This Little Light of Mine

We have had a solar garden light out front for many summers, but when we set it up this spring, it decided that it was too tired to shine again. Because it still has some merit as a decoration, we left it up anyway. Lo and behold! More than a month later, just last week in July,we noticed it casting a minimal amount of light one evening. When, I saw a smidgen of light emanating from it for the second time on Friday night, I grabbed my phone and tripod to memorialize the event.

These photos cost me blood, for the mosquitoes were ferocious, and I was soon itching and scratching in many locations on my body.

It seemed right to get some photos of the light that is trying so hard to shine, but that is me anthropomorphizing an inanimate object. I have also tended to feel the same way about the last few vehicles that have lived fairly long lives, and I kept my Christmas poinsettia in the window until just a few days ago because it was trying so hard.

Sentimental and silly.

Big Job Done

Thursday morning at the computer: I turn to my right and spy a Tim's coffee cup — on the other side of the screening, if you please.

I was amused, for I hadn't noticed one of the roofers placing it there for safekeeping. If he had only known me and my predilection for Tim's coffee, he might have chosen differently, but I'll have you know that I did desist from nabbing it. The even funnier thing is that when I looked again it was gone. Obviously, he was a very stealthy roofer which of course is exactly what we all expect of roofers — to have ballerina-like twinkle toes. Admit it, you've always pictured roofers in their big safety books as being light on their feet and dancing on the rooftops.

While I had already been out to greet them, it was about time to check again. The ladders were up . . . 

. . . and the boys were beginning to get to work.

It took me some editing to bring out that ↑ much colour on a dull day, and I figured that I may be editing most of the day's pics in mono silhouette style. As it eventuated, I was pretty well right about that.

The boys were primarily going to be working at the back first, so we walked around the lengthy block where I got these images.

I really wanted to watch the boom truck unloading, so I made sure that I was back out front at the propitious time. I took video mostly of the loading of the pallet to the roof, and for the present, I now can't be bothered with them since they would require editing to trim to a reasonable length, so I'll just show one photo of the truck in our driveway.

I did grab a few photos of the men guiding the shingles pallet.

Then, of course, the typical thing happened. It poured, and they all went home early. I won't elaborate now, for I have done so before, but this is how my life tends to go. We'd hired the roofers almost two months ago or at least began the process then, so surely, we were doing it right. It's been hot and dry here lately, just perfect for laying shingles. But oh no, not so fast, old AC, we need to rain on your silly, little parade.

While they were up there, it poured. It wasn't just a passing shower either. Definitely not! It was the beginning of the whole rainy afternoon and a kind of continuation of my weird little life. At least no one was struck by lightning, and they did get the tar paper down on the one section that they had begun.

They returned on Friday and took all day to finish the job — about 12 hours. I was feeling a bit sorry for them, but they said that they are used to those hours. They seemed diligent and even fastidious about doing a good job. Hopefully. our somewhat exposed roof will be secure for many years. The former roof never did seem secure, and we experienced blowoffs a number of times.

Cool Morning, Hot Afternoon

It was so hot in Wednesday afternoon when I picked up JJ to drive him to work that I finally engaged the ancient car's AC which, somewhat miraculously, worked. The car thermometer read 32C which is 90F.

The day had begun much better, however. We were downtown for photos and a walk by 9am. Sue is starting to take photos for the summer view of the river scene that she has chosen for her 4 seasonal photos this year. I imagine that we'll be back for more takes before she finds suitable conditions.

We swung through the drivethru and took our coffees to a nice bench overlooking the river.

'Twas very pleasant in the cool of the morning, the moderate temperature abetted by a gentle, cooling breeze. As we sat appreciating both the coffee and the ambiance, a flotilla of geese paddled by bobbing ever so leisurely upriver. I think there were 13 in all. But then another gaggle of 19 came by, so I grabbed a short video of the strange procession.

Believe it or not, a third group swam by a few moments later, probably making it close to 50 young geese in all. 

Upon leaving the park we did our grocery shopping, and I also took Danica to her work. The whole morning had been quite mild, so I was taken aback by the extreme heat when I took Jonathan to work in the afternoon. 

Dragooning a Young Body into Service

We call on JJ for a bit of help with the garden and grounds every now and then. This week we brought him over to help spread new mulch and to cut down the overgrown easement. Sue and I had already laid a few bags of mulch, and while we could have done more, we thought it prudent to dragoon a young body.

Sue took various photos and applied her usual compositing.

Of course, I snapped a few using the lilac bush and the tree-bush as a frame.

I posed this one with the inukshuk in the front and the daylilies behind. The daylilies were about his height although they look less tall in the background.

All done.

It was nice of the boy to loan us his young body for a few hours. We might dragoon him again in the fall. 

