Snapshot: A Moment In Time

Snapshot. A word seldom heard these days. When it is spoken, it is likely by someone much older, someone from a bygone era. When I was growing up, I recall hearing my aunt refer to photos as snapshots. At that time, they had narrow white borders and every photo was black and white.

Although snapshot seems like an appropriate way to describe a photograph—a moment in time—the word actually originated as a hunting term. What it meant was to take a quick shot without careful aim. It wasn't until the introduction of the Kodak Brownie camera (1900) that it was used to describe photographs taken with a handheld camera. Its original meaning was eventually forgotten.

There are certain snapshots that command attention. This is one of them. It shows my husband and our children after a day at the circus. (We had another daughter not long after.) As I look through my photographs, this is the one that consistently stands out. Maybe because I remember the day so well. Three happy children with clown faces and funny hats... a memory worth holding onto.

Circus World opened north of Haines City, Florida in February of 1974. It was to be the winter quarters for the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus but things didn't go as well as expected. In 1986, after changing hands a number of times, the park closed its doors.

I'm glad that we lived in Florida while the park was still in operation and that we had the opportunity to go there. Otherwise I wouldn't have this special moment in time snapshot.

Seeing Red

One of my favorite magazines arrived in the mail this past week. On its cover is a scarlet tanager. I've spotted this beautiful bird in the trees outside my kitchen window on occasion. Their color is so vibrant that they are hard to miss.

The best time to see the tanager here in Wisconsin is during the fall. That is when they begin their migration to Panama. The birds forage below the canopies of wooded areas that they use as stopping places. They sometimes migrate as far south as Bolivia, South America.

Every issue of Wisconsin Natural Resources has wonderful articles about a variety of things. Here are a few headlines from the August issue.

"Beware beetle juice"

"Tree stand tumbles"

"Frog warts, lizard gizzards or eye-of-newt"

"Hidden in plain sight"

"A walk in the park "

If any of these pique your curiosity, get information on this colorful and interesting magazine at  www.dnr.wi.gov/wnrmag/.

Roma Makes A Friend

Let me introduce you to one of my favorite little Roma Grape Tomatoes. He was so unique that I couldn't bring myself to eat him. I decided to make him part of the family instead. Sorry, but I really can't explain the hat. It was just something I had to do. I laid awake nights thinking about how I needed to make Roma a hat. He seemed quite pleased with it. Here are a few photos from the life of this special little tomato. Enjoy!

Roma with his new hat... and face.

Roma with Herb.

Roma visits his "birth" family.

Roma on the porch steps.

The serious side of Roma.

Love at first sight. Roma's very best friend.

"Little Red Roma Hood"

Uh oh...

The moral of the story: Live life to its fullest because you never
know when you could end up as the main course.