Break!

Taking a small break for four days. Have a wonderful week and Happy Blogging my friends!

Bicycle Bicycle!

bicycle bicycle I want to ride my bicycle
 I took this photo in Osterville, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Osterville is a beautiful little town and so typical of small town USA. We enjoyed a craft show along with an antique car parade, a full turn out of town residents with a mix of tourists and antique car enthusiasts who enjoyed the procession.
Judy and I were once again exploring the shops and taking in all that the town had to offer when we came upon this fine old bike laying against a post outside a swanky boutique. When I say swanky I mean that the sale rack at 30% off is far more than I would like to pay! For example what is 30% off of $225 for a cotton blouse! Yikes!!!
One of the shops had scrimshaw and Sailor's Valentines! Google these if you are not sure of what they are! They are quite interesting! 
The bike reminded me of my youth and first bicycle. Quite different in color, it was dark green and I taught myself to ride. It was a First Communion present, that would have made me about six years old in those days. Funny thing is I bought myself a bike a couple of years ago with big fat tires thinking it would be great exercise, however I must say I am fearful of falling or being hit by a car. Maybe I could fill the basket with flowers and make it a garden prop in my yard. It would make hubby most happy to get it out of the shed! 
My minds eye envisions a thin little lady with a big straw hat, a white freshly pressed cotton sleeveless button down shirt, seersucker light blue petal pushers, waist banded and zippered front, navy blue keds laced with new white shoelaces, riding along side the canal on the bike pictured above! My visions are only visions, however, and the frail little lady envisioned, would not be me!!! 
Photo is being submitted to Kim Klassens's Texture Tuesday. I used her Sun Kissed Texture at 80%. 

Lilies, More Lilies And Then Some!

Main Entrance, SOOC

Hydrangea Garden, SOOC

Hydrangea, SOOC

Lily, SOOC

Lily, SOOC

Lily, SOOC

Lily, SOOC

Lily, SOOC

Dahlia,  SOOC

Stargazer Lily, SOOC 

 Children Enjoying The Waterfall

 Lily Pad Pond. Sometimes my camera just paints a picture!

Whimsical Gate Exhibit 

Whimsical Gate Exhibit 

Gorgeous Landscapes, SOOC

I can only hope you sense the joy I felt strolling through the Heritage Museum & Gardens on Cape Cod, in Sandwich, Massachusetts. It is amazing to me that one can grow up in an area and not know about such beauty just an hour away from where we use to live. Mutual friends Frank and Sue, led Judy to this discovery and explained that it was a nice take and that it was! The day was overcast and the conditions could have not been better for photographing. Believe it or not it was actually a little chilly! One hundred acres perfectly manicured and displays of grandeur no matter where one gazed. Comfortable shoes a must! The beauty is just intoxicating here and the bees plumped by all the sweet nectar. 

There was also an antique car exhibit with some of the finest specimens we have ever seen, along with a Norman Rockwell exhibit in the art museum! How much beauty can one possibly take in in one single day? I may have to go back! 

Very little editing on these photos except for some cropping, straight out of the camera (SOOC)! 

Too Much Knowledge Can Be Dangerous!

Grist Mill, Orleans, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Gorgeous Views

