A picture a day...: 2011

Day 141: May 21st

Dry Dock

The weekend before Memorial Day - Ocean City, Maryland

I'm so used to spending time in the woods, that vacations to the shore are a real visual treat. There's nothing like a change in scenery to make me really think about what I'm seeing and what would photograph well.

Day 140: May 20th

Azalea Petals

The trees and the bushes all dropped their petals around the same time. This makes for a pretty mess.

Day 139: May 19th

Grown up Allum

I promised I would follow up with a grown-up picture. Remember these babies?

Day 138: May 18th

Happy Accident

This picture is one of those shockers that you really weren't expecting to come out of your camera. It's like when you take a picture of your best friend and when you dowload it you notice there's a ghostly figure standing behind her. I was just as shocked to see this effect on this image, because I didn't do this on purpose. In fact, I don't know how it happened. It's this perfect circular motion taking place, but really - I didn't do this. Also, it can be pretty easily achieved with software, but honestly I did not do this. This is a picture that my camera made all by itself. Pretty cool!

Day 137: May 17th

This was not taken on May 17th. It was taken on May 11th. Since I did not take a picture on the 17th, I decided I would post this picture from the bunch I took in Mystic, CT. This is a different kind of picture for me. I don't usually care about residential, small town, houses-looking-all-alike images. The way this sky rolled up on this neighborhood, however, was apocolyptical and I just couldn't miss the opportunity for this shot.

Day 136: May 16th

Good Neighbors

We share the neighborhood with several herds of deer. Even though they are everywhere, and they create a dangerous situation for driving, I still love to see them. This one was by herself - unless she had a fawn in the long grass. This is the time of year we start seeing the babies.

I took the picture with my Nikon Coolpix through the windshield. It was a bit fuzzy and since it was a foggy morning, there wasn't a lot of contrast. I doctored it a bit in Photoshop, adding a texture layer that gives it that little bit of extra pop.

Day 135: May 15th

Spring Morning on My Street

Don't remember where I was going, but it was a gorgeous foggy morning. This is a lane that intersects with my street. It is beautiful in all kinds of weather and I never miss a look at it as I roll by. I wasn't expecting it to be so nice on that day, but there it was. Years ago I used to ride my horse on this lane. Those were good times. Rio was young (so was I) and a bunch of us from the farm would saddle up early on Saturday morning and go exploring. I liked being trail boss and so did Rio. One time we had an early ride and when we returned, we had a fun country brunch - we drank cold Mimosas (vodka and orange juice?) and had fresh omellets and muffins.

Day 134: May 14th

There is this little stream that runs alongside the post office in my town. The Maple trees that grow on either side of the stream are thick and full with leaves. Maples are my favorite trees (although don't tell the Cherry Tree in the front yard! She is convinced she is my favorite, because she is the most beautiful in Spring). On this day I was in a hurry - lots to do on Saturdays. I took care of business in the post office, sending a package to Brian in Iraq. When that mission was complete, I rushed to my car and was about to drive away, but the trees caught my eye. I pulled back over to the curb and grabbed the camera.

It's moments like this that have made me late to work and sometimes completely derails my plans. What can I do? When something needs to be photographed, who am I to argue?

Day 133: May 13th

I was happy to find a nice park near my hotel in Mystic. It makes me feel much better about being away from home if I can find a hiking trail or some water to photograph. Travel is great, but home is best!

Day 132: May 12th

More of Mystic

Day 131: May 11th

Light and Dark in Mystic

Taken just around the corner from Mystic Seaport in Connecticut. The sky and light were spectacular. There were dark - super dark - fast moving clouds and every so often the sun would come through so strongly and brightly. Moment to moment was a lesson in contrast. It was breathtaking and I was in awe of it. How lucky to be there when all this was happening!

Day 130: May 10th

This is the first famous place I've been this year. Last year, I had my picture taken in front of Dover Castle, in Canterbury Cathedral, in Machu Picchu, and finally in front of Mount Fuji. It was quite a year. So far, Mystic Pizza is as close to a World Heritage Site as I've come this year.

