keep your hands on the wheel

walking to the starrs

morning light

fire and water

And a few other images thrown in for good measure.

developed

Here are the photos that have been in the Pentax camera that I mentioned in my previous post. They've been there for about 4 years -- since the year that everyone traveled east for Thanksgiving at the farm, and Nick brought friend Josh along. The photo taken at the dinner table looks a bit like The Hippie Family Robinson -- a scary bunch! Nick, Josh, and Hannah all have much shorter hair now. I love the one of Sara and Grant at Sandy Neck beach. It was such a grey day and the colors were so dull that I played a little bit with black and white editing. So, we travel back to 2004....

Grant plays with GPS

Sandy Neck looking west (above) and east (below)

Grant and Sara

Who ARE these people and why are they sitting at my table?

Grandma Susie suspects Matt of cheating at cards

Aunt Junie, hoping for a quiet moment to herself

Nicholas van Beethoven

Josh

Miss Hannah

what i found

As usual when I get obsessed with something, I read every book on the subject. I was reading The Tao of Photography this morning, and the author talked about the problem of getting overly immersed in the equipment and mechanics of photography and losing sight of the appreciation of the world you're trying to capture. Even though I'm a total amateur and don't have high tech equipment, even my inexpensive digital camera has about a gazillion settings that I can easily get hung up on. He suggested occasionally using a low-tech camera and relying on your own vision and abilities rather than that of the camera. Then the little flash bulb went off in my head and I realized I have several old cameras to play with. Remember this old friend?



I also have this camera, which I haven't used for probably 4 years. And it still has film in it! Looks like a trip to the camera store is the project for the day. Stay tuned.

lady slippers

This is a photo from my Cape Walk hike last year, but I thought maybe if I re-posted it it would bring on the warmer weather a little sooner?

a few mossy stones at the mosswood cemetery

I admit it: I am way too easily entertained...

grandma susie comes for lunch

old bog

teenagers galore

I took Hannah & Nick and 5 of their friends to Providence Place Mall to celebrate Hannah's 15th birthday. Went to lunch at Fire & Ice, and then I set them free in the mall while I wandered at my own lame-o Mom pace. Here we are in all our glory -- the good, bad, and silly.

Mikal, Conor, and Hannah

Molly and Kristen

Jimmy and Nick

Nick, Lucy, Hannah

Teenagers galore

found it

Who knew that it was right here on Cape Cod all along?

fur and feathers

The ice is finally melting a bit, and it got up into the 40s today. I went outside to take some pictures, with our cat Willow tagging along. Anyone who has visited knows that Willow is the human leg-polisher -- he rubs against people's legs at every opportunity. He followed me around the yard underfoot, so I stopped taking pictures of tree branches and tried to capture him, instead. The picture of the top of his head is representative of most of my attempts. After he tired of that, I gave up altogether and headed to the beach, where the seagulls were more cooperative.

News from the homefront: Hannah's involved in rehearsals for The Hobbit. It looks like Nick may be working at a new restaurant in Mashpee called Wicked Fire-Kissed Pizza -- he goes in for a tour and second interview tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

sunset over sandy neck

more snow

winter hike

I went on a hike today in West Barnstable with friends Marcella Curry and Gordon Starr (their respective spouses were otherwise occupied.) We had been given the task by the Barnstable Land Trust to try to find navigable trails connecting pieces of conservation land and the newly acquired Bayview Farm property. Having Gordon along was a godsend because he knows this land by heart and led us on a merry adventure through the woods and over the marshes. We got close to bushwacking (no machete -- but Gordon brought his clippers! Obviously he was a Boy Scout.) In addition to lots of wildlife, we saw the remnants of old buildings and stone walls around what were once farm fields and are now dense woods. Also saw animal tracks, fur and feathers, hunting camps on the marshes, and vintage vehicles left behind on the sides of the trails. A beautiful day with the ice beginning to melt, and a few signs of spring.