I am a camera carrying, yoga loving, small town girl living in the city running amok. I photograph everything under the Sun and now I blog about it too.
I don't remember starting to like photographying clouds or the sky I just always have. However, it wasn't until social media took over that I decided to share these images. It is spectacular to watch the clouds and sky color to change color so dramatically before my eyes. Sometimes the change happens too quickly and I miss getting the image.
It excites me to snap a photo facing east and have the image be filled with pinks, purples and blues then shift my camera to the west and have the colors change sharply to yellows, orange and reds. Many of these photos are taken from a window in my home... I enjoy the sunsets the best in my Arizona home. In the summer while I'm in the Adirondack Mountains I've found more beauty and color in the morning as the sun is coming up. During both times of day at each location the light that fills my house is what draws me outside with my camera. It's so incredible.
Recently I've noticed some changes on Facebook and my images are not clear or have the depth of color the actual images have. It's hard to complain about it because the smaller file size insures people can't take these images and reprint them- which I'm happy about. But they look like fuzz iPhone photos and I fear some of the beauty gets lost in translation...
It’s been non stop for the past two weeks, we left Arizona a week later than usual because of Presley’s dance recital. This meant we rolled right from getting settled in at camp to running around visiting friends for all the Best Forth in The North activities. Sad that the first two weeks of summer are over but I am looking forward to all that is planned these next several weeks.
While finishing up on a few work projects this morning I decided to scroll through my images and see if there were any I wanted to edit. See last year I realized after summer I didn’t take too many photos. So this summer I’ve been better with taking more (sorry to all my Facebook friends) but haven’t had much time to edit...
This morning is when I ran across the image above, I don’t even remember taking it. At first I was pretty sure it was another photo at dawn. But the placement of the rising sun was all wrong. Only after looking at the time the image was taken, it I figure out it was taken at 6:00PM...
Many of my summer photos help remind me of how lucky I am to be here on Lake George, that I'm very small in this beautiful world around me, "first world stuff" might be making my life more fun- not better and to value the loving friends and family I have in my life. I really truly hope you have a place like Lake George that reminds you of similar things too.
I had very poor styling products back then... blah.
All I can say is the 80's were worse.
“They are my memories I’ll remember them how I want to” ~ Judy Garland
In my previous blog post I spoke about the trip I made to Italy. When I started that post I was intending on writing about something totally different. But the words just flowed so I went with it and decided I’ll write several posts about the trip to Italy. As I laid in bed thinking about this time in my life for the first time in years I realized I made an error. Rather then just correct the single sentence I decided I would write another post...
When I graduated from High School I enrolled in the local community college, took classes there, but I had no clue what I wanted to study. My best friend and I went our separate ways and several of my other friends went to U of A (talk about misguided). At this point I didn’t think I would ever graduate from a university.
At the time I was working with a girl (she was a few years older) and she wanted to set me up with her brother. He was a return mormon missionary. Growing up around in Graham County I knew lots of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) kids so I did not think anything of it. I can not remember all the details (I’m not sure how important they really are). My coworker not only introduced me to her brother but her three younger sister’s one of them (the one closest to my age) and I became very good friends.
The great thing about the LDS church is the young adult life is pretty active. So through all of them I was introduced to a world I had never been apart of at a time when I really was looking for something. The church has pretty clear roles and direction for their young people, so it seemed I had direction again. There are a few of the local church leaders/members that really stand out in my mind to this day...
At some point I got baptized, moved to Mesa with three LDS girls (one of the sisters). After dating her brother for awhile we broke up, I dated a few other mormon boys. It just never really seemed like a good fit. Pretty quickly the girls I lived with started to get married and we all went our separate ways. Many LDS girls get married young, so around 20 years old (my roommates, off and married) I found myself looking for direction again.
It was not long after this that I went on that trip to Southern Virginia College (SVC) for Spring Break...
My feelings toward the mormon church are good. I found comfort and support at a time in my life when I was looking for it. There are a few friends that I met at that time that I still keep in contact with...
I wanted to talk about this time in my life partly because I never do. One friend who knew me before all of this asked me if I was embarrassed I had been baptized. The question caught me off guard but no, I’m not. It is not apart of my life today but it was a part of my journey and discovery of me and that I am ok with...
*This is not an invitation to send visiting teachers.*
The first pixie house that didn't survive a few rain storms. You can see the swing on the left.
