JET Eye

Life of leisure on the lake

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Well, we should be back from the Berkshires today. This is the last photo from last year's trip. Hopefully, I'll have some good pictures from the past few days. This is out on the lake looking towards the little public beach. We would take the tubes out and just float aimlessly around the lake. We were also able to use Karen's sister's boat to do some real tubing. There's lots to keep you busy when living on the water.

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Last year while staying in the Berkshires we drove to New York and visited Howe Caverns. A great place to visit in the hot summer. You take an elevator down 156 feet below the Earth's surface and the temperature is a constant 52 degrees. Is it stalactites? stalagmites? I don't know, I just call it pretty darn cool! It truly was a great adventure and would recommend this place to anyone. The scariest part was the elevator ride down!

Welcome to the Berkshires

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Today I am out in the Berkshires with my nephew, Josh and my brother Chris and sister-in-law Karen. Chris and Karen have a lovely little cottage, right on a lake. Tomorrow we head to Deerfield to go whitewater rafting! Last year we took Jared and Josh whitewater rafting for the first time. We had such a good time that we decided to try the bigger rapids this year. Unfortunately, Jared is busy working, saving money for college, so he won't be going with us.

This photo was taken during last year's trip. For Karen's birthday I had made her a scrapbook of our vacation together. This was the first page of the book. The boat is right in front of the cabin, so you can see the lake is literally right outside the door.

Rock Lobster

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Folks, meet Rocky the singing lobster. This past year, Rocky's career had been down in the dumps...literally. That is until my uncle came across Rocky at the dump and decided to help him get his career back on track. Some fresh new batteries, a few rehearsals in front of family and friends and Rocky will soon be playing at the local Sand Bars.

His repertoire includes "Sea Cruise" and "Rock the Boat." He has a few dance moves that include wiggling his tail and standing straight up on his tail. Don't tell Rocky, but after listening to him sing these songs a couple of times I was ready to toss him back into the ocean. I found he is best if taken in small doses. I should say that he did give us a few big laughs- although that may not have been his intention.

Hey Bud

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Looking at this photo I remember the day I went over to the park to take photos and how it was in the mid 80s and I was trying to keep sweat off the viewfinder. Now, sitting here at the computer I'm thinking about getting up to put on a long sleeve shirt! What happened to the heat of August?

What I like best about this photo is the little bud. I really like the color of it.

Food, Fabulous Food

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 02:30:00 -0800

La, La-La-La, La. You sort of have to sing the title for it to have its full effect. Last Sunday we went out to Saquish for the day. While Saquish is known for the Gurnet Light, the private beach, the creek and the spectacular sunsets, my aunt's cottage is also known for being a place where there will be wonderful, bountiful food. The above piece of art, nicely arranged by Donna, was just one of the many dishes on the table. There were cohogs, pasta salad, bread with goat cheese, hamburgers, hot dogs, coleslaw and more! However, the best thing at the table was that it was surrounded by family. Who could ask for anything more...oh, that could have been a good title. And yes, you have to sing it!

I'm looking through you...

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 02:30:00 -0800

While I was taking photos of the bees on the flowers a couple weeks ago, I looked up and saw this flower. I thought this perspective looked pretty cool. The photo books tend to say to try and find a different angle to shoot the everyday things. I thought this was a pretty unique angle. The next day I was checking out photos on pixyblog and saw that Susan over at Life, Camera, Just do your best darling! had taken a very similar shot. I guess it wasn't as unique as I thought! I think they both came out nicely.

Men at Work

Fri, 8 Aug 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Here they are putting in the new sidewalk. It will be nice when I can finally walk on the straight path and not have to detour to different sides of the road. As you can see I experimented a little with the color saturation. There was so much orange in this image that I thought it might be interesting to only pull that color out and tone down the rest of the colors. I kind of like the effect.

Walk on by

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 02:30:00 -0800

This is one of the many sidewalks I travel on my way to work. I don't know if they are re-paving the majority of sidewalks in Boston or if it's just the ones in my area. It sure makes for an interesting commute.

Apparently, this guy doesn't give a sh*t about the sidewalk being closed.

Pretty in Pink Park

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 02:30:00 -0800

This park is not far from where I work. It's sort of hidden on a side street so it's not usually very crowded. This is also the park where I have been taking all the flower images. I still have a few more flowers to be posted. I think the bright blue benches, trash cans and picnic tables that they have here are fun. Of course, there's nothing better than sitting on a bench, eating a delicious lunch and listening to the water flowing out of the fountain. It's very tranquil and a nice way to break up the work day.

I've seen a dragon fly

Tue, 5 Aug 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Is it just me or is this little bugger smiling for the camera? I swear it looks like he has a big smile on his face! I was with my cousin over the weekend when she nudged me and said "hey, look at the dragon fly." Well, not only did I have to look but I had the P&S camera on me so I started snapping away. I really think the dragon fly wanted his photo because he let me get pretty close and posed for quite awhile before flying off.

I'm so pretty

Mon, 4 Aug 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Here's another flower that I have no idea what it is called. I just thought it was so pretty. I like how it blooms at one end and works it way down to the other. This shot was taken in the David Dorothy Ramler Park. This is the same park where I took the bee photo and the Purple Coneflowers. It's a beautiful park with a large variety of flowers. I think I have enough variety of flowers to get me through at least a week if not two. I'll try to mix up flower photos with other images over the next two weeks (but right now I mostly have flower images).

Field of Dreams

Fri, 1 Aug 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Well, at least for the bees this was a field of dreams. These are some of the flowers that all the bees were buzzing around from yesterday's photo. I have no idea what type of flower they are and I'm not sure if it matters all that much. I liked the look of the flowers and enjoyed photographing them along with the bees. Although, if I did know the name I might have come up with a better title.

Beehavior

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 01:58:48 -0800

Here's a bee doing what bees do best...either gathering nectar or gathering pollen (sometimes both). I did have a shot of another bee with tons of pollen on it's back legs however, the image isn't as sharp. I stood next to these flowers for quite awhile, with bees buzzing all around me, waiting for one to land on just the right flower. No bees or humans were harmed getting this shot.

This was taken at a little park down the street from where I work. During the spring some co-workes and I would take our lunches their often. I think we were so happy winter was over that we just wanted to be outside. Now with the heat and humidity we don't seem to do it as often.

Painting Outside the Box

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 02:30:00 -0800

This is my friend, Jennifer's little cousin, Cecilia. At Lilja's birthday party they had the kids sponge paint the new appliance boxes. I got a kick out of watching them run back and forth, soaking up more paint and splattering it onto the boxes and themselves.

Coming around the bend

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Hopefully, this shot gives you a little bit of a feel for what it was like to watch these dogs race. Boy can these puppies run! They took off so fast I had to wait until they came back around the bend to take a picture.

