I couldn’t live without my smart phone. Well, that’s an exaggeration. But I’d be a moping and disgruntled geezer were it taken away from me for more than a few days. Man, thinking about that gives me shivers. I’d nearly prefer to contemplate the Apocalypse, which might not be too far off, sad to say, what with far-right-wing motherf*ckers proliferating like rabbits all over the globe.
Okay, back to my phone: I don’t use it as much, or at all, in some of the ways that are crucial to many people. For instance, I send (and receive) text messages, but not to the point that they are coming out of my ears. And I never watch movies or TV shows on the tiny screen. When it comes to surfing the internet, however, I’m addicted and a champ, as I read one thing or another on the phone for two or more hours just about every day. For this activity alone, my phone is essential to me.
And I’m totally in love with the magical device’s camera, a valuable ally. On vacations, I snap away like a mad dog. And I often document gatherings with friends or relatives, and other fun occasions, with a picture or two or more. Hell, just about everybody does all of that, I imagine. It’s a good way to keep memories at hand and to have a running record of the enjoyable parts of our lives.
The publication you’re staring at right now — Yeah, Another Blogger — often is on or not far from my mind when I aim and shoot, for I include photos in quite a few of the pieces I publish. I think of myself as an amateur photographer, I suppose, and get a kick from sharing images with whomever is good enough to read my stories. Seventeen of the approximately 300 photos I’ve taken so far this year have graced Yeah, Another Blogger’s pages already. And three more now are about to make an appearance. I tip my hat to my smart phone for making this possible. Modern technology blows my mind.
Speaking of which, I chose these three pics because they too blow my mind. They are undoctored photographs of what struck me as almost-hallucinatory scenes. I took the above picture on a cold, grey winter’s day this past February, a couple of blocks from my house in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, USA. Have tree limbs and branches ever seemed more complex and wiser? I had a feeling they understand the underlying nature of the universe and were trying to find a way to express this knowledge. If they clue me in one day, I’ll let you know, believe me.
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. April 2025)
Cellar Dog Philadelphia, a cool-as-can-be venue that opened not long ago in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the setting for photo number two. Cellar Dog is a bar cum jazz club cum non-electronic games joint (billiards, table shuffleboard and foosball are among the games you can play). My wife Sandy and I were there in April with our pals Cindy and Gene. The jazz quartet we heard that night pleased each of us a lot. And the looks of the place put me in mind of Salvador Dali paintings. To me, the shuffleboard tables appeared to be hanging on for dear life, praying that the bold floor tiles and the dazzling wall wouldn’t decide to catapult them into the heavens.
(Eastham, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. April 2025)
Later in April, Sandy and I, while vacationing on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, found ourselves at Eastham township’s First Encounter Beach. There, we walked upon the wet, rippled sands (known as tidal flats) left exposed by the receding waters of Cape Cod Bay. It was low tide, indeed, and the sky was beginning to turn colors as the Sun dropped toward the horizon. The scene was one of head-spinning beauty, for much of the bay’s waters, via the Moon’s gravitational forces, had been pulled incredibly far from shore. Both Sandy and I felt exhilarated. We were in the right place at the right time.
In conclusion, let me say I wouldn’t want to have my mind blown crazily often. I don’t have the constitution for that. Does anybody? But, for all of my adult life I’ve needed, and have experienced, a steady, slow stream of far-out-ish encounters. That’s the way I’m built. They’ve made my life better.
Yeah, Another Blogger 
The Cellar Dog is a place I’d really dig —- I would bark with joy just being there 🙂
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A terrific place. I’ve been there twice, and hope to go again soon.
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Those trees do look like they’re conferring. I like the ripples too.
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No matter what the season, trees are fabulous.
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The trees are eerily captivating but the snap of the club immediately made think of a David Lynch movie. I love it.
P.s
Don’t bast yourself fir your phone addiction, we all are in a way, even those who pretend they are not😉
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Hi. The club is really unusual. They have a real nice stage on which jazz combos play. And the stage is very close to the table shuffleboard games. Musicians, and their audience, need to be able to block out the shuffleboard noise.
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The Cellar Dog! How wonderful. I would enjoy that too. And the other two photos are completely different from each other in many ways but not in essentials. Spare, plain and beautiful, they emphasise the wonder of simplicity and yes, it’s inherent wisdom, too.
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Hi. Nature is endlessly amazing. No matter how much a person knows about it, they are only tapping the surface.
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Thank you so much, Neil, for your extraordinary nature writing, and corresponding photos.. I know, you don’t like me to tell you, but you have a true gift for writing, with a touch of spiritual feeling. I love all your descriptions, but especially the trees’ understanding of the meaning of life, and the breathtaking beauty of the sunset on the beach. Brilliant!
Joanna
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Thanks very much. I appreciate it1
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You are more than welcome Neil!
Joanna
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Love the Cape Cod scene
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For reasons I don’t understand, tidal flats are much more prominent on certain sections of Cape Cod Bay than on other sections. They are especially impressive at the beach whose photo is in this story.
