June 8

Still not summer yet, but this...well it feels like summer. The field by the lake, where I spend most of my summer days. Love the tiny delicate yellow flowers and the puffy clouds.  

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Rainy Day

It's been raining on and off for a few days now. Today it's mostly all rain. All okay, as the garden won't need me to water. Plus, this rain will make everything around us even greener. A gorgeous time of year.
Posting a photo today that I took a few weeks ago on Block Island. At the moment, it's my favorite photo. A painterly feel.


The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach.
      ~Henry Beston

Summer

Ok it's not summer yet, but here in the northeast I'm convinced that Memorial Day marks the 'official' beginning of  summer. A change in the weather, winter clothes switched over to summer clothes,  boats on the lake, lawns being mowed, lightning bugs, gardens planted, flowers blooming, windows wide open...the list goes on. Busy time of year. Also, a favorite time for me.

This year I find myself immersed in gardening. I've planted a lot. Well, a lot for me. I don't consider myself much of a gardener but everything I plant tends to grow. I think of my friends as the serious gardeners. Their gardens are a true work of art. I'm getting there...this year I planted tomatoes, carrots, hot peppers, basil, parsley, kale, swiss chard, arugula,  radishes, green beans, red onions and a few miscellaneous veggies/herbs squeezed in here and there. Been working hard and actually loving it. New for me. I've always said I was an anomaly in the country because I hated gardening. Perhaps just a late bloomer.

No pictures of my garden 'yet,' although I must admit it looks nice. Neatly weeded and almost completely mulched. Can't wait to start eating out of it. Nothing gets wasted. I use nearly all the basil for cooking and pesto. I've even made pesto with parsley - not a big favorite, but good for you! Any overabundance of veggies is shared with friends. Rarely a need to buy vegetables in the summer.

Meanwhile, I'm managing to squeeze in time for photos. Summer light is different, and lovely. Sunsets tend to be more dramatic.Thunderstorms create great cloud captures. Morning fog is magical, as are those shots after the rain where the mist is often suspended in air. Caught one of those moments on my way back from Block Island a few weeks ago. This is a gorgeous area. Sometimes I comment how I long for the sea and the salt air. Last night I fell asleep to the sounds of frogs, June bugs and other unknown creatures. Comforting. Almost as soothing as the waves of the ocean.

Clouds rolling in, barn across the street.

Sunset on my friends' lake, Swago Pond.

The dramatic sunsets of summer.

After the rain on the way home from Block Island. Delaware River, few miles from home.

Another shot on the way home from Block Island. After the rain.

Block Island

My mind has lost track of how many times I've been to Block Island. It continues to be my favorite place on the planet. Although a small island, only three by seven miles, I never seem to tire of its beauty. Every visit is different. Well, the ocean itself. Constantly changing. From the wild to the calm.

This year I actually couldn't get off the mainland when I intially planned on going. Gale warning in effect, ferries not running for 2 days. A rarity. That was a few weeks ago. I came home. Tried again about ten days ago. Ferries running, plus a major improvement in the weather. A string of sunny days.  Relatively warm. Barefoot in the sand kind of weather. Magical.

Typically, Block Island is a pilgrimage of sorts for me. I'm alone and for me, there is great solace in solitude. I tend to ride my bike and wander about for days, just me and my camera. I'll chat with people here and there, but I mostly shoot photos, gaze at the sea and commune with nature. Peaceful, calming,

This trip brought me together with many solo travelers, somewhat of a different experience. Great fun, but I didn't take nearly as many photos. All okay. Loved going out to dinner on Block Island with new friends for my birthday. Sipping wine and munching on appetizers during the evening hours. Yeah, some of the best light of the day. Missed almost every sunset. But...I had a fantastic time!
I did go to North Light beach one day by myself. This is my favorite beach on the island, typically deserted. It's a long bike ride, then a hike to the beach itself. I'd heard there were seals at this beach right now, about eighty of them. When I actually got to the point of the island and saw the seals (lots of them!), I was ecstatic. For a while, it was just me and the seals. However, when it comes to taking photos of them, I was a bit intimidated. I think of myself as a landscape photographer. This was new territory for me. The seals did not appear to like me and even at a distance with my telephotos lens, they seemed disturbed. Managed to get a few shots, nothing spectacular, but I found them fascinating creatures. The seals had a difficult time getting around on land, as if they only had sea legs. They sort of flopped around in the sand as they made their way along the beach. Looked like a struggle. And when they lifted their fins, it was almost as if they were waving at me. In reality, I feel they were probably wishing I'd go away. They're not social creatures and not fond of people. I learned this from a wildlife rehab guy who came over to chat with me. Best to give the seals their space. Which I tried to do. Therefore, not too many seal photos.
Despite my socialzing this trip, I did manage to shoot a handful of photos. Here they are.

