Mad Macedonian

Sit Spot Challenge 2011: Day 10 - When Camera Weilding Bird Watchers Attack!

Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good evening to you, wherever you may be...

I am The Mad Macedonian! Writer, Blogger, Poet, Humorist, Cyclist, Walker, Photographer, Cat Lover, Genealogist, and more!

It's day 10 of the 2011 Sit Spot Challenge, and I'm getting close to nature in middle of Huntington Beach, right in the heart of Orange County.

If you missed the start of this adventure, then check out this post, and follow the link at the end.

What day of the week will you seemingly find more people with cameras, than are being walked by their Dog, at Central Park in Huntington Beach? Sunday.

It was a humdinger of a squirrelly Sunday morning. ;-D

When I arrived at my Sit Spot, around 10am, the stage, and seats, of the amphitheatre had been overrun by people weilding cameras.

A photography class was obviously underway...Apparently in Vietnamese.

Well, hell, how does that help ME, if I had wanted to listen in for a minute, or 2? ;-D

When I went to that little spot along the dirtr trail I found, the other day, there was another group near that, also Asian, all focused on taking photos of a female model in red. ;-D

 

So, where was I gonna spend my 20 minutes?

Along the paved trail, to the west of the main lake, is a partially fenced in garden-like setting.

It is dense with trees, and bushes, and flowery plants, especiall of one kind, with blueish flowers.

 

On any other day of the week you might have the narrow path around, and thru, this small spot of solitude all to yourself, and you could sit on a rock, and contemplate your navel, world peace, how your side can win the 2012 elections, or ideas for a Cat themed book, or two, or even the next Great American Novel...but it's Sunday. ;-D

In that spot above, just moments before I took that picture, there had been a man with a camera, and a woman, with a huge, beautiful, black Dog on a leash.

 

In another corner was a man with a huge, $1000 camera, on a tripod, staring at a bush for God knows what reason. ;-D

 

In another spot were an Asian man, and woman, both with expensive cameras, staring at another bush, obviously waiting for something to appear.

What? God only knows! ;-D

 

Sit Spot Challenge 2011: Day 9

Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good evening to you, wherever you may be...

I am The Mad Macedonian! Writer, Blogger, Poet, Humorist, Cyclist, Walker, Photographer, Cat Lover, Genealogist, and more!

It's day 9 of the 2011 Sit Spot Challenge, and I'm getting close to nature in middle of Huntington Beach, right in the heart of Orange County.

If you missed the start of this adventure, then check out this post, and follow the link at the end.

Yesterday was a quiet day of just sitting at my Sit Spot watching the passing scene.

The Ducks gave me plenty of space as none saw fit come waddling in my direction. ;-D

Sit Spot Challenge 2011: Day 10 - When Camera Weilding Bird Watchers Attack!

Sit Spot Challenge 2011: Day 8 - Take a Bite Out of Your Natural Surroundings

Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good evening to you, wherever you may be...

I am The Mad Macedonian! Writer, Blogger, Poet, Humorist, Cyclist, Walker, Photographer, Cat Lover, Genealogist, and more!

It's day 8 of the 2011 Sit Spot Challenge, and I'm getting close to nature in middle of Huntington Beach, right in the heart of Orange County.

If you missed the start of this adventure, then check out this post, and follow the link at the end.

Yesterday was a visit devoted the Senses.

Depending on when you are in Central Park the Sights, Sounds, Touch, Smell, and Taste you experience will vary.

 

As I pedal around the park to my Sit Spot I take in an offshoot of the main lake that appears to be a lake all its own, but really isn't, and has a single, solitary, Duck to rule over it, at least for this day. ;-D

The smell of grass, water, and trees, is all around me.

 

I find some trees, along its banks, that have flowers, but when I pause to take a whiff my senses encounter the sweet scent of the flowers battling with the musty smell of the nearby algae-filled lake, for the undivided attention of my my nose. ;-D

All around me I hear the wind in the trees, a plane overhead, Birds, too numerous to count, discussing who knows what, & the murmurs of various people chatting about I don't care what. ;-D

I touch the rough bark of a tree, & pick up a broken piece of a tree branch that struck me as having the makings of a prop for an amusing photo.

