Iris and Lace Curtain

ISO 250 f 1.2 1/40 50mm lens available light

Wordless Sunday.

Weekly Photo Challenge: The Golden Hour

If you’ve been following the blog, you’ve seen this photo before.

When I saw the theme for the week, a single photo came to mind. I went to the archives and found other images I’ve photographed in the Golden Hour but am posting my favorite.

Laura and James, six months after their wedding. Remember my story how the mother-of-the-bride can’t be the photographer so they dressed up in their wedding clothes and we went around the city so I could photograph them. James knew some great spots, Downtown Columbus Ohio. Union Station Arch

You Know There’s a Story to This Scene

Late afternoon photo of the abandoned boat

at Smith Mountain Lake Virginia

Earlier in the day photo of the abandoned boat. I’d say it’s been there for awhile.

An assignment in photo class, take a photograph of the same scene at different times of day. Check.

Black and White Weekly Photo Challenge: Toys

I follow a blogger from South Africa at Sonel’s Corner and you may have read some of her lovely comments on my blog. She hosted Flat Ruthie and introduced FR to the Vervet Monkeys . You can see what a Vervet Monkey looks like at Sonel’s Corner blog post on B and W weekly challenge of Nature here.

She’s started a black and white challenge and I’ve been thinking about participating but kept missing the deadline. The Black and White Weekly Photo Challenge theme this week is TOYS. Here I am in Ohio, visiting the grandchildren and there are plenty of toys.

I shot these toys today specifically for Sonel’s challenge.

Then I converted them into black and white in Aperture and am posting a few from today’s effort. Shot with Canon 5D -50mm 1.2 L series lens. I used the cable remote to avoid camera shake.

My DIL Erika’s Grandmother Marion (Marlene’s mother) crocheted this doll dress, bonnet and undergarments for this doll I took down from the high shelf in Anna’s room.

Caught the afternoon light on her through the dining room window. I asked Erika if she had a name and she said no. Crocheted doll clothes were “in”.

Mark(from Aunt Bobbie) and Erika’s Teddy Bears. Mark’s Brownie on the left and Erika’s Teddy on the right. Presently residing in their daughter Anna’s room on the high shelf, not getting any “play time”.

This little doll was given to Anna in 2003 by my dear friend G. Anna’s first doll. Maura popped into the photo shoot. She is also in charge of tending this dolly now. I knit the old cotton dishcloth pattern extra large for a dolly blanket. They drape so nicely.

Found the missing puzzle piece today. Ooops, the puzzle was discarded a long time ago. (this one shot with the iPhone) Always liked those knob puzzles.

Thanks to Sonel’s Corner for the Black and White inspiration.

Feeding the Horses in Virginia

When the kids visit their grandparents in Virginia, they love to feed the horses next door carrots and apples. Marlene must have had ten pounds of carrots for our stay! The neighbors are generous with allowing all the children to visit the animals at the barn, too. You might remember the pigs. The grass was so high from all the rain in was hard to see the bare feet!

The fence where we took Christmas card pics last Thanksgiving.

Maura feeds the mini horse a carrot.

Not sure what Michael is communicating to the horses or they to him……

Jack

The next morning, saying good bye. Horses keeping cool in the shade of the woods.

and the much used but almost always successful running grandchildren shot.

They really respond to on your mark, get set, GO. Must be all that swim team practice and meets!

The four of them are making my summer vacation a lively one!

Henry the 3 Month Old Airedale Puppy

Many people have a favorite dog breed. In the list of the top ten most popular breeds in the USA, the top three are Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd and Golden Retriever. Forget the ranking, Airedales are tradition in my DIL’s family.

Henry, the 3 Month Old Airedale Puppy, is the newest member of the family. He is exuberant and happy with all the care and attention he is receiving from everyone. You’ve seen glimpses of him in a few posts.

Henry hails from Michigan (Aberdeen Airedales) and has already been in West Virginia and Virginia and resides in Ohio. He was really good on the seven hour ride to Virginia! Both ways so that racks up 14 hours in the van.

Mark was telling me about the Presidents who have had Airedales – Scott Brown of Cerebral Caffeine blog wrote “After The Great War (World War I), the Airedales’ popularity rapidly increased thanks to stories of their bravery on the battlefield and, in America, also because Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, and Warren Harding owned Airedales.”

