March to the End

I'll never understand the fascination with selfies. Don't like taking them, editing them, or posting them. No telling what possessed me to shot this one. Gaussian blur is my friend.

Another new house - the second one this year. The economy is definitely picking up.

Tax day. Got the federal and Ohio taxes done in record time. RITA on the other hand was a hot mess. Their website was crashing right and left, but in the end, I wrestled a printed receipt from it. Whether they got my tax return or not is their problem now.

The Cake Mix Doctor is my best friend and Death by Chocolate is the best chocolate cake ever. This is the beginning. Add some oil, eggs, sour cream and a splash of vanilla...

And you have birthday cake fit for a brother.

 Went waterfowling at Mogadore reservoir. Every single duck, goose, swan, and heron was out of range of my 400mm. So I settled for a garden-variety ring billed and took the Subaru offroading on the south side of the reservoir. Plenty of mud and no problems getting out of it.

River birch in my front yard. Love the peeling bark. The inner layers feel almost like very soft skin.

And with that, we close out the bipolar month of March, 2014.

A Motley Collection

Headstone at Mater Dolorosa, the little cemetery next to Happy Days Conference Center. Wonder if the builders intended that irony.  Read up on memento mori today, brought to mind because of the plant closing. Yep, all flesh is grass, but does thinking about make it any less frightening?

 

Let's think about deer instead. You may have heard that cars make good blinds, animals just ignore you as long as you're in the car. Nope. They scatter the second they see a camera and all you get is a pixelated blur. Next time, you white-tailed devils - next time!

Little park at the end of 306 in Mentor. The lake was still jammed up with ice, but plenty of people stopped to take a look, no doubt hoping for Spring. Picture this with blue skies, dappled shade and picnics.

The herons are pairing up. Apparently, the sticks met mama's standards. Kind of breezy, swirling up their topknots and neck feathers.

Battered. I've lost count of how many times I've made this cake. Lots of apples and cinnamon, perfect for cold weather.

 

A motley collection, mid-way through March.

Home Stuff

Chuck's Big BIG Birthday cake. He's not really older than dirt, although you would know if from the gag gifts his friends gave him. And meat - Mike, Paul and Keith gave him a couple of pounds of bacon, beef sticks, jerky, and a big honkin' steak, mmmm-MMMmm for my honey the carnivore!

 

 

March 16 and the crocuses are peeking out.

 

The Thanksgiving book for my family - I probably should print out the pictures before next Thanksgiving.

I have a bunch of toys horses given to me over the years - this one came from a friend at work.

Cinnamon Crunch bagel from Panera - yummy, but probably not a nutritionally sound dinner.

Middle of March and Mother Nature can't decide whether it's Spring or Winter still.

A Good Week

Finally, home for a while. Took a peaceful walk in the neighborhood, just around sunset. The economy must be picking up - there are houses for sale and sold, and new houses being built.

 

Chuck's birthday cake. We went out to dinner and just had a nice evening together.

Summer hat, wishful thinking right now.

This saucy little fellow is a house finch. Mama looks similar, but doesn't have the rosy highlights.

Getting ready for Chuck's Big BIG Birthday Party - twice baked potatoes. I made two sheet cake pans full, and there wasn't a one left. The recipe is really easy, too, and can be made a day ahead.

 

So glad to be home, and to have something to celebrate.

A Week Ending in Herons

One day at home in a week of travel. Chuck took me to dinner at a quirky Kent restaurant called Wild Goats. They serve brinner, breakfast for dinner. This is his favorite hot sauce, which he liberally applies to his breakfast burrito.

 

Then off to "sunny" Florida: day one, monsoon; day two, 55 degrees, exactly one degree warmer than home; day three (Saturday), lovely and we headed for the airport at 11 am, of course! The view from my hotel room.

Love this dolphin statue - so exuberant!

Ah, Chipotle. Decent food, no resort prices.

After all the travel craziness, I needed some time outside. So we (me and my 80 - 400 mm lens, roughly the size of a small cow) went to the Bath Road heronry to shoot some herons. Look at this handsome devil - decorating for his lady-love.

And with that, I will say goodnight.

More Changes, Some Good, Some Bad, Some Bittersweet

The last day of February, I said goodbye to my Honda. I tried to get it washed before turning it in, but it was a nice afternoon after weeks of rotten weather and all the car washes had lines a mile long. The Accord was a great car, reliable, safe and solid. It did have one quirk, though. It did not like to plow through snow. It liked to ride up over the snow until the drive wheel was off the ground. Can't tell you how many times that happened. You'd think the driver would have learned.

 

Good car - I'll miss it.

 

And this is my new car. Pearl white, light grey cloth interior, AWD. No more perching. Plenty of room for bags of mulch, suitcases and camera gear. More adventures ahead!

 

Mom's, March 1 - daffodils already popping up. Spring is on its way.

Breakfast with Chuck at Yours Truly.

My room at the Cleveland Renaissance, sales meeting week. Very short meeting, long enough to announce the plant closing, followed by a subdued awards dinner at the Hard Rock in Tower City. Not that you'd got there for the food, but it was so-so at best.

 

 

Had a chance to shoot a little bit of Public Square while waiting for a colleague for the trip home. Same window I looked out a hundred years ago when I was with Avery. The view was pretty much the same, minus a few police cars.

 

 

The sun will come out tomorrow, tomorrow...

 

Is Mom a Martian?

Hmmm, hard to tell. If she is, we must be alien space babies.

 

Cute little waterfall, tucked under Rt. 82 in Brecksville.

 

Apple Blossom, blooming away. My neighbors actually peeked in the basement windows to see what was going on with the plant lights. A tad cheeky, don't you think?

Bellacino's, yum. And there's always enough for tomorrow's lunch.

Mom (or the alien posing as Mom), gave me this mustard pot. It's been in the family for a while. Note the phoenix, apparently rising from the flames of Chinese hot mustard.

That's it for tonight. Almost through February's photos and it's already April.