Category: Photo a Week

Sunshine’s Macro Monday: Changing Seasons

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Sunshine’s Macro Monday #35

Photo a Week Challenge: Changing Seasons

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Here in the northeastern USA, the comforting signs of spring are still hard to come by. And, believe me, I am looking for them. Those vibrant splashes of yellows and purples as hibernating bulbs push signs of life up through the cold ground. Surrounded by trees and bushes newly dressed with greenery.

However…as I discovered this past weekend…if you look closely…Mother Nature is making her presence known..little by little.

budding out

 

A welcome – and hopeful – sight.

Airborne

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Nancy Merrill’s Photo a Week Challenge: Up In The Air

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO OF THINGS THAT ARE AIRBORNE OR UP IN THE AIR IN ANY WAY.

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These days “up in the air” could very easily apply to life in general. For me and most everyone else on the planet.

However…since I usually tend to take things quite literally, I am choosing “up in the air” to mean just that. Air travel. That’s about as up in the air as I ever get anyway. I can’t imagine hot air ballooning. Or tight rope walking. Or zip lining….

Between December 2019 and February 2020 I traveled by airplane three times to Washington DC. My seat always in row 14 – near the wing. I don’t know why, it just feels safer to sit near the middle of the plane. I will not, however, book a seat in row 13. No reason to tempt fate.

Whenever I fly, I am fascinated by the view from the window. If the weather cooperates and I can hold the camera (in this case my phone) steady, I document what passes by. Trying not to think too deeply about the fact that I am encased in a metal tube traveling at a very high speed – held up by the…um, air. Thousands of feet above good old terra firma.

A few up in the air moments…captured to distract myself.

On my way to DC.

in flight
On my way to DC
in flight 2
On my way to DC getting closer

And on my way home.

in flight 3
On my way home…taking off

It is, after all, beautiful country down there.

Did you bring me any strawberries?

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Inspired by Nancy Merrill’s Photo a Week Challenge: Red

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO THAT HAS RED AS EITHER THE MAIN OR AN ACCENT COLOR.

SixWordSaturday

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IMG_9090
Six quarts of delicious red strawberries

My Oma loved strawberries in any way shape or form.

Strawberries and whipped cream. Strawberry shortcake.

Strawberry pie. Strawberry muffins. Strawberry cheesecake.

Strawberries sprinkled with sugar – just enough to draw out some of the sweet juices.
Not too much. Not too little.

Honey, did you bring me any strawberries? she’d often ask when she lived nearby during her last years.  Not always easy when it was off season, but I tried.

She owned a set of small juice glasses featuring strawberries in the design. A few faded – but survived over time – and I was able to save one.

It always makes me smile.

strawberry glass

 

On Your Mark…

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…Get Set…

Young children know when to take action.

They just know…

Even if it’s just the spark of fun ignited by a soccer ball and the chance to race dad up and down a court at the neighborhood park.

charlie soccer 12-26-19 2 copy

They don’t wait for instruction at the age of 3 ½.

They don’t second guess themselves.

Rarely do they wonder what to do next.

Or hesitate to debate all the possibilities.

Or weigh every risk.

soccer dec 26 2019 copy

Rarely is there self doubt…

Only a response to pure instinct…

Before fulfilling a simple wish…in a simple game…for the exhilaration of out-of-breath, heart pumping movement.

One kick at a time.
One step at a time.
One jump at a time.
One giggle at a time…

…GO!

Shrieking with confidence.
Under a sunny sky.

soccer kick copy
We have much to learn from such joyful spontaneity.


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Doubly inspired…

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #78: action

…think about where action is needed in your life, or in the world in general. The word itself does not need to appear in your post, but the movement should be obvious.

A Photo a Week Challenge: At Play

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO (OR MORE) OF PLAYING.

Photo a Week: Christmas Memories

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Nancy Merrill’s A Photo a Week Challenge: Christmas Memories

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE ONE OR TWO OR MORE PHOTOS OF YOUR CHRISTMAS AND/OR HOLIDAY MEMORIES.

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Christmas memories fill up my photo albums. All the best ones involve my family…when our children lived at home and we celebrated together.

