Spirals and sunbursts. Can’t resist them. Last week there was a thunderstorm in the afternoon, followed by the sun breaking through for a few dramatic minutes before being covered by clouds again. I glanced out the window and saw that peculiar light that screams for a camera.

This is a birdfeeder/candleholder/yard art piece that we bought a few years ago from a local artist who works with old silver and brass pieces. I’d love to fill the yard with his work.

I kind of think that last one might be my favorite photo I’ve ever taken.

Spring is here. Well, for those of us in the South anyway. Sorry for those of you still scraping snow and using block heaters for your cars. Yesterday I met Athena for coffee. It was so lovely we sat outside one of our favorite shops and talked for a long time in the sun. Today my neck and shoulders are fiery pinkish red. I always forget that I have very short hair, and a very pale neck.

We strolled through the neighborhood and took pictures of some of the loveliness. There was a Boston terrier in one shop, and I used my Freaky Lens (TM) on him. He was unsure of my intentions. I am pretty sure he thought it made him look fat, even though I told him it didn’t.

The boy and I spent a couple of gorgeous days with our friends at Zombie Team Headquarters. Of course I brought along the ttv camera and hiked over to the cabin with my friend and a backpack full of gear. She saw me with the pack and said, “Well, hell, as long as you are carrying all that, take these too, and went back to the kitchen for beers. It was perfect, especially since we usually get over the hills to the cabin and collapse on the porch all winded and sweaty and go, “God, I wish I had a beer right now.”

Auxiliary Party Cabin at Zombie Team Headquarters

Eddie – Ever Alert Official Guard Poodle of Zombie Team Headquarters.

So we went to Louisville on Monday, mainly to see the Falls of the Ohio, which is a really cool fossil bed in a dammed section of the Ohio River. Except, recent rains and snow melt interfered with our plans. So now we have to go back… hate that for us. The women who staff the visitors center were utterly nonchalant about the fact that the water had topped a 25 foot dam, telling us, “Oh, it’s been much worse than this.” We were imagining what it must be like to watch the water rise and see it finally come over the top and start washing whole trees past your windows.

See that horizontal line under the bridge? That’s the top of the dam.

I managed a few ttv shots that weren’t abysmal.

Look…it’s like Tim Burton designed a tree. I will not rest until I have one.

Since we couldn’t climb around in the fossil beds, we took in a couple of museums instead, and I found a cemetery to haunt for a little while. The cemetery is amazing…full blown Victorian excess,  steep hills covered with tombs and lakes full of swans and geese. Athena, rehab that knee of yours, because I feel another ghoulish road trip coming on.

Athena is not the only one who hit the jackpot at an antique store last week. Earlier On my quest for a Duaflex camera, I hit up one street here in town that is thick with thrift shops. There are five within a mile or so. I didn’t find the camera (that turned up on ebay) but I scored the biggest, brightest, happiest assortment of bowls, cups and cream pitchers you can imagine. I can’t tell  you how happy it makes me to open the cabinet doors and look at this.

We took a little road trip to Louisville to get the boy out of the house during Spring Break. It’s close, and has some great museums. I got to try out the new(old) camera, so I’ll post some of those shots soon.

The mailman delivered my new(old) Duaflex this afternoon about 5:00. I tore into the package, grabbed a tripod and managed to catch the last few minutes of a gorgeous sunset. This is somewhat addictive.

Yep…still feeling peaceful and creative, instead of crabby. Lucky for those around me. So, the TTV obsession has gripped me. I hit the jackpot on ebay an am now the proud owner of two cameras to convert. They should be here over the weekend, just in time for me to go nuts over Spring Break. More nuts than usual.

These are not TTV shots, clearly.

Enjoy them, they may be the last ones you see around here for a while. Once those new cameras show up, it’s all over but the shouting.

Not only am I a sucker for a sunburst, I am also powerless to resist taking pictures of sparkly water.

I see all sorts of things in this ripply old glass, faces for instance. What do you see?

Finally! Not a self-absorbed rant.

Yesterday I took Athena down to my favorite abandoned farm, and we enjoyed a gorgeous day and took maybe a couple hundred photos. I feel like it’s been far too long since I tramped around with a camera in my hand. Truthfully, it hasn’t been long at all, but since I haven’t felt like I shot anything worth posting in a while.

Athena let me use her TTV set up. It was so much fun. Now I won’t be satisfied until I have found a pristine Duoflex and made my own. Great…I really need another obsession.