sunny sepia tones

spectacular

The clouds have just been amazing lately.

beach still-life

panoramas

I don't usually use the panorama feature on my phone, but I couldn't resist these views.

Larger view on flickr

Larger view on flickr

throwback thursday: morning stroll

When we first moved down here four years ago I was walking everywhere after dropping the kid to school. I need to get back in the habit, as you can see some pretty cool things around town.

more gorgeous sky

I can't get over how painterly the sky has been lately.

fair skies

Some more fabulous skies and clouds that I was able to catch recently.

macro

I am still digging my macro-zoom attachments that I got for Christmas for my iPhone.

Can you guess what some of these lovely photos depict?

throwback thursday: moon shots

This photo was taken by my dad, with his 35mm camera attached to his telescope in the late '60s, early '70s. He actually made his telescope himself, even grinding the mirrors.

These photos were taken by me four years ago, by holding my iPhone up to my telescope's (25mm) lens.

blue skies

Some more amazing early morning beach, sand, and sky shots.

palm shadows

Backlit palm trees on the beach, with the moon peeking out from the clouds.

i went for it

One of my brother's favorite phrases used to be "I got a good deal," and I have to admit that I'm happy to say that I did, recently, too. We have two iPhones — one replaced our landline at home and the other is my long-time cell-phone. The "home phone" is a 3GS, and in today's smart phone world, it is still a great, working phone, but it is no longer able to be updated with any new operating systems. The other, a 4S, I've had for two years, and September is my birthday month ...

Long story short, I was able to basically get one (a 5C, above right) for free when I traded in the 4S, and the 3GS I upgraded to a 5S (above, left). Two new phones. And I have also finally committed to living here in Florida — I changed both of my old phone numbers from their DC area codes to our local Florida codes. And thanks to  very helpful person at AT&T (yes, really!) I got some savings in the process — I was actually paying a DC tax for using the phones. I got grandfathered in with my old unlimited plans on both phones (whoo hoo!) So much has been going wrong lately that it is a really nice change to have something go my way. And the phones are damn cute, too. Happy birthday to me!

fun with grandma (and a new app)

The kid has been having fun with a new app on my iPhone, PicCam. She even got her grandma to pose when we were there visiting her this weekend at the nursing home.

I have been finding that as far as Mom is concerned, it doesn't seem to matter if she saw us the day before or almost the week before. When we come she is happy to see us. We sit together and she is very engaged at first — she held my hand for quite a while — and then she tunes out a little. I try to engage her with photos or other things, but most of the time she is just happy looking at The Kid.

I guess the fact that she seems just fine where she is, and happy to see us, and a little sad, but not pissed off when we go, is a blessing and I should just breathe a big old sigh of relief. I'm getting there. Not yet, but soon, I hope.

panorama

Trying out the panorama effect on my iPhone with a gorgeous sunset.

transformed

The lights started flickering around 10:25 pm. At first I thought it was just a bulb about to blow in my mother's bedroom, but then I noticed that the living room lights were sputtering as well. I called downstairs, to the doorman, and we both theorized that it might be the weather — it's been very windy the past few days.

But then one of the other building residents was talking in the background and the doorman said that they had figured it out — it was a transformer, and he'd call me back. A few moments later there was a muffled boom and then total blackness.

It's odd how quiet everything becomes when there is no light. No hum of electricity or machines. How used to it, to the white noise of electricity, we have become. Although I know that this will get fixed, I can't help but have an eerie feeling, as if I have suddenly found myself in the middle of a Stephen King short story — or maybe a novella. I'm reminded of another story, by Ray Bradbury, from The Illustrated Man (I think)*, when the machines take over. My iPhone is only half charged ...

My first instinct was to grab a flashlight and go investigate. I've seen enough horror movies to know that's not such a hot idea. Besides, it 's cold out — we're experiencing a cold snap here in Florida — and I don't fancy walking down four flights of stairs just to hear what I already know — the building's dark.

But until when? At least this happened late enough that we should all sleep through most of the blackout. The kid was already in bed. I was more concerned about my mom, who lately wants to sleep with a light on, but I gave her one of the bigger flashlights to brighten her room. Hopefully the lights will be restored before the batteries wear out.

