325: Sunday signage
Posted: August 14, 2011 Filed under: 365 Life in the Bogs Challenge, Adventures in art, Adventures in Life, Earth, family, Fun!, goals, home, Local Tourists, nature, Photography, Spirit, Summer, Walking, water, weather | Tags: art, canoeing, Cuyahoga River, flowers, forest, Garden gnome, Gnome, Holden Arboretum, Photography, postaday2011, Recreation, wildflowers, woods 31 CommentsIt’s not exactly a sign, but then again, one could take it as a sign. A positive sign. I found these (and other words) on the hat of one of the gnomes at the Holden Arboretum. Want to see the gnome himself? Of course you do…
Meet Gerome, the Recycled Gnome. Gerome is made up of many things that used to be something else. Now those things are part of a work of art. Gerome has many messages placed within the bottle caps on his head.
I have a confession to make. I’m not sure it’s something new. I may have touched on it once or twice in the past, and I do mention it in the Bogs Blog FAQ. I have phobias. And worries. And anxieties. I am not by any means crippled by them, but they are there, sitting in the background waiting for me to try to push past them in some way. It should be noted, however, that I do not have an ice cream truck phobia. I mention this because it is a popular search engine term that brings folks to my blog. I still do not know the why of how it started. However, the more I mention ice cream truck phobias, the more it makes sense that it would bring people here.
So. I’m a bit of a nervous Nelly. I try to hide it, but those near and dear to me can’t help but be aware of it when I’m uncomfortable about a situation. I bring this up because I figure it’s time to stop hiding it.
Yesterday’s canoe trip was fun. We paddled 7 miles along the upper Cuyahoga River. And I mean paddled. The river has dams here and there, slowing it down. The portion we canoed had very little current or flow. Add to that a headwind, and we’re talking work rather than a leisurely drifting. Work was a good thing for me because, you see, I’m not entirely comfortable in a canoe, especially when we get caught on logs or rocks or go through those ripply areas where you know there are rocks causing the water to ripple. This was by no means white water canoeing. Not even close. Yet I still found myself thinking ahead, worrying about what was to come. It’s not a good way to enjoy such an outing, much less life.
It isn’t all anxiety and worry, though. I do have moments, sometimes long stretches, when I relax into the adventure and fun. It’s something I keep working on, bringing my mind back to the now rather than looking ahead. That’s one of the reasons I keep pushing myself to do things that might make me feel uncomfortable. The fun and play are there. I just have to remember to focus on it, to be in the present moment.
I don’t have photos from yesterday’s trip. Taking a camera along on a canoe trip doesn’t seem wise unless said camera is waterproof (and mine is not). It might be time to look into getting a relatively cheap, waterproof camera. It was so beautiful out there on the river. Peaceful, too, once we were out of the crowd of kids who were celebrating someone’s birthday with a canoe trip. The weather was perfect. Warm, but not hot. Sunny with very few clouds.
We stopped at a peach orchard after our canoe trip, and came home with two pecks of lovely, juicy peaches. The plan is to can some of them, but we’re eating them pretty quickly. We might have to take a drive out that way again to get some more.
It’s raining here in the Bogs today. A good day for canning.
It has been a good day for getting caught up with household chores, too. Clean sheets on the beds. Clean floors to walk upon. The daily decluttering and deep cleaning project. It’s been a productive day.
As for today’s outdoor adventures, I took a walk around the pond in between the bouts of rain. There was some thunder booming off in the distance, but the rain held off for the full thirty minutes I’m required (by my commitment) to be out there. Back in the woods, on the path that leads to the creek, I encountered the biggest snapping turtle I’ve ever seen. He was almost tortoise size. Since he was taking up a good portion of the width of the path, I decided it would be wise to turn around and leave the visit to the creek for another day. I did take a few fast photos, but they are what I’ve come to expect when I rush. Blurry.
We have a winner from yesterday’s Guess the Gnome’s Name game. Marie (also known as GardenFreshTomatoes) from My Little Corner of Rhode Island guessed correctly. Good job! I liked some of the other guesses too. Merlin, a popular choice, wasn’t bad at all. I thought Joe was pretty good, too. Alfred was one of my favorites because it made me chuckle. He does sort of look like an Alfred.
That’s about it from the Bogs for today. Thanks so much for dropping by. 🙂
This was an exceptional collection of lovely photos today, Robin! The goldenrod, the path at sunset, the peaches . . . muy bien! I am loving all these gnomes too.
Thank you, Teresita. 🙂
I think I know how you feel about the phobias. Some of us just can see the future, or future possibilities better than others. It’s unsettling. But I think you have the right therapy approach in striving to be in the moment (once you’ve done everything possible to prevent disaster from striking, like buying a waterproof camera.)
I don’t know how you get your photos to look so beautiful. The peaches are gorgeous.
Thanks, Christine. 🙂
Sometimes it’s post-processing in Photoshop or Picnik that does the trick for me. Sometimes I get lucky and don’t need to do anything other than resize the photo for the web.
The peaches look really yummy.
