Category: blessings

'scene' along the way, a second look, adventure, blessings, connections, friends, fun, life, life goes on, Loyalty, making memories, perseverance, photography

Bosom buddies…

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I have had a visitor this last week, and I have loved every minute of it. Because I’m rather camera obsessed, my biggest objective was to get her out to use her new camera with it’s fabulous zoom capabilities. At home, home being NH, she said that there was a lack of color everywhere, including on the birds at her feeders who are in subdued winter colors. So she traveled all day the day before, and then we got her out to the race track the very next day. Racing back and forth, and up and down stairs, a busy first day of her visit. Lots of color and photo ops there.

Green grass was nice to see, she said.
I love the ‘They’re off’ sorts of shots.
We trekked to the farthest corner to attempt to photograph the horses as they were racing right toward us. Head on shots.
I had spotted this gorgeous gray horse as they passed by heading to the gate for this race. And there he (or she) is, crossing the finish line first! And with all four feet off the ground, something you can just cross your fingers to catch in your photos.
And here is the happy winner. It seems we see a female jockey win her race every time we are at the track. I wonder if it’s always the same talented gal.
I caught this jockey blessing himself before his race, which is a good idea I think.

I am a lucky person to have had a best friend who spans 7 decades of my life. We have been friends through the many wonderful times of our lives, and even more cherished is the fact that we have also been there for the most difficult days we could have imagined. This is just our latest visit, there will be more, next will probably be back in New England. Always where I call home…

'scene' along the way, adventure, antiques, attention to detail, attitude adjustments, blessings, connections, exploring new places, finding my way, Florida landmarks, friends, fun, life goes on, live and learn, making memories, perseverance, photography

A Holiday Stroll…

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And then we strolled through the Henry Plant Museum that was all decorated for Christmas. A fellow photographer says that he has been to this event twice before, and it’s never the same thing twice. I would love to come back again next year…

Santa is there to greet you as you’re buying your tickets. It’s so overwhelming to see those lovely rooms, the carpets, the wall hangings, and the lovely pieces of furniture.
Then you step into the hall, with doorways all along the length, and a beautiful tree to draw you in. Look at the carpet, and all the displays all along the way. I tend to think in terms of the pictures to take, which sometimes makes me miss the lovely details that I’m photographing.
The beautiful Christmas tree sitting at the end of the hall was lovely.
Now I don’t know what order the rooms were seen in. But if I remember correctly this room was first one I saw, and then I knew this event was something truly special.
Just passing from room to room was a treat.
Who wouldn’t love the bottle tree.
My friend totally missed Santa’s elves in a display case in one of the rooms. Or was it in the hallway?
A lovely bedroom display. A beautiful display of fans to decorate the tree.
This doorway gave us a peek into the gift shop.
I wonder if they got new hats for Christmas?
Nutcrackers on display.
Even the teddies got presents. I also took a picture of the tea set which is when I noticed the little lizard, or possibly it’s an alligator, on the teacup and decked out in a bow.
One room was dedicated to Florida’s role in the Spanish American war…
But Christmas was also represented here.
This suggestion of a soldier writing home really got to me…
This room was dedicated to women’s pastimes, which included accompanying their husbands at fishing or hunting. But also suggested relaxing with a cup of tea or listening to a concert out on the lawn.
What a wonderful way to celebrate, and think of the Christmas traditions of long ago.

We decorated the tree with decorations that we each have accumulated over the years. A real collaboration. We spent the first Christmases of our lives in the same place, without ever meeting, and then life took us to different places through the years, but now we are spending Christmas in the same place again. But together this time. And I have to say that the Christmas spirit has found me again, and I’m very glad that it’s back.

'scene' along the way, a second look, birds, blessings, Florida landmarks, life goes on, perseverance, photography, Rise and shine, sunrise

Day two dawns…

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I checked the weather app on my phone, and when I saw that it was 61 degrees and clear I knew I’d head out to the park for sunrise.. It was overcast all day yesterday, day one after the hurricane came through, and I thought there would be a good potential for a really great sunrise, but when I got to the park and saw the heavy dark clouds I wasn’t so sure.

