Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Wahoo! Wednesday


Wow, the weeks go fast when you write weekly wahoo posts. It seems like just yesterday that I risked my life by quickly pulling over to snap a smiling cardinal (see last week's wahoo post, if you don't know what I'm referring to). And, here it is . . . Wednesday, again. Gosh.

Just typing up the day of the week (Wednesday, for those of you with amnesia) makes me think . . .

1. Wahoo! for the ability to spell. I say that because Wednesday is tricky to type and I know spelling doesn't come naturally to everyone. In our household, we're 50/50 - two who can spell easily and two who know how to ask. We have a saying in this household: "If you can't spell, be sure to get the kind of job that involves hiring a secretary."

2. This is a biggie. Thank the wahoo heavens I didn't end up on I-20 in the westbound lanes, today:


Kiddo took this photo, since I was a bit busy driving. There must have been a major accident blocking both lanes, as the highway was jammed up when I took the kiddo to swim practice at 3:00 and when we returned home from swimming, nothing had changed. Except for the fact that people were standing around on the highway, chatting. Oh, wow, did I feel for them. Been there, done that. I-20 is in serious need of expansion to 6 lanes.

Update: Hubby says a barge hit the Mississippi River bridge and they had to shut it down to inspect. Double wahoo for not accidentally getting into that jam, then. You know that had to take some time.

3. Wahoo! for hummingbirds! I love hummingbirds!!! I have recently taken up the quest for the perfect hummingbird photo. It has to have just the right color balance, you see, with the lovely green feathers lit up and a good splash of color from the flowers . . . and it has to be sharp, nice and sharp - no fuzziness apart from the wing blurring. Okay, I admit to a perfection problem. But, boy am I having fun trying to get that perfect shot! I'm not there, yet, but I've gotten some pretty nice snaps, lately. This one's not clear, but I love the look of determination:


4. Wahoo! for trips down memory lane. Must elaborate and this is a bit weird:

I had a jasmine-scented grandmother.

You know how certain people have a distinctive scent and it sticks in your memory, long after they're gone? Well, I never knew what exactly it was that my grandmother smelled like, but I bought some white tea and jasmine bath salts and when I poured them into the tub . . . oh, my gosh. It smelled like my grandmother. After I got over the initial freak-out, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the memory of her utterly cool home, which was like a museum - an unbelievable treasure trove. My grandmother never threw anything away (I apparently inherited the Packrat Gene from her) and the contents of her house went back seemingly forever. I won't tell you about the greedy relatives who walked off with truckloads of valuables because that's too distressing. What I pictured was the contents, intact, and the fun my sister and I (sometimes a cousin or two) had tossing things into the little laundry chute that went down to her basement, then zipping downstairs to fetch them. I loved those days.

And, now a warning:

If you go to the Blogger's opening page, there's an article about Blogger Play - a new feature where you can watch the photos being loaded to Blogger in real time. I warn you, it is addictive. And, also, it's not something you want to sit and watch with little kids standing behind you, because you never know when some inappropriate photos will pop up, but . . . the cute babies, the happy people, the weddings, the breathtaking scenery!!! Oh, wow, is it addictive. I'm just telling you. Watch out.


Riiiiiight.

May many wahoos rain down upon you,

Bookfool

19 comments:

  1. Now that's a horrendous jam. If I didn't have a book with me, I'd be so BORED!!!

    And thank you...I feel a Wahoo! now. Enjoy your countdown to the weekend.

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  2. I had the Blogger Play on for awhile the other day and you're right about the 'interesting' assortment that comes up.
    The vampire kitty is still cute though. ;)

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  3. Yikes! I haven't seen a traffic jam like that in years. Probably since living in Southern California. Imagine that with all 6-8 lanes completely stopped. Ugh.

    Now that I'm somewhat caught up on book reviews, I'll have to get a blog posted with my hummingbird pics. I know exactly how you feel about wanting to get the perfect shot.

    That last picture of the cat with your captions reminds me of this.

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  4. Indigo,

    That was a major jam. I have a bin full of emergency books in my car, in case you're wondering. ;)

    Glad you're happily wahooed. And, thank you. I wish you a very wahooey weekend. :)

    Nat,

    It's dangerous, isn't it? But, fun. I really love the happy people and cute kid photos. Vampire kitty is handsome as ever. I'm just not loudly inviting him to come play. :)

    Les,

    We get those jams surprisingly often. Usually, it's because of a wreck blocking both lanes in one direction and that kind of accident can take hours to clear up. We got caught in one on a return trip from Oklahoma. Everyone was exhausted and it took 2 hours to drive the last 5 miles. Horrible.

    I'll bet your hummingbird photos will be better than mine. My camera is outdated, compared to yours. Can't wait to see them!

    I luvs I can has cheezburger!!! Yes, I was thinking of that, when I wrote on the second photo. But, I can't make myself misspell. I'll have to work on that. LOL

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  5. Can certainly understand the Wahoo about missing that traffic jam! Big Uh Oh on the barge and bridge fiasco. What a great idea to carry emergency books--I'm gonna' put some in my car today. Our fair city is criss-crossed with railroads and there is not way to get anywhere without the possibility of a long wait.

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  6. Eek! That's a nasty little traffic jam!!

    Love the kitty, by the way!! Vampire or not!

