Oct. 31, 2010 - Day 234

The fall color that didn't go with the purple ones. I love the faces of these pansies that seem to have butterflies on their petals. Today's photo that I didn't get: Michael and I took a long walk through our neighborhood and while passing a retirement community saw a person in a wheelchair attended by a pirate. Only on Halloween!

Oct. 30, 2010 - Day 233

Fall flowers - achieved!

Oct. 29, 2010 - Day 232

I was off work today and went with Michael to the Southwest Airlines Halloween celebration, where they have skits and displays set up all over the place. You have to see it to believe it - hundreds of employees and their families wandering around with costumes, and candy everywhere. I focused on enjoying the costumes rather than photographing them, but thought these flight attendant uniforms from the 1970s were some of the scariest ones there!

Oct. 28, 2010 - Day 231

I love lighting stores. This orb is made of numerous small crystals and the color melts to something different every couple of seconds (which made it a little challenging to photograph my favorites).

Oct. 27, 2010 - Day 230

You'll never guess what this is...

Oct. 26, 2010 - Day 229

For some reason, the lot where I park for work has had one corner that was unpaved and walled off. Today's constant rumble and activity of heavy machinery suggests that very soon the area will be paved. We all had to walk a bit further because they blocked off the row next to that area with cones.

Oct. 25, 2010 - Day 228

This is the frame of the house going up on the lot where I photographed the front end loader and its work on the house that was there before. 

Oct. 24, 2010 - Day 227

Some of the leaves are starting to turn. And many of them are falling from the trees, along with acorns and other seeds. You can't walk far without crunching.

Oct. 23, 2010 - Day 226

It's due to Michael sharing his newfound biology knowledge that I'm more aware of these being reproductive parts rather than just plant blooms. These actually look like they should be private!

Oct. 22, 2010 - Day 225

What a way to end a week: The Texas Rangers beat the New York Yankees to earn a spot in the World Series! I loved the reaction of the pitcher, Neftali Feliz.

Oct. 21, 2010 - Day 224

When we feed Michael's Venus flytrap it looks a bit like a green empanada - bug-flavored, of course! (See the one on the far left.)

Oct. 20, 2010 - Day 223

Took a walk at the park outside the gym tonight. The pond is very photogenic. The big, Halloweeny-creepy spider building his nest in a nearby tree was not - he was moving too fast to get in focus!

Oct. 19, 2010 - Day 222

Sometimes it's good to remember the non-technological things in life. I know they grow together, but I've always been amazed by how perfectly an acorn and its cup fit together, and how smooth an acorn is.

Oct. 18, 2010 - Day 221

Yesterday afternoon's project: watermelon juice. So pretty, and very tasty too!

Oct. 17, 2010 - Day 220

Bananas birthing monkeys. A bit strange, thought not the oddest thing at the State Fair: fried beer, pickle pops and pork chop on a stick. I didn't partake in the fried novelties, but was surprised when a fajita taco (I thought would be a known quantity nutrition-wise) turned out to be big enough to feed a family of four!

Oct. 16, 2010 - Day 219

Tribal Evolution, Tribal Echo, and Tribal Element at the State Fair of Texas.

Oct. 15, 2010 - Day 218

I've been trying to figure out how to photograph "cooler weather" without crossing over to conveying "cold." Perhaps this works.

Oct. 14, 2010 - Day 217

Took a detour on the way home and discovered some interesting yard art just a few blocks over. She's in a half-yard sort of vacant lot between two houses and seems a bit lonely.

Oct. 13, 2010 - Day 216

Anyone need a shopping cart? This one seems to be available...

Oct. 12, 2010 - Day 215

Trees outside my dance class a little before sunset. The light looks so much softer looking away from the sun. It's a difficult time of year to drive west into the sunset.

Oct. 11, 2010 - Day 214

Funny grocery story. I'm in the checkout line and I realize that everything I'm buying is green (or at least the label has green on it). Then, I realize that all but one of the items the young man ahead of me has is red - and mostly meat - hamburger patties, steak, bacon, pizza, and frozen french fries. No judgment here, just an amused observation on the contrast. (To be fair, he did have some fresh broccoli.)

Oct. 10, 2010 - Day 213

This afternoon Beryl was curled up in the sun patch near a window, so I curled up there with her. Cats always seem to know the best ways to spend an afternoon.

Oct. 9, 2010 - Day 212

I saw these red spider-like flowers while on the way to the grocery store. They're in two long straight rows along the side of a yard. This end of the row mingled with some giant tubular white flowers. The funny thing is, the yard across the street has some of the red ones, though there aren't as many, so were harder to see.

Oct. 8, 2010 - Day 211

I love it that my new eye doctor has beautiful paintings in her office, like this one.

Oct. 7, 2010 - Day 210

Watermelon from the farmer. He told the person who picked up the shares over the weekend that some of the melons had pairs of holes that were nothing to worry about - just teeth marks from coyotes. One of my co-workers said that when critters seek out produce that means it's tasty. We'll find out soon!

Oct. 6, 2010 - Day 209

Laura and I loved that VP was so well decked out for Halloween, though we were puzzling over whether a ghost could technically be splattered with blood, being non-corporeal and all. Almost as curious as the giant pumpkin we saw with ghosts rising out of it in jack-in-the box fashion. We decided that a haunted pumpkin is bad news.

Oct. 5, 2010 - Day 208

I'm not fond of all the Halloween decorations in our neighborhood, but this is the best! He's enormous (note the door of the house behind him) and his head swivels!

Oct. 4, 2010 - Day 207

One ceiling fan is still. Today's high was 73 degrees. And it's around 62 degrees now.  Almost chilly - even inside.

Oct. 3, 2010 - Day 206

Our drive back from Oklahoma City included sunny but cool temperatures and a gorgeous blue sky with thin, fluffy clouds.

Oct. 2, 2010 - Day 205

Shawn and Michelle's puppy, Milton. After a few frenetic laps around the house he does actually slow down for a bit.

Oct. 1, 2010 - Day 204

I've been surprised that I haven't seen so many butterflies this summer, so I was happy to find this guy hanging around this flower bed for a few minutes. The weather has been beautiful: temperatures ranging from the 60s to the mid-80s. Finally.