I have anxieties and worries, too … don’t we all? Learning to live with them is the hard part and I think your idea of being in the moment is a great way to do that … not always easy, but a great thing to try.
They were really yummy, Bearyweather. 🙂
I suppose we all have some form of anxiety and worry. It is nice to know I’m not alone, even if I wouldn’t wish this type of thing on anyone.
Hello Robin, I don’t have an ice cream truck phobia (far from it!) but stumbled across your Blog anyway. What fabulous photography. I’ve enjoyed wandering with you. Why do we worry about situations that haven’t happened yet? Do we all do it? Mostly, I try very hard to stay in the moment, but at night before sleep, I find it harder to direct my mind away from possibilities.
Hi Barb! It’s nice to meet you. I’m very glad to hear you don’t have an ice cream truck phobia. 😀
I often wonder the same things (if we all do it and why?). Most of what I worry about rarely comes to pass. You’d think that would be a lesson (and reason) in and of itself in terms of why I shouldn’t be looking ahead for worries.
This is such a ‘feel good’ post, Robin! I do believe the positive words on Jerome’s cap gave you even more inspiration than ever! 🙂
You, a Nervous Nelly? I don’t believe it! I’ve been reading, and enjoying, so many of your adventures for some time now and regard you as a real ‘go-getter’. You always seem to be trying out something new and adventurous.
Love the peaches photo, showing the tiny little fibres of fur in the skin. But the most outstnding photo today for me is the black and white photo of the single flower. The background flowers remind me of an audience, looking in awe at the stunning performer! 🙂
Thank you, Joanne. 🙂
I’m not quite a real go-getter, but I do push myself to try new and adventurous things.
Here’s the deal–we have a gnome in our garden that Sara insists on but I hate. However, I think I could actually live with Gerome the gnome! He’s a cutie!
Kathy
Maybe you could turn your gnome into a Gerome gnome, Kathy. I know you are VERY good at repurposing things. 😀
Love the sunflower photo taken at sunset.
I’m an introvert myself. I think I love photography because I don’t have to talk to anyone while shooting ! 🙂
Thanks, Kala. 🙂
I never really thought about it that way, but it does seem photography serves the same purpose for me.
firstly, i heart Gerome
secondly, please don’t buy a waterproof camera
its important that there are some places/spaces where you truly can be ‘in the moment’ without trying to capture the moment on film
seriously
Okay, Kel. No waterproof camera. For now. 🙂
My mouth is watering, those peaches are so, so tempting. count them again Robin, I fear there may be some, (much .. munch) missing. Ah lovely.!! and worries and phobias are just there as a warning to take care methinks, I for one wouldn’t be happy in a canoe, (can’t swim for one thing, phobia about water, although I love water .. and want to live by the sea. and would love to live on a Narrow Boat…go figure eh? 😉 ) … So good on you in accepting and trying to relax and enjoy, and talking of relaxing, I am even now sitting by your pond, legs dangling in the water. (phobia doesn’t mind that) with little sighs echoing to the sky, now and again. xPenx
Now I know where the missing peaches got to. I can’t blame you for nicking one or two, LadyP. They really were scrumptious. 🙂
YAY! I got it right!
Of course, it probably has something to do with being such a fan of Van Gogh… I’ve thought, since childhood, that I could live in the painting ‘Starry Night.’
I was an odd child.
Sorry this photos from your walk didn’t turn out – I’d have loved to see that giant snapper! We used to have one in our pond, but haven’t seen her in over 5 years. Her back was almost as big as a small dining-room table. Even though she’s gone, the ducks still won’t nest at our place – too many little ones lost in the past…
I was an odd child too, Marie. 😀
The ducks won’t nest here either. They do come to visit and to eat, but they don’t lay eggs here. Can’t blame them, with all the snappers around.
The peaches made my mouth water. So good.
Thanks, TBM. 🙂
Gerome’s hat is amazing! And my mouth is watering at those luscious peaches.
“Luscious” describes them well, LadyFi. 🙂
[…] 325: Sunday signage […]
Hey, no fair! You should have posted a better close-up of the gnome… I would have recognized that painting! 😉
Right there with you on the phobias… NOT fun sometimes, is it?
The sunflower is so beautiful, I like how you processed the photo.
Gerome is adorable!! My favorite so far. The bottle caps are a great idea (I still have a Snapple lid from 15-16 years ago that says “If this had been a sweepstakes, you would have won”. Yup, just my luck!)
Thanks, Michaela. 🙂
I like the bottle cap idea too. I’ve been wondering how I could use it around here. If only I had a gnome to decorate…
Oh, and peaches look delicious!!! I can’t wait for the weather to cool down here, so I can make peach cobbler!
Interesting that you get ice cream truck phobias as a search… I get the oddest things too… but who knows. I love these gnomes. 🙂
Hi Robin. I love your photos of peaches. Imagine… going to the peach orchard. We do have peach trees in micro-climates here (my friend had a peach tree in Spryfield near Halifax). Also like your photo of ‘touch-me-not’. Jane
Thank you so much, Jane. And thanks for stopping by and commenting. I appreciate it. 🙂