Choosing just a few was indeed difficult…

One of my favorite memories was the year my son was a fast moving – very curious – toddler. At the tender age of 13 months, he was able to dash from one end of the living room to the other, quicker than we could catch him.

The Christmas tree presented a special challenge that year…as he was fascinated by those shiny things hanging from the branches. As well as the colored lightbulbs strung on green wire. Which he could unscrew, shouting HOT! HOT!

Barricades were in order…until we removed them on Christmas morning.

christmas barricades
1988

Which presented the perfect opportunity for ornament inspection and removal…while daddy and big sister were opening their stockings and getting their pictures taken.

christmas 1988
1988

However, nine years later….he was the expert at hanging the ornaments up ON the tree.

decorating 1997
1997

One more special memory.

 

 

 

 

Photo a Week: Ice

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Inspired by Nancy Merrill’s Photo a Week Challenge: Ice

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE ONE OR TWO OR MORE PHOTOS FEATURING ICE.

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When you run a humidifier on a cold December night…ice on the window is what greets you the next morning when opening the shades.

window ice

Coincidentally…also inspired by: photo a day challenge: Frost

Stay warm everyone!

Photo a Week: Babies

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Inspired by Nancy Merrill’s A Photo a Week Challenge: Babies

Super cute, super funny, super whatever, human, animal, or whatever, we want to see your babies!
IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO (OR TWO OR THREE) THAT FEATURES BABIES.

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I don’t need much inspiring when it comes to baby pictures. And there’s no way I can limit this post to three photos. Be warned.

I have always believed that babies are the most fascinating subjects for photography. They are just…who they are. Their faces…their expressions…. Transparent. Open.

Happy. Sad. Tired. Bored. Sleepy. Curious….the list is endless.

Choosing just a few family photos for this challenge was…challenging! They were all taken with a Canon 35mm (film) camera – except for the last one which was with an iPhone.

When my kids were babies, I took a weekly photo during their first year. I think they got used to it…all I know is I got some interesting glimpses into their personalities.

For instance, my 10 month old son first thought it was hilarious…then not so sure……then I’m outta here.

My daughter loved getting her picture taken anytime, anywhere.

kris baloons

Although easily distracted by rug or blanket fibers.

Which soon became an afternoon snack…fine motor skills already well developed.

When my grandson was 10 months old, he enjoyed his first tour in a shopping cart up and down the toy aisle with Grampa and me.

shopping

He was clearly amazed at the experience.

 

 

Photo a Week: Brown

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Inspired by Nancy Merrill’s Photo a Week Challenge: Brown

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO (OR TWO OR THREE) THAT FEATURES THE COLOR BROWN.

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This is an appropriate time of year to feature the often overlooked, under-appreciated color of brown.

The shades that grace our leafless trees, dormant grass and muddy dirt roads.

brown on the ground

Photo a Week: Signs

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Nancy Merrill’s Photo a Week Challenge: Signs

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO (OR TWO OR THREE) THAT FEATURES SIGNS OF ANY KIND.

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Joan Baez and her band rocking it out in Newport – August 2, 2009


Surprise!
Happy Birthday!
We are going to the 50th Anniversary of the Newport Folk Festival!
Pete will be there! Arlo! Joan! Judy! Gillian! Guy!
…and a bunch of other people I haven’t heard of but you love them!!!

That was basically the presentation of my best-wife-ever birthday present to my folk singer husband, who is also a guitarist…a teacher…a songwriter.

He practically worships at the feet of – and knows the music and life stories of – many “old” & legendary folk singers. An opportunity to see some of his idols perform live…a once in a lifetime opportunity.

So off we went to the festival for both days – August 1 & 2, 2009 – located at picturesque Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island.

I am happy to report he was in folk singer heaven the entire weekend. I enjoyed myself as well, but also included strolls around the park taking photos as part of my experience.

 

 

My highlights?
Watching Joan Baez and Judy Collins on stage…just as professional and enthusiastic and at ease as their younger counterparts. If not more so.

Perhaps their voices had changed over the years, but their music was still transportive. Entertaining. Beautiful.

It made me smile and sing along.
A very good sign.

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Judy Collins at Newport August 2, 2009