...Farewell Winter...Goodbye Snow

Before I leave for Mexico.....a land of light, warmth, color....I want to say good bye to this Pennsylvania winter, hoping that when I return in mid-April the daffodils, tulips, hiacynths will be in full bloom and thoughts of wearing my down coat won't even enter my mind!!!
... My pictorial "adios" to winter...

Goodbye to Cross country skiing in my backyard!!

Goodbye Country Store and icy Rt. 550

Goodbye snow covered Mt. Nittany

Goodbye winter mouse house.

.....and...Goodbye cold cold days and cold cold nights!!

..."She Finally Finished Something"

"She Finally Finished Something"

While visiting with friends awhile back I came upon this perfect epitaph for my departing. It produced a few chuckles, but my friends knew what I was talking about. Today's entry is a good example of the twists, turns, and big dreams, but unfinished projects my life takes on. I am entering this blog while thinking about unpacking from a weekend in NYC, preparing to pack for several weeks in Northern Mexico, trying to master the new Logan 450 mat cutter in order to frame photos for hanging in a show before leaving and studying for lesson #7 in the History of Photography course I am taking. The following entries have no theme ..........just projects I have been working on in a semi-focused manner.


This photograph is an allegorical image which I think parallels what "art photographer", Julia Margaret Cameron, might have produced in the 1860's.




Heidelberg Castle was shot in color but manipulated in PSP (Paint Shop Pro) to resemble an early rough textured Calotype.

After working on the still life for my self portrait I was mesmerized by the task of "arranging". This one I titled Daughter of Fortune. The following is entitled Birthday of the Infanta.



I like this detail of the Infanta image.......Pierrot has always intrigued me. I love the street mimes in SF and Europe.


I can visualize doing an entire collection of still lifes......will I? Can I stay focused long enough on one thing to complete such a project? Will I continue working to completion on the History of Photography? ........ What about the "One Hundred Ladies and a Leopard Hat" and The Country Stores of Central PA? ............ I can only say, "I'll try."

...A Crunchy Walk

The Lizard and I went walking with some friends today. It was a frigid morning so we picked some sunny roads north west of the University.

It felt terrific to be walking into the Sun. . The mud roads and stubbled cornfields were crunchy with ice. The uphill exertion warmed us up.

It was a great way of celebrating......... "done with the difficult, indoor selfportrait assignment".

...The Still Life Me

This is a still life view of my destiny, my family and friends, my interests, and travels. It represents a life that has been full of activities, adventures, hard work and a little sadness..
And there I am......... celebrating my 60th birthday!

...The Basement Me

Of all the rooms in my house my office and my basement are the closest to my heart. My basement is the keeper of all my future projects. I don't claim to be a collector. But.......I was gifted (or cursed) with magnetism! The kind of magnetism that attracts stuff......lots of stuff!! I love garage and estate sales and flea markets. I am a passionate "hunter"! My big game trophy can be an orphaned chair, or another painting, or a funny looking hat, or anything oriental. I keep thinking that someday it will be a real Matisse, or a Picasso, or a small Rembrandt. Even a 1948 Nikon I camera would be a nice find!

The most treasured "stuff" goes upstairs and fills my walls and tables, and cabinets, and floors. It is changed with the seasons and my mood. Winter months need lots of color.

.......After photographing my basement for this assignment it is hard even for me to believe that six years ago, when I moved from California to a 900 sq. foot apartment in Central Pennsylvania, I was practically "stuffless"........

...Self-Portrait Assignment

The next few photo entries will be about me. It is another one of those challenging assignments from Steve’s class.

