I headed out for a run today around 5:00PM, knowing that there was a slight chance of storms after 6:00PM. Considering I despise long-distance running, I concluded that I would have PLENTY of time to make it back before any … Continue reading
Lately, the sun has been setting not long after I get home from work. The temperatures have been pleasant so I usually walk in the front door and towards my sliding door to open it and let in some fresh air. As I open the door to my west-facing porch, I catch the reds and oranges of the sunset beginning to flood the sky. I almost always go and grab my camera to take a picture of yet another lovely sunset.
I have countless photos of sunsets taken from my porch just in the last month or so. All of them were taken at roughly the same time and roughly the same angle (note the ever-present evergreen), and yet none of them is alike. In fact, it amazes how different they are.
Clear and bright.
Warm and radiant.
Rich and painterly.
Soft and resilient.
Steadfast and soothing.
Dark and dueling.
I think the two low spots where the sunset is poking through the clouds look like a pair of demonic eyes.
And today’s shot as the storms roll through:
Muted and obscured.
I’ll never tire of watching and capturing the sunset. I’m sure I would feel the same way about the sunrise if I were up early enough to witness it. Don’t be expecting a post entitled “A Series of Sunrises” any time soon. Partly because I don’t have a clear view to the east to capture the sunrise and mostly because I don’t like getting up in the dark.
I’ll stick to sunsets for now.
Y’all hurry back,
Sugarlump
Since I haven’t reported on the weather here in middle Tennessee, well, since my last post, I thought I would fill you in on this strange transition into fall. We’ve had this cold front moving through and though it caused … Continue reading
Lord, I was born a rambling (wo)man.
I tend to ramble. Not so much in my speech or in my travels, but in my mind. Here’s what’s gone through my head in the last few minutes:
1) My pinky finger hurts. (Also known as a “finky” in Eugene language.)
I gave myself a doozy of a paper cut today as I was trying to steadfastly recycle all of my paper, cardboard, bottles and cans. A thin piece of cardboard had it out for me. It drew blood. A lot of blood for a paper cut. I didn’t have anything to clean my cut with so I poured some hand sanitizer over it. BOY that did the trick. I had to squeeze my steering wheel with all my might to keep from yelling. Thankfully, car inspection lady who also works at the waste management center was not there this time to witness it.
2) I’m hungry.
I was perusing some food blogs today and came across a game-changing recipe that had to do with French fries, parmesan cheese and some sort of chipotle lime dip. It sounded outrageously delicious. I was planning on going for a brisk walk at the time and was seriously tempted to ditch those plans in favor of making the fries, but I held it together and stuck to my exercise plan.
That, and I didn’t have any potatoes.
I’m so disciplined.
3) I love accents.
Having lived in Boston for 13 years, I had a lot of exposure to extreme Boston accents, though I never had one myself. I don’t know what comes over me, but every now and then I think of words in a Boston accent. Kind of like when you learn a second language and think of words in that language, except not exactly. Anyway, I grabbed my loofah in the shower this evening and cracked myself up thinking of how this would be called a “loofer” in a Boston accent.
I’m weird.
4) I need to replace my watch battery.
My watch battery is nearly dead. Not completely dead, because the time does change, just at a fraction of real time. My watch currently reads 2:37PM and indicates that it’s the 5th of the month. I know I’m on slow time here in Nashville, but not that slow.
Despite my watch being temporarily useless, I continue to wear it as a reminder to go get the battery replaced. I have continued to forget to get the battery replaced for the past week now. And I also continue to forget that my watch is not functioning properly and consequently find myself staring at my wrist confused most of the day.
I think I need my memory replaced as well.
5) The sunsets here are so pretty.
I never tire of watching (and photographing) the sunset.
It makes me realize that I should stop thinking so much.
Don’t pay me no mind,
Sugarlump
Earlier this evening, after work, I went to get a spray tan because I am going to be in my friend’s wedding this weekend and I’ve had a cumulative 3 hours to sit out by the pool this summer.
And I don’t really tan well.
At all, really.
My own mother even called me pale.
So, I found myself at the tanning salon trying to turn myself a natural bronze without subjecting myself to sun damage.
Do you know the number one rule of getting a spray tan?
Do NOT get wet. Otherwise your “tan” will spot. And the only thing worse than being pale is having a spotty tan.
Imagine my delight when I left the tanning salon and saw this sky. Oh goody.
I got in my car and decided if I couldn’t be out in the rain, I would drive around and chase the storm.
Funnel cloud?
The skies looked different in every direction. There were, dark clouds, sheets of rain, light clouds, pink clouds, a sunset and a spray tan happening all at once.
I could see the shafts of rain and then the sunset illuminating the clouds behind the storm clouds.
This looked promising.
Keeping an eye on that suspicious cloud in the mirror.
Uh oh. The rain was coming for me.
It got me. But luckily my spray tan was safe inside my car.
After my 10 minutes storm chase, I headed by to my apartment as the rain let up a bit. I ran like a mad woman from my car to my apartment with an umbrella after weighing my options of either a) getting my spray tan wet and splotchy or b) getting struck by lightning because I was carrying a metal object. I had decided option b was less likely to ruin my wedding look.
These shots were taken from the safety of my porch. Although, Gus was very vocal in expressing his disapproval of my being out on the porch in such conditions. I could hear his meow faintly through the glass door.
I survived, as did my spray tan.
Y’all be careful,
Sugarlump
On my run/walk/mostly walk this evening, I encountered some wild clouds. Shocking, I know. I had someone tell me recently that she now thinks of me every time she sees weird clouds. I was honored. I am officially a cloud lady. But … Continue reading
I was in Connecticut last week on a business trip. When I left Nashville, it was approximately 110 degrees. When I arrived in Connecticut, it was approximately 80 degrees. The conference room where I spent the majority of my time … Continue reading
Yesterday, we hit 111 degrees. It was sizzlin’. My car has air conditioning settings 1-4 and 2 and 3 no longer work. Normally, 1 is not cool enough and 4 is far too aggressive. Yesterday, however, 4 was barely cutting … Continue reading
It is HAWT in Nashville. And guess what? It’s supposed to get even hotter over the next few days. I believe I saw 108 on the forecast for Friday. And it’s only June. I’m so looking forward to August. Not. … Continue reading
As extreme weather brews along the Southern and Northern borders of the U.S., I thought I would share some neat-o sky shots that did not accompany any severe weather but caught my attention. I would make a great weather reporter. Not. … Continue reading
The Sugarlump 