September 30

Jake here is one happy puppy dog.

He lives in the building where I work, along with his human. Jake is blessed with one of the most pleasant and easygoing personalities I've ever encountered in a dog.

He likes to play ball, but unlike other dogs, who run and leap and chase a thrown ball down, Jake just sort of ambles off in the ball's general direction, knowing it'll stop eventually and he can just pick it up without going to all the trouble to run. And once he has the ball, he's content to chew on it for a minute or two before giving it back to be thrown once more.

I've always said that dogs are some of my favorite people, and Jake is one of my favorite dogs.

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September 29

Here's a bumper sticker of a hat.

Yeah, that's it. It's been a slow day for photography. At least there's a pretty star-shaped highlight in the photo.

I caught this on Huntington Avenue in the Longwood Medical Area while on the way to work this afternoon. I have no idea of the significance of the hat as bumper sticker. Were it a red hat, I could guess the driver was a member of the Red Hat Society.

Only it isn't. (Insert shrug here.)

Once upon a time, I took on a project where I was photographing interesting bumper stickers -- and occasionally, I still do. If only this had been interesting instead of picturesque.

That's it. Here's the Suzanne Somers of bumper stickers.

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September 28

With the imminent arrival of October, it's time to take the sailboats off the water at Jamaica Pond. It's fortunate that they had nice weather to do this in; being on the water, even a pond, in cold weather is unforgiving.

It was a nice day today, though the weather is trending cooler, the leaves are beginning to change, and the official arrival of winter -- and with it snow -- is less than three months distant. I'm doing my damnedest to savor the nice weather, since I plan to bitch, piss, and moan about snow from the first flake falling to the muddy puddled melting of the last shaded snowbank in the spring.

This is one of those photos I'll look at and smile when I see, because it will remind me that no matter how bad the weather gets, the spring and summer will return.

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September 27

National Novel Writing Month is coming up in November, and it's probably going to play a bigger part in this blog simply because I'm spending a lot of time working up to it.

My friend Anna and I are municipal liaisons for NaNoWriMo, and we put a lot of work into making it a memorable experience for our participants. We received lapel pins this year as recognition for having done this for the past three years.

This year, we're working to improve the experience; we've expanded our CafePress store, have a Twitter account and a Facebook group to get the word out. It's going to be an awesome year.

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September 26

I made deviled eggs again today, and this time I was completely unsupervised. One dozen eggs, two dozen deviled eggs, sixteen of which went onto the egg plate purchased for the occasion (Boyfriend and I were going to a potluck party). The other eight "deformed" eggs went on a separate plate to be devoured at our leisure.

Speaking of deformed eggs, I have no idea how Boyfriend can hard boil six eggs and have them all come out perfect. When I boil eggs the yolks are anywhere from the narrow end of the egg to practically coming out the side. Is there some trick to it? I mean, really?

But I digress. The eggs tasted OK, except for having used more mustard than I should have. That was my fault entirely; I scaled up the amount I put in the last batch without bothering to taste it, but with the salt added this time, the mustard was a bit overwhelming. Adding a little butter to the mix only added to the creaminess of the filling, though my arteries are probably hardening as I type.

Still, they were good eggs. Really good eggs.

Next time, with luck, I'll get the salt and the mustard proportions correct and have enough mayonnaise to avoid having to resort to butter. My goal is to get the original recipe down pat, so I can begin to experiment with it.

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September 25

At my day (well, night) job, I deal with the public eight hours a day, 40 hours a week. I'm really not sure what other companies with employees on the front lines are doing to combat the spread of the flu -- especially the H1N1 "swine flu" -- this small notice on our bulletin board seems like a pretty tepid response.

This has been on my mind of late. I plan to get a flu shot, and if possible, the second shot for the H1N1 strain, this year. I get the flu remarkably easily, and even with flu shots I'm susceptible to winter illnesses. Sinus infections are the bane of my life from October to May. Piling influenza on top of the other problems I experience in the winter just seems foolhardy.

Having apparently incubated a cold recently, I'm in the right frame of mind for getting a flu shot this year. Now it's just a question of scheduling the thing!

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September 24

I'm pooped.

Today was the "Capturing the Moment" photo workshop at Dudley Branch Library. This was my second scheduled workshop -- the last one, on June 24th, was a bust with nobody attending -- so tonight was the acid test.