View From Second Level

Gordon, Retired Minister/Historian

Hopper

Gears 
I have been blessed with the gift of curiosity... or is it? Wasn't it curiosity that killed a cat? You may be wondering what any of this has to do with photos of a windmill??? 
After lunch, Judy and I wondered off to take pictures and the guys went off to investigate a fly-fishing shop! 
We were in Orleans, Cape Cod, MA, the elbow of the cape, enjoying scenic route 6A. 
We couldn't resist this gorgeous old structure and meandered inside where we met Gordon a kindly and knowledgeable old gent! He explained the history of the mill and invited us up the narrow steep stairs to view the second level! We did so proudly and promptly following right behind him!!! However, what goes up must come down! RIGHT???
My compromised lungs were screaming what the.... have you gotten us into now??? My breathing labored I managed to ask a few semi intelligent questions! Oxygen short circuiting my brain! Then I looked over at Judy whose fair skin tone was now beet red and I knew she had not been drinking. Well past menopause I knew something was very wrong! She was flashing all right and her concerns, turns out were the same as mine!!! How the heck were we getting down??? The guys would never guess where we were and it was too early to call out a search and rescue party. 
Old Gordon just kept on lecturing and was quite interesting. The stairwell however had no railing, was winding, steep and I was getting dizzy just thinking about it, a big black hole, so to speak! It was a Rapunzel kind of moment, only neither of us has long hair! So there we were two ding-bats in the belfry and no prince charming to save us! 
Judy being a person of sound mind and good common sense asked the fatal question..."Gordon, how do we get down from here???" That's easy he replied just hold right here. Well every man for himself, I held onto his shoulder and down we went, he would break my fall I thought, figuring I could turn halfway and help Judy down! But NOOOOOO, she wanted Gordon. Safely down on the first level I watched her gingerly take baby steps to safety. 
Well that was interesting we both agreed! Wondering if we have learned a lesson here, my guess would probably be no, since we both will stop at nothing to get a good shot! 
Once again I have to say that the Almighty put me in the correct century! Women would haul corn from their farms to be ground into cornmeal here and return several days later to haul it back! 
All I have to do is visit a local Dunkin Donuts and buy myself a corn muffin from my air conditioned car, purchase canned or frozen corn and sometimes I even have to shuck it from it's husk. History can really make one think, appreciate and be grateful for what we have today! 
Off on another adventure today, hopefully all on one level!

Sharing with:  http://romantichome.blogspot.com

A Hydrangea Kind of Day!

My Mom & niece Jenna

Let me in!!!

Showing proudly! 
While visiting my Mom last week I was very glad that I brought my camera for several reasons! It was a bit overcast perfect conditions for photographing and my beloved hydrangea are in full bloom! My sister's yard displays some of the most gorgeous purple hydrangea I have ever seen. She plants the Nikko Blues however her soil is very acidic and turns them various shades of purple! 
There are many myths that surround the hydrangea and I do believe this is because there are so many different varieties! It seems that anyone who grows them has different advice on pruning, fertilizing, propagating, etc. 
They are extremely popular here in the Northeast and some say that it is the salt air that makes them thrive. Almost every yard on Cape Cod, displays at least one bush of some variety. 
Couldn't resist taking Mom's photo along with my niece Jenna. They are both so beautiful and the lovely blooms a perfect compliment!


Sharing with: http://meriak.blogspot.com/

So Cape Codish!

Scouting for Quahogs 

Digging with a Quahog Rake

"The hard clam, also known as a quahog, round clam, or hard-shell clam, is an edible marine bivalve mollusk which is native to the eastern shores of North America, from Prince Edward Island to the Yucatán Peninsula." Wikipedia

When back in Massachusetts, probably the first thing we do after greeting our children is to visit one of our old time favorite seafood restaurants. 

Stuffed quahogs an absolute must on the menu! Especially love them if linguica, a Portuguese sausage is in the mix! The stuffing prepared and presented back in the shell before serving. Hubby enjoys quahog chowder, made with red potatoes and cream, a broth not to heavy! 

I captured the old gent above quahoging on the shore while dining at a near by restaurant. Deep in thought oblivious to our presence he was feeling with his feet where to dig. Skiff in tow along with wire baskets to hold his bounty. We were taken aback by his tenacity and relentless search, seeking out the abstruse mollusks.  
A lazy summer afternoon for us and a fruitful experience for him. I'll bet those stuffies and "chowda" will taste all the better knowing that he captured them himself! 

Early Evening Photoshoot!

