Misconceptions?

   It fully befuddles me how the brain works or, at least, how my brain works.  I see things in a totally different way than most folks.  Perhaps, this is due to the time spent in solitude where I can ponder things without the interruptions of the world happenings.  This solitude, even self-inflicted (such as mine), is wondrous once you get accustomed to it.  Pondering is equally wondrous.  Still, there are times when others brains and their thinkings purely bemuse me.

  Others often see me as eccentric or even downright odd and I am quite ok with that.  Still, there is no obvious reason to overthink that I am anything but myself.  I am eccentric but that is not necessarily a reason to jump to conclusions.  All of this leads to the bemusing part simply because of an odd arrangement of items on the old woodburning stove.  The stove (when not in use) is a convenient "catch-all".  The top is sturdy cast-iron so it can withstand even heavy items being placed on it.  This time, however, nothing was heavy just an  melange of knickknacks that reached that handy spot as I was cleaning the shelves.  

 "You really should not be doing this!  You are going to get into things that are evil!"  Well, now!  I am all for not cleaning but I had to wonder how this was going to bring the forces of evil upon me???  Then...a fit of giggles as I realized that my hodgepodge was misconstrued as a perfected arrangement. I suppose I am now an enchantress?  Awesomeness!  The "brains" of the world will never cease to bewilder.  Selective perception totally blocked out any reasonable explanation.

  In all fairness, my living room is kept quite dark with only a few small funky lamps and an oil warmer going at any given time.  Perhaps the lighting lent a mysterious aura to my pile of junk?  By the harsh glare of overhead lights, the old stovetop look just like it actually is...a mess...nothing magical...nothing mysterious...nothing but a pile of junk waiting to be put back the shelf or stowed in a closet until the next clue hunt calls for props.  I do think it looks a little more offbeat without the overhead lights which may be why I hate using them!   

The Right Place To Be

   Photography is a lot like life, in general.  You pretty much have to be in the right spot at the right time to make anything work.  Lighting also helps...in both cases.  I figure I must be in the right spot, here on the Bayou.  Things are working out well and I am at peace here so it has to be "right".

  This morning, the photography skills got a workout.  As soon as I stepped out the door, I heard a pileated woodpecker pounding on the oak tree just to my right.  Getting a good shot without scaring the huge bird took some doing!  I managed to ease my way into position but, since the sun was not cooperating, the lighting was all wrong.  Well, let me just ease a bit more.  I did. I got the shot.  All was well. 

  Then, the garden blooms caught my eye. Wow!  That rising sun was putting a spotlight right on the Althea bush!  The bird was soon forgotten and I turned to photograph the flowers.  Just imagine, I was not even ten feet from my front door and already had taken over 30 photographs.  It was a picturesque sort of day!  

  The Althea bush is one that my granddad gave to me over 40 years ago.  It has been scorched by a house fire (our first home), ravaged by horrific winds of Hurricane Katrina and, also, completely submerged in Katrina's floods.  After that storm, I potted the little scrap of tattered bush and left it.  Each year, it blooms profusely.  Today, I decided that I really need to take cuttings of the bush and start rooting more.  It brings such happy memories along with those purple blooms! I really must be in the right place...at the right time.  

My Favorite!

   Hurricane Zeta did a number on all of my plants.  The vegetable garden fared the best as the cabbages were still tiny but all of the flowering plants took a beating.  I started to move many into the greenhouse but, since the storm ravaged it, the plants still would not have been safe.  Two plants that were smashed were the Christmas Cacti.  I fretted over the fact that they were ruined but, with the work ahead of us, I immediately forgot about them.  Now, I find that the smashed plants are blooming!  I was amazed!  The pale pink one was sitting in the entryway window when I first noticed it.  The sun was pouring through the window and illuminating the blooms!  What a sight!  So, of course I had to photograph the plant.

  The pictures turned out far better than I had hoped.  Since the room is painted a very, very dark color (almost black), the blooms almost appear to be glowing.  This is probably my favorite photography "trick"...dark background and brilliant natural light spilling onto the subject.  The effect creates a striking photograph.  Of course, this is one of those "right place at the right time" moments and I do not get them often.  When I do, I have a tendency to take far too many pictures.  I will stay until the light fades which is usually only a couple of minutes.  In those few minutes, however, I will take forty or more shots of my subject. 

  The Christmas Cactus did its part to bring a smile so I hope the photograph will as well.  This was my favorite of the bunch.  Enjoy!