An Old Guy’s Photography Story

Yeah, Another Blogger

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.

Ambler, Pennsylvania. February 15, 2019
Philadelphia,, Pennsylvania. March 16, 2019

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.

Philadelphia. April 11, 2019
Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. April 13, 2019

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.

Philadelphia (near the Philadelphia Museum Of Art). May 1, 2019
Edinburgh, Scotland. May 23, 2019

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.”

Edinburgh. May 28, 2019
Edinburgh. May 28, 2019

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.

Edinburgh. May 29, 2019
Philadelphia’s Awbury Arboretum. June 23, 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.)

118 thoughts on “An Old Guy’s Photography Story”

  1. Lynette d'Arty-Cross July 8, 2019 / 12:20 am

    I think your photos are wonderful! 🙂 And, just post what you want – it’s completely up to you, no rules. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  2. cindy knoke July 8, 2019 / 12:52 am

    Ain’t blogging great. We can do whatever we want, and people actually like us! Just as I like you, and this post.

    Liked by 2 people

  3. Suzanne July 8, 2019 / 1:27 am

    Well written for an old chap 🙂 “C’est la f*cking vie!” indeed. Enjoyed the glimpse into Philadelphia as its a ground I haven’t stepped on.

    I hope you are taking it easy now. Have a good one.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 8, 2019 / 6:04 pm

      Hi Suzanne. I’m waiting for my muse to knock on my door, so that I can start on the next essay. See ya!

      Liked by 1 person

      • Suzanne July 8, 2019 / 9:15 pm

        Look forward to reading it, Neil. Have a good one.

        Liked by 1 person

  4. joylennick July 8, 2019 / 1:47 am

    You’re a gem, Neil. Don’t ever give up writing….I liked the photos, even the dark ones which I didn’t have the foggiest idea what they were about……Go lie down..Cheers from an even older friend. Joy x

    Liked by 1 person

  6. johnlmalone July 8, 2019 / 2:59 am

    I enjoyed the meandering patter; you have a great sense of humour. Stay well. I hope nothing else goes south 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  7. Cathy Cade July 8, 2019 / 4:22 am

    I’ve stopped getting alerts for a number of blogs because they came up too often to follow up, so stick with quality over quantity.
    I know the blogging gurus say to post frequently, but I’ve lost patience with bloggers that just fill up my inbox; I lose patience with a lot of things these days. (Many of them are inanimate objects; I think it’s an age thing.) It’s my blog and I’ll post when I want to. Why make a chore of it – we’re retired aren’t we?
    Love the pics. I don’t know Philadelphia but I know bits of Scotland and I’d like to spend more time in Edinburgh, but finding somewhere to park the motorhome can take half the day (and cost half the day’s budget).

    Liked by 4 people

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 8, 2019 / 6:11 pm

      Hello there, Cathy. Like everything else, there’s a range of opinions about the dos and don’ts in re writing for blogs. Each writer finds their own level eventually.

      Liked by 1 person

  8. cath July 8, 2019 / 5:12 am

    It’s true, the photos are good, very good, but it’s your words I’ve enjoyed most. A lovely line in patter, especially your protestations – hope it was a ‘power-nap’ as they used to say a long time ago – never worked out how to do that myself, but I know people who swore by them – rather than at them!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 8, 2019 / 6:13 pm

      Cath, I just came inside from over an hour of yard work. I’m sweaty and pretty tired. I’m not going to take a nap, but I figure I’ll sleep well tonight. Take care —

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Arlene Somerton Smith July 8, 2019 / 6:30 am

    I like this blogging rule: Write because you have something to say, not because you have to say something.
    I don’t follow blogs that post too often. I much prefer blogs that post less frequently but well.

    Liked by 4 people

  10. joyce hamilton July 8, 2019 / 8:12 am

    I always like your photos. I thought you were going to tell you a little about your latest trip with photos.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 8, 2019 / 6:16 pm

      Hi Joyce. I’ve discovered a love of sorts for photography because of my website. I enjoy snapping photos.

