Global Colding

The guy on the radio said we might have frost on our windshields tomorrow morning. 32 degrees is our predicted overnight low. That's considered freezing on the Fahrenheit scale.

Frost. Pasadena.

For yesterday's dog walk, John wore a woolen scarf around his neck. He also wore shorts, but still, something's not right.

These old houses--okay, this old house--is porous. I've never been crazy about dusting (warn me if you're coming over) but the cool breeze floating in around the window frames is even more disconcerting than the particles it brings with it.

Our heater works, so we'll have ourselves some winter and I'll cozy up indoors at the window. The skies are inordinately clear. The mountains rise, sharply, to meet the blue. The clouds are so towering as to inspire religion.

But doesn't it seem unusually cold for Pasadena?

Arms Down

I like warm weather.

I'll rephrase that. I like hot weather.

What I don't like is being stinky. I hope you don't mind my saying. John says nobody can smell me but me, but that's bad enough. And yes, I use deodorant, but no amount of ...

I probably shouldn't be talking about this.

How's your summer going? Getting ready for school? Some people are starting up again next week and it seems too soon, don't you think?

Drawing a Blank

Sometimes the day is long. You come home, sit down at the computer to create your little ditty and discover you've spent what meager brain pennies you had. There's nothing left to create with.

I spent my sense in Sherman Oaks yesterday, which is appropriate because that's where, two years ago, I took this photo. I knew it would come in handy sooner or later. (That's called saving for a rainy day.)

Apropos

This picture is apropos of nothing, a shot I took on Pasadena's east side maybe two years ago on a blustery day a lot like yesterday. At the time, this was at the back of a furniture store. It may still be at the back of a furniture store, but a lot can change in two years. It's just off of Rosemead Blvd., about a half mile south of the 210 freeway.

All you have to do to find good photographic subjects is get out of the car and walk. Anywhere. Try it.

Here's an exclusive offer for readers of Pasadena Daily Photo: you may remember that on October 28th I announced Ibarionex Perello's Digital Camera Bootcamp. Pro photographer and teacher at the revered (and expensive) Art Center College of Design, Ibarionex is someone I not only admire and recommend, but also someone I really like. For the November 19th workshop only, PDP readers can take his workshop for $50 by entering the Promo Code "perellovip" when checking out. I don't do a lot of advertising here but jeez, that's a super discount and it's just for us.

Unjust

I think today will be our final test of the translation software at the pirating website, Just Pocket Camera. If you're reading this post there, it was stolen from http://pasadenadailyphoto.blogspot.com/. Come on over and see the post in its original form!

After today, I'll update you when I hear news about the legal proceedings. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, check my posts of the last several days. We're messing with a pirate website that's stealing my posts, but this wild, wacky fun won't last forever 'cause that sucker's coming down.

Karin suggested Shakespeare. I couldn't resist one of my favorite Sonnets, number 152.

In loving thee thou know'st I am forsworn,
But thou art twice forsworn to me love swearing,
In act thy bed-vow broke and new faith torn
In vowing new hate after new love bearing.
But why of two oaths' breach do I accuse thee,
When I break twenty? I am perjured most,
For all my vows are oaths but to misuse thee,
And all my honest faith in thee is lost.
For I have sworn deep oaths of thy deep kindness,
Oaths of thy love, thy truth, thy constancy,
And to enlighten thee, gave eyes to blindness,
Or made them swear against the thing they see;
   For I have sworn thee fair: more perjured eye,
   To swear against the truth so foul a lie. 


I guess he was mad when he wrote that. 

Friendly Skies

I liked this view when I got out of my car at the grocery store yesterday. I don't photograph clouds often, but that's because we don't often have them. These looked like they decided to squat right down on the roof.

I expected frenzy inside the store, but I guess that doesn't happen until Wednesday. Is it cocky of me to think we have everything we need for the week? (As I knock softly on my wooden desk.) I don't mind going back to the store if I need to, it's not the worst thing. (The worst thing is shopping for gifts the day before Christmas.) I only have one rule for the day before Thanksgiving: "don't travel."

If I were looking for Mr. Right, though, I'd make an exception this year. Boy howdy! Who knows? You might find Mr. Right at the airport. I hear the TSA's a solid job. So if you have to travel, make the best of it. When life gives you lemons, they say, make lemonade.

Shape Shapes

My weekend's shaping up to be creative. I hope you get to do what you want to do, too.

Have a beautiful holiday!

Inspiration for the photo: John Sandel

Zen Monday: #87

Zen Monday is the day you experience the photo and give us your thoughts rather than me telling you what I think the photo's about. There's no right or wrong. It means what you think it means, or what you want it to mean.

I look for a photo worth contemplating or, failing that, something odd or silly. And unless I absolutely must say something I stay out of the comments box to avoid influencing the intellectual path of the discussion, because when I get in there everything goes downhill.

As I post each new Zen Monday photo I add a label to last week's to identify it if necessary.

Necessities

I have need of the sky,
I have business with the grass;
I will up and get me away where the hawk is wheeling
Lone and high,
And the slow clouds go by.
I will get me away to the waters that glass
The clouds as they pass.
I will get me away to the woods.

-- Richard Hovey (1864-1900)

Looking Up

You recognize this, don't you?

I think what I'll do here is make a link for those who don't know what it is. Some folks are so familiar with it they don't need a link. Either they're looking at the picture saying, "Don't tell me, don't tell me!" or it's a complete no-brainer.

It's not a contest. It was just fun to take a picture of a cloudy sky today. We have clouds so rarely. The moisture comes in handy when we've still got fire in them thar hills after 17 days. The Station Fire is 81% contained at this writing. A week ago it felt like we'd never see that. Today, things are looking up.