Of course, having a completed workshop on hand wasn't good enough for me. I talked myself into reworking my lecture notes after going through the old ones and finding lots of room for improvement. Had I done this weeks in advance, it would have been the logical thing to do. Deciding this three days prior was not the brightest thing I've done.

With a revised lecture, of course, I needed a revised handout. No problem, I thought, until it took two days to get them right. The handout was easier to finish -- only a few hours -- which left me with no slideshow to illustrate all the wonderful concepts I was presenting. That was only completed about two hours before the workshop began -- just enough time to shower off the flop sweat, pack up, and get to the library.

The workshop itself was a qualified success. Six people ended up showing, though three of them were 90 minutes late because the Bay State Banner posted the wrong time in their notice.

Nonetheless, it was still pretty good, though I'm glad it's over!

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September 23

As it's the first full day of fall, it only seems appropriate that I take a photo of some of New England's famed foliage turning. That it still seems to be too early to be seeing reds and yellows and oranges in the trees is beside the point; further north and west of Boston, the colors are more distinct and the change is very much more evident.

This was almost the summer that wasn't. The spring and the first part of the summer was cool and rainy, and we managed to survive the entire season without putting in the air conditioners this year. One result of the cool wet spring is that the colors are supposed to be particularly vivid this year.

From my point of view, there's a dark cloud inside this silver lining: The changing of the seasons brings us ever closer to winter and the accompanying snows and winds and unpleasant weather. My plans to deal with that weather is to complain a lot.

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September 22

Jake (the blond) is one of the many dogs that live in the building where I work. He's also one of my favorite dogs ever.

When he goes for his evening walks, he always comes over to say hello to me. This is very nice. Jake is blessed with one of the most pleasant personalities I've ever seen in a dog. He's just a sweetheart. Even by Golden Retriever standards he's pleasant.

It really is one of the highlights of my evening when Jake comes around to see me. I've always said that if a dog likes you, you have to have goodness in you somewhere. So Jake being my buddy is good for my self-esteem.

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September 21

I tell a wonderful story at National Novel Writing Month events in Boston. It's a ghost story called, "Merlene, the one-heeled drag queen of Waxacatchie County." The story is in the best oral tradition and really doesn't translate well to written form, so I'm not going to try to force it on you here.

Paradoxically, the story has become popular at our events, which means I get to tell it several times over the month of November. I can make longtime NaNoBoston participants laugh by merely going, "whump WHUMP!" So this year, Anna and I decided that Merlene should make appearances at various NaNoBoston events. As her only remaining corporeal remains of Merlene are one high-heeled shoe, this necessitated a visit to a shoe store.

The story itself is entertaining, and it lends itself well to small-scale merchandising aimed at our local participants. Thus, I took this photograph, possibly to be billed as Merlene at the site of her biggest hit.

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September 19 - 20

A unique set of circumstances kept me from posting my photos this weekend. I was on a trip and didn't have reliable Internet access for most of it. I'm combining these posts in order to play catch up.

September 19

My friend Anna and I took a whirlwind trip to Upstate New York this weekend. Anna's family lives there, and happen to be only a few minutes from Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, one of the premier museums of early aviation, and one that puts on airshows in their vintage aircraft. It was the perfect opportunity for me to go visit the Aerodrome, which has fascinated me since I first heard of the place, and for Anna to get a free ride home to visit her folks one weekend. (More on this later.) It was also the chance to visit my friend Mark, who moved from Boston years ago and lives just down the road from Rhinebeck.

With National Novel Writing Month coming up, it also gave us a chance to sit and begin planning our schedule and events, since its a four-hour drive out there and back. It also gave us the chance to pick up the only remains of Merlene, who will be attending our events as well as featuring on NaNoBoston merchandise in our CafePress store.

I got the above picture of the Mid-Hudson Bridge in Poughkeepsie while returning from the mall with Anna, where we had picked up Merlene. It's beautifully lit at night, and the lights change colors in an intricately-synchronized routine.

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September 20

Sunday, Anna and I, along with her father, headed over to Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome for the airshow. It was remarkable, and less airshow in the traditional sense than pure showmanship and old-fashioned entertainment. Old Rhinebeck has a large collection of flyable vintage and reproduction aircraft, and they put on a fine program.

