JETeye

River Walk

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 02:30:00 -0800

This is the River Walk in Stuart, FL. You can also see a shot from last year and another shot from two years ago. We typically stroll along this walkway once or twice when I visit and I look forward to it each time. I'll be going back down to Florida for Easter so I'm sure I'll be taking another stroll along the River Walk.

Vanishing Point

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:30:00 -0800

This was taken near the Jupiter lighthouse. It's in a housing community where they have these community walkways going through people's yards to take you to the water inlet.

Croquet Anyone?

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:30:00 -0800

Happy Birthday, Dad!! Hope you have a great day!

When I visit Florida we like to drive around and see how the other half lives. We cruised around Jupiter Island and drove down one of the streets that I believe may have said "members only." At the end of this street was this croquet court. I'm not sure why but it made me laugh that they had this fancy croquet court and people dressed in their all white outfits. I suppose it could be jealousy...I can never wear white because I always drop food on myself. Off the same street is this cute little Wine & Spirit Shop. So, after a hard day of playing croquet you can pick up a nice bottle of wine. Or maybe you get the wine first and have it while you play.

The black at the bottom of the first shot is the car window. I was sitting in the back seat trying to secretly grab this shot. Since we were trespassing we didn't get out of the car. We just did a quick drive by.

It rained for four days straight and yesterday we finally got a sunny day. However, there were still many issues from the storm. Yesterday, I drove to the train station instead of the commuter rail. What usually takes 15 minutes took about 40 minutes. Two roads were closed which backed traffic up for miles. On the way home two traffic signals were out, one being the signal for the commuter rail. Kind of scary to go over the tracks not knowing if the signal was working correctly and hoping no train was coming. Another road was closed due to the water at the bottom of the road being too deep to drive through. I'm amazed at how many people will drive through these puddles lakes.

Snowbird

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:30:00 -0800

This might be one of the snowbirds the bumper sticker from yesterday was talking about.

We've had lots of rain the past few days. It's been nice looking back at these Florida photos and seeing the bright blue sky.

Their, They're

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:30:00 -0800

As my Mom pointed out, this bumper sticker might have more impact if it was grammatically correct. Do you think this sticker was mass produced and nobody noticed that it should be they're and not their?

Wood Log

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:30:00 -0800

I loved the textures and tones of this log. That's all I have to say.

Shipwrecked

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:30:00 -0800

These logs are not debris from the current storm but one from over 100 years ago. There is an old shipwreck buried under the front beach on my aunt and uncle's property. It's believed this is a ship from the 1800s that was carried away from Plymouth by a storm and grounded on Saquish. We've been able to see pieces of the debris over the years but with each storm more and more of it is being uncovered. Unfortunately, I don't have a very good wide shot of it. Actually, I just discovered if you look at the bottom photo from Monday's shot you can see a wider shot that shows the logs sticking out of the sand.

I could be wrong about the facts in the shipwreck story so if you know it please chime in with the real information.

Saquish Fence

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:30:00 -0800

It's sad that this fence is falling down due to the winter storms however, I really like the look of the lines and shapes to it.

Back Beach in Winter

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 03:30:00 -0800

It's strange to be at the beach in the winter when everything is brown and dormant. Even so it still makes a pretty picture. I was saying to my aunt and uncle I forget how much I miss the sound of the ocean until I hear it again (same thing happens when I go to Florida and walk the beach). There's something about the waves crashing on the beach that brings me peace.

Erosion

Mon, 8 Mar 2010 03:30:00 -0800

We had a beautiful weekend in Massachusetts. Yesterday, I drove out to Saquish with my aunt and uncle to take some photos and check on the damage from the storm. We had a very high tide from the last full moon. The water came up very high and washed away a lot of the dunes. As you can see from these photos this cottage on the front beach has lost a lot of protection in front of their property. Let's hope the winds change and start blowing the sand back to build up the dunes again.

This is how tired I am. I had this titled Corrosion instead of Erosion and yet no one corrected me...mom where are you?

Move Along

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 03:30:00 -0800

As I mentioned in yesterday's post these birds weren't too happy that I was invading their space. I tried to slowly approach them to get some really close shots but they kept picking themselves up and moving a little further down the walkway. After getting yesterday's shot I tried walking around them but they didn't like that so they quickly walked away from me.

They've Got A Leg Up On Me

Thu, 4 Mar 2010 03:30:00 -0800

I'll admit I Photoshopped out the bird turd to make this image more appealing (maybe that's why they have their leg up)! I went out to walk on the dock to look for pelicans when I spotted a bunch of these Ibis hanging out. They weren't too happy that I was walking over and into their space.

Gliding

Wed, 3 Mar 2010 03:30:00 -0800

On land pelicans look awkward to me. They look very prehistoric, their bills seem too large for their bodies and when they eat a whole fish it looks painful. However, when you see them in the sky they actually have a gracefulness to them. The further away the more graceful they look but even up close they glide by with a confidence that I don't see when they are on land.

Snack Time

Tue, 2 Mar 2010 03:30:00 -0800

I don't think this little fella was going to share his snack with me. Guess I don't blame him. The squirrels in Stuart, FL are much more skittish than the ones in Boston. It wasn't easy to get close to this one as he kept keeping his eye on me. In Boston they practically come up to you begging for food and if you don't have anything they give you a bit of attitude.

