ABC Wednesday - O

(The Wordless Wednesday post is beneath this post.)

O is for Opened Drawer.......

The drawer of an antique jewelry box is opened - beaconing one to explore the treasures inside.

This handmade piece is constructed of rock maple with little brass drawer pulls.

It was a gift given to my mother from my father before they were married.

I remember it always standing atop her hope chest during my childhood.









Stumble It!
Digg It!

Wordless Wednesday - Bright Autumn Leaves

Bright Autumn Leaves






Stumble It!
Digg It!

Sweet Treat Award

I received the Sweet Treat Award from Under the Sea this morning which was a nice surprise on a Monday.

This award is given to new visitors of one's blog and it was originated by the blogger Hootin' Anni's.

I am pleased to pass it along to these new visitors to my blog:

Miss Flower
The Oswegan
Water When Dry


Many thanks to Under the Sea for this award!!

Green Thumb Sunday - Columbine

Purple Columbine for Green Thumb Sunday







Green Thumb Sunday Blogroll

How to join Green Thumb Sunday


A macro shot of Purple Columbine taken in the spring.

Taken with the Tamron 90mm macro lens




Stumble It!
Digg It!

Green Hosta

This is a macro shot of Green Hosta leaves from the garden.




My mother in law shared five of these roots with me many years ago. They are a green and white variegated hybrid of the Hosta.

They have grown each summer into beautiful large cream colored leaves with dark green edges. All five have grown larger each year with these colors - until this summer.

One of the end clusters decided this year to go back to it's origins, and grew as only green leaves - no cream colors at all. The leaves were bigger than the variegated ones and the green is a lighter color.

I have seen this happen with several hybrid rose plants over the years also - they go back to their origins - the dominant genes taking over.

I wonder sometimes if the cold winters affect them or if it is just nature taking its course.

It will be interesting next summer to see if any of the remaining four hostas follow the one on the end.






Stumble It!
Digg It!

ABC Wednesday - N

(The Wordless Wednesday post is beneath this post.)

N is for Napping Kitty.......

This feral cat adopted us about 5 years ago, shortly after our cat had passed away.

He appears at the front door each morning for some breakfast, and makes another round about supper time for a handout.

He is very wary of anyone but us, and I was fortunate enough to catch him one evening as he was napping.







Stumble It!
Digg It!

Wordless Wednesday - Blue Reflection

Blue Reflection






Stumble It!
Digg It!

300ZX

A stock image of a gear shifter from a 1986 Nissan 300ZX.

She has almost two hundred thousand miles on her now, but she still handles like a dream. Owning her for the last ten years has been a pleasure.

The joy I felt the first time I drove her has not diminished over the years.

As with all sports cars, she has needed more than her share of repairs which has kept her performance and handling smooth and tight.

The New England winters have been hard on her. She is put up as soon as it snows, but no matter how I keep her cleaned off and run regularly, the rust has begun to eat into her frame.

She is to the point that she needs too much work now - more than my husband can do to keep her safely on the road.

Come spring she will have to find a new home - hopefully someone who will have the resources to restore her and will appreciate what this little classic Z car has to offer.





Stumble It!
Digg It!

ABC Wednesday - M

(The Wordless Wednesday post is beneath this post.)

M is for Milkweed.......

Silky white milkweed seeds ready to catch a ride on the wind.

The texture of the dried, cracked pod creates contrast against the soft fluff.






Stumble It!
Digg It!

Wordless Wednesday - Hand Tied Flies

Hand Tied Flies






Stumble It!
Digg It!

Blog Action Day - Photography's Contribution to the Environment

Today, October 15, bloggers around the world are uniting for Blog Action Day. The environment is the topic, and I would like to post about the positive affect that digital photography has had on it.





There are many landfills in the small towns across America, and they appear much like the above image - most of them are much larger . These landfills contain many years of trash, refuse, chemicals, and materials both man-made and natural.

Many years ago when I was first learning the skills of photography, I was also learning the back-end of the art - the darkroom. While mixing and using the many chemicals to process the film and then produce the prints, I never gave much thought to their disposal when I was finished with them.

After moving to a small town, it became obvious to me what was happening with these chemicals - they were ending up in the landfill where they would continue to leach into the ground and air for many years to come.

