I Am So Over Summer

Now that Hope's birthday has come and gone may we please skip right to September?

The temperature in my back yard reads 105. I feel like I'm in freakin' Arizona; I keep looking over the fence to see if there's someone I should shoot first and ask for papers later.

One Hundred and Five Degrees! That's just ridiculous.

Hope's party was a success. An excess of course, but Hope was happy and her tiny guests had a great time in the pool.

I'll share a few photos later this week. I took 319 and I haven't edited yet.

July 4th sucked. It's always been one of my least favorite holidays. I don't get the need to be drunk and shoot off illegal fireworks in order to celebrate freedom.

My newest neighbors - over the fence behind me - all look like this ...



... and spent the entire 4th eating and drinking out of the back of a red pick-up. The moment the sun set they spent hours shooting off loud and obnoxious fireworks. No color or beauty, just noise and gun powder. Drunk, loud, and dangerous. God Bless America.

At the end of the day on the 4th I turned to Craig Ferguson and the Boston Pops. That sucked too.

As if I hadn't had enough white trash for the day this asshat was featured guest ...



He loves the troops so much he just can't stop making money off them. In between his two musical segments they showed enough footage of Toby "in country" to make you assume he was the new leader of the axis of goodness.

I watched as if I were an alien to this great land. Not the kind they send back as soon as they're done mowing the lawn but the kind from another planet.

Apparently Lady Liberty is only TV worthy if she has big bazonkers ...



All soldiers are damn happy to put themselves in harm's way for no good reason. They kept cutting to one kid who looked positively possessed by the patriotic fever as he staggered about punching the flag on his uniform shoulder and shouting "Oh Yeah".

Children are all blonde and angelic and nestle perfectly into the arms of adoring parents as they all stare wistfully at 2.5 million dollars worth of crap shoot into the air.

I always think of all the bits of paper and powder dropping into the river. And the sparks. If they had a fireworks show anywhere on the Gulf Coast I imagine this might happen ...



Even Craig couldn't lighten the show for me. Although I did imagine he was wearing these ...



... under his suit.

That's dedicated to you RON

Is it September yet?

Creative Photography: Resting at Harvard

Hope ya'all will stop by the CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY site and check out all the entries. I know I say it every week - cause it's true - there are some amazing, creative folks roaming round these internet tubes.

This photo is of a small private cemetery. I wish I knew the name of the place. It looked to be a very old church. It was gated and all the entrances were locked. I didn't see a plaque or a name anywhere. The building and the grounds were quite large, wrapped around a city block. This is the entire cemetery. It sat at the corner, directly across from one of Harvard's main entrances.

It was October and the ground was covered in leaves but it was still early enough for the trees to be full. I found it so endearing that the branches hang so low, as if to shade and protect all those resting there.

Ruby Tuesday: Those Damn Yankees Slept Here

Time for another RUBY TUESDAY. Make sure to stop by and check out all the others.

In honor of Mary’s visit to Boston this past weekend I pulled out a photo I took the last time I was there.

It’s the facade of the Copley Square Hotel. I like the bits of red showing through the trees. I discovered all sorts of new angles – many made necessary by being on a lurching bus stuck in mid-day Boston traffic.

I remember this hotel vividly because the tour guide told us the Yankees stay there when in town and of course everyone on the bus booed which made me laugh out loud. All eyes turned to me and I said “Oh give me a break, I was born in Brooklyn and I live in NJ. Do you really think a little booing can upset me?”

Later I was drinking with a few of the folks from the bus and received the ultimate Bostonian compliment. It’s probably an old Irish blessing as well. One of the guys told me – “I like you. You’re the only Yankees fan I don’t want to kill”.

See how easy it is to get along! Happy Ruby Tuesday.

Project Looking Through: Boston

If you’d like to catch the last few days of Project Looking Through please check out Mark’s place.

I love the contrast of old and new in this shot. I was on the lovely and silly Duck Tour and was struck by how surreal the bridge looked through the rusted old beams resting against the shore.



This is Faneuil Hall late in the evening taken through the French doors of my hotel room balcony. Before you get the idea that I’m fancy schmancy the balcony was the size of my suitcase and you had better not close the doors once you’re out there cause there’s no room to open them up again. Danny Bonaduce had been at the hotel the night before I got there. Imagine the fun I missed. Just as well, I didn’t bring bail money.



On yet another boat tour I loved the way Bunker Hill looked in the background as the railing on the boat made a cross for sailors everywhere.



Hope you enjoyed these. I love Boston. It’s the best of old and new. The sense of history and progress. And my lovely friend Cathy lives there.