Author: Marilyn Armstrong

Retired. I take pictures of our valley, birds, rivers, and dams. I write about anything and everything from archaeology to politics with lots of photos. Come on by. I'll leave the lights on.

SKETCHBOOK 48 – REQUIESCAT IN PACE

Garry feels I'm getting very thematic, and he's right. It isn't accidental. I've been conjuring images from our cemetery. Not every drawing is brilliant, but they are definitely a series. My favorite character is Death in Terry Pratchett's wonderful, brilliant, amazing series, Discworld. It is funny, witty, thoughtful, and I think I've read the entire … Continue reading SKETCHBOOK 48 – REQUIESCAT IN PACE

ORCHID BUDS

FOTD – March 27 – Orchid Buds Two out of my three orchids are full of buds. One is about a month ahead of the other, but with a little bit of luck, it will mean the flowering will seem to last longer because they will flower in sequence. They are (finally) on time. Gotten … Continue reading ORCHID BUDS

THE DAY THE WATER STOPPED RUNNING

Name this antique! Last night, I went to get a couple of rolls of toilet paper for my bathroom. It was all chewed up. There were pieces of it all over the closet. Which meant... Mice. We've been pretty much mouse-free for the past few years, having had almost every possible entry point sealed off, … Continue reading THE DAY THE WATER STOPPED RUNNING

BLUEBIRDS OF HAPPINESS II

FLASHBACK FRIDAY - A YEAR AGO TODAY (Reblog) I just read an article from the Audubon society this morning that they have had considerable success in getting Bluebirds to breed. They now have a couple of dozen nestlings down the road in their Natick sanctuary. I didn't know we were running short of Bluebirds, but … Continue reading BLUEBIRDS OF HAPPINESS II

SKETCHBOOK 48 – THE FIRE THIS TIME

I don't remember a lot of poems, but this one has stuck with me for many years. It's short. It rhymes. And right now, it means more than it used to mean. Fire and Ice - Robert Frost Last night we watched "Cabaret." When it first came out, I went to the movies every afternoon … Continue reading SKETCHBOOK 48 – THE FIRE THIS TIME

Serendipity – The Swans Are Back

So today, I took serendipitous photographs of swans on an unnamed pond on the road whose name I don't know. The road runs between Uxbridge, through Northbridge and Whitinsville, past the old mill and the High School, through Webster. I've never taken it to its end, which may be somewhere in Connecticut. Along the way, there … Continue reading Serendipity – The Swans Are Back

Young Swans

These are from last year. I don't know which of them I've published, but I think just one or two, maybe, and a while ago at that. These are immature mute swans. They will be white at maturity. These are nearly full-grown and can fly, although watching them take off is pretty funny. They are … Continue reading Young Swans

SKETCHBOOK 47 – VAMPIRE!

I figured if I could have valley ghosts in our cemetery, surely we needed at least one vampire. This particular vamp looks like he hasn't had a decent meal in eons. What a scrawny vampire. I can't even tell if it's a he or a she. See what I mean? That's one hungry vamp! Does … Continue reading SKETCHBOOK 47 – VAMPIRE!

CAPTURING THE PHOTOGRAPHER

CBWC: Capturing the Photographer Garry takes a lot of pictures of me taking pictures. I take as many of him as I can, but as often as not, he already has his camera pointing my way. Sometimes, we take each other taking pictures of each other. Photo: Garry Armstrong

SKETCHBOOK 46 – VALLEY GHOSTS

I have a series of photographs taken in this very old graveyard in the middle of Uxbridge. All the pictures were taken in the fall, probably because that's when we take a lot of pictures, and there are many old trees there. The stones themselves are a history of the valley. Old gravestones can be … Continue reading SKETCHBOOK 46 – VALLEY GHOSTS