Rest In Peace - Taphophile Tragics #1

"A taphophile is one who finds they are attracted to walking around cemeteries, reading the headstones and musing upon the family history contained therein."

I have always felt a certain fascination with cemeteries ... when I was young I thought I was just morbid ... but as I've gotten older, I find it's not morbidity but curiosity that draws me to these peaceful resting places.

Curiosity of the stories, told and untold, of lives that have been lived ...
Questions left unanswered ...

Each headstone tells a story of a life ...
If I could only hear.

(This photo was taken at the IOOF cemetery near Dayton, Oregon, last spring)

Julie has started a meme called "Taphophile Tragics" - "A Warm Touch Upon Cold Hard Stone".

Espresso Plants are Seasonal Items!!!

Thanks to Lesley over at "Signs, Signs", I have come to see signs in a whole new way ... like this delightful sign I drive by at least once a week.

I never before noticed - or even knew - that Espresso Plants were Seasonal Items - and could be purchased at a Drive-Thru Greenhouse!!!
Snicker.

Thank you, Lesley, and everyone who participates in this meme - I love visiting all of the wonderful signs found around the world!

Wheelbarrow Jail ...

I wanted to liberate them, but I couldn't afford the bail!

It's Friday Fences time!!!

Sysco Surprise

Sysco has a huge warehouse nearby.
I often get stuck, frustrated, at the intersection, watching truck after truck pull out into traffic.

On this day, however, the frustration turned into hilarity as I watched each truck pull out - oblivious to the fact that someone had attacked their fleet with spray paint - modifying their slogan ... by one letter ...

I still laugh whenever I see a Sysco truck!

To see signs from around the world, join us over at Lesley's "Signs, Signs"!

Foggy Day ...

The sun was supposed to come out ...
And it did - everywhere but here!
We were socked in with freezing fog for days.

To be fair, the sun did TRY to break through a few times, but only created a mysterious and creepy mood.

While barely 4 miles away, the sun broke through the fog bank ...
I was driving, and had to pull over when I saw this sight - a "sunbow"!

It was absolutely glorious!

But I was only able to gawk for a few minutes ... then the bank of thick fog took over my world once again ...

To see reflections from around the world, visit James' "Weekend Reflections"!

Gate to Nowhere ... Or Everywhere

It's Friday Fences time!
Come join us!

I Heart Rikki

I love finding love notes scratched into freshly poured cement!

Because I can share them on Guest Heart Thursday!

Crawl Ins Welcome

No words needed here!

To see signs from around the world, visit Lesley's "Signs, Signs"!

Also ... visit "Tina's PicStory" for "Tina's Wordless Wednesday"!

Reflections of the Past ...

While my neighbor haggled over the price of a car, I wandered around the static display of old farm equipment ...

Where the mirror from an old car reflected the past ...

Up close, the handiwork of man and nature clearly showed.

This old tractor wheel piqued my imagination!

Reflections of a bygone era.
Of ingenuity and hard work.

To see reflections from around the world, visit James' "Weekend Reflections"!

Fun With Old Farm Equipment ...

My neighbor was haggling over a car he wanted to buy from a small towing and recovery yard tucked back near the railroad in a small town near where I live. Not THIS car ... actually the one he bought was a Lexus ... but I digress!

I didn't mind that he was taking his time - it gave me a chance to look over a field of old cars and farm equipment that was on display!

Everything was rusty and decaying.
In short - it was beautiful!

I couldn't help but think of Owen and his "Magic Lantern Show" ...
His quest for rust and old cars (among other things) delights me.
He would have loved it here!!!
There were over a hundred pieces of equipment!

All from times long gone.
I will be sharing more of this wonderful "stuff" over the next few days ...

And look - I even found a heart for Guest Heart Thursday!!!

Sanitary Sewer???

I did a double-take when I saw this sign ...

I mean, I was under the impression that most sewers were "unsanitary" by definition!

Or maybe the people of Sherwood are so perfect they ... well, you know what I'm gonna say ... it's right up there with "I NEVER fart and when I do it smells like roses", right?

And since it's Wednesday and all, I'm going to link this up with Lesley's "Signs, Signs"!

Tree Parking - Signs Signs

This wonderful sign now hangs on Mom's shed ...
I was with my brother Dow when we found it abandoned in a parking lot the day after Christmas nearly ten years ago ...

Dow was so tickled when his girlfriend and I jumped out of the car and grabbed the sign. It was something he would have done himself, had he still been able to do so.

Dow died less than a month later.
And I am thankful that we have this wonderful sign as just one of the reminders of his beautiful and adventurous spirit.

I am linking this to Lesley's "Signs, Signs" - come join us!

And HAPPY THANKSGIVING to those of us who celebrate this holiday here in the US!

Frost on Blackberry Leaf ...

Yesterday mornings frost showed a whole new world of beauty ...

Tina's PicStory's photo challenge this week is "Leaf" - come join us!

Autumn Flower Surprise

The local wildflowers have come and gone, winter season is nearly upon us.

So I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this beautiful yellow flower next to the road ...
covered in raindrops ...

I don't think it will be there long, as we are expecting freezing temperatures Saturday night.
But I sure enjoyed it on Friday!

To see beautiful flowers from around the world, visit Tina's PicStory's "Weekend Flowers"!

To see reflections from around the world, visit James' "Weekend Reflections"!

Too Many Locks - Flower Thief!

So the question is ...
How many locks does it take to secure the fence and gate to a Metro park?

(Answer: At least 8!)

