Before I get ramped up for this week in my adventure series, I wanted to share a subject unrelated to the photo. How unlike me!

So, as I have mentioned in the past, for those of you who follow along this meandering path, we have a very energetic 3-year-old Labradoodle who needs to be ambitiously exercised regularly (chasing tennis balls would be of paramount importance) or she becomes a Monster from the Black Lagoon! Getting her YaYas out, is what we call it! We are very fortunate to have some large open space to exercise Leica, much of which is covered with meadow grasses and low bushes, prime, unfortunately, tick-haunting grounds.

Although Leica is protected from tick bites, we are not! Which, in some ways, seems a bit ridiculous. If pets, why not humans? Anyway, we are careful, and do keep an eye out for the creepy creatures, however, every now and then one finds its way under our clothing. Sorry to say, such was the case for yours truly. But once discovered, we pried that damned critter off my belly, requiring just short of vice grips, followed by a cycle of medication to hopefully head off collateral damage.

Now here’s where the story gets interesting ... we performed this extraction under radio silence. We did share a few prime expletives during the procedure but only in the privacy of our bathroom.

The very next day, while responding to an inquiry on Facebook, an ad showed up for special tweezers that can be used for tick removal. Call it “AI” or “PS” (personal stupidity), but how the heck did the internet know that we had just, less than 12 hours earlier, removed a tick? This is a little spooky. Is it possible that the technology is capable of listening everywhere? Weird. Fair warning I guess. Be careful out there!

Now on to a more pleasant subject. Title reference: “White fence with red tulips.” Just a real nice scene – nothing enormously significant. Not a National Geographic award-winning composition. Not that I seek such recognition! Just a pleasant, enjoyable (for me at least) look at a sort of idyllic patch along a property edge.     

I was turning around after my weekly visit to Bristol Marine Shipyard, doing yet another in my series of unrelated investigations, when the flowered fencing popped into view. I had seen it before during visits with friends along that stretch of street. Actually, this fence and these tulips may have been there during a wedding I photographed years ago, but I was preoccupied with other subjects of beauty at the time. Plantings are popping up with more regularity now as the daylight extends and temperatures warm. Maybe “AI” will be inclined to share such creations? Couldn’t prove it by me!