a little light reading

wintersea : 53 project week 52

2012-02-18T09:55:00.000-05:00

A short walk

on a windy winter day

the little details

ask to be noticed.

paley pocket park

2012-02-11T08:58:00.001-05:00

I accidentally left this photo out of my last post on our trip to New York City, but this little unassuming park is an important place in my life. Located on 53rd Street, it's a little pocket park that was built on the site of the Stork Club. Next door was the original Museum of Broadcasting, where my career as a librarian really began. I spent my days helping people find old TV and radio shows to watch or listen to, and getting the chance to meet some of the pioneers of radio and TV. At lunchtime we'd sit in this park, which has a waterfall in the back, and read, eat, and soak up the energy of the city. It was wonderful to see it again, essentially unchanged. Your can read more about it HERE.

ny ny : 53 project week 51

2012-02-09T22:42:00.000-05:00

took a whirlwind trip

to ny ny

car train taxi

east side west side times square

art furniture photographs

lights moon lights

food friends love.

hello again new york

so good to see you after all this time.

window view : 53 project week 50

2012-02-06T08:05:00.000-05:00

Looking out and looking in.

Join us over on Triptych today where we're

looking through windows.

We'd love to see your window images --

stop by and link up!

Here are some views I've seen:

in my heart : 53 project week 49

2012-01-25T08:04:00.000-05:00

If you know me

or follow this blog

you know I see hearts

everywhere.

I hope there are an abundance of hearts in your world, too.

aging in place : 53 project week 48

2012-01-09T22:37:00.005-05:00

Imagine the lives lived

behind these doors,

footsteps up the stairway,

a rustling in the hayloft,

a glimpse from an upper window,

the stirring of wind through the eaves.

new year at the farm : 53 project week 47

2012-01-05T23:05:00.000-05:00

Spent new year's weekend

in farm country, upstate New York.

Such a beautiful place

wonderful family

good food

sweet love.

Hello 2012.

I spy a heart....

triptych

2012-01-04T18:56:00.001-05:00

I'm excited to invite you to participate in a new collaborative photo project called Triptych. It's a photo blog created by me, my sister, and my niece, and we'll be getting inspiration from words submitted by family and friends. Stop by and link your own photos, and see how others interpret the words. We'll be posting each week, and you can join in every week or just when you're feeling inspired. Visit us a http://triptych3.blogspot.com.

i see : 53 project week 46

2011-12-25T18:11:00.000-05:00

On the first day of Christmas

my true love gave to me

an iphone (for iphoneography).

And now i see
through i-colored glasses.

xoxoxox

decemberwalks : 53 project week 45

2011-12-12T10:42:00.000-05:00

December began still warm

from the late autumn sun.

But the full moon has brought

chill wind, cold nights,

and ice that frosts the edge

of each lingering flower.

Goodnight autumn. Hello winter.

words and windows : 53 project week 44

2011-12-04T10:11:00.001-05:00

A few of my favorite things:

and week 44.

A convergence of connections.

blinded by the light : 53 project week 43

2011-11-27T08:10:00.001-05:00

I need to step outside my comfort zone

and take pictures of something other than

sea and sky and sand and shells and seagulls and sunsets.

But I'm surrounded on all sides,

and blinded by the beauty and the light.

Light in my eyes.

Day-after-Thanksgiving revelers playing in the light.

Scallop light.

This woman had just thrown a piece of driftwood into the ocean,

and stood for a long while watching it head towards the light.

Foam light.

Crossing against the light.

Green light.

Bird light.

Low light.

Window light.

Night light.

up in the sky : 53 project week 42

2011-11-19T20:13:00.001-05:00

Blue skies, smiling at me,

nothing but blue skies

do I see...

plimoth overhead

2011-11-13T20:49:00.001-05:00

Rooftops and daily life

at Plimoth Plantation.

Always look up.

11.11.11. : 53 project week 41

2011-11-12T11:08:00.001-05:00

Hearts and stones aplenty

on a woods/beach walk

on 11.11.11

day into night

2011-11-07T22:58:00.000-05:00

Goodbye daylight savings time, hello early nightfall.