Maybe the homeowner to the right of this shot should have secured their flower garden with 8 locks ... I watched as this man made off with a whole handful of blooms!

Flower Thief!!!
(Or ... is he just brave enough to do what we would ALL like to do sometimes???)

It's Friday's Fences time! Join us over at Jan and Jer's for the fun!

It's also time for Tina's PicStory's "Weekend Flowers"! Come see the gorgeous flowers people did NOT steal out of other peoples' gardens!

Pay it Forward

I was dropping off my neighbor at the middle school.
Not the school just down the street, but the one on the other side of town.
The middle school with the BAD reputation - all of the "trouble makers" go there after they get kicked out of the "good" school.

Chase hasn't been kicked out of school, he just has a lot of friends that have.
He loves his school.

As I was leaving, I noticed a bunch of leaves tucked into the fence along the tennis courts.

PAY IT FORWARD

I asked Chase if this was something the school planned.
"No," he said. "The kids just do something like this every year on their own."

As a tribute.

And THIS is the "Bad" school?
The one with the "reputation?"
Where all of the students who are trouble makers hang out?

Chase and I had a long talk, and ...
I realized I have been guilty of a lot of things.
Of assuming that the rumors were true.
Of being JUDGMENTAL of things that I know nothing about.
Of being biased and discriminatory.
No wonder Chase loves his school.

Thank you Chase.
Thank you students of Athey Creek Middle School.
I think you're AWESOME!!!

I am linking this up with Jan and Jer's wonderful "Friday's Fences!"

Big Brother is Watching You!!!

I couldn't resist this shot of a man working diligently on an access panel (halfway up the side of a building, atop a tall ladder ...)

With Big Brother watching over his shoulder!

While technically not a "sign" ...
It is still a "sign" of the times!!!

To see signs from around the world, visit Lesley's "Signs, Signs"!

Autumn Rainbow of Color

Some blackberry leaves are turning red ...

While the grape leaves are brilliant yellow!

Yellow, Green and Blue ... go well together.

So do red and green!

And the red berries seem to glow against the changing leaves ...

Happy Autumn!

Remembering Wayne ...

(photo by Clytie Garretson)

Wayne was nearing retirement age when I knew him back in the early 1980's ...
Wayne was a hard worker -- a man of few words. When he did speak, it was always profound.

It was late Autumn in Washington state, and we were bemoaning the loss of daylight.

"It's dark when we come to work, pretty soon it will be dark when we go home," said Chuck.
"Pretty soon we will be living our lives in the dark!"

Wayne looked up from his work.
"Yep," he said quietly ... "Just Like A Mushroom".

And he went back to his work.

Now, when autumn steals the daylight hours, and the darkness of night seems to last forever ... I remember Wayne.
And I think of mushrooms.

The Tale of Genevieve

The flower's short life was spent watching the world rush by.

Yet not all of her world was so frenetic. The oak tree roots upon which she rested offered years of knowledge and wisdom.

So when the whispers arose to surround the beautiful lady who had come to stay, the flower listened.

The whispers hinted at the mystery and the curse of the gnome princess ... she who was called "Genevieve". The flower had never seen such beauty - perhaps because she had never glimpsed herself.

The whispers became a chatter, the chatter a roar. The flower reached to cover Genevieve's stone ears. The wind pulled her back.

So, as the crescendo of noise enveloped her, the flower leaned forward to Genevieve's face.

And bestowed a kiss upon her lips.

A kiss of beauty. A kiss of life.

The whispers ceased. The world beneath the oak tree came to a halt for just a moment.

And then went on.

Because, you see, the flower's short life was spent watching the world rush by.

But sometimes, magically, time slowed enough for the flower to catch up.

Heapest Beer in Town!

So I guess the obvious question is ...

How do you HEAP beer???

I mean, wouldn't it spill out of the glass?

(snicker)

To see wonderful signs from around the world, join us for Lesley's "Signs, Signs"!

Beware The Abandoned Church ...

"IT" will sneak up on you, and grab you!

Suck you into the shrubbery!!!

And spit you out again.

Happy Halloween FUN!!!

Late Blackberry Blossom After Rain

(click on picture to enlarge and see the world encased in this amazing drop of rain!)

I was shocked to find this delicate pink flower still in bloom ... our blackberries have usually dropped their blossoms by July, and we harvest the ripe berries in August and September! I've never seen such a late straggler!

I'm not complaining, mind you. After last night's rain, I was mesmerized by the beauty of the blossoms ... and the world reflected in the raindrops.

To see reflections from around the world, visit James - and join us for "Weekend Reflections"!

To see flowery beauty from around the world, visit Tina's PicStory's "Weekend Flowers"!

Inclement Weather Bus Stop ... Signs, Signs

With the onset of the possibility of winter weather conditions, we have taken all precautions to chain up our bus stops.

Our desire is that all of our bus stop signs are safe from slip-and-fall accidents!

At least until the weather improves.

To see signs from around the world, visit Lesley's "Signs, Signs".

Mika Makes Me Laugh

Mika didn't realize when she fell asleep next to the broken bicycle horn that she would make me laugh.

If she knew, she would be soooooo offended!

Pink Flower in Fence

The flower doesn't care which side of the fence it is on ...
It blooms just as beautifully.

I strive to be like this flower.
No matter where I end up in life!

To see gorgeous flowers from around the world, visit Tina's PicStory's "Weekend Flowers"!

To see fun pictures of fences, visit "Life According to Jan and Jer" - for a fun new meme - "Friday's Fences"!