We slept late this morning, and I skipped exercising so my muscles could rest. After breakfast, Hubbie and Mother worked grooming plants for the county fair, and I planned a presentation for the plant society group tonight.
Other than routine household chores, nothing happened during the afternoon. Around 2 p.m., I found a strange movie on a TV premium channel called, "The Cradle." I don't know what the movie's rating is, but I'd think it's probably PG13. This is a frightening and disturbing thriller that kept us on the edge of our seats without using bloody gore. I don't think this low-budget film is well known, but if you like nail-biters, this one is worth seeing.
Hubbie accompanied me to the plant society meeting, where my short presentation was well received. About 25 members attended, several of whom we know. One older lady paid me the backhanded compliment of saying that my presentation was interesting enough to keep her awake. After my talk, several approached me to talk more about cameras and photography.
A couple of members brought "give-aways"....plastic storage bags of zinnia seeds, and paper lunch sacks containing about five peaches each. One member brought potted coleus plants that were snatched up right away. We were given two bags of seeds and two bags of yummy Saturn (also known as saucer or donut) peaches.
Refreshments included cookies, brownies and, gratefully, two varieties of grapes. There was also bottled lemonade, which I dared not try, because I'm sure it contained yellow dye, and I'm highly allergic to that food color.
After the meeting, Hubbie and I were invited to join the organization. I'm sure I was invited because they see me as someone who could do their publicity. I reminded them that although I take pictures of flowers and plants, I can't really name them, and I don't have a green thumb at all. That didn't seem to discourage them. But I insisted that Hubbie would be a more logical member recruit.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
Friday, July 11
The water felt wonderful, as usual, at the pool this morning. Water aerobics will continue until July 30, after which the college closes for summer break. Sessions will resume in late August.
After I got back from water aerobics, I took Mother to the worldwide discount chain store. She only shops once or twice a month, because it tires her to walk around that store. I urged her to use a wheelchair or a motorized cart, but she refused, saying she needed the exercise.
I picked up talapia fish for supper, plus strawberries and grapes for lunch. I had trouble paying for my purchases by credit card, however, because the machine wasn't working properly. The store associate said that during yesterday's thunderstorm lightening struck a transformer near the adjacent gas station, knocking out the lights and gasoline pump computers, as well as the lights and computers in the store. The credit card machines and other electronic equipment still weren't working right today, she said. After some prompting, though, she got the credit card machine to activate.
After lunch, Mother and I went to the beauty shop for haircuts. We had nothing else scheduled for the rest of the afternoon and evening beyond fixing parmesan talapia for supper (an oven dish), served with steamed new potatoes, and yellow summer squash topped with Vidalia onions. Sliced locally grown tomatoes completed the meal.
There was nothing on the calendar for tonight, either, so we relaxed and watched a couple of movies I'd recorded on the DVR.
After I got back from water aerobics, I took Mother to the worldwide discount chain store. She only shops once or twice a month, because it tires her to walk around that store. I urged her to use a wheelchair or a motorized cart, but she refused, saying she needed the exercise.
I picked up talapia fish for supper, plus strawberries and grapes for lunch. I had trouble paying for my purchases by credit card, however, because the machine wasn't working properly. The store associate said that during yesterday's thunderstorm lightening struck a transformer near the adjacent gas station, knocking out the lights and gasoline pump computers, as well as the lights and computers in the store. The credit card machines and other electronic equipment still weren't working right today, she said. After some prompting, though, she got the credit card machine to activate.
After lunch, Mother and I went to the beauty shop for haircuts. We had nothing else scheduled for the rest of the afternoon and evening beyond fixing parmesan talapia for supper (an oven dish), served with steamed new potatoes, and yellow summer squash topped with Vidalia onions. Sliced locally grown tomatoes completed the meal.
There was nothing on the calendar for tonight, either, so we relaxed and watched a couple of movies I'd recorded on the DVR.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Thursday, July 10
Today completed my 34th day of Cardiac Rehab...only two more sessions and I'll be done with Phase II. If I sign up for Phase III, I'll basically be on my own in exercise routine, and I won't be monitored as closely as I am in Phase II. My blood pressure and oxygen saturation has remained pretty constant, with low BP and high oxygen saturation. The physical therapist remarked today that in the four years he has worked there, I am only one of two patients whose oxygen consistently registers at 100%.
The educational booklet we were provided today is all about controlling blood pressure through diet, exercise, and medications. It lists many of the common BP meds and describes side effects. The information is good, but nothing I wasn't already aware of.
For the first time that I remember it rained on the way to Cardiac Rehab. I took along an umbrella but didn't need it since the rain stopped by the time I got there. It wasn't raining when I left the session, either, though it was cloudy and muggy.
I was a little aggravated with myself this morning, though. For some reason I was daydreaming and missed my turn to the hospital, which meant I had to take a circuitous route to my destination. I got there about five minutes later than usual, meaning I couldn't rest before the therapist took my BP. It was still low enough but would have been even lower with five or ten minutes of sitting still.
While I was at Cardiac Rehab, Hubbie went to his monthly Master Gardener meeting. He got home about noon, and we all went over to our local cable company's open house. Hot dogs, chips, cake and cookies, and cold drinks or bottled water were served in honor of the occasion. I didn't indulge, but Mother and Hubbie brought helpings home for lunch. I fixed myself a deli turkey sandwich, low-fat cottage cheese, and a bowl of mixed fresh fruits.
We did register for the HD TV prize and picked up the pen, pencil and sticky note pad in a plastic cup before we left. Just as we got on the road the sky darkened, thunder boomed, lightening streaked, and there came a downpour. I was glad I'd thought to shut our computer off before leaving. I felt sorry for the folks who decided to stay and picnic under the canopies provided by the cable company. They must have gotten soaked.
The rain finally stopped later in the afternoon, and Hubbie and I went around to the Master Gardener projects so I could do more pictures. I got decent ones this time and put them on a CD, which we delivered to one of the members who is helping with the exhibit booth.
By this time, I was ready to relax and do nothing of consequence until bedtime.
The educational booklet we were provided today is all about controlling blood pressure through diet, exercise, and medications. It lists many of the common BP meds and describes side effects. The information is good, but nothing I wasn't already aware of.
For the first time that I remember it rained on the way to Cardiac Rehab. I took along an umbrella but didn't need it since the rain stopped by the time I got there. It wasn't raining when I left the session, either, though it was cloudy and muggy.
I was a little aggravated with myself this morning, though. For some reason I was daydreaming and missed my turn to the hospital, which meant I had to take a circuitous route to my destination. I got there about five minutes later than usual, meaning I couldn't rest before the therapist took my BP. It was still low enough but would have been even lower with five or ten minutes of sitting still.
While I was at Cardiac Rehab, Hubbie went to his monthly Master Gardener meeting. He got home about noon, and we all went over to our local cable company's open house. Hot dogs, chips, cake and cookies, and cold drinks or bottled water were served in honor of the occasion. I didn't indulge, but Mother and Hubbie brought helpings home for lunch. I fixed myself a deli turkey sandwich, low-fat cottage cheese, and a bowl of mixed fresh fruits.
We did register for the HD TV prize and picked up the pen, pencil and sticky note pad in a plastic cup before we left. Just as we got on the road the sky darkened, thunder boomed, lightening streaked, and there came a downpour. I was glad I'd thought to shut our computer off before leaving. I felt sorry for the folks who decided to stay and picnic under the canopies provided by the cable company. They must have gotten soaked.
