…almost!
(with the Ocean Ripple filter)
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(with the Watercolor filter)
…near a green door!
(with the Watercolor filter)
…and, at the local tailor shop!
(with no filter at all, just a lot of adjustments in Selective Color, and heavy use of Burning and Dodging)
…in the previous post, I am celebrating LIFE today!
I awoke long before sunrise, and this is what I saw from my studio window, which gave me hope for the day!
5:37 AM (CDT)
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5:38 AM (CDT)
Just before 8:00 AM, the warm morning (such a curiosity!) beckoned, and I walked over to the lake.
8:03 AM (CDT)
Walking around this early was splendid…I stopped at Leone Beach Park and photographed the “NOT-snow”–petals from the crabapple trees…
…and some more “NOT-snow” at the Loyola Park baseball diamond–just lowly dandelions here, gone to seed all at once!
The temperature was in the high 70s (F.)–hot for early morning, but there was a moderately strong south wind…just so perfect for the first anniversary of LIFE!
…one year ago today, I was near death in an emergency room, suffering from a huge pulmonary embolism (blood clot) in my right lung, very, very close to the heart.
After nine days, I was finally released, and received home care from visiting nurses for almost a month…until I found my wonderful new doctor!
He has helped me regain my general health; of course, I, too, work very hard at it, because at sixty-seven years, I could give up–but that’s just not in my genes.
The most ‘help’ I’ve received is from YOU, my followers–new and older!
YOU keep me going at it!
So please, pat yourselves on the back and celebrate LIFE with me today, because one year ago I thought I might never see another Spring, like this:
“Idyllic”
…just finding it very interesting, to photograph a squirrel doing his/her daily ablutions high up on limb?!?
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15MAY2013 Sunset 8:09 PM
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15MAY2013 Sunset Clouds 8:09 PM
And the next morning…
16MAY2013 5:53 AM
…then, just four minutes later!
16MAY2013 5:57 AM
(N.B.: I published this on Saturday, but WordPress decided to dump it for some reason (as they have done in the past!)
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so long-awaited
spring skies of blue trees of green
blossoms ev’rywhere
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Kayaking on Lake Michigan
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New Oak Leaves, the first
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New Oak Leaves, the second
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Sherwin Avenue Holly, the first
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Sherwin Avenue Holly, the second
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Floral Pinwheels in the Garden, the first
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Floral Pinwheels in the Garden, the second
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Potted White Blossoms
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Deep Pink Magnolias
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Lily of the Valley, the first
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Lily of the Valley, the second
During my visit to my fantastic doctor last Friday, the Spielberg film, War Horse, somehow entered the conversation for the second time.
I had been trying to find the DVD at the Chicago Public Library in vain.
My doctor says this is “the BEST film, you’ve got to see it!”
I replied, “Well, I’m on my way to the library, so maybe they’ll have it, as I’m to cheap to use Netflix!”
And…there it was!
War Horse
Now, my doctor owns and rides his own horse, and his father was in the film industry, so a tiny part of me thought, though briefly, he might be a bit prejudicial…and not everything done by Steven Spielberg (whom I have met!) was great.
Within the first five minutes, I threw out every and any doubt–this is one of the greatest films EVER!
Not only is the story line terrific but, because I watch a film through the eyes of someone who knows how they are shot and what’s CGI and what isn’t, I have to say that Spielberg has been extremely meticulous here–fabulous direction, cinematography, locations, costuming, acting–the works!
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From the liner notes on the “War Horse” DVD cover:
“From legendary film director Steven Spielberg comes the epic adventure War Horse, a tale of incredible loyalty, hope and tenacity. Based on the Tony award-winning Broadway play, and set against the sweeping canvas of World War I, this deeply heartfelt begins with the remarkable friendship a horse named Joey and his young trainer Albert. When they’re forced apart by the war, we follow Joey’s extraordinary journey as he changes and inspires the lives of everyone he meets.”
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Find it!
Even if you’re not a ‘horse person’, you’ll come away from this film more thoughtful, and perhaps a bit more courageous.
I’ll be watching this 2 hour and 26 minute film for the third time tonight ( I have to return it to the library tomorrow!).
And…the DVD also contains an interview with Steven Spielberg et al, explaining ing the making of the film—really quite informative!
…the temperature hit around 85 degrees F. in Chicago, though it was about 10 degrees cooler at the lake shore.
That didn’t stop these people from spending a wonderful Tuesday afternoon at the beach!
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So much for the ordinary beach shot…I much prefer this image!
The Evanston Fountains, at the intersection of Davis and Orrington streets, Evanston, Illinois.
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(NOTE: These were highly processed in Photoshop (TM) and as a last touch, given the Watercolor Filter effect.)
I wonder why I’m so anxious to get back to painting canvases, when each of the above images took about eight minutes to process!?!
From Wiki:
Virga
In meteorology, virga is an observable streak or shaft of precipitation that falls from a cloud but evaporates or sublimes before reaching the ground. At high altitudes the precipitation falls mainly as ice crystals before melting and finally evaporating; this is often due to compressional heating, because the air pressure increases closer to the ground. It is very common in the desert and in temperate climates. In North America, it is commonly seen in the Western United States and the Canadian Prairies.
Virga can cause varying weather effects, because as rain is changed from liquid to vapor form, it removes heat from the air due to the high heat of vaporization of water. In some instances, these pockets of colder air can descend rapidly, creating a dry microburst which can be extremely hazardous to aviation. Conversely, precipitation evaporating at high altitude can compressionally heat as it falls, and result in a gusty downburst which may substantially and rapidly warm the surface temperature. This fairly rare phenomenon, a heat burst, also tends to be of exceedingly dry air.
Virga also has a role in seeding storm cells whereby small particles from one cloud are blown into neighboring supersaturated air and act as nucleation particles for the next thunderhead cloud to begin forming.[citation needed]
Virga can produce dramatic and beautiful scenes, especially during a red sunset. The red light can be caught by the streamers of falling precipitation, and winds may push the bottom ends of the virga so it falls at an angle, making the clouds appear to have commas attached.
The word virga is derived from Latin, twig or branch.
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Here is what I captured last Saturday, just before 6:00 PM.
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