One By One...

These days of 90 plus degrees I just felt that a nice cool pool of water would be appropriate to maybe cool down the senses a little. Kind of makes me reminiscent of the hot lazy summer days when I was a kid and all we really had to do was go down to the creek and splash around for a while. The thing is - that creek wasn't out in the country, it ran through town. Our part of the creek actually ran just outside the city limits but still it journeyed a ways through the neighborhoods and even past a few businesses.
My point is that now, I probably wouldn't wade in that creek much less play in it. That's if there's even enough of it left to get the bottoms of my shoes wet. I suppose that that's just a side effect of progress. Well that's progress I can do without. Little by little I catch myself thinking back to the secret places we had as kids and wondering if they're even still there, much less a place that I'd like to revisit. I'm thinking probably not.
If we're not careful, one by one these places that we've all held near and dear to our hearts will be gone...

Just a Glance Away...

Sorry, I seem to be at a loss for words tonight. I've been sitting here thinking (and thinking) about how I can relate some story to this photo and I just can't think of any. So I'll just tell you a little about the picture itself.
I actually got to set this one up. I had an idea in mind, I waited for my chance and I took it! It came out just as I pictured it too -cool. I was looking for a contrast of nature and civilization and how the two can coexist. Roadsides (as I hope is evident in this photo) are a perfect example of this. Fortunately for those of us that like to get out and travel the highways and byways there's always some reminder that nature is just a glance away...

Communing...

I went out to Compton Hollow the other day when I was actually fortunate enough to have some spare time. I'm telling you, that was a much needed commune with nature. Sad to say, but I haven't had much of that this summer. I prefer to commune when there's a nice breeze and it's a cloudy day-a really dark cloudy day. Almost stormy even. That really seems to motivate the creative juices as they say. It just really gives me a feel for the woods. A feeling that you might have gotten when you were a youngster being read your favorite fairy tale
But nature wasn't so accommodating on that day. It was sunny - sunny and hot. So hot that the sweat rolled off of my forehead before I got fifty yards down the trail. But I dug it! I dug it a lot! I have to make time for these hikes. I got spoiled last summer with all of my free time to hike and wander around the woods and trails. But I'm promising myself that I'll get out more if for no other reason than just to commune...

The Ozark Empire Fair !

Well, the fair will soon be upon us here in this part of the state. Sure there's lots of other fairs and carnivals in the region but none as big as the Ozark Empire Fair. Of course, I've been going since I was a kid. Man, I remember those days. I remember how the fair has seemed to change as the years have passed too.
It used to be a whirlwind of rides and cotton candy. The heat didn't matter and the more the rides would spin the better.
These days the only spinning I do is on the Ferris wheel and more than likely it's at night after it's cooled down some. Brendon tries his best to get me on some of those whirling dervishes but I'm telling you-it's not happening. I have plenty of fun watching him and everyone else from my view at the top- on the Ferris wheel.

Hotter'n a Firecracker...

As is the norm for this time of year- it was hot! "Hotter'n a firecracker" as I've often heard the old timers say. I believe someone told me today that the heat index was 105 degrees. I don't know about you but I don't give a hoot if it's the heat index or the "real" temperature-if it feels like 105 degrees then it's 105 degrees!
This photo just looks like a hot summer night to me and to be honest, I've been wanting to find a good time to post it. It's really nothing special as far as "special" goes but I like it and for the most part I guess, at this stage of the game that's what matters. I mean, if I don't like it how can I expect anyone else to. So, I hope that you do like it and I hope it reminds you of an end to one of those days that was ...hotter'n a firecracker!

Brenda

Some people just don't like their picture taken for one reason or another. I usually don't understand why. I know that they have their reasons that they think are valid and I respect that. But one reason that I like to photograph people is that we're all different and therefore we all bring something different to the world to look at.
Imagine that world that we often hear or read about where everyone is the same. God made us different for a reason - but that requires more than a couple of paragraphs in a blog to go into.
I often catch myself just staring at people for no other reason than to study their faces and to try to figure out what kind of a person they really are- is it a front that their putting on or am I seeing the real deal?
This is my wife Brenda. She doesn't often allow me to take her picture and for the life of me... I can't understand why...

Got My Head In The Clouds...

Funny, I had decided to have a post about my head being in the clouds lately and the first thing that I noticed (after 2 days ) was that I titled my last post Harry Independence Day instead of Happy Independence Day! (Oh yeah, I changed it!) Man, that's almost as embarrassing as it is funny. Where were all the comments on that one? Oh well, hopefully many of you thought that it was just something too deep to understand! I kind of doubt that, though.
With this sudden revelation of absent mindedness I really can't think of anything else to say about my condition as of late so I'll just leave it alone and hope for a clearer day tomorrow...

Happy Independence Day !

For the past 3 or 4 years we've been on vacation during the week of the 4th of July. Sometimes we were able to catch a fireworks show like the one in Jay, Oklahoma and sometimes we were just happy to be in a cabin somewhere like the Smokey Mountains.
This year, due to the economy, we stayed home. Our neighbors across the street invited us, along with some other friends, over for the traditional hot dogs and burgers, cole slaw, baked beans and potato salad. Oh yeah, and the ever popular homemade ice cream!
We were able to watch Springfield's annual "I Love America" fireworks display from another friend's property thereby avoiding the major traffic jams that were to follow.
It occurred to me though, that we hadn't really been fair to our son Brendon. After all, it has been a few years since we've actually set off fireworks ourselves and he is almost eleven!
So tonight we're set to put on our own show. We have great neighbors all around and I know that they will be able to appreciate the value of letting a boy shoot off a few rockets and smoke bombs all of his own...