The rain finally stopped later in the afternoon, and Hubbie and I went around to the Master Gardener projects so I could do more pictures. I got decent ones this time and put them on a CD, which we delivered to one of the members who is helping with the exhibit booth.
By this time, I was ready to relax and do nothing of consequence until bedtime.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Wednesday, July 9
Started the day with water aerobics. I love it. Several asked, though, how I'd gotten the big, old bruise on my hip, and I repeatedly explained I'd gotten it when I walked into a bolt and nut assembly in the makeshift darkroom last week, which was housed in the elevator mechanism room at the museum.
As soon as I got home, Hubbie commandeered the van to run errands again. Mother and I worked getting our fair entries ready to go Sunday. We enter quite a bit of stuff in a variety of categories, including crafts, household arts, baking, canning, candy making, fresh flowers, flower arrangements, and plants, as well as vegetables, if any are ready. It looks like banana peppers might be the only veggie that will be ready this year. Usually, we have nice tomatoes and other things, but the spring weather didn't cooperate this time. Mother grew some beautiful herbs, though, which she has dried and put in pretty jars for the fair.
This afternoon, I got a call asking me to go photograph some public garden spaces the Master Gardeners have worked on...they want to mount an exhibit booth in the fair, and need photos of their projects. It rained earlier this afternoon, so I couldn't get out to do that. When it finally cleared, I decided to go do the photos. But I found that my camera battery, and the spare battery, were both dead.
Later, the batteries were ready, and I got the shots. When I uploaded the pics to my computer, though, I discovered that I'd failed to set my camera's ISO back after setting it at 1600 for the fireworks show last Friday night. The MG wants to have the pics enlarged to 8"x10", and I think these will be too grainy if they are blown up that much. So I might have to go back tomorrow and try shooting the sites again.
I think this is a sign that I'm getting tired and need a break.
As soon as I got home, Hubbie commandeered the van to run errands again. Mother and I worked getting our fair entries ready to go Sunday. We enter quite a bit of stuff in a variety of categories, including crafts, household arts, baking, canning, candy making, fresh flowers, flower arrangements, and plants, as well as vegetables, if any are ready. It looks like banana peppers might be the only veggie that will be ready this year. Usually, we have nice tomatoes and other things, but the spring weather didn't cooperate this time. Mother grew some beautiful herbs, though, which she has dried and put in pretty jars for the fair.
This afternoon, I got a call asking me to go photograph some public garden spaces the Master Gardeners have worked on...they want to mount an exhibit booth in the fair, and need photos of their projects. It rained earlier this afternoon, so I couldn't get out to do that. When it finally cleared, I decided to go do the photos. But I found that my camera battery, and the spare battery, were both dead.
Later, the batteries were ready, and I got the shots. When I uploaded the pics to my computer, though, I discovered that I'd failed to set my camera's ISO back after setting it at 1600 for the fireworks show last Friday night. The MG wants to have the pics enlarged to 8"x10", and I think these will be too grainy if they are blown up that much. So I might have to go back tomorrow and try shooting the sites again.
I think this is a sign that I'm getting tired and need a break.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Tuesday, July 8
I arrived at Cardiac Rehab this morning at 8:30 for a blood test and an exit interview. The blood test showed my cholesterol and blood sugar are normal. However, the nutritionist would like to see my HDL level higher, because a higher level is a better indicator of good health. This means I need to get more omega-3 in my diet. Omega-3 is plentiful in salmon and tuna, but I, like most folks, don't eat those fish the recommended three times a week. I do eat oatmeal on most mornings for breakfast, and I do take daily fish oil gels with high DHA and EPA ratings, but the nutritionist thinks I may need to take two gels a day.
I made 100% on the quiz testing my knowledge of cardiac health (I made 90% the first day I was tested). On the staff survey, I gave everyone high marks. These young people are dedicated to their patients, and they are a joy to be with.
I couldn't have breakfast this morning, since I was to have a finger-prick blood test. So I took along one of the fruit and veggie muffins I'd made yesterday, along with half a banana, and a cup of fat-free milk.
Today was education day, too, so a male therapist spent time talking with us about diabetes. A few in our group are diabetic, so the talk was aimed mainly at them. But the information was good for all of us, because some of us have diabetics in our family, and we can pass this information along to them.
It was 10:30 before I got home. Hubbie commandeered the van as soon as I arrived, so he could run some errands. I stuck around the house, because we were expecting a repairman to come and look at the camper refrigerator sometime today.
I got a call from a member of a local plant society (not Master Gardeners) asking me to give a program Saturday evening on photographing flowers. This is short notice, but since my calendar is free, I agreed to do it. I began right away researching online for some basic flower photography information to use in my presentation. This group consists of older folks, who may or may not be familiar with digital cameras and close-up photography, so I want to offer them uncomplicated ideas for getting better shots.
The refrigerator repairman finally did come. He found that some sort of circuit board in the fridge had come loose, probably from the camper jostling during travel. He felt confident that this was the problem. He plugged the circuit board back in and asked us to wait a few hours to see if the fridge cools. If it does not cool, we are to call him.
After supper, we all trekked down to the art gallery for an artist reception. On display are small works on paper from the capital city's art museum. This is a juried exhibit, which this year has lots of "artsy" photographs that interested me.
Tonight, we indulged in a couple of refreshment items...chocolate chip merengues, and apple chips. Both were delicious. I looked up recipes for these, and they are simple to make, and both are very attractive. The merengues were served in a clear vase shaped like an oil lamp chimney, and the apple chips were in a pretty basket.
Later, Hubbie and I attended a community theater board meeting. Hubbie attends twice a year, on party nights...once in the summer, when new board members are welcomed, and once at Christmas time. The old board members usually provide refreshments for these events. However, when we arrived, we were told the party has been postponed until next month, because the executive board hadn't been seated as of last night, and the new board members hadn't been contacted. Also, the outgoing president is in the hospital. I should have called the lady who hosts our meetings each month at her house, because I noticed I didn't get a message to bring a goodie last night.
We got home from the meeting about 9:30 p.m., and Hubbie went out to check the camper refrigerator. It wasn't cooling, so he called and left a message with the repairman.
I made 100% on the quiz testing my knowledge of cardiac health (I made 90% the first day I was tested). On the staff survey, I gave everyone high marks. These young people are dedicated to their patients, and they are a joy to be with.
I couldn't have breakfast this morning, since I was to have a finger-prick blood test. So I took along one of the fruit and veggie muffins I'd made yesterday, along with half a banana, and a cup of fat-free milk.
Today was education day, too, so a male therapist spent time talking with us about diabetes. A few in our group are diabetic, so the talk was aimed mainly at them. But the information was good for all of us, because some of us have diabetics in our family, and we can pass this information along to them.
It was 10:30 before I got home. Hubbie commandeered the van as soon as I arrived, so he could run some errands. I stuck around the house, because we were expecting a repairman to come and look at the camper refrigerator sometime today.
I got a call from a member of a local plant society (not Master Gardeners) asking me to give a program Saturday evening on photographing flowers. This is short notice, but since my calendar is free, I agreed to do it. I began right away researching online for some basic flower photography information to use in my presentation. This group consists of older folks, who may or may not be familiar with digital cameras and close-up photography, so I want to offer them uncomplicated ideas for getting better shots.
