Lens-Artists Challenge #189 – Odds and Ends

“I have a mind like a magpie’s, easily distracted by interesting odds and ends.“
Elizabeth Peters

I don’t know about you, but there are images in my archives that will never fit into a challenge category. They don’t tie together in any cohesive way, but they keep calling to be included. This week, let’s embrace their differences and focus on our “Odds and Ends”. My opening capture actually includes two such images. On the left – we don’t often see a person with a unicorn head, and on the right, a glass-enclosed mermaid with a kneeling half man-half stag. It doesn’t get much odder than that!

headlights, light, city, — On The Road Again

The Federal Department of Odds and Ends: sweepus underum carpetae
Shaun Tan

OK, you’re thinking “well, the image above would have worked well for Sofia’s Low Light challenge” and you’d be SO right. But I forgot about it and the chance of another low light challenge happening any time soon is very slim, so I decided to include it as an odds-and-ends image just because!

“We are always curious, always inquisitive, always picking up odds and ends for our patchwork minds, since there is no knowing when and where they may fit into some corner.”
Charles Dickens

Truth be told, it was the image above that got me thinking about an odds-and-ends challenge. For some reason I’ve always liked it, but it never seems to fit any of our challenges. So if you want someone or something to blame this week, there you have it!

license plate, alaska — A Long Way From Home

“In a barrel of odds and ends it is different; things get mixed up, and the juice kind of swaps around, and the things go better.”
Mark Twain

So really, who thinks about taking a photograph of a license plate? Well clearly, I do! I’m not sure I’d ever seen an Alaska plate but to find one in South Carolina just seemed to me worthy of note. Plus, the bear, in its own frightening way, seemed kind of cute!

“Brunch Menu. Translation? ‘Old, nasty odds and ends, and 12 dollars for two eggs with a free Bloody Mary.”
Anthony Bourdain

Bocce on the beach is quite popular here on Kiawah. In the image above,I liked the way the balls were aligned as well as their pretty leather covers. I suppose I could have used this one for a “round” challenge but there never seemed to be one!

Life turns out to be more like the patchwork cloths-bits and pieces, odds and ends-people, places, things we never expected.”
Alan Brennert

If anyone has any idea why a building would have this many stovepipes on its roof, feel free to let me know. We came across it while visiting Scotland and IMHO it just called out to be captured. I cannot imagine a challenge that might call for its inclusion.

“It is curious to look back over life, over all the varying incidents and scenes – such a multitude of odds and ends.”
Agatha Christie

So, as Agatha Christie has said, such a multitude of odds and ends indeed – including the fierce dragon above that topped an ancient stone wall in China. We look forward to seeing which odds and ends make their way into your responses this week. Be sure to link them to my original post, and to use the Lens-Artists Tag to help us find you. Sincere thanks to Karina, last week’s Special Places Guest Host. We very much enjoyed your responses and learned about some new special places – further expanding our travel wish-list 😊. Patti will lead us next week on her Pilotfish blog. In the meanwhile, please stay safe and be kind.

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