I found it very challenging trying to capture this image. I was taking this shot at dusk, I wasn't using a tripod and I was trying to balance myself on my knees on a little ledge. I'm actually surprised it's not blurrier. I had the ISO bumped up to 1600 but I think that may have been too high (I had to try and get rid of as much graininess as possible). I think I'm going to have to practice action shots and shutter speed.

March of the Greyhounds

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Over the weekend the softball team threw a bachelorette party for one of the girls on the team. We went to the Raynham dog track for some fun and lots of silliness. I had never been to the dog tracks and found it rather interesting. I was surprised to see that they had these kids bring the dogs onto the track and down to the starting gates. It was amazing how fast they took off from the gates...the dogs also had a pretty fast start! I'm not much of a gambler so I took my time trying to choose my betting stategy wisely. After some intense scanning of the statistics book I decided to pick the number on my team shirt (#4) and play it for four straight races. The number four dog "showed" 3 out of 4 times. I made a whooping $2.80!

For those of you who know that I helped create a cake for the party and would like to see how it came out, you can click here to see it. There are also a few other photos from the party. I decided the photos may be considered a bit inappropriate (or maybe just immature) for this blog so I put them up on flicker instead.

Tails of the Sea

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Another shot from the roof of one of the hotels on the waterfront.

These are the Captain John & Sons tour boats. You can take one out on a whale watch, a trip to Provincetown or a fishing expedition. I don't think I've been on one since I was in junior high and the youth group took one to Provincetown. On the way back we hit a storm and let's just say the seas were pretty rough. It was better to sit out side in the rain and wind then to be down below where trash bags were being passed out as welcoming gifts.

Up on the roof

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Last weekend I met Mom and Dad in Plymouth. I was helping Dad out by taking some photos of the Plymouth waterfront. We were lucky enough to be given access to the roof of one of the hotels. I assumed when they said we could take pictures from the roof that they had a back staircase that maintenance used to get on the flat roof. Well, when the man pulled an old rickety ladder out of the closet I knew we were in for an adventure. I had to climb up onto the very last step of the ladder in order to reach up and pull myself onto the roof. It wasn't a flat roof but was at least at enough of an angle that you could walk on it without falling off. Probably not the wisest and safest choice (Mom was smart and stayed down on the waterfront) but we were able to get a few shots from a different advantage point.

I wish it had been high tide. Low tide just doesn't look as pleasant to the eye.

On the Rocks

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Another shot of the Scituate Lighthouse from a different angle. I had taken a few pictures of the lighthouse back in February. What a difference in temperature between now and then. It was around 92° the day I took this photo while it was only about 32° when I took this image, this image and even this image. It's much nicer having to worry about trying to dry the sweat off my hands than wondering when I'll get feeling back in my fingers.

Sailing takes me away...

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 02:30:00 -0800

This shot was taken in Scituate by the lighthouse. While I enjoy a nice boat ride I've never really wanted to own my own boat. However, watching this person sail by on their beautiful boat had me daydreaming. I suppose there's nothing like being the captain of your own boat...gliding across the crystal clear blue ocean without a care in the world. Well except for changing the rigging, rudder and dagger to make sure you catch the wind on the sails. Then trying to remember which is the starboard side and which is the port side. Are the buoys Red Right Return? Ahh, this is why I never wanted to own a boat but I would love to have a friend with a nice sail boat!

Red Boat

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 02:30:00 -0800

A week ago I went down to Scituate for a birthday party. I knew I'd be near the water so I took the camera with me in hopes of getting a couple of shots. The little house in the middle of the background caught my eye. Okay, it was the red boat that really caught my eye! With all the surrounding blues and greens the vibrant red really stands out.

Leafy Lettuce

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:30:00 -0800

I'm not a huge fan of lettuce. I like a salad here and there but not all the time. However, I really like the look of lettuce growing in the garden. The same house that had the chicken and blueberries also had a wonderful garden full of colors. Purple eggplants, yellow squash, dark green zucchini, and this luscious green leafy lettuce. Almost makes me want to eat a salad right now...well, I did say almost.

Chicken Run

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 02:30:00 -0800

This chick doesn't look too friendly. She may have just been giving me a look of curiosity since I was sticking the camera lens through the chicken wire. However, she looks a little more ticked off and fed up with the fact that I was snapping so many photos. Or it could be that she was tired of being locked up in the chicken coop and I had disturbed her planning for the midnight escape.

I'm so blue (and green)

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 02:30:00 -0800

I went down to Plympton last weekend for Lilja's 3rd birthday party and ended up strolling through the gardens in her backyard. Jay made an awesome cake with blueberry filling. The cake didn't call for blueberries, but apparently, they have so many she decided to throw them in anyway. It was delicious! These blueberries were very plump, almost, as big and blue as Violet Beauregarde from Willy Wonka. After the piece of cake I ate, I felt as bloated as her!

Beach Bubble

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:15:24 -0800

It was the purple on the shell that caught my eye and had me taking a picture. However, it's the bubbles that I really like in the photo. Almost as if the shell itself is breathing.

Sandcastle at Sunset

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 02:30:00 -0800

While most of the 4th of July was a gray day it did clear up at night just in time for the fireworks. Before the fireworks began we were presented with a spectacular sunset of majestic pink and purple.

Any day at Saquish is better than no day at Saquish. Even though it rained a bit that morning and was mostly gray and windy it still didn't stop someone from enjoying the beach and building a sandcastle.

I'll take s'more

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 02:30:00 -0800

To me, this is a perfectly toasted marshmallow. My nephew, Josh asked if I wanted him to cook me a marshmallow. I mentioned that I was picky about how I liked my marshmallow and would probably do it myself. He wanted to give it a try so I explained to him the patience it takes to cook a perfectly toasted marshmallow. You have to make sure to keep it away from the flames so it doesn't get burnt and you have to continuously turn it so it browns all around the edges. Well, I shouldn't have worried, because he cooked the perfect marshmallow!

Everyone else was shoving their sticks into the fire, letting the marshmallow catch on fire and then blowing it out. If I'm eating a s'more I can get by with it being burnt (if I must) because the chocolate and graham cracker tends to hide the burnt charcoal taste. However, if I'm eating a plain marshmallow, then it has to be lightly toasted so it melts in my mouth.

Bella

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Here's my cousin Bella at the bonfire, waiting for the fireworks to start. When I first took this shot I was wishing Bella didn't have the drink in her mouth. Before this shot I had taken a few photos of her where she had her stuffed animal, Spot, up to her face. I asked if I could get a shot without Spot and that's when she put her drink up to her mouth. I then asked if she'd take the drink out of her mouth but she wasn't interested in following my instructions. That's when I realized, hey she's a kid, kids like to have a stuffed animal or HiC drink or whatever in their hands and just want to have some fun.

