THREW Mikes EyEz

Original Writings, Images, Video and Artworks of Mike Hartley

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Yeah, it’s a good day. Almost any day I’m feeling healthy is good. That sun was deceiving today with some unusually cool temps and very windy. Then again I’m not in upstate New York by the lakes on this day. But as I looked at that I wondered and thought to myself I need to be better prepared for weather extremes.

Tracks by the Woodstock Inn. Photo by Mike Hartley

My parents were from upstate New York so I’m very familiar with the area of Lake Ontario. Visited Sandy Creek, Pulaski, and Syracuse many times in my youth. It does get cold and snowy. Pictures of my parents when they were young show multiple feet of snow.

So I need to get busy getting some wood split. The generator needs to be readied and the grill by the back slider in case I need to cook under the cover of the deck. Well, those are chores for tomorrow, just too cold and windy today.


I was sorting through some old prints yesterday and came across one that was the sun just peeking through a horizon with some palm tree tops. For a second I paused and as usual, the moment came back to me that I took it, the location, the temp and warm breeze blowing, that it was morning and not sunset, who was there, and what we were going to do. None of the other pictures around it indicated anything about it.

I was from a fishing trip in Florida, it was early morning and we were saddling up before sunrise to hit the docks from our hotel. That is a repeated joy I get from photography. Memories of moments, a gazillion of them. Many times they take me back to that moment.

A reminder of the cold chill visits me like the shot above on a very cold morning trying to catch a shot of the train that just passed on one of the tracks that don’t have any snow on it.

Capturing moments in life. It’s a great exercise.


It was nice seeing the Terps men’s hoop team get a victory over a decent opponent yesterday and again today. Let’s hope they can keep the great start rolling. I’m sorry, I can’t help myself, I love college hoops.

Best state flag in the country. Photo by Mike Hartley

Random Thoughts of the Day

  • Unfortunately, sometimes smiles can be deceiving. Both in the ones you give and the ones you receive.
  • I’m trying to think of ideas on how to use or create with all the plastics we seem to send to landfills. Very small percentages are recycled I’ve been led to believe.
  • I feel inspired to write tonight. But I have to work. So I’ll write the nightly report instead.
  • Lots of things are very apparent in life. They are just very hard to recognize and accept sometimes. And our minds hold out hope when none should be there.

Author: Mike Hartley

With a lifetime and a half in the Newspaper industry I'm preparing for my retirement career as an Artist, Writer, Photographer and Video content provider. I'm a proud father of two wonderful children and I'm still married to the first girl I fell in love with and probably only one that would have me.

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