Life: Through the Lens

My two favorite seasons are Spring and Fall - and I am sure it has to do with color and vibrance.   Spring is softer than fall; gentler.  Nature gifts us an awakening of the senses after being cooped up all winter.  I have spent as much time as possible outside, generally walking the dog and teaching her how to be a photo companion.  She has learned "wait" might be frustrating, but she always gets her reward.  This Spring she learned where the squirrels go when they run away from  her.  It was hilarious! Enjoy this celebration of Spring!

Getting back in the swing of things.  I began my teaching commitments this week, though my house is not clean, a mountain of postcards, brochures and maps have yet to find a home, and I am not even close to figuring out how I will organize, yet alone display, selections of photographs from our trip.  And that is life, isn't it? The trip seems a bit of a blur, as we work our way toward fall, but it is nice to have beautiful interludes close to home to give us moments of quiet and reflection.  Though we saw many wild animals, and beautiful flora everywhere we went, I love having the same opportunities close to home. It is always good to have that reminder that though travel and seeing new places presents opportunity for growth and adventure, there are also times when looking out your own window, or walking your own neighborhood, are just as rewarding. However, I am NOT sure I am quite ready to give up my summer to the unquestionable beauty and...

Previously I created a post about one specific aspect of a beautiful garden our Camera Club had the pleasure of shooting last night - Yarn Bombing.   Here is some more of the garden story. For a look at a bevy of beautiful Mosaics created by the blogging community, visit Little Red House.   Enjoy!

Last night, the Camera Club group we belong to went on a photo shoot to the garden of one of our members.  I use the term "garden" loosely, however, as it was really a destination filled with wonder and delight.  Located just north of St. Johns, MI, don't miss it on the Garden Tour next summer.  This work of art will not disappoint.  At this point you may be wondering what does a photo shoot in a beautiful garden have to do with the title of this post - "Yarn Bombing." Well here you have it.  A fascinating type of graffitti, this art form is apparently becoming a big deal all over the world.  The fiber arts community is grabbing hold of this new creative venture.  If you look up "Yarn Bombing Los Angeles" you will find an entire fiber arts community "engaging 2000 people online, 500 people world wide, 30-200 locally" in creating and donating a variety of Yarn Bombing projects.   Just look at some of the photos I found when I Goo...

And the passage of time hits me in the face again!  However, I am delighted to be able to post a photo or two that have no snow anywhere in the images! I am officially on my summer break.  My desk is cleaned off, files are in their place (for the most part), photo frames have come home so I can update them over the summer, and I have spent a couple of days doing pretty much whatever I wanted!  The weather is beautiful.   And my weeds are doing VERY well! So now it is time to catch up with all those who have followed me in the past, and those who would like to share my world moving forward.  This year has been very introspective, and I am trying to figure out what I want to do when I grow up.  There have been exciting excursions, excitement and heart ache - all the natural growing pains a person who works full time and has a busy and active family might experience.  I used to think that once the "children" were out of the house and on their ...

Looking for the right  angle and composition. Finally a break in my very busy life, which gives me time to get caught up on my writing and sorting of photographs.  This narrative is Part 2 of a Field Trip adventure I was on a couple of weeks ago with another photo enthusiast. I love how the light plays on this flower, and that though the background is  blurred out, there are still  pops of color for interest. When Viki and I were finished shooting ducks, wildflowers and water, we moved across to a beautiful garden to see what we could find.  The woman who owns the garden was afraid we wouldn't find anything worthwhile to photograph, but gardens are more than the riot of vibrant blooms and color found at its peak.  Doesn't this photo capture a sense of movement?  Love the curves.  Look for the details, patterns, colors and "visitors."  The end of the summer brings a delicious fade, a softening as we change to earth tones an...

With Linda Kaye Daugherty in The Sound of Music Gratiot Community Theater  We went to the Wharton Center production of Sister Act last night, and I haven't tapped my toe or laughed so hard in a very long time.  The music was fresh, the choreography amazing and the set design superb.   The drops for the interior of the church were breathtaking.  Each actor did a fabulous job of portraying their role, and exemplified what can be done through hard work and dedication.  If you can't tell...it was a joyous evening. And today I was thinking about nuns.  No, nothing in the sermon at church this morning really stood out as something which would direct my thinking that way, but last night's show may have brought back some of my girlhood memories of wanting to be a nun.  Yes, it's true.  I once thought this was my vocation - and probably because there just weren't any female church leaders at that time.   A nun was the onl...