An afternoon stroll and swinging

as the sun sinks into the sea.

wellfleet walk : 53 project week 40

2011-11-05T19:12:00.000-05:00

Great Island was sparkling

in the post nor'easter sun,

calm seas, scattered clouds

and wide-open skies.

sandy neck shrooms : 53 project week 39

2011-10-31T09:02:00.000-05:00

Walking in the dunes on Sandy Neck

after the nor'easter

and found these mushrooms & fungi

emerging from the rainsoaked sand

braving the cold winds.

This last one is called an Earthstar,

or Astraeus hygrometricus

and, like us, has a heart at its center.

midweek miscellany

2011-10-26T22:11:00.000-05:00

Just some miscellaneous images

and some fences

taken on a lunchtime walk

down Rendezvous Lane.

Isn't that the best street name?

So full of possibilities.

This is one of my favorite village dogs. Her name is Lucy, too.

Hearts. They're all around.

Happy Halloween...

In the rose garden birdbath at St. Mary's.

Remnants of architectural details on the carriage house at the Daniel Davis House.

Some departed visitors -- forcefully relocated, I think.

Powerless.

Last of the October roses.

sandflats sunday: 53 project week 38

2011-10-23T22:20:00.000-05:00

Sparkling sea.

Sandflats.
Sunday.

Soggy socks.

Sublime.

BI bliss : 53 project week 37 (part 3)

2011-10-20T22:37:00.000-05:00

Sunday on Block Island.

Embracing every ray of light,

every step,

every last second of the day

before heading for home.

Until next time...

You can see Part 1 of the Block Island series here.

and Part 2 here.

BI bliss : 53 project week 37 (part 2)

2011-10-19T10:51:00.000-05:00

Saturday hike on Block Island

The wind was gusty and wild,

working the waves into a beautiful frenzy.

To see Part 1 of this series click here.

to see Part 3, click here.

BI bliss : 53 project week 37 (part 1)

2011-10-18T19:47:00.000-05:00

Oh, to be on Block Island

now that October's there...

Part 1 of a beautiful, blustery, sunny, cloudy, windy, wonderful weekend.
To see Part 2 of this series, click here.
To see Part 3, click here.

moonshots : 53 project week 36

2011-10-12T06:54:00.000-05:00

Twas the night before the full moon.

october dusk : 53 project week 35

2011-10-08T12:06:00.000-05:00

Sundown with clouds and moon

provincelands

2011-10-04T20:53:00.000-05:00

Dunewalking with Dan.

fogged in : 53 project week 34

2011-10-02T08:46:00.000-05:00

A gauzy cloak of September fog

Settled softly along the shore.

woodshop

2011-09-29T21:25:00.000-05:00

The art of woodworking -- the machines, the wood, the tools, and the craftsman -- at Dan Santos' beautiful shop.

You can see more photos of the shop, taken in 2010, here.

night falls : 53 project week 33

2011-09-25T09:46:00.002-05:00

Autumn is upon us.

Summer sinks into the west.

In a flash of gilded light

Night falls.

sunday at the seashore : 53 project week 32

2011-09-18T18:13:00.000-05:00

Sweet September Sunday at the seashore.

across the harbor : 53 project week 31

2011-09-09T22:34:00.000-05:00

Last week I wandered the dunes of Sandy Neck; this week I visited the easternmost end of the barrier beach. A few of us local historians went out the the cottage colony to visit one of the cottage owners there, and see her wonderful collection of photos and Sandy Neck historical materials. It was a rainy, wet September morning, very gray with low clouds and fog. I took a quick walk among the cottages before we left, but could have stayed all day, capturing the rustic beauty of the place. Look:

dunewalking : 53 project week 30

2011-09-04T10:31:00.000-05:00

Since Hurricane Irene blew through town last weekend, the weather has been breathtakingly beautiful -- blue skies, wispy clouds, and a touch of fall in the air at night. I took to the dunes at Sandy Neck to clear my head, and did a little more wide angle shooting. Marshes and dunes, cattails and cranberries, offroaders, kids, and dogs. Here's how my day looked:

i spy hearts : 53 project week 29

2011-08-22T20:00:00.006-05:00

Green animals.