The refrigerator repairman finally did come. He found that some sort of circuit board in the fridge had come loose, probably from the camper jostling during travel. He felt confident that this was the problem. He plugged the circuit board back in and asked us to wait a few hours to see if the fridge cools. If it does not cool, we are to call him.
After supper, we all trekked down to the art gallery for an artist reception. On display are small works on paper from the capital city's art museum. This is a juried exhibit, which this year has lots of "artsy" photographs that interested me.
Tonight, we indulged in a couple of refreshment items...chocolate chip merengues, and apple chips. Both were delicious. I looked up recipes for these, and they are simple to make, and both are very attractive. The merengues were served in a clear vase shaped like an oil lamp chimney, and the apple chips were in a pretty basket.
Later, Hubbie and I attended a community theater board meeting. Hubbie attends twice a year, on party nights...once in the summer, when new board members are welcomed, and once at Christmas time. The old board members usually provide refreshments for these events. However, when we arrived, we were told the party has been postponed until next month, because the executive board hadn't been seated as of last night, and the new board members hadn't been contacted. Also, the outgoing president is in the hospital. I should have called the lady who hosts our meetings each month at her house, because I noticed I didn't get a message to bring a goodie last night.
We got home from the meeting about 9:30 p.m., and Hubbie went out to check the camper refrigerator. It wasn't cooling, so he called and left a message with the repairman.
Monday - Back to the Routine
It was a usual Monday...started the morning at Cardiac Rehab. Even though I rode my bike twice a day at camp, I wasn't able to perform up to par this morning on the cardio-stepper and treadmill. Or maybe I was just less energetic because we haven't really had a down day yet to recover from the trip. My blood pressure and oxygen saturation were good, so I'm fine. I'll probably be right back in the groove by tomorrow.
Today's educational video addressed the concerns of folks right after suffering a cardiac episode...fear of going to sleep, because we might not wake up again, depression about our health, mixed feelings about lifestyle changes, the advantages of cardiac rehab, etc. This was a video that I think should be shown at the beginning of the rehab program, rather than at the end.
After I got back home, I spent some time completing paperwork for cardiac rehab...quizzes to see how much I've learned in 36 sessions, surveys about lifestyle changes, and surveys evaluating the staff at rehab. I'll end Phase II of the program in a few more days, but I want to sign up for Phase III, I think
Then I made a batch of muffins, chock full of fruits and veggies. Three of the best ones will be entered in our county fair, coming up next week.
I spent the rest of the afternoon journaling our trip to the capital city.
There were no outings scheduled for this evening, so I relaxed and caught up with a week's worth of local newspapers, and then watched TV until bedtime. Not a very exciting day, but productive enough.
Today's educational video addressed the concerns of folks right after suffering a cardiac episode...fear of going to sleep, because we might not wake up again, depression about our health, mixed feelings about lifestyle changes, the advantages of cardiac rehab, etc. This was a video that I think should be shown at the beginning of the rehab program, rather than at the end.
After I got back home, I spent some time completing paperwork for cardiac rehab...quizzes to see how much I've learned in 36 sessions, surveys about lifestyle changes, and surveys evaluating the staff at rehab. I'll end Phase II of the program in a few more days, but I want to sign up for Phase III, I think
Then I made a batch of muffins, chock full of fruits and veggies. Three of the best ones will be entered in our county fair, coming up next week.
I spent the rest of the afternoon journaling our trip to the capital city.
There were no outings scheduled for this evening, so I relaxed and caught up with a week's worth of local newspapers, and then watched TV until bedtime. Not a very exciting day, but productive enough.
Sunday, July 6
We slept late this morning, and beyond reading the Sunday paper, catching up on computer tasks, and preparing a menu and grocery list for the upcoming week, we didn't do much before noon. We decided a pot of spaghetti and sauce would be good for lunch, and we made enough to have for supper again tomorrow night.
After lunch, Hubbie and I shopped for groceries at the worldwide discount chain store. At 4 p.m., Hubbie, Mother, and I, went to the museum to attend a lecture about the trials and tribulations of Native American tribes in our region in the late 19th century. The lecture was part of series of programs that includes a traveling exhibit of 53 Native American Plains Indians portraits, taken 1889-1891, and an archeological exhibit on the Mississippian Culture in our area.
Tonight, we went over to the college for an outdoor movie presentation of the musical, "1776." Only a handful of us attended, but we enjoyed each other's company. The movie was good, of course, though we had difficulty understanding one of the actresses. Maybe the sound system wasn't adequate. The movie was longer than we anticipated, too. It started at 8:30 p.m., and didn't end until 11 p.m. We didn't get back home until close to 11:30, which was a pretty late hour for Mother.
Years ago, our community theater performed this musical, and I know I've seen it on television. I might have even recorded it on VHS, though it would be better to have the DVD version now. I might order it. I love musicals, and this would be a welcome addition to my library. I especially like movies and musicals that I can watch every year during the appropriate holiday.
After lunch, Hubbie and I shopped for groceries at the worldwide discount chain store. At 4 p.m., Hubbie, Mother, and I, went to the museum to attend a lecture about the trials and tribulations of Native American tribes in our region in the late 19th century. The lecture was part of series of programs that includes a traveling exhibit of 53 Native American Plains Indians portraits, taken 1889-1891, and an archeological exhibit on the Mississippian Culture in our area.
Tonight, we went over to the college for an outdoor movie presentation of the musical, "1776." Only a handful of us attended, but we enjoyed each other's company. The movie was good, of course, though we had difficulty understanding one of the actresses. Maybe the sound system wasn't adequate. The movie was longer than we anticipated, too. It started at 8:30 p.m., and didn't end until 11 p.m. We didn't get back home until close to 11:30, which was a pretty late hour for Mother.
Years ago, our community theater performed this musical, and I know I've seen it on television. I might have even recorded it on VHS, though it would be better to have the DVD version now. I might order it. I love musicals, and this would be a welcome addition to my library. I especially like movies and musicals that I can watch every year during the appropriate holiday.
Capital City Trip, Day Seven
Day seven: Saturday, July 5: we were up by 7:30 this morning, in time to ride bikes one last time before leaving camp. We headed out about 11 a.m. and arrived home mid-afternoon. The area where the campground is located is in a lovely spot, near a mountain that is a favorite of climbers. Hubbie and I have climbed the steep path up it a few times, but haven't tried it in years.
Near the campground, too, is a pretty horse ranch, with green roofed and shuttered stables, green pastures, and white fences. Today, horses, and a couple of donkeys, were grazing in the pasture. Bordering the ranch is a slew...a body of water where both lily pads and cattails thrive. The mountain, a conical-shaped hill, really, with well-worn and clearly visible climbing paths etched up its sides, rises in the background.
Today signaled the end of the mild weather we enjoyed all week. The humidity was on the rise, and by the time we got home, it was very muggy for unpacking the camper.
We spent the rest of the day washing clothing and bedding, and doing the dozens of other tasks necessary to putting our lives back in order after a trip.
It was good to be back home again, although we'll be bitten by the wanderlust bug soon again, I'm sure.
Near the campground, too, is a pretty horse ranch, with green roofed and shuttered stables, green pastures, and white fences. Today, horses, and a couple of donkeys, were grazing in the pasture. Bordering the ranch is a slew...a body of water where both lily pads and cattails thrive. The mountain, a conical-shaped hill, really, with well-worn and clearly visible climbing paths etched up its sides, rises in the background.
Today signaled the end of the mild weather we enjoyed all week. The humidity was on the rise, and by the time we got home, it was very muggy for unpacking the camper.