In this age with everyone having a digital camera we are constantly snapping photos of the kids and sticking our cameras in their faces. Either they put their hands up and say "no more" or they turn and give you the fake "take the darn picture" smile. Once I realized it could be more fun to get some shots of Bella being a kid, we had a blast. While she was eating her smore I took a few shots and then she stuck her tongue out. I told her to keep making silly face and she really started to ham it up for the camera. I don't think I laughed more that night then when Bella and I were taking silly photos.

Once I saw the HiC photo on the computer screen I realized that the photo really captures the sense of being a kid. I really like how it came out and the hat is great!

Fireworks!

Wed, 9 Jul 2008 02:30:00 -0800

I must say I was pretty impressed with the point and shoot camera when it came to photographing the fireworks. I wasn't sure I'd even take any photos but since I had the camera on me I thought I'd give it a shot (pun intended). After taking a few photos I remembered that I had seen a "fireworks" presetting on the camera. I turned it on and the images were much better. I didn't have the tripod on me so I just sat back in my beach chair and balanced the camera on my knee. Not too shabby.

The first 3 photos were taken of fireworks being set off on Saquish. We were lucky to have people near by putting on a show. The last photo is from the Plymouth fireworks. I used the power zoom to try to get in closer but since I didn't have the camera on a tripod the image is blurier. I like that you can see the reflection in the water.

American Spirit

Tue, 8 Jul 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Yesterday I posted photos of people participating in the parade. Today, I have photos of those participating on the sidelines. Here we have John, Jordan & Michael decorated in red, white and blue, showing off their American spirit.

Saquish Parade

Mon, 7 Jul 2008 02:30:00 -0800

For those who weren't able to make it out to Saquish for the 4th of July parade, here are a few photos to enjoy. Banana Man was a big hit with the kids (and adults). As you can see, the group in the first photo was having a very early happy hour (before 10am).

The dragon was very cool. I imagine it might have been difficult walking up and down the beach not seeing where you're going. They did have two people in front guiding them. My two favorite happened to be Banana Man and Colonial Guy (or is he Benny Hill).

While it ended up being a very gray weekend we still had a great time. I'll have more photos of the weekend over the next few days.

Independence Day

Fri, 4 Jul 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Happy 4th of July!!

I should be out at Saquish right now enjoying the parade and hopefully, getting some good pics for the blog.

I had to reach back into the archives to find a decent photo from the 4th of July. This picture is from 2005. I thought it was a fun photo and very patriotic. It's funny to see how little the kids look only three years ago.

I'm not much of a parade person but I do love the Saquish parades. I always get a front row seat. I enjoy watching the decorated trucks, floats and people, going up and down the beach. And of course, I love the candy that they throw at those of us watching.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Something Fishy

Thu, 3 Jul 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Yeah, it's pretty disgusting but it was just screaming to have it's picture taken! Apparently, someone had a pretty good meal with this big guy. I'd say this fish was close to 30 inches long. I'm assuming someone threw it into the ocean but the tide wasn't strong enough to take it out to sea.

It's not unusual to come across clam and lobster shells while walking Saquish beach but I don't think I've ever come across a fish this big. I doubt it's what most people want to come across when they take the kids down to the water with a bucket and pail!

Ode de Toilet Paper

Wed, 2 Jul 2008 02:30:00 -0800

This rose was located in one of the houses on Plympton's Antique House and Garden Tour. Now, I've seen radishes cut to look like a rose. I've even had the paper from the straw of my drink turned into a rose, but I've never seen toilet paper so uniquely displayed. I must say I was very impressed with this little detail.

I'm sure there are plenty of jokes that could be made about smelling like a rose and the derriere, but I'll just keep my head above the toilet water on this one.

Plympton Paradise

Tue, 1 Jul 2008 02:30:00 -0800

A couple weekends ago, Plympton had an "Antique House and Garden Tour." One of the houses on the tour, was the Reverend Ezra Sampson House, 1776. The house is located on the Plympton Green and in the mid 19th century it was known as "Plympton House" a local tavern.

Today it is a beautifully restored home with five fireplaces- one of them being 2-3 times bigger than a normal fireplace. The part I enjoyed most was actually outside the house. There were at least four different gardens spread throughout the backyard that held plants, herbs, statues and fountains. Then there was this pool area. I would never have known this piece of paradise was located behind the house. As you can see it is spectacular. The pool house is an old restored barn with the inside as beautiful as the outside.

Cooling Off

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Last week I posted a shot of Splash Fountain where I mentioned that young and old could run through the fountain to cool off. I also mentioned that it would be nice to get a shot of kids playing in the fountain. On Friday, I was walking by the area with my brother, sister-in-law and cousin, when we came across such a scene. Of course I had to stop and take a photo. I can understand why they named it Splash Fountain.

It looked like a blast and I wish I had been dressed to join in. If you click here and here, you can check out my sister-in-law, Karen, who did decide to join in the fun (I think I may have enjoyed watching her more).

Lesson Learned

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Yup, this is the same duck from Wednesday's post (different pose). I'm using it as an example of a lesson I recently learned. I mentioned previously that I had gone down the Cape to see travel photographer, Rick Sammon, give a lecture. During that lecture he talked about good composition and warned us about not decapitating the subject with the horizon line. While he talked about horizon line in regards to landscapes and gave examples with the land/sea, I think it pertains to any line that crosses across the screen at eye level. This would be similar to video production where we were always taught to make sure we did not have plants or other objects behind the subject so that it looked as if something was growing out of their head.

As you can see in this image the line of the building is crossing behind the duck's head. When I was shooting the photo I did not notice the line. When I imported the pictures into Lightroom I noticed that half of them had the line going through the duck's head. Before the lecture I may not have noticed this as much but with these duck images it really jumped out at me. It's nice to know that things Rick discussed in his lecture are actually sinking into my head. Next time I'll hopefully see the horizon line and adjust the shot before taking the picture.

I still like this image even though I keep focusing back on the line decapitating the duck's head (actually I only decapitated his eyes and forehead). I think if I blurred the background more it might not be as noticeable. I love that the duck let me get so close to him. I was able to capture the detail in the feathers and even the creases in his legs.

Splash Fountain

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 02:30:00 -0800

This fountain is located at the Christian Science Center, right in front of the reflecting pool. The fountain is open to young and old who are looking to cool off on hot summer days/nights. Unfortunately, when I took this photo there was no one playing in the fountain. I think it would be fun to have a shot of some kids running through the streams of water.

I just read that when the sun goes down the water becomes illuminated with light. I guess I'm going to have to go back at night and get another shot.

