SO LONG SUMMER

My mother likes to remind me that I was born in the dog days of summer, maybe that explains why it is my favorite season. Sunflowers are synonymous with summer and usually reach their full glory in mid-August right around my birthday. No wonder they are my favorite flower. Today I went to the farm to get some fresh local produce and a field of sunflowers greeted me. I watched them blow in the breeze some still in full bloom facing the sun and some past their prime heads down facing the earth. Sunflowers are such happy flowers, they always make me smile. But today as I watched them and thought about summer's end I felt very sad.

A LAZY MORNING

A lazy Saturday morning... slippers, coffee, the papers and just lounging around. I almost never get a morning like this... but when it does happen it is so, so sweet. I was sipping coffee and looked down to see the burgundy slippers and the colors in the rug. I just liked the composition and the interplay of the colors. Okay... feet two days in a row, I promise...none tomorrow!

BEACH FEET

It's hard to believe that this is Labor Day weekend and that summer is coming to an end. Instinctively I want to hold on tighter when I am threatened with the loss of something. I want to get as much as I can before it is gone. The end of summer always makes me sad. I know one day I will live in the land of sun, where the weather is never too cold and the beach is not that far. A place where I won't have to shovel snow or wear a parka. The sunshine state is calling me... soon.

SLUGGER AT SEVEN

Today Slugger's dietary restrictions were lifted so he could celebrate his birthday. Besides a bumper crop of treats, he had one of his favorite things, Haagen Dazs raspberry sorbet. Of course we sang happy birthday, he made a wish and yes with a little help he blew out his candle. Happy 7th birthday Slugger. I am so grateful that he isn't spoiled. :-)

THROUGH A LOOKING GLASS

I replaced the front door on my home a few years ago. I never liked the original front door and replaced it with an American Arts & Crafts style door. I love the leaded glass panels in the top of the door, the symmetry of their strong graphic style. Today I took a real close look at a portion of one of the three identical panels and loved the dimension and detail in the glass. Maybe what I really love is that this is the last door I have to walk through before I am home.

MORNING GLORY

I am not a morning person but I have come to appreciate morning glories. These flowers which grow on a climbing vine typically last for a single morning and die in the afternoon. New flowers bloom on the vine each day. For years I have tried to pull morning glory vines from my garden. They climb on my other plants and twist around my shrubs, yet no matter how many times I pull them out they return. Today as the sun was setting I saw this lone morning glory which was climbing on my butterfly bush still open. Usually by the early evening the blooms have closed and the flower has begun to die. So I wondered if this bloom would see two mornings? I suppose if I knew that I didn't have the night ahead of me I would embrace the morning and get a whole lot more done.

BIRD'S EYE VIEW

I was in college when the World Trade Center's observation deck opened. I remember I couldn't wait for spring break so that I could go to the observation deck and take some "bird's eye view" photos. This photo was taken a few months ago from the observation deck of the Empire State Building. I was born and raised just outside of Manhattan, but I had never been up there. So on a whim one weekend I decided to try my luck at some more "bird's eye view" pictures. I liked this one because I got the bird and the view.

BEACHED BICYCLE

COOLER

Although I don't like the thought of it chilly days are coming. In the evening, just before I head upstairs to wind down I usually go out to see my outside kitties. The past few nights I have found Pistachio in his "house" all curled up. He burrows into the old sweatshirts and towels that I have placed inside to keep him warm. For the entire summer he hasn't been in his house, so I know he too is feeling the cooler evenings. I'll know winter is coming when I see Hazel sleeping in P's house too.

TO THE BEACH

One of the blessings of a summer birthday is being able to spend it at the beach. My cousin has said that as far as the weather goes, my birthday is always one of the ten best days of the summer. Today was no different. The only difference is that my knee was not up to a day at the beach. So, I decided the boardwalk was safe and about as close as I could get to the beach. I did some walking, good therapy and there were plenty of benches along the way. I did admire the umbrellas that dotted the white sand and made a wish for next year.

TEAMWORK

VINTAGE

Last week I came across this old Crosley radio that dates to 1951. I love its form and when I plugged it in it worked! The only thing missing is the pointer on the dial. In the world of ebay this 57 year old radio would be called vintage. I usually think about vintages when I buy wine. I will be 53 in a couple of days... I guess that makes me vintage too. Here's to all things that hail from the 1950s, they may have a few broken parts but they still work.

ABOUT FACE

Out in the garden today I noticed how the sunflowers I love drop their heads and face the earth as they start to die. There is something wonderful about the back of their head the geometry of it is striking. So as I studied the backs of things today I decided to move forward with my blog. It's a good visual exercise and requires a certain discipline. Discipline doesn't come easily to me. Most of all, Looking for Light has helped me to see many things in a different light.

SLEEPING ON IT

Today was like most other days, Slugger spent the better part of it sleeping. In my next life (if there is one) I would like to return as a pampered indoor cat. Sleeping is something I don't do enough of. I'm still not sure about blogging, but I am going to sleep on it. I'll decide tomorrow. As Scarlett O'Hara said, "Tomorrow is another day".

COOLING MY HEELS

I thought a lot today about why I do this. At first it was the challenge... to make a different image daily. I thought it was a good exercise to keep me fresh, as well as an outlet for homeless images. A reason to take pictures that I would otherwise not take. I promised myself I would do this for a year. But that was before the flurry of people downloading my pictures without even asking. Because of that I have become disenchanted with blogging. Today I have gone back and forth about whether to continue Looking for Light. I haven't arrived at a verdict yet, so I am posting this picture that I shot months ago in Florida of me cooling my heels. I don't know if I will post again but I will always be looking for light in my life.

SHOULD I STOP?

A very good friend of mine warned me. She told me "Be careful what you post...because it is public and it is out there". I never thought that someone would start downloading my photos without asking me. In the past five days five of my images have been downloaded... even a picture of my Mom which kind of scares me. It has also kind of soured me on blogging. If you want to download or use a photo of mine please have the decency to email me...just ask... it is that simple. Please don't take my work without asking first. My work can't be downloaded, stored or used without permission. All my work (words and pictures) are subject to US and international copyright laws. For those of you in the business...you should know better. Its simple to email me and ask. AND YOU ALL KNOW IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

ON THE MOVE

Physical therapy has made me very aware of movement, not only how I move, but how people and things can move efficiently. My steps are more economical and deliberate. I am trying to exercise and stretch my body to prevent further injury and to protect myself. I have always been fascinated by tai chi and enjoyed watching this woman practice it. My recovery has taken longer than I anticipated and my focus now is on getting well and staying well. Yoga and tai chi may be in my future.

A DOWNPOUR

As I was heading home late this afternoon the heavens opened. I haven't seen such torrential rain in a long time. Even with the wipers working at top speed visibility was terrible. But the rain racing down the windshield created a kind of impressionistic feel to the street. I liked the spots of color and the sense of movement. The driving conditions were abysmal but from inside the car it all looked a little like a watercolor....no pun intended!

CONTAINMENT

Is this a face that only a mother can love? I just loved this bulldog's expression, especially as an ad for pet containment. Of course when I read "pet containment" I thought of my two outdoor cats and wondered if I should investigate this given my neighbor's threats to trap them. But containment just doesn't have a nice ring to it. Animals like to roam, cats are curious by nature and what about free will? A containment system? Pistachio and Hazel would be miserable. Might as well have a goldfish in a bowl. Does anyone or anything really want to be contained? The restrictions my knee surgery has created is containment enough for me. No pet containment here. I'm going with freedom and free will.

PAINTED TOES

Sea Shell trimmed flip flops and bright red nail polish. Must be summertime!