HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT

I get a kick out of the little chipmunks who freeze in place when I walk up to the feeders. A good defense mechanism if there is some cover. Movement will always give away stealth. I can usually get fairly close, but did put the telephoto lens on for this shot. Jowls full and gone in a flash as I got to close. There must be hundreds of little caches around the out back here for the work of these critters prepping for winter. 

..................................

DEATH OF THE LOCAL MALL

The mall died here a few years ago and will never again be the shopping experience it once was. A few shops leaving at first, then the shut down of the food court quickly followed by the remainder of most of the other shops. 

This past week, there were no Christmas decorations and just half as many center isle kiosks as last year. As irony would have it, the only kiosk we wanted to visit was not open because the worker did not show up for work.

The stores that are still open for business cannot over come the sadness of closed spaces and the coldness of a sinking ship. 

A few older folks were walking the isles for exercise and other sitting around visiting.  I think there is still a small coffee shop open in the back corner.

I walked in silence, snapped a couple photos and tried to envision the times when it was wall to wall people bustling in the comings and goings of the holiday season.

No escaping changing times. 

...............................................

JEAN BAPTISTE CHANDELIER

Weightless...with music by First Aid Kit.

The best six minutes of your day. Full screen and sound up. Enjoy

..................................

KITCHEN A MESS

Well, it is the season and cookie makings are every where here. In some places stacked upon each other. Our place mats are barely available for some cinnamon toast and coffee in the morning. Lunch and dinner fend for themselves as more cookies are in the queue in the days ahead. 

Chocolate chip, peanut butter, hermits, Russian tea cakes and another new addition this season, oatmeal raisin. My wife has bagged up four gifts of cookies for me to start off the deliveries on our list today. Local folk with whom we see often and who have all endeared themselves to us in various ways during the course of each year will get a bag of cookies before Christmas. Handing over cookies always brings a smile and most know that when we walk in the door this time of the year, the reason why. 

We touch base, always laugh and smile, hand over cookies and all wish each other all the good things in life this time of the year. It is good for the heart, the giving of gifts and the sharing of homemade cookies. 

................................

GEORGES MILLS LAKE SUNAPEE

Thursday out driving and hoping to catch the sun at one of the inlets or harbors on Lake Sunapee. These two photos were taken just as the sun is setting over the inlet at Georges Mills. Top photo looking south from the dock landing and the bottom photo is looking east out of the inlet that opens into the larger lake.

I knew the moment I pulled into the small parking lot that I had just a few minutes to get the shot as the sun was quickly setting. With any photo adventure, all is needed is one good photograph to make the time and efforts worth it all. A few minutes later I did a panorama photo using my cell phone, but by then the drama of the setting sun and lake reflections were gone. 

The horizontal lines in the water, bottom photo, upper center left, are a couple ducks that thought it time to go swimming not realizing they were going to have impact on my perfect moment. Actually, they were more than welcome as wonderful moments for photography do not come that often. Wildlife always adds to the outdoors.  

.......................................

IN THE AFTER

The elephant in the room, for me these days, is the ever-looming and selling of war and end of times. False flags, imploding/exploding and the omniscient blonds selling themselves as hard as they sell three-day old news. The hatred of one half of America for the other half is like nothing I have ever seen nor felt before. And as much as I would like to believe that all of this societal upheaval is limited to "The Beltway" and large left cities, I can feel it oozing from corners and crevasses of our local government, towns and cities. 


Maybe this photo from American Digest, December 8, 2017 is over the top. But the photo is one of many from SoCal fires where over 200k folks have had to evacuate. After photos show complete destruction from raging wind and fire. The "meme-ing" of this photo regarding our entry into the new year is at least worthy of thought.  

Does the photo tell a story? I think to some degree. If so much in media, print and photography these days foretells times ahead, then might we just continue to shore up or lives as best we can? I am not advocating running crazy in circles with hands waving over head yelling "the sky is falling, the sky is falling." I am though thinking out-loud here that continuing a path of self-sufficiency and preparedness still needs to be on our heads up displays during this Christmas and New Years season. 

............................

FIRST SNOW

Four inches maybe; powder and beautiful. Dog and cat made their first season prints at daybreak this morning. Single digit temperatures in a few days and the game is on. 

Thanks again for the visit this week and go bake some cookies.