Day 129: May 9th

Mother's Day, 2011

Well, I have to come clean - Mother's Day was on the 8th, so obviously I did not take this picture on the 9th. Still, I want to show it here, because there is actually a lot to this picture. Originally, my plan was to cook a nice lunch for Mom. I must have thought I was an only child - it must have been a moment of insanity. Of course, my brothers and sisters would visit Mom too, so I made a pot of barbecued pork for sandwiches. The rolls you see on the table are from Italian People's Bakery - no other rolls will do! They made the perfect sandwiches!

For dessert I brought a cherry-covered cheesecake and I also made chocolate covered strawberries. They were the biggest strawberries I'd ever seen. Sometimes when they are big, they aren't very sweet. Much to our delight, these were very sweet and oh so decadent wrapped in chocolate!

Also on the table is a box of salt water taffy from Atlantic City, and a card Mom gave me. It was such a nice card that I am keeping it forever in my drawer. The candle in the center of the table is one that Mary gave Mom. It smelled wonderful and was so pretty! There is a small boy at the door. He is barely visible, but that is Luke, my nephew Tony's son.

Day 128: May 8th

What the Toad Saw

In case you ever wondered what the world looks like from the point of view of a toad. We have quite a few. In fact, we have quite a few of everything in the yard and the surrounding woods. Twice I have seen a white frog. We have two green frogs that live in the pond. I wonder where they go in the winter?

The true toads (not frogs) live closer to the house. There is a fat brown one that likes to sleep between the screen door and the regular door. It's always a surprise to see him there. He is also astounded to see me. I can tell by the shocked expression on his face!

Day 127: May 7th

Beneath the Shady Tree

This was taken in Laurel Hill Cemetary in Philadelphia. This cemetary is really a fantastic place to visit. Not only is it big - 17 acres - it has the most spectacular mausoleums and monuments. Even the smaller humble grave markers are beautiful. These were my favorite, because they were nestled under a big shady tree. I used my low-tech pinhole lens and a tripod. The pinhole lens just gathers available light and the result is a soft-focused dreamy like image.

The mausoleum on the left was occupied by the remains of several family members. I hope they really liked each other in life, because they are all kind of cozy in that tomb. Imagine if they didn't get along well and now they have to spend eternity stacked on top of each other like that.

The tombstones on the right belong to a brother and sister. There were others from the same family buried there - most of them very young. It's sobering to think that so many children did not survive to adulthood.

Day 126: May 6th

Baby Allum flower. It's fun to watch the progression from infancy to toddler-hood. I promise I will take a grown-up picture!

Day 125: May 5th

The sun was sitting on that low gorgeous plane. I love this time of day and being able to walk in the woods with just a light jacket on.

Day 124: May 4th

No words - just think about being there in the quiet of the woods.

Day 123: May 3rd

Sunlight through the trees in early evening

No matter what kind of a day it's been or what stupid thing you might have said or the size of your mistakes, you can always go to the woods to become clean again. Spending an hour or two with only the concern of where to place your feet on the trail has a way of resetting your mind so you can begin once again to take on the more serious concerns of the day.

Day 122: May 2nd

Dogwood Blossoms

Gas is almost $4.00 per gallon now. I suspect people will drive less this summer. It seems so arbitrary. I can't make much sense of it.

Day 121: May 1st

Now the Dogwood tree is blooming along with the Cherry tree. The grass is starting to come back and soon the whole front yard will be green. I like when the grass is full and I can walk through it in my bare feet. I like how it smells when it is freshly cut.

Day 120: April 30th

Rickett's Glen State Park, Pennsylvania

This is my most favorite place to photograph waterfalls. It is only 2 1/2 hours from my house. There are 22 waterfalls in this park. It's a wild trail and can be very dangerous. The ground is often soft and wet, so falling is a real possibility. I couldn't hike for as long as I normally would, because my knee wasn't entirely prepared for such a challenging trek. Still, I am happy with the pictures I came away with. Here's my favorite one of the first of the waterfalls:

Day 119: April 29th

There will be no kittens this spring. All three of the outside cats have now been fixed. The last hold out was Shilpa, the beautiful long-haired tortoishelle-colored kitty. She is as wild as any tiger and for three years eluded capture. I hatched a plan to urge her into the have-a-heart trap. Here's how it went: I thought food was the only way to get her into the trap, but every time food is put out, the other two come and eat it. If, for example, I were to put food in the trap, then fearless Neo would go in and take it. I needed to maker her only option for food in that trap. I took the other two cats (Neo and Monique) to the kennel and thereby removed them from the equation. They were not pleased. I thought it might take three or so days before Shilpa was sufficiently hungry to go in the trap - she has never gone into it on other attempts. After dropping the other cats off at the kennel, I came directly home and set the trap (which does not harm them in any way, it just closes and they can't get out). Within 30 minutes Shilpa was in that trap! I could not believe my eyes...after three years...THREE YEARS...of trying to urge her into that trap, she finally took the bait!