View from my cottage, right on the beach.

Sunrise

Defintitely trespassing and shooting into the sun (oops) for this shot. These few shots are of the same house. No one lives here off season. I alway come up and hang out on their back porch. Or maybe it's the front porch (?)

The porch

Side porch of the same house. It is a 'bit of heaven.'  Discovered this house one winter and fell madly in love with it.

Seal

Another...

Southeast Lighthouse

Hotel Manisses

Daffodils -thousands of them

Full moon - love this shot.

My first day on the island. Cloudy with sun struggling to break through.

Antoher shot of my first day back on the island

Avonlea - one of my favorite Inns on the island

Another full moon shot

Another Avonlea shot.

Sunrise

Sunrise

Good-bye Block Island...

Winter Thoughts/First Day of Spring

Winter has not been easy. Three nor'easters in the span of a couple weeks, one which left many of us, including me, without power for days. Not fun. Well, maybe the first night when I hearkened back to my sailing days reading by the lantern and listening to the wind howling outside. Somewhat calming and even a little exciting. But it got old fast. Real fast.

The no power thing went on for days. 5 days total. Food went bad, the house was a mess, I was slightly bedraggled. I desperately wanted a shower. Yet tough times create good times. Many of us met at the local library to charge our phones, get on computers and commiserate about our dire situation. The misery loves company theory works. Strong sense of community. Yep, we were all in it together.

I've always had a serious romance with winter. I love the snow, the white on white, the cool crisp air, and the occasional snow day, Although I don't get paid to stay home, sometimes a day off in the middle of the week is fun. The forced retreat of winter, a hiberation of sorts - sits well with me. However, today I'm feeling tired of winter. Longing for spring, days on the lake, my bike. Spring starts in just a few day but I doubt that it will feel like spring. It never feels like spring until almost May. The seasons don't come along as written on my calendar. It has even snowed here on Mother's Day in May. Aargh! 

I soldier on. Planning a trip to Block Island mid-April for about a week and hoping that at least a hint of spring will have arrived by then. I could plan my trip later but anxious for time away. Fingers crossed!
Today is the first day of spring. 10 degrees early morning. We wait for more snow. Tomorrow.

This barn is just around the corner from my house. During the power outage I found it to be one of the few places I could get a cell signal. I spent lots of time here.

Winter Barn

Following the plow down Conklin Hill - Damascus PA

Along the River Rd - Damascus PA

Field across the street, early evening

My town - Callicoon NY

Sunrise first day of spring

Sunset in my hood, still can take my breath away

Morning light on the barn, sometimes it hits it just right

Sunset - Cochecton Center NY

Along the River Rd - Damascus PA

My favorite old gas station - Hankins NY

The calm before

Yesterday I was up early and out in the field across the street for sunrise. It felt like a gorgeous spring morning. Hard to believe we're in the midst of a winter storm warning just one day later. Hoping for at least enough snow to finally go snowshoeing. Varying weather forecasts (so who knows?!) but all seem to be in agreement on one factor - lots of wind! A serious nor-easter.  I'm ready - bathtub filled, water containers, flashlights, lanterns, wood fire, even a DVD film I can watch on my computer should the power go out...let it snow!!

February 1

Yikes! January has already slipped away. Fortunately, I'm feeling my romance with winter kicking in again. The few spring-like days made me long to jump on my bike or paddle my kayak, but now I wait for the BIG snow. I want to snowshoe and cross country ski. Soon...! I hope.

Wood fire roaring now. Hauled lots of wood inside this afternoon. There's still a wood stash on the porch, but I save that for the bitter cold days. Those are the days when I don't want to venture outside. Plus, the wood shed is a bit of a hike from the house.

Posting some photos of the frosty railings at Niagara Falls today. No leaning on these railings. Very icy. But their beauty was captivating.

Amazing that the paths in the town and around the Falls were completely free of ice. No idea how they made that happen, especially with the mist from the Falls flying around everywhere. It was all pretty magical.




I love this particular photo because you can see a rainbow through the railings. Lots of rainbows that day. Special.

That's all ice on top of the railing, not snow.

Another icy railing...this is my favorite.