My Triangles (321/366)

TIME: 4:09 pm

PLACE: Street corner
SUBJECT: Triangles of leaves, sidewalk and grass

*~*~*

I was trying to capture a good perspective of the triangles I saw in the sidewalk, the dried leaves and the patch of grass.  

I took several photos from several different angles and just couldn't get it to work the way I wanted - this is the best shot of the lot.

To make up for it, here, for your entertainment (if you so wish to listen) is James Blunt singing "My Triangle" with Telly on Sesame Street.  

Spoiler alert, they worked the word "hypotenuse" into the song - Impressive!

New Sod on the Block (283/366)

TIME: 6:01 pm

PLACE: Front of house
SUBJECT: Sidewalk & grass

*~*~*

The city finally finished up our sidewalk project today.

New sod was placed along the edges of the walks.

I hope it takes.

 

Seen on “Walks with Mulder” (200/365)

TIME: 7:53 PM
PLACE: St. Mary School
SUBJECT: Door

This entrance is no longer utilized. 

I remember picking up my niece from this door in the mid 1990’s when they had a pre-school here.

Touching (156/365)

TIME: 5:57 PM
PLACE: Back yard
SUBJECT: Mulder & Oreo

A rare occurrence.

They are actually touching one another without fighting.

It lasted about 3 minutes.

Root (128/365)

TIME: 7:50 PM
PLACE: Otts Tavern
SUBJECT: Tree root

Here is an interesting tree root between the parking lots.

It looks like it was sprayed with orange paint so folks wouldn’t trip over it.

I can see a face in it.

A Contrast of Grass (132/365)

Willy Wonka: Do you like my meadow? Try some of my grass! Please have a blade, please do, it's so delectable and so darn good looking!
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Warner Bros., 2005

TIME:  6:18 PM
PLACE:  Around the neighborhood
SUBJECT:  Grasses

When I was younger, I thought that grasses were a lame thing to plant in a landscape.
Now, I think they are pretty cool.

Blades of Grass (125/365)

A blade of grass is always a blade of grass, whether in one country or another.
        Samuel Johnson—Mrs. Piozzi’s Anecdotes of Johnson. P. 100.

TIME: 6:10 PM
PLACE:  Front yard
SUBJECT:  Ornamental grass

We’ve had some warmer weather lately, which has caused my ornamental grasses to really take off.

Hawk (113/365)

“I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw”
“Hamlet,” Act II, Scene 2. William Shakespeare

TIME:  4:03 PM
PLACE:  Work parking lot
SUBJECT:  Cooper’s Hawk

As I was leaving work, I saw this guy in the grassy area between the parking lot and the highway.
I had passed him, but decided to take his picture and slowly backed up.
I fumbled for my camera which was lost in the black hole that is also known as my purse.
Finally, I found it and was able to take this one shot.
Then, a co-worker’s car drove past me.
He quickly flew away before I could snap anymore photos.

Roadside Flowers (166/365)

TIME:  6:23 PM
PLACE:  Highway 161
SUBJECT:  Wildflowers

A very quick snap as I was waiting for the traffic light to change.

Windy & Misty (287/366)

Winds in the east, mist coming in.
Like somethin' is brewin' and bout to begin.

Bert (played by Dick Van Dyke), Mary Poppins, Walt Disney Productions, 1964.

TIME:  10:46 AM
PLACE:  Soccer fields
SUBJECT:  Flags and goal

Wind and mist were what greeted us at the soccer fields this morning.  I took a few photos with my camera then decided to put it away and just watch the game.  A few minutes after doing this, I watched StellaDella score her second goal of the season.  Way to go SD!

The Dry Grass of July (200/366)

Down goeth the grass, soon wrought to withered hay; Ay me alas, ay me alas, that beauty needs must yield And princes pass, as grass doth fade away.

Thomas Proctor (fl. C. 1578), British poet. A Proper Sonnet, How Time Consumeth All Earthly Things (attributed to Proctor) (l. 2-4). . . Oxford Book of Sixteenth Century Verse, The. E. K. Chambers, comp. (1932) Oxford University Press.

TIME:  6:52 PM
PLACE:  Front yard
SUBJECT:  Our lawn

The bad news…the heat and drought conditions have really taken a toll on our (and everybody else’s) lawn.
The good news…HH doesn’t have to mow in this weather.

Fences Between the Fields (150/366)

“Hit the ball over the fence and you can take your time going around the bases.”

John W. “Jack” Raper (American, journalist, 1870-1950)

TIME:  8:10 PM
PLACE:  Away ball diamonds
SUBJECT:  Field easement

MB's team had to forfeit their game this evening because we didn’t have enough players.  The other team lent us a man and the two teams played an unofficial game anyway.  I sat here, on the third baseline, which also happened to be the first baseline for the adjoining field.  I was constantly having to keep a “heads-up” with the foul balls from both sides.