Hazy and hot.

Cliff Walking.

I spy hearts.

And arrows pointing skyward.

And clouds swirling overhead.

Love is life.

I spotted 8 hearts. Not every photo has a heart in it ... I don't think? How many hearts did you see?

favorite number project

2011-08-21T19:08:00.001-05:00

Do you have a favorite number? I recently heard about the favorite number project by Alex Bellos, and was intrigued. I never had a favorite number until I hit my 40s and then it made itself known to me in a big way. Followers of by 365 project may have read my previous post on my favorite number:

44. This number follows me around like a faithful dog. It appears on signs, clocks & snippets of paper, in phone numbers & books, on license plates, written in the clouds, overheard on the radio. Sometimes I see it dozens of times in one day; sometimes I go for weeks without seeing it and then it pops up like a longed-for hug or a cool hand on a hot forehead. It always seems to bring with it a sense of reassurance and peace.

Share your favorite number in the comments, and then head on over and share it on the favorite number project page.

last light : 53 project week 28

2011-08-19T09:07:00.004-05:00

I've been playing with my new wide-angle lens -- a departure for me, since I'm usually focused up close on the details rather than the bigger picture. Here are a few images I took a few nights ago, chasing the last light of the day.

This week's Focus 52 prompt is water.
Have you linked up?

under grey skies : 53 project week 27

2011-08-14T22:45:00.002-05:00

Low grey skies and the threat of rain. A summer Sunday, and Long Beach was practically empty. I found surprising colors, wonderful shapes, and beautiful textures hiding just off the path along the river and in among the dune grasses. Take a look:

up the river with a paddle : 53 project week 26

2011-08-01T23:40:00.000-05:00

I went kayaking with my friend Dan on the Mashpee River this weekend -- a picture-perfect day with blue skies and big fluffy clouds. We saw an amazing array of shore birds hunting, feeding, nesting, swimming, soaring, and just generally hanging out at the river's edge.

Osprey hunting for lunch

Birdwatching

This cormorant didn't move as we paddled past -- just posed ever-so-gracefully

Cardinal flower

Osprey parents...

...guarding their nest

Forget-me-nots

Trying to gracefully maneuver out of the weeds

Wind in the cattails

Heron liftoff

Egret

Laughing gull, welcoming us back to dry land.

full moon @ the shanty

2011-07-23T19:48:00.003-05:00

Spent last Friday night with the ladies from work, hanging at the Shanty (thanks Miss Karen!), right smack dab on the edge of the ocean in Chatham. We watched late afternoon stragglers at the beach, seals out on the sandbars, birds, boats, and a spectacular full moon. Such a gorgeous night!

step into the past : 53 project week 25

2011-07-21T19:11:00.001-05:00

Another late afternoon in a historic cemetery

listening to the stones speak

and following the slant of light.

from stone to stone : 53 project week 24

2011-07-03T21:00:00.001-05:00

golden afternoon sun

graveyard steeped in history

birds keeping vigil

perched on lichen-covered stones

adorned with widow's weeds

This little sparrow first alit on the stone

and then appeared to be grieving the dead

life is a carnival -- 53 project week 23

2011-06-18T20:12:00.003-05:00

Being afraid of heights

And fried dough

I went to the carnival

just to hear the screaming

and see the spinning neon lights.

bubble bubble - - 53 project week 22

2011-06-11T13:57:00.000-05:00

Who says bubbles are just for kids? My 17-year old daughter and her boyfriend seemed to like them just fine. I may have played with them a little myself. Simple pleasures...

everycolor - 53 project week 21

2011-06-03T21:16:00.002-05:00

I'm taking part in the month-long Picture Color workshop, so this week I wanted to create a rainbow of images from the recent past, and see how many colors you can spot. I wish I could say I have a favorite, but each color touches and delights me in a different way. What's your favorite?

washington ct - 53 project week 20

2011-05-21T08:12:00.000-05:00

Oh look -- I now have 53 followers of my blog & 53 project! For those of you who are new here, I just turned 53, and this year instead of a 365 project I decided to do a 52-week project but give it an extra twist for my 53rd year. And so, here we are, 20 weeks in and 53 followers later. Good karma.

