Daily Photos

< October 2009 >

October 1, 2009
There are drummers . . . . . . and then there are percussionists. LOVE = JAZZ. Strength and rhythm. Just listening.

October 2, 2009
His and hers. Friday night lights. Limited life expectancy. A silent conspiracy of goodness keeps the world from coming apart. To get to the laundry room this evening, I had to stare down this angry-looking praying mantis.

October 3, 2009
The painted lady butterfly is common throughout North America, and is also found in Asia, Africa and Europe. I felt a physical sensation -- and not a good one -- when I saw that rows of trees had been cut down at one of my favorite parks. Construction continues in downtown Dayton. I had never heard of the bird of paradise flower until Wednesday when Mary said it was her favorite. And then suddenly, here one is in front of me. The territory of the clouded sulphur butterfly extends from northern Alaska to central Mexico.

October 4, 2009
From the inside looking out. I used to work here . . . for about six weeks. Sky squares. Opera for two. The real season begins in a couple weeks. Some people just like to play with their food.

October 5, 2009
Today`s photos are not as . . . LITERAL . . . as usual. Why does the word `wild` have a negative connotation? One down . . . go get the rake. Homage to Sally Gall. You may be wondering, `What on earth am I looking at?` Ah, that`s where you`re wrong.

October 6, 2009
What happens when you don`t use dental floss regularly. Careful, those stems are sharp. You wouldn`t want to get gored by a gourd. At this point, it was raining, my camera was getting wet, and I didn`t care. How many days until Christmas? Unexpectedly at the last minute, here`s a not-awful picture.

October 7, 2009
I missed the entire field hockey season last year, and only managed to make the last game of this season. Oakwood`s impenetrable gold sock defense kept the opposing team scoreless. Win or lose, every player was cheered after the game. Big things are taking shape downtown at RiverScape. Small things are taking shape downtown at RiverScape.

October 8, 2009
Strings of beads are used in many religions to facilitate prayer and devotion. Stay healthy. The rose of humility. Nature`s helper. I have nothing against fall -- it`s just what it leads to that bothers me.

October 9, 2009
G.I. Joe. Sparks. Major Tom. Flying tiger. Top gun.

October 10, 2009
I was really looking forward to the catapult competition, but was disappointed to find they were shooting off pumpkins. With catapults, I expected CATS. It`s an exhilarating flight through the air for 175 feet . . . . . . but the last few inches are painful. Boo. These pheromone scent glands make it obvious that this is a male monarch

October 11, 2009
I roamed to the other side of the tracks to find photos today. I had PLANNED to photograph belly dancing today, but that was cancelled, so you get this instead. A shadow like this at 1:21pm means that winter is coming. Some days I just drive around pointlessly. This one was taken out of the sunroof of my car. I`m not sure I could find this part of town again if I tried.

October 12, 2009
Rollicking rodents, part 1. Late bloomer. Rollicking rodents, part 2. Portable music players are getting so sophisticated. Rollicking rodents, part 3.

October 13, 2009
Raise the banner high for Dayton`s poet laureate. What`s your point? Vessel made of stone. Locking something out, or locking something in? Autumn landscape -- or as close as you`ll get from me.

October 14, 2009
Thumb. Index. Middle. Annular. Pinky.

October 15, 2009
Beaks in the crowd. Turning the head and shoulders makes for a more dramatic portrait. At the bottom of the tree . . . . . . at the top of the tree. I never do crossword puzzles, but the inticement here was too great.

October 16, 2009
Red: illegally parked car. White: police cruiser. Birth of gas giant seen from Hubble Space Telescope. In front of Dorothy Lane Market. The oft-photographed streetlight in front of my house. Third and St. Clair (see October 24, 2005).

October 17, 2009
Converse All-Stars are still cool among high-schoolers, but evidently shoe laces are not. A scramble out of the pocket. Teamwork. Scorn or curiosity? It`s hard to judge. For me, fall happens one leaf at a time.

October 18, 2009
Perfect for watching the leaves turn. Intimacy. On the edge of oblivion. Did you see that Fred Astaire movie called `Daddy Long Legs?` Most people haven`t. To my knowledge, Fred Astaire never appeared in a movie about grasshoppers.

October 19, 2009
He hid in the tree because he`s going off his diet. Fall has fell. There was a classic 1969 Camaro surrounded by two brand-new ones. Guess which one I photographed. Starved for attention, I sometimes send e-mails to myself. Spinning in the living room.

October 20, 2009
`Look at me when I`m talking to you!` It`s 4:47pm and the sun is setting. A foretaste of winter. Nothing gold can stay. ROBERT FROST Last call for bees.

October 21, 2009
The years she spent wearing braces were well worth it. We were lucky to be shooting outside on a warm fall day. I think `WOW!` pretty much sums up this photo. Not just pretty, she`s also very sweet and smart too. She`s an 18-year-old junior in college. Never once did her smile falter, nor did she blink while I was taking her picture.

October 22, 2009
What`s in my pocket? What`s in my pocket? What`s in my pocket? What`s in my pocket? What`s in my pocket?

October 23, 2009
A drippy day. If someone in one of my photography workshops showed me this picture, I would take a deep breath and say, `Okay, here`s what you can do to improve your photos.` A momentary pause in the passage between life and death. Not quite the jet pack he dreamed of when a little boy, but running a leaf blower can still be fun. Yella umbrella.

October 24, 2009
Once again, Mary was a cooperative model for my photo workshop (see June 20, 2009). The teacher got to take some pictures of Mary too. When Mary asked what to wear, I said, `Dress warmly and look like a leaf.` I think she looks decidedly deciduous. You can`t tell it was cold and rainy, can you? We were able to rescue her from the giant spiders in time.

October 25, 2009
Morning melt on my motorcar. Leaf of the day. The flames of faith. On a neighbor`s porch wind chimes annoy me, but in the woods they quietly complement the sounds of nature. It`s late October and Mexico is a long way off, but like Yossarian trying to run to Sweden at the end of Catch-22, you just have to hope that this monarch will make it.

October 26, 2009
Birds of a feather forage together. Waterfront property. What the toad saw. Mirror, mirror on the water. How about if I just display this picture five times today?

October 27, 2009

October 28, 2009
Fall on a wall. Bright beams against a dark sky. Falling leaves are part of the great circle of life. Wait, don`t tell me, let me guess. You got me a pony! Was that necessary?

October 29, 2009
Autumn eyes. On golden pond. She wouldn`t come down until I put a saucer of milk at the bottom of the tree. Arianna . . . known as Annie. See her silky shoes on September 18, 2009. Looking through the viewfinder for this shot, I suddenly felt like Mario Testino photographing Princess Diana.

October 30, 2009
It was supposed to rain heavily last night. When I came outside this morning, I was very glad it hadn`t. This friendly and efficient young man told me he replaces `around five to eight` car windows per day. Two pumpkins and one squash. Voter`s Guide: if it has a 4 in it, vote yes. Warm and windy.

October 31, 2009
You can`t have an omelette (or an obstacle course) without breaking a few eggs. Steady now. Leaf stew. Overeating at this time of year is a matter of survival for many wild animals. Halloween is one of those traditional holidays that other people observe and I ignore.

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