A Birthday of Peace and Quiet!

Yesterday, my birthday, I finally plugged in the scanner I have had for several years (new in the box) and scanned in some photos that need keeping. Several years ago, during a horrible rain, I had almost everything in the house damaged in one way or another, including some photos and my birthday was the day I spent preserving them. It was a blast!

For starters, I don't look like ANYONE in my family. At least no one alive. But look at these two pictures (my great, great grandfather is pictured on the left, best guess circa pre 1880 or so, he was the first Native American Judge in the U.S., attended Union College in Elmira, NY where he received his J.D. I can almost bet he did not reveal his heritage or he may have never been given this opportunity at that time. The "Indian Wars" did not "end, officially" until after 1906. I believe the Seminoles have, in fact, never signed a treaty with the U.S.) and tell me there isn't a resemblance! Note, I have only had this picture of my GGF a couple of years and it has been in storage. My photo was done in sepia, originally, also. I was 17 then. My father looks remarkably like his grandfather, absent the facial hair. When i got this photo out, I couldn't believe the resemblance. The description of my grandfather is written in my father's perfect engineer's printing on the back of the original frame and matting.

This photo is when I was about 28 or 29, and one can still see the similarity. It was also an original sepia.

I found so many beloved photos I had not seen in years. One--one of my all-time favorite photos of my musician beloved--really made me smile. If the photo says anything about him, it is that he is graceful and contemplative--both quite true. He was about 34 then.

If I could equate him with any animal, it would be a panther, sleek, quiet and stealthful. I don't know that panthers have a sense of humor, but he has a lovely one and a great laugh to go with it. There is absolutely nothing special about this photo except my having captured, for once, his beautiful essence.

My musician beloved came from a family of photographers, his folks having owned a camera store when he was young and who also hosted a television show on photography at one time. So, I offer this, probably the best and only decent photograph I have ever taken.

I was captured by the charm of this bell (I was photographing tidal wildlife at the time in Corona del Mar, CA with my recently acquired Cannon AE-1, note the breaker just below the shadow of the bell).

As a kid, I surfed pretty regularly, and if not on the board, I was most certainly in the water. I love the ocean and cannot move over an hour away from it. I just have to know it is there if I need it.

I made a slideshow, yesterday, to music (that was fun!) after having loaded a couple hundred pics. I had a nice casual dinner which I shared with the dogs, or they shared with me... not sure which.

I went to bed late, got up late and now back to my regular prime time life.

Life is wonderful, and God is good!