The neighbors are growing a shopping cart?

It looks like a Dollar General cart to boot. 

Yesterday I forgot to post pictures of my walk, where someone in my community is seemingly growing a shopping cart. 

It was the most random thing, as it's literally planted next to a recently planted tree. 

All photos taken on an iPhone 11 and edited in Photoshop (which I have to get better in, based on my crappy color correction edits 😨). 

But yeah, a neighbor is growing a cart. I thought that was out of fashion a few decades ago? This is what happens when you live in a gated community; it's fair game even though we are restricted to what we can use as yard decoration. This guy must be starting to get out more Halloween items and will use the buggy as part of a full gore scene. 

Maybe.

That could be me just making stuff up. Considering he also has a pumpkin snowman by his front door. 

I had to be at work early a couple days this week and saw that blowup shining in  the dark in the mornings and wondered what it was. Due how it's partially hidden by a wall, I couldn't totally figure it out. Glad I walked that way and saw it. It's cute, but not my type of fun kitsch. 

Four more days and humans of all shapes, sizes and ages will be sugar highed. I plan on wearing a Nightmare Before Christmas shirt to work, but I don't know which one (I've got three different ones to choose from). I also have my Nightmare shoes and I'll wear pumpkin earrings (and yes, I'll be wearing pants so don't get all gross.. they'll just be regular shorts). Maybe I'll wear the glow in the dark "Pumpkin King" shirt with the glow in the dark shoes. That'll be impressive. 

The shirt looks like this, but Amazon doesn't say if it glows. Amazon doesn't have the specific shoes I've got, but they have other ones available. 

I have a few days to decide though. Until then, enjoy the day and don't steal anyone's new planter box on wheels.

Cheers;

Random moment = random music

I am using my phone to write this with my Apple Magic Keyboard and Logitech mouse, so please excuse any or all errors. 

TMI, I know, but I was taking a shower this morning. I randomly got Cat Stevens’ Lady d’Arbanville (track 3 off The Very Best of Cat Stevens). It’s so random, I had to blog about it.

I like Cat Stevens’ music. Doesn’t matter that he currently goes by Yusuf Islam. I dig his music and respect what he has accomplished in his life. His music is the sort of peaceful protest that you sing along to, without realizing its deeper meaning unless you really look in to it. I still love his music, no matter what or who he goes by. 

Considering most every one knows his more contemporary classics like “The First Cut is the Deepest” (which was also recorded by Rod Stewart in 1977 and Sheryl Crow in 2003), “Wild World” and “If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out” (which was one of the songs specially written for the Harold & Maude soundtrack), I like the more obscure songs as well, such as Lady D.

It’s such an unusual song especially when it’s something you’re randomly singing to the point you do the strumming and drumming replication as you sing.

And for context, the song is about Cat’s (former) girlfriend at the time, up and coming model Patti D’Arbanville. Rumor (varying research) has it that they were off and on in a relationship for a while and it was a long distance one for a a short time. He was getting over tuberculosis, had a party, met her. They started a relationship and she was going places. The last place she went was New York to jump start her acting career (He’s a native Brit and was recording under new management and company, trying out the folk scene). When she left for NY, it left a hole in his soul, so he wrote this song. It’s sad when you think about it, but it shows the level of love he had for her and wanting to be with her. She’s been quoted as she was sad when she heard it because she didn’t expect it and being so far away, she couldn’t get to him to say how it affected her and she knew then that the relationship was over. 

I’m going to get American political for just a moment, to give a comparison of what it would be like - what I’m talking about. 

This past week, former President Barack Obama was stumping for the current Vice President, Kamala Harris, who is running for President. It was an event in Detroit, and the rapper Eminem introduced President Obama. It was an event to get Detroiters to vote for Harris because people want to keep Michigan a blue state. The former president opened with the remarks along the lines of “it’s hard to follow an act like Eminem” and said he was a little nervous about it. He started free rapping Em’s “Lose Yourself” and the crowd went wild, especially when Obama attempted to do the doo doo doo bass lines. 

There are articles and videos of this online, and I am sure if someone were to try to find it, they would be able to. I don’t want to link it here, because as I said, I really don’t want to get political and I try to keep my blog that way, as a whole. I may reference something that is in the headlines, but I try not to delve too deep in to it, as I don’t want to offend anyone or lose any readers. This instance about Obama is just to compare what he thought he could articulate to the crowd (and stay relevant), but it also shows how there is always some song you dig and try to sing along, bass line included. 

It’s just like I did with Cat Stevens’ song. It popped in my head, and I started singing the lines I could remember along with the guitar strumming and drumming. It’s much like how I correlate If You Want to Sing Out with Ruth Gordon banging on the piano keys and then But Cort strumming the banjo. I know the original song was guitar, but having the visuals from the movie makes it more fun and memorable. 

I know I probably seem weird or crazy, but it was a weird and crazy moment. Where else am I going to share this to? I’m not on any major social network, and with this blog still active, “what the hell”.

… Right?

Peace, love and light! ✌❤🔥

Cheers;

"What kind of moon is that? Harvest?"

Guess I can't go outside and take pictures of the moon on trash night, because my neighbors see me and ask me if I'm looking at the harvest moon.

I kept answering "I don't know; it's the moon and it's big". They left me alone.

I wish I got "better" photos, especially when it was larger, but I had just come home from the gym and needed to grab my (now refurbished / renewed on Amazon) Canon EOS Rebel T7i digital camera and a (now renewed / refurbished on Amazon) Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom Lens. I needed to also put it on a tripod because I needed to use manual mode. 

So the more I tried to attempt to use various f-stops and aperture styles, I'm not the best photographer and I know that. I was also starting to get bit up by mosquitos. 

I tried my best to get quality photos, and went from 125 pictures down to 40. They're all basically the same, but some are a little lighter, some are a little darker. Others have clouds passing by. I edited the photos in Photoshop by adding a layer of sharpening and my name. 

I also took a few cool looking ones and zoomed in with Photoshop.

Again, they're not super great, but I think some of them came out well enough that I could add the decent ones (20). 

It proves more that I need to practice what I am doing; both in photo taking and photo editing. I'm working on it, and have a goal to get more time in with my camera when I can. Part of my goal is to eventually upgrade my computer and get a monitor calibration system. Plus other things I might need in the future. 

It's a long road, but it's something I'm working on. It's a hobby I'm actively trying to configure and reconfigure when available. 

Like I've said previously when I've posted a lot of pictures - If you like what you see and want to drop a comment or "buy me a coffee", my Ko-Fi link is here. Show some love and appreciation; don't just screen grab the photos because that's more than borrowing. That's just being weird and gross. I do try to take my time and do things here. Plenty of people comment personally and tell me they love reading my stuff because it's just so out there and different. I write what I know and think about; sometimes it doesn't make a lot of sense because I just free write, but other times, I try to include links to other things I've seen or read. It's not easy doing this, so everything is appreciated. 

I guess that's about it for now. It is getting late and I've got a long day tomorrow - I'll be the only one in my department because people are on vacation. So I need to get to bed or else I'll be sleeping at my desk.

Make sure you check your almanacs for proper weather reports (our windows have been open since yesterday because it's been in the high 50s, low 60s and it feels wonderful!)..

Cheers;