Saturday in the park

 I am proud to tell you that Denver has the 13th best park system in the U.S. according to a survey conducted by the Trust for Public Land. And it's something we don't take for granted.  

Today we decided to take a lesser traveled (for us) path and went to Sloan's Lake, a man-made waterway- ostensibly for the beauty and pleasure of the residents.

 

In more water bountiful states they might consider this a pond but in Colorado, a semi-arid state, a trickle becomes a stream, a stream becomes a river, etc. etc.

 Walking around the park, we had glorious late fall temps and blue skies. Quite a crowd of folk (although not as crowded as some of the city's more popular spots- spots we usually avoid) were walking, running, biking, talking... Well, you get the picture. 

I was busy snapping photos so you could enjoy the scenery.

Just shoot me now!

I am a political junky. I listen to talk radio in the afternoon to get the latest on politics. I read several different political magazines to find out what is happening in the world but OMG! This feels like the longest political season ever and I am tired of this political football game -and that's what it is! The corporate media longs for this to be a neck and neck- down to the finish line- contest. Will Obama kick the football right between the uprights scoring the game winning three points or will Romney throw a hail mary to win with a touchdown? As a woman I could never (ever, ever, ever) vote for a Republican- not that abortion is the single issue I would ever vote for (or against) but the religious aspect of the far right candidates adds that extra ooomph to my opposition to the Republican party. But that doesn't mean I am enjoying this farce of a electorate season. I am tired of the non-response responses of politicians and worn out with the phone calls and the door knocking. So, with less than two weeks to go, I am happy to say  

and I don't have to worry about it anymore- except to make sure my vote registered.

I hope you vote too-- after all, no matter who you're voting for or what issues are at stake and which side of that issue you are on:

If you don't vote- they win!

Also, want to give the 'No... Thank you!-- Great Comments Award' to Judie at Miss Steps and Milestones. (btw: I added the "No... Thank you!" part and tweaked how I was giving it out but the award was originally given to me by Trish at Word + Stuff) I always her enjoy smiling face and her sense of humor.  Thanks for being a blogging buddy, Judie! 

Hope you stop by and give her a little congrats.  

don't know about you...

but for me, I write a bit like I take a photograph.

Focus...

Move it and focus the object, adjust the camera, focus again:

Move it one more time. Look at it from another new angle. Focus and click.

 Now a little editing. Tweak the color, crop the edges, now add a softened edge.

hmmmm, maybe. 

Try it from another angle. One of the other pictures.Crop it, boost the color, soften the edges with a soft greenish vignette feel.

Pretty good. I'll put my name to it (another edit which entails a bit more scrutiny)...

and wa-la! 
Not a masterpiece but at least it's pleasing for me to look at.

Unless I am completely lazy and just post it without editing- which I do sometimes but I NEVER write without that process- except on my blog.

And... A piece of cake, right? 

Or a painful process which makes one wonder why they ever began writing in the first place...

I missed it

and I'm strangely sad. 

I missed the anniversary of David Foster Wallace's death. With all the trauma that surrounds the day, it's no wonder but I still wish that I had paused for a brief second on September 12 to recall the life of this relatively young (He was my age. Hey! No chuckling I am too young---ish) and brilliant writer. 

 I wasn't an English major in college (although even if I had been, we read a LOT of William Faulkner and James Baldwin and frankly had I been an English major, I might have quit with such a meager fare of modern literature) and I didn't read literary fiction until I met Mo (he's very well read). He called me at BnN where I was working at the time and told me about Wallace's passing (sadly, he killed himself after having suffered with depression for 20 years). 
The death of a writer is always sad and of course I vaguely knew that he was one of the best of a generation. And then I read 'The Pale King' and 'Brief Interviews with Hideous Men'... brilliant, both of them brilliant! 'Interviews' was dark- scary realistic dark but amazing nonetheless and 'The Pale King' was wide open, loose ends all over the place, but gripping and compelling- it had little cultural/social references in that made me feel like I was reading a book about my past. I loved it. There's a new biography on him- well, relatively new. It came out about two months ago. I plan on reading it along with Infinite Jest. I think they will make nice companion pieces.  Anyway, just sharing a bit of my reading history and future with you. And here's a flower for Mr Wallace (next year I'll try to remember).

How about you? Do you have any great reading schedule?