365 Photos: Day 19

“One lives in the hope of becoming a memory.” ― Antonio Porchia

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26th Challenger – Float Boat

I entered my favorite Chihuly shot in a photography competition. Go vote for me. 🙂

P.S. Yes, My name is spelled wrong, but that’s okay.

Rodposse.

Peggy Icaacs
www.peggyisaacs.com
” I took it at recent Chihuly exhibit at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.  The sculpture is entitled Float Boat.  I loved the way the colored glass reflected on the water. ”
img_6881GOOD LUCK

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Water lilies

I went to the Dallas Arboretum this weekend to see the Chihuly exhibit.  Beyond the customary landscaping pansies and evergreens, I didn’t expect to see much in the way of colorful blooms.  It is, after all, December.  Not much grows this time of year – even in Texas.  And, by and large, most of the interesting flowers and trees at the Arboretum have gone dormant for the winter.  There were, however, a few exceptions:  an azalea bush here and there; a hardy daisy or two; and these:

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Simply beautiful.

Chihuly…one last time

On December 31, 2012, the Chihuly exhibit at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden will close.  Last Sunday, I took advantage of an unusually warm day, and schlepped into the city to take in the magic one last time.

I’ve seen the exhibit several times since its opening in May, and I keep coming back one particular piece – Float Boat.  I simply love it.  Each time I go, I try to capture the glory of it in a different way.  I am always amazed by the boldness of the colors and the way they dance across the water.  I could spend hours sitting and staring at this work and never see everything there is to be seen.

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Of course, my second favorite piece is the water lilies.  I love they way the white glass contrasts with its surroundings.

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I’m sad to see Chihuly go.  It will be missed.

Chihuly and the dragonfly

A love affair?

A true appreciation for art?

Either way, who can blame him? 

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Things I learned this week

“Lost a planet Master Obi-Wan has.  How embarrassing.”  – Yoda

I learned this week…

that Snoop Dogg has changed his name to Snoop Lion.  I’m so relieved.  I don’t know about you, but I was beginning to question the longevity of his career if he should continue on with such a moniker.

…that I should never be trusted to do two things:  dress myself or pick out eye glasses.   I think it’s a pretty well-known fact that if given a choice between a pair of respectable black slacks and a pair with obnoxious stripes, I will pick the stripes every single time – and wear them with a printed top.  I am a fashion failure.  I get it.  I embrace it.  A few years ago I got glasses.  I went down to my local optical mart, tried on a few dozen frames, ignored the annoying optician’s suggestions, and took home a set of glasses that would never leave their handy-dandy carry case.  I hated them.  This week, out of necessity – my eyes have decided to act their age – I went to get a new pair.  I opted to go back to my optometrist’s office because it was convenient – and I get a discount.   I chose a few frames, and asked the peppy little optician for advice.  She took one look at what I had chosen, said no, no, no, and promptly made me start the process over.  As it turns out, my taste in glasses is just as flawed as my taste in trousers.  I am now the proud owner of a pair of glasses that I like – and wear.  Yay for pushy, obnoxious optician lady who is immune to my stink eye and biting sarcasm.

…that I have the best writing group on the planet.  This week our meeting turned into an impromptu photo shoot when one of our members came dressed up in an anime costume.

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There’s a special place in my heart for this girl.

…that I won something.  I never win things, but this week I found out that I won a copy of Tania L. Ramos’ new book Be Still.  She is an independently published author who still maintains her day job as a registered nurse.  I admire her tenacity and dedication to her craft.  I can’t wait to read her book.  Go check her out her blog.  Oh, and while you’re at it, check out Nerdy Book Reviews. Some good stuff over there, too.

…that dress shopping with my daughter is going to be a test of my resolve.  She is entering 7th grade band and unlike last year when the required concert uniform consisted of a black embossed polo and khaki pants, this year she will have to wear a black dress.  Yes, my friends, a dress.  My daughter doesn’t wear dresses…or anything that might be construed as girly.  She is a jeans and t-shirt kinda gal.  If she ever feels the need to spice it up, she might go so far as to slap on a button up shirt and a pair of low top Converse sneakers.  But that’s where she draws the line.  We hit a few stores this week in search of this black band dress.  We didn’t find one, but I was rewarded for my efforts with lots of heavy sighs and eyes rolls.  Can’t wait to tell her that she won’t be able to wear her sneakers with the dress we’ve yet to find.  That ought to go over well.  The last time I got her in a pair of dress shoes was the last time she wore a dress – her brother’s wedding.  She cried over the dress, and exchanged the shoes for a pair of bright blue Crocs as soon as the ceremony was over.

…that IKEA on a Saturday is torture.  Two visits to IKEA on the same Saturday is a special kind of Hell that is beyond adequate description.

…this week’s awww moment isn’t an awww moment at all.  It’s just one of my Chihuly exhibit photos.  The reflection of the glass gives the appearance of paint bleeding through the water.  I think it’s kinda cool.

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Chihuly and more

It was a hot and steamy weekend…

…okay.  Just kidding. 

I schlepped down into the city for the second weekend in a row.  If you read last Sunday’s entry, you know that this is a rarity for me.  I blame my friend, Bill.  He went to the Dallas Arboretum a few days ago and posted some great pictures to his blog.  I love the arboretum, and I am fascinated by the Chihuly exhibit that is currently on display though out the gardens.  So, I decided to braved the 100+ degree temperatures on Saturday.  I spent about three hours baking in the sun and taking lots of pictures.  Here are a few of my favorites:

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a red dragonfly before.IMG_6621

 

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I don’t know the species, but this guy was very vocal and not at all happy to have me wondering around beneath his tree.IMG_6725

Chihuly.  I love this exhibit and this piece, in particular.  I’ve tried three times to photograph it.  Unsuccessfully.  This time was different.  I experimented a lot more with my manual settings.  I think it also helped that it was a virtual ghost town and I was able to take my time.  IMG_6878

I almost didn’t share this one.  I wanted to keep it all for myself.  But then, it was my favorite of the day, so how could I not share?.IMG_6881

 

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This squirrel was on to something.IMG_7050

After the Rain

The night before my photo taking excursion to the Chihuly exhibit at the Dallas Arboretum, it rained.  When I was sifting and sorting through the photo files, I discovered that I took quite a few pictures of the water droplets that covered everything that morning.

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A disorganized spider web draped along one of the sculptures.

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More organized spider web with a little fog in the background.

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Lily bud.

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Gardenia bud.

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Enjoy.

Chihuly at the Dallas Arboretum

Yesterday I went on a little photo taking excursion with my writing group.  From now until mid-Fall, the Dallas Arboretum is displaying glass sculptures by artist Dale Chihuly.  As a novice photographer, I found that while they are brilliant to behold, they were a bit overwhelming to shoot in their entirety.  So, I narrowed my focus to more intricate parts of the pieces.  Here are few of those photos.

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Dallas saw a bit of rain the night before we went, so everything was dripping wet.  It made for some very nice effects.

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Spider web draped across one of the exhibits.

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Just a little burst of color.

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These violin scrolls were my favorite pieces of the day.

A Chihuly exhibit is a must see.  To learn a bit more about him [click here].

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