Surfing the Rock Wave

[fivecats]

Dan's Backyard: Rock Wave
May 2005 Chapel Thrill, NC
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More from Dan's Back Yard. This time it's a small, almost inconsequential sculpture of a cresting wave made out of natural rocks. It's almost directly behind the Dragon's Paw from yesterday's posting.

One of the things that stuck me so much about the work there was not just the larger pieces, but the smaller, incidental pieces scattered throughout the space. It's as if the designer/artist decided to reward those who would take the time to look in some of the smaller areas with an unexpected treat.

As mentioned in comments yesterday, I found The Boy asleep in the den last night when I got home. I asked him, politely, to sleep in the studio because I needed the den to make bangles. He sleepily staggered out of the room and went straight into the living room where he collapsed on the couch out there. I went out after a few moments and repeated my request that he go to the studio to sleep. He angrily and grumpily wailed, "Why? What difference does it make?" several times while I patiently explained the concept of us creating His Space as a matter of respect for him and how that differs from Our Space. He wasn't happy about it at all, but he finally relented and went out back to the studio.

(Until 3am when he came back in looking for his glasses, which meant Bonn and I were also up at 3am looking for The Boy's glasses. But that's another story)

We venture out this evening to buy paint for the hallway walls, sandpaper for The Boy to sand down the drywall patch where he punched through the drywall last year and had to repair it all, and deck stain/sealer. Keeping The Boy busy is likely the best cure for moping around, indeed.

And finally:
Two Quick Awards for the Day
The Seeing With the Spirit and Not the Ego Award for the Day goes to:
ruralrob and his Flames of Christmas Future photos today and his ending statement to the entry.

The When Bonn and I Get to England The First Pint Is On Me/Shawn of the Dead Award for Theoretical Cuisine Award for the Day goes to:
nalsa for this completely amazing entry.

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Comments

[new-brunette.livejournal.com]

I'm looking forward to even more from that backyard. Almost as much as I'm looking forward to that pint... :)

[fivecats.livejournal.com]

You're in luck -- at least as far as the images go.

I digitally enhanced a handful of them so I'm set for posts for the next week or so.

As for the pint, well, that's going to take a bit longer I'm afraid.

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[smileyfish.livejournal.com]

Your friends list looks fairly similar to mine. Same people to drink a pint with and all ;-)

Best of luck with the Boy - in the end it's to everyone's benefit to be kind but very firm.

Any tormented teddybears in that garden?

[fivecats.livejournal.com]

As I recall, the similarities in our Friends list was one of the things that prompted me to Friend you in the first place. After all, such good taste in LJ Friends shouldn't go unnoticed.

The Boy had yet another round of things tonight. He's clearly got a long way to go.

And I didn't see any tormented teddy bears. Of course, there's no railroad train to go around the back yard, either. (I just don't think I could bring myself to tie up a teddy bear in one of the trees, hidden from view. Sorry)

[ruralrob.livejournal.com]

Thankee for the nod, mister. And I'll give the nod to that rock sculpture. It's really quite magnificent.

[fivecats.livejournal.com]

The nod was entirely deserved. It was an inspired posting, both photographically and through the writing.

Hopefully you saw the Dragon's Claw from yesterday's posting. It's even more magnificent.

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Dans' Garden

[myrhiann.livejournal.com]

What a wonderful garden this is, and how I envy you having access to it. I look forward to seeing more of it.

I sympathise enormously with what you are going through with the boy, and I do think the latest tack of specifying areas, so that you and Bonn have some space for yourselves is a good one. If it is any comfort they usually learn a lot between 14 and 26, and suddenly discover that parents are actually nice, loving, intelligent people, but it is a rocky road for all concerned during the journey.

Re: Dans' Garden

[fivecats.livejournal.com]

Thanks. More images are on their way. I did the post-camera work on about 8 or so more images from that day in Dan's Backyard so I'm set for about a week's worth of posts.

These will certainly be strenuous growing years for The Boy. His biggest problem is his ego; he's still feeling like he deserves so much that he's constantly running into serious disappointments which quickly turn into self-pity and anger.

I'm looking forward to him getting past this growth time in his life even more than I was looking forward to him finding a space of his own at college.

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Your camera

[myrhiann.livejournal.com]

Forgot to say how pleased I am for you that you were able to have your Coolpix repaired. Once you have used digital it is difficult to go back to film, not least for the cost of processing, and you have more control when you are able to crop and otherwise adjust your pics yourself.

Re: Your camera

[fivecats.livejournal.com]

Getting the CoolPix repaired was a very good thing, indeed. I've been on the yahoo CP990 group for several years now and had saved a posting where someone had offerend their services for repairing someone's camera. Years later I still had the email and found he was still doing repairs. He was quick, reasonably priced and very communicative (via email) through the whole process. What more can one ask for?

I found the film camera (Nikon N65) had a more true depth of field than the CoolPix has, but the auto focus wasn't working too well. Given my ever-so-slowly deteriorating, aging eyes, I wasn't able to do a manual focus all that well, either. The CoolPix's autofocus is much nicer.

I've been very blessed to have a really good friend in zombiefodder who has not only lent me his scanner, but has also not complained that I've had it for far, far too long. That's allowed me to at least scan in some photos from the film camera over the past few weeks.

Digital enhancement still rocks big time, however.

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[fivecats.livejournal.com]

Dan's Back Yard really is a most impressive place. That it's still a work-in-progress makes it all that much more appealing.

nalsa's entry was a work of pure genius. When I read it to Bonn last night she laughed and laughed.

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[nalsa.livejournal.com]

Crikey, an award :-)

Thank you. Beers are a certainty, believe me.

[fivecats.livejournal.com]

I'll come up with an Award Image for you if you'd like. Something to post on the ol' webpage to look all Official and everything.

Pints and more pints. A most definite certainty!

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[velvetink.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking Dan's backyard deserves an award too! It's beautiful what he's doing with that wall building technique. I'm looking forward to more of your wonderful photos of it too.

Ahhh now there's the difference between the boy and my girl...the studio..if we had one here for her out the back, I would never see her. Our house is very small, and space is a big time issue. I think once he does claim the studio for his own, things will improve.

Not sure a pint would cut it for me, if there's bloody mary's going around, then I'm in the next shout.

[fivecats.livejournal.com]

The studio is an interesting space. The Boy claimed to have wanted a space of his own in years past. After coming back from college for the first time he hautily told me that "things have changed" in terms of what expectations should be in terms of space and work. All of that would have made me think he would have disappeared in to the Studio and only come out for food, drinks and a bathroom. (The water was shut off up there a while back due to a plumbing problem)

Now, after spending a few weeks all on his own, he's craving company. Unfortunately, the company he's craving is supposed to consist of "Yes Men" and other overly sympathetic ears.

We've tried doing that in the past. It doesn't work; he'll remain miserable for days. So now we're trying the opposite, being very direct and honest, not giving in to the "Why is life so hard for me?" line of questioning.

Bonn won't be drinking beer. She'll have Baileys. That assuredly means there's room for bloody mary's at the table, too!

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