 The sky is partly cloudy, as it has been all day &, at 6pm, the park is cool as I sit at  the amphitheatre, & gaze out at the Ducks on the lake, and a passing cyclist, and a passing couple pushing a Baby Utility Vehicle (One of those fancy Strollers that looks like it could hold a department store worth of supplies for all occasions.).

 They sure don't make strollers like they did when I was a baby, hee, hee! ;-D

I sit there, taking it all in, when I hear a rustle of feathers nearby.

 

 

 

There are 2 Ducks chatting near the bottom row of the seats of the amphitheatre, and I slowly maneuver behind them with my camera, attempting to get them to make their way up the ramp, and onto the stage.



Annoyed at me...they waddle around in a circle, calling me a Son of a Bitch at every step, fly briefly over the ramp, and start walking toward the lake.

I'm right behind them, camera at the ready when, quite to my surprise, I witness lift off as they fly across the nearby trail, and into the lake.

As I go sit down again the loud honks of some other Ducks, plus the barking of a couple of excited Dogs, along the trail, fill the air.

Finally it is time for me to head on out to catch the bus home, so I saddle up, and head on out, with the sound of the wheels of my bike making contact with the pavement, echoeing in my ears.

Sit Spot Challenge 2011: Day 9

 

Sit Spot Challenge 2011: Day 7 - A Quiet Spot in an Urban Oasis

Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good morning to you, wherever you may be...

I am The Mad Macedonian! Writer, Blogger, Poet, Humorist, Cyclist, Walker, Photographer, Cat Lover, Genealogist, and more!

It's day 7 of the 2011 Sit Spot Challenge, and I'm getting close to nature in middle of Huntington Beach, right in the heart of Orange County.

If you missed the start of this adventure, then check out this post, and follow the link at the end.

Yesterday afternoon I walked along that path, to the north of the Amphitheatre, that I took a picture of earlier in the week.

The lake snakes a bit eastward, becoming clogged with plant life, and an excellent hangout for Birds looking for a bit of privacy for doing whatever Birds like to do. ;-D

At the end of the path this quiet, private, little space with a tree that is perfect to sit on, is there for anyone to stake claim to to read, work on a laptop, or contemplate their navel, or meditate, with nothing but the sounds of nature around you.

Sit Spot Challenge 2011: Day 8 - Take a Bite Out of Your Natural Surroundings

Sit Spot Challenge 2011: Day 6 - Ducks, Road Crossing, and Leaps of Faith

Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good morning to you, wherever you may be...

I am The Mad Macedonian! Writer, Blogger, Poet, Humorist, Cyclist, Walker, Photographer, Cat Lover, Genealogist, and more!

It's day 6 of the 2011 Sit Spot Challenge, and I'm getting close to nature in middle of Huntington Beach, right in the heart of Orange County.

If you missed the start of this adventure, then check out this post, and follow the link at the end.

On a warm Wednesday afternoon, as I'm sitting at what I've nicknamed "The Podium" of the Amphitheatre pondering the leaps of faith I have to take as I move forward with my life...

 

A nearby pair of Ducks are pondering wether it's safe to cross the trail back to the safety, and comfort, of the lake.

You would think they would know this by now, as they no doubt have gone back, and forth, between the lake and the nearby grass area, numerous times in the past. ;-D

 

Between grooming themselves, and looking both ways first...3 times...it took them a good 10 minutes to cross the trail. ;-D

My computer classes are continuing and I'm learning to make a Slideshow with Photoshop Elements, as well as continuing to learn to make a PowerPoint Presentation.

The computer classes, including on Word, and Excel are, I believe, important skill building efforts for the future.

The Slideshow involves a presentation about my Cats, & their blog, and I may be able to post it on YouTube, we shall see. ;-D

Sit Spot Challenge 2011: Day 5 - Fireside's American Artist Makes Splash

 

Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good morning to you, wherever you may be...

I am The Mad Macedonian! Writer, Blogger, Poet, Humorist, Cyclist, Walker, Photographer, Cat Lover, Genealogist, and more!

It's day 5 of the 2011 Sit Spot Challenge, and I'm getting close to nature in middle of Huntington Beach, right in the heart of Orange County.

If you missed the start of this adventure, then check out this post, and follow the link at the end.

