A Bit About Me

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Along with my daily duties as founder and head writer of HumorMeOnline.com, in 2003, I took the Grand Prize in the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest (also known as the "It Was a Dark and Stormy Night" competition). I've also been a contributor to "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" and the web's "The Late Show with David Letterman". I also occupy my time writing three blogs, "Blogged Down at the Moment", "Brit Word of the Day" and "Production Numbers"...and my off-time is spent contemplating in an "on again/off again" fashion...my feable attempts at writing any one of a dozen books. I would love to write professionally one day...and by that I mean "actually get a paycheck".

15 April 2012

Day 15: Wood

Well, kiddies, we are at the half-way point thru Ziva's photography experiment...which is a blog essay of sorts with themes and what a set group of individuals envision the specific theme given that day. It's been quite fun...many people have done some remarkable photographs...but, in my opinion, the rest of the month is where it's going to get really difficult to define ideas.

We shall see.

But before we step too far ahead, please check out the others at
Ziva's "30 Days of Photographs" non-contest...and then look for my photo and write-up directly below: MikeWJ, Nicky and Mike, Mo, Meleah, John, aka nonamedufus, Bryan, aka Unfinished Person, Malisa, Nora, LaughingMom, Tanya, Elizabeth A., 00dozo, Cheryl, Kristen, Katherine, and Ziva.



My inspiration for the today's theme: Wood...



Well, I have lots of things made of wood in my house and outside. I was originally determined to take a photo of my bedroom dresser as it has a face reminiscent of Edvard Munch's painting, "The Scream" -- and it looks at me when I sleep...but I thought that was too easy. I really should set a shot up but typically I just walk around the house and take a photo. That's a tad too easy in my opinion. I want to bring a little bit more "art" to the picture, so to speak.

So, I took a photo of a piece of driftwood which we picked up at West Point Lake in LaGrange, Georgia, years and years ago. We have quite a few large pieces which are gorgeous...but, as they are left outside to the elements, they are going to just rot away one day and that's a shame. I could see them actually hanging on someone's wall - or at the very least, beneath a large glass coffee table. They'd look stunningly beautiful.

One is relegated to the pool side of the fence propped up in front of an antique wagon wheel and a stack of old iron fencing...all of which sits and waits for decay. The cats use the driftwood to scratch their claws...so it is being used for something. With my "not so great" camera I am sure I didn't do this object justice; you cannot see the lovely smooth curves of the water-worn wood...or the curly lace-work which reminds me of the crests of waves about to crash into the shore.

Truly all are original pieces of art which nature itself provides...more beautiful in their simplistic intricacies than you'd ever imagine. All you need to do is take the time to stop and notice...and I hope you can notice even a sliver of that beauty in my photograph.


(Try not to notice the imperfections...like the horrid man-made chain link fence. I would have Photoshopped it out...but it contrasts perfectly in a way with the natural beauty...so I left it stay.)

16 comments:

  1. I can't decide which I like better, the crazy driftwood or the wagon wheel.

    I used to live on the coast and driftwood was plentiful, though I never found a wagon wheel...

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  2. The wagon wheel is real, too. Not a reproduction...was going to use that in the "wheels" category but there was only the one.

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  3. Not so great camera or not, it is a beautiful piece of wood, absolutely perfect for today's theme. :)

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  4. That's a terrific looking price of driftwood. Amazing pic.

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  5. I adore all things wood and driftwood is way at the top of that list. This shot came out really nicely. I can almost feel its smooth curves.

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  6. I love driftwood and wish I could find big pieces like that!!! It is a beautiful piece and a lovely photograph!

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  7. Your photo does justice. I don't think it's always the camera. Sometimes, and this case, it's the person taking the photo too. You captured it perfectly.

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  8. I love the twists and turns of driftwood. I especially like the contrast with those fresh green spring leaves.

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    1. Me too. For half a second I thought the driftwood was blooming!

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  9. Again, as usual, the rest of the driftwood is "off the edge" until it scrolls down. I was going to make the photo smaller so the whole thing would show up, but then you wouldn't have been able to see the details as well. (So, there's more to the right.)

    And, thank you again for your kind words. I've been staying up until the photo gets posted at 7:00 just to make sure the spacing gets posted correctly...so I was pretty Ambien'd out when I wrote this up. Apparently I beg for not only attention but for people to feel pity on me and send me their old digital cameras. :)

    Gotta love Ambien.

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  10. Fantastic photo for today's theme!

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  11. I love driftwood and you captured this piece very nicely, particularly how it looks so alien (as most driftwood does) against the little bush, wagon wheel and iron fencing in the background. Great shot!

    ;-)

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  12. I love driftwood, mostly because it reminds me of the ocean. I long for the sea.

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  13. 00dozo - Ooooh - I think you said the word I was searching for last nite which described it...alien. It does look so out of place there - and since I was so floaty when I wrote this last nite - I couldn't figure out the perfect word. You found it. :)

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  14. That is a beautiful piece of driftwood! A little tung oil rubbed on it would make that baby pop! Try it.

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