Update on Old Man Lincoln

Our amazing photographer/blogger friend, Abraham Lincoln (My Birds Blog, Brookville Daily Photo, 720 Pixels and others), is hospitalized with some pretty serious health problems right now. His daughter, Melinda, has posted several updates on her dad, with photos, on her own blog, here.

If you're so inclined, please drop by Melinda's blog and leave a comment. It will please our friend Abe and let him know we haven't forgotten him.

May God bless you, your family, and all your care-givers, Abe, and speed your recovery.

Christmas Spirit?

Lord, have mercy.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081128/ap_on_re_us/wal_mart_death

Sky Watch - Thanksgiving Day

From the words of W.E.B. Du Bois:

"Give us thankful hearts...

in this the season of Thy Thanksgiving.

May we be thankful for health and strength,

for sun and rain and peace.

Let us seize the day and the opportunity

and strive for that greatness of spirit

that measures life not by its disappointments

but by its possibilities,

and let us ever remember that true gratitude

and appreciation shows itself neither

in independence nor satisfaction

but passes the gift joyfully on

in larger and better form."

Sky Watch was created by Dot, and expanded upon by Tom, who is retired. This weekly theme post is brought to you by our friends Klaus, Sandy, Fishing Guy, Ivar, Wren, and Louise. Visit the Sky Watch Friday home page anytime after 7:30 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time on Thursdays to see sky photos from around the world. You'll be glad you did.

Today's Flowers - Holiday Cactus

Holiday Cactus

(click on photo to enlarge)

One of my friends called me last week to tell me that her "Thanksgiving Cactus" was in bloom, and asked if I would photograph it. I really like the pink flowers on this one.

The common holiday cacti (Thanksgiving Cactus, Christmas Cactus, Easter Cactus) are composed of several closely related species in the genus Schlumbergera and the species Hatiora gaertneri, (often called "Zygocactus" in older works). They are originally forest cacti, growing as epiphytes at elevations between 1000 and 1700 meters above sea level (3280 to 5575 feet above sea level) in the Organ Mountains north of Rio de Janeiro in southeast Brazil, South America. They are called "Flor de maio" (May Flower) in Brazil. Many modern holiday cactus cultivars are hybrids between Schlumbergera truncata and Schlumbergera russelliana, first bred about 150 years ago in England. (Source: Wikipedia)



Today's Flowers is a weekly Meme created by Luiz Santilli, Jr. and may be found here. Please visit to see others' lovely flower photos. If you have a flower photo of your own to share, please join us.

Sky Watch - Wild Goose, Brother Goose

Our area has quite a few resident geese, but the numbers increase exponentially during migration in spring and fall. These geese flew over at dusk a couple of weeks ago, on their way to a small lake just north of town. I never tire of the beauty of these birds in flight, or of hearing their honking as they traverse the skies.

Sky Watch was created by Dot, and expanded upon by Tom, who is retired. This weekly theme post is brought to you by our friends Klaus, Sandy, Fishing Guy, Ivar, Wren, and Louise. Visit the Sky Watch Friday home page anytime after 7:30 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time on Thursdays to see sky photos from around the world. You'll be glad you did.

Today's Flowers - Post 108

Sedum

We had a hard freeze last night, and there's not a flower to be seen anywhere in my yard. So, I searched my photo archives for a suitable offering for today. This was taken in September, in my daughter's garden. I can't discern any appreciable fragrance in these flowers, but the bees seem to love them.

Today's Flowers is a weekly Meme created by Luiz Santilli, Jr. and may be found here. Please visit to see others' lovely flower photos. If you have a flower photo of your own to share, please join us.

Sky Watch - Post 107

Arkansas, Mid-November Sky

Sky Watch was created by Dot and is brought to you by our friends Klaus, Sandy, Fishing Guy, Ivar, and Wren, and Louise. Visit the Sky Watch Friday home page anytime after 7:30 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time on Thursdays to see sky photos from around the world. You'll be glad you did.