Pink Palm

Mon, 1 Mar 2010 03:30:00 -0800

There wasn't a whole lot of color in Florida (it has been unseasonable cold) but when I did see some it seemed extra vibrant. I really loved the colors of this flower sprouting out of the bottom of a palm tree. Plus, it looks really cool. Kind of reminds me of a spider plant.

Whatzhisface We Love You

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 03:30:00 -0800

At the RiverSide Park there was this beautiful dock you could walk out on. As we were walking we noticed that there were plaques running along the floor of the left side. Most of them were your typical "In memory of...", "We love you Grandpa", etc. My dad started laughing and pointed out the one above. I love the humor of it. I think we all have a Whatzhisface in our lives that we love!

Indian RiverSide Park

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 03:30:00 -0800

Not far from the Dolphin Bar and Shrimp House is the Indian RiverSide Park. At the park is a building called the Frances Langford Dockside Pavilion. I mentioned how Frances Langford owned the Dolphin Bar. It seems that she lived most of her life in Jensen Beach and was a supportive member of the community, donating a great deal of money. They put her money to good use.

Another Fish in the Wall

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:30:00 -0800

This wall is part of the Dolphin Bar and Shrimp House located in Jensen Beach. Their website says the restaurant was created by famous movie star Francis Langford. Although I never heard of her but then I think she was famous back in the 1930s/40s.

I loved not only the art work of the tile fish but how artistically they placed it in the brick so it looked as if the fish really crashed through or was being pulled out of the brick.

Florida Murals

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 03:30:00 -0800

I love how artistic they are in Florida. Or at least in the Stuart, FL area. If you don't have a beach front home you can just paint one on. If only it was that simple (or maybe it is).

Manatee Creek Nearing Sunset

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 03:30:00 -0800

This shot is looking out over Manatee Creek to the condos my parents stay in. The brown building you see is part of the condo complex they are at. Their condo is just to the right, you can sort of make it out through the trees. When I walk out on the dock this is the view I have (well the opposite side of the view). It's a really nice spot.

River Restaurants

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 03:30:00 -0800

Maybe it's not a river but on the right side are a couple of restaurants along this waterway. I like that you can either drive to these restaurants or just pull up in your boat.

So, yesterday I entered a photo into an iPhone contest. The rules are that you had to take a photo with an iPhone and only use an iPhone app to make an edits. I had been using my iPhone to take pictures during my vacation to put on Facebook. The photo I took at the airport seemed to come out the best. If you'd like to vote for my photo (or just see it) you can find it here. Or if you want to enter your own iPhone photo follow the link and go to the About page. Only 8 days left to enter.

Oh, Coconuts!

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 03:29:00 -0800

These beauties were actually being thrown out with the trash. I guess they are so common in Florida that people just toss them out with the rest of the palm leaves. Mom and I grabbed a couple loose ones to bring back to the condo for decoration. Last year, Mom brought one home for me. A little reminder of my time in Florida and also very useful in the summer as I use it to prop my balcony door open.

Little Lizard

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 03:30:00 -0800

Last year I saw a bunch of these little guys. This year I didn't see as many except for this one tree that seemed to house a few of them. I wonder if the cold weather had them staying hidden.

Condo Dock

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 03:30:00 -0800

The condo my parents rent is located on an inlet of water. While they are in the back by the pool it is probably only about 50 yards to the water. There are two docks you can walk out on that have boat slips at the end. Last year there were a bunch of pelicans that hung out on the logs but this year I only saw 1 or 2. They must have done something to keep them away but I couldn't figure out what they did.

There was a bench at the end of this dock that I liked to sit on and watch nature.

North Carolina

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:30:00 -0800

Our drive down to Florida was a little more eventful this year. It was strange that the further south we drove the more snow we encountered. Typically, we drive 10 hours on the first day but 6.5 hours into the drive we hit the beginning of the snow storm that was blanketing DC/Baltimore/North Carolina. We decided to pull over and wait out the storm at the bottom of New Jersey. The next day we got a little later start in hopes that North Carolina would be plowed out by the time we passed through. The second day we made it down to the border of North/South Carolina. We were past the snow marker but this area had gotten an ice storm instead.

This shot was taken from the backseat of the car. It's hard to make out but the white on the trees is all ice.

Petals

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 03:30:00 -0800

Happy Birthday, Mom! These rose petals are for you. Love you.

Polka Dots

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:30:00 -0800

These are the white roses from yesterday's shot. As you can see they weren't all white but had pink polka dots. I love the polka dots.

White Roses

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 21:00:00 -0800

Pretty white roses.

I was supposed to be flying back to Boston today from Florida but with the Nor'easter hitting I've switched my flight to Friday. I like the idea of waiting out a snowstorm in Florida. The temperature has dropped down into the low 60s but that's still better than at home.

The Crooked Path

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 03:30:00 -0800

I like the design/layout of this rose garden. With the different paths it makes it feel larger than it really is.

Kelleher Rose Garden

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 03:30:00 -0800

This is a beautiful rose garden in the Fenway area. We had a lot of rain last spring/summer which did some damage to the roses. However, the garden still looked beautiful.

We've been in Florida for one full week. The weather has been cloudy and in the low 70s and windy. Yesterday was very cool. Only in the low 60s. Today and tomorrow are supposed to be very nice. I hear there could be snow when I head back on Wednesday. I better enjoy the warmth while I can.

Duck

Fri, 5 Feb 2010 03:30:00 -0800

I don't pull out the 55-250mm lens as much as I should but when I do I'm very happy with the results. This duck was relaxing in the late afternoon sun at the Public Garden. I probably could have done a little dodging and burning on this image so the face was a little brighter and the foreground wasn't so bright but I really liked the natural lighting and left it as is.