Preened

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:30:00 -0800

This shot was taken at the reflecting pool at the Christian Science Center. This good looking guy was almost the perfect subject. He swam over to the side of the reflecting pool, hopped out onto the edge and started primping himself. He was so busy with his looks that I was able to get within a foot of him. Most of the time, he would look up at me and give me a nice pose. As you can see here he's sucking in his gut and puffing out his chest for the macho man pose. However, sometimes he had a bit of an attitude and would ignore me completely. But overall he played to the camera quite nicely.

Happy Birthday, Chris!

Head End

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:30:00 -0800

This is the turtle from yesterday's blog. I wish there was an object, besides the turtle, in the frame so you could have a better perception of how large she is. In this photo she looks like a little turtle, while she was actually a pretty good size- somewhere around a foot wide and almost 18 inches long.

As you can see she almost blends into the surrounding dirt. I almost walked right by her that day but something caught my eye. At first I wasn't sure she was even real. After staring at her for close to a minute she finally moved.

Tail End

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 02:30:00 -0800

This is the tail end of a snapping turtle (I think it was a snapper). I came across her while walking to work. I was very surprised to see a turtle this big in Boston. While you can't tell from this shot, she's about 10 inches wide and 14-16 inches long. I think she may have been laying eggs as she was partially in a hole only a few feet from a river.

I find the shapes and textures of her shell, tail and legs, just amazing...so prehistoric looking. I would have liked to have touched the tail, but I decided I wanted to keep my fingers!

Celtic Pride

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:30:00 -0800

I don't own a Celtics' shirt.
I watched only the playoff games.
I fell asleep during the final game.
I didn't go to the parade.
I can name Parish, Bird, McHale, Ange, Johnson, and Walton without even thinking.
Before the playoffs I'd only heard of Paul Pierce.
And yet, with all that said, I still have a sense of Celtic Pride!

Having been a teenager in the 1980s I was lucky enough to have been a Boston Celtics fan during a very prime time. I basically stopped watching the Celtics consistently after the Big Three (Bird, Parish, McHale) were gone. Over the years, I'd catch a few games here and there each season but not much else. This year it has been really fun feeling that energy and excitement around the Celtics like it was in the good old days (my old days anyway).

While I didn't make it to the parade yesterday, I did stop at Copley Square about an hour before it started. In the lower left corner of the photo you can see part of the parade route on the jumbotron tv screen.

Bath Time

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 02:30:00 -0800

While the older goslins were learning how to feed there were two smaller goslins that stayed a little off to the side and bathed along side their parents. It was cute watching the babies mimic the parents on how to dunk their heads in the water, splash around and clean themselves off.

Follow the Leader

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 02:30:00 -0800

As you can see I was bring up the rear in this group. I chickened out when it came to my turn to jump in the water. However, I did follow the group along the river bank.

It seems the little ones were being taught to dive for food. It was fascinating to watch 15 babies dive under the water and splash around. Then they would suddenly race across the water in a frenzy, flapping wings and reaching out with open mouths either to be ready to attack or reaching for food (not sure which).

It was very interesting to watch. I was only hissed at twice for getting too close or maybe they were making fun of me for not jumping in.

YEAH, CELTICS!!!!

Daisies

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:30:00 -0800

These daisies were along the hillside of the Cape Cod Canal. The white petals amongst all the green grass really caught my eye. They looked so happy and fun that I just had to stop and take a picture.

Sagamore Rescue

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 02:30:00 -0800

This is the Sagamore Bridge over the Cape Cod Canal. What you are seeing here is a rescue mission. I saw the boat on the left come through the canal and then just suddenly stop. I assumed they were just taking in the view. However, about ten minutes later the Onset Coastal Patrol boat was skimming through the channel. Over the PA I could hear them tell the other boat to tie the rope they were going to throw to their boat (it only took approx. 3 tries to get the rope to them). Once everyone was connected they towed the boat back to shore. Not an overly exciting rescue mission but it did give me an opportunity to take a picture.

I hadn't been down the Cape in a few years. I think this was the first time I had gone over the bridge since they removed the rotary. It was a very smooth ride. Luckily, I went down early enough to beat the traffic (later in the day it was very congested). I attended a photography seminar given by Rick Sammon. He is an amazing travel photographer. It was a terrific workshop and I learned a great deal from him. Rick stresses the importance of 'seeing the light.' I realize I have a long way to go in order to see the light and choosing the best exposure settings but a few things are starting to click (pun intended).

Saquish Shed

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 02:30:00 -0800

This is a shot of the shed on the deck of the cottage out at Saquish. While it was taken in June it was June of 2007. I actually hadn't planned on taking a shot of the shed. I was taking pictures of the sunset on the bottom deck when I thought I'd go up on the upper deck to see how the sunset looked from up there. As I was about to walk up the stairs I noticed the sunset reflected off the window. I thought it might make a pretty nice shot. I was very happy with the outcome. I think it ended up being the pick of the lot out of all the shots I took that day.

Happy Birthday, Jack!

Gurnet Light

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Another shot of the Gurnet Lighthouse.

I'm running out of photos for the week. Hopefully, I'll be able to get some this weekend as I will be going to a workshop down the Cape on Saturday.

Sushi

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 02:30:00 -0800

This is a sushi roll before it's been rolled. This one is cucumber and I can't remember what the topping is...maybe plums? olives? something? The sushi was for Aki's 8th birthday party. Aki's favorite sushi roll...tunafish with mayonnaise. The kids seemed to like it.

I didn't have any sushi but I did become addicted to this snack item called Tings. They are crunchy corn sticks (similar look and feel of Cheetos). They have no cheese in them yet have a cheesy taste to them. I've been to Whole Foods and Trader Joe's and have not been able to find them here. I may have to order them online. I forgot to mention that there was also a sushi roll made with Tings! I guess it would be similar to putting potato chips on your sandwich!

Manhatten Skyline

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:30:00 -0800

This past weekend I went down to New Jersey to visit friends. We went out to eat at a P.F. Chang's restaurant that was across the water from Manhattan. We had a wonderful meal and then enjoyed the spectacular view. It was a really nice weekend. Next time I hope to make it into New York City (especially to Central Park).

Rubber Tree

Mon, 9 Jun 2008 02:30:00 -0800

These are branches on a tree located at Brewster Gardens in Plymouth. From a distance the tree looked like a very thin Christmas Tree (click here to see wideshot). The branches looked prickly and I went over to touch one to see how sharp they were. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that they were very smooth and rubbery. I really like the texture of them. I have no idea what kind of tree this is but it looks much nicer close up than it does from a distance.

