Month: May 2022

a second look, Amazing artwork, attention to detail, connections, facing facts, finding my way, flowers, friends, fun, life goes on, perseverance, photography, road trip

The facts of life…

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Visiting Lake Winnipesaukee before Memorial Day is either the best or worst time to visit depending on your point of view. The only activity seemed to be the shop owners preparing to open their doors for the season. There were no boats in the boat slips, no people lining up to buy ice cream, or swimming in the little beach. My cousins grew up nearby they told me that Weir Beach was a destination for teenagers back in the day. On this day there was room to take in the scenery, and wonder if you might return to ride the train. For now it was a peaceful scene.

Across the street from the beach you find beautiful old Victorian houses, some receiving touch ups before the tourists return.
The boat slips were empty that day.
A few hanging baskets of flowers were in place, soon there will be baskets everywhere.
The hills were alive in shades of green as the new leaves fill in the scene.
A New England scene isn’t complete without a steeple.
A walking path leads you around the lake, and past ever changing sculptures done by local artists.
There was a lot more to this sculpture, a whole series of circles, but I liked the scene through this opening.
I should have taken a picture of the hand written sign requesting that if you see Canada geese on the grass please shoo them away. We didn’t bother this one.
This was my third visit to this lake, and I knew that this pretty gate was just waiting for us to see what we might see through it’s ‘window’.
This just might be my all time favorite photo op prop.
The path around the park continues around the lake, with more flowers and sculptures to see, and geese to shoo is you care to..

We nearly missed this last statue. We only saw it as we returned to the car. But that’s when we saw a big sign that featured the image of this man with the cardinals, so we took pictures and then we headed home. Visiting New Hampshire isn’t a childhood memory for me, my visits have come in these later years of life, visits to reconnect with an old friend. Those connections in life are so special, words can’t do it justice, but this place has come to feel like home to me also. I have been alone these last years of my life, but not really alone, having a friend who is dear to your heart makes all the difference.

'scene' along the way, a second look, birds, friends, fun, making memories, nature, perseverance, photography

Catching up…

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Sometimes you just can’t win. I’m not talking about my recent trip to NH, that was great. I had taken a Covid test ahead of time and masked up for the trip, just to be careful. It was on the way hoe that I dropped the ball. I totally forgot to mask up, and when I realized it I still didn’t do it. So I came down with a cold that has had me doing next to nothing since I’ve been back. Add to that computer issues, and instead of working on pictures I took while I was away I’ve been obsessively ‘working’ on Wordle, Quordle, and Octordle, and that’s about all I’ve been doing. Good for the brain I suppose, at least that’s something.

Beautiful New Hampshire. I brought the Florida heat with me, but this scene looks nice and cool.
We never did spot the Canada geese chicks that everyone else was spotting daily.
I so enjoy the chipmunks that are everywhere, or underneath the bird feeder at least.
This Chipping sparrow looks like he is related to the chipmunk.
Goldfinches enjoyed the bird feeder after we solved the squirrel problem.
Mr. Goldfinch was harder to capture in a photograph than the Mrs. was.
adventure, flowers, friends, fun, gardens, life goes on, making memories, perseverance, photography, weather

Dandelion wishes…

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My wishes for this trip, aside from just lots of time to relax and talk with my ‘old’, interpret that as you will, friend, was to see forsythia and lilacs. The forsythia are everywhere, though possibly past their prime, but plenty wonderful, and the lilacs are trying their best to open up.

Smells so good!
And as gorgeous as I remember.
I do notice the backgrounds for my photos and adjust myself when possible, but sometimes a lion with a pretty tree behind it is too much to resist.
A blue ox was not on my wish list, but sometimes you just take what you get.

We enjoyed an arts and crafts festival in lovely Warner, NH yesterday. I seem to have brought the Florida heat with me, but nothing could spoil this time with my friend. Being together is like getting your batteries recharged. It won’t be as long between visits from this point on.

flowers, friends, growing old, life goes on, making memories, Nature's beautiful creatures, perseverance, photography, road trip, squirrels, travel

New Hampshire happenings…

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There isn’t just one story to tell since I’ve been back at my friend’s house in NH. We mostly just talk and talk. And eat. Ice cream for lunch one day, but lots of other good stuff too. I see the birds in the feeders out front, and the squirrels who torment my friend to no end by eating all the bird seed. We’ve visited the Squam Lake Nature Center and gardens. But mostly we laugh at ourselves when we can’t quite remember the word we are searching our brains for. Our opinions of the state of the country and universe are as in sync as ever. Grow old along with me… and be my forever friend.

A charming statue in the garden.
A runaway ballerina caught my eye too,
A coyote laying in the sun,
A bear keeping in the shade.
We finally found bees.
Lots of bees.
A lovely stone church in our travels.
More hummers at home,
Even with a nice background we were shooting through the window and had reflections to deal with.
This little guy was enjoying the feast out front until the squirrels destroyed the feeder.
Who me?
Uncategorized

Stone walls and forsythia…

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Among the things I miss as a former New Englander now enjoying life in Florida are the random stone walls that border the fields and look like they grew there. And the flowers that I only appreciated after I’d left home and didn’t see them anymore. Forsythia is on that list, so graceful when left to drape and grow as they will. All of which explains why we had to stop for the feature photo. We being my life-long closest, dearest friend, and here being New Hampshire.

The view from the Adirondack chairs at Lake Sunapee.
But our first photo ops came while we were still home drinking coffee. We sat out on the deck in our pajamas while this very active hummingbird entertained us.
I took lots of pictures before the sun was up enough to light them up, but then it did and I was amazed.
I showed my friend how to get rid of a less than stellar background in Lightroom.
And again.
There were flowers to see at Sunapee also.
So pretty.

This was day one of this visit. My friend has mastered the art of Margarita making, and she says I brought the lovely warm weather with me from Florida. It’s so good to be here, for all these reasons and more…

backyard visitors, Florida wildlife, nature, on closer examination, Passing time, perseverance, photography, pond creatures, Rise and shine, unintended images, Up and at 'em

Random stuff…

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The feature photo, and only photo that I know about at this moment, is the uninvited company I found out on the lanai this morning. I have resisted becoming attached to this lanai after loving the one at my old house. There is no lake here, no pond critter serenades, but the birds do sing so that’s something. But this morning I found myself at eye level to a creature that I quickly realized wasn’t a lizard. Lizards are so common, and mostly keep their distance, but this sticky-fingered creature was eyeing me up. As I was doing to him. So he retreated into the corner and then climbed to the very top of the corner brace. I thought that I would have to warn my friend when he came out because this little guy would be directly over his head if he sat in his usual chair. But Tampa Bay Lightning fans who have endured a disappointing play-off game and then a frustrating drive home aren’t given to getting up early the next morning. Maybe it’s the effort of growing a beard in solidarity with the players, a long-standing tradition I’m told. It’s currently in the whisk-broom stage, but I digress. It turned out that my fears as to the little guy’s jumping weren’t unwarranted, because he jumped onto the end table, landing with a thud, which is when I took his picture. Looks like he needed to wipe his chin after his breakfast. By this time the sun was baking me, the coffee was cold, and it was time to go in. I hope this guy finds his way back outside as stealthily as he found his way in, so I don’t have to check the corners of the roofline before I sit out here again…