I called the vet and this wonderful veterinarian newly transplanted here from San Francisco (huge cat problem there) agreed to spay Shilpa right away. I brought the kitty in and by the next morning she was all done! No more kittens! She was having approximately two litters a year, so this one operation goes a long way to reduce the suffering in this particular colony of feral cats. All it took was some ingenuity, persistence and, oh yeah...$500.00.

Day 118: April 28th

Miss Tree of the World, 2011

This is my favorite tree. I would be stupid not to love this tree. There are only a few days when the blossoms are full and robust, so I like to be around to enjoy them. One strong rain can bring them down and, of course, the leaves will replace the blossoms soon enough. I saw a Cardinal in this tree and the contrast of brilliant red against pink was stunning.

Day 117: April 27th

Today is the day to take stock of our progress so far in 2011. The image on the left was taken on January 12th. Now look at the one on the right and smile! Same tree, same yard, same Anna...just a little more life in all three. It is hard to believe that for two solid months I could not walk in the yard. This was due to more than just my knee surgery. Beneath the snow was a substrate of ice. For two solid months...did I mention that??? TWO SOLID MONTHS!

Remember this picture? This was taken on day 80 of this year, March 21st. The snow on that day was almost too much to bear. In fact, I've written so much on my discontent with the weather that you would think there was nothing else going on in my world. In fact, I had started a new job and was taking a Clinical Trial Management course (I got an A-, thereby destroying my perfect 4.0 grade point average).

Fast forward to today. Here is a vertical view from that same window, only now the sun is really shining and the grass is free to wave its hands in the air. I hope there are spring days like this in Heaven!

Day 116: April 26th

So pretty and oh so allergy-inducing. I am writing this to remind myself that this is the time of year when my asthma kicks in and the word "breathtaking" has a whole new meaning. I'm allergic to trees. Isn't that a hell of a thing? Still, I would rather suffocate in a shower of petals and pollen than to live in an eternal winter.

Day 115: April 25th

Grape Hyacinths

I've been thinking about Deepak Chopra and how much I like to hear him talk. He's written tons of books, but I haven't read any of them. I'd rather hear him talk about them. His voice soothes me, makes me feel good and like so much is possible. On Saturdays he has a radio show and they play it over and over and over again throughout the day. Anytime I travel in the car on Saturday I am listening to Deepak.

One day I will tune in and he will say, "Let me welcome my special guest. Anna Capaldi is a devoted listener. She hasn't read any of my books, but we are honored to have her here today. She doesn't have anything to say, but we are just as pleased to have her listen in."

Day 114: April 24th

Little by Little

When we are sad we comfort ourselves by saying everythign will be alright. It's not really going to be alright. We are certainly going to die and so are our loved ones. The thing is, at the same time that it is not alright, it really is ok. Stay with me on this one...It's ok, because anyone who has a forever here on earth is a freak and sooner or later they would just be floating out in space, because everything around them will eventually come to an end. Even Earth. I'm happy, because who wants to think about taxes and health and will my retirement last until I die and what if I go blind and can't take pictures anymore? Who wants to worry forever? No one, that's who. I mean, it's ok to be here now and for a certain amount of time, but not forever. Please just not forever!

Day 113: April 23rd

Songs to God

In the morning, they are too sleepy and it takes a while for them to wake up and spread their petals and tilt back their heads and let their full colors show. It's like a silent song to God. Watching them sway in the wind is like watching a Gospel choir in full robes filled with the spirit!

Day 112: April 22nd

American Dream

I've been in love with this blue garage for years. I never wanted to engage the people who own the property, so I would hatch small plans - like what if I went over there at daybreak when they were sure to be asleep? On this day, however, traffic was light - non-existent really - so I simply stopped my car, whipped out my faithful companion - my Nikon D700 - and did what I call a "drive-by shooting." BAM! I got it! All things were in place this day like they had probably never been before. The blue truck, the camper, the Magnolia tree in full bloom, and of course, the blue garage. The little red sign on the garage says something about Parking for Phillies Pfans only. Don't get no more American than that!

