I just got back from a few days in northern Indiana, where my mother lives. These photos were all taken in her neighborhood…a totally different sort of scenery than I see here in Arizona. There are a lot of trees in her ‘hood, lush landscapes, and ducks enjoying the little pond.
That’s not her house but this one has a lovely setting.
I had no wifi there so I’m behind on reading other blogs. The weather was lovely but I’m glad to be back to urbanity.
I like the darkness of the woods. And I saw fireflies again for the first time in many years…rabbits and squirrels, too, which we just don’t see in central Phoenix.
Here’s some more of the wooded shots I took in a slideshow.
Mornings at Blackwater
For years, every morning, I drank
from Blackwater Pond.
It was flavored with oak leaves and also, no doubt,
the feet of ducks.
And always it assuaged me
from the dry bowl of the very far past.
What I want to say is
that the past is the past,
and the present is what your life is,
and you are capable
of choosing what that will be,
darling citizen.
So come to the pond,
or the river of your imagination,
or the harbor of your longing,
and put your lips to the world.
And live
your life.
~Mary Oliver
Don’t apples just scream “Autumn”? Especially honeycrisp apples, “explosively crisp.”
Did you know they’ve only existed since 1991 when the University of Minnesota developed them by cross-pollinating the Macoun and Honeygold varieties? “The best, most exciting apple we’ve ever introduced,” says Jim Luby, University of Minnesota.
I found all sorts of “Odes to Honeycrisps” online as well as this haiku by Pepin Heights, a honeycrisp grower:
Juice drips from my chin
It’s Honeycrisp time again
I smile as I crunch
The first time I ever had honeycrisps was just a little over 2 years ago while back in the midwest at Calderwood Farms in Berrien Springs, MI, and now I look forward to them as a symbol of fall and because they’re the best and crunchiest apples I’ve ever had.
They certainly seem to inspire people.
Oh, and did you know this?
Steve Jobs worked summer jobs at a California apple farm. He also liked the Beatles and their label, Apple Records. When he and Steve Wozniak tried to come up with a company name, they decided that if they couldn’t think of anything better by the end of the day, they’d go with the name “Apple”. And they couldn’t, so they did.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Casio Clicks, Flora, Midwest, Snaps, Travels
Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world. Sarah Ban Breathnach
Happy May Day! I just got back from a few days in rainy, gloomy Indiana visiting my mother. It’s nice to see the Arizona sunshine again. April 29th was somewhat sunny back there and that was nice because it was my mom’s birthday. I didn’t take my DSLR with me and didn’t get any good shots with my point and shoot but I’ll show them to you anyway since that’s all I’ve got.
A robin through the screen since it was raining. We don’t see robins in the Phoenix area so I do wish I had gotten a good shot of this guy or any of the many others I saw. Guess what the following photo is?
I really wish I had had my DSLR with me for this one as that spot of red is a cardinal, the Indiana State Bird. He, another male, and a female were cavorting around my mom’s backyard but I couldn’t focus the screen out. Nice screen shot, though, don’t you think?
Bye, South Bend! The photo below is one of the concourses at South Bend Regional Airport, which now makes it possible for me to fly non-stop from Mesa, AZ, directly into South Bend. Although I don’t get to see my cousin in Chicago when I fly this way, it makes for a much quicker, easier trip to visit my mom.
Filed under: Arizona, Blogging, Home, Phoenix, Photography | Tags: 52, Arizona, Blogging, Flora, Home, Learning, Midwest, Phoenix, Photoblogging, Photography, Travels
This is my mother’s yard in northern Indiana less than 2 weeks ago.
This is my yard last Friday.
I used both of these for my 52 Project, which I am happy to say, only has 5 weeks remaining. I’ve been reading on some other blogs I follow, as well as from some of my Flickr contacts, that they are excited to have their 365 projects almost over, too. When I decided to do a 52 last January 1st (with all of them being multiple images), it was because I didn’t want to commit to a 365 but I thought it might lead up to a 365. Nope. I know a lot of you take photos everyday and post everyday even without considering it a 365 but I just can’t. I pretty much only like outdoor photography and, with work lasting until 5 everyday, it makes it difficult to shoot daily…especially in the winter when it gets dark before 6pm. I found that the added pressure (I know, not a very big pressure) of feeling I had to get an image for my 52 was a deterrent rather than an incentive.
I have learned that I can find my own projects to shoot so I don’t need to have the stimulus of a 52 or 365 to force me to do so. And I’ve found a lot of interesting online photo workshops or classes that could provide that impetus if I need it. Not to mention, there are countless Flickr groups that provide themes if one needs that little extra encouragement to shoot now and then (Bench Monday, Fence Friday, 64 Colors, etc.). I found several that appealed to me that I will probably participate in more actively in 2011.
This coming year, I am going to continue with my mural project in central Phoenix as well as a project documenting historic churches in the downtown area. Having photos for my blog is the major force that will drive me to photograph, I think.
What about you? Do you have any new projects you want to pursue in the upcoming year? Or did you learn anything from what you photographed in 2010 that will change what you do in 2011? Does your blog force you to photograph when you might not do so otherwise? Can you really shoot everyday?
Yay, I’m happy to be back home in an urban environment and one that’s sunny to boot. I was able to borrow a wifi signal while in Indiana but I didn’t get any good photos because it was so dreary every single day!