Although Airedales are not in the top ten most popular breeds in 2013, he is one popular little guy in the family.

Can you see how big his paws are?

Learning to go down the stairs

Henry in introduced to his cousin Penny the Golden Doodle.

Puppy Portrait

Each of the kids sat on Dad’s lap to help steer.

My DIL Erika took this one on her iPhone as Mark held Henry the Navigator at Smith Mountain Lake Virginia

(Mark asked me if I remembered Toonces?)

photo credit to Erika, guest contributor

Henry and his new family.

Maura, Anna holding Henry, Michael and Jack in Hardy, Virginia.

Road Trip Passenger Seat View

From Virginia to Ohio, through West Virginia in between. It’s a little more than 350 miles. Sunday afternoon and the holiday weekend travelers were on the highway. A tractor trailer had overturned and rolled through the median- you could see the jersey barrier broken up and then the missing guard rail along the other side of the highway.on Route 77- all traffic on the road was actually stopped for a time

Thunderstorms, lightning, magnificent clouds, sunlight behind clouds, wet pavement and teaming rain, then some bright sun for the weather report.

Shooting through glass is never ideal. I got to be in the passenger seat this trip. Good to be back in Ohio with the family, safe and sound.

Ravenswood Trailer Park

Ravenswood Bridge connecting West Virginia and Ohio a two lane cantilevered bridge

Driving Over the Ohio River on Ravenswood Bridge

Side of a truck trailer parked, taken through the driver’s side from the passenger seat

Clouds and smoke at dusk

Smokestack through the driver’s window

Nelsonville Ohio Information on the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway if you are thinking of taking an old fashioned train ride

Boy’s Best Friend

Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia.

Michael talks to 3 month old Henry, (the Airedale Terrier puppy) on the boat.

Henry wore a life jacket and did a bit of doggy paddle with the family but was glad to get out of the water and shake off.

Henry is losing his black puppy hair on his face and as Mark said today, he is looking more “Airedaley”.

Weekly Photo Challenge : Nostalgic

I thought we were in Burnt Chimney, Virginia. Precisely Wirtz, VA.

Friday afternoon.

When I saw that the weekly challenge was nostalgic I wondered what I longed for- I don’t truly long for the return of the milk truck or the milkman to bring the glass bottles of milk to the door. But this truck did make me remember and recapture a time of my life, past…..

Nostalgic. Sometimes, we long for the past: for moments we want to remember or recapture. The good times. The golden years. Or perhaps we’re homesick, or longing for something — or someone — that might have been.

We went for ice cream cones at the Homestead Creamery Friday afternoon. There were white rockers to sit in out front. This old milk truck was parked on their lawn.

I remember out milkman (an it was prior to PC naming- not milk person or milk carrier) bringing a wire basket of glass bottles of milk to the milk box on the back steps. A dozen eggs.

I remember the sound of the truck door sliding open and shut on his truck. The rattle of glass. The sound of the milk box lid closing. You can buy milk in glass bottles at Homestead Creamery.

Our milkman was from the Alderney Dairy in New Jersey.

If you want to see a previous post of a vintage Harmony Dairy milkbox you can click here

and here’s the image from the link above, showing Dorothy‘s Milkbox ’cause who has time to click and go check it out?

No Flash, Hand-Held Off-Camera Flash- Sparklers in the Rain for One

Thanks to everyone who sent birthday greetings. Nothing like announcing “Hey, it’s my birthday” publicly and then being the recipient of such lovely wishes.

Rain kept us from going to see fireworks Thursday night. Anna had her Pap light a sparkler or two and she tired to enjoy them in the rain in the front yard.

For the second day in a row I took the photos from the porch. It was totally dark.

The first photo was taken without a flash but there was some light from the house and the sparkler.

The second was taken with hand-held off-camera flash. Thought i would experiment as I read about it but never really tried it. I avoid using the flash as much as possible but wanted to experiment for some different dramatic lighting effects. Thanks Anna you were most cooperative.

The cord I bought about 9 years ago and never really used. I will try it again when I have some more willing subjects.