it's a new day.

so, here we are with a new place to share some images and thoughts and opinions and experiences, yada yada yada, with a fresh start. already have facebook, already have fotki, already have flickr, already have another blog. but none of those seem to be what i'm wanting to do with this particular blog. facebook allows too much "people".........in both directions........i don't want to be THAT person that has to post "something" every 30 minutes with links, pictures, updates, "where i am and what i'm doing"........nor do i want to read what others are doing all the time. and my "other" blog.......*lol* well, let's just say i don't want to focus so much on the things i was blogging about back then, and it's too late to hit the "reset" button and begin anew.

so, easier to just create a new one.

i want to mainly use this space to share photos from all the MANY pics i've been taking lately with the new gear. it's mainly been a lot of wildlife stuff.........flowers, birds, animals, etc. and of course empress zwele. i realise many folk on facebook don't really care about such things, and so i won't "bore" them with such images too much from here on out. i'll instead "bore" folk over here if they're so inclined to keep up. *lol*

it won't be all posting of pics here, as i also want to use it to speak on whatever it is that's on my mind at the time. whether that will be personal stuff, or political stuff, or world events stuff, or sports stuff, etc, will be left up to my own whims. i'd like to keep it open and honest, where i won't regret anything shared here. perhaps i need ANOTHER blog just for private use (non-public) for "personal relationship" talk/banter as well? *lol* who knows...........

as for now, i'll try to keep it light, and perhaps pic-heavy.

sooooo, what's the update on the current life? well, most importantly, i've been looking for a home (purchase) for several months now. it's been challenging in trying to find a place where i love the location, but not paying an arm and a leg. the housing market may be in the crapper for the majority of the country, but here in houston prices are still high to me. i'm either getting a town home "in the city" or will have to consider a conventional home further away. and town homes are very expensive if u're wanting something nice.......3 bedrooms, 2+ baths, 2000 sq ft, and no older than 2005. the pickins' are few on my budget. so, if i can't find something soon, then "plan B" comes into play, where i get a conventional home outside the loop (610), and would likely consider building a new place. the HAR site has been great for looking at potential homes, u can set it up where u receive daily email updates of new listings according to your criteria of what u want in a home (price, bedrooms, locations, etc).

work is work, though we have had a new lab director hired to replace our outgoing director. i still enjoy what i do very much, and grateful for my job in this economy. with my educational background, i will always always have my regrets of "what might have been", but have long realised that ship sailed a long time ago, and life goes on.

relationship? *lol* it's been 2 years since "charlotte and tai" ended, still even today arranging life in response to that huge climactic change. didn't imagine i would be purchasing a home "alone", though i know it's a common thing today anyway. kinda weird b/c when viewing potential places, i can't help but think about how much "more" house could be bought on "two incomes"..........*lol* but seeing as how i don't imagine myself involved with anyone "new" to the point where i would want to "co-habitate" with them, a "single-income" purchase it will be! *lol* just means likely it will be a home where i won't be for the long haul, likely 5 years is all. more importantly though, it also means probably no more kids for me, which is somewhat disappointing b/c i did always think i'd have one or two more kids at some point in time. i'm thankful that i do have the one dawta, who will actually be turning 20 in less than a week. in some ways it seems like it's been more than 20 years since she was born, whereas a lot of people often times say the opposite........so MUCH has happened in those 20 years. but enough about that stuff.........there will plenty of future posts to talk 'pon this subject.

zwele! *lol* she has been my rock these past 2 years, and i don't think i could say enough about what she has meant to me. as will be seen on this blog, she is often the subject of my muses. i wish i would have had some puppies from her and mystic, but it just never happened. my boy is really up there in age, and is health isn't the best. i know he's in good hands with charlotte, but leaving him behind will be one of those events i will hate the most with our parting of ways. zwele though has been remarkable as she has matured into quite the "lady". *lol* she's still a mess, will get into things at times, hates all cats and squirrels, and sheds like the devil parts of the year. but i could never ever want a better best friend in a hound after saying goodbye to mystic. so u'll forgive me if there ever seems to be "too many" photos of her on this blog. *lol*

anyway, this is a start, with a few recent photos of what i've taken in the last couple of weeks.

many many more to come.