Dad loved messing about with his trailer. He enjoyed that as much as camping, I think. He would find excuses to "take the trailer for a ride". Perhaps it was to check out some new hitch adjustment, or work the grease in after packing the bearings. It might be around the block, or it might be to the ocean or the redwoods for a picnic.

Rainwater drips from the roof corner where the eaves come together, making a little puddle of clear water and glistening pebbles, washed clean by the constant dripping. A reminder that I should have blown the pine needles from the roof before the rain, but also triggering a memory of a winter long ago.

I am intrigued but deep down I want to know where my BLT vending machine is.

http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/03/lets-pizza-italian-italy-p...

Our hellebore always has that effect on me. The narcissus and daffodils show themselves as they emerge along the driveway as we come and go. But the hellebore is a bit hidden away up in back among the fallen leaves, twigs, and pine needles. I come upon it about the end of February when i creep out blinking in the cold still winter early morning with my cup of coffee, muttering about the cleanup i should do, stumbling over dead branches. And there, omigosh, look at that.

Grandma and Grandpa's patio at the house on Novato Boulevard was a place of delicious chicken cremated to just the right shade of blackness on grandpas furnace of a BBQ. It was also a place of fine family gatherings. Here we have carried out the kitchen chairs and gathered around two card tables shoved together to celebrate Thomas' 6th birthday. You are looking at Donald, Sebastian, Margie, Leo, Tessie, Tom , Tony, and Elizabeth.

Every once in a while I get busy with the organizing and archiving of my huge pile of moments in time. As of now, these digital moments amount to over 60,000 images. Truly a big pile, within which wonders can hide. In stirring through the pile from time to time I'll try to run some through the flow here at mindling.com.

Herewith Thomas&Son on the 'ol kayak in 1978 down south of Novato.

I got a big day-job project out the door this morning, and I followed soon after with mtn bike and camera to explore some new territory over in the Knickerbocker area I had "discovered" while messing around in Google Earth. Some trails, slippery with mud, and wading across a couple of creeks brought me to a beautiful pond, perhaps a quarter mile long and a couple hundred yards wide. An egret was fishing among some cattails while I sat and ate my sandwich. After lunch I thought perhaps I could creep around behind the reeds without disturbing him, so off I went with the camera.

I learned a deeply technical lesson for improving photography from a friend this week - press the shutter once in a while.