A Peaceful Place!

those Bette Davis Eyes....do grasshoppers have teeth?

so mellow so yellow.......

pretty flowers for sale.....

fresh veggies for sale....

                                                                                                 two chicks hitching a ride, cabbie fueling up.....

heading for the barn.....
Stopping for sweet corn at our favorite New England farm stand I was very glad to have had my little point and shoot camera! 
Before I entered the barn I encountered a grasshopper dining on some scrumptious sunflowers, out came the point and shoot. The corn would just have to wait, I thought. 
Look at those lovely fresh flowers sitting on a window shelf, snap, snap, snap! 
A healthy combination of vegetables all washed and ready for sale, how delightful! 
 I then meandered over to the barn and caught Jack the donkey dining with a couple of anxious and curious chickens, wanting to hitch a ride. 
Is it my imagination or does Jack look a little prego ??? 
Finally farmer Manley, leading his horse to shelter for the evening! 
Life is simple here, but I can't even imagine how hard the Manley's work to keep this beautiful place so orderly and impeccably cared for. 
Oh yes the corn, luckily hubby was with me and picked some delectable specimens, he paid for them using the honor box, no cashier! 
Such a peaceful place, my camera has taught me to appreciate the finer things in life, the very things that sustain us yet go unnoticed unless we take the time to look! 

I used several of Kim Klassen's textures at various percentages. 

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Old Cape Cod!

Estuary

"An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea."~google search~ 

This photo is part of the Red Boat Chronicle series, I added Kim Klassen's dream-it texture at 100% first layer, at 47% on the duplicate layer both on soft light. I then created a mask and erased some texture from the trees. 
Sharing with: Kim Klassen @ http://www.kimklassencafe.com/thecafe/tag/texture-tuesday

Just a little song below for you to hum today! Remember this one?
Old Cape Cod, Patti Page
If you're fond of sand dunes and salty air
Quaint little villages here and there
You're sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod
Cape Cod, that old Cape Cod

If you like the taste of a lobster stew
Served by a window with an ocean view
You're sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod

Winding roads that seem to beckon you
Miles of green beneath a sky of blue
Church bells chimin' on a Sunday morn
Remind you of the town where you were born

If you spend an evening you'll want to stay
Watching the moonlight on Cape Cod Bay
You're sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod 
Such beautiful memories! Enjoy!

The Red Boat Chronicle!

first light...morning swim, 5:50AM

sunrise...6:00AM

morning light...burning off the fog

morning light...reflections 

afternoon light...2:30PM

afternoon light...outgoing tide

afternoon light...relaxing with a bamboo fishing rod...maybe a bit eccentric?

evening light sunset...6:49PM

evening light...a pink sky reflecting... 
Last fall we took a leisurely ride down to Cape Cod, MA, checking out a cottage rental for this summer. Route 28 is a long and winding road with many distractions, some of interest, and a great deal of traffic! 

Crossing a small bridge into Harwich, I caught a glimpse of some amazing and spectacular red boats. "What a gorgeous picture," I thought out-loud. Hubby said, "we'll catch them on the way back, there's too much traffic right now."
  

The capture never happened, last fall as we exited the Cape from a different direction! I mentioned the red boats to my friend Judy at the beginning of our summer rental and she knew exactly the spot, mentioning that she wanted to photograph them as well. A few more weeks passed and still no red boat photos! 

Attending an art show in Hyannis we came across a photographer who displayed a photo of our red boats, still a vivid memory. "Wow Judy, we have to get over there and get some pictures soon," I said. Later we learned that the boats are one of the most photographed scenes on the Cape. 

Several more weeks somehow escaped us! Making it a priority, last Thursday was designated, Red Boat Day, it was going to happen! We will get up before sunrise and make the half hour journey to Harwich to photograph before first light, was the plan. Un-showered, uniformed in sweat pants, sleepy eyed, yawning, along with bed hair we made the jaunt.

What a spectacular morning it was! The serenity deafening, mirror like would be the perfect description of the saltwater estuary. A slight mist covered the marsh, the air clean and fresh with the hint of a warm day yet to follow. I was in photography heaven with a couple of my favorite people who share my photo addiction. Dueling shutter buttons were the only sound that resonated other than an occasional bird whisking by.

Later that afternoon returning from an event, we noticed that one of the boats was occupied. Burly and heavily tattooed sat a sixty-fiveish long-gray haired man holding a bamboo fishing rod sitting under a grass umbrella. I’m guessing that he is a Vietnam Veteran, hence the name Hero on the side of the boat. Just a hunch!

Pleased with our new discovery and captures we decided to return at sunset, making it a Grand Slam Red Boat Day and so we did!  Over two hundred photos later I’m not even sure I picked the best ones. I wish to frame a couple and that I will do as a friendly reminder to never, ever pass up a great shot. 
Some are very much worth waiting for! 

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Holy Macro!

cone flowers....
I purchased a Raynox Macro Lens awhile back after viewing a post from Gail at Louisiana Belle. Everything she says about this lens is 100% correct. Her photos are amazing!
It is an unusual little gizmo and I need a great deal more practice but I was somewhat pleased with the results above. Really what it boils down to is that it is like a magnifying glass that snaps onto your lens! Very different than anything else I have ever used! Very reasonable in price as well! 
With more practice I hope to explore more in the world of macro! 
I used Kim's dream-it texture at 59%.
Shared with Kim Klassen.

