Little Adventures

I started the day headed to the Chapel of the Cross, intending to take photos and enjoy whatever A Day in the Country turned out to be.  It has been a long time since I went to an Autumn Festival somewhere, and today was the perfect weather for something like this.  I love it when the weather starts changing.  Jacket-and-jeans weather is my favorite.  I grabbed the North Face I bought in San Francisco like an old friend and picked up my Nikon on the way out the door.

The drive was largely uneventful and in glorious light.  I don't mind driving in conditions like that.  There is always music, and it clears everything out of my mind.  Nobody needs anything from me, and I can relax, ponder, sing.  It's peaceful.

Once I actually got there, I didn't find much to interest me, though, which was a bit disappointing.  There was a small crafts fair, but I'd been to Prairie Arts recently, and that sort of spoiled me for anything else, I suppose.  I walked and looked, and then I tried to take a few shots of the Chapel, but it was covered up with small children taking turns ringing the bell and adults touring the sanctuary.  I shot what I could, listened to a band doing covers of Johnny Cash and CCR for a little while, and walked back through the crafts section to pick up something I wanted to buy.

One of the booths had heirloom plants.  I wanted to get something for my mother, a shrimp plant, and something for myself, a "grandmother yellow" rose.  My Nana's favorite flower was the rose, particularly the yellow one and one called the Miranda red which I have never been able to find.  Mine is also the yellow rose. I haven't been able to keep the delicate modern cultivars alive, though.  The light colors of roses, yellow, white, "sterling," and so forth, are not as hardy as reds are.  I am hoping this old-fashioned variety will be sturdy enough to make it here.  I would like nothing better than to look out in my yard and see bright yellow blossoms every year.

With my rose tucked under my arm like a small child, I hiked back to the pasture where my car was parked, and after nestling it into a spot on the floorboard, I went back to "civilization."  I spent some time (and far too much money) in Target.  I got Chewie a new toy, myself several retro-lovely things for Halloween, some supplies, and odds and ends that always find their way into the cart just because it's TARGET.  It's probably just as well there's not one here.

After Target, I was going to come on home, but as I was passing Crossgates, I looked at the window of one of my favorite little restaurants, Kismet's, and I hastily pulled in.  They have burgers and stuff, but their specialty is Greek food, gyros.  I love them, but I almost never get to eat there.  Today, I was all by myself, so I could do what I wanted.  I ate slowly and savored.  I ignored the two guys at the table across from me giving me the "chick-eating-alone" look (if you're not a woman, you don't know what I'm talking about) until they reinvolved themselves in their conversation about getting drunk at work and whether or not this was really a problem (what-the-actual....), and after that, I had a very wonderful meal.

It didn't turn out, then, the way I'd planned, but it was still a good day.  Maybe there will be a day of photography coming up soon. I still have Moundville on my list and maybe Birmingham if I can figure out a specific thing there to go do/photograph.  I am NOT driving all that way just because....  (And no.  The chance to drive like 95 mph on the interstate does not count.  Probably.)  I am stalking some new lenses to let me get some odd effects out of my Nikon, so if all else fails, I can always go play tag with the homeless guy downtown and reshoot old familiar things through new "eyes."