Yesterday was interesting. ;-D

I was intending to get up close, & personal, with some of the residents of Central Park, when...

 

As I was preparing I saw a Dog who thought a Stroll in the Park is just Ducky...but the Ducks...not so much. ;-D

If Victor Wooten had been a Dog, and written some thing called "The Canine Lesson", he might have written the following...

"Any Dog who can get a group of Ducks to express themselves freely is powerful...

 

Because he, or she, allows them to recognize their collective and individual power to ignore them...

 

Even as the Dog knows he, or she, is the one in charge.

This is beautiful to some and frightening to others.

Welcome to the World of the Dog." ;-D

 

When I encountered the very friendly, and energetic, Winslow Homer Hatfield AKA "Fireside's American Artist", and his Human, the painter/photographer Cathryn Hatfield, of Fountain Valley, all I knew was that, as she explained, He is a 10 year old Welsh Springer Spaniel with a Website, and a Blog.

When I visited the main website website I was blown away, and it was then I learned about Winslow, & Cathyrn.

Wow!

As Cathryn explains on Winslow's blog, that she has kept up since Dec. 2009..."Winslow is an outdoorsman at heart, and by blood....I am an artist and knew that my Welsh Springer Spaniel would be a studio dog, keeping me company while I painted and letting me know when we needed a break."

He serves as one of her wonderful creative inspirations, and to see her paintings, and photos, of him, is to experience the joys of being a life long companion with an animal, be it Dog, or Cat, or any other animal one may live with.

Check out:

Winslow's World: The Adventures of a Hunting Dog in Suburbia

Cathryn's Beach Artist Website where you can enjoy more of her cool Oil Paintings.

 

The Ducks were, obviously, in no mood to chat after all that excitement and, even when I return, today, and try to tell them what I learned about their visitor...I seriously doubt they would be impressed. ;-D

So, my 20 minutes more than over with...I headed home.

 Sit Spot Challenge 2011: Day 6 - Ducks, Road Crossing, and Leaps of Faith

 

Sit Spot Challenge 2011: Day 4

 

Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good evening to you, wherever you may be...

I am The Mad Macedonian! Writer, Blogger, Poet, Humorist, Cyclist, Walker, Photographer, Cat Lover, Genealogist, and more!

It's day 4 of the 2011 Sit Spot Challenge, and I'm getting close to nature in middle of Huntington Beach, right in the heart of Orange County.

If you missed the start of this adventure, then check out this post, and follow the link at the end.

Yesterday, required us to make like Lewis & Clark, and make a map of the area around our Sit Spot. ;-D

 

We had to walk 100 paces in each direction, North, East, South, and West, and make note of something interesting about this.

That was easy enough to do.

 

As for what kinds of vegetation, and trees, and soil, I couldn't say.

There are both paved, and dirt, trails all throughout the park, & a huge Lake.

If there is a site that gives this information I havn't found it. ;-D

 

 

 

With Interconnecting trails, restrooms, a cafe, and many picnic tables, and park benches through out, and major streets to the west, & east, it's impossible to get lost in Centrl Park. ;-D

To the north of The Amphitheatre one crosses the paved trail, & enters a narrow dirt path into the trees.

To the east one heads into the grass, & brush, & comes up against a tree. ;-D

To the south one walks acrss the stage, & up the steps to above the stage, and across the grass to some trees.

From there, to the west, is a glimpse of some parking, and the Central Library.

 

To the west, beyond the paved trail, is the SE shore of the Lake, and one can approach it much to the annoyance, amusement, or just plain indifference of the Ducks nearby. ;-D

Mapping all this took a bit more than 20 minutes, but it was interesting. ;-D

 Sit Spot Challenge 2011: Day 5 - Fireside's American Artist Makes Splash

 

Sit Spot Challenge 2011: Day 3

Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good afternoon to you, wherever you may be...

I am The Mad Macedonian! Writer, Blogger, Poet, Humorist, Cyclist, Walker, Photographer, Cat Lover, Genealogist, and more!

It's day 3 of the 2011 Sit Spot Challenge, and I'm getting close to nature in middle of Huntington Beach, right in the heart of Orange County.

If you missed the start of this adventure, then check out this post, and follow the link at the end.

