sophiawestern

( larger )

... you know I didn't just take one photo of them!

( bigger! )

( larger! )

One of these things is not like the other.

The "snowpocalypse" ended up being quite a meager thing.

( the first two bigger and better!! )

It was bitter, bitter, bitter cold today and I was one of the only fools out on the street!!

( last one a little bigger! )

... with my 10-17mm pentax super-wide angle fisheye lens. I was expecting it to be huge like my old 17-35mm wide angle, but it is surprisingly compact.

Here are a couple of really quick pictures just to get a sense of the lens. I'm taking this baby out for real tomorrow.

Miley is not impressed with the lens!

Sonnet XVIII, translated by Graham Dunstan:

Kiss me again, kiss, kiss me again;
Give me the tastiest you have to give,
Pay me the lovingest you have to spend:
And I'll return you four, hotter than live
Coals. Oh, are you sad ? There! Ill ease
The pain with ten more kisses, honey-sweet,
And so kiss into happy kiss will melt,
We'll pleasantly enjoy each others' selves.
Then double life will to us both ensue:
You also live in me, as I in you.
So do not chide me for this play on words
Or keep me staid and stay-at-home, but make me
Go on that journey best of all preferred:
When out of myself, my dearest love, you take me.

Sonnet XXIV, translated by Alice Park:

Do not blame me, ladies, if I’ve been moved,
If I have felt a thousand fiery flames,
A thousand wincings, and a thousand pangs,
If I’ve been worn out weeping for my love.

Oh, no! Don’t whisper insults at my name.
If I have erred, my sentence is at hand.
And don’t let fly your barbs. But understand
That love does appear in its own sweet time.

Don’t say it is the god of fire who lights
The match. And don’t be finding fault with fair
Adonis, for your plunge into the bright
And lovely passion. Please take care.

And have a bit more sense than I have had.
Then try, dear ladies, not to be so sad.

Louise Labé (ca. 1525-1566).

17.5 years young!

I went out to the botanical gardens today with the parentals to see the Christmas Train Show. I love the botanical gardens, and since I bought all of the tickets for us, I put the ticket prices towards a membership for B and me. I want to go up again in March for the Orchid Show anyway, and in the summer for the big tropical show.

This time at the garden, I tried to concentrate on light, shapes, and textures and less on the flora as a whole.

(the train pictures are not artful, but I will post those later)