In Short…Don’t Park Here (129/366)

“The white zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. There is no parking in the white zone."

Airport “No Parking” announcemnent

TIME:  7:53 PM
PLACE:  Little League Fields
SUBJECT:  “No Parking” sign

This has to be the shortest “No Parking” sign I’ve ever seen.  I wanted to get StellaDella to stand next to it for comparison but she was too busy running around the infield of the neighboring diamond.  Kicking up the dust is much more fun than standing by a sign.

In The Tall Grass (123/366)

“When spring comes the grass grows by itself.”

Tao Te Ching, Dao De Jing, or Daodejing (道德經), aka the Laozi, attributed to Laozi, Chinese classic text.

TIME:  8:07 PM
PLACE:  Yard
SUBJECT:  Oreo in the grass

Every time HH had time to cut the grass the past week, it was either raining out or the grass was still too wet from the rain to cut.  When he had other obligations, it was sunny & dry.  Now it’s so tall, it has gone to seed.  Oreo doesn’t like being in the yard when it is this tall.  I guess that’s because it tickles her behind when she does her business.

Curlicue (006/366)

“Comedy has to be based on truth. You take the truth and you put a little curlicue at the end.”

Sid Caesar (American, Actor, comedian, writer, musician, b 1922)

TIME: 4:47 PM
PLACE:  Front yard
SUBJECT:  Ornamental grass

We reached a high of 68 degrees here today.  It was beautiful.  I managed to make it outside this afternoon and play around a little bit with my new lens.  Looking at my endeavors, I can see that I need a lot more playing time.  The grass stem was difficult to capture with the warm winds we had.  But I’m not complaining – I can live with the wind if it means having this warm weather during the month of January.

Unmatched Style (223/365)

“His socks compelled one's attention without losing one's respect”

H. H. Munro (Burman born English Novelist and short-story Writer (under pseudonym Saki), 1870-1916)

TIME:  7:11 PM
PLACE:  Soccer practice
SUBJECT:  StellaDella’s soccer socks

We’ve started fall soccer.  I bought SD new socks today – a pair of striped ones and a pair of polka dot ones (in black naturally!).  She decided to mix it up.  I like her style.

Dirt Pile (141/365)

Grandpa Lou: In my days, all we did was throw rocks at each other. Big bag of dirt clods- that's what the kids want.

The Rugrats Movie. Perf. Joe Alaskey. 1998. Nickelodean Movies.

TIME:  1:21 PM
PLACE:  Little League Fields
SUBJECT:  Dirt

To StellaDella and the other siblings of ballplayers, this is the best thing about coming to baseball games – the gigantic pile of dirt used to dust the infields.  They love climbing, sitting on the top and playing with cars and other little toys that they bring with them on it.  Unfortunately, today, SD had a birthday party to attend at 2pm and therefore, much to her chagrin. she was not allowed to approach this dirt mountain.  (And did you notice…BLUE sky!  Amazing.)

Caution–Mud Hazard (127/365)

“Safety first!…and I don’t care who comes second.”

HH’s co-worker whose nickname was “Safety”

TIME:  7:49 PM
PLACE:  Little League Fields
SUBJECT:  Hazard sawhorse

The weather co-operated and StellaDella was finally able to play her second rookie ball game of the season (we only have to make up a couple now).  This hazard horse was covering a muddy depression between the fields where spectators walk.

State Flower of Illinois (103/365)

“Look at us, said the violets blooming at her feet, all last winter we slept in the seeming death but at the right time God awakened us, and here we are to comfort you.”

Edward Payson Roe (American Pastor and Novelist, 1838-1888)

TIME:  6:38 PM
PLACE:  Front yard
SUBJECT:  Common Wood Violet, violaceae family

In 1907, a woman named Mrs. James C. Fessler from Rochelle, began a campaign to adopt a state flower of Illinois.  School age children were polled and given the following choices: goldenrod, wild rose or violet.  The violet swept the election with 16,583 votes.  That was almost 4,000 more than the children’s 2nd choice - the wild rose with 12,628 votes.  Poor goldenrod…it placed last with only 4,315 votes.  In January of 1908, the violet became the Illinois state flower via a bill sponsored by Senator Andrew J. Jackson of Rockford.  And thus concludes today’s State of Illinois official symbols history lesson.

Gone To Seed (311/365)

“Old gossips are usually young flirts gone to seed.”

James Lendall Basford (Author)

TIME:  10:02 AM
PLACE:  Dr. Tom Amlung Nature Trail
SUBJECT:  Grass seeds

I dropped the kids off at Sunday School this morning and took a couple of hours to wander about.  My plan was to check out an estate sale in another town (about 19 miles away) that I thought was this weekend, but when I arrived at the address, I found out I was wrong…it is next week.  Doh!  So I went ahead with plan “B” – stop by the nature trail and take pictures.  It was less expensive too.