Sunday, February 19, 2012

Diary of a Mad Blogger

Why hello there I thought we should finally meet
and give you a chance to see me in action.
This is my Ernest Hemingway look.

Last Wednesday I arrived at work early, without
even my normal moderate level of enthusiasm. As
I mentioned in a previous post I had not been able
to blog recently and since I was very early I decided
to check in on a few of my favorite blogs.

First stop was
Birds Eyes and Butterflies to see Laura's
beautiful bird photographs. She had
a wonderfully detailed photo of a Cardinal
and a swimming Gull whose lovely colours
were complemented by the brown tones in the
blue water.

(All the blogs mentioned in this post can
be found in the Favorite Blogs section of
my website)




Next stop Cate at Beyond the Fields We Know
She had a lovely shot of a Chrysler Imperial rose
a rose I grow here ( when all goes well ) in memory
of my father who worked at Chrysler and tended roses
in Windsor where I grew up.

She also had a beautiful shot of a Bison in the snow.
Again there was a connection there, while in archaeology,
many years ago now, I helped the faunal analyst
( still one of my best friends ) cut up 8 Bison which
died of natural causes or accidents at Elk Island Park.
The bones were then used in comparative collections
for archaeologists in the field. This certainly gave me a
life long appreciation for the strength and beauty of
these iconic creatures

A trip to Kathie's Birds to see another blogging buddy.
She had posted a scary tale about almost slipping through
a park fence into a river. She also posted lovely shots
of Robins flying among the tops of trees against a blue sky.
If you visit her site make sure you follow the link to her poetry
site as well.




Yes I lick my nose when I am concentrating
Spelling is a real problem for me.

From Kathie's I went to Nature's Splendor where Julie
had posted lovely photos of the birds at her feeder
there were lots of great photos to choose from
the shot of the Red Bellied Woodpecker was just
wonderful I really loved the detail.

Then on to Red and Peanut where Kelly had posted a
lovely gauche painting of a Great Horned Owl along
with interesting information and views about the
various stages of the process and a colouring book
page that people can paint. Kelly always provides
great information to go with her lovely drawings or
photos. I may have to open my drawer of art supplies
and take a stab at something. But I may need a tiny smock,
paint on the sweater Rigmor knitted me would not be cool.
Also check out the photos of the Blue-Winged Teal
in the previous post on her blog it doesn't get any better
than that.



 The last blog I visited was Bill's Wildramblings where I was
rewarded with a lovely post about the book Dandelion Wine
by a favorite author of mine Ray Bradbury. As you can see
above I am lost in thought. Bill's thought provoking posts about
nature the environment and the importance of memory do that to me.

But it was time to go to work and I could not visit the blogs
of Sandy, Gary and Boomer. Roy, LenĂ©, Nina, Hilke, Bev, Wanda and
the many others who have shared their thoughts and experiences with us.

But I did notice one thing, my mood which had been sour for
days was really improved by visiting all the people that are
looking at, remarking on and loving the world and the critters
both little and big we share it with.


And now back to work.


" The final words waited to be written. But he
went instead to the window and pushed the screen
frame out.  He unscrewed the top of the jar and tilted
the fireflies in a pale shower of sparks down the windless
night. They found their wings and flew away."

Dandelion Wine
Ray Bradbury


14 comments:

Unknown said...

He had better come and visit us!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

Guy said...

Hi Gary

So many social engagements so little time. But you and Boomer are on the list.

Guy

Kathie Brown said...

Guy, how clever and how cute! Thanks for including me and my blog in your post! I know some of those bloggers but will have to check out the others!

I love Ray Bradbury but have read few of his works. One of my favorites is a short story he wrote about children on some planet where it rains all the time. I have also read Fahrenheit 451, but that story or poem you quoted from sounds interesting. I love the imagery in the words and I can well remember catching fireflies when I was young. You don't see them as often any more, but I can remember the fields being full of them as a child! Glad I helped to lift your spirits. I need to write a new poem!

Jan Roseneder said...

The sweater really is you...

Wild_Bill said...

Awesome Guy, simply awesome. Laughed all the way through this. As you know I am a dog lover too!

Guy said...

Hi Kathie

I am glad you enjoyed the post.I have to admit that the blogs I follow do provide a grounding for me when things may not be going well.
Fahrenheit 451 is one of my favorite books. I did try to find the story you mentioned ( I have a lot of Rays books ) First I tried The Day it Rained Forever but that was about elerly people in an old hotel, a nice story. There Will Come Soft Rains? No that is about an automated house. Then I found it ( with a little help from google) All Summer in a Day, about children on Venus. When I finished it I remembered that Ray can capture not just the innocence and wonder of childhood but also its cruelty and terror.
I am looking forward to the poem.

All the best.
Guy

Guy said...

Thanks Jan

Helen made me give up the pipe.

Guy

Kathie Brown said...

Guy, I just couldn't think of the title to that story last night. I first heard it when I was in elementary or middle school I think. I remember how sad it made me that those children were so cruel to that child. As a person who loves sunshine, I cannot imagine living anywhere that it rains so much. So, though I love the beauty of Alaska, I do not think I could ever live there! Or the Pacific Northwest for that matter. I was only in the Tacoma, WA area once during early February. We were there for 5 days to say good-bye to my son before he headed off to Iraq for a year to fight in the war. It rained every single day we were there. We only saw the sun come out briefly one morning when we were visiting Nisqually National Wildlife refuge. It was beautiful there and I loved it. Thanks for your response!

Guy said...

Hi Bill

Thanks for stopping I am glad you enjoyed the post. Give my best to Adia and Cooper.

Regards
Guy

Guy said...

Hi Kathie

Funny how we can remember the pangs of childhood even after so many years.

Well time to get busy. I am home today and I want to look over some poems.

Guy

Julie G. said...

Guy, what a wonderful post! A very gracious thank you for including me in your blog list. I am very appreciative. Blogs like yours and many that you featured in this post always brighten my day. I will have to take a look at some of the others you mentioned that I have not had the pleasure of visiting.

The Hemingway "look" is classic! Love it!

Guy said...

Hi Julie

Thanks for your kind comments. I just wanted to let a few of the bloggers I visit know how much I appreciate the work they put into their blogs. And if I do say so myself, it was a natty outfit.

Warmest Regards
Guy

Kelly said...

Hahaha...priceless! So cute. I want to see Hemingway Puppy in a tiny artist's smock. Clever post, and thank you so much for including me! What a surprise....you are entirely too kind with your comments. Thanks again, and give your pup a squeeze for me.

Guy said...

Hi Kelly

Thanks I did want to acknowledge some of the bloggers who inspire me on a regular basis. I am glad people got a chuckle from the post.

Guy