Macro Monday: One of a kind moment

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BeckyB’s October Squares: Kind

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.

Fandango’s Friday Flashback: October 9

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Inspired by Fandango’s Friday Flashback: October 9

Wouldn’t you like to expose your newer readers to some of your earlier posts that they might never have seen? Or remind your long term followers of posts that they might not remember? Each Friday I will publish a post I wrote on this exact date in a previous year…How about you? Why don’t you reach back into your own archives and highlight a post that you wrote on this very date in a previous year?

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The following post was published October 9, 2018 – always pleased to revisit a V.J. challenge.
(even after 2 years this project remains a work in progress…more intense – in both the gathering and writing – than I anticipated)

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Gathering

This post is inspired by:

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #18: Gathering

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Turning my attention toward the positive this week…

I am gathering source material. I like the way that sounds…source material. For a very long story about “the house” — or rather, our home, of over 36 years. As I have written about in previous posts (Nest, Photos), my husband and I downsized and moved to a condo a couple of years ago. It was probably the most exhausting thing I have ever done (besides giving birth to two 9 lb+ babies, but that didn’t take as long).

I was more than ready to move. However, our adult children (who had moved out over a decade earlier) were clearly NOT ready for us to move. Especially our daughter. Our nest was their nest, empty (of them) or not. The reality of no childhood home to return to for their (infrequent) visits was jolting. Did they try to talk us out of it? Absolutely not. But their emotional ties were evident. “Coming down the stairs on Christmas morning” together…(every single year) would come to an end. The “remember whens” without the familiar backdrop of home…hard to imagine. Our new grandson would not be able to run around in his mama’s old backyard.

On the final day before the sale, I toured the empty house on facetime with my long distance 34 year old daughter.  We shared a last look at the rooms she grew up in…and some memories of each. Both of us in tears.

I then realized the enormity of this home’s real significance in our lives. But mostly in our kids’ lives. This surprised me since I never had any deep emotional ties to my childhood homes. None at all. I could not fully understand their attachment. How deep it is.

I am going to write about those 36 1/2 years. For them. For us. For me. A story…the house that became a home and what happened. I am very curious to see what evolves.

But first I need to begin gathering my materials (after shopping at my favorite office supply store):

  • Hanging file folders. One for each year – to sort & organize.
gathering files
  • Calendars for 37 years – chronicling all our activities. Each one a diary in itself.
calendars
  • Photographs. Lots.
gatheringphotos
  • Journals.
  • Letters – still gathering.
  • File boxes of house receipts and info that escaped shredding.

Once gathered, let the writing begin.

And…
I am so glad I saved all this stuff!

Lens-Artists Challenge: A Photo Walk

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Lens-Artists Challenge #117: A Photo Walk

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.

Another photo walk complete.

Macro Monday: Splash of Red

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BeckyB October Squares: Kind

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.

Unfortunately…the drought continues.

A Peaceful Kind of Skyline

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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.

Hopefully next summer it will be safe to return.

All Kinds of Gourds for sale

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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)
    • Take kindly to (something you like)

Also an entry for SixWordSaturday

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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!