Swan

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 03:30:00 -0800

Not only are there swan boats in the Public Garden but there are also real swans. I love how this duck is looking at the swan and how he might be thinking "you gonna get up soon buddy?" I think he wanted a turn at cuddling up in the nest for a nice nap. I really can't blame him. Nothing better than a mid-afternoon nap.

Reaching for the Sky

Wed, 3 Feb 2010 03:30:00 -0800

I had taken a bunch of photos last Spring but never posted them because I was posting images from my Italy vacation for months. When I went back and started looking through these Spring photos I came across this one and it was my favorite. I just love the colors.

Not as many flowers in Florida this year. They had a couple weeks of really cold weather before we got here and it did a lot of damage to the flowers and trees. Yesterday, we walked over to Manatee Cove and saw at least 4 dead fish floating in the water. Seems the cold weather had killed them. Thankfully, it's warmed up since we've arrived.

Line 'Em Up

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 03:30:00 -0800

A closer shot of the tulips from yesterday's photo. Aren't they gorgeous?! The colors look so vibrant compared to all the snow and rain we've had here this winter.

Spring in the Park

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 03:30:00 -0800

Last week I showed photos from the Boston Public Garden in the snow. Today, we should be arriving in Florida so I thought I'd pull out a shot of the Public Garden from the Spring. I sure hope we have beautiful weather while I'm in Florida for the next week. Looking forward to relaxing and soaking up as much warmth as I can. I love the Garden in the Spring...such beautiful colors.

Florida or Bust

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:30:00 -0800

Tomorrow we begin the drive to Florida! Last year it was pretty cold the week I was down there. Not quite as cold as this image but in the mid 50s to low 60s. While that would feel pretty warm here in MA I really hope we see some 70° weather down south. It would be nice to read a book by the pool or sit outside at the Tiki Hut with a drink watching the boats go by.

A Ball in the Hand...

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 03:30:00 -0800

is worth an interesting shot. After taking photos in the Public Garden I continued my walk over to Copley Plaza. This bronze statue is located in front of the McKim Building (part of the Boston Public Library). There are two statues in front of this building. I believe they represent the "arts" and "sciences." This would be the statue of the sciences.

Typically, when I process images in Lightroom I add clarity to them. It enhances the contrast and usually makes images look sharper. With this image I was playing with the clarity and it instead of sliding the clarity to the right (to enhance it) I had slid it to the left. I thought, "oops" and slid it to the right but then realized I liked the look it gave the image with negative clarity better. What it ended up doing was that it kept the woman's face in focus but added a slight blur to the rest of the image. There already was a little blur to the hand as I had focused on the face and wanted the foreground blurred. But the negative clarity also added some blur to the background without blurring the face.

A Bird in the Hand...

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:30:00 -0800

is worth a pretty picture. This statue is also located near the Arlington Street entrance of the Public Garden, just to the right of the George Washington statue.

A Walk Through the Park

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:30:00 -0800

I just thought it was so cute when I saw this father and daughter walk by holding hands. I assume he was walking her to school. I knew I wanted to get a shot of them and waited until there was only the two of them on this path. In the background you can see the George Washington statue from yesterday's shot.

Winter in the Park

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 03:30:00 -0800

After we had the weekend snowstorm at the beginning of the month I decided to take the DSLR to work with me that Monday. I took the train to South Station and then walked over to the Public Garden. It was a very pretty walk through the Boston Commons and the Public Garden. Once I was engrossed in the photography I mostly forgot about how cold it was and quickly lost track of time. I think I arrived at work an hour later than usual.

This is the George Washington statue near the Arlington Street entrance of the Public Garden.

Inside the Green

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 03:30:00 -0800

Another shot with the macro lens. I'm not sure what this bush is but it looks like some type of pine needle thingy. I liked how the little buds were nested inside.

One more week and then I pack up to begin the drive down to Florida with Mom and Dad!

B-icycle

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 03:30:00 -0800

This is not the mode of transportation I would want to be taking during the winter. It makes me cold just looking at this image. I believe the owner of the bike was looking through the dumpster for bottles and cans (but I could be mistaken). The recycling business must be more profitable than I thought as this is a pretty nice bike.

I added a little HDR to this image using the Dynamic Photo HDR plugin for Photoshop. It really helps to bring out the texture in the snow.

Fogg Building

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 03:30:00 -0800

The is the entrance to the Fogg Building. It is located across the street from the Fogg Library. The building was originally the Fogg Opera House built in 1888 by the Fogg family. The building has been converted into apartments with the ground floor accommodating retail businesses. I should go back and take a photo of the whole building someday. It's a wonderful piece of architecture. I really liked the look of the entrance. The colors seemed more vibrant this day because of all the snow falling. I also gave it a little HDR processing to really make it pop.

Fogg Library

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 03:30:00 -0800

I don't know very much about the area where I live. I pretty much moved to this area because it was closer to Boston but still not too far away from where I grew up and my family still lives. It's conveniently located near the commuter rail and the T station. Other than the hospital, the Honda dealership, Wal-mart and a few other places I really have no idea where things are located. I should probably also learn some of the street names.

I've always wondered where the closest library was located to my place. A couple weeks ago when I was walking around taking photos of the snowstorm I took a shot of this building. Zooming into the building to see the name on it I discovered it was called the Fogg Library. I thought, great, a library just around the corner. One problem...it's closed due to renovations. This shouldn't really be a big deal since I've been at my place for over 6 years and haven't bothered to find the library. Typically, if I want to go to a library I just stop at the Boston Public Library after work. But it's nice to know that once renovations are done I'll be able to walk just up the street to find a good book.