So here I am typing, not sleepy, and thinking about the dark. There's a big bright full moon outside tonight. It's brighter out there, in the cold, than in here.


Addendum: It was a transformer, and the buildings power wasn't restored until 12:30 p.m. the next day. The kid had to spend a cold spring break afternoon amusing herself without electronics, just like Little House on the Prairie, and I had to throw out all the perishables in the fridge.

* Actually I was thinking of "There Will Come Soft Rains" from The Martian Chronicles

black diamonds and dr. seuss

First published as Book Review: Black Diamond by Martin Walker and Book Review: The Dr. Seuss Bookshelf from Oceanhouse Media on Blogcritics.


Black Diamond

Black Diamond is the third book in a mystery series by author Martin Walker. Dubbed a mystery of the French countryside, the recent paperback release from Vintage once again features Detective Bruno Courrèges, the only policeman in the small town of St. Denis, in Périgord, a former province of France, now called the Dordogne.

Detective Bruno is not just a smart cop, but a connoisseur of fine wine, food, and the inestimable local black truffles – black diamonds. Perigord truffles are a multi-million euro business and are at the heart of this entertaining mystery. Walker takes readers behind the scenes of the truffle trade, where one may be surprised (or not) to learn that there is a lucrative black market for substituting inferior Chinese truffles for southern France's local gems.

A murder, a father-son feud, and Bruno's own romantic complications with British girlfriend Pamela (and a woman from his past) keep the charismatic detective quite busy throughout this mystery. Black Diamond starts off at a leisurely pace, and although Walker includes some exciting scenes and intrigue, the overall feeling one gets from the book is similar to one of the long, multi-course dinners that Bruno is so fond of enjoying or preparing. The mystery and supporting characters are intriguing, but what really makes the story is its love and indulgence of the local setting, and especially its appreciation for fine food and wine.

Walker is the senior director of the Global Business Policy Council, a private think tank based in Washington, D.C. He lives in Washington, D.C. and the Dordogne. In Black Diamond he writes eloquently about such diverse topics as "green" cuisine, local politics, ethnic struggles, and organized crime. Readers familiar with the Dordogne region of southern France or dreaming of a future visit will enjoy following Bruno around St. Denis and its environs (and restaurants). His clever crime-solving is just an added bonus. After reading Black Diamond readers will definitely want to check out or revisit the first two installments of the series.

The Dr. Seuss Bookshelf

Oceanhouse Media released an exciting new app this week, the Dr. Seuss Bookshelf. A free download in the App Store, iPad®, iPhone® and iPod touch® owners can now access and organize all of their favorite Dr. Seuss books, games, and camera apps.

An aid for both parents and their children, the opening screen is divided into four sections. "My Apps" highlights any Dr. Seuss apps that the user already has on their device, with an easy-to-use side-scroll menu for selection. Directly below is "Favorites," where one can drag and drop favorite or more frequently-used apps. The top two sections feature available Dr. Seuss apps, in the "Store" and "Featured" sections. An app can be selected with a tap, which displays the price, item description, and another button to tap for purchase.

There are more than 45 Dr. Seuss apps available in the App Store. Additional browsing criteria includes sorting by Type (Dr. Seuss Classic Books, The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library, Games, Cameras), Price (ranging from $0.99 or less to $8.99), or Age (ranging from age 3 and under to ages 9-12). There is also a search feature where one can type in a specific title or query to help select an app. To get a sampling of what's on offer, the $0.99 or less price range includes some free apps for parents and kids to try out and see if they like them - The Cat in the Hat LITE, Dr. Seuss's ABC LITE, Green Eggs and Ham LITE, and the Dr. Seuss Camera - Happy Birthday Edition.

Oceanhouse Media will be updating the Dr. Seuss Bookshelf regularly, with sales and holiday-themed products. Children and adults should enjoy this nice addition to their already impressive collection of Dr. Seuss apps.

walking the dog ...

... gives me an opportunity to play with both extreme close-ups during the day ...

A snail near our doorway

A neighbor's decorative door knocker

Frangipani after a rain shower

... as well as the flash on my phone

The kid is almost as tall as this palm tree

The moon hides behind clouds and palm fronds

A Golden Shrimp Plant near home