NIght time is the Right time....

I promise to 

end this relentless

reporting from my BAKW....soon.

I confess

I have seen no one who looks like they 

are an actress, or an actor....

Everyone I have laid eyes on 

has looked to be a hard-working joe,

very much like you or me......

(or course, all I do is sit by the window)

They arrived early in the morning...

They spent a lot of time setting up,

consulting with each other,

and re-arranging what the previous crew had left behind...

They wore interesting hats....

Honestly, it was pretty cold in the mornings...

so, coffee and hot drinks were common.

They brought in a crane yesterday....

that confused me a bit...

but it became clearer as the day went on..

I am glad that I didn't have to climb to the top of that ladder,

I saw the person who did, he didn't give it a thought.

All day the vans were prepared to transport...

Did I mention the hats?

This guy must be very important.

His hat was the largest, by far,

and most interesting.

It appears to be a knitted toboggan

stretched over a flouresent orange hard hat....

All day long they worked...

I could not tell if they were actually filming,

as all the "real action" was taking place 

inside.

But 

things got rather more dramatic

as the natural light faded....

I had been cooking dinner,

when I noticed that it was dark.

As I gazed out,

I saw brilliant light outside...

It is difficult to put into words,

and even harder to photograph,

(as my equipment is not for night shooting)

but the world looked dark,

with the exception of this one 

very bright spot,

suspended at least 30 feet in the air.

(that's what the crane is for..)

This went on for hours...

They had a scrim positioned in front of the 

condo's balcony to diffuse the intensity of the spot lights...

And occasionally,

they moved the light.....

on it went...

into the evening and late into the night...

I was tired,

and went to bed around 10:30, knowing they were out 

there still working....lights on, but no noise....

Gosh, I thought, they sure are quiet....

ZZZZZZZ......

Then, this morning,

I woke, came down for the coffee,

and my sweetie says

"They are almost entirely packed up and gone"

What?!

How could that be?

I wake at the drop of a hat, and I was sure 

that I would wake if they started 

"breaking down" the set.

Off to the BAKW!

and....sure enough, 

this is what I saw.....

So....

This is what I know....

they are filming a pilot for 

a Television series...

It is called

Homeland

starring 

Claire Danes.

They have been filming all over town,

and several locations were mentioned in publications 

earlier in the month.

There was absolutely no mention of the filming in my 'hood.

That's cool....in fact, one of the crew told a neighbor that it 

had been pretty nice filming here, because no one had bothered them

Ooops.....

I believe they jinxed themselves...

that very night,

it is reported that late in the evening,

one  of the neighbors got a bit 

tipsy (that's what we will call it anyway)

and wandered over, 

up the front steps,

into the room where they were filming 

and started yelling at them...

(how embarrassing)

here, we were earning a reputation for being sort of 

cool, hip, calm, easy to work around....

and some yah-whoo goes and

messes that up....

Anyway,

they asked this person to leave,

she wouldn't,

the policeman on site,

told her to leave,

and she did...

jeez....

That's all Folks!

smiles.....

Snow Day! and a new love.....

I have a new love.....

an obsessive love....

one that transends time and space....

an unexpected love....

I love talented people,

and 

often 

I find

that women seldom 

gain the recognition that they deserve....

I found Vivian Maier

through a link on Etsy.

A wonderful article telling an interesting tale

of film and negatives, 

lost

and 

found....

a mystery if you like.

I am appreciative of the fact that today 

is a certified "snow day" here in my town,

and the DOT

has asked us to stay home,

if we don't have good reason to drive.

I have good reason to stay home....

and admire the work of a 

woman,

gone

but no longer

forgotten......

smiles

Desiderata

Go placidly
amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace
there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender
be on good terms
with all persons.
Speak your truth
quietly and clearly; and listen
to others
even to the dull and ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself
with others,
you may become
vain or bitter,
for always there will be
greater and lesser persons
than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements
as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career,
however humble;
it is a real possession in the
changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution
in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you
to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere
life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity
and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering
the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit
to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself
with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of
fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not
it is clear to you,
no doubt
the universe is unfolding
as it should.
Therefore
be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery
and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

--Max Ehrmann

Or....

be a grump....

smiles....

Authenticity....

That's the word

that I chose 

at the beginning of the year

to concentrate on in 2010.

I am still thinking....

In fact,

it has been brought home to me 

on a regular basis that most 

of the people I seem to interact with

(bloggers excluded)

are far from authentic.

Is it fear?

Is it meanness?

Is it ignorance?

Is it miscommunication?

Really!

I want to know.

I want to understand.

And,

 if I am looking at it 

in a skewed manner,

well, 

I want to know that too....

Really.

Do I perceive the bloggers

I follow as being authentic

because they are?

or are they really good at 

"puttin on the show"?

Is the fear factor eliminated 

because they don't ever have 

to meet face to face?

Or is the internet just 

a place that one can be

 anyone you want to be?

Here is my dilemma.....

I spent some time with a few of my 

old friends recently.

It was weird.

They were fascinated by things that seemed 

so foreign to them, (and me)

and they didn't seem at all like the 

people I once knew.

I know there is room for growing up, but not developing

a whole new personality.

Then there is the situation

where one of my friends

came into a large amount of money.

I have seen very little of her since.

She has not simply excluded me, 

she seems to be avoiding everyone. 

What is that all about?

Now,

I am contemplating going to a 

35 yr reunion (high school)

I want to go,

at least I think I want to......

I was first informed about this 

reunion via the infamous

Facebook.

And the price for the event seemed doable.

So I said YES!

and paid my money.

Now I am watching how people are 

interacting.....

and honestly,

 I am a bit frightened,

bewildered,

confused,

apprehensive,

nervous,

and 

seriously folks,

I don't want to be disillusioned again.

So help me out if you have some experience here.

Do you find people to be authentic?

Do you go to reunions?

Have you been disappointed by 

old friends?

Does the high school clique thingy crop up at your reunions?

Finally,

Do you trust what people present to you,

and is that a vital part of liking them?

What do you think?

Now about that cat....

She must be the reason that the food in

that particular feeder

(we have many)

lasts longer.

She is a neighbors' pet

and loves to hunt by the trees out back.

smiles.

Isn't she lovely....

Well, not only is she lovely,

she is way so talented!!!

This is Amanda,

she was one of my special brides...

One of the brides

 that I actually enjoyed

 every minute of their day.

She was so easy to photograph,

comfortable in her own skin,

assured that this day

was meant to be....

splendid....

NOW...

well, let me just tell you,

she is one of the up and coming photographers

in the biz...

She has the "eye".

no doubt.

She is a people person 

in the truest sense of the word.

She shines...

and 

she can make the most mundane 

seem spectacular....really.

She has a new site,

http://www.amandachurchill.com/

a new camera,

a new outlook,

a new project....

let me tell you,

I could not be more proud that I know her,

and have been a part of her 

journey.

This is the reason for 

BIG SMILES 

today.