Y is for... Y.M.C.A.

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Last winter, my nephew had a school production titled "On the Radio" where they worked through several decades worth of songs. When they did the 1970s, they included the Village People song Y.M.C.A. Of course, the students made everyone get up and dance with them.

My camera was still really new to me, so I was experimenting a lot with shooting in the gymnasium's available light. I wasn't so pleased with the individual shots I got, so I made this collage. My nephew is the dark-haired boy on the left in all the shots.

The song evokes a distinct memory for me. I clearly remember the Father's Day when my cousins gave my grandfather the 45 version of this song. As we played it on the living room record player, my cousins and uncle thought it was hilarious, but my grandfather didn't seem to get it. I think the 45 wound up in the 45 collection that my sister and I kept (and I still have).

Why did they give him a copy of the song? My grandfather, Noel Hughes, made his career with the YMCA, working for the Y in Evanston, Ill. In fact, the YMCA was the very reason he moved to the United States, as he came to study at George Williams College, which was run by the YMCA.

My great-grandfather, George W. W. B. Hughes, also had his career with the YMCA in New Zealand and Australia, rising to the position of general secretary, and earning recognition for his work with soldiers during World War I.

Oh, I didn't participate in ABC Wednesday last week, so I'm posting my X entry below. It's a literal take on "X", showing the cross supports of a foot bridge in Naperville, IL.

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I'm participating in ABC Wednesday today with the letter Y.
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Red toy scarves are good nibbles

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Here are Loki (left) and Thor showing off their new toys they received as gifts. Loki's toy is a Santa bear, while Thor's is a moose. The bigger their stuffed toys, the more they like them. And when there are little accessories to chew on, like the red scarves the toys are wearing, all the better.

Unfortunately, besides the accessories on the toys, this photo is a little skimpy on red to be a really good Ruby Tuesday post. But I choose it for other reasons, too -- mainly because it was taken only two weeks ago and it shows both dogs together.

And both dogs are on my mind today for good and bad reasons.

The good reason is it's Thor's birthday. He's 5 years old. Happy Birthday little dude. Let's celebrate many more.

The bad reason is that Loki has a lump over her left eye that she will probably have to have surgically removed on Monday. The lump has me very concerned, but I'll post more about that on my journal blog soon, since it's outside the scope of this photo blog.

Oh, in case you're wondering, it's been two weeks and the stuffed bear and moose are still very much intact. There has been no disemboweling or de-accessorizing yet. Yet.

I'm participating in Ruby Tuesday today.
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Curious Cardinal

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I saw this cardinal while walking in a local park earlier this month. He was high up in a tree and acting really shy. I had to put on my bigger lens to get this close a view. This was the best angle on him that I could get. Most of the others show his lovely backside. He really was being shy and difficult.

I'm participating in Ruby Tuesday today.
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Which way should we walk?

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I'm posting this several days late because I hate the idea of missing a day in the ABC Wednesday challenge. Here's my W entry that should have been posted last week.

I took this while on vacation last year in Australia. We were at the Otway Fly Tree Top walk in Victoria. This if from the top of the tower -- 47 meters up -- looking straight down on the rainforest and catwalks. To give you some idea of scale, the people walking on the catwalks are probably about 25 meters above the rainforest floor. The plants on the rainforest floor are tree ferns.

We did this as a day trip from Melbourne. It was a long day, but well worth it, especially as we took the Great Ocean Road home.

P.S. To answer my own question about which way to walk: Can't go right, that's the way in. We could go left, but that will lead us to a  dead end. The middle is the way out.

I'm participating in ABC Wednesday today with the letter W.
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