HOBBIES & PASTIMES

PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTOGRAPHY is a great hobby of mine. I'm just an amatuer but I sure do enjoy it. My family, on the otherhand, sees me coming with the camera and they all hide or hiss at me. I've gotten some great photos of the family, especially the children. I think of photographs as snippets of frozen time. We can look at a photograph and remember the day, event, or happening vividly, even recalling the emotions we felt. I make memories when I take pictures.

This is a picture I took from my balcony. The flowers were slightly wilted from the harsh heat we had during the day. But the colors in the picture, with the brilliant sunset in the background, are absolutely magnificent.

(All photographs that appear in Just Thinking are photos I have taken (unless otherwise notated) and cannot be copied without my permission.)

GARDENING & HUMMINGBIRDS

GARDENING is my passion and a salve to my soul. After work I like to putter around my garden to unwind and relax. Presently my "garden" is only in containers on my deck, however, it's just as beautiful and soothing as my garden was when I owned a house with a yard. I experiment with different varieties of flowers and plants to see which will do well with the limited space of containers and the limited sun light. Unforutnately, roses don't do well. Last year I, unknowlingly planted flowers and plants to attract hummingbirds. I knew they were in this area, but I had never seen one. Imagine my astonishment and delight when I saw the first hummer drinking nector from the flowers and feeders in my garden. At first, I thought it was a large bee. The sound of the hummers wings flapping is not unlike a bumble bee's sound. (Visit my hummingbird
page.)

I can't wait for Spring to come so I can start planting my garden again in preparation for the return of the hummers. I have noticed that hummers really like bright colored tubular flowers like petunias (purple) and honeysuckle, just to name a few. I also place out a few feeders filled with sugar water in red feeders. Everything I have read about hummers said not to put red food coloring in the water, it can be harmful to the birds. As long as the feeder itself is red or has red on it, the hummers will be attracted to it. I will start placing the feeders out the first week of April. I'll know when the hummers have returned when the nectar starts to dissappear more quickly. As soon as the temperature is right for outdoor plants, I will provide my hummers with beautiful flowers to keep them returning all Spring and Summer.

GARDENING & HUMMINGBIRDS

I love to find old pieces of wood furniture and refinish them. This is a picture of an old Victorian Era dresser that I found in a used furniture shop. Unfortunately, the picture doesn't do justice to this wonderful piece. The wood itself was in really good condition and the drawers slid open and shut very easily. The finish on the dresser was so old that it looked dirty and very dark. After I took the old finish off and cleaned the wood, I found the color of the wood was a beautiful reddish mahogany. With a little elbow grease and some tung oil, I was able to bring out the beauty of the wood again, showing off the medallions that had been so dark before that you barely notice them.

Actually, this piece was easy to redo. I have done some pieces that had layers and layers of old paint on them. With the painted furniture you never know what the wood will look like until you remove the paint. I have had some very pleasant surprises (cherry wood) and some turned out to be just common pine. But whatever kind of wood it is, I just enjoy the whole process of taking an old piece of furniture and restoring it to a beautiful table, or dresser, bench, whatever the case may be. It gives me a real sense of accomplishment. It's hard work, but the time passes quickly when I'm working. The hard work and time are well worth it when these older pieces of furniture are restored to their original beauty and grace my home.

BEACHCOMBING

This is a picture I took of the beach near my home. The ocean has always been very soothing to me. Whether it is the hypnotic sound of the waves crashing and rushing to shore, or the smell of the salty air, I don't know. I just know that when I am stressed I like to go to the beach just walk, picking up sea shells, sea glass, or driftwood. I leave feeling refreshed and calmer.