Today’s entry was shot a couple of weeks ago for an on line History of Photography class I am taking through the Photographic Society of America. . After reading about the working problems of 19th C photographers we had to do a "meaningful" black and white portrait. The camera had to be set at no less than a 30 second exposure. We had to explain the problems we encountered . This is what I wrote:

Exercise: I am not sure this is a meaningful B&W portrait. I certainly would not pay money for it. However, I appreciate it so much! The problems encountered were insurmountable. I could NOT sit without moving during the 30 second exposure. . My eyes burned and watered. After 20 seconds I was gasping for breath. To get the attached image I had to brace my head and back against the wall. I added eyes drops to my eyes hoping that would help to keep me from blinking. No luck. At 30 sec. I had to set the aperture at 22f and shoot in a fairly dark room. I think I made 25-30 attempts. I was exhausted and gave up trying for that perfect shot. This image was shot in color and converted to black and white in Paint Shop Pro.

Try this sometime. You will appreciate those old tin types, cabinet cards, and Daguerrotypes that you found in your grandma's velvet album.

...Allen and Beaver Streets

Town provided a little more hope of a Spring to come. I could rejoice that winter football season was over when I saw the Steeler's poster discarded in the mud.

The Saints Cafe had colorfully painted bistro tables and chairs out ........ in preparation.

Panera employees were soaping down the outdoor cafe.....in preparation.

Rapid Transit was "transitioning" from gray and navy to spring brights in a sidewalk sale jesture........in preparation!

....and although the Real Spring remained tucked away I could tell there was hope. So I basked in Woodring Florist's perpetual "Spring Garden", bought some Gerbera Daisies........and went home............ to prepare.

...A Hint of Spring?

The Lizard and I took our first walk today. I was optimistically looking for Spring. Silly me! The sun was deceitfully warming up winter, leaving only a hint of chill in shaded areas..........but.......

........ we walked for blocks finding only the ravages of winter. Dead leaves, bare broken twigs, no buds, no color, nothing that interested me.

I desperately photographed a crow drinking from a basin of melted snow...... Well, melting snow is an attempt to prepare for Spring....isn't it?

Half-heartedly we continued walking toward town. Perhaps a cup of tea would assuage my disappointment

...A Walk with the Purple Lizard

Ubiquitous.....most everyone in State College has one..... or two or more!! The Purple Lizard lives in glove compartments, desk drawers, brief cases, visitor centers, kitchen cubbies, and in my old blue nylon backpack

And this year......... "me and the Lizard are a goin' walkin'!"

...Challenging Assignment

Steve assigned a challenging homework project this week…...“Plan a morning to take 24 photographs BEFORE getting out of bed, six to be included in the blog.”...... Not an easy assignment for me. Just waking up in the winter months takes about all the creativity I can muster .

Winter Mornings are full of aches and pains and interrupted dreams and dreary gray windowscapes. I don’t look so good either. The night fairy inflates my eye bags, presses the wrinkles deeper into my face, then tosses , twists, and tangles my hair into a brillo pad. No, the last thing I want to think about upon waking is creativity. If I am going to focus at all it is on how to get the twelve feet from the bed to the bathroom.

On the other-hand, nighttime rituals are a relaxing, welcomed part of my day. I work a sudoku, read a chapter or two, fluff Annie’s “bed”.



With the rituals completed, Thursday night, I tucked the blankets under my chin . In the darkness I thought about the blogging class. How committed was I?. I pride myself on being up to a challenge. Was I up to this one? I paid good money to take the class. Besides, the only preparation I needed to do was place the camera conveniently on the night table by the books. Yes I could do it!


CLICK….the light.. Quick, down the stairs, get the camera…..and CLICK…..! Back in bed, re-tucked. I thought a little about which corner of the ceiling I would photograph then discovered the ceiling fan. I will shoot the four corners and two shots of the fan…..six, that’s all I need. Good-night!


Peeked at 7 a.m. NPR news started broadcasting in the cold morning air. NOT ALREADY!



Turned down the volume!. Pulled the covers tighter around the head….left one ear and the nose in the cold.

Peeked again at the clock……..7:50a.m. Picked up the camera. It was cold in my hand…….CLICK……..

Checked the view out the window….yuck………CLICK…… Pulled covers tighter!

Awoke from a dream 8:14 a.m….CLICK… O
Opened my swollen eyes.
and there we were eyeball to eyeball!! ......CLICK......