What I imagine when the app says that it’s ‘clear’ out isn’t what I found. But the mere thought that it was ‘sweater weather’ would have gotten me out regardless.
I was still feeling optimistic at this point.
This was as nice as the sunrise got this morning.
Heading for home there was no mistaking that shape at the top of the light post.
He stayed put for a photo or two, but when I tried to walk around to see him head-on he flew off.

When I got to the park and sat down on the bench I was greeted by mosquitos that seemed all too happy to see me. I was less happy to see, and swat, them. Day two after the hurricane, and the photos of the devastation south of us are heart breaking. The most I have seen in my area are some small sections of fencing down. Now anticipating another landfall in Charleston, I have to hope that they also are spared.

attitude adjustments, birds, blessings, coping, ducks, facing facts, friends, perseverance, photography, storms, sunrise, weather

A new attitude…

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It may look as if it was the same sunrise that I’ve seen three days in a row now. No clouds to really pick up the color, it just sort of faded away. And the little birds that I’d tried to shoot the day before didn’t show up, though some of the usual suspects were there. So you might think it was a disappointing morning, but it wasn’t. Because last night I finally got my car back from the shop. And it looks, and even smells, like a brand new car! I had intended to clean it before I brought it in but I didn’t get around to it, and now I’m glad I didn’t bother. The hold up was the replacement shutter that cools the engine. You wire it one way or another depending on the build date of the car, information that would have been helpful to include with the new part, but it wasn’t. So anyhow, this morning may look the same, but I have had an attitude adjustment now that I have wheels! I confess that I was getting a bit pouty as time wore on. My chauffeur is off the hook. I got no attitude from him, he’s nicer than I am.

This really is a new picture, even if it looks exactly the same.
Waiting for sunrise.

The car looks so great that I’d like to wrap it in bubble wrap and never drive it again, but there is a potential hurricane to get ready for so I’ll just cross my fingers and hope we are spared again…

'scene' along the way, a second look, blessings, boats, connections, food, friends, fun, go with the flow, let it go, perseverance, photography, sky, sunset, technology

Hitting the road, continued…

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Day two had us waking up to news of the flooding and storms in the Midwest, and I wasn’t so sure that we wouldn’t have to drive right through that weather. We did, but only for a short time and then we seemed to be skirting it as we continued. The weather on day three was great, and we reached our destination just in time to enjoy our first bowl of clam chowder in Plymouth, MA. Two tired people walked out of the restaurant and into some beautiful sunset color, and there we were without our cameras, but the best camera is the one you have with you and we are never without our iPhones. Looking at the photos in the iPad this morning and I was amazed. I hope they look as nice to you.

Boats and water, which we see all the time in Florida, but somehow it just screams New England.
I’ve forgotten if the ship is the Mayflower 2, but you see it’s masts breaking the horizon line.
Oh my, tired as we were I knew we had to enjoy this view for a little while.
I liked this little bridge.
Boats were returning to the launching area, but others were just being put into the water also.
Such pretty clouds.
And finally it was time to get some rest.
adventure, blessings, coping, let it go, life goes on, on closer examination, perseverance, photography, reality check, road trip, Uncategorized

Hitting the road…

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Day one, the good news and the bad news. The good news is that the air bags didn’t go off. So I could see as I held onto the steering wheel for dear life when the 18 wheeler in the lane next to mine ahead of me hit a huge piece of truck tire laying on his lane of Rt. 95 and sent it flying into us. It happened too quickly to panic, and I was in heavy traffic so swerving wasn’t an option. But things seemed okay so we didn’t try to pull over at that point, and then I tried not to think about what might have happened, but didn’t. Eventually we reached our day’s destination and this is what we found. I’m not happy, but I am so thankful that it wasn’t worse.

I’d like to think it’s not a big deal repair, but I guess we’ll see.

I must have seen the billboards with the legend about the live baby alligators before, but they stood out to me this trip. Possibly because I wasn’t driving at the moment. That could explain how it came to be that the only time I saw an alligator in my neighborhood was in Baltimore. Never in Florida.