This is the business end of their Albatros D.Va, a reproduction built in 1975 by the museum's founder, Cole Palen, and his associates. It's simply beautiful, and watching it in flight was a delight. It was also nearly impossible to photograph clearly because of my lack of a fast lens with a long-enough focal length. When the airshow was over I hied it to the display to get some shots, including this one, which is my favorite.

It was a long short weekend, if that makes any sense to you. I was gone about 37 hours, and spent 12 of those hours in the driver's seat. Still, it was absolutely worth the trip, and with the most perfect weather imaginable, a great way to spend the last weekend of the summer.

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September 18

One of the highlights of Pretty Boy's summers is getting to sit in the window looking at the outside. With autumn quickly approaching, and with already-cool nights, the chances to sit and enjoy an open window are becoming fewer and farther between.

This morning, it was actually cooler inside the house than out, so I opened up the front window to warm things up a smidgen. As I was getting ready to leave for work, I caught sight of Pretty Boy. The curtains gave the scene a slightly dreamy feel, so I aimed, framed, and shot the image as quietly as I could, in order to not disturb the mood.

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September 17

My friend Brandon is fond of saying, "boys shouldn't shop in the girl's department." He would have needed a megaphone had he come across this young fellow in his travels.

Apologies for the quality of the photo, but I had to make sure the car was safely stopped before I reached for my camera, and it was shot through the front windshield without flash as dusk was falling. It's something of a testament to the sheer fluorescence of the fabric that it stood out like a beacon in the fading light. This guy could go stand on the end of a quay and guide ships through the fog with those pants.

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September 16

I have a perverse sense of humor sometimes. (OK, all of the time.) When I saw the giant "SAVE" sign over the Madonna, it made me laugh. If Jesus saves, what does his mother do? The "hot" colors of the SAVE sign also caught my eye. The fires of savings over the Blessed Mother. It was just too funny to ignore.

Juxtapositions are inherently funny, I think. As are double-entendres, although photographic double-entendres are rare in my experience. Perhaps that will be a new photography project for 2010: photographic double-entendres. Whatever else could be said about it, it would definitely be challenging.

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September 15

The words being bandied about by just about everybody are that this is "the last nice day of summer." It's a perfectly ridiculous sentiment, if you ask me. Cooler weather with a tiny chance of rain is forecast for the next couple of days does not make for the end of good weather. It was a delightful summer, I have to admit, with very few hot days and, once the rainy season passed, a lot of blue skies and nice weather. I'm proud that we made it through the summer without having to install the air conditioners.

Still, I'm not looking forward to the onset of winter. I loathe snow (as longtime readers will remember). Wind and rain are only slightly more palatable. I'll survive, of course, but I won't enjoy it.

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September 14

In my photography workshops, I discuss composition at length, and usually start off by talking about the importance of seeing what you're photographing. In other words, you should be able to look through the viewfinder (or at your screen) and take note of everything in your image -- both the good and the bad.

I snapped this photo on one of my breaks from work, and I thought (scoping out the shot beforehand) that it was a pretty scene, one that looked almost European. I moved a bit, found the right framing devices to give the shot some depth (trees and the picturesque lamppost), then got the shot, all the while completely ignoring the glaring distraction smack in the middle of the photo -- that cinder block wall. It's decidedly unromantic.

While not an epic fail by any means, today's photo still reminds me of the importance of seeing -- and of paying attention. I think I'll add it to my presentation.

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September 13

My boyfriend's parents (the "out-laws," since they're not in-laws, really) view their house and yard as a kind of playground. They're fortunate enough to have the wherewithal to play with things, to move them around, to change what they want to, just to see how it turns out.

There's been a fish pond in the front yard for as long as I can remember, and it's been pretty much unmolested for that time. It's not really a useful place to hang out in good weather because of the bugs, so the pretty retaining wall with the painted fish on it often went unappreciated.

This summer, though, the out-laws have been busy. The macadam terrace has been replaced by flagstones, an umbrella added, and some landscaping done to make the area look prettier. It really is lovely to look at, though ironically enough, the bugs still swarm you as you approach, making quiet enjoyment of the pretty little alcove impossible in the summer months.