I use dragoon in the second verbal sense although I don't really require force or violence to get him to comply. 😁

dragoon

1 of 2

noun

1

: a member of a European military unit formerly composed of heavily armed mounted troops

2

: cavalryman

dragoon

2 of 2

verb

dragooned; dragooning; dragoons

transitive verb

1

: to subjugate or persecute by harsh use of troops

2

: to force into submission or compliance especially by violent measures

Sue Kept Going

After Sue completed her photo prompt (see yesterday's post), she did what she tends to do and kept on going and going with more photo ideas and layouts.

She found as photo of me and my mother at sometime close to when I might have first used her SIX-20. Then she included one of the current me with my Canon R, 70 years later and still into photography. She made many layouts, and I picked these two to post.

She then posed the old camera with two newish ones.

She thought that she should get one with a bottle of coke since that has been another standby in my life. (The sand in the bottle is there because it was a gift brought back by my daughter from a Caribbean cruise.)

Almost certainly, these photos of me would have been taken with the 620.

I wanted my own camera, and was gifted with a Kodak Starflash. It was cool, but it didn't hold up for long. After awhile, when I pressed the shutter, it would just stay open. This picture of me was taken by my friend at a summer camp called Wildwood, possibly in 1959 or 60.

On my 15th birthday, my dad passed on his Super Richoflex to me. I liked it and used it periodically until I got my first SLR, a Pentax Spotmatic ii with my income tax rebate in 1972. The Pentax is still in the house somewhere, but the Richoflex is long gone — to where and from when, I know not.

These two posts are all because of Sue's old camera prompt and from me borrowing Bob's cameras. It's like opening a bag of chips — hard to stop. Munch, munch. 

Vintage Photos and Cameras

One day last week, Sue's daily photo prompt required her using an old camera in a photo. I have older cameras, but they don't look old since they are all of the SLR style. It's too bad that I hadn't kept my earlier cameras, but how was I to know when I was young that I would feel nostalgic about them now.

In the absence of a suitable camera, she did the next best thing and made a collage of old family photos. Starting top left we see her mother and her twin brother That's her grandmother, top right. In the middle we see her mother's school class. Bottom right is her grandmother's class. Finally, at bottom left is a tintype photo that we think might be her great grandmother.

Tintype photographs were first made in the 1850s and remained in use from the 1860s through the early 20th century.

A tintype, also known as a melanotype or ferrotype, is a photograph made by creating a direct positive on a thin sheet of metal, colloquially called 'tin' (though not actually tin-coated)

She made the collage early in the day, but when she showed me her work, I knew that I could help her fulfill the project requirement even more. You see, my friend, Bob, is a collector, both by nature and by practice. For example: his CD collection is vast. I knew that he also has a vintage camera collection, so I invited myself over to borrow a few, and I took three back to Sue who then took this photo. Cool, eh?

The camera on the left, the Target Brownie Six-20 being also my mother's camera and, therefore, the first camera that I ever used, Sue decided to photograph it on its own along with empty film cannisters.

One thing led to another, and Sue kept on extending the project. I will post more photos tomorrow, or soon.

Coffee Walk #4 on a Sunday

It was unusual for us to do our coffee walk — our 4th this summer —on a Sunday, but that is what we did. After the recent hot weather, we decided to enjoy the weather on a slightly more moderate day. It wasn't exactly a cool walk, but at the end of it, near the play structure, we found a very nicely shaded bench, enhanced by a cool breeze.

At the northern end of the park before we make a circuit to Tims and then go around to the south side, we noticed a number of little kids on the pump track. It's usually empty on weekday mornings, but Sunday is a good day for the parents, especially the dads, to take the tykes out when the older, intimidating boys are still abed.

young boy hurtling around the big jump track

young girl just learning on the starter track

father geese watching protectively

After obtaining our coffee, we continued around the circuit to a shady picnic table where we enjoyed our drinks.

looking north-ish to the play structure with the jump track beyond

looking south-ish in the direction that we had come from obtaining our coffees

Almost opposite us was a delightful family with the cutest young boy who waved to us. Sue took her own pictures of the lady with the purple hair. She might be able to use it this week because the prompts will all involve purple in some way.

As we sat there, cyclists passed by on their section of the trail. This is part of the trail that goes a long way north, or south for that matter. Or they can branch off onto another trail that would take them all of the way into Ottawa.

Finally, I post this selfie because I want to showoff my new hat from a spontaneous and whimsical purchase from Tilley. I have several of their hats already, but a nice red one suits both my country and my preferences. It was an unplanned and somewhat frivolous purchase, for Tilley apparel is not inexpensive. To compensate, I will forego my usual summer holiday to the Riviera.

both of us in our Tilley hats
the other hat-wearer looking less ancient

It was a real treat to get out and about again in the more moderate temperatures.