Hanging out in Central Park is an exercise in, well, an exercise in exercising! ;-D

Exercising the mind, body, or soul, and sometimes a pair, or all three at the time. ;-D

Sunday Morning in Central Park is a time to see, & be seen, as Dogs of all shapes, and sizes, and colors, take their Humans out for a morning stroll. ;-D

Not everyone who comes here is in physial shape to Crow home about...that's why they come here...to get that way with enough physical exertion to last them a lifetime...if they survive. ;-D

As I pedaled along the trail in the Alvin M. Coen Campground section of the NE part of the park, I saw the local animals silently bear witness to all this health-conscious activity.

Whether the Edgar Allan Poe story wannabe  was silently saying "Nevermore", I do not know as I was not close enough to inquire. ;-D

 Nearby anotehr critter was scampering about, stopping once to observe the passing Humans.

 

 

Whether it thought them all rather Squirrelly, I do not know. ;-D

I pedalled on to The Amphitheatre, and settled down, with my notepad, to observe, and ponder the passing scene.



As I sit, around 10am, I have a front row seat to the passing parade.

But it's not just Dogs, and their Humans, male and female, young and old, out here.

It's the Ducks, and other Birds, in, and around the Lake, it's the Squirrels in the grass, and along the trail, and the occasional Crow...

And a beautiful green Hummingbird suddenky, unexpectedly, hovers inches before my startled face, sending me frantically to pick up my camera, turn it on, aim, and sho...it!

Damn! Why, Oh Lord, did you choose to tease me so?

As if to say, "Because I can, My Son..." the minute I set my camera down the creature returns for another Fly-by. ;-D

So I return to watching bicyclists, solitary joggers & walkers, parents pushing babies in strollers, & keeping track of toddlers on their first bicycles.



The people are not just being watched by other people, as I said.

All through the park the denizens of the Natural Community that call this place home, are busily going about their business only to occassionally stop, and take note of what the two-leggeds (Especially the mre "Nutty" ones, and their domesticated companions, are up to.

Even in a well travelled Public Space such as this Human, and Critter, alike, need to be wary of some of the people who occasionally hang out here, from the Homeless, and Mentally Ill, like this character, to those with criminal intent on their agenda.

Most of the time, however, life in this park is just Ducky. ;-D

Finally, my 20 minutes are up, and I head on out on my bicycle to catch the bus.

 Sit Spot Challenge 2011: Day 4



New Blog for 50-Somethings, in Developement, Calls Me Courageous, & Wise

Wassup With THAT? ;-D

 
I was checking my blog stats, this afternoon, when I noticed I had 2 visitors to a very personal November post of mine, a post that was the first of several self-analytical posts in recent months (All linked together).

So I went for a look see at the website these visitors were coming from. ;-D

 

 

"A gem of a personal account."

"Intimate, detailed, candid, and full of quiet courage and wisdom."

"A moving confession."

"We feel fortunate to have found, and recommend everyone read, his story."

Recommended: Age 50, Unemployed And Now What?

Sitting at my desk, and reading those words, I felt tears come to my eyes...

Me? Courageous, and Wise?

The way things have been going since I wrote that essay, and may go in the future...I sure don't feel that way sometimes. ;-D

First let me tell you about this website that has been quiet since a flurry of December posts, but seems to have some plans for its own future it will reveal at some point:

FiftySkills bills itself as "a destination for those 50 and older (and other interested parties) who are faced with the challenge of reinventing their careers, and in many cases, their lives. Here, you’ll find resources, community, and jobs. It’s a place to come every day for news, reassurance, skills, as well as to hang, share, learn, and succeed."

So far, there is very little "There" there, just 6 articles (The intro, & link, to mine, and intros to pieces by the AARP (55 & Up.. "The New Unemployables"), USA Today, NY Times, NY Post, and LA Times, that they encourge you to go read, and a short original piece by one of their contributors, whoever they are.), and encouragements to any passing reader to stop long enough to toss in their 2 cents, and keep them in mind as a place to look up "Soon".

For example, they ask, about my piece: "What do you think of this story?  Do you have a similar story to share?  If so, what’s your status?  Have you found work?  If so, do you have tips to share?"

