Bad week in Black Rock

Lolling in the latitudes © Robert Sommers 2015

I haven't had a whiff of a pitch to hit in two weeks, well except the twenty dollar porcelain figurine of the spotted dog, you know his master's voice, that one. Girl from Peru bought it out of the window. No business, no tailwind, back in the ill fated doldrums. Not going to sweat it, you can't push, sometimes you just have to wait for the wind to change and a fat hanging slider over the middle.

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It's hot, many people in town are grieving mightily over the loss of a loved one, taken way before her time. Major props to Noël Boyd and the rest of the people responsible for raising money for Haylee's family and services. Ran into her parents today, very nice, shocked and I think a bit overwhelmed by the amazing support they have received from our great town these last few days.

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I have had more surgeries than just about anybody I know, for some reason this minor one tomorrow is bugging me. Five shocks to get my heart beating in the right rhythm again, 120 joules to start and we'll take it from there. Minor clot and  stroke risk, no you're not in the will. Don't even ask. Will let you know how it all turns out or somebody will anyway. After a heart attack, mitral valve repair, murmur and more you'd think I'd be good at this stuff by now.

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I've been planting a new palm and succulent garden. Bought a rare cycad yesterday, Cycas panzhihuaensis, from China, most cold tolerant cycad in the world, I hear down to 9˚.

Also a Dasylrian longissimum to go with my wheeleri, the Mexican desert spoon from down near San Luis Potosi. A trachycarpus, a bunch of aloe and agave, things are really taking shape. Only took thirty years. Got some good buys from Bill Earley at Las Palmas Ranch.

I bought a beautiful flowering bromeliad today, the Hechtia tillandsioides, a lovely purple flowering plant. Looking at the specimen that Don at Serra Garden's had growing I knew it would be perfect in the new xeriscape landscape.

And this one was the temporary abode of a charming and graceful red snake, a red racer. Who took one look at me and the long lens on the camera and merrily slithered off on his or her way.

Got a nice note from Linda and Joe yesterday;

Go, be repaired tomorrow. And don't worry about Israel/Palestinians. Their problems will still be here upon your return.
Sending hugs, Linda and Joseph

Good point.

Have you received any of these stupid warnings from My Life™?

Many messages like this or worse. What do I fucking care? Goddamn extortionists trying to frighten people.

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I could go off on a bunch of people but won't, let's see, bad Prius drivers, religious groups that operate "pregnancy centers" and try to scare women, identity thieves, billionaire football team owners that think the public should pay for their new stadia so that they can gorge on personal seat licenses. But I'm not going to even start.

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Isn't it amazing how social media and information has overwhelmed our lives? Taken over. The monthly magazine cycle turned into the daily newspaper which morphed into every moment, every fart or blip in the world now instantly broadcasted, filtered and pulverized throughout the cyber ether no matter its ultimate import or lack thereof. Every negative event, every toxic malady instantly dissected by our team of experts...We are in serious danger of digital overload, will come to a day very soon where we throw off the yoke of cyber thralldom and recapture our souls. From Miley to Caitlyn to Dolazel, everybody revolving around the same stupid shit, the same stupid low bar.

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Was reading that the programmable sex robots will be appearing soon. So close you can't tell them from the real thing. If your sex toy was programmed to think, emote and coo by a man does that mean you're actually gay? Are they going to program in occasional irritability? Because men need that, you know?

Rich alpha males in their dotage can now grab a sweet and freshly oiled robot instead of the young secretary that they have killed their marriages for heretofore. Will move like hotcakes. I always thought that the old man/young girl thing wasn't just about sex and prestige. They also don't have to waste a lot of time talking, especially if the new armpiece is really stupid. Easier still with a robotic companion, and a kill switch to boot.

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Haven't been exactly sociable lately , been hiding in fact. Sitting in the yard watching the birds fly overhead. Like this one the day before yesterday, odd flyer.

My photography hit a dead end the other day. I shot the hawklet just standing in the road the other night and left the iso really high. Nothing special, out of focus red tailed hawk standing on a dirt road. 

Big whup. He flew away.

I forgot to lower the iso (asa for you film people) and the next morning drove by a lovely hooded oriole in the fog. Jump out of the car for the capture, forgot to adjust my settings and missed a nice opportunity. Some days are like that.

And I espied a nice hawk through the heavy fog in the bushes too. Same problem.

I'm unfortunately very mortal. I make lots of mistakes. Luckily the new Adobe Lightroom has a haze filter and after an hour on the phone with a nice lady in Delhi trying to get some problem software loaded I applied the requisite filter and a generous amount of noise reduction and almost saved it. But not quite.

As I said I have been enjoying my own garden and company, have turned down various opportunities to mingle. Mostly like to sit in a chair in my front yard and look at the birds.

I can't tell you how important it is for me, a visual person and ex painter, to be able to take photographs. It is becoming a more important part of my life every year. Over 82k images on my computer and there was a a large data dump last year. Got one of the nicest compliments I have ever received from Roy the other day, not that I am fishing for them.

...the o-side pics.
I love your photography.  It's part of why I don't take it up.  I went to an Ed Shaughnessy drum clinic when I was 23 or so.  Never played again. 
Peace

That is high praise. Thank you so much, Roy.

Yesterday afternoon I was like freaking Doctor Doolittle. Every known species flew in and consented to have their picture taken, mockingbirds, woodpeckers, orioles, vireo, flycatchers, red winged blackbirds. I snapped and snapped. Hog heaven. They practically came down and did tricks for me.

Then I had a crazy idea to clear the previous days files from my card and managed to delete everything including the afternoon session where I played Saint Francis de Assisi. Gone. Ken thinks he can bring them back with a special program. We'll see. One of those days, one of those weeks. Newly repaired Rollei is acting up too. Might have to send it back to Harry Fleenor.

Ever have a week where you just wanted to hide your head under the covers and not come out?

Guess we will talk soon.

On second thought maybe I don't have it so bad...

Did you ever hear the one about the dying guy whose wife asks him if she can do anything to make him more comfortable on his last night. And he asks her to make love with him, which they do and she repeats the question in an hour and he says he wants to make love again and third time same query and she says," Hey some of us have to get up in the morning."