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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September 05

The City of Boston is making a concerted effort to encourage bicyclists -- or rather, to try and convince Boston drivers to share the streets with them.

Part of me wants to cheer when I see bicycle lanes appear on area streets. The other part of me feels rather dubious about the chances of the typical Boston driver actually heeding this advice is somewhat less than even.

I've pretty much blown any chance of actually commuting to work on bicycle this summer, but I hope to spend more time on a bicycle next summer, once I've purchased one. Perhaps then I'll get more use out of the new bicycle lanes.

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September 04

It's an interesting day that starts off at the Registry of Motor Vehicles and ends up with a steak dinner, cake, and two birthday cards.

My driver's license expires on my birthday this year, which happens to be Sunday. I should have been thinking about this all summer, but in my usual way, I delayed taking action until the last possible moment. Fortunately, for an RMV experience, it went well.

At work, my doorman and I have coincidentally close birthdays; Ennio's birthday is tomorrow and mine is Sunday. This combination of dates sticks in people's minds, so we were given dinner by one resident -- a delicious dinner, I might add -- and birthday cake from a second. (I had already put my camera away by the time the Boston Cream Pie from a third resident arrived.) There is a no-tipping policy at our workplace, but our residents treat us to dinner and desserts from time to time. It's really very thoughtful of them.

Today is the perfect day, really, and is going out on a high note.

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September 03

While I haven't ridden a motorcycle in -- what? 20 years? -- I enjoy them. I'll never have a Harley or any other large touring bike, but I could see myself on a small cruiser -- say 250cc or so -- tooling around Boston.

Thus, I will never own, or get the chance to ride, a Ducati, and it's even less likely that I will ever get the chance to take one out somewhere where I could ride it as it was meant to be ouldridden. Still, it's pretty, and I enjoyed looking it over when I caught it parked on the street.

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September 02

I often comment on how I need to look around more, to see the remarkable things around me, to be more aware of my surroundings. I guess I need to add "look down" to that list. Not even being an amateur ornithologist, I couldn't tell you what kind of bird lost this feather. It was about eight inches long, so it's either a large bird or one monster pigeon.

I remember finding large feathers like this when I lived in the leafy green suburbs. I also remember my mother telling me not to touch it, because I would get mites and catch some bird disease. I just never expected to find one in downtown Boston.

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September 01

I know my friend Anna through the auspices of National Novel Writing Month. This will be our fourth year as municipal liaisons for the Boston region, and even though it happens in November, we usually start planning a couple of months in advance.

Which is, essentially, now.

This early on, it's not a complicated process. We sat down with a calendar and worked out our options for holding write-ins, then discussed venues. It was really more of a brainstorming session than any real kind of planning -- but perfectly appropriate for the late hour.

I'm sure NaNoWriMo will be a recurring topic over the rest of the year, so expect more information.

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