I took the shot of this building because I liked the look of it but also thought all the snow piled up in front provided a good image of the amount of snow we've seen here. The building was built in 1897 and was added to the National Historic Register in 1981.

Leaf Bud

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 03:30:00 -0800

I have no idea what plant this bud is from. It's the same as the leaves from Friday's photo. Again, I was playing with the macro lens so I was walking around looking for anything I could take a shot of up close and personal. It worked out really well with the snow making a perfect backdrop. I loved the shape of this bud.

I Didn't Leave

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 03:30:00 -0800

Not all leaves fall of the trees and plants during the Fall. The color of these leaves caught my eye. I think they look so pretty against the white snow.

I borrowed the macro lens from work during vacation and used it for this shot. It's always interesting to see where it will blur the image. I used a 2.8 f-stop which really gave it a small depth of field. I found it very interesting that part of the leaf is in focus while another piece is out of focus. I kind of like it that way.

How Grate Thou Art

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 03:30:00 -0800

When I came across this grate framed in the snow, it looked like a work of art to me. I kind of wished the whole thing had been covered in snow because I really like the look of the holes in the snow.

It's Magic

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 03:30:00 -0800

I've been told these berries are from an Indian Magic Crabapple Tree. I think it's magic that the tree can still have these red berries in the bitter cold winter. It always looks so pretty to see red berries in winter among the snow. A little reminder that once again we will see spring after a long winter.

Outdoor Recess?

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 03:30:00 -0800

There won't be outdoor recess for quite awhile. Although, I did think it looked like it might be fun to take a slide down into the snow. Well, if I had a snow suit on and not the jeans I was out in this day.

Snowy Road

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 03:30:00 -0800

I still have a lot of images left over from the weekend storm of January 2010. I'm sure by the time I finish posting them we'll have had another storm for me to shoot. At least I have something to post on the blog.

I don't typically like driving on roads like this because they are slippery and usually there is black ice just beneath the snowy surface. Although, living in New England sometimes you don't have a choice. For this shot I just walked down the street with my camera. I do love the look of the roads covered with snow.

I Walk Alone

Fri, 8 Jan 2010 03:30:00 -0800

I mentioned earlier in the week that I like to get up early when we've had a morning snowstorm and be one of the first ones outside. Even though there's a snowstorm swirling around me there's still a calmness about it. There's something special about being the first one to make a path through the newly fallen snow.

Once you walked through these gates and up the alley it brought you out to this open field (it's actually a baseball field). It was pretty amazing to be standing here surrounded by this sea of white.

January 3, 2010: A Little More Snow

Thu, 7 Jan 2010 03:30:00 -0800

Four days in a row of snow! Nothing like starting the first three days of the new year being snowed in. If this is an indication of the rest of the winter I think it's going to be a long one! I'm very grateful for the workers at my apartment complex. They are always out there at the first sign of snow clearing the walk ways and plowing the parking spaces and driveway. I don't think they had time to rest for more than a minute with this weekend storm.

January 2, 2010: And Then It Really Began To Snow

Wed, 6 Jan 2010 03:30:00 -0800

I woke up Saturday morning to another snow storm. I thought the snow wasn't supposed to start falling until the afternoon but it started in the early morning hours and just kept on snowing into the late afternoon. What else was I going to do on a Saturday morning but grab the camera and head outside to get some more winter images.

The snow was coming down pretty good at times. I had my new LL Bean boots on that are amazing. My feet were actually hot at times. This is never heard of, my feet are always cold! It's a good thing I ordered them right away as they are definitely getting lots of use (thanks for the Xmas gift, Dad)! I also wore my new fingerless gloves. These are the gloves that have a mitten part at the top that you can pull back so your fingers are exposed. They are very handy when taking pictures. My hands are always freezing when taking pictures in the cold because I can't adjust the camera buttons with gloves/mittens on. With these I can keep the gloves on then just pull back the mitten top when I need to adjust the camera buttons. My hands still get a little cold but they are so much better with these gloves (thanks Aunt Jud and Uncle John)!

January 1, 2010: A Couple More Inches of Snow

Tue, 5 Jan 2010 03:30:00 -0800

I mentioned yesterday that I stayed over at my brother's house for New Years. My newphew was kind enough to let me take his bed for the night. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to sleep much. Went to bed sometime after 1am and woke up every 2 hours. Finally, at 7am I decided to read a book. At 7:30am I went downstairs for a drink of water and looked out the window to see that it had snowed even more over night. Ran back upstairs and grabbed the camera. I always enjoy being one of the first ones outside when we've had an early morning snow. It's always so peaceful and the scenery so beautiful.

December 31, 2009: A Light Dusting of Snow

Mon, 4 Jan 2010 03:30:00 -0800

We got a light dusting of snow during the day on New Year's Eve. Just enough to make the branches on the trees look very pretty. Maybe it was a little cleansing for the arrival of the new year.

I ended up going to my brother's house for New Year's Eve. I don't like being out on the road that night so I packed some clothes, a sleeping bag, pillow and of course the chocolate chip cookies. We had lots of good appetizers and desserts and stayed up playing games. I even managed to stay awake until midnight.

Happy New Year!