The "Eyes" Have It - Post 106

I'm babysitting my 4 year old granddaughter for the next few days, while her Mom and Dad take a short vacation. She and I have a wonderful time together but, as I am 70 years older than she, most of my energy reserves are taken up just being around her. I'd like to say "she keeps me young," but I fear that she just makes me feel every day of my age, at least physically.

I know I have a challenge ahead of me just trying to keep up with her ever-growing number of imaginary friends. Heaven forbid that I should happen to sit down on one of them!

It should be an interesting week!

More, later.

Today's Flowers - Late Season Sunflower - Post 105

Today's Flowers is a weekly Meme created by Luiz Santilli, Jr. and may be found here. Please visit to see others' lovely flower photos. If you have a flower photo of your own to share, please join us.

Camera Critters - Three Little Pigs - Post 104

As seen at The Mean Pig, Cabot, Arkansas

Have I mentioned that I really enjoy barbeque? Over the course of the last 40 years, I've eaten at most of the BBQ places within a 30-mile radius of my home. Some are better than others, of course, but it has to be pretty bad not to be good, if you know what I mean.

I visit The Mean Pig several times a year and always enter and leave with a smile when I see the three little piggies on the wall.

Camera Critters is the creation of Misty Dawn. Check out this week's other critters here.

Sky Watch - Delicate Sunset - Post 103

Sunset November 3, 2008 - Hwy. 5 North, White County, Arkansas

On the way back home from a jaunt earlier this week, the beautiful colors of the sunset caught my eye. The sun had been a blazing ball of brilliant peachy-red, and colored the unclouded sky with the most amazing colors. I think it must have been dust particles that picked up the glorious tints. Within 2 minutes of taking the photo above, all the color was gone. I did no 'doctoring' on this photo; it's as it came straight from the camera, with tiny bit of cropping to eliminate a powerline pole.

Sky Watch was created by Dot and is now brought to you by our friends Klaus, Sandy, Fishing Guy, Ivar, and Wren, and the newest team member, Louise, from Albuquerque. Visit the Sky Watch Friday home page anytime after 7:30 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time on Thursdays to see sky photos from around the world. You'll be glad you did.

Election Day, Present and Past - Post 102

The last thought I had last night before dropping off to sleep was that I needed to be up early today, Election Day, 2008. The thought must have had the desired effect, because I awoke, sans alarm, before the break of dawn. I had plenty of time for a cup of coffee and a quick look at e-mail before heading out the door into the crisp morning air.

I arrived at the appointed voting place 15 minutes before the doors opened. Given the number of people who took advantage of early voting in our community, I was a bit surprised, but pleased, to find 21 folks ahead of me in the line outside the door. By the time I voted (the 29th ballot cast at this precinct), there were probably 50 or 60 persons standing with ballots in hand waiting to vote. We don't have voting machines here, just paper ballots marked with black ball point pens, and run through a machine which, I assume, tallies the votes as they are cast.

The two people behind me in the waiting line were a woman and her daughter who, I learned, was participating in her first presidential election. That reminded me of the first time I voted. I remarked to the mother that today would be the 15th presidential election in which I had voted, the first being on November 4, 1952. She had the gall to say "Wow, that was before I was born!" LOL :) Nothing like a little candor to make me feel my age!

I remember how excited I was, being allowed to participate in an activity that I considered an "adult" thing! Yay! I was an adult! At least as far as the election was concerned, anyway. The poll tax was still in effect in Arkansas at the time, and I had duly paid my $1 (as I recall) to register to vote shortly after my 18th birthday in September that year.

The Democratic candidates for President and Vice President in 1952 were Adlai Stevenson, II and John Sparkman. Republican candidates were Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower and Richard M. Nixon. Although Stevenson/Sparkman carried the state of Arkansas, I proudly cast my vote for the Republican ticket. I was a true 'I Like "IKE"' girl, and had a big metal, pin-on badge that said so. I wish I still had it.