I'm still catching up from my trip to Washington, Connecticut, where my great-grandmother Isabel Esther McCormick Abbot lived in the nineteen teens and twenties. You can see some of my posts about her, her family, and my grandmother here.

Washington is a little town still mostly untouched by industry and overbuilding -- it sits placidly on the top of a mountain in western Connecticut. My great-grandmother, grandparents, and father all have markers in the cemetery there. Dad's marker, unfortunately, is discolored and in need of some TLC, so I didn't get a shot of it. The sun came out as I drove up the mountain, and big puffy clouds danced across the sky. My grandfather, an architect, designed the headstones.

And a heart-shaped cloud floated by just as I was turning to leave.

and now for something completely random - 53 project week 19

2011-05-14T19:21:00.001-05:00

Last weekend I was on the road, meeting up with my brother in New Jersey and then heading north to western Connecticut to visit the old family homestead in Washington. I stopped along the way and hiked near Bear Mountain, and the sky was blue and everything was lush with spring goodness. Here are some completely random views from on the road.

53 project week 18 - reach for the sky

2011-05-01T08:19:00.002-05:00

This time of year it's hard to know where to look -- everything's bursting forth and reaching for the sky. From the lowliest weed to the tippytopmost tree -- they're all seeking the spring sun and flourishing after the spring showers. It's May!

53 project week 17 - set for life

2011-04-24T16:08:00.001-05:00

Give me

light on water

a single leaf on a tree

love written for all to see

branches entertwined

sun and shadow

lime green shoots

white petals against an endless sky

and I will be content

filled up

set for life

the 53 project : week 16 - signs of spring

2011-04-17T19:57:00.003-05:00

It's the little details of spring that really touch me, and fill me with hope and anticipation. Oh, of course we all love those flashy daffodils and tulips and crocuses. But in the woods and fields here on Cape Cod, you have to look closer to see the subtler beauty. Get down on your belly. Lie back and look up to the sky.

Here:

Puddles and airplanes, tiny buds and new grass, twin weeds and a sumac grove.... that's spring at this very moment. Don't blink, or you'll miss it.

Check out other 52 week projects over on Focus 52!

the 53 project : week 15 - chihuly

2011-04-08T21:54:00.005-05:00

I'm now officially 53, and 15 weeks into my 53-week project. My mom and I share joint March birthdays, and what better thing to do than treat ourselves to the Chihuly show at the MFA in Boston. I couldn't stop looking, and taking photos -- each piece was exquisite and light-filled and awe inspiring.

If you live in the Boston area, or if the show comes to your city, make sure to see it. The scale and power and delicacy and color and light will knock your socks off.

Happy April, all!

giveaway winners

2011-03-31T07:11:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all of you for your lovely comments and birthday wishes, both here and on facebook and flickr. You really know how to make a girl feel loved!

I pulled the names out of my one and only hat for the just because giveaway, and here are the lucky recipients:

The Robert Frank book goes to: Michel of Wishful Thinking

The photo album goes to: Pam of Sidewalk Shoes

The notecards go to: Leaf on a Tree of Close Your Eyes and Jump

Congratulations, ladies, and thanks so much for following along on my photo adventures!

I will try and contact you tonight, but if you want to send me an email with your mailing address before then, that will help set things in motion.

Happy Thursday, everyone! xo

the 53 project : week 14

2011-03-28T19:53:00.003-05:00

Goodnight, sweet prince.

the 53 project : week 13

2011-03-22T19:32:00.001-05:00

This Saturday we all gazed in wonder at the huge, full super moon -- the third full moon since the winter solstice, making it the also the Lenten moon, the sap moon, the crow moon, the worm moon.

I, of course, being oblivious to things that everyone else in the world knows about, went out a few nights before the true full moon, and thought "my goodness, what a nice moon!" So I took some shots slithering on my belly and lying on my back in amongst the grassy, shrubby cranberry bogs down the road.

And then the next day I read about the coming of the super moon in the paper. But I liked these shots so much that I didn't take any more. I like my semi-super, almost-full moon just as well.

