I love my camera. I bought it YEARS ago, and I’m constantly astounded by the quality of the photos, and the ease of operation. But it’s a small little camera, an Elph, and the quality is a bit limited.
So I thought I’d check out cameras that take higher quality photos. My little elph, sensing my cooling attitude, has chosen this moment to go off in a sulk and the button that allows me to change from still photos to movies to viewer mode has broken. I’m frozen in movie mode.
I didn’t bring the camera with me – I should have – because driving home from dinner at Jams (WONDERFUL dinner, among the best Salmon I’ve ever had – ever!) with Robyn and Anne and a good friend, Angie, I saw the most amazing damage on the campus of the University of Nebraska. Trees were hanging like toothpicks; huge, gigantic, HEALTHY trees. Brought to their knees.
Since I don’t have any photos of the damage, I’ve visited Flickr and found C Martens Flickr album of the damage. Here’s one of the fallen trees.
The stunning thing about this storm was that it was so SHORT. It was over in literally 20 minutes – all this damage was so FAST. I’ve been in tornadoes before, and once a hurricane swept up into New York when I was living there in the 80’s (not much damage, but lots of wind…) so I’ve experienced major storms.
This was the shortest, and one of the most damaging I’ve ever seen.
And what followed was just as awe-filled. Some of the prettiest, brightest weather I’ve experienced. It’s been cool, crisp – like early autumn days in Summer. The sound of chainsaws is everywhere, tidy stacks of lumber next to splintered trunks and green leaves blowing everywhere.
The electricity still wasn’t on at String of Purls when I arrived yesterday, so I decided it would be fun to have class outside. There’s a shady area right in front of the shop, and we moved chairs and a table out. At the moment I began speaking to the class the power was back on (yay)! and a few gusts later I realized that as picturesque as ‘knitting on the prairie’ looks, it’s not easy to yell over wind gusts of 35mph.
So back inside for a Cable class, followed by a Potpourri class. It was sad not to be outside, but no hardship because this shop is magnificent. Well stocked, very friendly and a lovely, light space.
It’s in a shopping center with many interesting stores (I found gifties for Hannah and Max at the adjoining stationery shop, had a wonderful salad at Market Basket and a great chicken sandwich from Grinders.)
The students here – all the knitters I’ve met – are so friendly and lovely. Just wonderful. I spent a bit of time convincing a few knitters that they’re better than they were allowing themselves to believe – the folks here are astoundingly good.
When my lace class (full!) is over at 3:00, I’m hightailing it home. Not because I wouldn’t like to stay – I would! But because I’d love to get home before 10:00 pm, when it gets dark. And because on the drive here I was missing Gerry and the kids like nuts, it’s only gotten worse. Being away two weekends in a row is always hard.
Next weekend we visit some friends who have a house on a lake, it’s so kind of them to invite us, and we’re so excited you’d think we’d never BEEN to a lake before! The kids are nuts about fishing, I’m looking forward to a weekend where my knitting is just for ME!