Fri, 1 Jan 2010 03:30:00 -0800

Happy New Year everyone! Welcome to 2010!! I hope you all have a magical new year!

Squirrel Snack

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 03:30:00 -0800

A couple weeks ago when I brought my camera to work I walked through the Central Burying Ground located in the Boston Commons. I spotted this squirrel and decided to follow him with my camera. He ended up taking a quick snack break. The name on the tomb was Ebenezer (Dorr) which seemed approprite being so close to Christmas. I just love how she grips food with her little hands. I'm sure I'll be snacking on a lot of food tonight.

So long to 2009!

Abstract Christmas Tree

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 03:30:00 -0800

Okay, this is a very unusual image for me. I'm not usually one for abstract art but there was something about this image I found intriguing. It was actually a mistake that created this shot. I was taking a shot of the Christmas tree and forgot to turn on the flash. When I took the photo I realized it was going to be a 1 second shutter speed and not having it on a tripod I knew I wouldn't be able to hold it still so I moved the camera away and figured I'd just delete the image. However, it produced this abstract shot above that my nephew and cousin said looked cool (it may be worth noting that they are both under 17 years old). There is a technique called painting with light that I've been reading about but have yet to try. This was sort of a painting with light mistake. It's definitely interesting what the camera does with long exposure, movement and light. Next time I'll have to purposely try to paint with light and see what happens.

Don't worry I'm not likely to switch to this type of abstract art anytime soon. But sometimes it's interesting to look at something in a new way. Other than the streaks of light this is sort of what a Christmas Tree looks like when I don't have my glasses on!

The stocking were hung by the chimney with care...

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 03:30:00 -0800

in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there. Mom does a wonderful job decorating the fireplace mantel. The three stockings hanging on the right side date back about 40 years. These stockings were made for me and my brothers when we were little kids. The other three stockings were added in the past twenty years when Mom had one made for her and Dad (or maybe Mom made it?) and the other two were made when my nephews came along. Nothing better than a nice fire going on Christmas morning.

Outdoor Refrigeration

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 03:30:00 -0800

One of the benefits of living in New England in the winter is that when it snows you have a free refrigerator. At my aunt's house if you wanted a drink on Christmas night you knew right where to go. It also works out well at my parent's house since they have a porch. Any leftovers or items that won't fit in the frig. are put outside on the porch table. I would use my balcony this way but I always have an empty frig. in the house so I never need the extra storage.

Merry Christmas!

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 03:30:00 -0800

This is what Christmas means to me...the love of family. Every year, for as far back as I can remember (close to 40 years) we have always taken a Christmas photo. It started with the parents taken a picture of us cousins while we celebrated at Grampa's house. As we got older the adults joined us in the photo (guess we weren't that cute anymore). When my grandfather passed away my aunt took over the role of hosting the Christmas party. Everyone knows that at some point during the night we must all gather together for the Christmas photo. Of course it's been my job to take the photo the past few years.

Some years we've had more people in the photo and other years it's been smaller. While a few people are no longer with us and some have moved further away, there have been many new additions. Cousins have married and have had children of their own (even grandkids). What once started with only a handful of us kids has grown into a picture filled with the love of family.

Merry Christmas to All!

Snow Abstract

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 03:30:00 -0800

I was amazed that the snow piled on this branch didn't fall over. While we did get quite a bit of snow Sunday we were luckily that it was mostly on the light and fluffy side. Still heavy enough to have my arms and back aching from shoveling but not unbearable.

Snow Box

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 03:30:00 -0800

I think it was the red in this shot that caught my eye. Or maybe it was the green branch. I like how it's mostly white/light colors and then you have this red and green that add a splash of color. I guess we won't be seeing anymore flowers in this flower box for a few months.

Snow Feeder

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:30:00 -0800

I'm not sure the exact snowfall total but it had to have been 18+ inches. Thankfully, it wasn't heavy wet snow or I would be really sore today from all the shoveling. We did have enough snow for my nephew to have a snow day so he was pretty happy about it.

Not sure how the birds are going to be able to get their meals from this feeder until the snow melts. Here's a shot of the same bird feeder with some birds taking a lunch break from last year. It's interesting that in that post I mentioned how it had snowed over a foot on Dec. 21 and I posted another shot of the bird feeder with snow on it. Seems appropriate we would have snowstorms around the first day of winter.

Outside My Window

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:30:00 -0800

Today is the first day of winter but it really blew into town yesterday. This is what I woke up to yesterday morning. It was our first big storm of the season and it was a whopper! I ended up going down to my parents house on Saturday so I could get snowed in with them. Now that they have a generator it's not likely that they'll lose power. When we were kids we didn't have a generator and it seemed as if we lost power often. The biggest problem with losing power is that we have well water so when the power goes so does the plumbing. We would always fill the tub with water before a storm was due. Luckily, you could keep food cold by putting it outside in the cold. During the blizzard of '78 we lost power for a week! Thankfully, we had a nice big fireplace that could fit the hibachi to cook up steaks, burgers and hotdogs. Looking back now it doesn't seem as if it was so bad but at the time I'm sure it wasn't much fun after a day or two.

Read

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:30:00 -0800

Not promoting anything here but "reading is fundamental." When I was a kid I enjoyed watching tv more than reading. Now that I sit on a train for close to 2 hours each work day I read a lot.

They used to have the big Christmas Tree at the Prudential Center but now it's been moved to the Boston Commons. Again, you can see the Boston State House from yesterday's photo in the background.