We spent the rest of the day washing clothing and bedding, and doing the dozens of other tasks necessary to putting our lives back in order after a trip.
It was good to be back home again, although we'll be bitten by the wanderlust bug soon again, I'm sure.
Monday, July 7, 2008
More Photos From Capital City Trip
These are a few shots from the campground, as well from the park across the alley from the museum where the photography session was held.
The top photo is of boat slips at the marina near the campground. In the second photo, four ducks near the marina seem to be marching in formation. The third shot shows the blooms of a mimosa tree. Several of these colorful trees, along with pink and white blooming crepe myrtles, added touches of beauty throughout the park.
In the third photo, goldfish swim among bright yellow lily pads at the park near the museum. In the bottom snapshot, an old railroad bridge, now converted to a walking bridge, is framed by the roof of the amphitheater, also at the park near the museum.
Fireworks Show
Here are a few shots of the July 4 fireworks show in our capital city. These were done by hand holding the camera, which is not recommended. Using a tripod would have made for sharper images, but with everything else we carried to the park, I didn't feel there was room for a tripod as well. So I set my camera's speed at 1600 and got the best shots I could...they definitely don't do justice to how beautiful the bursts were in real life.
Capital City Trip, Day Six
Day six: Friday, July 4: Today we were up by 6 a.m. and rode bikes after breakfast. The rest of the morning was spent sprucing the camper, grooming Shih Tzu, putting out fruit and cookie refreshments, etc., in anticipation of a visit from my high school friend, whom I hadn't seen in about 40 years.
She and her husband arrived about 9:30 a.m., and we had a wonderful visit. I'd brought along a scrapbook of photos, current and past, and other memorabilia, from our class's 40th high school reunion, and we took a walk down memory lane. We also caught up on each other's lives since our high school days. I would have thought we would seem like strangers after so long, but the minute I saw her step out of her vehicle, the years fell away, and it was like we'd never been apart. So much has happened to each of us, but we are still the same people at heart, and the things we loved and respected about each other in high school still hold true today.
She and her husband left around 11:30, but not until we vowed to visit soon again. Hubbie and Friend's husband hit it off nicely, so we are seriously thinking of making the 12-hour trip to visit in her home state soon.
After lunch, we went to the museum for the last day of the photography session. Since there were only four kids there today, and I'd squeezed all the projects into the first four days, we did more sunprints, and watched another photography video. After that, the volunteer found other educational tapes for them to watch until their parents came to pick them up early.
By the time we got back to camp, Son and Daughter-in-Law had arrived, bringing deli chickens for supper. We had those with baked potatoes and fresh sliced tomatoes. Again, this afternoon, a thunderstorm cropped up. We were afraid the weather would rain out July 4 activities tonight, but it stopped finally, and the skies began to clear.
After supper, we hurried downtown to get a space in the park to hear the symphony orchestra and watch the fireworks. We feared that we might not get a parking space very close to the park, but a very nice young man was getting ready to leave his space and made sure we got it. It was only about two blocks from the park. We'd borrowed a wheelchair for Mother, which I pushed, while Hubbie, Son, and Daughter-in-Law carried lawn chairs.
At the park, we found a space on a concrete platform that was part of a statue display. It was the perfect place to park the wheelchair and lawn chairs. The amphitheater and seating was downhill from this statue, affording us a perfect view, unimpeded by folks seated in lawn chairs or on blankets in front of us.
I'd come prepared with umbrellas, hand fans, insect repellent, hats, long-sleeve shirts, etc. It turned out that hats and fans were all we needed against the sunshine an hour or so before the fireworks display.
A local country band entertained before the symphony orchestra took the stage. We really enjoyed the symphony and their several selections of patriotic music. As we all stood for the National Anthem, a huge American flag rolled up in the background.
Teenagers roamed through the crowd, selling neon wands, tiaras, bracelets and the like. Vendors sold cold drinks and beer. Folks flocked to the food stands to buy what I saw as " foot long fat on a stick"...bratwurst, coated and deep fried. "Fat on a plate" (funnel cakes) were also popular. Other vendors sold cold drinks and beer. Water went for $2 a bottle. No thank you.
There was a dunking booth, and a couple of booths featured contests for the best sweet tea recipe, as well as the best apple pie recipe. The winner of the sweet tea recipe (handed down to her by her recently deceased 91-year-old grandmother) received an engraved pewter tea pitcher. The winner of the apple pie recipe got an engraved silver pie server.
A riverboat, outlined in lights and playing calliope music cruised up and down the river past the amphitheater. Son said tickets to dinner and a show on the boat, and a privileged view of the fireworks were $125 each. No thanks again.
The fireworks began about 9:30 p.m., as scheduled. It was a good display, but no larger than the one in our hometown.
We dreaded the traffic afterward, but after sitting in the truck for a while, we were able to feed into traffic easily and got home sooner than I'd anticipated, around 10:30 p.m.
Son and Daughter-in-Law left shortly afterward, and we went straight to bed.
She and her husband arrived about 9:30 a.m., and we had a wonderful visit. I'd brought along a scrapbook of photos, current and past, and other memorabilia, from our class's 40th high school reunion, and we took a walk down memory lane. We also caught up on each other's lives since our high school days. I would have thought we would seem like strangers after so long, but the minute I saw her step out of her vehicle, the years fell away, and it was like we'd never been apart. So much has happened to each of us, but we are still the same people at heart, and the things we loved and respected about each other in high school still hold true today.
She and her husband left around 11:30, but not until we vowed to visit soon again. Hubbie and Friend's husband hit it off nicely, so we are seriously thinking of making the 12-hour trip to visit in her home state soon.
After lunch, we went to the museum for the last day of the photography session. Since there were only four kids there today, and I'd squeezed all the projects into the first four days, we did more sunprints, and watched another photography video. After that, the volunteer found other educational tapes for them to watch until their parents came to pick them up early.
By the time we got back to camp, Son and Daughter-in-Law had arrived, bringing deli chickens for supper. We had those with baked potatoes and fresh sliced tomatoes. Again, this afternoon, a thunderstorm cropped up. We were afraid the weather would rain out July 4 activities tonight, but it stopped finally, and the skies began to clear.
After supper, we hurried downtown to get a space in the park to hear the symphony orchestra and watch the fireworks. We feared that we might not get a parking space very close to the park, but a very nice young man was getting ready to leave his space and made sure we got it. It was only about two blocks from the park. We'd borrowed a wheelchair for Mother, which I pushed, while Hubbie, Son, and Daughter-in-Law carried lawn chairs.
At the park, we found a space on a concrete platform that was part of a statue display. It was the perfect place to park the wheelchair and lawn chairs. The amphitheater and seating was downhill from this statue, affording us a perfect view, unimpeded by folks seated in lawn chairs or on blankets in front of us.
I'd come prepared with umbrellas, hand fans, insect repellent, hats, long-sleeve shirts, etc. It turned out that hats and fans were all we needed against the sunshine an hour or so before the fireworks display.
A local country band entertained before the symphony orchestra took the stage. We really enjoyed the symphony and their several selections of patriotic music. As we all stood for the National Anthem, a huge American flag rolled up in the background.
Teenagers roamed through the crowd, selling neon wands, tiaras, bracelets and the like. Vendors sold cold drinks and beer. Folks flocked to the food stands to buy what I saw as " foot long fat on a stick"...bratwurst, coated and deep fried. "Fat on a plate" (funnel cakes) were also popular. Other vendors sold cold drinks and beer. Water went for $2 a bottle. No thank you.