Water Fall

Fri, 6 Jun 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Another shot at the Jenney Grist Mill. While I like the look of the Jenney Grist Mill I mostly took this shot to practice shutter speed and trying to get the right look (or the look I want) to the water falling. Here is a wider shot of the Grist Mill I took back in November. As you can see the water in the wide shot does not have the same silkiness to it. Someday I hope to go to Hawaii or someplace tropical that has lots of large waterfalls that I can take pictures of and hopefully even swim in.

Blue eyed baby

Thu, 5 Jun 2008 02:30:00 -0800

At 10 months, my cousin's little boy, Isaiah, is at such a wonderful age. He's enjoying his knew found freedom by crawling everywhere and pulling himself up to stand. However, he's also still happy to be picked up and loves to cuddle. He's such a good natured little boy- always quick to light up the room with that beautiful bright smile.

Hey There

Wed, 4 Jun 2008 02:30:00 -0800

This is why I like carrying a camera with me, pretty much at all times. You just never know what you might see. I came across this big guy while I was walking to get something to eat for lunch. Across the street there was a tent sent up on a field so I assume it had something to do with graduation.

He looks pretty friendly but then I can't tell if that'ss blood above his nose or not? Possibly he was in a fight or just someone with dirty hands trying to pat him.

Gurnet Lighthouse

Tue, 3 Jun 2008 02:30:00 -0800

This is the third shot of a lighthouse on my blog. The Gurnet Lighthouse is by far my favorite lighthouse. Of course it has to do with the fact that I have spent the past 35+ summers out at Saquish. In order to get to Saquish you have to pass by the Gurnet. As kids once we could see the lighthouse we knew we were almost to the cottage.

Almost every time I go out to the beach I either walk or drive up to the lighthouse to take a picture or just sit and look out over the ocean. It's a beautiful spot with a perfect view from every angle. I love the contrast of the white against the blue sky- it's always picture perfect. This happened to be taken on the day we had really strong winds. When I tried to take the photo from up on the cliff I thought I was going to get blown into the ocean. As I was heading back to the car I thought this perspective might be interesting and safer!

I'm so excited that summer is almost here. I plan on taking lots of photos out at Saquish!

Making Us Proud

Mon, 2 Jun 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Jared is officially a high school graduate. Yesterday we had his graduation party and his history teacher came to celebrate. I was glad I was able to meet him because it gave me the opportunity to thank him in person for the kind words he wrote in Jared's year book. While everyone in the family knows what a wonderful person Jared is, it was nice to hear what someone outside the family thinks of him. If you missed the party or did not see his year book, this is what his teacher wrote:

Jared, As a teacher- you always hope to meet a student who reminds you why ya do what you do. Jared- it has been my pleasure to have you in ALL of the classes I teach here. I am very proud of the young man you have become and I look forward to meeting the great man that you will be! If you have learned from me- a fraction of what I have learned from you, then your future holds nothing but success. Good luck next year. If you need anything: a kind word, $10 for a pizza, someone to take your money in a "friendly" game of cards- do not hesitate to contact me. Take Care Kid.

The Graduate

Fri, 30 May 2008 02:30:00 -0800

My nephew, Jared is graduating from high school tomorrow. I am so proud, happy and excited for him. He is such an amazing, beautiful, young man. Add to that, he's also very handsome!

Some words of advice Pal, as you head off to college and through life.

"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are."
e.e. cummings

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
Dr. Seuss

Just be true to yourself Jared and you will be successful in life.

Congratulations!

I Love you.

Photo: This was my first and so far only attempt at shooting a senior portrait. I'm sure in 3 years when Josh graduates I'll be taking another one! It's amazing that it was last August when we took this photo. Jared looked so grown up back then and today he looks even more so. I know I'm getting old when I can't help but say "I can't believe he's all grown up." or "I can remember the day he was born as if it was yesterday." It's been an absolute pleasure watching him grow from a baby, to an adolescent and now into a young man. I'm really looking forward to watching this next stage of his life.

Go with the flow...

Thu, 29 May 2008 02:30:00 -0800

This is the brook that flows from the Jenney Grist Mill down to Brewster Gardens. It was such a nice weekend that Mom and I decided to go to Plymouth on Saturday to walk around and get an ice cream for lunch. One of my favorite lunch foods!

From the Jenney Grist Mill website:

"The Pilgrims found this river important for three reasons. The first is that over the rivers mile and a half run it drops 80 feet in elevation allowing for ample waterpower. The second is that the river and the pond that feeds it are spring fed so that even in times of drought, the river never runs out of water. The third is that the river supplied the Pilgrims with their fertilizer. Every spring fish called herring migrate from the ocean up to the pond to spawn. On the way by the mill the Pilgrims would take the fish from the river and plant them in the sandy ground to fertilize for the planting of the corn. To this day, over a six-week period, thousands of fish go up this fish ladder to spawn."

I think we were about a month to late to see the fish heading up stream to spawn.

Evacuation Day

Wed, 28 May 2008 02:30:00 -0800

I don't typically take the Green Line but yesterday I decided to jump on it. When I got off at Park Street security was yelling for everyone to get out of the T station. It was very smokey and you could smell something burning. They had to evacuate Park Street and Downtown Crossing. As I was starting to walk to South Station, I figured I might as well snap a picture.

Here's what Boston.com said about the evacuation:

"Two subway stations were evacuated this afternoon and commuters were asked to use shuttle buses after an electrical fire on the Red Line tracks near the Downtown Crossing station, authorities said.

The fire started at about 5:20 when a 600-volt power cable short-circuited in a tunnel just outside the station. Smoke filled that station and the Park Street station, prompting their evacuation.

The stations were reopened about two hours later after firefighters extinguished the blaze and used exhaust fans to vent smoke out of the tunnel."

By Matt Collette, Globe Correspondent

Thankfully, no one was hurt. I really like the colors in this photo.

Happy Birthday, Joshua!

Saquish Sunset

Tue, 27 May 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Cross a wooden bridge...meander along a dirt road...turn right before the lighthouse...then kick it into four wheel drive over the dune and you come to paradise! Otherwise known as Saquish. That's where I hope to be as much as possible this summer.

Memorial Day tends to be the unofficial kick off to the begining of summer. I spent Sunday and Monday out at the beach. I couldn't have asked for a better way to kick off the beginning of the summer weekends. Although, it was extremely windy yesterday I was able to take a nice walk with my parents along the beach and then got a little sun sitting out on the deck. As usual, I ate too much but enjoyed every bit of it and had fun playing cards and hanging out with family.

Draco

Mon, 26 May 2008 02:30:00 -0800

I was driving on 3A in Duxbury when I pased by this dragon. I decided to turn around and go back for a picture. I guess he is always out in front of this yard but he was specially decorated for Memorial Day. On the right stone wall there is a sign that says "Imagine." I'm not sure the significance of this dragon but I guess it is to show they have imagination. I found it very entertaining.