For a site with the lofty goal of helping others "Re-invent the Second Half of Your Working Life", they reveal next to nothing about who they are. ;-D

Hell, they never even sent me a heads-up about their praise all those months ago. ;-D

This is all very interesting reading, and I thank them, from the bottom of my unemployed little heart, for the complements, and wish them the best of luck as they move forward. ;-D

I promise to do my best to live up to your kind words, and recommendation.

Anyway, where was I ?

Oh, yeah! My confidence...

I truly believe that my decision to avoid the risk of more troubles with the seemingly incompetent local Job Centers, for a while, and take some computer classes to try to increase my "Marketable Skills", and to read some self-help books, and dive in to LinkedIN, was the right decision to take at the time, but, now, with my second 20, or so, weeks of unemployment beginning, the possibility of not being able to afford Medical Insurance that I'd need to register for before the month is out, and questions about where to apply for Career Retraining, what for, and the cost to me (Hell, even Community Colleges, in Ca., are having problems scheduling classes!), and whether I could afford it, my confidence is a little shaken.

I'd love to find a cheaper apartment, but being unemployed, with 2 Cats, I think I might have a problem, so am reluctantly staying put.

In a few weeks I'm attending a "Fix, Build, & Drive" networking event put together by  Tim Tyrell-Smith of Tim's Strategy.

A couple months ago I bought a ticket to attend the Blog Paws Convention in late August, however I have not bought my hotel, or plane reservations, yet, because I do not know what my situation will be at that time, especially since my current unemployment runs out that month.

As dearly as I so want to attend this event, as a way to network, and increase awareness of Meowsings of an Opinionated Pussycat, I am afraid of committing more of my resources unless I'm absolutely sure of attending.

Such is the current status of an unemployed 51 year old in Orange County, Ca. ;-D

***UPDATE 9PM***

Decided to take their advice and read that essay by that Mad Macedonian Dude!

And the ones that follow via the links...

Cheered me up considerably. ;-D 

***END UPDATE***

 

 

 

Sit Spot Challenge 2011: Day 2

Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good afternoon to you, wherever you may be...

I am The Mad Macedonian! Writer, Blogger, Poet, Humorist, Cyclist, Walker, Photographer, Cat Lover, Genealogist, and more!

It's day 2 of the 2011 Sit Spot Challenge, and I'm getting close to nature in middle of Huntington Beach, right in the heart of Orange County.

If you missed the start of this adventure, then check out this post, and follow the link at the end.

One great aspect of blogs like mine, and that of my Cats, Nikita & Elvira, is that we engage you in stories.

As my Sit Spot e-mail for the day explains:

"Hearing stories is an ancient part of our psyche, and  something that our ancestors did consistently, especially on cold winter nights around a fire. Telling stories was also a part of that cycle and something many modern people have forgotten how to do. Telling our stories gives us reflection time, significance, and offers learning opportunities to our families and communities."

On this blog, my retired bike blog, and with the Cats, we use investigative journalism, story telling, humor, poetry, and photography, to inform, educate, entertain, and stimulate the mind.

I arrived at my chosen spot, The Amphitheatre, on this cloudy morning, to find a man walking up, and down, the steps, in a solitary exercise routine, and as he went on his merry way down the trail in the park, I sat down, and made myself at home.

As I rode my bike through the park to get to my spot I passed men, and women, young, and old, walking, or jogging, alone, or with a companion, and even several people being walked by their Dog, sometimes 2 Dogs. ;-D

I have a lot on my mind, these days, being unemployed, and unsure of my future, and taking computer classes to increase marketable skills, and to help me learn new skills that might help me do more as a writer, and blogger.

Sitting here, and watching the passing scene, is a peaceful, relaxing, way to pass the time, and I can write in my notepad, read a few passages in a book, read a section of the newspaper, or sit lost in thought, pre-occupied with sellf analysis, or giving myself an internal pep talk.

I wonder what the people passing by must be thinking about me, and my purpose here, as they gaze at me in passing?

Do they see me as, relaxing neighbor, contemplative writer, or solitary weirdo to be watchful of as they use the park trail?

Ah, to be able to read peoples minds. ;-D

Finally, my 20 minutes are up, and I head on out on my bicycle to catch the bus.

Sit Spot Challenge 2011: Day 3