There was a dunking booth, and a couple of booths featured contests for the best sweet tea recipe, as well as the best apple pie recipe. The winner of the sweet tea recipe (handed down to her by her recently deceased 91-year-old grandmother) received an engraved pewter tea pitcher. The winner of the apple pie recipe got an engraved silver pie server.
A riverboat, outlined in lights and playing calliope music cruised up and down the river past the amphitheater. Son said tickets to dinner and a show on the boat, and a privileged view of the fireworks were $125 each. No thanks again.
The fireworks began about 9:30 p.m., as scheduled. It was a good display, but no larger than the one in our hometown.
We dreaded the traffic afterward, but after sitting in the truck for a while, we were able to feed into traffic easily and got home sooner than I'd anticipated, around 10:30 p.m.
Son and Daughter-in-Law left shortly afterward, and we went straight to bed.
Capital City Trip, Day Five
Day five: Thursday, July 3: We were up by 7 a.m., and rode our bikes after breakfast as usual. It was sunny but cool this morning. Campers were rolling in for the weekend, bringing with them lots of kids and dogs. Kids were everywhere, riding bikes, wading in plastic pools, and having battles with squirt guns. One family not only had several kids, but they also had three dogs, all different breeds.As the day wore on, our quiet camping area got noisier with children, like a neigboring one who kept blowing the ooga-ooga horn on his bike.
During my cool-down walk, I took along my camera and snapped a couple of photos of the enormous stand of poison ivy (see above). You can tell how tall it is...Hubbie is dwarfed as he stands on the other side of the pine tree, far enough away from the tree-like vine to not be infected by it. He is highly allergic to the plant and has had several bouts with it that required a doctor's attention.
This morning, Hubbie went to the WDCS and picked up the kids photos at one-hour, and we purused them to see what kind of a job the kids had done. They did very well. I sorted the photos according how I wanted to evaluate them during the session today.
When we got to the session, we learned that several kids would not be attending on Friday, so we hurried to work in the darkroom, making 5x7 enlargements of the kids' black and white portrait shots.
After that, the kids constructed viewfinders. These are made from large oatmeal boxes painted black on the inside. A piece of wax paper is taped down over the box opening, and then black poster board is fashioned into a long tube around the box and extending about a foot above the rim of the box. Using a push pin, a hole is drilled into the bottom of the box. When a person looks into the black tube while outdoors, negative images (upside down and reversed) are projected onto the wax paper screen. Kids who provided oatmeal boxes took their viewfinders home with them.
By this time, the session was nearly over, and I didn't get the opportunity to discuss their color photos with them after all.
On our way home, a thunderstorm cropped up. Mother managed to get the canvas lawn chairs folded up and leaning against the camper, but they still got wet.
After supper, we rode bikes again. All we saw this time was four Air Force planes flying in formation.
Later, it was Skipbo time, and tonight we each won a game.
Capital City Trip, Day Four
Day four: Wednesday, July 2: We had a restless night. I woke up at 4:30 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep. Mother said she slept fitfully all night, as did Hubbie. We finally got up at 7 a.m. After breakfast, Hubbie and I rode bikes again. Today, we met another couple riding bikes. The lady had a wire basket with wire lid attached to her handle bars. In the basket was a cute Yorkie dog. Of course, we spent several minutes, then, discussing our spoiled, but super intelligent pets, trading stories of the cute things they do.
While riding our bikes around the circle near our campsite, we discovered the largest stand of poison ivy growing up between three pine trees. Hubbie reported the poison ivy to park authorities, who said they want to destroy it.
Back at camp, Hubbie decided to try once again to close the rider's side door on the truck. But he discovered that he had left the key in the turned on in the ignition overnight, and the battery was dead. So he rode my bike (everyone seems to prefer riding my medium-sized, pink, girls' bike best) to the campsite of the couple we met earlier. The man came back with Hubbie and used our jumper cables to boost the truck's battery. Once the truck started, miracle of miracles, the window rolled up. But we haven't rolled it down since, and won't until we have it fixed.
Sis came about 10 a.m. and stayed with Mother for the day.
At the photo session, the kids used inexpensive dollar store cameras to take black and white portraits in the park across the alley from the museum. After the break, the kids were each issued a one-time-use camera, loaded with color film, and we went back to the park to shoot pictures of shapes and compositions. This was an exercise in "seeing."
The unruly boy wasn't with us today. Staff members said he'd gotten hard to deal with in other sessions and was sent home for a "time out."
After our photo safari outing, I played a photography instructional video for the kids. We had to bring our own small TV/VCR to the museum in order to watch videos, since the facility only has a DVD player now, despite the fact that they have a library of VHS tapes. VCRs are definitely on the way out, if any are even available for sale anymore.
I might have this video converted to DVD, because it is so well suited to children. It's about a family visiting and snapping photos at Sea World. The video gets a lot of information across in an entertaining way, and the kids thoroughly enjoyed it.
We got back to camp at our usual 5 p.m. hour. After supper, we all, including Sis, went to the big, new worldwide discount chain store, mainly so that I could leave the black and white film and the one-time-use cameras to be developed one hour. But, phooey, we were told the one-hour service at this store develops only digital photos. Film takes two days. This wouldn't work, since I needed the photos for the following day's class.
Since Sis needed to accomplish a few things at the store inside the WDCS that she manages, we briefly toured the grocery section, where we found several bargains on fresh fruit. We loaded up on those. Hubbie made a trip to fill the truck with diesel while Mother and I waited for Sis. When she was able to break free, we went to another WDCS, only a few miles from camp, and dropped off the film. By now, it was 7:30 p.m., and the one-hour guy said it'd be tomorrow before we could pick the film up. I insisted he at least develop the black and white ones, and he consented, since the shop didn't close until 9 p.m.
It was 9:30 p.m. before we got back to camp. Sis left right away, saying she needed to return to her store again to help out because one of the other employees failed to show up for work. Bummer for her.
By this time, we'd had all the day we wanted, and made ready to hit the sack.
While riding our bikes around the circle near our campsite, we discovered the largest stand of poison ivy growing up between three pine trees. Hubbie reported the poison ivy to park authorities, who said they want to destroy it.
Back at camp, Hubbie decided to try once again to close the rider's side door on the truck. But he discovered that he had left the key in the turned on in the ignition overnight, and the battery was dead. So he rode my bike (everyone seems to prefer riding my medium-sized, pink, girls' bike best) to the campsite of the couple we met earlier. The man came back with Hubbie and used our jumper cables to boost the truck's battery. Once the truck started, miracle of miracles, the window rolled up. But we haven't rolled it down since, and won't until we have it fixed.
Sis came about 10 a.m. and stayed with Mother for the day.
At the photo session, the kids used inexpensive dollar store cameras to take black and white portraits in the park across the alley from the museum. After the break, the kids were each issued a one-time-use camera, loaded with color film, and we went back to the park to shoot pictures of shapes and compositions. This was an exercise in "seeing."
The unruly boy wasn't with us today. Staff members said he'd gotten hard to deal with in other sessions and was sent home for a "time out."
After our photo safari outing, I played a photography instructional video for the kids. We had to bring our own small TV/VCR to the museum in order to watch videos, since the facility only has a DVD player now, despite the fact that they have a library of VHS tapes. VCRs are definitely on the way out, if any are even available for sale anymore.
