At Sunset

One of the nice things about my current apartment is the large bay window which faces west. Being on the third floor with athletic fields across the street, the place offers great views of sunset. On some days, the sun just streams though the glass and reddens the entire front room.



Light and Shadow on the Wall

The light even reflects off the wall and finds its way into the kitchen.



Lighting the Kitchen

I've enjoyed the moments.

In Bloom

After a long process, some of the flowers we planted back in the spring are in bloom. Yes, a sloooowwwwww process. They took a while to germinate and then to grow and then even to bloom. The marigolds, in particular, had buds on the plant about two months ago. One of the buds bloomed a while, but it's only been recently that the other buds had opened.

Now they are blooming.



Finally

Here's a closer look at the flowers:



Marigold


Armeria

So True?

I think these two news briefs aptly present the prevailing wisdom of Washington:

Obama's Declaration Of Swine Flu Emergency Prompts Pro-Swine-Flu Republican Response

Senate Passes Blame By Vote Of 91-8

Fluting Around

In the spirit of uncovering something new, nearby, and cheap!, I'd like to mention that the local community college is offering a free performance from its Flute Choir.

From the Moraine Valley web site:
First ever!
Flute Choir Concert
Friday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m.
Free admission
Fine and Performing Arts Center, Recital Hall F120

Sandra and I are planning to attend. I'm looking forward to it.

A Bit of Singing and Gory Fun

Sandra, my brother Steve, and my sister-in-law Jamie attended with me a community college musical on Friday. The performance was a tongue-in-cheek stage production of a cult slasher film, The Evil Dead.

I've never seen the movie, but the stage rendition was funny. Not scary, but a bit over the top in the classic sense of the 80s horror flicks: silly dialog, lots of blood, and inconsistent plot. The singing and musical numbers were well-performed--in fact, some of the tunes were outright catchy with clever twists like a perfect girl finding love with a housewares employee. Some of the phrases stuck with me for days.

This was a real gem produced by the Moraine Valley theater group. I have to say Kudos!

Golf in November

After an overall wet and chilly end to October, the weather has been pleasant the past several days. Today it's supposed to hit the mid-60s and yesterday was in the mid to upper 50s. And sun.

My co-worker and golf buddy Mike invited me to hit the course with him and another friend, Dave. I headed straight from work and we teed off at about 2:30. It was gorgeous despite all the lovely water in which I managed to hit my balls. I even hit another nice 5-iron into a 160 yard Par 3 that is protected front and right by the wet stuff. It was the right club, which gave me some bit of a boost. Though I three-putted for a disappointing bogey.

The wind was gusting at around 20 mph, so it was a challenging day especially factoring in the water and the fact that I haven't played much. 66--that is for Par 35. Still when the sun was setting, some great lavenders reflected in the loose strands of clouds. Nice.

Very nice.

Speeding Through Fall

It has been a tough season for leaf-watching this year. In mid-October, the woods looked promising as the golds and reds started to appear. Since then, rain has been a frequent visitor to the area, and as I looked out the office window today, the trees were barren.

The clocks were turned back over the weekend, so now it's 5:15 and the sun has set. All this is an eerie contrast to the temperature which felt like it had risen above 60 degrees.

Maybe winter is approaching.

Then again, maybe there is a lot of Fall to still enjoy.