Boston State House

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 03:30:00 -0800

I had a conference in the downtown Boston area on Monday so I thought I'd take the SLR camera with me that day. It was a pretty nice day to walk around. It's kind of hard to see in this shot but I liked the lights in the trees and of course the golden dome of the Boston State House always looks cool.

Details

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:30:00 -0800

It's amazing how much detail there is in these ice sculptures. Just look at the horse's eye. I think I can see eyelashes! And, I love how they added the snow to the carriage window. It really is the little touches that add so much to the overall piece of work.

Ice Artists

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:30:00 -0800

These are the three men that sculpted the horse and buggy. See yesterday's shot for a full image. This shot gives you a better perspective on how large this ice sculpture is. The horse (unfortunately not in this shot) was probably 6 feet tall or more to the tip of his ears. I find it very impressive!

Horse and Buggy Ice Sculpture

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 03:30:00 -0800

This past Saturday was Halifax's Holidays in Halifax event. I picked Mom up and we went over for about an hour. Mostly, I just wanted to get a shot of the ice sculpture and listen to Chris and Karen play bells. We were lucky enough to get there at 5pm before too many people had gathered around the sculpture. Most years I'm there early so I can watch the men make the ice sculptures but this year I wasn't up and out the door in time. It's definitely worth going to see.

If you haven't seen the past couple of year's ice sculptures check out the Toy Land ice sculpture and the Horse Stall ice sculpture.

Snow Squirrel

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:30:00 -0800

The top shot is one of those shots where you think "man, I hope that one comes out." As I was walking back to my apartment I heard a noise, looked up and saw this squirrel. I pointed the camera and snapped the image as quick as I could before he could run off. He did run to the other side of the tree but the image didn't come out too bad although my focus is off. I wasn't able to take the time to focus on the eyes so it looks as if his hands were the focal point on this one. I remained in my spot as quiet as I could be with the camera ready at my eye. Slowly he started poking his head out from behind the tree, then made his way to the ground wondering if I might have something to eat. I didn't so he looked me over for a minute and then ran off. I just love the bushy tail!

Early Morning Snow

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 03:30:00 -0800

The nice thing about a snowstorm on a Sunday morning is that most people aren't up yet. There's such a wonderful feeling of tranquility when walking around in the early morning snow. Although, I wasn't the first one up as you can see from these footprints.

As some of you found out yesterday, last month pixyBlog contacted me and asked if I would be interested in being the next featured photographer. I can't even tell you how honored and flattered I was that they would choose me. Yesterday, the article went live. If you'd like to check it out you can click on the graphic at the bottom.

I want to thank Kit and Richard for the wonderful article and for exposing me to a larger audience- which under most circumstances would get you arrested but in this community it's encouraged! Speaking of community, I want to thank all the photographers on pixyBlog (and those I've discovered by way of pixyBlog). I look at your incredible photos and I think, "I have so much more to learn" which inspires me to keep on learning. Of course if it wasn't for the encouragement of my family and friends I don't think I would have kept this up for so long. Anyway, not to milk this much longer but I am truly flattered that others have enjoyed my photography. It's been such an enriching experience for me. If you've every thought of joining a photography blog come join us on Pixy!

Red Berries

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 03:30:00 -0800

The red berries are always extra vibrant when it snows. They jumped out at me as I was walking by this bush. Not as much snow on these branches as there is ice but the ice looks pretty cool. Looks like the temperature is going to be dropping as the week goes on. In another month or so this 30° weather is going to seem warm to us!

Baby, it's getting cold outside

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 03:30:00 -0800

I mentioned that last week we had a 70° day and now the weather has turned. It's cold in the morning, high 20s, but warms up into the low 40s by the afternoon. I'm never quite ready for the cold but I'm always hoping for a white Christmas. Of course by March I'm done with the cold. Okay, by February I'm done with it but I go to Florida for a week so that helps.

First Snow

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 03:30:00 -0800

Talk about crazy New England weather...yesterday we had the first snow of the season (in my area anyway) while just 4 days ago I was sitting outside eating lunch because it was 70°!

I think the first snow is always the prettiest. At this point the trees have been bare of leaves for a few weeks and everything is brown. The first snow usually isn't a huge storm so it adds a beautiful dusting of white to the branches. Actually, now that I look at the pictures it was a little more than a dusting. However, it melted fairly fast as the sun came out and it started to reach the high 30s.

Captain Miranda

Fri, 4 Dec 2009 03:30:00 -0800

This was the tallest of the Tall Ships. Unfortunately, they didn't have their sails up but it's still pretty impressive.

"The Captain Miranda was launched in Spain in 1930 as sailing cargo carrier, she was active in various trades in Latin America after World War II. She became a hydrographic survey vessel for the Uruguayan Navy during the 1960s, and in 1978 was converted to school ship or the training future officers of the Uruguayan Navy."

Reference: The Blue Crab

Europa

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 03:30:00 -0800

The sails in yesterday's image are of this ship called Europa. It is from Amesterdam. I wish I could have gotten a better shot of the boat. It was really crowded on the pier when I took the top image so I tried standing on part of a concrete wall to be able to shot over people's heads.

"Since 1994 the barque EUROPA has roamed the seas of the world and built up the reputation of a ship that really sails. A professional crew of 14 and a complement of 48 voyage crewmembers of all ages and nationalities sail her. Tall Ships enthusiasts, some with no sailing experience, take the wheel, hoist the yards, navigate, etc. In a light breeze 30 sails bellow from EUROPA, taking her towards the horizon."

