Just Clouds

Not a very exciting photograph today.  It was Tuesday, which means Dunkin' at the beach.  It was cool and overcast so we brought some beach chairs and a tiny table I built to keep our coffee and donuts on top of, to keep the sand out!  So we were just enjoying the cool weather and a really nice cool breeze and were just watching the clouds go by.  But there was something subtle about the grays of the clouds that kept my attention, and finally I took out my toy camera and made three exposures.  I took this because the clouds and the scene are so beautiful, but it is not a photograph that will cause you to say: "Wow!"  And that's OK.  Some things in life are subtle.

 

A Visiting Cat

Look at this beautiful cat!  This cat came to visit and play in our side yard today.  I will call this cat a him, based on no reason, but he was lying in the grass and when a bee would buzz by him he would take a swipe at it with his paw.  I have no idea what he would do if he caught a bee, however.  But what a beautiful cat.  I called out to him an he looked around at me and so I took this shot.  What a beautiful color he is and his eyes are a stunning yellow orange!  He eventually went away and then an hour or so he was back.  It's fun to have a cat visitor.  Something of a rarity.

 

Mister Badass on a Harley

This is me, believe it or not, in my United States Air Force uniform back in 1965, sitting on a Harley Davidson motorcycle.  It's not what you think - I am not a badass biker!  I was a Fuels Specialist in the 914th Troop Carrier Group, out of Niagara Falls, New York.  I had just finished my 6 months active duty in the USAF Reserve, and then it was time for our two week active duty summer encampment.  That would be at Grenier Field, in New Hampshire.  The 914th flew C-119 Flying Boxcar aircraft which were used for moving troops and equipment, and also dropping paratroopers.  The story is, that one of the guys in my outfit owned this Harley.  A couple of weeks before encampment, the Captain said that if anyone had anything they wanted to bring to summer camp, to bring it to the airbase, and they would transport it to Grenier Field.  One of the guys said "Can I bring my motorcycle?" and we all laughed, until the Captain said "Sure."  Turns out it would be good practice for the loadmasters to figure out how to safely tie down and transport a motorcycle in the C-119!  So when we got to New Hampshire after a couple of days, my friend said "Do you want to ride my bike?" and I said "Yes," of course never having ridden one!  So he showed me how to operate the clutch, and throttle and shifter.  I only rode it for a short while around a couple of roads on the airbase.  It was fun, and then I got to have my photo taken with the bike!  I have never been on a motorcycle since, and I am good with that!

 

Farewell My Faithful Friend

This is my Braun coffee grinder.  Those of you who know me, know that I am a coffee brat.  Meaning that every cup of coffee matters to me.  So I buy roasted coffee beans, and grind enough for one cup of coffee at a time.  Then I went around the bend, and on an assignment one time met a man who had a business selling green coffee beans which then had to be roasted.  The writer had borrowed a coffee bean roaster which I got to try.  Then I bought a coffee bean roaster of my own and started roasting my own beans!  Anyhow back in 1977, the environmental reporter at Newsday decided to start a new magazine about high end audio equipment for listening to music.  It was called "The Absolute Sound."  I volunteered to help him by photographing the equipment - amplifiers, speakers, pre amplifiers, and turntables, for the new magazine.  So you are wondering where this is going.  While at his house photographing equipment, he made coffee.  I heard this whirring as he was grinding coffee beans for a pot of coffee for those of us there.  And that was my first look at a Braun coffee grinder!  I immediately bought one and have used it ever since.  But the other day the tiny little interlock switch broke off and the grinder is now broken.  I can't complain - it has lasted 46 years!  I do remember reading somewhere on the net within the last year, about how well built Braun appliances used to be.  They would last forever and forever.  But unfortunately at some point they switched to lower quality manufacturing.  But the machine I own was one of the great ones, and I will miss it!

 

How to Eat a Donut

For breakfast on the morning of Vivian's birthday, everyone wanted Dunkin' donuts.  So off I went with a list of all the different donuts people wanted.  Amy and Vivian both wanted a chocolate covered raised donut, and it HAD to have colored sprinkles on it.  So that's what I got!  What was so interesting was how Vivian ate her donut!  You and I would hold the donut level to our mouth and take a bite out of the edge from top to bottom.  But Miss Vivian had her own way.  And you can see here exactly how she chooses to eat her donut!  Different from how we would do it, but she enjoyed her donut as much as the rest of us did!  Marching to the beat of a different drum!

 

Miss Vivian's Birthday!

So today was Vivian's actual birthday, and her day started with her favorite Dunkin' donut, a chocolate covered one with colored sprinkles.  And in honor of her birthday, there are three candles on her donut.  Please notice the gold crown on her head, with the number 3 on it!

Here she is opening one of her presents, which is a doll.  She was very deliberate in making sure to have all of the wrapping paper off the package before looking at what is inside.

Here are Amy, and Vivian and she is holding her new doll, as Kathy looks on.

Here Viv and Gus are pretending to sleep on the couch in the back room, before the three of them headed off to Montauk to visit friends.

At one point, Vivian climbed the stairs carrying a doll that Kathy had made. because she wanted to make her slide down the bannister, which she is doing here.

 

Miss Vivian Arrives!

Miss Vivian arrived today, and she brought her mom and dad with her!  Because she is nearly three, Kathy spent some time buying a few new things for her to play with while she is here.  So Kathy bought her a Barbie doll, and some beach accessories like a chaise lounge and umbrella.  Then Kathy decided to make a palm tree out of cardboard and green felt, and used some cardboard to make a sandy beach with a blue ocean! 

Tomorrow is Vivian's birthday, and so Kathy bought her a present of a doll house.  So Vivian unwrapped it and both of them got to play with it together today.

And here is Vivian and her birthday cake, a day early!  Amy said this is really the first time she gets the idea of what a birthday and a birthday party is.  We will have presents tomorrow - Amy spent part of tonight wrapping gifts for her.  But you can see that she is really fascinated with this delicious birthday cake that Kathy made - a yellow cake with strawberry filling and a strawberry frosting.  That was delicious!  It sure is nice to have everyone here to visit with us for a while!