I very likely will not stay up to watch the election returns this evening. There's nothing I can do to affect the outcome beyond what I have already done. I'm quite sure that I'll be able to read all about it tomorrow morning. "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." - Matthew 6:34

Have YOU voted yet?

A Fall Excursion - Post 101

Lake Barnett, White County, Arkansas

I had a wonderful time this afternoon! I threw caution (about gasoline consumption) to the winds and hit the road. My trip was only a relatively short jaunt away from my regular stomping grounds, but something I haven't done for quite some time. My friend Barbara, always game for an mini-adventure, accompanied me. She rode shotgun; I was on a photographic mission.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I'm enrolled in a Basic Photography course at a local camera shop. We have homework every week for which we are to use something we've learned in the most recent class. This week (the class meets Thursday evening) we are to submit a photograph of 'Nature;' no buildings or people included. Since I've not had my chosen photograph critiqued as yet, that one is not included here. I'm still on the short end of the learning curve and have a great deal to learn, but I had fun taking the photos I'm sharing here.
 This afternoon, we wandered down several roads that I've never before driven over, all within about 50 miles northeast of my home. Following is a small selection of the photos I took this afternoon.

A gnarled tree.

Not much color, but an interesting shape, I thought.

Immediately across the road from the gnarled tree was a meadow

backed by a colorful hillside. Still a lot of green, but getting there!

Geese swimming on Lake Barnett.

Fall colors reflected on the water

at the far end of the lake.

(The photo at the beginning of this post was taken at the nearest lake access point. The lake itself covers about three miles. More information about this little jewel can be found by clicking the link under the first photo.)

Dried grasses and colorful plants, dappled with light.

I captured a beautiful sunset, too, but I'm saving that photo for this week's Sky Watch.

I came home with lifted spirits after viewing some hitherto unseen, and very beautiful, parts of my home state, well worth the quarter-tank of gas I burned.

I hope your day was lovely, too.

Today's Flowers - Post 100

Rose - "Oklahoma"

(click to enlarge photo)

The year's last rose from this bush in my garden. Not only are the petals beautiful, but the blossoms have a heady rose fragrance; a lovely combination.

Today's Flowers is a weekly Meme created by Luiz Santilli, Jr. and may be found here. Please visit to see others' lovely flower photos. If you have a flower photo of your own to share, please join us.

Broken toes and other stuff - Post 99

Note: this photo of a branch on my maple tree has nothing to do with the text below. I just think it's pretty.

(Click to enlarge)

I try to read Rose Swall's blog, Pics and Pieces, every day. In her most recent post, in addition to showing some beautiful photos of a golden-leaved cottonwood tree, she discussed her husband's broken toe and resulting surgery. My sympathies to her hubby; I've broken the 'little toes' on both feet many times. In an attempt to avoid these painful events, I hardly ever go without hard-toed shoes anymore, inside the house or out.

Her discussion of broken toes reminded me: the last time I broke a toe, I composed a poem (ha ha) to commemorate the event. The words actually have nothing to do with broken toes, it's just what popped into my mind at the time. The poem is SO bad, it reminds me of authorblog's Verse and Worse (you won't believe some of the "rhymes" he constructs.)

Kicked Around (Ode to a Broken Toe)

If we're 'kicked when we're down' we don't have far to go.

A chicken in a breadpan can 'kick up the dough.' *

We can get 'kicked upstairs.' We may 'kick up a fuss.'

As we travel through life, we may 'kick up some dust.'

Kids pay 'kick the can.' We 'kick tires' on our truck; it

Seems we're always kicking --and then we 'kick the bucket.'

* for anyone not familiar with "chicken in the breadpan kicking up dough," it's a square dancing term.

It's a glorious day outside today. I may have to take the camera and go scouting.