I Found Something to Say By the End

I still haven't worked my way back to daily posts. Not sure when or if that will occur. But I am glad to be sitting here today, in a space carved out of a day full of to-dos, working with pictures that have found their way from my camera to the computer. I have no clever way of tying this quite random collection of photos together, so I'll just let the pictures do the talking today.

 Driving down some back roads the other day we came upon a gathering of vultures. They were kind enough to scamper into the grass at the side of the road, but only after I had to come to a complete stop just inches from the site of their mid-morning feast. Since I was just sitting there totally stopped, with my camera riding shotgun, I snapped a few pictures. Vultures really are dreary birds. They blend in terribly with their surroundings. So I worked at adjusting their hue and the saturation of the background to make them stand out a little- Tuesday, April 10.

 This is The Forum in Harrisburg. It is an ugly, round, cement building, but it hides the most beautiful interior. The ceiling is done in gold and black and depicts the night sky full of constellations. The lights are star shaped and tucked in amid artistic images of Pegasus and Orion and their other nocturnal companions. Quite beautiful, especially when listening to the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra- Friday, April 13.

 I liked the light and shadow- Friday, April 13.

 I did not take this picture. My poor, very pregnant (and still adorably cute) sister-in-law, got roped into trying to take a picture of our family. She did a much better job of framing us up than we did of actually looking at the camera. In the original of this image, both Little One and My Husband were looking off to our right at something that was apparently more interesting than our poor, very pregnant photographer being forced to stand up on her very pregnant feet. Little One looked cute, but My Husband just looked like he was eyeing up the closest exit. So I messed around trying to move his eyeballs. I'm still not satisfied with what I've got,  but I'm done messing around with My Husband's eyes for now. He'll be left staring off into space until I make it back to PSE. At least he is sort of looking at the camera now- Taken Saturday, April 14. Edited Monday, April 16.

(It's 8:30, the kids are in bed, and My Husband is at a meeting. I still have the dishwasher to unload and reload and laundry to fold, but the eyes were bugging me. So, I tried again. Call me crazy, but I think they look better here. Maybe they don't look any different and it's like one of those optical illusions that you stare at for so long, you begin to see things moving and popping out at you. I'm going to call it quits before I start seeing rotating spirals- More editing Monday, April 16.)

I wasn't going to, but I'll go ahead and post the original and a funny mid-process save just because it will be funny. Hopefully My Husband thinks so. You'll have to click on these to see the eyeballs. 

This was the original. Eyes are saying, 'Yup. I'm done. See that door? I'm ready to walk out of it'- Saturday, April 14.

This is the humorous (at least I think so) mid-process save. The eyes are either saying, 'There is a fly on my nose' or 'Who's the other really pregnant lady trying to take our picture?'- Saturday, April 14.

Play dough alligator on a Florida beach, by First Grader- Monday, April 16.

Play dough bear by The Oldest- Monday, April 16.

I am always sad when the flowering trees begin to loose their blooms. I secretly wish every year that the flowers would not so easily yield to the budding leaves, that they would hold fast to their position of honor and  refuse to make way for the green that insists on swallowing their delicate beauty. But then as they continue to fall against my hopes and plans, I stop to realize once again that beauty that must be enjoyed for only a short season is truly the most beautiful of all. Because I do not know which day may be the last of the full Spring splendor, I am purposed in my enjoyment. I stop for long looks and deep smells because I know very soon the Spring breeze will no longer carry with it the delicate scent of a tree in bloom, but instead will be carrying with it the very last of the flower petal confetti. Deep down I know that if the trees held tight to their blooms, my awe would fade to acceptance and my delight to daily dismissal. I would come to walk past this beauty the same way I walk past the beauty that stands surrounding me, unchanging, just waiting to be noticed. So it is with just a twinge of regret and an expanse of hopeful expectation that I say farewell to the blooms of this year's Spring. I am thankful for their place, for the splash of color, on the canvas that is my life- Monday, April 16.