I also wanted to give my respects to Memorial Day and say God Bless to all those who have died in our nation's service and to those who are still serving today.

Road Block

Fri, 23 May 2008 02:30:00 -0800

I went out for a drive over the weekend and stumbled upon this beautiful location. I yearned to follow this road but with today's gas prices I just didn't know if I could afford to take the road less traveled. I also had no idea where the closest gas station was located. I really wish I could have taken that path...it looks like a picture in a magazine.

Okay, I didn't come across this road during a drive. I came across it as I was walking through Northeastern College. I said it looked like a picture out of a magazine, in truth it's a picture of a banner on the wall of the College of Arts & Sciences buiding. You can click here to see a shot of the building.

Isabella's Window

Thu, 22 May 2008 02:30:00 -0800

I was walking by the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum when I saw this window on the wall surrounding the building. I looked at it from different angles and chose this one because I could see the trees on the other side of the wall.

I've only been to the museum once but I really should go again. I've tried to eat their but the restaurant is tiny and always full. However, in the warmer weather I believe you can eat outside in the garden area. I really need to try that sometime.

Hull Gravestone

Wed, 21 May 2008 02:30:00 -0800

As you can probably tell, I added a bit of a surreal look to this image. What caught my eye were the two trees. I may have over emphasized them a little in this image...a bit to green?

Spinnaker Island

Tue, 20 May 2008 02:34:30 -0800

As you can tell this is taken from the Hull cemetery (see yesterday's photo). What you are look out on is Spinnaker Island. The bridge is the only entrance on and off the island...by car anyway. It's about a quarter of a mile from the shore.

This is what the Spinnaker website says about the island:

The island once know as little hog island dates back to colonial times, when local stored their animals on the island just off shore. In the 1920s, the US Army created Fort Duvall transforming the island by building up the flats with concrete bunkers and a soil cap. During WWII the island hosted two 16-inch cannons (ever see the 'Guns of Navarone" then you have the idea). During the cold war the island was again transformed into an NIKE missile site. The Island remained in operation until the 1960s, when the military closed the island.

Looks like a pretty nice place to live but I'm betting the commute is a pain in the butt! There's just no easy way to get in and out of Hull. I tried but I just can't resist...It's a hull of a ride to get to Hull!

Hull Cemetery

Mon, 19 May 2008 02:30:00 -0800

This is the Hull cemetery. It is located on Telegraph Hill. If you've never been there, it's a very cool spot. You have a great view from all sides. Behind the cemetery is Fort Revere Park. Many years ago, I used the fort as a location for my master's video project. Unfortunately, I did not visit the fort this time. It was close to 8pm and I was alone so I decided to save it for another day.

It was a bit cloudier than I had hoped and didn't have as much lighting as I would have wanted. I was hoping for only a few clouds so that it would be a very colorful sunset. But, at least it didn't rain.

It had been a long time since I'd actually driven someplace to take photos. Lately, I've just been walking around Boston and finding shots. It was nice to go someplace different. Also, I spent some more time processing with Photshop and Dynamic-Photo HDR. It was nice to play a little more with the photos (not this one as much as the one I'll post later in the week).

Standing in line

Fri, 16 May 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Yesterday I took the train over to the Pru and came across a long line of people. I discovered that Mike Lowell was having a book signing at the Barnes & Noble store. You might think this is the line waiting to see the 2007 World Series MVP. You would be mistaken. While Mike Lowell would definitely deserve such a crowd, they were not lined up to see him. No, this line that went from the left, around the corner and a few blocks down the street on the right, were there for the grand opening of the Boston Apple Store. The wait was more than 3 hours long and I'm not even sure you could actually buy anything.

I was across the street with about a dozen or more people taking pictures of the store and the crowd. You can see the Apple logo in the middle left corner of the image. I'm amazed that people would stand in line this long just to walk through the building. I understand it's the largest Apple building in the United States but they'll probably have a bigger one built next week somewhere else! At least I won't have to worry about Apple going out of business anytime soon. Which is lucky since I'm saving for a Mac computer.

While the crowd for Mike Lowell wasn't as long, it still wasn't too shabby. You can click here to check out the Lowell Line. I'm not one for crowds so I wasn't willing to stand in either...well, except being part of the small crowd that gathered to gawk at the bigger crowd.

Oh by the way, this photo was taken with my new Canon PowerShot SD870. I couldn't handle taking pictures with my old 3MP PowerShot anymore (it just wasn't cutting it). Also, there are times when I'm just not willing to bring my Rebel XTi to work with me (either bad weather, no time or plain laziness). However, I wanted to have a camera on me almost at all times- you never know when there will be a photo op. I love the new PowerShot for it's small physical size and large 8mp resolution. If I'm going for a walk to pick up lunch I put it in my pocket and usually come across one scene that I think would make a good photo.

Oh, baby

Thu, 15 May 2008 02:54:24 -0800

Back to the baby goslings from last week. I like the spiked hair on this little gal- very chick (sorry, couldn't resist)!

Kierstead's Farm

Wed, 14 May 2008 02:03:20 -0800

Another angle of Kierstead Farm where you can now see the barn.

I just bought a circular polarizer filter and this was one of the first shots I took with it on. I still need to experiment with it because the sky is still too overexposed. Now I really understand why they say the best photos are at sunrise and sunset. However, I was here in the middle of the day and needed to take some pictures for the blog.

Country Living

Tue, 13 May 2008 02:31:14 -0800

The Kierstead farm, located down the street from where I grew up. I've always loved the look of this house with the green grass, sloping hills, small stream (not pictured) and the tranquil pond. On the other side of the house is a barn and another open field. We use to play in the fields, jump in the hay and watch the cows being milked. Also, my childhood cat came from their place.

Confirmed

Mon, 12 May 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Yesterday, my nephew Josh was confirmed at church. He had to go through a very grueling 9 month class, in order to achieve this rite of initiation into Christian discipleship (something like that).

Great job, Josh! I'm very proud of your commitment (even if it wasn't necessarily by choice).

God bless!

Awww

Fri, 9 May 2008 02:30:00 -0800

How cute are these little guys?! I mentioned in yesterday's post that after being perfectly still and calm, I was able to get fairly close to the goslings without the mother and father hissing and chasing me away. I couldn't get enough of watching these babies. I would have taken twice as many pictures of them if my battery hadn't run out (and once again my backup battery was dead- I really need to remember to recharge them or buy more spare batteries). But then maybe it was a good thing they ran out. I was able to enjoy watching the babies and absorbing how beautiful and precious they are. Instead of getting caught up in taking the perfect shot.

