Things you remember

Yesterday, for whatever reason, I was thinking of popsicle sticks and how, as kids, when we finished our popsicle or whatever it was on the stick, we would rinse the sticks and then sharpen the ends by rubbing the edges down on the pavement. For the life of me I have no idea why we did this, but we went through this ritual almost every time we had the opportunity (which wasn't a daily occurrence or anything). I mean, what do a bunch of kids need popsicle stick daggers for?

To the best of my knowledge, no children or animals were harmed in the making or use of our practically useless weapons. I have no memory of actually using them, only of making them. Aaaah, the good old days.

Frequently Heard Comments as a Walking Reader

Don't run into anything!
Have you ever run into anything?
I would run into things if I did that.
How do you do that?
I don't know how she does that!
That's Elise, she's always reading.
I didn't recognize you without your book!
What are you reading now?*
That looks interesting.**
That's not the book you were reading yesterday!

And, not a frequent one but one of my all time favorites:
"I want to take your picture because you are actually reading a book instead of looking at a screen!"***

*I actually love this one because then I get to talk about the books I'm reading. Although, it can be risky, such as when I was reading Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? (And How to Fix It). That led to some awkward moments. 
**can be said either sarcastically or sincerely. 
***I do read books on my tablet but that day, I had a hard copy of a book. 

A new best

Approximately half an hour ago, there was a huge bang, which turned out to be thunder. And then there was lightning. And so I, being me, did NOT finish getting ready for bed. I grabbed my camera and headed out into the rain, where I took roughly 700 shots to get 2 that were pretty impressive* (and a couple of other kind of cool ones you didn't know about):

There were so many even better than this, but I didn't capture any of them. Still, this one's pretty good.

Then, of course, rather than coming home and getting ready for bed, like a responsible adult**, I sat down and posted these. Because, priorities people.

*It's lightning. This is what you do. Well, it's what I do, and I don't know that there's a better way. 
**I never claimed to be an adult. Society just decided I was. I only meet the outward qualifications--age, full-time job, providing for myself. Other than that, it's all a bit iffy.

Another one for the birds

A view from the refuge

Coming in for a landing

  

Swimming in the rain

Showdown 

Spread your wings

eating on the run

King of the Mountain

geese on the move 

primping for the camera

what better place for a meeting than a sunflower?

Synchronized flying

See ya later!