Monday. It's Labor Day so we slept in a bit, diddle-dee-dit, up at eight and off to breakfast and back before ten, the sky overcast. Felt fine for an early morning, had a larger breakfast than I usually have, probably because I got on the scale this morning and it came in lower than I imagined it might. So good. We're holding at a weight we want and like.

Except you're thinking it would be better to lose another five pounds.

I have had that thought. There's still a handful of roll around the middle, although I'm not sure it goes away with less weight, probably requires exercise. Not sure I'm up for exercise, certainly less so than for losing another five pounds.

Later. A funky later morning, some of which was spent in a nap, the old dry mouth again leaving before progressing on to any of the other less than nice effects. Can I blame it on the breakfast? I guess I could blame it on anything I wanted to blame it on for all the good it would do. Anyway, a nap and a long session finishing off the Oakland Pride photographs for artandlife, my thoughts degenerating to well, these too aren't the best I've ever seen. What the hell, if I want to do something different, I know what to do. After a while you understand. Amateurs wait on inspiration, artists go to work. Not that we have any aspirations to “go to work”. Don't mind being an amateur, retarded or advanced: the hours are better and the pay isn't all that much less.

It's now afternoon, the sky is clear and it may well get much too warm (for this old soul, er, Sole), so I guess I'd best get out and about while the temperature's still on my side. I mentioned there was nothing close enough by out there I was willing to travel to and shoot, so I suspect I'm safe from any actual exertion. I feel well enough now that the nap is done, but I suspect another full tilt festival outing and I'd ache for the rest of the week. A day or two at least.

Which you would do if you were discover something interesting in the neighborhood.

Which is why I'll keep my last minute checking to a minimum before I take the walk. There could be something going on just down the street and you're right, the temptation would erase any thoughts of sore muscles or a funky head.

Later still. A walk down to the morning restaurant along the lake, my usual route, taking a picture of three Cormorants because they were in close and I had a 200mm equivalent lens on the camera, wanting to see if I could resolve the eyes and how sharp they might come out. I can see now why I never see their eyes in other pictures (my pictures, at least) as they really do blend in with the head. Ah, well. Another Cormorant photograph added to the pile.

There was a channel 5 news truck parked by the library and an older guy was standing in front of a big Sony video camera beside the white columns and I was wondering what and why he might be shooting. Still there when I returned having moved and now photographing the area from beside the library. I suspected they were getting stock footage for stories that may come along in the future. The open field next to the library is in the middle of a fight to allow a free run area for dogs and is probably due for more coverage as the fight goes on. Then again I could be totally off base, not that I've ever been off base in my life. You understand.

So coffee and a piece of cake to balance the large earlier breakfast, all the walking done at an amble, no desire to step out like many of the others doing push ups and walking briskly along Grand by the highway underpass, one photo of a fellow sleeping by a channel 7 news truck parked near the theater. What's with the news trucks?

A laid back early afternoon, not that many people about for a holiday weekend, although I liked the look of this group sitting along the lake having a picnic. A little stiff, a little less than settled in, but it's Labor Day, a day to get out with the family and have a picnic. Or something equally idyllic (done with a camera in hand).

Back now thinking of learning the melody to an old Neil Young song. They had one of his old song books in the Walden Books window, but it was evidently rare (and worn) and they wanted twice its original purchase price. I have sheet music for many of his songs and I'll learn from one of them this afternoon. A little guitar hooky from the assigned lesson. I suspect I'm not the first to take such a turn.

Evening. Maybe I don't have very many old Neil Young songs, maybe that book in the window has a place here in the apartment. We'll think about that. We think about many things without moving off the dime. Not enough dimes.

Some time on the guitar. I have the new lesson down, although I could always use more time on the barre chords. We'll slip into the evening, take it easy, play a few tunes and relax as there's no danger of going down the hill for a sake dinner. The local sushi place is closed on Mondays, even when the Mondays are holidays and they would probably do a brisk business. They're not hurting for business.

Nothing has come up after the dry mouth this morning, evidently a piece of cake and a cup of coffee won't set “it” off. I realize I'm getting a bit less excited over this stuff. Why think about it, maybe just manage the intake of the various banned items on the list and chill out. Don't give them up altogether, but understand if you get consume some of it more than usual you have to expect blowback. Best to get your blowback here at the apartment curled up under the covers hugging a pillow with the radio on than out on the street in the dark. What's the secret you sir use to face this fearsome world? Well, I lie in bed hugging my pillow with the radio on as, I'm sure, does everyone else.

That seems somewhat naive for such an old fart.

Success in this world involves taking pictures and protecting your naïveté from reality. In my case this web thing arrived just in time.