Hallelujah! The creation of this story has allowed me to take it easier on myself, to give myself a bit of a breather from the more involved pieces that I normally launch into cyberspace. Two thumbs up for that! I’m an old guy, you see. My gas tank empties a lot quicker than it used to. My mind wanders into spaces that it barely can squeeze out of. And let’s not overlook the discomfort that two of my private parts (the globular ones) are currently causing me. Because of all of the above, yesterday I came this close to throwing in the writing towel for a while. Meaning, I was set to let lots of time go by, a month or more, before attempting to produce a fresh entry for this website.
But no! In the end I couldn’t let that happen. For one thing, the CEO of the blogosphere, Tammy Whammy, wouldn’t stand for it. I’ve been on a short leash with Ms. Whammy for the last year and a half. Hell, she has made it perfectly clear to me that she is displeased about the decreasing frequency with which I’ve been posting articles during that period. And I’m not thrilled about it either. But I’m an old guy. My gas tank empties a lot quicker than it used to. Ah crap, I already said that, didn’t I? Let’s move on.
When I press the Publish button for this story, nearly two weeks will have passed since my previous opus appeared. Fairly lengthy gaps like that now are not uncommon for me (in my peppier days I graced the ethers weekly with new material). Will the wait have been worth it? Maybe so, if you like to look at photographs. For that’s what this piece basically is: a collection of photos that I took during the first half of the current year. None of them have appeared previously. More important, I like them.
Yeah, scrolling through my photos was about all I had to do to birth this article. Didn’t have to engage in much thinking or research. I’m down with that! But, I have to admit, during the writing sessions I did spend a few hours contemplating my navel, which, for reasons that my doctors are at a loss to understand, has drifted three inches southward since early 2018. “Don’t worry about it, though, Neil,” they’ve all said to me. “You’re old. It’s just one of those things.”
All right then, what we have here are ten photographs. I’ve placed them chronologically. Five were taken in daylight and five after the Sun set. I’m partial to those nighttime shots, especially the final four of them. The mysteries and moodiness that they contain are irresistible to me. Location-wise, four photos are from Philadelphia, two from the Philadelphia suburbs, and four from Edinburgh, Scotland. Those locales are where my ass has spent most of its time so far in 2019.
Speaking of Scotland, my wife and I were there in May, as some of you know. Miraculously, I was able to churn out three stories about our Scottish sojourn. They came out in June. That was a lot of writing. A lot of taxation on my senior citizen brain. I’ve heard about old dudes who, from out of the blue, become all Rambo-like, able to face life’s challenges powerfully and expertly. Maybe something like that is what happened to me, scribe-wise, with the Scotland pieces. But now I’m back to my regular old-guy self. And as it turns out, even though I didn’t have to work too hard to compose this essay, my battery is practically drained. I need a snooze. Nothing I can do about it. Repeat after me: “C’est la f*cking vie!”
(Please don’t be shy about adding your comments or about sharing this piece. I thank you.)
(If you click on any photo, a larger image will appear in a separate window.)
Yeah, Another Blogger 
Love these! Beautiful photos! I just started a new blog dedicated to trying out all kinds of new hobbies and documenting the process. My most recent post is the first of a photography series! Check it out!!
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I love this
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Hi Neil, To receive 107 replies is epic! You’re not doing bad for an ‘old guy..’ Talking of age…I’ve mentioned that my dear husband is 91 and recently complained of the reduced sight in one eye (He has to be very ill before consulting a doctor, let alone an Optician.) She read the form he had filled in and asked for confirmation when he had last visited an optician. “Ummm..1946.” “When?'”she repeated,,laughing. “I ‘ve never been to one but had my eyes examined when I went into the army.” Not bad eh?! (He loves playing around with words and has just handed me this one: “Would an edible encyclopedia be food for though?'”) Enjoyed your photos. Cheers. x
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“Would an edible encyclopedia be food for thought?” — that’s a classic!
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Sorry, the above ‘though’ should have been ‘thought.’ Oops.
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loved the above , all us photographer’s go through similar things as we travel .. best thing to do write it down 🙂 ..
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Hi Neil, I just discovered your blog. Sure enjoyed reading- it’s fun getting to know the blogger by their writing skills (& photography). Will check back in a week or so!
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Loved the pictures. I too, have been having problems coming up with things to write about but I chalk it up to laziness. Some people have their own little niche whereas, I just try to think up things I think will make people laugh. There is not enough laughter in the world today. A lot of the things that are happening aren’t going to be changed by me, so why not go with the flow and come up with something comical to get us to smile or laugh. It sure beats being down on ourselves. Sorry – didn’t mean to ramble on. Like I said, the pictures were great and I am sure that some of them have a good story or two to go with them, Thanks for sharing.
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Hi there. Thanks a lot for adding your thoughts. Yes, coming up with story ideas can be pretty challenging. But you and I are still part of the writing game!
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👍
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Loved it what can I say IG: digital35mm
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I love the building with the octopus! Keep up the good work!
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Hi. Many thanks.
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