Camera fun

I’m still learning how to best use by fixed-50 lens.  From this week, on the porch swing:

Forest Park

Auggie and I went to the Grand Basin in Forest Park on Saturday evening, to attempt to learn some things about light and reflection and the Canon camera.

Auggie marred the evening by deciding to tussle with a wee little doggie. Augustus Rex is a massive alpha when other canines are involved.  And once he gets sight of another dog, he is beyond anything but corporal control. Alas.

Canada goose.

Snowy egret.

Snowy egret in flight.

Snowy egret x2.

Art Museum.

Art Museum.

Lagoon.

The week

Well, I’ve had a full week of ‘vacation.’

And yes, I’ve rested from my usual labours.  But the daily tasks, and the catch-up tasks, continue.

To whit:

• dog washed and trimmed
• garden in good shape, with elephant ears split and more annuals in various pots
• yummy Asian chicken salad made and devoured
• at-home office desk purged of piles
• monologues memorized and rehearsed for an audition
• travel home from NYC
• dry cleaning delivered, collected, and stored
• lessons taught and coachings given
• music composed, and new-to-me songs read and digested
• cooking shows watched and enjoyed (and let the weekly menu planning commence)
• photos taken and new sites scouted
• Independence Day duly celebrated with a movie and then some grilled meat
• laundry accomplished; bedsheets changed; bathroom scoured
• fresh Gerber daisies placed in one of two favorite vases, and adorning the living room
• new cast albums heard and enjoyed (mostly)
• cake made and most eaten now
• dog walked more times than I can remember

The list could go on and on, and doesn’t seem like much other than daily life, but living a daily life away from the office for a couple of weeks is a delight!

Pic of Auggie post-grooming:

NYC: FLYNYON

Robin: You want to do this?

Jeff: Sure!

So we went up on Monday in a FLYNYON helicopter for a 30-minute flight over the New York City harbor, rivers, East River, Midtown and Downtown, and Central Park.

With the doors open.  And legs dangling.

Never in my wildest dreams…..

My feet. Over the NYC harbor.

Legs dangling.

From a helicopter over the Hudson River.

Magnolia tree

We have at school several magnolia trees in easy view of my office windows.

The buds are (much too early) already nearly as large as my thumb.

Elsewhere the oriental magnolias (or at least I think that’s what they are) are already showing flowers, but those flowers are not surviving the cold weekend: