...yawn...

Sleep. It has proven to be elusive as of late. At least for me it has. Can't really nail down a specific, singular cause...I have my suspicions though. For about a week or so, I was staying up until the wee hours because I wasn't necessarily tired. That evolved into being extremely tired, but not being sleepy. Then that turned into being physically exhausted, but being wide awake with no hope of even nodding off in front of the television. Believe me...I tried. Last night I was up all night, passing the time between the computer and TV. It doesn't take long to run out of things to do on the computer, and the television fare isn't that great during the smaller a.m.'s. I mean, just how many consecutive episodes of "The Nanny" can one person stand? I'm here to tell you, not many. I did catch most of a movie I recommended on my haunted house film entry, "The Innocents". American Movie Classics was showing it, and I was thrilled to have something decent to watch. After it ended and I was well into my third or fourth episode of "Reba", I looked out the windows in the kitchen and noticed it lightening up outside. The sun was rising and I wasn't any nearer to feeling like I was going to go to sleep...(sigh)...

Around noon-thirty today I crawled into bed to try and get a little shut-eye. A part of me wanted to try and tough it out until a decent bedtime (at least 9:00 pm), but I seriously doubt I would have made it. My porch light was on, but I wasn't really home. I was well into the toothpick stage (my eyelids were quite droopy) and was mere moments away from drooling on myself. I decided that sleep was imminent, so I decided to crawl into bed for a bit. Told Glenn to make sure I was up by 3:00 if I did nod out. Which I did. Apparently, so did Glenn. On the sofa. His M.O. is sleep after food consumption and he had eaten a slab of quiche...needless to say I didn't get up at 3:00. More like 5:00. I just didn't want to sleep for eight or nine hours cause I knew it would really screw with my sleep cycle. Screw it up more than it already is. I really hate insomnia. Years ago, I was awake for 8 days straight once. It was horrible...felt like I would never sleep again. Literally. Never want to go through that again. I don't think my current situation will come to that. This all started because of shoulder and neck pain I've had in varying degrees for several weeks now. I tell you, I know I'm only 45, but sometimes I feel like I'm 100. It's currently 3:51 am and I'm wide awake...looks like I'll be up to see the sun rise yet again.




One of the things I did while I was up last night (Sunday) was catch a considerable chunk of the live U2 concert on YouTube. They were playing to a massive crowd at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles, and the whole thing was streamed on the internet. Was an impressive undertaking and pretty cool. Huge stage in the round, tons of cameras, lots of self aggrandizing shenanigans from Bono...quite the spectacle, it was. I was more a fan of U2 back in the early days of the early 80's. Back when "Gloria" hit. Their first album, 'Boy', was followed up by two great efforts, 'October' and 'War'. I'm not saying that they haven't produced good stuff beyond that point, they just started their commercial slide. Also, Bono Vox kind of began his road to "Sainthood"...in the eyes of a lot of people anyway (me, not among them). I appreciate that his heart seems to be in the right place, but...well, there is a rant that could easily take off at this point if my brain weren't so hazy. Back to the concert. During the show, I was commenting back and forth some with a friend of mine, Tracy, who lives out in Los Angeles. We were both amazed and impressed at a) how crisp the picture was, and b) how good the production quality was for a live performance. The editing on the fly that was taking place was really well done. They obviously had pros design and set up the cameras, as well as having great people in the switching booth. I've seen edited concert footage on DVD's that wasn't that good. Very cool. It would be great if this prompted other bands to do the same kind of thing. The fact that people all over the world were watching that one concert, well...it was just really neat.

Guess I'll go check out the fantastic selection of television shows airing for my viewing pleasure at...ugh...4:24 in the morning. Maybe I'll luck out and another good movie will be on. I can only hope...(yawn)...

Sunday...

GOOBER PEAS

Sitting by the roadside on a summer's day
Chatting with my mess-mates, passing time away
Lying in the shadows underneath the trees
Goodness, how delicious, eating goober peas.

Chorus2x
Peas, peas, peas, peas
Eating goober peas
Goodness, how delicious,
Eating goober peas.

When a horse-man passes, the soldiers have a rule
To cry out their loudest, "Mister, here's your mule!"
But another custom, enchanting-er than these
Is wearing out your grinders, eating goober peas.

Chorus

Just before the battle, the General hears a row
He says "The Yanks are coming, I hear their rifles now."
He turns around in wonder, and what d'ya think he sees?
The Georgia Militia, eating goober peas. )

Chorus

I think my song has lasted almost long enough.
The subject's interesting, but the rhymes are rough.
I wish the war was over, so free from rags and fleas
We'd kiss our wives and sweethearts, and gobble goober peas.

Glenn boiled up some peanuts today. I picked up a couple three pounds of green peanuts at Kroger the other day, and he got around to cooking them today. I had always loved boiled peanuts as a kid. Would have them whenever we took a trip to Florida, or ventured out to an arts and crafts festival. There would always be a denizen of the more rural areas we would be traveling through who would have an oil drum of goobers boiling away by the roadside, a big hand lettered sign propped against a tree...'Boiled Peanuts $1.00'. We'd pull over and buy one or two of the little paper sacks of warm and salty goodness. I've been asked by people who have never eaten a boiled peanut, "What are they like?" The best way I can describe them is kind of like black eyed peas. I mean, they don't taste entirely like a black eyed pea, but they're kind of that consistency. They're just really "Good Eats" (to quote Alton Brown...no relation...I don't think). I copied the above song lyrics from Wikipedia. Remember my brother singing snippets from it, possibly from his scouting days. This is actually the first time I think I've seen all of the lyrics. An additional blurb from Wikipedia:

"The lyrics of "Goober Peas" are a fairly accurate description of daily life during the last few years of the Civil War for Southerners. After being cut off from the rail lines and their farm land, they had little to eat aside from boiled peanuts (or "goober peas") which often served as an emergency ration, especially in Georgia."

Thus ends our history lesson for today...

It has been a typical Sunday here. Performed a few menial tasks (i.e. laundry) interspersed with the requisite amount of vegging. I usually do my vegging in front of the computer, so that's where I spent the better part of my veg time today. On the other hand, Glenn spent his in front of the TV with a puzzle book in hand. Football and Sudoku. And peanut boiling. With spaghetti and garlic toast for dinner. So there you go.

This House Isn't Clean!!!!!!!!

Today was pretty mellow. I dig mellow. Mellow is good. Didn't do a whole lot, but that would be preferable since I'm trying to shake off the vestiges of some shoulder and neck pain. I try not to pay too much attention to the pain I experience because it's at a constant these days in varying levels. I'm just glad that I didn't get hit with rheumatoid arthritis until I was in my mid-40's. Being a creative person, it was very unsettling when I was given the news because I have always used my hands to produce my...stuff. Whether I'm writing, painting, making dolls, or working on any of the other creative ideas that come to mind, my hands are always essential. I've grown accustomed to my ailment for the most part. I just deal with it as it comes.

Today was another beautiful day. The temperature was right around 80, but the influence of Autumn was still felt. The 80 degree weather of Fall doesn't compare with the 80 degree weather of Summer. The suffocating humidity isn't present for one thing. Just beautiful.

Didn't get out on my walk yesterday or today. I'm planning on taking a longer trek than usual to the post office tomorrow. Have a couple of things to post. I'm assuming that the post office is open here on Saturday. Living in Los Angeles for 20 years got me acclimated to certain things that don't apply here. I know banks aren't open on Saturdays, so...hmmmm...guess I better prepare myself in case the post office is closed...

Since it's October and the Halloween spirit is about, my mind has been rife with thoughts of the eerie and macabre. Been thinking about things that relate to the energy of All Hallows. Things that I enjoy. Today, my thoughts turned to one of my favorite film genres. That of the haunted house.

Several titles spring to mind when I think of films about haunted houses. Some more loosely based on the spooky structures than others, but haunted house films none the less. Decided to compile a list of some of those films here. Do I recommend them for your viewing pleasure? Most definitely. I was able to find trailers for most of them posted on good ol' YouTube!. There are a couple of more contemporary pieces in my list, but most of them are from the 60's and 70's. You might very well have seen some of them. Maybe my mentioning them here will prompt you to revisit them.

#1: "The Haunting" (1963) - If you've seen the remake from a few years ago with Liam Neeson, PLEASE block it from your mind and see the original. Based on the short story "The Legend of Hill House" by the brilliant Shirley Jackson, this was Robert Wise's first film after producing the film version of "Westside Story". It is shot in black and white, and that was by choice. It's a beautifully shot and well acted film that scared me when I was a kid and still creeps me out even though I've seen it more times than I can count. I highly recommend it.


#2: "The Innocents" Stars Deborah Kerr who you might remember from the musical film "The King & I" where she played Anna. Based on the book 'The Turn of the Screw' by Henry James, this is spooky fare. Children, a governess, ghosts...also a black and white film filled effectively with darkness and shadow. There are also some sexual under-tones that add to the creepiness of this film.


#3: "House on Haunted Hill" In the past few years, there was a remake produced of this film that isn't bad, but it doesn't compare to the original. Frequently unintentionally camp and funny, this film still has its creep factor. A great performance by the always memorable, Vincent Price.


#4: "The Uninvited" starring Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey, and Donald Crisp. Milland and Hussey play brother and sister who rent a beautiful house by the sea. Before long they discover that they're not alone. I wasn't able to get a movie trailer for this one. However, you can watch the film in its entirety on YouTube. Please note that it's in 11 parts...I gather that YouTube doesn't allow for videos longer than 10 minutes. I strongly recommend this one. Pretty sure you could find it for rent at one of your local video stores.

#5: "The Legend of Hell House" (1973) A wealthy old man buys the infamous Ballasco (msp?) house and hires a couple of psychics and a scientist to spend a weekend in the house to seek proof that there is life after death. The always great Roddy McDowall plays the only survivor from the previous expedition...all who participated in the first investigation met their death after leaving the house through one means (accident, suicide, etc.) or another. Clive Revill plays the scientist who will not be swayed in his convictions - he believes that science will disprove the paranormal. (On a side note, Clive used to shop in one of the grocery stores I frequented when I still lived in Hollywood...very nice and when I first met him, shocked that I knew who he was.)


#6: "The Changeling" George C. Scott is great in this. He plays a composer who has lost his wife and daughter in a tragic accident. He rents a historical home to get some peace and quiet to work on his latest composition. Turns out 'someone' is already living in the house...


#7: "The Sentinel" It has been years since I've seen this, but it sprang to mind when I was thinking of films of haunted abodes. Young woman rents apartment...let the screams begin! (Oh, and the only trailer I could find is in French...decided to post it anyway.)


#8: "The Others" Starring Nicole Kidman, this film actually made me jump a couple of times. That's really hard to do! The ending also hit me out of left field, and that's even harder to do. I'm a pro at being able to see where a film is headed and how it will end. (A favorite actor of mine, Christopher Eccleston, has a small part in this, too.)


#9: "Darkness" This one came out just a few years ago and stars Anna Paquin. Does it have a creepy factor? Yes! In spades!


#10: "The Ghost & Mr. Chicken" I loved this movie when I was a kid. A comedy starring the always great Don Knotts, it did give me a few chills as a youngster. But mostly laughs.


#11: "High Spirits" Castle Plunkett is not doing well. The castles drunkard owner (played by the wonderful Peter O'Toole) is in danger of losing his business ( he runs it as a hotel) to an american businessman. In a last ditch effort to save his ancestral home, he launches a new strategy: it's haunted. O'Toole heads up a cast full of notables in this one. Yes, it's pretty silly, but thoroughly enjoyable.


So there you go. Some movie recommendations for the Halloween season. I'm sure more will come to mind, but this is a fine list. Let me know if you see any of them...I'd love to know what you think. BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Paranormal Pondering...

For as long as I can remember, I've always had an interest in the paranormal. Just fascinated by it. If I hear that a place is 'haunted' and I have means to go to that location, I'm there. It doesn't scare me, it intrigues me. The unknown...the unexplainable...the 'supernatural'.

I've always loved horror movies. Well...I'm going to amend that...I've always loved 'scarey' movies. Do I watch my share of cheesey and bloody films (Freddy Kruger, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, and the like)? Yes, but I prefer the scare factor provided by the things you can't see. The bump in the night...the thud or moan from some unknown source...the object that floats across the room, seemingly unassisted. It's the things you CAN'T see that scare me. Cold spots, raps on a solid surface by an invisible...hand (?), an errant breeze when there are no windows or heating/air conditioning grates in sight. All things that are out of the norm and can't be explained by science...those thrill me to no end. The existence of some 'other-world'. I know I sound like Mr. Spock, but...FASCINATING!



When paranormal television started to take hold here in the past few years, I was on board. It has been stuck under the umbrella of "Reality" television, but...how should I put this...I've found it exceedingly disappointing and nothing 'reality' about it. I think the first show I can recollect that touched on the supernatural being (possibly) seated in fact was the show "In Search Of...", narrated by Leonard Nimoy. (Hah, I made a reference to Mr. Spock earlier...unintentional mini-theme there.) I'm sure other shows have featured the subject, but that's the first show that I can name that sprung to mind. "Sightings", a show that aired on the Sci-Fi Channel for awhile also featured paranormal activities on more than one occassion. (I can think of a number of hauntings that were first aired on that show. I mean, as far as I know that was the first time...it was the first time I learned of them.) These days, there is a virtual plethora of paranormal based shows on TV. Most of them...well...they suck. Too much talking and screaming. Horrible background sound effects and music. It totally ruins the experience for me. I got pulled into 'Most Haunted', a british produced show on the Travel Channel. They have some really good people on their crew, and some pretty good psychics (I won't go into whether or not I think they're really on the up and up) as they seem to at least try to take what they're doing seriously. Meaning they ask their questions and shut up for the rest of us so we can actually hear whatever they might hear in response. I, upon occassion, have actually heard what they say they heard (i.e. a ghostly knock or something to that effect) because they weren't yammering. Well, I must say that was never the case when the female host of the show was present...someone could break wind and she'd scream. She would also talk non-stop. I remember one episode one of the guys on set finally told her to knock it off or go outside. Think I actually applauded when I heard that. Another show I got sucked into was "The World's Scariest Places" hosted by Linda Blair (hehehe). A group of family members were taken to a purportedly haunted location somewhere on the planet and sent in alone to do an 'investigation'. They'd strap on vests outfitted with a light and a camera (trained on their face), and get taken to various locations within the haunted structure. They were given ghost hunting equipment (digital voice recorders, thermal cameras, etc.) to use in their investigations. Know it sounds silly, but I would have gone on that show. Trouble always was that I had no idea which of my family members would have consented to participate. MTV had a show on for awhile called 'FEAR'. Now...I hate to say it, but I saw some pretty freaky stuff on that show. Group of teenagers were taken to a safe room at whatever haunted place they were going to be spending the night in. Alone. The only outside company they had were some cameras that had been set-up in the places they were told to investigate during the night. Like I said, I did see some weird stuff on that show. Maybe it was explainable, but in the context of the show and the reaction of the person directly experiencing the event in that moment...pretty creepy. (On a side note, Andy Dick did a take off on FEAR on his MTV show from several years back. Hysterically funny! I was chatting with him once and told him how funny I thought it was...he seemed relieved. Said he didn't know if people would "get" what he was trying to do. Bummer they canceled his show...was one of the few truly funny shows I saw on the network. That and "The Super Adventure Team"...hmmm...things are starting to go in another direction...going to get back to the subject at hand.)



The shows of today are almost exact replicas of one another. The one on the Sci-Fi channel featuring the paranormal investigators 'T.A.P.S.' is alright. I do appreciate that they really try to debunk something before they give it the 'paranormal' stamp. However, they don't really shut-up either. Just like all the other shows, they have annoying/cheesy sound effects and music that sounds like something you'd hear in a haunted house sponsored by the Shriners. I guess I'll end my rant about paranormal television shows here by saying that I hope that someone eventually puts something on that is a straight investigative show without even a hint of 'Hollywood's' influence. Yeah...right...

I was surfing around on the net earlier looking for pictures of actual ghosts. Well, pictures of supposed ghosts. Some looked like they might possibly be legitimate, but others? Give me a break! In no way do they look realistic. Even the least astute observer wouldn't believe that they were true paranormal apparitions. I also happened across some videos. Most didn't really show anything that even remotely resembled an unexplainable phenomenon. Viewed a video that I totally didn't catch at the time it aired. It's from a Larry King episode from not too long after Michael Jackson's death. It was live footage inside Neverland. At one point the camera shows a fireplace in what is described as his bedroom at the rear of the frame, and a shadow moves across the screen. It does definitely look to be person shaped, but could be explained a number of ways. Anyway, fans world wide are convinced that that is M.J.'s ghost. Whatever. Maybe he and Elvis can get a place together. Oh...what the heck. Here's the video footage from YouTube...



One last thing I'm going to post is a Gif of what is said to be an actual apparition dressed in period clothing. It's said to be camera footage from Hampton Court in London. Here is some text about the piece that I copied from an online site that featured the footage:

"Closed circuit security cameras at Hampton Court Palace in London, England caught this ghost video of a ghostly figure in period dress. Stunned employees at Henry the VIII's palace do not know where it came from or who or what it is. Security personnel checked the closed circuit TV footage to find out who kept leaving one of the palace's fire doors open.
They were shocked to find on video a ghost on the footage. The palace was built in 1525."

And here is the footage:




What do you think? Real, or Memorex? I'll just say that there are a myriad of reasons that I don't think it's legit...

Have I personally had experiences that I can't explain? Yes. Do I hope to have more? Yes. I've always been one to suspend any belief or disbelief in something until it's proven to me one way or the other. Makes life more interesting, dontcha think?

Halloween is Lurking...

Today was fairly low-key for me. I didn't sleep very well because of shoulder pain and stiffness. Not sure if it's my RA, or the pinched nerve situation I have going on in my neck. Well, whatever the cause, it's pretty irritating. In more ways than one. When there's stuff to be done, I have a hard time sitting still. That was the case today. I did get a couple of small things accomplished, but I didn't push it. Between the shoulder issues, lack of rest, and my right hand going to sleep every five minutes...well, the day was what it was.

(On a side note, I'm rather pleased with myself. I'm finishing up on day 11 without inhaling any nicotine. Hasn't been as difficult as I was preparing myself for. I've quit smoking before. Didn't light up for eight years. For some reason I started up again. Hopefully this time it'll stick.)

Even though I have been in considerable pain throughout the day, I didn't let it keep me from getting out for my evening stroll. The temperature outside was a bit warmer, but there was still a bit of a chill in the air. Just enough to make me wear a jacket. Of course, just about everyone I encountered while wandering around were clothed in jeans and t-shirts. Some were wearing shorts. If I happened to catch their notice as I strolled past, I was given a few odd glances. I may have looked like a weather wimp in my jean jacket, but I had my reasons for putting it on. Normally I relish walking around in the cool air (sans jacket), but when my muscles and joints are acting up...well, the cool air makes things seize up. I have no desire to spend a night hunched over like Quazimodo. I did that last night.

Snapped a few pictures, but not many. I've kind of covered the basics so far on what's around here, and thought more pictures of the area here would just end up being redundant. Lots of trees, lots of moss...so there you go. Been getting in the habit of having the camera on hand in case an interesting photo op presents itself, but today was pretty dry.

My trajectory was a small condo development next to this one. A bunch of single level, two to a unit condos. Kind of like duplexes. It felt a bit sterile around there. Wooden fencing enclosing it and just a little to...orderly. Expected to see a Stepford Wife or two. I did notice that several neighbors are beginning to put out their Halloween decorations. Nothing special though. Yes, it's all in the Halloween vein, but just very...cheesey? Don't mean to be critical, but most of the items (fake pumpkins, smiling straw and burlap scarecrows, wind socks, etc.) looks like stuff from the 'Michaels' or 'JoAnns' reject bins. Yes, Halloween does have a whimsical side...I get that...but decorations should have a spooky quality, as well. Anyway, I wasn't impressed with the efforts so far, and of course everyone has to do things up to my standards. (Yes...that was sarcasm...)

When I came out of Stepford Land, I looped by a building in the development next over. The trees and vines were very thick there, and filled with the usual over abundance of spanish moss. As I stopped for a moment before heading back, I saw several small solid shapes move through the ferns and pine needles on the ground. Feeling eyes on me, I looked to my right. The small dark face of a cat was there one moment and gone the next. Think I mentioned before that there is a large population of feral cats around here. They have become a huge problem on Tybee Island, and the problem has apparently spread. I've seen a couple of the elderly women who live here leaving kibble out for them. Guess they don't know it's illegal to feed the wild felines. I'm sure they just see them as sweet little kitties, but those cute faced little cats are not petty-pet-pet cats. They'd rip your hand off before you could touch them. I've been told (and it makes perfect sense) that cats raised by people and indoors are permanently in the 'kitten' state. Feral cats (cats that grow up out in the wild without human contact) are fully matured cats. They grow up in packs, hunt...they're wild creatures. Don't know what sort of relationship the owned and domesticated cats have with their wild counterparts, but I have seen the feral ones hanging out with the raccoons that also live around here. Usually helping themselves to the communal garbage disposal unit we have near the entrance.

Decided to head back home to food and warmth. The route I took had me passing by the entrance to "Stephen King" trail. I re-ticked my mental note to take my trek back there (Glenn will be going with me...better to be safe than sorry). As I veered to the right, howls of rage and pain from more then one source emanated from the section of woods in the trails vacinity. Sounded like at least two cats...maybe a raccoon...engaged in battle. 'Creepy' doesn't even begin to describe the feeling that washed over me. In the dim light of the waning day, the crispness of the air amplifying...it just seemed unsettling and appropriate hearing the moans and wails piercing their way out of the forest. I know what manner of creature was producing the screams, but...they still sounded otherworldly, in a way. As I passed the trail and headed down the darkening bank behind the units, the noise stopped. Shook it off (it was pretty spooky) and enjoyed the calm and quiet back there in an area pretty much devoid of people. I did pass a screened in porch a couple of buildings down that showed signs of life. An older gentlemen sitting in what appeared to be a comfy chair with his feet up on an ottoman. Dog and cooler next to him, he looked up briefly from whatever he had been watching on TV. We gave each other a nod of acknowledgement, and he turned his attention back to his show. My guess would be either a football game, or the History Channel. Not much farther and I was home.

Hoping that tomorrow will bring me less pain and stiffness, and my right hand will be fully awake. I have a pumpkin to carve!

The Great Pumpkin...

Earlier today I ventured out on the daily "Savannah Morning News" run. Hit the Circle K on highway 80 which is basically a hop and a skip from here. Nine times out of ten, they'll have a copy of the paper when the other nearby sources are out. I did have another reason for making that my paper stop, and it's located right next door.

'Davis Produce' is a small family owned stand right next to the Circle K. I tried to stop in there yesterday, but they were closed. (I think I had noted that they were closed Mondays when I had been by there before, but it apparently had slipped my mind.) Today when I pulled up I received mixed messages. The metal doors were closed, but there were bins of pumpkins out front...hmmmmm...popped in the Circle K, grabbed a paper, and walked over to the stand for a closer inspection. As I was scoping out the various notices and signs on one of the center walls looking for stand hours, the door next to me flew up and the woman who owns the place popped out. Yep! They were open. She gave me a 'come on in' gesture and proceeded to tell me how they decided to open a little later than usual. Something about things getting kind of slow during the weekday mornings. I could see that. The parking lot is usually buzzing during the weekends. The fact that the stand sits between the C.K. and a do-it-yourself car wash adds to the bustle of activity. But, she was right. It was quiet when I got there. So quiet in fact that I was the only customer at first. Gradually others started pulling in...guess they received the same mixed message I had.

It's a great little place. Great quality and decent prices. My main goal was to get a pumpkin. They had a ton of pie pumpkins. The bigger more desirable pumpkins for Jack O'Lantern carving were fewer, and unfortunately a bit on the pricey side. Carving pumpkins is one of my favorite Halloween activities, but...sheesh! In the end your just buying a big squash/gourd to scoop out it's innards, carve a design in its side, and prop it in a window while it rots. I know that kind of takes the wind out of the All Hallows sails of the tradition, but...that's basically what we do. Or, if we don't prop it in the window, we sit 'Jack' outside our front door where a mischievious kid either stomps on it or hits it with a baseball bat. Of course, there is always the optional egg on your frontdoor, or flaming bag of dog poo that can follow the annihilation of your masterpiece...anyway, I opted for one of the smaller pie pumpkins. I've carved them before. They're a bit more challenging as to the smaller scale, but in my mind it just elevates the need for creativity. That spells 'F-U-N/FUN' in my book.

While I was there I checked out what other goodies they had to offer. They have such beautiful stuff. (Added some red potatos to my purchase.) My main goal in going there had been to purchase a pumpkin, but goal number two was to snap some pics for the ol' blog-o-reeno while I was there. Felt kind of weird whipping out my camera, so I asked the lady (whose name I don't know...should have asked...would have been the neighborly thing)if she minded if I took some photos of her produce. Flashing a big smile, she gave me the go ahead, so I started snapping. Got some rather nice ones. Like I said, their produce is beautiful...virtually un-marred.

Came home and got a few things done. Decided to take an early walk while the sun was still bright. Was able to snap a few pics, but my eyes don't do well in bright sunlight. Have trouble with the glare. I ventured a little farther past the pond I had visited before and found a picnic table in the shade of a bunch of trees. Sat there for a couple of minutes resting my eyes and looking out at the marsh. Was really peaceful. Stopped by to the see the ducks, but they were snoozing on the bank soaking up some rays. The camera batteries were pretty low by this point, so I trotted on home.

Still pondering the face for my pumpkin. Vascillating between whimsical and evil. Of course I could go with whimsically evil...oh well, it'll come to me.

Evening Walks...

I've been making an effort to get out and enjoy the Fall weather by taking evening strolls around the condo compound here. In the time I've been in Savannah (since the end of last November) I hadn't really done any exploring of my immediate surroundings, so I figured it was high time. The Bull River Bluff condos (which I'm in) are one of several that are kind of clustered together. We've got a river right behind us that is a mud flat when the tide isn't in, and I've discovered that opposite us is a wide marshland with a river running through it. Birds of various kinds (white herons and the like) hang out, and a dock with several fishing boats can be seen near the Tybee Island bridge that crosses the marsh. Interesting what you can find when you get your butt out there. Anyway, I started my evening excursions last night and have been snapping some photos along the way. I'm also using the walks as a creative outlet. I'm new at the whole photography deal, but I'm trying to frame them well. Figure they'll get better with time...once I get my sea legs.

Yesterday (Sunday) evening I felt the urge to go for a walk and snap some pictures. Mostly for my blog here. (Now that my dear friend, Pam (hee hee), signed me up on the Facebook blog network, I feel the need to finally keep up better with my entries. When I initially created this blog it was to help me get my writing juices flowing more freely. Was kind of waiting for something to get me motivated, and it appears that she was it. Thanks, Pam...) But, I must say that taking walks this time of year has always been one of my favorite things. So, I tied my tennies, put on my jacket, grabbed Glenn's camera, and scooted out the back porch.

It was cool out, but just the right amount of cool. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 degrees, I would guess. Was very relieved to find that the gigantic spider web strung across the bluff area between the treeline and the screened in porch was on the side of the doorway trellis opposite of the direction I wanted to go. I have yet to see the spider that spun the web, but I'm assuming it to be on the big side. I had been meaning to take a picture of one of the roses on our bush back there, so I took the opportunity to get one while the blooms were still in decent shape. (I had made the mistake of waiting when we had blooms before and a frog strangler of a rainstorm hit and blasted most of the petals off.) It was a bit overcast, so the evening 'energy' was just perfect. Walking along the back bluff here is really nice...spanish moss covering all of the trees, and a slight crisp breeze. Oh...don't think I mentioned it, but the slideshow above kind of follows the course of my walk(s)...

I walked down to the end of the bank by a small cul de sac where the remnants of an old dock are. It's definitely seen better days. Plans are in the works to build a new dock. The condos would get their own private entrance as part of the deal (currently we share an entrance with three or four other condos) and residents would be able to buy a slip if they wished. It sounds pretty good. You don't have to buy a slip (they're only for residents - no outside sales), your condo dues won't go up a penny, and your condo will increase in value. What's not to like? Management is moving forward with getting the necessary licenses. We'll see what happens.

Walking past the dock, the bank curves around behind the condos facing us and it's a completely different scene. Marshland. Look across that and you'll see Tybee Island, a popular tourist spot. (Glenn and I were taking a drive one day and ventured over there...we passed some very touristy chachka shops. I fully intend on going back to see what sort of tacky crap they have.) The light level was slightly brighter over there, and the clouds were really amazing. Cat tails were still present, but most of them were in varying stages of 'poofiness'...don't know if they go to seed, or they just disintegrate...they were just 'poofy'. Kind of like when we would blow on Dandelions as kids...that kind of poofy. Palm trees, marsh birds, and a number of bushes I don't know the name of. (The feathery appendages can be seen in a couple of the pictures above of the clouds and marsh area.) It's so beautiful over there. So relaxing. I continued walking down the bank snapping away and came upon something else I didn't know existed...a small pond. The only wild life I saw were two mallards. They saw me and made a bee-line in my direction. Think they thought I had some snacks for them...expect the residents over there like to pamper their little friends. Once they figured out that I wasn't going to be producing anything for them to eat, they just kind of stayed bobbing on the surface next to the bank preening their feathers. The breeze that was ever present seemed to gain a bit of velocity over the water and it was making it difficult to get a decent shot of the ducks, but I managed to get one I'm fairly happy with.

One of the things I love about Autumn are the colored leaves. It was when I was by the pond that I took notice of some leaves scattered on the ground...bright yellow with speckled designs of various colors. Really beautiful. Started scanning around and picking up colored leaves as my trajectory headed back up to people and asphalt parking lots. Interestingly enough, there weren't any people around really. (Not that I minded.) So I'm walking along the sidewalk looking for leaves and this fuzzy ball of white and orange pops out at me. An extremely affectionate cat I'll call "Krusty". I call him Krusty because he had some 'crust' on his nose. He was also a little boney and his fur wasn't the thickest. He reared back on his haunches purring like a lawnmower and hopped up and down in a "PET ME! PET ME" fashion. So...I pet him. Like I said, he was a really friendly little guy. Didn't have a collar on, so I don't know if he was owned by anyone or was one of the domesticated cats who had fallen in with the feral cats that run rampant over here. Anyway, I continued looking for leaves (Magnolia mostly), and Krusty shadowed me for a good ways. He'd mew at me occassionally so I'd acknowledge his presence and give him a good rub, but for the most part he just kind of followed along seeming to be interested in whatever I happened to be doing. Eventually a sinewy grey cat popped out at us and Krusty ventured off with him. Guess they knew each other. By that point, I could see across the way to home and headed back. There's kind of an open grassy area between the two banks of condos, and some kids were wrestling around like kids do. They were really the only other lifeforms around, and their laughter played across the space. As I crossed towards home, I added some pine cones to my collection. When I walked through the porch screen and into the kitchen, I felt more relaxed than I had in awhile. Even when you don't consciously feel stress, underlying stress can effect one even more profoundly. That has been my experience anyway. My first walk ended, I made myself a hot cup of cocoa and kicked off my shoes. Time to check my e-mail and get the meat loaf started.

Today I embarked on evening walk number 2. I wasn't preoccupied by it's inevitability, but I was looking forward to it throughout the day. This time I headed up the river bank in the opposite direction. I must say that the spider web was a concern of mine, so I exited through the front door this time. As I was walking up the front walk towards the parked cars, I heard a young voice say, "Shoot my butt!", and looked up just in time to see a big frizzy haired boy shoot a shorter and seemingly younger boy in the butt with what appeared to be a toy gun. Who knows, they were boys. Maybe it was a pellet gun. They were close enough for me to see it was a small handgun sized gun of some sort, but far enough away for me to not register any of its finer details. Shaking my head in a 'boys will be boys' kind of manner, I headed past our neighbor Anthony's place and walked between the buildings to the river bank. I encountered three more young folk. Three young girls who were creeping along in an effort to avoid detection by...someone. They looked at me, so of course I said, "HI!" They loooked like they had received electric shocks as they all jumped in an 'OH NO' fashion. I made an 'OH! I'm sorry' face, snickering internally. The girls skittered off (hopefully undetected?) and I headed back to the river bank, which at that time should be referred to as a 'mud flat' bank...cause that's what it was. I had my scanners on scoping for multiple items...photo ops, leaves, pine cones, and anything else of moderate interest. Shots of trees, reeds, and mud were aplenty. Finding something relatively artistic or interesting to shoot was a hard one. (I did take quite a few shots that fell victim to my 'delete' key after closer scrutiny.) Walking along, enjoying the air, the quiet...I happened across a collection of rocks. All very close to each other, same relative shape and size. No idea what they were doing there or what their original intent was. I decided that they would be known as the "Blair Witch Stones" and took a few shots. Hey it's October...humor me...

By this point, I'm nearing the end of the river bed and it gets rather beucolic. Palm trees, reeds, pine trees, various vines, tons of spanish moss, old cat tails, and hidden underneath it all...mud. I also reach the end of this line of condo buildings. Past the last unit, there is a stand of trees, a small forest section if you will, that continues past the guest parking area to an electricity station/transformer. Skirting the edge of these woods, I notice something that can only be the head of a trail. To someone passing quickly by, it would probably be undetectable. Scanning for possible photos like I was, I saw it immediately. But then I had traversed many trails like this in my youth. Stomping around in the woods with my friends was a regular activity when I was in elementary and high school. My friends and I built many a fort in the woods. Anyway, it was a very lightly formed trail. I merely took notice and continued down the tree line. After about twenty more feet, I encountered another trail. This one looked to be a bit more traveled. Peering through its mouth, I saw a wood structure that looked kind of like a bench. I decided to explore this path a little more closely. I stepped into its mouth. Upon closer inspection, I really don't know what that wood thing was. I got a really poor picture of it, at any rate (see above). I wandered in a little farther and could see a distinct path continue on into the wooded area. I was digging this and a large part of me wanted to keep going, but being the older more practically minded person that I am, I decided to head home. It was the evening and it would be getting darker soon, I didn't have appropriate footware on for slogging through the woods (my suede Converse), it would be better if I wasn't by myself - who knew what was back there? It's just a trail that is probably traversed on a regular basis by a number of kids/teenagers year round, but at that moment it was a portal to the unknown and it felt mysterious and...I plan to go back. I have dubbed it "Stephen King Trail" (after a trail at GA. Southern during my college days that took on a creepy nature after dark). Seems appropriate given the time of year and the impending holiday of All Hallows.

I decided to call it an evening, and head back the way I came. I'm moving a bit quicker, but still manage to find some neat leaves that I didn't detect on my first pass, as well as a few more pine cones. Some Spanish Moss finds its way into my collection, too. (I do have a purpose for gathering all of these things...more to come.) I reach home filled with calm yet again. A hot shower, hot cocoa, and a fulfilling blog entry. Can't get much better than that.

Tis the Season...

...for ghosts and ghoulies! Fall fell a short time ago, and it was welcome as always. The crispness of the air, the morphing of the leaves...the over all energy is just unlike any other time of year. It is the best time of year. Stress of one level or another has been a constant these days, but the impact is softened during the mellowness of Autumn. I haven't been feeling the best over the past several weeks...existing ailments and the ever present threat of a fever (wonky and achey) In some unseen way the energy and calm pervading everything is giving off some inarticulate soothing vibe. It allows me to relax when my brain doesn't want to let me. Also, as with every past Autumn, my creative juices are heightened. That's a very good thing. I have several things I'm working on, and with my minds various preoccupations it has been difficult to shift into writing mode. Historically, the best time for writing (for me) has been at night. It holds a conducive mood...a calm...it's just a very productive time. Autumn extends a similar 'night time' energy throughout the day. I wish it could be Autumn all year.

October is my favorite month. True, it has gotten extremely commercial. There are still traces of the way things were when I was a kid (jack o' lanterns, costumes, etc.). However, it is a shame that 'Trick or Treating' has become such a source of danger for a lot of children. Back in the 60's & 70's when I would get dressed up and venture out for treat begging with my friends, it was common place to go unchaperoned. A group of my friends and I could go door to door having a heck of a great time, and not have to worry about pedophiles or whizzing bullets. I suppose it's still how I remember things in some areas of the country...living in Los Angeles for twenty years can make you a little jaded... I'm not sure what the trick or treaters will be like here in good ol' Savannah...Glenn has said that he doesn't really get any, but then he adds that he hasn't really been home on Halloween night...I plan on picking up some candy just in case. Would dig it if we did get some kiddies knocking on our door. Love seeing the costumes, especially if they're home made. That was one of the things I looked forward to each year. Figuring out what I wanted to be and then putting my get-up together. Good times.

Today is Sunday. The day of rest. So far so good. Hoping for something spooky on the tube this evening. Whatever it ends up being, it will be accompanied by the consumption of meat loaf and mashed taters.