Moon river, wider than a mile..... Well, this little stream was actually about 2 feet across, but it makes the perfect mirror for a lovely moonlit sky.

Don't forget to stop by and leave a comment on my just because giveaway post -- you have till midnight on March 30th (aka my 53rd birthday) to leave a comment and maybe -- just maybe -- get a lovely little gift in return.

Happy week, everyone.

just because

2011-03-19T16:56:00.006-05:00

Because it's almost my birthday...

And because it's almost spring...

And because you have all been so sweet and wonderful to read this blog every week...

And because the world is round, the wind is high, and the sky is blue...

I'd like to give you a little something back for all you've given to me.

Leave a comment here anytime through March 30th (the big day) at 12 midnight,

and you might be the recipient of one of these lovely gifts:

A copy of Looking In : Robert Frank's Americans, "widely celebrated

as the most important photography book since World War II."

The sweetest little photo album east of the Mississippi.

A collection of 4 notecards by yours truly.

I will draw three winning names, and post the names here on March 31st.

Please make sure your name links back to your email address,

so that I'll have a way to contact you.

If you leave a comment AND become (or already are) a follower,

you'll get your name entered twice for the drawing. Whee! Now it's getting exciting!

To become a follower, click on that little button over on the right-hand sidebar,

(the one that says FOLLOW), follow the instructions,

and let us all see your nice face.

Winners will be chosen completely at random,

using the scribble-names-on-little-scraps-of-paper-and-pull-them-out-of-a-sweaty-old-hat method.

I am truly grateful to all of you for following along on this photo adventure.

And for those of you who also followed my 365 project last year, you deserve a medal.

You have helped me grow as an artist, and it's been

a pleasure to get to know all my fellow photographers and bloggers...
I've so enjoyed seeing your work and artistry.

Thank you from the bottom of my overflowing heart.

xoxoxo

the 53 project : week 12

2011-03-13T22:43:00.000-05:00

A long walk on Long Beach on a windy still-chilly day is guaranteed to clear the winter from your soul.

Soon enough, the beach will be filled with people, and the mermaid won't have to swim alone.

the 53 project : week 11

2011-03-06T08:28:00.001-05:00

Wind. Rain. Sun. Bitter cold. Above freezing. Mid-forties. Partly cloudy. Gale force winds. Bright blue skies. Scattered snow flurries.

It's March on Olde Cape Cod.

It makes me think of the old SNL riff by John Belushi....

Well, another winter is almost over and March true to form has come in like a lion, and hopefully will go out like a lamb. At least that's how March works here in the United States.

But did you know that March behaves differently in other countries? In Norway, for example, March comes in like a polar bear and goes out like a walrus. Or, take the case of Honduras where March comes in like a lamb and goes out like a salt marsh harvest mouse.

Let's compare this to the Maldive Islands where March comes in like a wildebeest and goes out like an ant. A tiny, little ant about this big.

Unlike the Malay Peninsula where March comes in like a worm-eating fernbird and goes out like a worm-eating fernbird. In fact, their whole year is like a worm-eating fernbird.

Or consider the Republic of South Africa where March comes in like a lion and goes out like a different lion. Like one has a mane, and one doesn't have a mane. Or in certain parts of South America where March swims in like a sea otter, and then it slithers out like a giant anaconda. There you can buy land real cheap, you know?

And there's a country where March hops in like a kangaroo, and stays a kangaroo for a while, and then it becomes a slightly smaller kangaroo. Then, then, then for a couple of days it's sort of a cross between a, a frilled lizard and a common house cat....

And so it goes. Happy March!

the 53 project : week 10

2011-02-27T22:33:00.001-05:00

Saturday -- sunny and cold -- was clean-the-garage-and basement day. This was no 3-trips-to-the-dump kind of job. This was 7+ years of STUFF -- so I got serious and rented a dumpster. And now I feel liberated! Out from under the clutter and mess! Hallelujah!

Maybe now there'll be room in the garage for an actual car.

This little keyboard hasn't worked for 4 years,

but we kept hoping that somehow it would magically start working again

and someone would learn to play it.