Day 111: April 21st

A blackbird flew past me so close that I could see his feet tucked under him like landing gear. I thought that if it ever happened again I wanted to be ready. Well, when I saw this bird perched almost above my car, I grabbed the camera, stopped the car, and fired a few shots. None were perfectly clear, but this one came close. I added a couple of digital elements to clear it up and to make it more interesting. The best part is that you can see his landing gear!

Day 110: April 20th

The houses surrounding the casinos in Atlantic City

Viewing the Atlantic City neighborhood from the window of my hotel room, it looks almost quaint, like a Grandma Moses painting...

“Bennington,” (1945), as part of the exhibition “Grandma Moses: Grandmother to the Nation.

Speaking of Grandma Moses...Wikipedia says the following about this American Treasure:

Anna Mary Robertson Moses (September 7, 1860 – December 13, 1961), better known as "Grandma Moses", was a renowned American folk artist. She is often cited as an example of an individual successfully beginning a career in the arts at an advanced age. Moses had ten children but five died at birth. Although her family and friends called her either "Mother Moses" or "Grandma Moses," she first exhibited as "Mrs. Moses," yet the press eagerly dubbed her "Grandma Moses," which stuck." ^[1] LIFE magazine celebrated her 100th birthday by featuring her on its September 19, 1960 cover.

Day 109: April 19th

First Infantry

An army of rickshaws advances down the boardwalk in Atlantic City. I took a brief hiatus there. A little time away from the stress. I'm sure some think I go there to secretly gamble, but I don't gamble...not a single quarter of mine goes into a slot machine. Work is too hard to give the earnings away to the likes of Donald Trump. The last time I checked, he was doing just fine, so I'll keep my quarters thank you very much.

The best part of this break was the fact that the temps were really warm. I got a little sunburn in the part of my hair. The beach was nice enough to sit on, but of course, it is too early to go into the water. Hallelujah, there is no snow!

Day 108: April 18th

People always try to put a shine on the past, like "back then" is better by far than "right now." I take issue with this, because no matter what romantic notions one may have about days gone by, the truth is seldom as glamorous. No matter who you are or where you are, chances are that it was much more difficult to honestly speak your mind fifty or one hundred years ago. Things may not be perfect - in fact, they most certainly are not - but I think we should try to make the present the "good old days" and forget about hoping the past will ever be as good as we pretend it was.

Day 107: April 17th

Hosta Sprouts

Tax day wasn't too bad this year. I waited until the very last day (the 14th) before I had mine done. Every year I say I won't wait until the last minute, but every year I do. So what? I'm not punching a time clock - they are done. I'm happy. The government is happy.

Day 106: April 16th

What the Cat Saw

Lately, I have been thinking of my nephew Brian. He is stationed in Iraq and even if he wasn't, he is always someone worth thinking about. He has a hard edge that makes him a soldier's soldier. He's had a sort of edge since he was a little kid. I remember once when he was little, he was sort of rubbing it in my face that he had McDonald's food and I didn't. Of course, he called it "DaDonalz," but I knew what he meant. He was only about three then. Now he's a grown man in a war zone. He's strong and handsome and in my letters to him I urge him to be kind whenever possible. That's so when he comes home he will be kind to me if he ever again has DaDonalz and I don't :-)

Day 105: April 15th

Out Back

Spring is now coming fast and furious. Plants are coming up right through the mess of leaves and sticks and the whole mess that winter created in the back yard. For some reason, there is moss everywhere. We never had that before. It's really trying to take over my beloved bricks on the back porch. It's time to get busy and clean up the place.

Day 104: April 14th

Below the Knees

I took this picture by just hanging the camera loosely from my hand, with my arm down at my side. The camera was set on autofocus. The intention was to see what the world looks like from the cat's viewpoint. Turns out it's a lot like Alice in Wonderland after she ate the "Eat Me" and drank the "Drink Me" stuff. You know, when she was really small. The Daffodil blooms were like big umbrellas hung in the sky of Cat-World.