Reference: Bark Europa

Sails of the Tall Ships

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 03:30:00 -0800

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to do this job. While the heights might be enough to keep me away I think it would have to do more with being intimidated by all those ropes. Imagine having to get a knot out of these ropes!

The Roseway

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 03:30:00 -0800

"The Roseway is 137 feet of tall ship crowned with clouds of tanbark sails. In 1941 the Roseway was purchased by the Boston Pilot’s Association and spent the next thirty-two years in the pilot service. She stood her station off Boston Harbor year-round, through the worst of Fall gales and winter storms, meeting incoming ships and placing pilots aboard.

The Roseway was the last pilot schooner active in the United States and the Boston Pilots remember her as the most seakindly vessel in the service. In 1997, Roseway’s role as the country’s last sailing pilot schooner was honored by her designation as a National Historic Landmark, one of only 150 ships in the country so designated.

Roseway has been operating as a passenger carrying windjammer since 1975, when she was refitted with fourteen comfortable cabins. Her large beautiful main saloon was retained for dining and socializing. Up to thirty-two guests can enjoy the thrill of sailing aboard a true tall ship, one of the finest schooners in the Caribbean."

Reference: USVI.net

Tall Ships

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:30:00 -0800

On Friday July 10th, I left work a little early and made my way to the Boston waterfront. The Tall Ships had just sailed into the harbor the day before. I knew it would be crowded (and it sure was) but I decided to fight my way through the crowds to get a couple shots. Plus, it was a gorgeous day to walk around the waterfront.

"The trans-Atlantic regatta will start in Vigo, Spain. From there the fleet will race to Tenerife in the Canary Islands, en route to Bermuda. The fleet will then race to Charleston, South Carolina before racing to Boston, for Sail Boston 2009. From Boston the fleet will cruise in company north to Halifax, Canada. From there the fleet will race back across the North Atlantic to Belfast, Northern Ireland."

Reference: SailBoston.com

Thanksgiving Pie

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:30:00 -0800

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. My job for Thanksgiving is to make the apple pie. Here's a shot of last year's pie (I didn't take a photo of this year's pie). It takes a lot of work to peel the apples and prepare the pie crust but it's definitely worth it. My favorite food on Thanksgiving is stuffing and apple pie!

Gobble, Gobble

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:30:00 -0800

Happy Thanksgiving! There is so much to be thankful for but most of all I am thankful for my wonderful family and good friends in my life.

There's a funny story behind this turkey photo. Back in June there was a family of 3 wild turkeys that had made their home in the Boston Fenway area. One day I was walking to lunch with a co-worker when we came across the turkeys. I had my iPhone on me and tried to get a shot of them. My co-worker told me to be careful that they would attack me. I told her not to worry that the turkeys were more afraid of us. Well, that must be the country turkeys (the ones in Plympton) because these city turkeys were very aggressive. I actually had to run away from them. For weeks the turkeys hung out in the court yard at my work. They had to send a notice out to us to be careful of the turkeys and not to confront them. I thought I saved the email. I wanted to post it with this picture because I thought it was pretty funny that they had to warn us about wild turkeys.

Anyway, I was videotaping at work one day when I looked out the window and saw the turkeys blocking the door of the building next to us. It was hysterical to see these people trapped inside the doorway because the turkeys would not let them outside. I really wanted to stop taping and run down to take a photo. Instead I had to wait to finish taping, then grabbed the camera and ran outside. The turkeys were no longer blocking the door but instead were mulling around the court yard. I slowly crept up on them, remained calm and was able to get fairly close to take a shot, as you can see from this image.

A hunting we will go...

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:30:00 -0800

Hmmm, do you think he's going off to get the Thanksgiving turkey?!

Let me tell you laddie...

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:30:00 -0800

The expression on this pilgrim's face looks to me as if he's about to tell someone a story that has a lesson to it. More than likely the story was about the voyage across the sea. I get the feeling he's a very wise man.

I think the people who reenact the pilgrims have wonderful photographic faces. My favorite shot is from last year. This Mayflower sailor had so much character to his face.

Patriotic Pilgrim

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:30:00 -0800

Seeing as this is the week of Thanksgiving, I thought I'd dig through the photos I took last year at Plimoth Plantation and see if there were any worth posting for this week. Who knew Patriot fans went as far back as 1620?! I'm writing this post on Saturday as I will be driving back from NJ today (Monday). Hopefully, the Patriot's won yesterday's game and we didn't have a repeat of the week before!

Blooming?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:00:00 -0800

It seems as if this Magnolia tree is a little confused, winter's approaching and yet this tree looks as if it's starting to get ready to bloom again. Here's a blooming shot of that same Magnolia tree back in April 2009 and another shot from April 2008. This tree is right outside the door to my office building so I pass it all the time. I just don't remember it having these fuzzy blossoms on it during the fall.

Seat with a View

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:30:00 -0800

This looks like a pretty good spot for a couch...at least that's what someone must have been thinking when they dumped this couch outside the Mass Ave T station. The couch was only there for a day or two and I missed my opportunity to sit down and take in the view.

Rat Attack

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:30:00 -0800

When I walk to work I typically stop at a convenience store near the Northeastern campus. This giant rat had been across the street from the store for many weeks. I think it was put there as part of a union protest. One day I came out of the store and saw this truck with garbage parked in front of the rat and knew I had to take a picture. It really looks as if the rat would love to rip through those trash bags.

