stories, photographs, adventures…the next chapter
Inspired by Frank at Dutch goes the Photo: Coast
A few years ago, we visited Cape Elizabeth, Maine for the first time. We were blessed with beautiful weather for our two night very relaxing stay.
Including a long afternoon walk…along its trademark rocky coastline.
Inspired by Frank at Dutch goes the Photo: Sunset
…please share your favorite sunset moments, whether they are at the beach, at the city or over the mountains.
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Since I love watching sunsets…and therefore taking photographs of sunsets, it was a bit of a challenge to decide which photo to use for this challenge.
So I settled on my most recent sunset experience. I took this photo in June when visiting friends at their summer cottage on Lake Champlain in Vermont. This is the view from their back porch…looking out across the lake…New York state in the distance.
I sure could get used to that view!
Inspired by Frank at Dutch goes the Photo: Back Catalogue
My challenge to you is to find an image in your back catalog that still grabs your attention and share it…if you want to re-interpret the image with what you have gained over the years, feel free to do so.
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There is just something about this bright yellow flowering bush that I am drawn to.
Is it because one flourished in the corner of the front yard where I grew up? Or, more specifically, where I lived when I was 4 to 11 years old. Where the vast majority of my happy moments were spent outdoors. That particular forsythia was actually situated in the next door neighbor’s yard…right on the lot line. I always thought it was ours.
Is it because the happiest of my childhood family photos were taken in front of it? On special days when I wore a dress-up dress with my stick straight hair fancied up and curled for the occasion. Which was usually Mother’s Day or Easter or my birthday. My grandparents were often there. Or dear family friends. Gathered around. Smiling.
Whatever the reason…
When I was all grown up, a homeowner and married with 2 children of my own, I mentioned how much I’d like to have a forsythia in the front corner of the front yard.
So on Mother’s Day 1990, I got one. And then another one for the other front corner a year later.
There were many places where happy family photos were taken while my children were growing up. Both indoors and outdoors.
But there was always something extra special about the front corner of the front yard and that bright yellow flowering forsythia…
For a brief few weeks every Spring.
Inspired by Frank at Dutch goes the Photo Challenge: Tourism
So share some of your favorite spots from among your travels and tell us a bit about why you enjoyed it!
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I decided to take a break from posting photos from my favorite destination in California, and go with a tourist spot more local for this challenge. Perhaps others have the same experience in that we take for granted what is practically in our backyard.
Although I don’t live in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, it is within driving distance from my home. Despite the eclectic restaurants and shops lining the streets, I tend to avoid it because of the parking hassles. And seemingly supersonic growth of hotels and high end condos.
What happened to what was once a quaint little city?
Tourism.
Vacationers travel from all over the world to visit Portsmouth – especially in the summer. And for good reason. It’s also the time of year when I may brave the crowds…and the parking challenges. To pull up my lawn chair at the Prescott Park Arts Festival. This festival began on a much smaller scale in 1974…and is still going strong. A beautiful spot of land right next to the harbor.
I keep an eye on the schedule when it comes out each June. If I’m lucky, I can sit under the stars and watch a favorite musician or two perform. Many attendees bring a picnic dinner. Since the stage is also used for the summer musical, you never know what decorative sets will serve as the backdrop for that evening’s concert.
Two memorable nights:
Remember Peter, Paul and Mary?
Peter Yarrow gave a magical performance one night in 2012 – charming everyone there when he invited children up on stage at the end of the concert.
One of my all time favorite Prescott Park concerts was in 2013.
Mary Chapin Carpenter and Marc Cohn shared the stage for another amazing night in the park.
Perhaps I’m a tourist after all.
Grateful for the opportunity right down the highway!
Inspired by Frank at Dutch goes the Photo: Groceries
If you need to buy groceries that are gluten free (GF) or, as my 3 year old grandson says, “Grandma Friendly,” there are more choices then ever before. Ten years ago, when I was first diagnosed with celiac disease, “Gluten Free” supermarket aisles didn’t exist. You either made your own version of bread/muffins/cake or ordered from a catalogue or online. Crackers, pasta and snacks were hard to find.