I am so pleased with the direction that photography has taken in the last ten years. The digital camera has been a gift to the environment - there is no need for the toxic chemicals to develop the images.

The batteries in the cameras are rechargeable which is another positive for the environment.

It is a good feeling to be able to enjoy this art that I so dearly love and not have to worry about the damage that my actions would be causing to the environment. And all the money that I am saving is just an added bonus!



Stumble It!
Digg It!

Blog Action Day

Monday, October 15, is Blog Action Day, and you can sign up for it and read more about it here.

The topic for this year is the Environment, and each blogger can write about it in their own way pertaining to their blog's main topic or off-topic if they prefer.

The object is to get people thinking and discussing the environment from all of our different thoughts, angles, and viewpoints.

Register your blog here, and join the thousands of other concerned bloggers around the world.


Stumble It!
Digg It!

Breast Cancer Awareness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and this post is in support of this cause.

I am dedicating this post to two dear friends who have passed away from breast cancer in the last few years.

Cathy was my mother's best friend for as long as I can remember. Her long red hair portrayed her exuberance for life and to know her was to like her. She lived every minute of her 56 years to the fullest.

Sally was the wife of my husband's best friend whom I met shortly after getting married. This big hearted lady always had a smile and I liked her the moment I met her. I think of Sally every time I make peanut butter fudge - her recipe for it is the most divine I have ever tasted. She was 43.

Neither of these ladies have breast cancer in their families. Both were mothers who were always on top of their yearly exams and mammograms. They were active and lived healthy lifestyles.

They will live on in the hearts of their friends and family, and we will continue to promote awareness and self care in their memories - as that is the way they would want it to be.

Stumble It!
Digg It!

ABC Wednesday - L

(The Wordless Wednesday post is beneath this post.)

L is for Lacrosse Stick.......

A brand new nice and clean white lacrosse stick with an orange ball.

After the first game the net was brown from the mud and there were green grass stains along the worn edges.

Glad my son let me borrow it before he took it into action!




Stumble It!
Digg It!

Wordless Wednesday - Low River

Low River

Silver Anniversary

We will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary tomorrow. I don't have any wedding or anniversary images in my portfolio yet, so I will use a photo of where we will be spending our day.







We will be going back to the spot that we met, and will then spend the rest of the day enjoying the ocean - our favorite place.

The weatherman is predicting rain - as it was on our wedding day - so rain jackets and umbrellas will be on hand.

We will have to leave the convertible top up on the car, but the windows will be down - I'm not missing that salty tang of the ocean air for nothing.

There have been ups and downs over the years, but I would do it all over again to end up where we are now. Happy Anniversary to my dear Husband!

Mushrooms

The autumn mushrooms are beginning to appear in our area.






We have had a really dry end of summer and fall season so far and the amount and kinds that are usually around have not come up this year.

We have some rain moving in the beginning of this week, so it should help bring the dampness that they need to grow.

These little ones were shot with the Tamrom 90mm macro lens. I didn't notice the bug on the little mushroom until I was processing the image.

They only last for a couple days at the most, though. When I went back the next day to get some more shots, they were already beginning to decay.



Stumble It!
Digg It!

ABC Wednesday - K

(The Wordless Wednesday entry is below this one.)

K is for Knitting.......

My grandmother's hands kept up a rhythmic pace as she deftly wove the yarns into slippers and mittens for her many grandchildren.

I was 8 years old when she taught me this skill and will always remember her patient hands guiding me with the stitches.

My other grandmother made beautiful afghans with her crochet hook, and I was overjoyed when she taught me that skill also.

I was never able to interest my daughter in either art, but someday she will have all my needles and books, and hopefully she will find the joy in them that I have.

Wordless Wednesday - Foggy Morning

Foggy Morning

Red Berries

Another sign of fall is all the little red berries that are appearing on the plants and bushes.





I found these ones down by the edge of the lake water. I don't know if the birds eat these ones, but they have been eating the ones we have in the back yard. The squirrels and chipmunks are also joining in.

I have one little red squirrel that breaks off a branch with the berries, climbs to a nook in a tree branch, picks all the leaves off, then eats each berry and discards the branch. Quite a pile of leaves and twigs are building up under that tree.

Of course, when I go out with the camera, he beats feet and is no where to be found. I think he is laughing at me because he watches me watching him through the window.