A slight snarl...

or maybe a pout...

ahh, a pretty smile braces and all....

strolling sisters.....

looking for shells...
We took our grand-daughters to the beach last evening, a few props in tow! The extreme heat and humidity rendered the beach still very much inhabited, people just trying to cool down! It was a gorgeous evening, the waves perfectly sized, smells of salt air and a slight breeze to cool one off! Seagulls, scavenging the beach for the slightest morsel of food left behind.
The girls were happy for the most part and I love to capture them in their natural state of play, calling them back to focus every once in awhile. 
Above is 13 year old Hannah, who of course didn't like her hair etc., etc. 
She is such a doll my sweet Hannah Rose, her inner swan about to emerge! Her Princess Pout-Alot days, not over by a long-shot though, she is just so darn cute, pout and all! 

 

Waiting For Fireworks!

sun setting as captured in the windows...

anticipation...

and more anticipation...

and the sky turned red...

and the sky turned pink...

and the sky turned yellow... 
Sitting in my brother's backyard last evening we were eagerly awaiting fireworks. The wind had picked up, our thinned Florida blood made for a very chilly evening. Well, we waited and waited and no fireworks!!! We learned later that they were postponed until 10PM. 
My 88 year old mother was with us, the wait and anticipation was more than she could bare. 
We brought mom home safe and sound. Well safe anyway, she is such a character, but that's a blog for another time! 
When we arrived at my daughter's home we could finally hear the fireworks off in the distance, about 10:30PM. 
No pictures of the grand display, however the sky kept us entertained, it seemed to change intensity every few minutes. It was fun to watch people engaging, children running amuck, screaming and happy! 
It is New England after all folks and one never knows how Mother Nature will behave. Last evening, she saw fit to test our patience, however graced us with a beautiful sunset and marmalade skys! 
Happy 4th America!

Picasso Petunia!

How very lovely is this flower? A small work of art designed by Mother Nature, herself. In the grand scheme of things maybe just an insignificant little blossom, peculiar though, it captured my attention! Blooming comfortably on my daughter's deck this little darling begged me to capture her essence. The grandchildren and I hung hummingbird feeders, which these lovelies also attract. Picasso Petunia's, require very little care and nature has painted them with hot pink centers, framed by lime green frilled edges.
Ah, to just sit, relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature, after ride from hell. Fifteen hundred miles from Fort Myers, Florida to Massachusetts, holiday traffic a nightmare. We traveled route 81, hoping to avoid traffic and so did everyone else. I must confess that I turn into a five year old when cooped in a car, far to long and that I did. I need a bathroom and ice cream every half hour and my feet land up on the dashboard. "Not a pretty sight", I must say. I am sure this vision has rattled the cages of a few truckers. The hubster has the patience of a saint and I, that of a spoiled brat. 
I console myself with the fact that the Almighty, really did put me in the correct century, though. Can you only imagine this journey in a covered wagon, looking straight up from the base of a mountain, having to find a different route!!! Oops!!! 
Where is that, Flint McCullough, when you need him?  
Like my little petunia friend, I am firmly planted and glad to be home and so our summer begins......! 

I told you it wasn't a pretty sight! Only a half hour to our final destination from here, a sight for sore eyes! Can't get any closer, in dire need of a pedicure! 
Yes indeed a spoiled brat am I!!!!!!!! 
Enjoy your Holiday!

Recycled Fan Blades!

Ruby Mermaid 
Don't throw away those old fan blades just yet! I have had them in our shed for some time now just waiting to resurrect them in some sort of creative way! 
Hubby has been asking me to make him a mermaid since he retired five years ago, thus he got to name her! 
Somehow Ruby Mermaid, seemed to fit her personality! 
I used leftover house paints along with tongue depressors for her arms along with wooden coffee stirrers for her hair and a few popsicle sticks for aded width and texture!  Shells for her bra and old jewels for added embellishment. Wooden lattice for her tail. Starfish provided and handmade by the sea! 
A few coats of sealer and she is now waterproofed as any mermaid should be! 
Amazing what you can do with a few throw away objects and a little glue! 
She resides quite proudly on the side of our shed door!