A clean sweep

Me -- tired, dirty, and clutter-free!

Summer's right around the corner, right?

Well, maybe we'll have to brave a few more snowstorms.

(This photo is for my mother, to show her that

Willow and I are just as cold-hardy as she is
and can step outside in our bare feet, too.) xoxo

the 53 project : week 9

2011-02-21T10:48:00.002-05:00

This week was one of extremes -- the weather turned balmy for one day, hitting the low 50s, and then shot back down to the 20s with wind so cold it felt like the arctic. I was crazy busy with work, and then got to relax and enjoy time with my sister Dorothy, who is visiting from California. Here are a few moments.

A great sunset on the way to airport.

Transparent Lucy and Nick at the Providence airport.

Dorothy and Willow, sharing a little morning love.

And you thought you weren't going to see any more seagull shots....

Dorothy on Scargo Tower, with a view of Cape Cod Bay beyond.

The graffiti says "Muffin & Cuppycake 4 Life"

The neighbors stay in the holiday spirit year-round.

Hockey on Little Sandy Pond.

Dorothy and Mom -- and yes, it's 20 degrees with 3 feet of snow and Mom is barefoot.

Gratuitous rabbit ears shot.

LOVED spending time with my sister. Get home safe, Dorothy!

the 53 project : week 8

2011-02-14T19:50:00.001-05:00

I ventured "over the bridge" yesterday, off of Cape Cod and into the world of southeastern Massachusetts. Before we moved to the Cape we lived in this area, and I was a Library Director in the little town of Rochester. Southeastern Massachusetts is an interesting mix of small towns, old farmland giving way to urban sprawl, old manufacturing cities like New Bedford and Fall River, and a sort of urban/rural decay that exists in stark contract to lovely back roads and coastal beauty. If you're never read the wonderful book Swimming at Suppertime: Seasons of Delight on the Wrong Side of Buzzards Bay, by Carol Wasserman, you should rush out to your local library or book shop and pick up a copy. It is a poignant and compelling read.

I drove through the very villages that Wasserman writes about so intimately. These roads were once the gateway to Cape Cod, where tourists traveled to get to the promised land. Now they are run down and neglected, but beautiful to my photographer's eye.

The red Xs on the buildings are sad reminders that some of these buildings may soon be torn down. I have a call in to the local Town Hall to see if I might be able to take some more photos of some of these buildings before they're gone forever.

Happy Valentine's Day, friends and family! I hope your day was filled with love.

the 53 project : week 7

2011-02-06T13:23:00.006-05:00

I had a hard time deciding what to share with you this week.

Should it be lines and shadows?

Cute bird antics?

Amazing wave action?

But the seagulls at the beach caught my attention again,

fishing for supper and skimming along the waves.

This seagull has particularly nice armpits, wouldn't you say?

They lined up to watch the sunset along with the rest of us crazy beachgoers.

It was 10 degrees with a stiff winter wind.

Even the clouds looked like they were flying. Beautiful.

the 53 project : week 6

2011-01-30T09:09:00.002-05:00

The trees have been speaking to me again.

inspiration

2011-01-24T22:36:00.001-05:00

I was so honored this week to discover that one of my photos (you'll recognize it from the header of this blog) was the inspiration for a painting by a complete stranger. The day after I opened my redbubble shop, my photograph September Sea was (amazingly) featured on their front page.

An artist from Germany, Eckhard Besuden, saw my photograph and wrote to me. He said it brought back memories of his brother, who died at the age of 16 but who loved the summer sea. "He loved the summer waves and you have made a shot of just that summer sea with blue and yellow. That impressed me very much and touched my heart." And so he re-envisioned the blue and yellow and created his own summer sea.

I've been so inspired by the amazing photographers and artists I've met here in blog-land and on flickr, and I'm so humbled that my work has touched someone else. That's what it's all about. Thank you!

You can find some of my work, and Eckhard's, along with thousands of other photographers, artists, writers, and creative souls, on redbubble. Support your favorite photographer or artist by purchasing their work. It puts beauty in your hands and dinner on our tables. xoxo