Monday, August 31, 2009

Bunny # 2


Bunny # 2, originally uploaded by angryparsnip.

It has been so hot in Tucson. The monsoons have not been very strong
this summer. . . not enough rain. This week the temps have been
hovering around 105 .

All the critters have been searching out the cool places. This very
young and well camouflaged Jack Rabbit comes and rests in the hot part
of the day where my drip watering system is. This view is from my
floor to ceiling bathroom window out on my south-west side-yard.
There was a little Cactus Wren also in the shade but flew away when I
tried to sneak in for the picture.

Hot. . . parsnip
Music. . . The Sheltering Sky. . . Ryuichi Sakamoto

Friday, August 28, 2009

Summer


Summer, originally uploaded by angryparsnip.

This card folds out to reveal a summer house complete with glass wind
chimes, watermelon, kitty, and morning glories.

Japanese cards are really gifts in themselves that can be saved to
enjoyed over and over again.
I change them out with the seasons.
Just wait till I post my collection of Christmas cards !

It's 104 very hot. . . parsnip.
Music. . . Trouble Sleeping. . . Corinne Bailey Rae

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Memories


Memories, originally uploaded by angryparsnip.

Memories. . .

This afternoon I got to relive some of my childhood. . .

Growing up in Tucson, this is what my summer looked like. Towers of
clouds rising up into the sky as they moved slowly across the valley,
the rain drifting lazily down.
We also had the fast moving downpour type of rain storm that does lots
of damage and is gone in a minute but so many of my summer afternoons
looked just like this.
Listening to the muted thunder so far away drifting towards me on
breezes smelling of dust, sage and ozone as the lighting bounced
around in the clouds, I was young again and sitting in my backyard.

Reflective. . . parsnip
Music. . . Six days. . . DJ Shadow

Heavy Cloud No Rain ! (Sting)

Monday's afternoon rain storm. . . this view is facing West.

No rain at my home but it rained all around the Tucson Valley with
micro-bursts to the south that did lots of damage.

Wish I could post more than one picture at a time, because this storm
that engulfed Tucson was so intriguing, it was on all side of me and
kept changing every few minutes. I must learn how to post more than
one photo at a time.

Humid. . . parsnip
Music. . . Blue. . . Hikaru Utada

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Fountain


Fountain, originally uploaded by angryparsnip.

Ever since moving into this home I have wanted to put a fountain in my
back yard. It has been almost 3 years, it is about time ! Other more
important things to do like rip out the carpet and fix up the kitchen
and bathrooms.
The plain wall next to the grassy area I put in for "The Two Square
Dogs" is the perfect spot. The wall was nice but boring, even though
it helps to keep out the critters.

I didn't want a pre-made fountain so I designed this one . It is a
window fountain open to the view in back with a copper pipe drilled
with holes so the water flows down from the top like rain then falls
over the rocks into the basin.
I had the bench wall made for extra seating, and of course somewhere
for the water to fall into. The materials were mostly items I had
saved from other projects.

Now the fun part starts. I want to add big rocks to the water basin
and maybe some blue and green glass bottles, for color, that I have
been saving. I like clean simple lines so I will not be filling up the
seating area with pots of plants, even with water the sun burns them
up. Maybe one large pot with some sort of drought tolerant plant. . .
and a few rocks.

Giddy. . . parsnip
music . . . Rain. . . Ryuichi Sakamoto . . . ost "The Last Emperor"

Friday, August 21, 2009

Tucson home with impending storm

Tucson has not had a very good monsoon this year but today is the
first day of 5 days of projected rain. Yea ! we need it. You can see
the very beginning of the storm clouds behind my home.
The rain hit my home at 2:50 on Friday afternoon. The Storm Alert said
winds were tracking at 65 mph before the rain storm that was moving
at about 45-mph.
I can believe it as I was taking some pictures out side I could see
the storm moving down the valley towards me and it hit with a
vengeance. Lots of lighting and booming thunder.

One lighting bolt just hit about 5 miles from me as I was looking out my window while typeing this. Yea-Haaaa just another day in the wild wild west !

Windblown. . . . parsnip
Music . . . Ride Like The Wind. . . The Cafe Carlyle Sessions,
Christopher Cross

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

schmap


schmap, originally uploaded by angryparsnip.

You all remember this picture from my trip to San Francisco.
A few weeks ago I received an inquiry that my photo was viewed on
Flickr and short listed to be included, with my permission, into the "
Schmap" of San Francisco.
long story short. . . the picture is included. . . yea !

Schmap is a fun map of several cities that you access on your computer
and iphone. They do restaurants too !

www.schmap.com/sanfrancisco. . . they have wonderful pictures of all
the attractions, mine is on the California Academy of Sciences link.

A nice treat for me and what a hoot !

Artist . . . parsnip
Music. . . 1 2 3 4. . . Feist

Monday, August 17, 2009

scene of the crime !


scene of the crime !, originally uploaded by angryparsnip.

Sunday I was in the pool exercising and enjoying the late afternoon
quiet. Beautiful !

Out of the conner of my eye I see something moving in the water along
the edge of the pool. I always see thing floating in and out of my
vision ( quite like the Japanese anime series Mushi-Shi ) so I didn't
think too much of it till it started to move towards me. . . bad
knee or not I was out of the pool like a flash, OK a slow flash! and
looking at a 12 inch baby King Snake. A small but scary quite
beautiful deep black snake with white bands. Hello, that got my heart
rate pumping !