Our new and improved pixie house. The table and empty bowls (acorns) on the left, camp fire (battery operated tea light), glass blown blue bird.
Top lifted: Mantel with candle sticks made from tiny cut pine cones.
"flower" pine cones in fungus flower pot, and in the top right of the photo is a acorn hollowed out with a light inside used for a porch light.
Light made out of an acorn and stuffed with clock flower (fluffy white and feathery). Birch porch, I love the curl on the end.
Corner post with worm designs.
Side wall with fungus, bark and moss.
Pixie broom is one of my favorite creations.
Campfire made from battery operated tea light.
I probably have my friend Gina to thank for getting started on this Pixie House. For Presley's birthday she gave Presley a Fairy House starter kit. It was filled with adorable little trinkets to get us started on a fairy house. We’ve made a few since then, this last one being the biggest project yet. Being in the Adirondack Mountains I knew we would have so many supplies in our own back yard.
The first fairy house we did this summer was with Presley’s summer cousins and we spend 5 hours straight working on them! The girls (6yrs., 9yrs., & 13yrs.) had such a great time I had a hard time pulling away from their fairy village. However after the first rain storm the houses were pretty quickly damaged. Presley was pretty upset by this, it was then I had decided I would make one a little more durable.
While working on the first set of fairy houses I had found these small branches that had carvings created by worms that looked very decorative. I knew that those would be used as the corner posts. For the four walls I purchased .25 inch plywood, this would be inset from the corner posts and then later covered with tree bark. I used peeled birch bark to cover the door. A small rock as the door pull, hard dried fungus a flower pot, rock for house sign, a twig and pine needles for a broom, and cut mini pine cones as candle stick holders and flowers.
The project would not be nearly as adorable if it was not for help from a few friends. Our friend Terry from Silver Bay kindly offered to cut the corner posts for us ( I didn’t have the tools for this) and this really gave us our start. Mark (hubby) constructed the “bones” of the building. As the summer ticked by and people saw me working on this they started bringing Presley “supplies”. Sandy (who we rent from) brought back some birch bark (front porch), pine cones and twigs (mantle) from a kayak ride to Little O’Dell Island and Matt (Mark’s business partner) found the chimney on the golf course.
There are still a few design items that I have not photographed and a few that I have not remade since the storm. Presley had a great idea to make a swing, it was so cute but was damaged by the storm (or by someone stepping on it). This is our last week here and I’m not sure how much more time I will spend on 3 Pixie Hollow. As much fun as it’s been part of me would like to leave the rest for next year. The interior is pretty much empty for now. I have a table made but there is still a lot more that needs to be done.
I’ve really enjoyed my time working on the house and Sandy and her sister Laurie have made a few fairy houses too and they keep popping up around, The Little Red Cabins. We’ve already joked about making more each year an creating a fairy village under the trees... I’m not sure I can wait that long, I’d love a Christmas theme fairy house.
This year on my summer bucket list was the Brimfield Antique Fair. It’s the largest most popular antique fair in the country. It’s only open three times a year and over 6,000 vendors come with their goods.
As the days got closer I lost my motivation to go. It was going to be a far drive and I couldn’t find anyone excited to go with me. Normally I don’t mind doing things alone but this was going to be a full day with the fair being 3 hours away. Mark did kindly offer to go but I knew it’s not how he’ll really like to spend a summer day. I talked myself out of it, because I really wasn’t looking for anything specific and I had since heard the one in the fall is better.
We had were having such fun the friends here that I also forgot about the fair for a few days. But towards the end of the week, and the end of the fair I wondered if I was just being lazy. I mean who knows what amazing things I could find there.
Then as luck would have it I found two wonderful antiques here. On a visit into Rathbun Jewelers I noticed a beautiful pocket watch in the estate section. It caught my eye but I usually let things like that sit for a day or two before I buy. If I still want them, then I know it’s not just an impulse buy.
A few days later we were in the store and I had Mr. Rathbun put it on a silver chain for me and now it’s one of my most favorite possessions. It’s a european watch from the 1880’s- and it works! I carefully wind it up and admire the sounds it makes.