My Little Point & Shoot!

so very Regal...

innards of a Dahlia...

in love with the colors...

so soft and pretty...

just love the contrast and color...
Recently I purchased a small point and shoot camera, for all those times I wished I had my camera with me. Not much bigger than my cellphone it fits nicely in my purse. Sixteen mega pixels and a steady hand rendered me a few great shots. 
Carrying my big Canon around still my favorite way to go but I'm starting to fall in love with my little Nikon! Enjoy!

Day 4! New York, New York!

Photo taken from top of Empire State building...Statue of Liberty in background...very warm and hazy...

our ride through Central Park....

grand-daughters enjoying Central Park...

and we fead the ducks...

relaxing ride and sights...

 there was beauty everywhere...

lucky little squirrel enjoying a shelled peanut...

train ride home... I think the girls have officially had it!!!

Our last day in New York City and two more events on our wish list! Darn it Gumby, we paid for the tickets and we were going to use them, even if it killed us! Central park is free admittance, our City Pass had two unused events and we chose the Empire State Building! Not the best choice as it was extremely crowed, but we enjoyed it all the same. The park was so beautiful and I could have spent a great deal more time here but we only had several hours then dinner and train ride home! Sophie nodded off during the buggy ride, I poked her and suggested that she enjoy the ride, gosh I so wanted her to remember this!
We had a ball and most of all we gave the girls the gift of experience. You can't wrap experience up, it is priceless, but you can certainly take it with you and hopefully never grow out of it! 

Day 3! New York, New York!

The Dakota, upper west side, home of Yoko Ono...top floor eighteen rooms.....

Front steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art...

the girls in front of a Van Gogh.... be-still my heart...

posing in amongst ancient sculptures...

and more sculptures....

we met very interesting people... a walking piece of art, her nylons matched her shawl...

strolling along main hallway of the Met....

we saw Mary Poppins... the highlight of our trip...

New Amsterdam, a very gorgeous old theater on 42nd Street...

   we had front row seats middle center....photo of orchestra pit...
"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" I just can't seem to get that tune out of my head! Can you only imagine why???
Early Wednesday we took a double decker tour bus through the Upper West Side. Mostly residential, a nanny or two can be seen strolling leisurely though Central Park, an extremely wealthy area. Yoko Ono lives in a 18 room apartment, top floor overlooking Central Park and Strawberry Fields, a part of the Park dedicated to her late husband, John Lennon. 
We were dropped off at the Metropolitan Museum where we were overwhelmed by it's size and content. To be in the same room with a Van Gogh and a Monet, magical for me. My grand-daughters had recently studied about them in school so this made the experience doubly fascinating. The Egyptian Exhibit was awe-inspiring and very large. 
It was raining when we left so our trip through Central Park had to wait until day four. We went back to the hotel by cab and all slept for a couple of hours which worked out beautifully. Dinner and later a fifteen minute walk to 42nd Street where the girls were exposed to their first Broadway Show. Front row seats middle center, I could have touched the conductor's head. Almost too close but I'm not complaining! They have seen several shows in the Boston, area but I have to say you haven't seen a show until you see one on Broadway!!! "Just sayin", it is just a magical place. 
We all walked back to our hotel humming tunes from the show. The girls absolutely loved it. Grandma and PaPa loved that they will always remember the experience. 
We did run into a few poor souls that talked to themselves with no electronic devices, however, and they had not seen Mary Poppins, trust me. 
A good night sleep was had by all, getting ready for day four, our last day in New York. Not sure PaPa and I could have handled any more!!!??? 
Sharing with: http://www.aruraljournal.com/

Day Two! New York, New York!

Magnificent  

City views from ferry...

more views from ferry.....

Ellis Island 

Grand-daughters enjoying the trip...

City night view from Manhattan Bridge... 
I have been to New York City at least a dozen times in my life, always with a specific destination in mind, however, I have never seen it through the eyes of a tourist and I must admit it was awesome. To share this experience with our grand-daughters priceless! 
Visiting the Statue of Liberty was an unforgettable experience. She is all that I have ever envisioned and more. She was closed due to renovation and we could not go to the top. That was really OK with me, as climbing the stairs to the top in the heat would have been an insurmountable feat! 
A bit later we visited Ellis Island, a place where my grand-parents entered this Country, a goose-bump rating of 10+ was experienced. It was an honor to walk it's great halls. I also visited with a historian here and he gave me a few tips on searching my family's history for my second blog, 
The Promise of a Better Life. 
Dinner was enjoyed at Carmine's Restaurant, a delightful experience. Later in the evening we took a city night tour. Not the greatest photo above but I am sure you get the idea, the lights were bedazzling! Going over the bridge to Brooklyn, in a double decker bus on the upper level a bit scary. 
Well once again a wonderful and exciting day was had by all, we were exhausted but ready for the next day, after a good nights sleep, and that we did! 
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