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  7. I'm embarrassed to admit, I'm one of those people who has problems spelling Wednesday. Also, definitely, unfortunately, and February. I need a secretary. :P

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  8. Jenclair,

    LOL Big uh-oh is right! What surprised me was the quantity of trucks. There were some cars squeezed in between them, but fewer than I expected.

    You should see my book stash in the trunk! I've been stuck without a book on long waits, many times. Now, I leave home prepared!!! They've come in handy many times. Even one in the glove compartment is better than ending up with nothing to read at all. :)

    Stephanie,

    It certainly is. I'm anxious to see the newspaper account and find out how long it took for things to clear up. Hubby said his employer actually sent out a warning message explaining the problem and reminding people not to use the highway.

    He's a handsome kitty, so photogenic. I still love him, but I'm not going to hang around him without some jeans between him and my flesh, in the future. And, it's not quite jeans weather, yet.

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  9. Kookie,

    Wednesday and February are both rough. Yeah, you just need a secretary. ;)

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  10. Wahoo for fantastic Wahoo Wednesday posts! I never tire of them.

    That is a FANTASTIC hummingbird shot. And the cat/vampire is pretty darn cute, too.

    Haven't tried Blogger Play, but I do have a few hours to kill. I feel an addiction coming on!

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  11. Andi,

    Well, thank you. :) Sometimes it's very difficult to find things to celebrate, but yesterday the traffic jam alone was worth partying about - not getting in that jam was, I should say.

    And, thank you, again. I'm still working on the hummingbird shots, but it's so freaking hot out that I didn't stand in the sun for very long, today. Ohmygosh, am I ever ready for a cold front!!! Vampire cat rules the neighborhood. He's so cute. Now, if he can just control himself.

    Oh, danger, Andi. It is so fun looking at those photos! And, if you click on one, it takes you to the origin. So, you can see them in context. Velly, velly bad thing.

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  12. Anonymous5:51 PM

    See? Completely innocent and rabies free. Plus, cute.

    We had a big accident that closed both lanes in SF yesterday. Not good.

    I can spell, but it's useless in the days of spellcheck. So very sad for me. Now I just wander around correcting people, much to their annoyance.

    That is a FABULOUS shot of the hummingbird! We have quite a few in our backyard but I can never get a good shot.

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  13. Hi, Nancy!

    I LOVE your hummingbird shot! Do you know I saw my very first hummingbird only last week? I felt the same sense of excitement that I did when I saw snow for the first time 7 years ago. They are lovely birds...I hope the little guy visits me again soon.

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  14. Carrie,

    Yes, yes, he's innocent and adorable. Just ignore the blood dripping from Vampire Furbuddy's jaws. ;)

    In a 50-50 spelling family, I feel pretty useful, actually. But, you're so right that spellcheck has taken away our glory days. You know what I don't get? My poor non-spelling son was still getting penalized for bad spelling as recently as last year (in high school). He does try. It's been so interesting having children with totally different skill sets from my own.

    Thank you. Hummingbirds are a bear to photograph. They are so incredibly fast. I'm fortunate to have a patient son - I took the best shots after swim practice ended. When I dropped my purse and lifted the camera, he just turned around and went off to chat with friends - no complaining or fidgeting. Isn't that cool?

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  15. Hi Lotus!

    That's so cool that you just saw your first hummingbird, recently! I'll bet that was a thrilling moment! They're still exciting to me, even though I've seen them all my life. I guess their uniqueness - so tiny, so fast, such pretty coloring - is one of the reasons they're so fun to watch and photograph. I hope you see yours, again, soon! And, could you send me some of that snow, this winter?

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  16. I'm glad you didn't get caught in that! But it is nice to know that the people who did were able to remain civilized about it.

    And your hummingbird photos are amazing!

    cjh

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  17. CJ,

    Thanks. I think that's pretty typical stuck-traffic behavior, from what I've seen. I've been past (or on - miserable) the highway during lengthy back-ups, quite a few times. It happens more often than it really should; the highway is just not big enough for traffic, anymore. Anyway, we've seen people sitting around in the folding chairs you see at athletic events or digging in coolers, standing around chatting and drinking cokes. It's usually quite civilized - kind of a "we're all in this together thing," I suppose.

    Thank you. I only managed to snap two hummingbird frames, today. My quest for the perfect hummingbird photo continues. LOL

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  18. Wow! That was quite a jam! I was out running errands today and the car in front of me back ended the truck in front of her. Ouch! They stopped in the middle of the road to chat about it--while it may sound rude, there really was no place else they could go as it's a narrow street with lots of traffic. Luckily, I there was an alley I was able to take to get to the back road. I seem to be behind a lot of these types of accidents these days. Makes those lessons in keeping back a good distance even when slowing or stopping good ones to follow!

    Hummingbirds are my favorite birds. I love that they can fly backwards. And their wings go so fast! That's a lovely photo, Nancy.

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  19. Wendy,

    I think I read somewhere that "following too closely" (aka tailgating) is one of the most frequent causes of road accidents (distraction was way up there, also). I'm weird about keeping a safe distance, myself, because I hit someone from behind when I was a teenager. It wasn't from tailgating (they'd stopped in the middle of the road - I don't know if the car stalled or what) and it's always stuck with me how awful it felt to hit someone. I'm glad you found a way around that mess!

    I so agree; hummingbirds are cool. I could watch them all day. Thanks!

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