Then if that wasn’t sweet enough I found a working 1938 Remington Rand Model 1 Typewriter. Presley and I were in a store in Vermont poking around for possible fairy house items (that’s another blog post). We stopped in Clemetines and saw these typewrites placed around the store. I started asking a few questions about how hard it was to find the ribbon, if they worked etc. She answered all my questions and then invited us to type a note.
Presley having never seen one before needed a little help with the paper but then began typing. Her first note, “i love lenny and momma and dad”... Yeah, we’ll take it! We were in the store about 45 minutes and I just couldn’t leave without it. It was a bit of a quick decision but I love buying local, I didn’t want it shipped and it’s so beautifully charming (the only way to describe it). Presley let me know today that it’s not mine it’s hers. One day it will be, just not yet...
Where has the time gone? The older I get the faster time seems to hum along. Our time in the Adirondack Mountains, for that reason is a time that I cherish. Presley seems to be more connected to all the tiny creatures around us and the landscape itself is more inviting than the sometimes harsh terrain of our desert home. Summers on Lake George are as cliche as it sounds, a time to slow down and be thankful for all the real gifts in life.
There is not a day that goes by that I don’t feel lucky to be here. Even with this year’s rainy beginning, followed by the buggy, muggy days to follow. I can walk out my door and takes hikes through grand trees to views that remind me how small I really am. I am awaken to sunrises that are so exquisite they touch my core as I try foolishly to etch that view in my memory. Each year my heart aches to leave.
This year I wanted to take photos of the places and things that bring me joy. It’s my hope that everyone has a place and time in their life that they go to do feel small and thankful for the wonderfully wide world around them. My summer is coming to a close but my photos will keep my spirit fed until next summer.
Please read this link first it will help... A few months ago I was at the light on Ash Ave and University Drive in Tempe. I noticed one of Presley’s school friends father, Brad (he works for the City of Tempe) on the corner working. In the past he had mentioned he works for the City. Presley and his son play a lot together after school so I’ve had a great time getting to know the family.
Weeks went by and even though I see him daily I had forgot to mention it. Finally one day after school I remembered. I can’t remember how I explained the spot or what I said but some how the memorial on that location came up. This I remember, I told him about Chris Volpe. Although I didn’t know him because of this memorial I got to hear of Chris and meet his brother, Tony. Brad then explained to me that the memorial was in jeopardy of being removed.
Someone wanted to have the ghost bikes removed. The ghost bikes were placed in two Tempe locations where bikers had been hit and killed by cars. The removal of these bikes was so shocking to hear, why? This memorial is such a great reminder for me and my family who live (near there) in a busy area with both cars and bikes, to be careful. Presley mentions the memorial to friends when we drive by and she will say, even if you’re riding safely doesn’t mean the cars see you. The memorial is such a great reminder to me (and my family) as a biker, and driver to be cautious on the road. Too quickly a life can be taken.
The photo above was taken a few weeks back. The bike and memorial have been removed. I was pretty aggravated to write about it then. I still don’t know why anyone would want to have the ghost bikes removed. I’m still pissed... I've linked below where you can read about both Jay Fretz and Chris Volpe.
This morning I was in the kitchen listening to my iPod while making Presley's morning smoothie. My music was on random because I was bored with my current playlist. The song, Jeremy by Pearl Jam began playing. The song hit me in a way it never had before.
The song was released in 1993. The song was written after Eddie Vedder (lead singer) had read about Jeremy Delle a 15 year old boy from Texas shot and killed himself in front of his English class. Eddie Vedder stated that when writing the song he also drew from his experience with a boy from his high school that shot up an oceanography room, Vedder was in the halls and recalls hearing the shots. Vedder had several altercations with the boy...
The video starts out with the words, "an affluent suburb, 64 degrees and cloudy" and ends with those same words. This is done to represent that nothing changed. I realize that 20 years later nothing has changed. Kids are killing themselves, killing others, killing children and nothing has changed.
I'm not here to say that we need to ban ALL guns. What I am saying is that nothing has been done! 99 gun laws have been passed since 2009 that make owning, buying and carrying a gun easier and harder to track. I don't give a crap about owning a gun- personally, if you do *great*! Get a gun! But obtaining that gun should be becoming harder not easier. Look at what changes were made in airports after 9.11.