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Your ‘phone is certainly producing excellent photographs, something I can never manage with mine. Perhaps it is time for me to upgrade to a better model as there is great convenience in snapping a shot with the ‘phone. Generally, I prefer to use a standard camera as I find it easier to use and it gives me better results, probably because I struggle to use the ‘phone camera as I find it difficult to use it due to glare on the screen. Otherwise, my browsing in almost always on a laptop – bigger screen, easier on the eyes etc. That photograph from The Cellar Dog is absolutely top class!
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Hi Paddy. Glare on my phone’s camera screen can be a big problem. Maybe newer/better phones have an anti-glare factor. I’ll have to look into that.
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Old eyes can cause problems also!!! And old ways!
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Great choices and all so different.
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Many thanks!
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nice👍
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Thanks.
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I can tell that you like photography, because your photos are always so inspired! That photo from The Cellar Dog is wonderful! 🌸
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I like that club a lot. And it’s in a real good part of the city.
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An old photographer friend once told me that the secret to photography is to always have a camera with you. That advice was hard to follow until the integration of the phone with the camera. You have discovered this, too.
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Smart phones are incredible. There’s little they can’t do.
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A love the three totally different photos thanks to your phone. I just read an about a study on smartphone addiction. We are all hooked.
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Part of the reason for our addiction, I think, is their small size and light weight. It’s easy and convenient to use them.
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The beach pic is fabulous!
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I’ve been to that beach quite a few times. It’s a gorgeous area, no matter if it’s low tide or high tide or in-between tide.
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Those are some wonderful photos, mate. That’s one of the main things I use my phone for, along with having music with me wherever I go.
It’s hard to remember what it was like before smart phones. I vaguely remember film cameras and Walkmans. 🙂
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Hi there, Richard. Smart phones have almost unlimited capabilities. And they keep getting better.
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Your Cape Cod photos are always top tier!
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Thanks, Kathy. There’s a lot of natural beauty on the Cape.
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Wow, I love those photos. Now I want to hear more about your other far-outish encounters. BTW, your trees photo reminds me of one I took a while back. The trees were bending toward each other as if they were talking, and it inspired me to write a song called “Listen to the Trees.”
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Hi, and thanks for adding your thoughts. I don’t know who this is, though. You’re listed as Anonymous.
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I’ve always liked this song!
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Nice article, and yes hard to imagine it today without our phones, surfing and taking photos…
Would love to walk on that sand and with friends.
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Smart phones rule the world!
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As usual l always enjoy your photos. They get better and better!
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Thanks a lot. Who is this, by the way? You’re listed as Anonymous.
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Keep up the good work! Always enjoy your photos!
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Hi, Joyce. Many thanks.
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I think that’s the way most of us are built.
I, too, love my phone. As it turns out, I am using my phone to read and answer this message.
Wonderful photos, but my favorite is the one of the trees. So dark, moody, and mysterious.
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Morning, Laurie. I like that photo a lot too. It came out pretty good. I got lucky!
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And photographs like these with the stories behind them make our lives better too….
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It’s really nice of you to say that. Thanks very much.
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Neil, this was so enjoyable. I spent several minutes examining the three photos and thinking about your words. My favorite is the tree image because I’d never “seen” trees in that way before, and I can’t stop thinking about it now.I recommend you take a look at that one upside down and see if your mind gets blown again…wonderful!
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Hi, Kim. Upside down, that photo definitely is mind-expanding!
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We suppose that’s normal. Everyone is more or less like this.
The First Encounter Beach looks like here.
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Right — to one extent or another, just about everyone has a need to be awed.
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Yup, cool pics! I think my fave is the beach scene, quite evocative & humbling.
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It was great to be there. We stayed till after the Sun set. It’s a beautiful beach. I’ve been there a number of times.
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I use my phone in the same ways as you: camera, texts, research. It is a tool not my life BUT like you I do enjoy the photos I take with it. I like your beach one. So cool.
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Morning, Ally. It’s a great beach. I’d like to be there right now.
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I totally agree — I love having a camera with me wherever I go. Even underwater now!
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It’s so much easier to use a camera now. No more putting film into a camera, and then having the film developed, etc.
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The trees look like a witches’ coven.
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You have an excellent imagination!
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I agree that these three photos are fascinating. When I lived on the Texas coast the difference between high and low tide was a few feet. Hardly. enough to notice. I also use my phone camera on my blog. Thursdays and Sundays have about 10 photos each. Super reading, Neil.
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We’d be lost without our smart phones!
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I think so.
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I’m going to carry that beach photo in my little heart all day long, just to calm myself down in the face of whatever turmoil occurs. Keep on snapping 👍
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Thanks, Fran. I hope the beach photo helps!
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I love the tree shot.
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Thanks, Martie.
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Trees always blow my mind. Although last night the moon through the fog was pretty mind-blowing. The iphones do make it easier to capture and share the world, don’t they? Now what to do with all those photo albums that captured the past!
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I wonder how many people still compile photo albums. Probably a fair number.
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I inherited a lot of photo albums which of course the children don’t want!
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I like all your photos, but especially the first and last ones. There is something about finding the natural beauty in nature that makes it all the more special.
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Hi Pete. We had no idea the tidal flats would be exposed at that beach. But we sure were glad that they were.
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Hi Neil, Skillful explanation of the photos and how they make you feel. Just wanted to tell you that in this month’s Free Library newsletter I saw description of a “vinyl record listening club” that meets at the Central Branch. You might want to check it out–I believe they meet on Sunday afternoons. Rich is getting better every day. He’s getting quite adept at using his walker. I’m hoping we’ll be able to meet you for lunch or dinner sometime soon. Love, Liz PS. Kathleen has moved to 20th and Wallace. Is that near where Gene and Cindy live? It’s a beautiful area.
>
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I’m very glad Rich is making steady improvements. Lunch or dinner would be great. Cindy and Gene are 10 or 12 blocks from Kathleen, I guess.
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I’ve found that leafless tree branches against a grey sky make for some spooky images. Without a doubt, they have a lot to teach us if we only knew how to listen. The photo of the wet, rippled sand beach is a winner for me. Lessons there, too!
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Hello there. Without a doubt, the natural world is infinitely beautiful.
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These three photos show your photographer’s eye. Although the club looks like a cool place, and the angle is great, the first is a excellent study in lines. And the last is a favorite, not only for the composition and angles, but because I love the Cape too!
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Hi Ruth. If you haven’t been to First Encounter Beach (which is where I took that photo), I recommend it when you next visit Cape Cod.
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I just looked it up. I haven’t been to any of the beaches on that side of the “arm.” I’ll keep it in mind!
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The beach scene is my favourite with the trees a close second. Going for nature here!
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Nature cannot be overrated!
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I am an amateur at taking photos, so you are on some higher rung of the photography ladder. The Willow Grove Trees is my favorite today. The “eyes” on the foreground right tree made it difficult for me to break free of the piercing stare.
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That tree is trying to communicate with you!
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I am a beach lover so the beach scene is my pick of the three. Don’t lose that phone of yours the world already has enough grumpy geezers 😉
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I’m holding on to it tightly!
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I love your photos, Neil, as we’re stuck at home caring for my husbands father and not able to travel. Your photos are a view elsewhere.
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Thanks a lot. I appreciate it.
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I use my phone the same way: calls, texts, photos and the occasional email. But I have to say, I think those “far out moments” are what make life worth living!
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We need spice in our lives. Otherwise, it’s just the same old same old.
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I always love a good nature photo, so the trees and the beach appeal. But, you took me straight back to 1958 or so and the new house my folks built. In Iowa, the basement often was the ‘rec room,’ and the floor of ours was tiled with black and white asphalt tile exactly like this. Talk about a blast from the past!
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Black and white tiles never go out of style!
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The beach photo is lovely and better than the phone photos I take. My Google Pixel 6a just doesn’t cut it, or is it the user? 😉
Technology has its ups and downs, but it can also be very frustrating.
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I have an iPhoneSE. There are phones with better cameras than mine, but overall it’s good enough for me. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy the day!
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Hmmm…think I need to go back to Apple. I use a phone for inconspicuous photos but a mirrorless camera for other photography.
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“Shuffleboard”? Havent seen one of those since I was playing doubles in the 80’s, my partner was more in the bag than I was and shot the hammer rock in the gutter. Lost $20.
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You’d love Cellar Dog. It’s a great place. I’ve gone twice to hear jazz combos. The music stage is near the shuffleboard tables.
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I use my cellphone like you do and feel lost whenever I forget to take it with me when I leave home. This doesn’t happen often as it seems to be attached to my hand. Anyhow, I love your photos and am very happy the cellphone has turned so many of us into “amateur photographers.”
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Cellphones are small. Yet, they can do an unbelievable number of things. They are absolutely revolutionary.
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Isn’t it interesting what blows your mind? It may look perfectly normal to someone else, but it sets your bells ringing. Thanks for sharing your favourites. Mel
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Hi there, Mel. You’re right. Everybody is wired a bit differently from everyone else. Overall, that makes things interesting!
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It sure does.
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These are awesome and I’m glad you shared them! It’s fun to see what blows your mind!
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Evening, and thanks for the thumbs-up!
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Your nature photos are beautiful, as always, but the interior one from Cellar Dog rocks! I love the contrast of the chaotic red wall art with the uniform black and white tiles, and the shuffleboards drawing your eyes to the stage and the saxes. It’s a great reminder of a fun night!
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Hi, Cindy. The four of us should go there again. It’s a neat place.
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Your photos have inspired me to use my phone’s camera more. But my pictures are never as high-quality as yours. What ratio of good photos to mediocre ones would you say you take?
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I never thought about that. Not sure. Maybe one-third are good.
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I’m with you on being lost without my phone and having a high quality camera built in has been a godsend.
Love your photos and the Salvador Dali analogy is obvious now you’ve mentioned it.
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Hi Alyson. Not only do phones have immense capabilities, they are small and lightweight. They totally amaze me.
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