I spent a lovely evening a few days ago at the local estate garden practicing mirror photography. Business as usual, of course.

This picture might look peaceful, but it wasn’t. You know the feeling: The Roman legions are laying siege to Carthage. You are Carthage and the mosquitoes are Rome.
What do they even eat when they don’t have people to devour?
It was still a nice evening at the rose gardens if you skip the part that I left essential camera equipment at home that rendered the shoot impossible until I drove back home to pick it up; I also got a call from Matt that our second car wouldn’t start while he was sitting in it, trying to take Katherine to ballet class; also, I didn’t know it at the time of this photo, but I had been so flustered I left the car door open in the parking lot.

Which all led to the above image which may just be my favorite photo of all time.

It was still a nice evening. The estate garden, Yaddo, is currently filled with roses- the air was light with the scent. As I arrived later due to my unplanned detour home, there were less people to compete with for a clear shot.

If I had more time, and if the mosquitoes hadn’t unleashed the furry of Sheol on me, I would have liked to have stayed longer reading Wordsworth or Keats, while lingering under the rose archway.