warbler! He usually doesn't arrive until late December. Sorry for the reflections, but the picture was …
Calling-all-RushBabes 