I don’t have many memories of my early childhood, but one that stays with me is of a slide very much like this one in Las Vegas. It was, if I remember correctly, a fixture at the Sandpiper Preschool where I spent some time in the mid-70′s.

I understand that many people are unable to recall details of their childhood, and that others remember much of their formative years. The details of mine (except for this slide’s cousin) escape me, but I do have a general impression of safety, and comfort, and love. I really, really like this photo. It may end up in a frame somewhere.

There’s a playground at Roy Orbison park in Vernon, Texas (at which the Mayo family reunion is held every year) and, as all good playgrounds must, it has a swing set. In case you weren’t sure what time it is at the Park, the swings are prepared to tell you: It’s Game Time.

Are you tired of the Hipstamatic look yet? Good. Me, neither. I have another picture to share, but will do so tomorrow, or another day. I hope you can handle the suspense.

Without further ado, a picture taken at the sublime Houndstooth Coffee.

With a touch of sugar, the espresso made from the beans shown tastes of cherries and chocolate. It’s to die for.

(Seen in the men’s restroom at Donnell’s school.)

In the time it took me to conceive of my photo concept and walk outside to make it happen, Donnell came home.

Hurrah!

She’s really excited.

Anyway, here are some quick observations:

• It’s dense. Being used to the Kindle, I was expecting something a little lighter. That’s not to say that the iPad is heavy, but it’s certainly heavier than I thought it would be. It’s also very, very solid–a nicely-designed, minimalist piece of tech.

• The battery is amazing. With regular, semi-constant use I could easily see getting 20 hours of use on a single charge.

• Touch-typing is out of the question, but hunting and pecking can be very speedy with a place to set the iPad. For substantial amounts of typing, I’d consider a Bluetooth keyboard or the Apple keyboard dock essential.

• It’s fast. Applications start up with almost no delay at all. Scrolling and zooming of pictures and web pages is instantaneous. The hardware just sort of gets out of the way and lets you do whatever it is you’re doing.

• Reading e-books is easy. I haven’t spent a lot of time doing so on the iPad yet, but my experience so far leads me to believe that eyestrain isn’t a concern, and neither is legibility. The iPad might not have the incredible resolution of the iPhone 4, but text is very legible and the wide selection of fonts and text sizes available in iBooks ensures that I’ll be able to adjust if my eyes get tired and I simply…must…continue…reading.

• I’m still getting a feel for what apps I’ll use on a regular basis. I’ve resisted spending a ton of money on high-def versions of my iPhone games, but the truth is that scaled-up iPhone apps usually look like ass. Upgrading is more of an inevitability, I’m afraid.

I’ll post some app lists soon. Happy Independence Day!

Is There Anything Better?