      Like

  11. Cindy Bruchman July 8, 2019 / 9:29 am

    Fun post, old man. I’ve been pulled in a lot of directions and lament, too, about how infrequent my posts have become, especially this busy summer. Guess where I’m going next week? London and Scotland. I’ll take some pictures for you. Cheers!

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Laurie Graves July 8, 2019 / 9:57 am

    Wonderful pictures! I especially like the tree and the jaunty spring blooms. Several blogs that I follow are mostly photos with few words. Nothing wrong with that.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 8, 2019 / 6:19 pm

      Hi. I agree. I look at a number of sites that pretty much are all photos. For myself, though, I like to write (and to include photos in the stories). See you!

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Jacqui Murray July 8, 2019 / 10:31 am

    I am so with you, Neil. I follow a guy whose blog is called “Old Guy”. At first I thought you were channeling him but you’re channeling ALL of us oldsters.

    Me too, slowing down. Now, my writing fills my day where it used to just take a corner!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 8, 2019 / 6:21 pm

      Hi Jacqui. Time marches on. Obviously. But we do our best to stay active and involved. Have a great rest of the week.

      Like

  14. Robert Parker July 8, 2019 / 10:47 am

    Naps are good, a nice luxury. OK, glad to see your post, glad you’re still in circulation. When Abe Vigoda played Detective Fish on Barney Miller, and the police dept. doctors wanted him to retire, for circulation issues, he’d say “My blood circulates! Not everywhere, but it circulates.”

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 8, 2019 / 6:22 pm

      Hey there. I hadn’t thought about that show in quite a while. It was a good one.

      Like

  15. leewatkins July 8, 2019 / 11:41 am

    I’m glad you decided to keep on writing Neil! I always look forward to your next post

    Liked by 1 person

  16. janetsm July 8, 2019 / 12:38 pm

    I enjoyed the photos and your thoughts. I feel tied to getting a blog post out every Monday. Maybe it’s all this 95-degree heat. Maybe it’s because I’m old, too. Maybe it’s a combination. For whatever reason, I’m struggling a bit with my blog this summer. I’m struggling with building my writer platform. Too many social media rules. Well, that’s enough whining from me. I enjoy your blog posts whenever they appear. Maybe it’s time for us to stage a revolution against Tammy Whammy and all her rules.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 8, 2019 / 6:24 pm

      Let’s send around a petition. Tammy needs to tone down her act.
      Take care, Janet. Enjoy the new week.

      Like

  17. Ann Coleman July 8, 2019 / 1:58 pm

    Face it, by this point in our lives every single thing on our bodies that can move south has done so. But that’s okay, because our memories have also deteriorated to the point where we don’t remember what we used to look like anyway!
    And I’m glad you decided to post some of your favorite old photos…they are very good and we enjoy looking at them. Finally, do NOT take a long break from blogging. We’d miss you!

    Liked by 1 person

  18. northie July 8, 2019 / 2:22 pm

    Hi, Neil. Why shouldn’t you take it easy if that’s what you want? Loved the first image of Edinburgh in the gloaming. Wonderful.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 8, 2019 / 6:27 pm

      Hello there. Oh, I like to write. I’ll keep at it. Maybe I’ll even find myself turning out stories every week, like I used to do. You never know.

      Liked by 1 person

  19. JT Twissel July 8, 2019 / 2:29 pm

    I’m definitely moving at a crawl (blog wise) these days. I’m also of the opinion that the frequency of posts is not as important as the quality and you are always entertaining.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 8, 2019 / 6:28 pm

      Hi JT. Yeah, things in life ebb and flow, or whatever that expression is. Anyway, we’re still doing what we do, though currently not as frequently.

      Like

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 8, 2019 / 6:31 pm

      Thanks, Anabel. At the moment I have no idea what my next story will be about. Coming up with story ideas often is a big challenge for me.

      Like

      • Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter July 9, 2019 / 2:04 am

        But you always have interesting takes – your “Green Walk” gave me an idea for adding focus to my walks, and although I’ve only published one on that model I still use the idea it to add interest when I’m out building my steps up.

        Liked by 1 person

  21. Paula B July 8, 2019 / 2:55 pm

    I understand your blog burnout — I have the same problem, having started with the optimistic goal of one blog a week and now I’m lucky if it’s one a month. Yours are always entertaining and well written, though, no matter what the frequency. By the way, I really love your night shots, especially Edinburgh May 29, which is darn near perfect.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 8, 2019 / 6:37 pm

      That place has folkie/singer-songwriter types playing informal sets each night. We caught some music and had drinks. The next day we flew back to the USA. Many thanks for stopping by, Paula. Have an excellent week.

      Like

  22. tanjabrittonwriter July 8, 2019 / 9:11 pm

    I am glad you found a way to present these photos, Neil. At times we need to come up with a way to prevent the odds and ends from being forgotten, and your poor old brain did just that (your words, not mine!). 😊

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 8, 2019 / 9:57 pm

      Right, the pix were looking sad and lonesome in my cell phone. Something needed to be done about that.

      See you, Tanja. As always, I appreciate your stopping by.

      Liked by 1 person

  23. Sandra July 9, 2019 / 7:59 am

    Yep, I can relate. Getting older is hard work. Writing comes hard at times. Life comes hard at times. Writing is tiring. Life is tiring. I’m pretty tired at the moment. And my next post is almost certainly going to be mostly pictures. So I’m reassured, reading your post. I may not have that great line you spin, and I’ve stuck to short and simple sentences here, but I can post pictures. All is good 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 9, 2019 / 12:20 pm

      Hi Sandra, and thanks for adding your thoughts. We’re still in the writing game, and there’s a lot to be said for that.

      Liked by 1 person

  26. Silver Screenings July 9, 2019 / 2:43 pm

    I love the octopus in the Ambler photo. So clever!

    Also, your photo of The Royal Oak in Edinburgh looks very inviting.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 9, 2019 / 3:39 pm

      Hi Ruth. Inside, The Royal Oak is tiny. It’s a dive bar that presents folk music. It’s fun to be in dive bars now and then.

      Liked by 1 person

  27. Isabelle July 9, 2019 / 5:32 pm

    The mysteries and moodiness of the after-sunset images are irresistible to me too, Neil. Very atmospheric. Have a great rest of the week! Isabelle

    Liked by 1 person

  28. jeanleesworld July 9, 2019 / 9:52 pm

    Hey, never fret about writing! That’s how I felt last week, but then it me that I wanted to share an experience, and the experience of my kids. They really are a creativity-saver!
    Your photos are lovely, by the way. will you be sharing more of your Scotland travails with us soon?

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 9, 2019 / 10:41 pm

      Evening, Jean. I suppose I might mention Scotland briefly in an article or two. But no more features about Scotland. I was glad to get three essays from the trip. Don’t want to press my luck.

      Liked by 1 person

      • jeanleesworld July 10, 2019 / 6:34 am

        Hmm. That is a good point. Still, happy to see you back’n’bloggin’. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  29. tynecastle July 10, 2019 / 4:28 am

    Excellent post for an old guy!
    I understand the waywardness of the mind, I have that often…
    Great photos from Edinburgh. I often used to clamber up and down those stairs, not now!
    Too far away now and the knees don’t like stairs!
    Your three Scotland items were good, this photo essay is good, and you must post more such.
    Glad you enjoyed the free world and glad you are not allowed to take life easy back home.
    All the best.

    My real blog (which ‘W’ will not connect with, is https://adullamite.blogspot.com/).

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 10, 2019 / 7:49 am

      Greetings from Pennsylvania USA. Thank you for broadening the conversation. My wife and I were a bit surprised by the large number of people on a couple of the steep closes. Those stairs help to keep people in decent shape.

      Liked by 1 person

  30. lievelee July 10, 2019 / 6:29 am

    Don’t throw in the towel. I always look forward to reading your posts, whatever the subject and whatever the gap between ‘ramblings’. It’s the uncanny openness and your choice words that always bring a smile to my face.

    Lieve

    Liked by 1 person

  31. tylerus July 10, 2019 / 9:26 am

    A wonderful post, as always. And the pics are awesome, as always. Do what you can, when you can. Commitment is over-rated, my friend. 🙂 Take care.

    Liked by 1 person

  32. selizabryangmailcom July 10, 2019 / 3:32 pm

    It’s kinda nice that you have someone pushing you. Unless you’re joking about that.
    I started out trying to do something every weekend. Turned into every other week.
    Now I’m lucky if I think of something to post once a month. I decided when I was starting to stress out about it it was time to back away and go more loosey-goosey.

    Beautiful pics, as usual.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 10, 2019 / 4:57 pm

      Yeah, loosey-goosey is a good approach. There’s already enough stress in life. Thanks for adding your thoughts. I appreciate that.

      Liked by 1 person

  33. Deeksha Pathak July 10, 2019 / 10:08 pm

    Beautiful pictures…
    My favorite is the evening scene, yellow light of the setting sun and yellow lights coming out from the windows of houses.. Loved it!!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 10, 2019 / 10:46 pm

      Hi and thanks for stopping by. That photo was taken in Edinburgh in May. I’m not positive, but that might have been the only sunset I saw during our stay in that city.

      Liked by 1 person

  34. Paddy Tobin July 11, 2019 / 4:48 pm

    You remind me of a day many, many years ago when I was attending a day of “ongoing professional development” for primary school teachers here in Ireland – I’m a retired primary school teacher. At the time, our school syllabus and approaches to teaching were undergoing radical change. There was to be almost frenetic activity in the classroom it seemed; the teacher was to be the catalyst, the leader, the one to enthuse the young learners. Among the attendees was one teacher who was at the latter end of his career and with retirement and pension clearly in sight he really didn’t give a damn and wasn’t afraid to tell the presenters so. He listened reasonably patiently for most of the day but eventually burst forth: “Ah, for f..k sake, sure enough when I was a young lad I could do all that dancing around with the best of them but, Jesus sake, once a month would be as much as I could manage these days. I’ll be going on the way I’ve been doing it and the young lads can do what they want!” As we age we must change our ways to suit ourselves!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 11, 2019 / 6:29 pm

      I’m glad I wasn’t a teacher!

      For a long time I’ve been semi-constipated when it comes to thinking up story ideas that I want to pursue. That’s part of the “problem.” But as I mentioned to one or two other readers, I’m still in the game. Thanks for adding deft commentary, Paddy. Much appreciated.

      Like

      • Paddy Tobin July 11, 2019 / 6:42 pm

        I write because I enjoy doing so and I take care not to enter into the frame of mind that I am here, that I must write, to entertain people. It is for me, my pastime, and, sometimes, I actually have something to say. There are many days when we simply don’t have anything to say or don’t feel like saying anything. Often the day passes and I feel that I could have written about something but, when it’s gone, it’s gone.

        Liked by 1 person

  35. roughwighting July 12, 2019 / 2:07 pm

    Methink you protest too much. You’re not old. These days, we call ourselves middle aged. We’re not into old age until we’re dead. Besides great photos, you’ve given me my new favorite phrase: “C’est la f*cking vie!”

    Liked by 1 person

  36. dfolstad58 July 12, 2019 / 4:09 pm

    I like the May Edinburgh evening photo; and hope you share more.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 12, 2019 / 8:30 pm

      Hi. If you’re in the mood, take a look at my three recent Scotland articles. Lots of photos there. Many thanks for stopping by. I appreciate it a lot.

      Like

  37. cincinnatibabyhead July 12, 2019 / 8:26 pm

    Those Edinburgh shots are good ones. The stair one is very cool. I’m usually a green guy but that one has lots of character. Love it.

    Liked by 1 person

  39. K E Garland July 13, 2019 / 7:17 pm

    You make me look forward to getting older 😉 Also, those are great pictures!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 13, 2019 / 9:02 pm

      Hey there, Kathy. You’ve got a long way to go before you reach my age bracket. Have an excellent upcoming week. See ya!

      Liked by 1 person

  40. Benn Bell July 14, 2019 / 6:13 pm

    Great photos Neil! Hang in there buddy, I know the feeling!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 14, 2019 / 7:52 pm

      Hi Benn. We’re not getting any younger, that’s for sure. Enjoy the upcoming week. See you —

      Liked by 1 person

  41. Libby Sommer July 15, 2019 / 5:44 pm

    maybe more travelling to places like Scotland is what you need. love the pics.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 15, 2019 / 7:45 pm

      Hi Libby. I hadn’t thought about it, but I have to say that there’s a good chance that you’re right.

      Liked by 1 person

  43. viewfromoverthehill July 16, 2019 / 1:46 pm

    Looks like you and I are in the same place Neil: Have you noticed me skipping a post more often recently? You continue to be a delight to read. Cheers, Muriel who just had another birthday.

    Liked by 1 person

  44. alhenry July 16, 2019 / 9:26 pm

    Ah Neil, all you have to do to pfft this old age stuff aside is to forget about numbers entirely. Numbers are nothing compared to the rich language of experience, or photos which do the same by representing a thousand words each. When I started a blog, I researched a lot of blogs to see what I wanted to do. Author Michael Gruber wrote wonderful essays at the pace of one a month. He became my hero. It’s the quality, Neil, So relax and drop your pearls whenever you damned well please. We’ll be waiting.

    Liked by 1 person

  45. Marietta Rodgers July 17, 2019 / 4:36 pm

    These are great! Keep churning them out and don’t worry about deadlines, “Tammy Whammy” or anything else.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 17, 2019 / 6:17 pm

      Thanks, Marietta. I’m a worrier by nature, but I’m trying to worry less about writing than I have in the past.

      Liked by 1 person

  46. Linda Thornton July 19, 2019 / 10:44 am

    Enjoyed the photos, Neil. Remember, you still have your funny and that’s what counts! I, like you, was feeling stressed lately and decided to cut back on my blog posts to an every other week schedule.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger July 19, 2019 / 11:36 am

      Hi Linda. You’re right — there’s no point in any of us getting stressed out in re writing. Enjoy the weekend. Be seeing you.

      Like

  48. iglengel August 1, 2019 / 10:22 am

    Enjoyed the pictures. And from one old fart to another, I’ve been having those ‘what shall I post today’ spells too.I also will be following your posts in the future. Have a great day!👍

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger August 1, 2019 / 11:47 am

      Hello there. Yeah, coming up with decent story ideas ain’t a snap. See you!

      Like

  49. joylennick August 5, 2019 / 7:50 am

    Hi Neil, A little comfort if you think YOU’RE old… My dear husband, aged 91, does the main shopping (he’s always loved food shopping), cooks our main meal and still drives like Sterling Moss….He’s always been a ‘worker’ and – my favourite among his ‘attributes’ – has an excellent sense of humour and memory. He recently commented that his right eye felt strained, so I encouraged him to see an optician. Looking at his date of birth, she asked “When did you last have your eyes tested?” “Umm, 1946 when i joined the Army.” he replied, and she was amazed.He wore shop-bought glasses now and then but could read without them and drive too. He has also written a memoir of his life in long-hand, and I typed and had it published for him. Not bad, eh! So,up and at ’em, Neil! Cheers. x.

    Liked by 2 people

  50. Pazlo August 8, 2019 / 11:09 am

    Hi Neil:

    Wow, that’s a lot of comments, and now after reading down through them all I’ve kinda forgotten what the post was about, but I was sure I wanted to add a comment.

    Hmmm. What was it? That’s rhetorical of course, ’cause you wouldn’t know, but…

    I think there’s something about photos, then Scotland then old people then writing, I guess.
    Anyway, it kept me entertained for a good long while and I couldn’t get all the way down here to the end without leaving some kinda note.
    So whatever it is you’re doing, or not doing, or whatever, keep at it.
    Sometimes all you can do is keep at it.

    “You’ve got to grit your teeth and bare down.” Charlie Brown says. “If I guy grits his teeth and bares down, he just can’t lose.”

    I’m not sure if the quote is related to anything, and I’ll be moving on now.

    Take care,

    Paz

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger August 8, 2019 / 12:35 pm

      Hey there, Paz. I like your wandering train of thoughts. I’m often a wanderer.

      Anyway, thanks a lot for stopping by. I’m off to get some lunch. Have an excellent day!

      Liked by 2 people

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