The Constitution is "a living document", the Founding Fathers knew it would *have* to change with the times. Article Five of the Constitution reads: "The Congress, whenever two-thirds of both Houses [the House and the Senate] shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution . . ." States were also given a chance to propose changes, or amendments. Three-fourths of the states have to approve the amendment for it to become law. Hello, they are called *amendments*... When it was first written only white men over 21 could vote. So, yeah it can be changed.
The other obvious conponet to this argument is the state of mental health care. There are a lot of people that need help and aren't getting it? It's worth figuring out. If you are holding a glass of water and notice a crack what do you do first? The easiest fix, put your finger over the break until you can find a better solution. Slowing down the sale of guns by stricter laws seems like the finger over the break to me. It won't stop all the water from coming out, but it's a start.
With Presley starting school this year I've talked to a lot of parents about education, picking teachers, picking the best schools, the best learning environment and all that "stuff". What became clear to me was that there are kids in this country that "fall through the cracks". Maybe they don't have parents (or ones that care), or suffer in social situations, or they are "bad kids", or mental issues but hey, "they aren't my problem". What struck me is that, they can only be ignored for so long. They are my problem and your problem because they are a part of our society.
"clearly I remember
picking on the boy
seemed a harmless little fuck
but we unleashed a lion"
Pearl Jam~ Jeremy
I'm not fearful, I know there is more good than bad in this world. I care. I care that our world is changing and our understanding on how to help and protect ourselves and our children isn't apparent or easy.
With Sandy Hook, Boston, Tucson, Amish School, Virginia Tech, Columbine, Aurora, Sikh temple, and all the others, there are so so many innocent victims. There's no telling when or where the next victims will be, but make no mistake there will be more.
Here is a link to the 62 mass killings that have taken place in the US since 1982 2012. All of 2013 have yet to be added, there has been one mass killing a month (in the US) since 2009.
Click on the map to go to the site with the story that goes with the map.
Like so many, for as long as I can remember I have been an admirer of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. The attraction to her isn't unusual and I have tried to understand that part. She grew up in a time very different from my life. She was born into privilege, travel the world and seemed to have it all. But why is she any different than many others before her.
As I grew up the fact that her later life was a bit tragic I think made her easier to fall in love with. How she handled herself during the assassination of her husband and how she cared for her children. I remember watching on television (years later) when she married Aristotle Onassis many assumed because only he could offer the protection she desired for her children. That made her all the more amazing to me.
The fact that everyone loved Jackie at times seems so cliche. As I was looking at some of her photos the other night it occurred to me that the reason so many adore her, in my eyes is because her image is so welcoming. She has sophistication without pomp. Her petite frame, elegant attire and gentle nature just draws you in. Not to mention the great back drops of her life and photos.
At first I thought, wow she had some great photo journalists that knew how to snap great photos, and the image of her life that I loved was a charade indeed, often referred to as "Camelot"... But as I sat looking at more photos, and being a photographer I know those moments are real.
In my job I can only stage a photo to a certain extent with children. I can set the scene but if I'm asking the mother/father to interact with a child in a way they don't normally do the photo doesn't work. The children will not fake it and any age. Looking at the photos of JFK with their kids, the relationship is very different. Not saying that he was a poor father, his relationship was just a very different one and that's very common...
Over the years I've noticed that when talking about their parents the Kennedy's (the whole family) at any age called their parents, Mom and Dad or even Mommy and Daddy. It's not something that I hear most adults say so it always stuck out in my mind as strange. After watching the recent film, Ethel (about Ethel Kennedy) it came to me that it was not strange or silly but a small way to honor their parents...
With all that the Kennedy's have been "given" I admire their sense of social responsibility, appreciation of art and education, and love of family. I of course love Jakie's clothes and effortless style but I really admire her selfless devotion to her children.
I love the backdrop, JFK's socks and Jackie's pefection!
A photo I was able to edit before the computer explosion (not literally by the way).
I'm blogging because quite frankly I'm trying not to freak out... I won't bore you with the details... It's been at least a month of technical difficulties and everything will be fine, I'm just annoyed. It's times like these I think about the saying a bad day on the golf course beats a good day in the office. For me a bad day with my photography business beats a good day in any other profession.
OK... Good news I see my photo library (50,000 photos) is not "currupted". Sign of relief... Beautiful... Now I'll just have to go to the Apple store and see why I can't view it on my new beautiful, faster, computer (I'm on my old computer tonight)...
That was therapeutic... Thanks for listening (reading)...