It wasn’t a dream after all. It was rather frightening....... She did not look happy!! . She wasn't happy!! Her piercing eyes and switching tail said it all….”Get out of that bed and get me breakfast!!” OH ……NOT YET ANNIE! …. FIVE MORE MINUTES……PLEASE ....

8:31 a.m ......CLICK……She hasn’t stopped staring…..




……. I looked at the floor……CLICK. I wiggled my feet. I must get up. Annie has been so patient. I CAN make it to the sink…..the warm water will wake me up. She wants her breakfast. She is usually such a nice kitty. She just doesn't realize I worked all night on my homework assignment!!

...Not All Lobstermen..... are Men.

To all who wonder.......not all lobstermen....... are men!! This is a Bass Harbor Skipper preparing bait aboard her "Downeast Pride" .

On the following morning she and her daughter offered to take my friend out to her designated fishing area to check the buoys and traps. An invitation readily accepted as my friend was really into "lobsters" after reading Trevor Corson's book, 'THE SECRET LIFE OF LOBSTERS.'

We met other "lobsterwomen" on our journey along the coast of Maine.......... Incredibly hard work and not for the faint-of-heart!!.

...Inside a Lobster Fishing Co-op

Travelling the coast of Maine awakened more than just my sense of sight, so being of curious mind, I found myself exploring the interior of the Bass Harbor Lobster C0-op.

The lobstermen were at sea checking their traps, and I was all alone in a most disgusting place. I repeat ..DISGUSTING! It took most of my strength to keep from upchucking breakfast. The smell CANNOT be described. But I knew there had to be a great photo somewhere in that building and what little strength I had left I was going to find it!

The co-op was divided into assigned stalls where each lobsterman stored his bait, heavily salted rotting fish.

Tubs are hoisted and in some cases a tray is used to load the bait on board the fishing boat where it is stuffed into net bags and tied into the traps......a great treat for, but dangerous dining if you are a lobster. ...... Well I am not sure these are great photos, but they certainly express the environment inside a lobster co-op!

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...Stonington Harbor at Sunrise

Stonington Harbor at sunrise is magical. This is the lobstermen's Fishing Co-op. The tubs are color coded holding tanks for the catch. To capture this shot as I had to go down a narrow and steep (low tide) steel ramp to the floating, bobbing dingy dock. Considering my lack of coordination it was quite an "adventure". But the shot was worth it!!

...Why Write a Blog?

Our home work assignment in our "Blogging Class", (yes, I am taking a class to do this) is to answer, "Why am I doing this?" I think my purpose has something to do with being older and maybe wiser but definitely more focused on the world I live in, the beauty, the intrigue, the challenges, the celebrations. Photography has given me permission to capture these focused moments . Everyday is incredibly interesting when viewed through the lens of my camera. It makes me so happy I want to live forever. I want to share the joy.

I know what you are thinking after our Mussel dinner experience. You think I am a Martha Stewart "wanna-be" and that I spent time tying lemons in little mesh bags and setting the table with multi sized crystal stemware. No so. Usually it's a tray, a white procelain bowl , a spoon and a fork while watching Brian Williams and the 6:30 news. The photo was taken in a restaurant while on a road trip along the coast of Maine.

Traveling coast of Maine in September with a camera and an appetite for seafood is such a memorable experience. With two friends I spent 14 days along the coast exploring coves and harbors, lighthouses, little villages, and hard to get to islands. I'll share some of those photos with you.

...Finally in Focus

"Finally in Focus", ...........maybe not quite yet. Let's eat first! Yes, I am going to cook something I have never before cooked .....never before photographed .

MAINE MUSSELS.
2 lbs. fresh Maine Mussels......Pour a little white wine.........a little water......garlic.......spices you like..........and a tad+ of butter. Steam 7 minutes until all shells are open. (Throw out the closed ones!) Serve Mussels and broth in a nice white bowl, or any color bowl....., I prefer white. Add a loaf of crusty bread, lemon, a little Canon elph,........ And join me for dinner!