Family Waddle

Thu, 8 May 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Cyndi (co-worker) and I took a quick walk yesterday around part of the River Walk. We came across two families of geese. Of course I didn't have my camera with me at the time. So, after work I decided to walk back over to the same area and see if I could find one of the families. Sure enough I came across the family of nine.

It was such a wonderful feeling to watch these babies waddle around and to see how protective the parents were of them. Depending on how close I got the mother and father goose would start hissing and sticking their tongue out. Also, as the family would start walking the parents would put themselves between the babies and anyone walking towards them. I stood as close as possible and tried to keep as calm as possible. The more I stayed perfectly still and calm, the more willing the parents were to let the babies get closer to me. Of course they would only let them get a certain distance before they would gather them together and move along.

Phillips Brooks

Wed, 7 May 2008 03:07:20 -0800

This statue is located on the left side of the Trinity Church in Coply Square. The statue's plaque reads:

PHILLIPS BROOKS
Preacher of the word of God
Lover of Mankind
Born in Boston AD MDCCCXXXV
Died in Boston AD MDCCCXCIII

On two different days I stopped by this statue and took pictures. I still don't feel satisfied with the photo I've captured (it looks so much more impressive in real life than in 2 dimensional form). I think what bothers me most has something to do with the bluish tint to the statues. I ended up taking 3 different exposures and merging them together to use various pieces of each. I took a little of the blue out and made it more gray but it still's not quiet right. However, I really like how the golden dome came out.

St. Matthew & St. Mark

Tue, 6 May 2008 02:30:00 -0800

This is a very small section of the Trinity Church in Copley Square. The architecture on this church is just amazing- so much detail. I love how the building tells a story. Apparently I'm not the only one who is impressed by this church- Wikipedia states that "Trinity Church is the only church in the United States and the only building in Boston that has been honored as one of the "Ten Most Significant Buildings in the United States" by the American Institute of Architects (AIA)."

Here's some more information gathered from wikipedia: "After its former site burned in the Great Boston Fire of 1872, the current church complex was erected under the direction of Rector Phillips Brooks (1835-1893), one of the best-known and most charismatic preachers of his time. The church and parish house were designed by Henry Hobson Richardson and construction took place from 1872 to 1877, when the complex was consecrated. Situated on Copley Square in the Back Bay, Trinity Church is the building that established Richardson's reputation. It is the birthplace and archetype of the Richardsonian Romanesque style, characterized by a clay roof, polychromy, rough stone, heavy arches, and a massive tower. This style was soon adopted for a number of public buildings across the United States, and was the first American architectural style imitated in Europe and Canada."

Oh yeah, we won our first softball game of the season last night! Off to a good start.

Iron Fence

Mon, 5 May 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Another picture taken at the Public Garden. I didn't have time to go out and get pictures this weekend so I'll have to post a few from last weeks walk through the park. I liked the fencing in this photo.

The first softball game of the season starts tonight. Maybe I'll bring the camera and get a few photos- I'll have to see how things go during the game.

Red Tulips

Fri, 2 May 2008 02:30:00 -0800

All the hard work they're doing in the Public Garden (see yesterday's photo) is really paying off in this picture. There are still tons of flowers that have yet to bloom in the park. If you look under the lamp post you can see that those tulips have still not bloomed. I'd say in the next week or two it will really be starting to peak. I usually try to walk through once at least once a week to see what's new.

The Little Dig

Thu, 1 May 2008 02:30:00 -0800

It's not the Big Dig but this Little Dig is going to make some beautiful changes (and in a short amount of time). The Public Garden is just starting to blossom to life. The Swan Boats are running, flowers are starting to bloom and tons of people are enjoying the grounds. I for one have been looking forward to seeing the Public Garden as it blooms to life.

Notice the sign in the bottom left corner says "Please Stay off the grass." I didn't notice it when I took the picture. It was funny to see it when I opened the image on the computer.

Giant Baby Head

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:58:00 -0800

This was taken in front of the MFA. I was riding on the T when we went by the MFA and I thought it was pretty funny to see a giant baby head. There is one on either side of the museum building's entrance. Apparently, they planted them for spring!

If you look at my Stormy MFA photo from Nov. you'll see that there were no baby heads at that time (this baby head is located in the left corner by the tree).

Richard

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:04:20 -0800

This isn't the best exposed picture but it's more the story that goes with it. I was sitting on a bench just getting my camera ready to take a picture of the tortoise when I heard someone say, "want to take a picture of me sitting on the turtle?" I figured he was just joking with me so I jokingly said sure. Next thing I know he's sitting on the turtle and I just clicked the picture (without checking my settings). After snapping the photo he got off the turtle and sat next to me on the bench. Of course he wanted to chat with me so I talked with him for about 5 minutes.

His name is Richard and while he use to write poetry he is writing a piece of fiction now that is going to be a big hit. He also told me more information about his life than I probably needed to know. I don't think he's homeless but I do believe he may have some issues with reality. But he was nice enough to talk with me for a few minutes and allowed me this photo.

Good luck, Richard.

Happy Birthday

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:05:20 -0800

My nephew Josh made me a birthday card. I love it! He knows I really like the Robert Sabuda pop-up books (I have a collection of them) so he went to the Robert Sabuda website and learned how to make a pop-up card. It means a great deal to me that he'd take the time to do that. He also colored the card, added his own carrot and a very cute birthday greeting. It's now displayed on my fridge.

I also received some wonderful gifts from everyone else in the family as well as a delicious home cooked meal and cake! Thank you everyone!!

Antique Lights

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 02:25:18 -0800

These lights are located on the Mary Baker Eddy Library (next to the Christian Science Church). I really liked the look of them. I added the antique color effect because I felt it went well with the style of the lights.

Green Dog

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 02:24:16 -0800

The plaque for this statue reads: "Green Dog: Created by Michael J. Ulman, AS'00, in recognition of Northeastern's commitment to developing and promoting alternative sources of energy for a sustainable environment."

Statue by day Super Hero by night? To me it looks more like Nuclear Dog. It's an interesting statue. The more I look at it the more I discover things about it. When I walk by it I don't normally notice the propeller on his back but someone pointed it out to me yesterday. I think the statue was suppose to make you think about being "green" but instead I just have lots of questions in my head- what is the little barrel under his neck suppose to represent? Why are the bottom of his legs green? Is he supposed to be able to fly with the propeller? I'm waiting for the TV show "Green Dog" to debut, to answer these questions...oh wait, that would probably be a waste of energy?!

Duck, Duck...

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Goose!