Dog Walker

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:30:00 -0800

This past weekend I started going through photos I took back in the Spring and Summer. Since I posted my Italy photos for months I have a backlog of images I haven't used.

I came across this image and it made me laugh. I really don't even remember taking this shot (although I did remember taking the other pictures in the series so I must have taken this shot). I wonder if this dog has his own pet dog or if he makes a living walking dogs?!

Cranberry Bog

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:30:00 -0800

Well, a few people got a sneak peak at this image on Saturday (even had 2 comments). It seems instead of saving the image as a draft it went "live" to the blog and I didn't notice until a few hours later. I was going to keep it up for the weekend but then decided to take it "offline" and reposted it today for it's original posting.

This is one of the prettiest cranberry bogs near where I grew up. I have a friend who's husband owns a bog and had hoped to get pictures of them harvesting the cranberries but it didn't work out. Maybe next year. I'm not much for cranberries but I do enjoy the landscape.

The Lone Acorn

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:30:00 -0800

Another image that was all about the colors and textures in the shot. I really love the natural colors of Fall and this lone acorn. There are tons of acorns this season. So many that it's actually dangerous to be standing under an oak tree. They don't float gracefully down from the trees like the leaves do. No, these guys plop right on your head with a pretty good thud.

Happy Friday the 13th!

Leaf Pile

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:30:00 -0800

Look, piles of leaves ready for jumping in!

I walked by this park on my way to work the other morning and a man was using a leaf blower to pile up the leaves. They were being put into bags and then taken away. I walked by the park on the way home from work and it looked as if it needed to be raked all over again! Hard to keep up with all those fallen leaves.

Fading Colors of Fall

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:30:00 -0800

As I mentioned yesterday, there aren't many leaves on the trees but there sure are a lot on the ground. In this shot we can see the fading colors of Fall. Lots of browns and yellows can be seen everywhere you look. As I kid I loved raking the leaves to jump in the piles but of course hated raking them as a chore. Thankfully, I don't have to do any raking at my apartment complex!

Bare

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:30:00 -0800

The leaves here are quickly falling off the trees. Thankfully they are in different stages so not all trees are bare, as you can see from this image. Although, it won't be much longer before all the leaves have fallen to the ground. Tomorrow we'll take a look at some of those fallen leaves.

Light and Shadows

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 03:30:00 -0800

Yesterday, was a gorgeous day in New England. It was in the mid to high 60s! Today is supposed to be the same. Hopefully, I can take a walk during lunch. I need to soak up as much of the warmth while it's here because old man winter is right around the corner.

I really liked how the sun was shining through this tree however, I wasn't completely satisfied with the exposure of the shot. I tried bracketing the shot but wasn't getting the results I wanted when merging them together. Instead I took one image and tried to do a little bit of dodging and burning. Still not happy with the results I made it into a B&W. I think the B&W workes better because it was really about the light and shadows in this image and not the colors that attracted me.

Hay Pile

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 03:30:00 -0800

If you saw yesterday's image then you would know that this is what happens to Baley the Hay Man when he melts. Would he melt? Maybe when a hurricane hits.

I'm not exactly sure what this pile of hay is for. It was just sitting in an open field. Behind the hay is a corn maze. You can see some of the corn to the left and right of the hay. We didn't go through the maze but just walked over to take a look. I think we use to bring the youth group kids to Davis' Farmland in Sterling, MA. It was pretty difficult to find your way out but fun. Plympton has a corn maze but I've never checked it out. Maybe next year I'll get some pictures of it.

Hay Man

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 03:30:00 -0800

These shots were taken back in October at a farm a few houses away from where my brother and sister-in-law live. I'm not exactly sure what to say other than this is a really big Hay Man! Don't you love that his face is made of vegetables!

I wonder if they will make a children's song out of him like they did with Frosty. Maybe he's called Baley the Hayman and there could be some magic in that old garden hoe...with zuchinni brows, two pumpkin eyes and a butternut nose he hardly ever blows. Yeah, I know, it's pretty bad and my song writing career would be squashed in minutes!

Water Texture

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 03:30:00 -0800

Besides the sounds of the sea I really like the look of the ocean water. Whether it is a tropical blue (Blue Grotto in Italy comes to mind) or gray as in the stormy seas above I love the look and feel of the water. With this shot I really wanted to capture the texture of the water.

A Closer Look

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 03:30:00 -0800

In the first image we have a father and son (I'm just guessing their relationship) watching the waves crashing against the sea wall. Apparently, they decided it would be good to get a closer look. The whole time I was watching them I was wondering what was this father thinking?! It seemed a bit risky to me to walk out on this stairway. Back about a month or so ago a little girl in Maine's Arcadia Park had been swept out to sea by a rogue wave. While that wave was from a hurricane and these waves weren't as big I was still nervous for the child (not as much for the adult). Of course it could also have to do with the fact that I'm not a strong swimmer and I didn't want to have to try and save anyone. Plus, it was really cold out and the water was freezing. Now that I think about it, it was really more about my comfort and not so much the child's safety. ;-)

Crashing Down On Me

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 03:30:00 -0800

A couple weekends ago I was in the Hingham/Hull area so I thought I'd drive down to Nantasket Beach in Hull and see how the ocean looked. I didn't realize it would be hightide and that the water would be so rough. While this photo gives you and idea of how rough the waves were you really need to hear the ocean crashing and the wind blowing to experience the full effect. So, I've added the video below to enhance your visual pleasure. Now if only I could figure out how to blast the cold air and freezing water at you then you'd really know how it felt when I was taking this shot!