Month: May 2013

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The incredible dandelion

dandelionsMost people love to hate dandelions. A field of fertile puffy seed balls, waiting to spread their beauty to the next closest lawn, strikes fear in the hearts of most North American lawn-keepers.

But ah – their bright yellow flowers – and exquisite soft seed balls. If you stop to think about it, they are amazing. What an incredible thing that the seed puffs always turn out almost perfectly spherical. And the flowers are unfailingly the same brilliant saturated yellow.

Enjoy them for a moment – if not on your own lawn, on your neighbor’s.

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It’s free, in your back yard

masks art exhibit in fort collins colorado

We all enjoy a little change of pace. We enjoy it even more, when we don’t have to pay anything!

If you live in a town with a university, chances are they have art and music departments. If so, there are student music performances and art shows throughout the school year. Most of them are free. Just explore the school’s website, or better yet, spend a little time roaming around campus.

I took these photos of masks at a free exhibit in Fort Collins, Colorado, where my oldest son is attending university.

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A need for validation

Honda CRXWhy is it that we feel better when someone famous does what we are already doing? It’s our basic human need to be validated.

I experienced that recently. I was watching Top Gear, a British show about cars and driving fast. The most famous of the show’s hosts, Jeremy Clarkson, was interviewing Slash, the guitar player for an 80s rock band. Both of them revealed that they previously owned and enjoyed the Honda CRX (pictured). I owned one too. I loved that car, and so did Heather. While we were dating, my choice of that car impressed her.

We appreciate when our friends say they like something we like. When a celebrity says they like what we like, it’s somehow even better. At some level, we expect that famous people are so far removed from our lives that they wouldn’t experience average things like we do. Recently, Mr. Clarkson’s garage has been home to several Ferraris, and Slash has owned multitudes of Aston Martins. Both brands’ offerings are a bit more expensive than Hondas.

When was the last time a celebrity’s choice mirrored yours?

Photo courtesy of Grant C.

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Bring your phone

manhole coverI took this photo during an evening walk with my iPhone. I used no filters. I did nothing to it in Photoshop.

The weird colors were just part of the manhole cover. I’m not sure who painted the edges green or how rust seeped through the white paint to give a pinkish tinge.

My point is to always bring your camera with you. If you have a smartphone has a decent camera, all the better – you’ll have it with you to get that shot you would otherwise miss.

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