I might have this video converted to DVD, because it is so well suited to children. It's about a family visiting and snapping photos at Sea World. The video gets a lot of information across in an entertaining way, and the kids thoroughly enjoyed it.
We got back to camp at our usual 5 p.m. hour. After supper, we all, including Sis, went to the big, new worldwide discount chain store, mainly so that I could leave the black and white film and the one-time-use cameras to be developed one hour. But, phooey, we were told the one-hour service at this store develops only digital photos. Film takes two days. This wouldn't work, since I needed the photos for the following day's class.
Since Sis needed to accomplish a few things at the store inside the WDCS that she manages, we briefly toured the grocery section, where we found several bargains on fresh fruit. We loaded up on those. Hubbie made a trip to fill the truck with diesel while Mother and I waited for Sis. When she was able to break free, we went to another WDCS, only a few miles from camp, and dropped off the film. By now, it was 7:30 p.m., and the one-hour guy said it'd be tomorrow before we could pick the film up. I insisted he at least develop the black and white ones, and he consented, since the shop didn't close until 9 p.m.
It was 9:30 p.m. before we got back to camp. Sis left right away, saying she needed to return to her store again to help out because one of the other employees failed to show up for work. Bummer for her.
By this time, we'd had all the day we wanted, and made ready to hit the sack.
Capital City Trip, Day Three
Day three: Tuesday, July 1: We were up by 7 a.m. After breakfast, Hubbie and I rode bikes again. This time we saw a pair of geese with seven goslings swimming in a line near the river bank. A flock of geese near the marina were begging campers for treats. Among them was another pair with juvenile goslings.
American flags, patriotic design table clothes, red white and blue pinwheels and wind socks were everywhere in evidence at campsites in anticipation of the upcoming July 4 weekend. One camper displayed three flags...the Stars and Stripes, our state flag, and a black MIA/POW flag.
Most campers, we noticed, also had at least one pet. We saw a few cats, but mainly there were dogs of every description...Shih Tzus, Yorkies, Pomeranians, one standard black Poodle, and other large and small breeds. I'm not sure I'd want a large breed sleeping in the cramped quarters of an RV.
It's a joy to ride bikes on the wide, paved, tree-shaded roads of the campground. There are enough inclines to make riding up them more aerobic, and it was fun to feel the wind in my face as I whizzed down the other side. It brought out the kid in me.
After our bike ride, we relaxed until lunch time. After lunch, I had a hankering for a low-fat frozen fudge bar, but discovered it and everything else in the freezer unit of the refrigerator had thawed. The lower part of the fridge was warming, too. So we hurried to unload what could be saved and put it in an ice chest, and then threw out any questionable food.
Hubbie called a repairman, who diagnosed the problem over the phone, but said it would require a part that would have to be ordered. And since he thought he knew what the problem was - a bad freezer coil or something - he didn't think we'd want him to come and look at the refrigerator to the tune of $115 service call. Indeed we did not.
Since there was nothing we could do about the fridge, Hubbie and I went on to my photography session. Fortunately, Sis dropped by the campsite to visit with Mother for the afternoon, and she pulled our fat out of the fire by going to the worldwide discount chain store and buying a huge ice chest (the thing looks big enough to stuff a person into...sort of like a big, white coffin). She also bought five bags of ice for the chest, and then she and Mother loaded all the food into it.
Today at the photography session, the kids made pinhole lenses for oatmeal box cameras. For this exercise, the kids cut out poster board rounds to fit into a plastic lid. Hubbie cut openings into the lids, and the kids taped kitchen foil to the rounds (which Hubbie also cut openings into). After they taped the foil down, one of the volunteers used a needle to make tiny holes.
One by one, the kids went into the darkroom with me to load photographic paper into the bottoms of the boxes (which had been spray painted black inside). The lid was then taped down securely, allowing no light to enter the box. Each lid was equipped with a black tape "lens cap."
Each child was given a shoe box with cutouts for the oatmeal box to rest in, and then Hubbie escorted them to a place outdoors to make exposures. All the children removed their "lens caps" together, and then each placed the cap back on the box at their assigned time (15 seconds, 20 seconds, etc.).
They brought the boxes back into the darkroom, and we developed the paper negatives. As expected, some got decent exposures, and some were overexposed. After the kids determined the correct exposure time, they went back out to try again.
Each child went home with pinhole camera negative and positive prints, to show their parents that pictures can be taken with nothing more than an oatmeal box and photographic paper...no sophisticated optics needed.
The downside of this exercise was that the unruly boy in the group found a wounded pigeon outdoors and proceeded to kick at it. Hubbie about came unglued and scolded the boy severely. The unruly girl decided to toss her oatmeal box camera around while she was still in the classroom, so one of the volunteers took it away from her.
During the break, Hubbie and I walked the short distance to the farmer's market. This market has a festival atmosphere, with all sorts of vendors besides those selling vegetables and fruits. One booth offered face painting. Another sold jewelry. Still others offered hats and purses.
One guy, dressed as Michael Jackson, with face painted white, moved robotically in hopes of receiving tips. There were musicians, too, entertaining for tips.
We arrived at the market about 20 minutes before they were ready to close. I was looking for home grown tomatoes, and was checking out one vendor's goods when he commented that since the tomatoes I was looking at were seconds (odd shapes, and blemishes), I could have all I wanted for free. I bagged them all...about 10 pounds worth. We served them the rest of the week, and they were delicious. Besides the tomatoes, we picked up a few peaches, which were not so delicious.
After we got back to the museum, I walked around the facility for a few minutes. This is a wonderful, indestructible, hands-on museum suited to kids of all ages. Today, I was interested in the three shrunken heads and the 600 BC Egyptian casket.
After the photo session, we got back to camp about 5 p.m. Sis had left, and Mother reported that my friend from California had called and said she was sick from food poisoning, so she wouldn't be able to come visit me after all. I hated that I wouldn't see her this trip, but I hated it even more that she got sick.
After a supper of barbecue, sauteed potatoes, and corn on the cob, Hubbie and I rode bikes. Although the day was cool this morning for our ride, the evening was pretty warm. So when we got back from riding, I wanted a 7-Up over ice. But the ice was buried under so much food that we couldn't get to it, so off we (including Shih Tzu) went to the grocery store to get another bag.
While Hubbie went into the store to fetch the ice, I rolled the truck window down. When he got back, we found that the window wouldn't roll back up. Yikes! I hoped I wouldn't have to ride all the way home Saturday with the window rolled down. I kept trying to roll it up, and it did inch up little by little, but didn't close all the way. We decided to let it rest until morning and try again.
Later in the evening, we played our usual games of Skipbo. Hubbie won two games this time, and I won one. After that, we were plenty ready for bed.
American flags, patriotic design table clothes, red white and blue pinwheels and wind socks were everywhere in evidence at campsites in anticipation of the upcoming July 4 weekend. One camper displayed three flags...the Stars and Stripes, our state flag, and a black MIA/POW flag.
Most campers, we noticed, also had at least one pet. We saw a few cats, but mainly there were dogs of every description...Shih Tzus, Yorkies, Pomeranians, one standard black Poodle, and other large and small breeds. I'm not sure I'd want a large breed sleeping in the cramped quarters of an RV.
It's a joy to ride bikes on the wide, paved, tree-shaded roads of the campground. There are enough inclines to make riding up them more aerobic, and it was fun to feel the wind in my face as I whizzed down the other side. It brought out the kid in me.
After our bike ride, we relaxed until lunch time. After lunch, I had a hankering for a low-fat frozen fudge bar, but discovered it and everything else in the freezer unit of the refrigerator had thawed. The lower part of the fridge was warming, too. So we hurried to unload what could be saved and put it in an ice chest, and then threw out any questionable food.
Hubbie called a repairman, who diagnosed the problem over the phone, but said it would require a part that would have to be ordered. And since he thought he knew what the problem was - a bad freezer coil or something - he didn't think we'd want him to come and look at the refrigerator to the tune of $115 service call. Indeed we did not.
Since there was nothing we could do about the fridge, Hubbie and I went on to my photography session. Fortunately, Sis dropped by the campsite to visit with Mother for the afternoon, and she pulled our fat out of the fire by going to the worldwide discount chain store and buying a huge ice chest (the thing looks big enough to stuff a person into...sort of like a big, white coffin). She also bought five bags of ice for the chest, and then she and Mother loaded all the food into it.
Today at the photography session, the kids made pinhole lenses for oatmeal box cameras. For this exercise, the kids cut out poster board rounds to fit into a plastic lid. Hubbie cut openings into the lids, and the kids taped kitchen foil to the rounds (which Hubbie also cut openings into). After they taped the foil down, one of the volunteers used a needle to make tiny holes.
One by one, the kids went into the darkroom with me to load photographic paper into the bottoms of the boxes (which had been spray painted black inside). The lid was then taped down securely, allowing no light to enter the box. Each lid was equipped with a black tape "lens cap."
Each child was given a shoe box with cutouts for the oatmeal box to rest in, and then Hubbie escorted them to a place outdoors to make exposures. All the children removed their "lens caps" together, and then each placed the cap back on the box at their assigned time (15 seconds, 20 seconds, etc.).
They brought the boxes back into the darkroom, and we developed the paper negatives. As expected, some got decent exposures, and some were overexposed. After the kids determined the correct exposure time, they went back out to try again.
Each child went home with pinhole camera negative and positive prints, to show their parents that pictures can be taken with nothing more than an oatmeal box and photographic paper...no sophisticated optics needed.
The downside of this exercise was that the unruly boy in the group found a wounded pigeon outdoors and proceeded to kick at it. Hubbie about came unglued and scolded the boy severely. The unruly girl decided to toss her oatmeal box camera around while she was still in the classroom, so one of the volunteers took it away from her.
During the break, Hubbie and I walked the short distance to the farmer's market. This market has a festival atmosphere, with all sorts of vendors besides those selling vegetables and fruits. One booth offered face painting. Another sold jewelry. Still others offered hats and purses.
One guy, dressed as Michael Jackson, with face painted white, moved robotically in hopes of receiving tips. There were musicians, too, entertaining for tips.
We arrived at the market about 20 minutes before they were ready to close. I was looking for home grown tomatoes, and was checking out one vendor's goods when he commented that since the tomatoes I was looking at were seconds (odd shapes, and blemishes), I could have all I wanted for free. I bagged them all...about 10 pounds worth. We served them the rest of the week, and they were delicious. Besides the tomatoes, we picked up a few peaches, which were not so delicious.
After we got back to the museum, I walked around the facility for a few minutes. This is a wonderful, indestructible, hands-on museum suited to kids of all ages. Today, I was interested in the three shrunken heads and the 600 BC Egyptian casket.
After the photo session, we got back to camp about 5 p.m. Sis had left, and Mother reported that my friend from California had called and said she was sick from food poisoning, so she wouldn't be able to come visit me after all. I hated that I wouldn't see her this trip, but I hated it even more that she got sick.
After a supper of barbecue, sauteed potatoes, and corn on the cob, Hubbie and I rode bikes. Although the day was cool this morning for our ride, the evening was pretty warm. So when we got back from riding, I wanted a 7-Up over ice. But the ice was buried under so much food that we couldn't get to it, so off we (including Shih Tzu) went to the grocery store to get another bag.
While Hubbie went into the store to fetch the ice, I rolled the truck window down. When he got back, we found that the window wouldn't roll back up. Yikes! I hoped I wouldn't have to ride all the way home Saturday with the window rolled down. I kept trying to roll it up, and it did inch up little by little, but didn't close all the way. We decided to let it rest until morning and try again.
Later in the evening, we played our usual games of Skipbo. Hubbie won two games this time, and I won one. After that, we were plenty ready for bed.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Capital City Trip, Day Two
Day two: Monday, June 30: got up at 7:30 a.m. and had a breakfast of Mother's homemade quick breads, and fresh fruits. Afterward, Hubbie and I rode bikes around the campground for 30 minutes (plus a five minute cool-down walk around our campsite circle).
We spent the next hour listening to an audio book we'd started on the trip down..."A Bend in the Road," by Nicholas Sparks. Sparks, a good storyteller who doesn't find it necessary to use foul language and graphic sex scenes, is one of our favorite authors.
We had an early lunch so we could head out at noon to arrive at 12:30 at the science museum, where I was scheduled to teach photography. Staff members, one with a four-wheel dolly, met us at the unloading dock behind the museum and helped haul my paraphernalia into the classroom.
By 1 p.m., Hubbie and I had set up what I needed to do today's session with the nine "day campers", ages six and a half to twelve years old, who attended. The kids did sunprints, which are designs created by arranging found objects or dried flora on photographic paper and then taking the designs out into the sunshine to expose the paper. The designs are then put through chemicals to fix the images.
After the kids dried their designs, we took them into the darkroom to create black and white contact prints, using a darkroom enlarger.
The "darkroom," by the way, was a tiny room housing the elevator mechanisms. The mechanisms are encased in large steel tubes that are very noisy when the elevator is in use. Also the tubes sport large protruding nuts and bolts that I walked into from time to time when the lights were off. I hit one of the bolts so hard with my hip one day that I now have a huge bruise there.
Otherwise, the room was sufficient for my needs...big enough to accommodate a folding table for the enlarger and several chemical trays, plus two safe-light stands. But there was only room enough for me and one student at a time. Over the years, I've had to adapt some strange spaces as darkrooms, like a boys' small bathroom adjacent to the classroom, and various supply closets, but this is the first time I've had to use an elevator mechanism room for a darkroom.
Today's session went very well, and we learned right away who the unruly kids were...one boy and one girl. The boy kept wandering out of the classroom and into the museum, but he was brought back by various staff members. I think this child may be autistic, though we were later told his parents think there is nothing whatsoever wrong with him. The unruly girl, about 10 years old, just acted like she was bored, and thought she could get my goat by interrupting with inane questions. I remained very patient with her. Coming to camp was probably not her idea. Her parents might just have been looking for built-in babysitters to keep her out of their hair for a few hours. Same with the unruly boy. At any rate, every group I've ever worked with has had problem children, and I've learned to tolerate them.
We were assigned a couple of teenage volunteers who were very helpful in keeping the children entertained while I worked with the kids one-on-one in the darkroom. The teens are very sharp youngsters, who took part in the projects each day.
The session was from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a 30-minute break. Afterward, we arrived back at camp about 5:30 p.m., had a supper of Ziplock bag omelets, biscuits and gravy, fresh oranges, and milk, and then rode bikes for 30 minutes again.
On our ride, we saw a flock of geese grazing on the river bank, an orange and yellow hot air balloon slowly drifting over the treetops, a bi-plane with blue body and yellow wings, and either a Air Force Base or med-flight helicopter.
After our ride, we sat in the yard until the mosquitoes began to bite, driving us indoors. We played Skipbo again, the only card game Mother really enjoys these days. Of the three games we played, I won two, and Mother won one.
While we were playing, Mother commented that she spent part of the afternoon sitting in the yard crocheting. On a tree limb just above her head, perched a very annoying mocking bird repeating its considerable repertoire of songs.
It was a busy day for all of us, and we were ready to hit the hay by 10 p.m.
We spent the next hour listening to an audio book we'd started on the trip down..."A Bend in the Road," by Nicholas Sparks. Sparks, a good storyteller who doesn't find it necessary to use foul language and graphic sex scenes, is one of our favorite authors.
We had an early lunch so we could head out at noon to arrive at 12:30 at the science museum, where I was scheduled to teach photography. Staff members, one with a four-wheel dolly, met us at the unloading dock behind the museum and helped haul my paraphernalia into the classroom.
By 1 p.m., Hubbie and I had set up what I needed to do today's session with the nine "day campers", ages six and a half to twelve years old, who attended. The kids did sunprints, which are designs created by arranging found objects or dried flora on photographic paper and then taking the designs out into the sunshine to expose the paper. The designs are then put through chemicals to fix the images.
After the kids dried their designs, we took them into the darkroom to create black and white contact prints, using a darkroom enlarger.
The "darkroom," by the way, was a tiny room housing the elevator mechanisms. The mechanisms are encased in large steel tubes that are very noisy when the elevator is in use. Also the tubes sport large protruding nuts and bolts that I walked into from time to time when the lights were off. I hit one of the bolts so hard with my hip one day that I now have a huge bruise there.
Otherwise, the room was sufficient for my needs...big enough to accommodate a folding table for the enlarger and several chemical trays, plus two safe-light stands. But there was only room enough for me and one student at a time. Over the years, I've had to adapt some strange spaces as darkrooms, like a boys' small bathroom adjacent to the classroom, and various supply closets, but this is the first time I've had to use an elevator mechanism room for a darkroom.
Today's session went very well, and we learned right away who the unruly kids were...one boy and one girl. The boy kept wandering out of the classroom and into the museum, but he was brought back by various staff members. I think this child may be autistic, though we were later told his parents think there is nothing whatsoever wrong with him. The unruly girl, about 10 years old, just acted like she was bored, and thought she could get my goat by interrupting with inane questions. I remained very patient with her. Coming to camp was probably not her idea. Her parents might just have been looking for built-in babysitters to keep her out of their hair for a few hours. Same with the unruly boy. At any rate, every group I've ever worked with has had problem children, and I've learned to tolerate them.
We were assigned a couple of teenage volunteers who were very helpful in keeping the children entertained while I worked with the kids one-on-one in the darkroom. The teens are very sharp youngsters, who took part in the projects each day.
The session was from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a 30-minute break. Afterward, we arrived back at camp about 5:30 p.m., had a supper of Ziplock bag omelets, biscuits and gravy, fresh oranges, and milk, and then rode bikes for 30 minutes again.
On our ride, we saw a flock of geese grazing on the river bank, an orange and yellow hot air balloon slowly drifting over the treetops, a bi-plane with blue body and yellow wings, and either a Air Force Base or med-flight helicopter.
After our ride, we sat in the yard until the mosquitoes began to bite, driving us indoors. We played Skipbo again, the only card game Mother really enjoys these days. Of the three games we played, I won two, and Mother won one.
While we were playing, Mother commented that she spent part of the afternoon sitting in the yard crocheting. On a tree limb just above her head, perched a very annoying mocking bird repeating its considerable repertoire of songs.
It was a busy day for all of us, and we were ready to hit the hay by 10 p.m.
Capital City Trip, Day One
Day one: Sunday, June 29: We left our hometown about 9 a.m. this morning, and had hardly gotten out of town when some folks in a van honked and pointed toward our camper. I looked out the rear view mirror and saw that the steps were down. Hubbie pulled over and took care of it. We arrived at the campground without further incident around noon.
The weather today was delightful, with temps in the low 80s, low humidity, balmy breezes, and blue sky featuring fluffy white clouds.
After lunch, we made an excursion to the art museum to see a blown glass exhibit. Several artists were represented, demonstrating various methods. The anchor exhibit, by Sonja Blomdahl, was of vase forms, each in different color combinations that glowed under the light and cast beautiful rainbow circles of color on the surfaces upon which they rested.
Also on display were stunning Tiffany works, like an early chandelier featuring lily pads, as well as Dale Chihuly's huge blown glass "nesting baskets."
Another artist, Geoff Isles, used spent atomic fuel rods to make a social issue statement. A ceramic sculptor, Jun Kaneko, created what he calls a "Wave Wall," a very large and winding piece that viewers meander through.
A couple of our favorite pieces included a crystal-like cube, with embedded inner cubes, that caught the light in a spectrum of colors. It was hard to take our eyes off it. Another artist created a life-size transparent and ghostly draped blown-glass tunic that bears the imprint of the human body inside. The mesmerizing piece, by Karen LaMonte, reminds the viewer of ancient Greek and Roman sculptures.
There were other interesting pieces, too, like a flashlight mounted on a clear glass "beam," and a vase with a tiny video embedded in it that showed a wine glass being shattered and then becoming whole again over and over, conveying the idea of the resilience of the human heart in love.
We spent a couple of hours at the museum, and got back to the campground late afternoon. When we arrived at noon, we were disappointed to find our campsite was in full sun, but by the time we returned this afternoon, it was shaded, making it a pleasant place to relax in lawn chairs.
After supper, Hubbie and spent about 45 minutes riding our bikes around the campground. Around 8:30 p.m., we adjourned to the camper and played three games of Skipbo. I won all three.
The weather today was delightful, with temps in the low 80s, low humidity, balmy breezes, and blue sky featuring fluffy white clouds.
After lunch, we made an excursion to the art museum to see a blown glass exhibit. Several artists were represented, demonstrating various methods. The anchor exhibit, by Sonja Blomdahl, was of vase forms, each in different color combinations that glowed under the light and cast beautiful rainbow circles of color on the surfaces upon which they rested.
Also on display were stunning Tiffany works, like an early chandelier featuring lily pads, as well as Dale Chihuly's huge blown glass "nesting baskets."
Another artist, Geoff Isles, used spent atomic fuel rods to make a social issue statement. A ceramic sculptor, Jun Kaneko, created what he calls a "Wave Wall," a very large and winding piece that viewers meander through.
A couple of our favorite pieces included a crystal-like cube, with embedded inner cubes, that caught the light in a spectrum of colors. It was hard to take our eyes off it. Another artist created a life-size transparent and ghostly draped blown-glass tunic that bears the imprint of the human body inside. The mesmerizing piece, by Karen LaMonte, reminds the viewer of ancient Greek and Roman sculptures.
There were other interesting pieces, too, like a flashlight mounted on a clear glass "beam," and a vase with a tiny video embedded in it that showed a wine glass being shattered and then becoming whole again over and over, conveying the idea of the resilience of the human heart in love.
We spent a couple of hours at the museum, and got back to the campground late afternoon. When we arrived at noon, we were disappointed to find our campsite was in full sun, but by the time we returned this afternoon, it was shaded, making it a pleasant place to relax in lawn chairs.
After supper, Hubbie and spent about 45 minutes riding our bikes around the campground. Around 8:30 p.m., we adjourned to the camper and played three games of Skipbo. I won all three.
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