\n10,486<\/span> photos for this blog which generate an average of 78,300 hits monthly to my photobucket account. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![](\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/sep0708\/sep0708006.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
![](\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/sep0708\/sep0708003.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Consolation<\/b> that reminds me of our oint journies<\/p>\n
<\/h1>\nConsolation<\/b><\/p>\n
How agreeable it is not to be touring Italy this summer,
\n<\/i>
wandering her cities and ascending her torrid hilltowns.
\n<\/i>
How much better to cruise these local, familiar streets,
\n<\/i>
fully grasping the meaning of every roadsign and billboard
\n<\/i>
and all the sudden hand gestures of my compatriots.
\n<\/i><\/p>\n
There are no abbeys here, no crumbling frescoes or famous
\n<\/i>
domes and there is no need to memorize a succession
\n<\/i>
of kings or tour the dripping corners of a dungeon.
\n<\/i>
No need to stand around a sarcophagus, see Napoleon’s
\n<\/i>
little bed on Elba, or view the bones of a saint under glass.
\n<\/i><\/p>\n
How much better to command the simple precinct of home
\n<\/i>
than be dwarfed by pillar, arch, and basilica.
\n<\/i>
Why hide my head in phrase books and wrinkled maps?
\n<\/i>
Why feed scenery into a hungry, one-eyes camera
\n<\/i>
eager to eat the world one monument at a time?
\n<\/i><\/p>\n
Instead of slouching in a caf\u00e9 ignorant of the word for ice,
\n<\/i>
I will head down to the coffee shop and the waitress
\n<\/i>
known as Dot. I will slide into the flow of the morning
\n<\/i>
paper, all language barriers down,
\n<\/i>
rivers of idiom running freely, eggs over easy on the way.
\n<\/i><\/p>\n
And after breakfast, I will not have to find someone
\n<\/i>
willing to photograph me with my arm around the owner.
\n<\/i>
I will not puzzle over the bill or record in a journal
\n<\/i>
what I had to eat and how the sun came in the window.
\n<\/i>
It is enough to climb back into the car
\n<\/i><\/p>\n
as if it were the great car of English itself
\n<\/i>
and sounding my loud vernacular horn, speed off
\n<\/i>
down a road that will never lead to Rome, not even Bologna.<\/p>\n
<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Good bye old friend. <\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
I bought a new camera today.. much like the old one.. this one is brown.. I promise to carry it in a soft case..and never toss it into my pocket.. or a sandstorm.. or liquid unprotected. … a favor I never extended to it’s predecessor.<\/p>\n I’m thinking of naming my new camera…<\/p>\n
.. any suggestion ? <\/p>\n
After buying the camera.. my day was pretty unremarkable.. A few house hold repairs. about 80% of them successful.. then a trip to Homer’s to work on the ‘project-x’ monster.. We’re woefully behind schedule.. but it’s coming together to be sooooo cool.. Here ‘he’ is nearly fully standing . The 10 foot ceilings in Homers shop won’t let him rise to full height. . He’ll have a scary costume .. and a head… when he’s done.. He’s pretty scarry when he’s waving those 8 foot arms.. <\/div>\n
![](\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/sep0708\/sep0708013.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Here’s part of the integration team, Homer. Dave and Jana… Watch these pages for the final assembly.. and wish us luck !.. <\/div>\n![](\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/sep0708\/sep0708015.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
I drove home around 5 and for the first time with camera rounded the bend where the big red barn used to be.. Another friend gone.. Oh well… As the Buddah taught.. and we’ve learned so fully.. .. earthly attachments only bring dukkha<\/em> or suffering<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![](\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/sep0708\/sep0708016.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Well.. I’m going to go soak in a hot bath tub.. my fever’s back and I feel a more concrete form of dukkha..I ache all over. More tomorrow. Gnite folks.. Gnite Sam
-me<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/center>\n<\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
So.. today I did retire my trusty old powershot.. By way of an epitaph.. this reliable little camera has made 3 times around the world, visted at least 11 countries, at least 15 states and taken g-d knows how many other trips in the 18 months I’ve owned it. It’s taken more than 10,486 photos … Continue reading Sunday night – old friends<\/span>
Consolation<\/b><\/p>\n
How agreeable it is not to be touring Italy this summer,
\n<\/i>
wandering her cities and ascending her torrid hilltowns.
\n<\/i>
How much better to cruise these local, familiar streets,
\n<\/i>
fully grasping the meaning of every roadsign and billboard
\n<\/i>
and all the sudden hand gestures of my compatriots.
\n<\/i><\/p>\n
There are no abbeys here, no crumbling frescoes or famous
\n<\/i>
domes and there is no need to memorize a succession
\n<\/i>
of kings or tour the dripping corners of a dungeon.
\n<\/i>
No need to stand around a sarcophagus, see Napoleon’s
\n<\/i>
little bed on Elba, or view the bones of a saint under glass.
\n<\/i><\/p>\n
How much better to command the simple precinct of home
\n<\/i>
than be dwarfed by pillar, arch, and basilica.
\n<\/i>
Why hide my head in phrase books and wrinkled maps?
\n<\/i>
Why feed scenery into a hungry, one-eyes camera
\n<\/i>
eager to eat the world one monument at a time?
\n<\/i><\/p>\n
Instead of slouching in a caf\u00e9 ignorant of the word for ice,
\n<\/i>
I will head down to the coffee shop and the waitress
\n<\/i>
known as Dot. I will slide into the flow of the morning
\n<\/i>
paper, all language barriers down,
\n<\/i>
rivers of idiom running freely, eggs over easy on the way.
\n<\/i><\/p>\n
And after breakfast, I will not have to find someone
\n<\/i>
willing to photograph me with my arm around the owner.
\n<\/i>
I will not puzzle over the bill or record in a journal
\n<\/i>
what I had to eat and how the sun came in the window.
\n<\/i>
It is enough to climb back into the car
\n<\/i><\/p>\n
as if it were the great car of English itself
\n<\/i>
and sounding my loud vernacular horn, speed off
\n<\/i>
down a road that will never lead to Rome, not even Bologna.<\/p>\n
<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Good bye old friend. <\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
I’m thinking of naming my new camera…<\/p>\n
.. any suggestion ? <\/p>\n
After buying the camera.. my day was pretty unremarkable.. A few house hold repairs. about 80% of them successful.. then a trip to Homer’s to work on the ‘project-x’ monster.. We’re woefully behind schedule.. but it’s coming together to be sooooo cool.. Here ‘he’ is nearly fully standing . The 10 foot ceilings in Homers shop won’t let him rise to full height. . He’ll have a scary costume .. and a head… when he’s done.. He’s pretty scarry when he’s waving those 8 foot arms.. <\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
-me<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/center>\n<\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
So.. today I did retire my trusty old powershot.. By way of an epitaph.. this reliable little camera has made 3 times around the world, visted at least 11 countries, at least 15 states and taken g-d knows how many other trips in the 18 months I’ve owned it. It’s taken more than 10,486 photos … Continue reading Sunday night – old friends<\/span>