Gluten free used to be synonymous with cardboard – both texture and flavor-wise. Since manufacturers jumped on the GF bandwagon (for better or worse) in the last decade, the situation has improved. GF versions of staples such as bread, crackers and cereal almost taste like the gluten filled real thing. If you close your eyes…and have a short memory. Some are tastier than others.
Labeling accuracy is still sometimes iffy, but for the most part a bit of research is all that’s necessary before venturing down the grocery aisle.
Unless, of course, you want to skip some of the label reading and head to an outside aisle.
Also Grandma Friendly.
Inspired by Frank at Dutch Goes the Photo: Stone
An 1846 “Settlers’ House and Barn” is the site for this magnificent stone chimney.
The house – located on the grounds of the Shelburne Museum in Vermont – is “constructed of hand-hewn beech and pine timbers.”
An example of lasting craftsmanship…and the durability of stone.
Nearby…more stones…in a wall behind a flower garden. A mysterious massive stone with a hole in the middle was propped against it. I imagine it was designed for a purpose, but I could not find out what that purpose may have been. It was one of several on display.
Ideas anyone?
An interesting sight, nonetheless.
Inspired by Frank at Dutch goes the Photo: Fuzzy
Even though I have quite the collection of unintentional fuzzy photos, I decided to take some fuzzy-on-purpose photos for this challenge. (for years, my family would hold up a finger for me to focus on with my old Canon film camera…even so, results often were fuzzy. Oh well, many of those years are fuzzy in recollection anyway)
I digress…
A recent late afternoon walk around the block revealed these fuzzy flowers. The light cooperated, as it often does that time of day.
I have no idea what these flowers looked like pre-fuzz, but I enjoyed this brief stage in their plant life cycle…
Inspired by Frank at Dutch goes the Photo: Focus
Yesterday I went on a walk around a nearby neighborhood. Late afternoon when the light softens and begins filtering in from an angle. Some call it the “golden hour.” My favorite time of day to catch nature at its finest.
Trees lined the quiet streets, interrupted by flower gardens in varyious stages of late summer wilt. Very little breeze to interrupt my focusing attempts.
I took along my (relatively) new camera (thanks Frank, for the tips on venturing into the digital full frame mirrorless mode!) to have more fun with its macro lens. Good thing I don’t have to worry about wasting film.
My contributions for this challenge:
The first few leaves shifting to fall colors, even though it is still technically Summer.
Leaves that jumped past Autumn.
And some caught right in the middle.
(Canon EOS RP, 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM)
Inspired by Frank at Dutch goes the Photo: Prompt – Fall
Before we know it (here in the Northeast USA), the days will shorten, the air will cool…
And the leaves will fall again.
Inspired by Frank at Dutch goes the Photo. The prompt: City
My favorite vacation destination city is San Diego, California. The place for shopping at Horton Plaza and Seaport Village. Or checking out the museums at Balboa Park – including the Hall of Fame Sports Museum (now closed). The San Diego Zoo and Spreckels Organ performances. Sightseeing and getting a family photo taken dressed up in “old time” outfits in Old Town.
And of course theater! And delicious food and drink (one memorable dinner at China Camp is part of family lore).
Coronado is just over the bridge from San Diego …
It’s where I took this photo of the San Diego skyline…one sunny day in 2006.
Fun Fact: Traveling across the Coronado Bay Bridge is a unique experience. When we visited with our 2 kids, we rented a minivan. While driving from Coronado to San Diego and back again, I knick named it the “scary bridge.” I insisted we stay in the middle lane and avoided looking out the side window. Sitting up higher in a minivan means you don’t see the bridge side barriers.
As I recall, the kids thought it was quite exciting.
This is a video someone else posted of this scary drive.
one letter UP ~ diary 2.0 