Shots of Snaps

Having written so much these last few years, I've finally found something else to take my mind off the act, whereas writing used to be what I'd do to take my mind off everything else. I'm not great at taking pics, just okay enough to enjoy it as a lark. Always kind of loved the idea of capturing things in weird angles and shadows and such. I've been thinking that when things gets a little warmer I might go around town, or to nearby towns, to capture this crazy world of ours. Just a thought though. May not happen. 

Here I visited a local man who decorates his entire yard—front and back—with Christmas inflatables. There's no way to capture the entire thing in one shot, but I hope you get a good enough idea from the  picture. He's even got an inflatable tv screen above his garage—something that seems excessive at first but really clever the more you think about it. A great way to find the house if you get lost!

This here's the secret entrance to the backyard. Personally, I decided not to travel the secret portal. Something about those penguins' beady little eyes . . . very ominous if you ask me! 

I call this one 'December Ice.' Because of the ice. And it's December. 

The view from the front lawn of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. No inflatables, but a huge shuttlecock—which is almost the same thing.

A wider view of the front entrance. FYI, the placid and beautiful water feature used to be a parking lot, now everything's underground and costs money. You could just park in the water for free—save yourself the five dollars. Wouldn't recommend it, but I'd love to see someone try!

Inside a stereoscope with a lively French scene in sepia. I believe the stereoscope's predecessor was the nickelodeon—a fun gadget where you slipped in a nickel and got a crappy movie. Nickelodeon . . . hmm. Look closely and maybe you'll find Spongebob on the bridge.

An up-close view of some awesome wall art. It makes me think of a million jelly sandwiches.

A British serving set gifted to a very American coffee company called Folgers. I like the shadows it creates, like lace. What a tea set has to do with coffee, I'll never know. Guess we were too nice to say, 'Helloooooo, we make coffee here!' Looks like no one actually used it. 

Sometimes, my morning view. I have a red plasticine panel against the window, and everything turns crimson at dawn in that little corner. On the other corner is a green panel. I don't know why. 

And that's it. I hope everyone had a wonderful, beautiful Christmas this year. Thanks for stopping by!