Thursday, May 7, 2009

Friday "My Town" Shoot Out - Gardens and Stuff Around Somerset County



"Mary Mary quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row."


This was supposed to be the post where I got out little garden tools and gloves and took cleverly composed photos. It was going to be colorful and pretty, and make you ache to get your hands dirty.

I was going to shoot a closeup of an old timer's hands wrapped around the handle of his faithful hoe. They would have been tired and worn hands, yet glowing with the youthful promise of a bountiful harvest. You would have seen that in my photo. I had planned it well.

I was going to bring you flowers and fruits and veggies, just as fresh as my photos.

I had hoped to catch a woman in a bonnet or a vintage straw hat walking towards me with a basket full of freshly cut herbs in one hand. I wanted her to be wearing a floral cotton print dress, tennis shoes, and carrying her clippers in the other hand - the ones she bought not at Wal-Mart but at our local hardware store. Her once off-white garden gloves would have been good gloves that had held the test of time. A little tear here, a little wear there, but a few more seasons still left in them.

I wanted to capture the smell of gasoline when a hand-tiller cranked up, black smoke blowing out of the back of it. Can you capture the smell of something in a photo? I believe so.

Indeed, I was going to show off the best of Crisfield's gardens and gardeners.

But, Old Man Time and Old Man Weather got together, pulling off a double whammy on me. I hate double whammies.

"The best laid plans of mice and photographers..."

We have had nothing but rain for the past week, so people have not been working in their yards or gardens. It is getting ready to rain again.

I just know that after everyone posts their lovely photos, and looks at my not so fresh photos, the sun will be shining brightly, drying out the ground, and come Saturday, I will not be able to leave the house without blinders on.

Yes, everyone will be out working in their gardens. The light will be right and the compositions magnificent. Only a photographer who lives with deadlines could understand the agony in finding all the perfect photos laid out on a platter one minute after the presses shut down.

Alas, I have failed my town, and you, my Fellow Friday Shoot Out Bloggers. All I have to show are a few flower shots I was able to pick up today while on my way back from an assignment. And some stale photos. But I did post. I made the deadline! And after all, next Friday is another shoot out.

Captured this on the side of the road.


Fresh strawberries. We have a lot of "Pick Your Own" farms around the county.


Moving on to fall. I took this at a produce stand up the road.


Let's jump back to today.


Let's go back to fall again. Hey, this is getting to be fun!

Just a hop, skip, and a jump up the road at the right time of year, and you can visit the Daffodil Festival.

Into the future (or past) to harvest the crops.

Is it real or is it...? You will have to visit me to find out if the tulips in my pots are real.

You can never have too many pumpkin photos.

What's different about this picture?

Let's move on to watermelon season.

Let's time warp into fall. Oh, I'm getting dizzy.

This photo needs no words.

Now let's go back to Tuesday. I took this coming home from Baltimore. We were in our county, and almost home when I told my husband to hit the breaks. Another version of this ran on the front page of the newspaper on Wednesday. I just can't pass up a feature shot. Too bad he was not plowing, but it was way to wet for that.

_________________


Does anyone know the meaning of my beginning poem? I used to enjoy that little rhyme when I was little. If you are watching the Tudors on Showtime watch out for Mary. Is that a spoiler? Nah. Just don't Google the poem.

Here is a more appropriate quote, after you forgive me for being so lax in my assignment, of course:

"The World is so empty if one thinks only of the mountains, rivers, and cities;
but to know someone who thinks and feels with us, and who, though distant
is close to us in spirit, this makes the earth for us an inhabited garden." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Goethe would have never dreamed that one day those words would be sent out to people of like spirit with a push of a button. How cosmic can that be?

Love from Crisfield, a place that really does have beautiful gardens, both in yards and hearts.

29 comments:

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

I am happy to do a part 2 for this Gardens topic.

I am dying to show off my two first ever pumpkins. They are still in the garden, green and don't seem to grow any bigger.

I might even borrow a floral dress and don a straw hat and a basket and steal some lavender from the neighbourhood. LOL

I have sang the Mary Mary quite contrary, and taught this to my students. But I have not gone into why this song. So, I will google it as you have arouse my curiousity, otherwise, my poor cat will be killed.

BTW, what is next week's topic?

Cheers,

Ann

Gordon said...

Hey, give that guy on the tractor a hug. He's a great American. He works and he's proud of the flag!
Great flowers and veggies, Patty, but he's the bomb! Gordon

The Pink Birdhouse said...

I LOVE anything from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, I find myself falling more and more in love with quotes from him! I was so happy to read something from him on your post today, Patty. As for the pictures, you done goooddd!! Loved the pumpkins, and the purple iris, and people eating watermelon. They all had something to do with things that came out of gardens! Your photos are always exquisite, no matter new or old ones!! We enjoy them all. hugs from here, it was great hearing from you, Debby

Bagman and Butler said...