I fished it out of the pool and dropped it outside the snake proof
fence that somehow wasn't working so well that day !
King Snakes are non-venomous and in fact eat other snakes. They have
an immunity to venom so good-bye rattlesnakes, Hello my new BFF, King
Snake.

I also have a rather large Black Snake that lives on the west side of
my home. I have named him Oswald. He eats rodents, bugs, lizards,
other snakes and small mammals he also is non-venomous . . thank
goodness he is also slow. I still yelp every time I see a snake BFF
or not !

The Two Little Square Black Dogs were outside enjoying the morning and
sitting by the pool. Watson is sitting by the pool and Hamish is
lounging on the chaise. No snakes in the pool this morning. Thank
goodness !

Jumpy. . . . parsnip
music . . . . Jump and Move. . . The Brand New Heavies

Friday, August 14, 2009

storm clouds


storm clouds, originally uploaded by angryparsnip.

Sometimes just living here is a treat !

Serene. . . parsnip
Music. . . In The Blink Of An Eye. . . Christopher Cross

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Clouds at Twilight


Clouds at Dusk, originally uploaded by angryparsnip.

Monsoons are back. . . These clouds, toward the North-East, were taken
on Monday evening. The rain storm is on the bottom left.

I love the Twilight hour. Everything gets that soft lavender glow and
it gets really quiet right before it turns dark, you can almost hear
the earth sigh before evening starts.
I just read about a twilight term called " The time between dog and
wolf " it seem when twilight comes you can't tell one from another,
I think this is so true.

A pensive . . . . parsnip
Music. . . Passing By. . . Ulrich Schnauss
Far Away Trains Passing By, is one of my all time favorite albums. . .
both disks

Monday, August 10, 2009

Calendar


Calendar, originally uploaded by angryparsnip.

My Son and Daughter-in-law send me every year a calendar from
Japan.. . Usually it is something to do with Studio Ghibli or some
anime character. . . yes I am really a 17 year old nerd in spirit. . .

This year I received a calendar that shows all the festivals and
holidays in Japan. So on any given day someone is celebrating
something. Usually dancing and fireworks is involved oh and food lots
of really yummy street food. . .

Today 10 August, it is my Brothers Birthday and on the calendar his
day has lots of Fireworks. . . Yea ! soooooo. . . To my Brother,
Happy Happy Birthday !

Yummy cake. . . parsnip
Music. . . The Birthday Song ( you knew this was coming, right )

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Stormy Friday


Stormy Friday, originally uploaded by angryparsnip.

This evening view is looking West. Just liked the way it turned
out. . . Lots of wonderful clouds but no rain for the next few days.

I am thinking of adding a set of clouds cards to my stationary
line. . . Living here in Arizona I don't think I will run out of
material.

Floating . . . parsnip
Music. . . Heavy Cloud No Rain. . . Sting

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Clouds


Clouds, originally uploaded by angryparsnip.

The force of nature that is " El Nino " has been playing havoc with
our monsoon this Summer, not our usual amount of rain. A dryer summer
usually means a wetter Winter, we shall see.

Rainstorms or not Mother Nature always put on a Fabulous Summer Cloud
show. Yea !

A rather dry but happy. . . . parsnip
Music. . . Storm. . . . Tatsuro Yamashita

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Train Poster


Train Poster, originally uploaded by angryparsnip.

Poster is for a 3 day train pass in the Kansai area. The Train card
has photos of the attractions that you can visit. Left top, Kobe,
Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Wakayama.

When people visit this area you expect to eat a lot of Tako,
( Octopus ) so that is why the Tako is a mascot of this area. You
will see the little red Tako everywhere.
The best Takoyaki ( small dumplings with a tiny piece of octopus in
the middle ) I had was at a street vender at the base of the Osaka
Tower, so good. . . ahhhhhhh I miss Osaka !

Kansai dreaming. . . parsnip
music . . . California Dreaming . . . The Mamas and The Papas. . .
OST Chunking Express

Monday, August 3, 2009

Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge


Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, originally uploaded by angryparsnip.

The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, sometimes called the Pearl Bridge, is the
longest Suspension Bridge in the world. It connects Kobe on the
Honshu side to Iwaya on the Awaji Island over the Akashi Straits of
the Seto Inland Sea. This view is looking from the Island of Awaji
towards Akashi Hyogo.

I am a bridge person and I understand the economic the need for them
but I really look at bridges as works of art. To see this bridge in
person is to be amazed, besides the sheer length it is quite graceful
and I think very beautiful.

A fun fact. . . at night the color of the lights change on the bridge
tell you what kind of weather to expect the next day.

It is windy . . . parsnip
music . . . Sailing . . . The Cafe Carlyle Sessions, Christopher Cross

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Tako Ferry


Tako Ferry, originally uploaded by angryparsnip.

The Tako (octopus) Ferry that runs from Akashi Hyogo port to Awaji-
Island Iwaya port is a one of the best and cutest ferrys I have been
on. It is about a 20 minute ride on a ferry that has a huge very
happy looking red octopus on it. Now who doesn't want a ride on a
ferry like that? It carries people and cars over the Seto Inland Sea.
This ferry runs next to and under the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge which besides being
very beautiful is the longest suspension bridge in the world. I will
write about this bridge in my next post. . .
In front of the Akashi-Hyogo port ticket office is the wonderful
little "mikoshi" (small shrine) with the Tako Ferry mascot of the in
it. The ticket office also had great snack food for take-away and a
wonderful assortment of really cute souvenirs to buy, which we
all did!


I am really missing Japan ... parsnip
music. . . OST. . . Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea. . . Studio Ghibli