Un Árbol con Santa Cynthia for Cindy

Timothy Price63 Comments

Cindy Georgakas of Unique Times was smitten by Holly’s Tangle Heart Tree. After I gave her the history of the trees, she wants a tree, but she wanted a heart in her tree similar to the Tangle Heart Tree if possible. The Tangle Heart Tree is unique, but I found what I think is the perfect tree for Cindy. Not only does it have many of its branches making multiple heart shapes, it has a figure of a saint praying where a large branch broke off many years ago. It’s also multi-dimensional, varies from classic cottonwood to, strangely shaped cottonwood depending on which side of the tree you are on.

I named the praying saint Santa Cynthia, thinking there was probably no real Saint Cynthia. I looked her up, and the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary have a listing for Saint Cynthia [Cinthia] [249], sainted on February 8, 2000, who, according to Catholicism.org, “…was an Egyptian girl who was martyred under Decius. Because she would not worship idols, her feet were tied to a horse and she was dragged through the streets.” She has been praying in Cindy’s tree for many years. Long before she became a saint.

You can make out some heart shapes in the 2nd photo and 3rd photo.

Depending on which side of the tree you are on, it has really interesting shapes.

The first photo shows a decent heart shape. Views of Santa Cynthia.

Hitman posted on MasticadoresUsa // Editora: Gabriela Marie Milton

Timothy Price37 Comments

A big thanks to Gabriela, who also has Short Prose Blog, for posting Hitman on MasticadoresUsa // Editora: Gabriela Marie Milton.

I was inspired to write this song after reading an article in the New York Post by Isabel Vincent about Julio Santana who retired as a hitman after 47 years. The story fascinated me, and the fact that he could live long enough to retire without getting knocked off seemed incredible. I worked on this song for over two years. The lyrics and music went through many rewrites before I came up with the final version of the song. Whether Julio’s story is real or not, Ms. Vincent wrote about it and I put it into a song.

Venus in Purple Sky

Timothy Price50 Comments

Venus in focus through blurry tree (Bazooka). Mia’s Tree with Venus (iPhone 13 Pro). Tree in focus with Venus in the background (Bazooka).

Jupiter with three moons shot with the Bazooka. Moon shot with iPhone 13 Pro. Moon blasted by the Bazooka.

I traded in my iPhone 12 Mini for an iPhone 13 Pro. I decided I wanted the camera with the LiDAR scanner†. As you can see from the two moonshots, the iPhone has a long way to go before it can compete with the Bazooka, but I’m really impressed that I was able to control the exposure well enough to get as much detail as I did shooting a bright moon at 15x zoom†† on the iPhone. I had to lock the focus on the moon while I adjusted the exposure because the moon was jumping all over the screen with the slightest movement at 15x zoom.

Here’s the kicker, since I got a decent discount on the iPhone 12 Mini when I bought it, between Apple’s trade in allowance and T-moble’s trade in allowance, I got $75 more in trade-in value than I paid for the iPhone 12 Mini. The iPhone 13 Pro is larger than the iPhone 12 Mini, but I think it will be worth the larger size for the camera upgrade.

†The Wiki article on LiDAR states LiDAR scanners are available on the iPhone 12. That is not true. It’s only available on the iPhone 13 Pro, currently.

††15x Zoom on the iPhone Pro 13 Pro is equivalent to 390 mm. The Bazooka on the Canon 7D Mark II body is equivalent to 640 mm.

Saved From Hell’s Fire Rhyme

Timothy Price76 Comments

Miss Mousie (House Mouse, Mus musculus) in our grill in her nest of pink insulation after I had removed her nest and five tiny mouselettes so I could use the grill. She and her mouselettes were lucky the insulation kept the third burner from lighting before I saw her nest of insulation and turned off the other two burners.

Little Miss Mousie faced the flames of hell
Under cover of an accommodating grill
The third burner it didn’t light
Covered in insulation she stole in the night
Mouselettes were lucky they were not well done
As I gathered them up one by one

I moved them to a waiting pan
With pink insulation she had on hand
I put them in a safe place well hidden
While I grilled the thighs of a Costco chicken
Cleaned the grill shut off the gas
With the mouselettes tucked deep in the grass

I put things in order, went in for the night
I fed the cats, I turned out the lights
When morning came I wasn’t thrilled
To find that Little Miss Mousie was back in the grill.

Silver: “You saved mouselettes instead of grilling them for me? What kind of low life, pathetic, paparazzo, loser of a cat herder are you, anyway?”

Me: “I’m not going to murder innocent little mouselettes who you wouldn’t eat, anyway! Besides, Shey’s Dudes would never forgive me.”

Silver: “Well I think I’m insultated you morbid, mouselette mothering Monothelite!”

Me: “Do you mean ‘Philistine’? I’ve never heard of insulting anyone by calling him a ‘Monothelite’ other than by you completing an alliteration!

Silver: “Are you saying I’m ‘alliterate’? Now I’m doubly instultated! You profligate, pink, pasty skinned prelate of Peromyscus!”

Me: “OK! You’re not ‘alliterate’! BTW, while on the subject of morbid mothering, Silver, the last rather large mouse you carried in the house from the catio like it was a wee little kitten is still hanging out under the stove in the kitchen.”

Silver: “I thought that was a gopher? My bad!”