Wonderful as always. Particularly the word photos that your camera hasn't caught...yet. I knew you'd get some big tractor real garden shots! Living big! And Mary Mary...Bagman has always loved that poem - a bevy of contrary pretty maids standing in a row admiring his cockle shells.

Sarah Lulu said...

G'day I love your photos ...we both had pumpkins!

But what I loved best was the tractor and the flag. GORGEOUS.

Noe Noe Girl...A Queen of all Trades. said...

I'd say you did your town proud!
Your pictures remind me that I so need a better camera! And showing up for the shootout with something was half the battle!

Barry said...

Maybe it was the time travel making me dizzy, but I thought this was great! Lots of fun and great pictures Patty!

A Scattering said...

I love the cross-seasonal aspect of your post. A nice broad selection of gardens and ideas. Your work is always an inspirtation for me. Have a great weekend!

ancient one said...

I don't participate in Shoot out Fridays.. but I sure enjoy visiting the ones that do... I was admiring someone's garden in Australia last night... and today I'm seeing yours... Great Post even if the weather didn't cooperate!

Laura said...

Hi! First of all, love the photos! Secondly, I was wondering if and how I could join the Photo Shoot project? I asked Jen (My Moments) about it and she send me to your blog. :)

Joanne said...

Now here's the thing, I think you're wrong. You captured Crisfield's garden pictures PERFECTLY ... in words.

Unknown said...

I love the shots you described, the potentials, the future...and how your collection played out...very Americana, small town.

Your resolve to just go with it. And isn't that what the farmer and gardener must do? Mother Earth has her own ideas at times, and we must live with it...move on...and celebrate what the day brings!


Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Oh, so cool - what great shots. Patty, you have quite a talent.

Missy said...

Awesome photos, especially the tulips and the pumpkins :-) ....you're really such a pro photographer. I envy you now hahaha

Rachel Cotterill said...

I especially love the pumpkin shots. And, you may have had rain, but with your words you paint a stunning picture of what you'd planned - you should write like that more often! :)

Unknown said...

WOW Patty! you have not failed us, this is fabulous! so many neat shots. the strawberries are making me hungry, the flag on the tractor is so cool, the variety of shots, fruit, veggie, flowers....... :-)

Chef E said...

I al....almost used that very same poem, but something directed me to write about Jersey being the Garden State...well done, and can uh uh um have a peck of tomatoes over here please!

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickles...how many pecks of pickles did Peter Piper pick! Oh who knows!

Midlife, menopause, mistakes and random stuff... said...

I think your snaps are nice. Can't do a thing in the world about Mother Nature, no? That's just part of the game anyway girl.....making do with what you can around town and using old stored pics if you can't get recent ones :)
Wow, I've had a busy week as well and am glad it's almost over.....almost anyway :)
Hugs to Huey and the critters. have and EXTREME weekend and......

Steady On
Reggie Girl

gigi said...

You do so well for throwing something together! I just love it. Sorry you're week hsounds as bad as mine. I've had computer problems, camera problems, MIL to fall down while shopping and GRAND~girls ALL week. Hardly not ime at all.

I'm off to buy a flag for my sweetheart's tractor! I just love that picture so much!

Happy Mother's Day weekend!

Maggie May said...

now i'm hungry for tomato!

J9 said...

Patty,
You didn't fail us! I am a visually oriented person (don't know of a single photographer who isn't) and you descriptions painted the pictures in my mind that you wanted to convey, and they were absolutely beautiful and stunning in their composition, color and clarity!

GingerV said...

I love the blue-eyed girl with the watermelon. congrats.

Kelly said...

Great color! I love the woman eating watermelon! I always love your pictures!

Anonymous said...

I'm loving your posts.

That harvest pic is awesome.

RA said...

Wonderful garden images! I think they can tell me a lot about your beautiful town. Thank you for organizing this great meme :). I hope to see you next Friday.

Owl Eng said...

Lovely post for 'Garden'!!! I wanted to be there to savour the strawberries and enjoy with those lovely people

RedLan said...

Nice shots of flowers! How can I participate in this?

aurbie said...

I could not find your email. I love your site! I am following now, so I will be back.

You wanted to know how to join our town shoot outs. Everything you need to know can be found here:

http://mytownshootout.blogspot.com

I am still working on the site, and
it will soon list all participants names.

We would love to have you join us. We just lost one of our shooters in your part of the world. She returned to school and we have missed her photos.

RedLan said...

Hello Patty. Thanks for the info. I'll jump on the blog where you directed me. I am glad to be one of the group.