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September 12

It's a good thing I only have one birthday a year. If all birthdays were like this last one, I'd be as fat as Baby Huey.

Boyfriend and I realized this week that we hadn't visited his parents since late June. In a quick comparison of our respective schedules, it became apparent that if we didn't make the trip down this weekend -- it's only about a two hour drive -- we probably wouldn't get to see them until Thanksgiving. And really, that's not acceptable.

The out-laws remembered my birthday, and in lieu of the traditional birthday cake, I was given a very rich, probably about 30-proof birthday tiramisu. And it was yummy!

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September 11

Julia is love.

My boyfriend was cooking breakfast this morning and made himself an omelet. Then he was kind enough to make me one. This is no ordinary omelet; it is a very special omelet, one cooked according to the method taught by Julia Child on The French Chef, circa some time in the mid-1970s. And it's good -- really, really good.

If you have never tried an omelet a la Julia, I recommend you give it a try. You can see the portion of the original episode on Youtube (click here). Like deviled eggs, it's deceptively simple to make, but incredibly delicious to eat.

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September 10

One of the nice things about commuting in summer is that I can get to work about 15 minutes faster than during the school year.

In theory, I understand why everybody on the road needs to stop when a school bus stops to discharge children. Safety first, after all. When you live near a school, though, drive by a couple of others, and head to work around the time that schools are letting out, you spend a lot of time waiting for the kids to leave the bus.

Today, this bus disgorged teenagers from both the main and emergency exits at Forest Hills Station. I had plenty of time to grab my camera to document it -- it took almost two minutes. At least it didn't make me late for work.

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September 09

I wonder whether they're talking about reincarnation or exhumation? This church sign in Jamaica Plain is bound to raise some eye brows -- among other things.

For the record, I'm not posting this photo to bust on the Unitarians. I'm a lapsed Catholic myself, but I know a few charming people who attend Universal Unitarian services. I can't criticize them because I honestly don't know enough about their practices to do so knowledgeably.

Still, this sermon title is pretty good, in that it will attract interest and provoke conversation, and perhaps even bring people in to attend the sermon. It was good enough to convince me to stop, turn around, and find a spot to park while I got this shot.

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September 08

This isn't sunset proper, but it is an interesting view of the sun silhouetting the dome of The Church of Christ, Scientist, in Back Bay this evening.

This church is the Mother Church for the Church of Christ, Scientist -- the first and foremost church of the denomination -- and is part of a large complex. A plaza with reflecting pool and various church buildings are a popular place to gather in the summer, with children playing in a fountain on the property. It's an ornate building, with the large dome and the smaller spire from the original structure, and it has one of the largest pipe organs in Boston.

Whatever your thoughts on the tenets of the Christian Scientists, the complex is impressive and beautiful from many angles, and certainly photogenic enough from almost any angle.

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September 07

I'm very fortunate to have a circle of friends who, if a little peculiar at times, are really nice and thoughtful people.

My friend Marion decided this morning that I needed a surprise party, so she got together with the rest of this bunch to throw something together -- no mean feat on a Federal holiday, a day I was working, and in a public place. Her method was rather elegant; she invited me to dinner at the Prudential Center Food Court, a place we've gone several times.

Once there, while I was distracted ordering, she texted the rest of the miscreants, who were waiting on the outdoor terrace, to let them know my arrival was imminent. They lit up the candles and we were drawn to the right table by the flames billowing forth. The candles burned brightly, and as we were slightly delayed, they did a number on the cake itself (see above).

Still, it was a lovely party, and really a most marvelous surprise. Gay people often say that they're lucky, in that their friends are their family, and they get to choose that family. I'd point to today's surprise party as proof that the sentiment rings true.

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September 06

Today's my birthday! I turned ... one year older today.

It was a very low-key day, really. I went into town with Boyfriend today to get some cross trainers (my excuse for not going to the gym regularly is thus invalid), then went to my neighbor D'Anna's house for a Labor Day party. D'Anna surprised me with a birthday cake -- what a sweetheart she is!

It was actually a very low-key birthday, which is just what I needed. I considered inviting friends out for dinner, but decided at the last minute that what I really wanted was a day with no pressing obligations. Today was precisely that.

Maybe, for my next big milestone birthday, I'll have a party. Until then, today was just perfect.

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