A quick micropost tonight. I don't know much (okay, next to nothing) about plants; but I'm grateful that the owners of our house took the time to plant a wide range of perennials that have been absolutely beautiful for us to look at. As I was cooking on the grill I couldn't help but notice these flowers and began to think about the cycle of the past 12 months. I posted last year about this same thing - my god, has it really been (almost) 12 months?? So much has happened since the last time I thought about spring, flowers, seasons marching to the light and warmth. So a quick few pics for you tonight. (Side note: I definitely need a macro lens....)
On a different note, here are a few of one of our resident eagles, trying to eat his meal in peace. The brave blackbirds you see were trying their hardest to harass Mr. Eagle and steal his food. He ultimately left for more peace and quiet. The nerve....
I need more and more time to do fewer and fewer things. Alas, the joy of fatherhood has totally put a crimp in my blogging, though I still hold onto the dream of actually posting trip reports from our time in Europe. Our good friend Lucia is much better at this than I will ever be - but she provides great inspiration for what I hope to complete one day.
I'm still planning a big Venice post, now 6 months late. 6 months. I blame my perfectionist streak in going through my 'perfect' photos and tweaking them a bit. I can't help it, though I'm beginning to recognize it's a losing battle. Oh well, at least it provides me with my therapy.
The photo here is one of my favorites. I actually went to Venice by myself for 2 days while Kathy was back in the States, doing nothing but getting (stupendously) lost and taking it all in with my trusty Nikon. And I'm positive I have absolutely no idea where I had lunch on this particular day. I started with a fresh frutti di mare antipasto plate, moved on to a simple penne primi dish, and finished with the ever-delicious panna cotta. The quarto of wine completed the trifecta (quarto litro, not American quarto). The quiet gondoliers rowing past my table help make it one of the most memorable meals I will ever have; being by myself with my own thoughts only made it more unique.
I'm already thinking about 3 posts ahead - I know, I know, I can't even finish the one in front of me. That's what 20,000 pictures from Europe does to you - I can't wait to show them all.
One of my future posts will be about Magna Grecia, or greater Greece. Before the Romans took over the Italian peninsula, Greece was in control of all things Mediterranean. Many colonies were founded throughout Italy and Sicily, including this one, now known as Paestum (Roman name) but once known as Poseidonia. It lies about 2 hours south of Naples and had always been on my list of places to see, after many hours of study in multiple art history classes I'd taken over the years. More on that later.
Well, this will have to do for now. As we get closer and closer to our move to San Diego this summer, no doubt these will be harder for me to do. But I'm determined to get to this as often as I can. In the meantime, one more pic for you. I figure he's a good enough reason why I can't post as often as I could....