I'm amazed at how close I'm able to get to the geese that hang out near my work. There was one goose that came up out of the pond and started walking right towards me. I wasn't sure if I should back up or stay put. I stayed put and he came to less than a foot from me. We had a starring contest and then he went about eating the grass. It was pretty much the same with this goose. She was eating and I walked up as close as possible and started taking photos. She stopped eating, looked up at me and then went back to eating some more. I guess the first goose was trying to show me what it feels like to have someone walk right up and into your space. I think we came to some sort of understanding. I get to take a few pictures and they don't bite me!

Got Milk?

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:30:00 -0800

I found where they keep all the milk in Boston! Last week I decided to walk in a different direction (away from the Public Garden) and ended up walking past South Station. As I was walking over the bridge into South Boston I could see in the distance the top of this milk bottle. At first I couldn't tell what it was but the closer I got the more excited I was because I knew this was something that would make a good photo. This giant Hood milk bottle is located right outside the entrance to the Children's Museum.

Swan Boats

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:37:50 -0800

The swan boats in the Public Garden opened this past Saturday. As you can see they re-filled the pond since I took the Drained photo a couple weeks ago. This shot was taken last Thursday and as I mentioned in Friday's post there were tons of people at the park (as you can see from the sky it was a picture perfect day). I had a hard time taken photos without people walking into my frame.

I think the last time I took a swan boat ride was when I was a little kid. Maybe this year I'll take a ride around the pond- could be fun!

Blooming

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:30:00 -0800

Here she is. I'm pretty sure this is the same pink bud I took last week, now in full bloom. She looks very fragile- as if a small wind could have her petals fluttering down.

Today was another sunny day. I had lunch outside with a couple of co-workers. Then after work I took my camera and walked through the Public Garden. It was amazing how many people were outside enjoying the park. People laying on the swan boat dock, others sitting on benches, little kids dipping their hands into the water. There were even a few people doing a kind of movement dance around the fountains (very interesting to watch). It was almost like watching people awakening from a deep sleep. I suppose after hybernating for the past few months we are coming out of a deep sleep and are now happily soaking up the sunlight and warmth.

Yellow Bud

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:30:00 -0800

This magnolia bud was taken the same day as the peaking through image. When you walk into my building at work there is the yellow magnolia on the left and the pink magnolia on the right. It's a nice site to see when coming and going at work. The tree is now in bloom and some of the flowers are even falling off!

Today was a beautiful day for walking around outside. I took some pictures before and after work and it was so nice to see so many signs of Spring.

Mt. Monadnock

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:30:00 -0800

This isn't actually Mt. Monadnock but it is a big hill that was located near the mountain. Okay, it wasn't even that big of a hill. This is part of the resort and where I once went skiing as a youth group kid. I remember they use to have a tug rope system but it ended up being quicker to just walk up the hill and then ski down it. I assume today they probably take the kids to the big mountain.

I'm not sure what this building is, except that it's pretty shabby looking. At first I was only taking a photo of the tree but then I really liked the look of these two all alone on the hill. I think the 3.2 mega pixel camera works well for this photo. It gives it a little more grit/graininess.

Flower Power

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:30:00 -0800

The second workshop I took at last weekend's retreat was "Flower Arranging." Those who know me probably find it surprising that I would signup for this workshop. Even I was a bit surprised that this was the one I was drawn towards. Besides getting headaches from very perfume smelling flowers I also have a black thumb. Although, alot has to do with forgetfulness. I always forget to water the plants and then I tend to overwater them when I remember.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the class and my arrangement. I gave the arrangement to mom and dad to enjoy...I didn't think it would stay alive very long in my hands.

Mountain Stream

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:30:00 -0800

This past weekend my friend invited me on a women's retreat with her church group. We stayed in NH at the Mt. Monadnock Bible Resort. It was a nice weekend meeting the other women, learning things about myself and having lots of fun. They had workshop classes- I took a pilates class which I'm still recuperating from and there were lots of games (pool, ping pong, laser tag, air hockey and more).

This stream was across the street from the house I was staying in. If I stood outside on the porch I could hear the water flowing. Each day I walked down to see and hear the water flowing. Unfortunately, I did not have my SLR camera with me, so I had to take this picture with my PowerShot 3.2 mega pixel camera. After using the 10 mega pixel SLR the difference in quality and sharpness over the PowerShot is extreme and makes it difficult to even pull out the PowerShot. I may need to think about buying a new point-and-shoot camera for all those times I can only carry a small pocket camera with me.

Peaking through

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:51:47 -0800

When I walked up to the front door at work I couldn't help but notice the magnolia tree starting to bloom. It probably had to do with the fact that it was nice out and I wasn't in hurry to go inside to start working. But then I did run inside so I could borrow work's camera and get a few shots (okay a lot of pictures). I really like the look and feel of the fuzzy cocoon covering the flower. There were a few flowers that had bloomed but most were still just starting to break through. By Monday this tree should be bursting with colors!

I realized after taking pictures that my camera was set to 400 ISO. On such a beautiful sunny day it should have been set to 100 ISO. Oh well, the shot still came out, although it would have been even sharper at the lower ISO. I also used a macro lens which I'm not use to. One slight movement and everything is out of focus. I wasn't using a tripod and it was a bit windy so I guess it was good that I was set to 400 ISO.

Crossing the Bowl of Tears

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:16:30 -0800

This is a statue from the Irish Famine Memorial, located in Downtown Crossing (outside of Borders). I had a hard time capturing this image. It's a very powerful statue and I couldn't quite get the angle I wanted. I went with this shot because I was able to frame it so that the building across the street was the backdrop. From other angles you could see street lights, cars in traffic and people walking by. However, from this angle you cannot see as much of the anguish on the woman's face who is kneeling.

There is a plaque that reads:

Crossing the Bowl of Tears
In a frantic attempt to outwit death, nearly two million people fled Ireland. "many thousands of peasants who could still scrape up the means fled to the sea as if pursued by wild beasts, and betook themselves to America," wrote Irish patriot John Mitchel. The emigrants boarded vessels so unseaworthy they were called Coffin Ships. So many passengers died at sea that poet John Boyle O'Reilly called the Atlantic Ocean upon which they journeyed "a bowl of tears."

Fruit and Vegetable Stand

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 11:04:29 -0800

This is another vegetable/fruit stand in the Downtown Crossing area. I really like how it is nestled between the buildings. I find it fascinating to see how the city incorporates a farm stand. In the Downtown Crossing area there are 3 vegetable/fruit stands. For some reason I've yet to buy anything from one of these stands- even though everything looks really tasty.

It's a bit different than what I was use to growing up (and even to this day). Being from a small town with lots of farms in the area, I'm use to seeing farm stands along the side of the road and being able to look out over the actual crops the vegetables/fruit came from. And yet I buy most of my fruit and vegetables at Whole Foods?!