Happy Halloween from Bayard, West Virgina

Happy Halloween from Bayard, West Virgina 

Home on the Range...

 Home on the Range...

We're not in Kansas anymore, but this popular song is the official state song of Kansas.

BOO!

Halloween Ghost

Oh, the simplicity.

Enjoy the bounty of the season

Fall decorations

"O Autumn, laden with fruit, and stained
With the blood of the grape, pass not, but sit
Beneath my shady roof; there thou mayest rest
And tune thy jolly voice to my fresh pipe,
And all the daughters of the year shall dance!
Sing now the lusty song of fruits and flowers." ~ William Blake

Yummy Oysters...

Oyster photo

Need I say more?

Sunset on Main Street

Sunset on Main Street 

"Autumn sunsets die quickly." 

 

I will let you wonder where this "Main Street" is. Could be yours.

...bears, oh my!

Bears in Maryland

We don't hunt, but we always carry weapons when we are at the  farm. With 100 acres, there are a lot of places bears can hide. No bear at the other end of the rifle, but it was fun to pose the shot.

Won't you come along with us and enjoy the views?

Two Faces

Faces

“Which of the photographs is my favorite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow.” ~ Imogen Cunningham

I didn't talk to the first face, but I did sit a spell and talk to the second face. He is missing one leg, lost in a rail accident when he worked for the railroad. I will be using his profile in one of my short stories.

Still time...

Enjoy Maryland Outdoors

Still time to enjoy the great outdoors. Hurry, though!

Cape May Lighthouse

“Lighthouses are more helpful than churches” ~ Benjamin Franklin

Two skies for Sunday

fall leaves in Maryland

We were riding around on the property where we hang out a lot these days, and stopped the car to enjoy the view. It was actually getting dark in the spot where we had stopped, but the last of the day's sun had set the treetops aflame as it slipped behind the old-growth blue spruce pines that shadowed us like trench-coated characters in a film noir movie. The sky was a blue/diamond white, the kind photographers wish weren't so blinding.  I had to make a few quick camera adjustments in order to pull out the details in the tree trunks and the section of white fence. The white fence surrounds a tiny grave from long-ago. There is a bench beside it for meditation. There is another grave-site on the property that is surrounded by an old ornate iron fence.

The below photo was taken earlier in the day, out the driveway and around the bend.

Other people's junk...

Other people's junk..

Who would take a second look at these things? Only a photographer, so don't think too hard about the why of these photos.


The first photo was taken at a car wash. I saw these little discarded bits of some child's life left behind at the trash dump. Not wanting to disturb the scene, I put my trash back in the car, grabbed my camera, took one shot, and picked up the moose. I brought him 300 miles back home with me, washed him, and sat him on my kitchen counter. I think I heard him giggle the other day. Somehow, I wish I had picked up the other 3 items.

After I took the photo, I threw away my trash, and felt compelled to look around some more. Where there's one photo. I peeked behind a shed in back where there was a no dumping sign, and found this...

Being a photographer who likes to photograph things as they are, I had to shoot what I first saw, which was the above photo. I then moved the microwave and shot the trunk. I wanted to look inside, but thought I might enjoy keeping the mysteries of the trunk dancing around in my head. They could keep me company on the long ride home. Perhaps there was a body inside, or clusters of brilliant diamonds sewn within the lining, or a Sierra Madre treasure map, or a magic genie, or a million dollars cool cash, courtesy of the Twilight Zone.

How sad to see something like this, rotting away in the elements. I would like to think that someone came along and salvaged this trunk, and as I write this, they are in the process of giving it new life. And perhaps they found those diamonds or cool cash, or treasure map, but I didn't hear about it on the news, and you know, if it isn't on the news, it didn't happen.

Volkswagens

Volkswagens

Did I ever tell you about my Volkswagen days? Never mind. I still love the little buggers. If I could get a good deal on that bus, I might be inclined to drag out my gypsy clothes and grab my cardboard suitcase. Whee! No wait. That belongs to Angry Birds. Whoo-hoo!

An apple a day...

An a apple a day...
Nothing like apples, fresh from the tree, especially when they were cared for by my favorite gardener - Mother Nature. I didn't know whether to eat them or photograph them. I did both. And I picked some to go. A lot. I now have a fridge full of the healthy little fruits, which are also kind of a vegetable, as well. Apples are members of the rose family.

Travel

Travel

"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." ~ Saint Augustine

Rowlesburg, WV - travel tip

Rowlesburg, WV, Szilagyi Center for the Visual and Performing Arts

I love it when a town takes something old and makes something not only useful out of it, but something educational and inspirational. I don't like to see history destroyed and replaced with a shiny building.  A town that works together certainly grows together, and Rowlesburg, WV, is a fine example of hard work and community pride.  I met some of the movers and shakers, and members of the revitalization committee, and was impressed at their excitement over the growth of their little corner of the world. Rowlesburg is quite a ways from the big-city life, so they have created their own magic, complete with a WWII museum and a performing arts center. I think what amazed me most about Rowlesburg is the population  - 600, give or take a few. 


The old school, built in 1910, and deemed uninhabitable for students after the great flood of 1985, houses a WWII exhibit that would please  a Smithsonian historian.  Inside you will also find a sports exhibit, B&O railroad exhibit (railroad exhibit is on loan, so check dates before you go), quilting room, cafe, and pottery and art studio. Located next to the main entrance is the Szilagyi Center for the Visual and Performing Arts. Visitors to the area are likely to stumble upon anything from bluegrass to opera. In the works, a library and computer lab for classes and Internet access. In addition to that, the old school gym/auditorium and kitchen are available for events. Office space is also available. Events are nicely spaced throughout the year to coincide with the seasons and holidays.

Here is sneak peak of WWII exhibit. It is totally awesome. A must-see.  No detail was spared. I shot these photos with available light.

 You'll have to go to see the rest.

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One little peak at sports museum...

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The cafe, not open at the time,  was readying for a festival. The ladies did provide me with some unsweetened tea, homemade, of course.

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Lots of little surprises as you wander around the town. They also have a beautiful park on the river and other little jewels you will have to discover for yourself.

I was told by a couple  who had rented a weekend room above this cute little shop, where I naturally bought several items, that the upstairs is complete with kitchen. Call number on signage for info.