Now that Autumn is in full swing, pink and yellow don’t bloom from nearby neighborhood gardens anymore. However, during one of my many walks this summer, I thoroughly enjoyed the sight of these pink and yellow flowers.
Their name escapes me (or was never there to begin with…).
So I’ll just call these the Fun Flowers of the Day. 🙂 Unless someone can fill me in.
Happy Thursday everyone! Hang in there. Here’s hoping that the next time these flowers are in bloom, life will be back to the “normal” we used to know.
As a macro photographer, I drop everything for a moment like this. When a brief but gentle rain has just ended. The sun is trying to peek through clouds. Leaves have started drifting down from nearby trees already starting to change color.
Nature sparkles outside my window.
Out the back door and down the stairs I go.
Although partially hidden from view, I catch a glimpse of red as I (almost) walk by an evergreen tree. I bend in between the branches, careful not to dislodge my discovery…a perfectly balanced leaf.
The sun plays hide and seek as I wait and focus…repeatedly clicking the shutter until the millisecond moment when light, color and shadow…hopefully…merge.
Once in a while – with a bit of luck and cooperation from Mother Nature (who is, after all, the one really in charge here) – I am rewarded with my favorite kind of photograph.
You are invited to share your photo walk, whether park, beach or street.
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Every walk I take usually ends up as a “photo walk,” transforming most walks into their own photo diaries. I often head towards the beautifully landscaped neighborhood next to mine. It consists of single homes which are part of a condo development. A pond, located in one curve of the road, supplies water for potential firefighting purposes (I think).
Photo opportunities have been plentiful along this street, but not just for the flowers. It has also been the home of various wildlife – both winged and webbed.
Back in May I attempted to photograph a duck family making its way across the pond. Little did I know that by September the water level would be reduced to a fraction of what it once was. A drought has hit the northeast United States (in this case New Hampshire) and sights like this are becoming more and more common.
As we all know…what a difference a few months can make.
May 25, 2020
September 27, 2020
No more ducks, fish, turtles or frogs when I pass by. I wonder, where did they go? 😦
Not all wildlife is gone however. A family of deer (looks like a family to me) and I meet at a bend in the road every so often. In August, I was mesmerized as – after the first one stared at me for about 30 seconds – they crossed one by one to the woods on the other side, bringing to mind the age old question…
Why did the deer cross the road?
I must clarify…they actually sauntered across the road, not seemingly in any big hurry. I’d like to think they’d seen me before and figured a human with camera in hand was a safe bet. They hung out in their destination spot for a few minutes…too hidden from view for another photo.
This bright autumn display greeted me during a walk last week. Fortunately I took the picture when I did, as the leaves had totally fallen within days of this photo.
We are in the middle of a severe drought here in the northeast USA and nobody complains when dark clouds appear in the sky.
Mother Nature was kind enough to grace us with a brief period of rain one morning last week. The leaves are falling faster than usual and one landed on the back stairs in time for a photo. The wind picked up and within minutes it was gone.
BeckyB October Squares: Kind One Word Sunday: Skyline
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Lake Champlain – June, 2019
Thanks to the kindness of dear “old” friends, I enjoyed this view across Lake Champlain last year. I was treated to a peek at the Adirondack Mountains of New York while waiting for a sunset one evening…during a relaxing weekend visit at their summer home in Vermont.
I am just a few days late getting started with BeckyB’s October Squares Challenge. I figure it’s better to be kinda late than never. The theme this month is Kind…
Something of the kind (similar to something or even a carbon copy)
Our imagination kindled (inspire us!)
Of its kind (a unique object or an example of something such as a flower or bird)
Two of a Kind (or one, or three or multiple!)
Kindred spirits (kindness in action or photographs of people)
I recently discovered a display of gourds (which I used to call baby gourds) piled in a bin at a local farm stand. Ready for fall decorating for those who are so inspired!
This week, I challenge you to open one of those boxes, or drawers, and write about what you discover. Have fun. Be creative.
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It just so happens that it was not too long ago when I was surrounded by…boxes. When we had to empty our 2 small storage units in the condo garage. Because of mold issues, blah, blah, blah which I have written about before (and hopefully gotten out of my system since it is as “fixed” as it’s ever going to be).
However, in the process of putting everything back, my husband and I made a list of what was in Every Box and Where Every Box was located – in each storage unit and on which shelf. Of course I had to at least peek inside each box/tub/container – some unopened since 2016 when we moved from our house. The lids still taped shut and some with labels. My kids might wish that while we were at it, we could have Thrown Out some of these treasures, but…sorry…not ready yet.
Out of curiosity I rescued one small box of “Miscellaneous” and brought it up to the condo. Inside I discovered a random collection of what one might put in a junk drawer. What the?…
My husband remembered where it came from…
H: This is what was in the drawer in our old hutch!
Me: The hutch we donated to Habitat Restore since nobody in the family (or otherwise) wanted old dark cherry furniture?
H: Yup! Remember?
The hutch that nobody wanted
Ahh…then it came back to me. The fancy miscellaneous junk drawer. Where you shove things in to possibly use when “company comes” or when you drag out the “good dishes” for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Or because there’s no other place to put it when sorting comes to an end.
Top of the pile would be the place cards my daughter carefully made out of index cards. Those make sense and belonged there. A sweet memento of times gone by.
But 10 (ten) shot glasses? If this box had been unearthed in a time capsule of sorts 100 years from now, it would not have given an accurate depiction of who we were. Nope – not a sit around the dark cherry dining room table from my childhood throwing back shots type of family. Although, I will admit, the subject never came up. Careful measuring for an occasional gin and tonic or…well, that’s about it. For some reason, though, shot glasses were the perfect souvenir. For years we’ve had a couple in use to hold our daily vitamin supplements. “Everyday” shot glasses placed next to the salt, pepper and napkin holder sometimes prompted odd looks from visitors, especially our kids’ friends.
Yogi Bear? Well you can’t go wrong with Y.B. and the key chain holds an impressive collection of wine glass tags. Just in case a dozen or so wine drinkers showed up. The owl toothpick holder was my mother-in-law’s, who collected all things owl. Those vintage toothpicks were probably hers too. More sweet mementos.
The never used carving set was a Wedding Present Put Away For Special Occasions. I regret the never used part. Why wait?
Tam Tam papers? Um. No idea.
So there you have it – a story of the Miscellaneous Forgotten About Box and what I discovered inside. Frankly it was a very welcome diversion from another kind of box – which my father referred to as the “idiot box,” an unkind slang used back in the era of 3 channels. Yes, that flat screen was once a box and at one time it even had ears – so to speak.
When you turn on today’s box, it is rarely a welcome diversion of any kind during prime time. Case in point: Tuesday night’s so-called “debate.” Where I could have put a few of those shot glasses to use…if I had lasted longer and was a drinker. What could have been!
So, thank you V.J. for this week’s challenge. It was a pleasure.
one letter UP ~ diary 2.0 