Sunshine and open buggies: perfect together

On Saturday, after he worked all morning, my husband came home and asked if I was ready to go shopping. I was not as I had just spent the entire morning cleaning the house, which was now gleaming, but I cheerfully said, "yeah, sure! I'll go shopping with you." He might remember me saying it differently, but I recall being tired and wanting to relax for a bit and the last thing I wanted to do was to go shopping. But then he told me where we were going and we'd be heading west, into Amish country, so I grabbed the camera with the zoom lens and off we went.

These photos aren't the best because all of them were taken through the window of the car, but there's a little trick I've learned, so bear with me, ok?

Because September is coming, I'm in a vintage sort-of mood. I've been taking a lot of pictures and working in Photoshop (if you want to call it work, that is) with PW's vintage action and then doubling it with her fresh and colorful on top of it. I think it turns the pictures into an autumnal version. The vintage action is great to use if you've got pictures that aren't the sharpest. And when you're shooting through a car window, and one that's not that clean to boot, your shots aren't going to be great. So my trick is to turn them vintage.

The sun was shining and the buggies were out in full force on Saturday. I would never drive by and force my camera face-on to the Amish; it's just rude, you know. That's why all these are from the rear.

I used to live much closer to Amish country when I ran a little local newspaper in Morgantown, PA. This was light years ago, back in the the late 70's-early 80's. I worked with Mennonites, too. In fact, my boss was black-bumper Mennonite. So I met Amish, knew Amish, hung out with some and went out clubbing with them, too. Totally not on those last two; I just wanted to make sure you were still with me. But I did know Amish and found out many interesting things about them.

While we were out on Saturday, we shopped at our favorite grocery store in East Earl, PA. Then we visited the store next to it, but my husband's search there for a new Carhart jacket was in vain. So we travelled north, further into Lancaster County and ended up in Fivepointville at one of the best stores to buy homespun, and farm-related products. And ding-dang-diddly, did they have one huge selection of Carhart jackets and pants! My husband was happy and found exactly what he wanted at Weaver's Store.

And I got to say ding-dang-diddly.

This barn surprised me. I mean, the picture actually turning decently out surprised me. We had driven by on the way to the store, and it was so fast, that I didn't have time to take off my lens cap. So I timed it on the way back, shooting this from the passenger seat through the driver's side window. My husband didn't even slow down because I didn't tell him what I was up to. I was really happy that it turned out this well! I was trying to shoot all the tobacco we saw growing, too, but everything came out blurry.

We stopped for a late lunch at a great little Mennonite-owned deli where the food is excellent and the service is really friendly. I know I sound like an advertisement, but it really is that good. Then we began the ride back home.

Did you know that a favorite mode of Amish transportation is the scooter? Everybody has a scooter in their garage. It's much quicker than walking and easy on the budget. Hope you enjoyed the pictures.

To see the top photo in a Watercolor/Paint Daub look, visit my daily photo blog, A Picture A Day.

Oh, and before I go, let me explain the black bumper thing: There are many different sects in the Mennonite religion. My boss was Automobile Old Order. They could have cars, but they were required to be black. Even the bumpers. Chrome was showy and showy equals vanity. On the opposite extreme, I also worked with a Mennonite girl who dressed exactly like me, was living with her boyfriend in an apartment, and was on the pill. So, you see, big difference in the different sects.

Until tomorrow, my friends.

Turtles and swamp-rot: perfect together

Yesterday, I ventured out for a walk on (gasp) uneven surfaces, which means a walk on grass and trails. I wrapped my knee in my Ace bandage and took the happy pup down and around the pond on a simple little hike. When I got to the ditch on the far side, I turned around and headed back home. Coming around the pond, I saw what at first looked like a rock just sitting there.

It was a turtle, hiding in its shell. So I ran (read: walked) back to the house to get my camera . When I got back to the spot, the turtle was still there, apparently waiting for his photographic debut.

Although he wouldn't come out of his shell, even when left undisturbed, I managed to get a couple of pictures. For those who get grossed out over graphic nature scenes like this, I apologize. It really isn't that graphic, though.

I looked up turtles in one of the books we have at home, and found that this is a young snapping turtle. That was my husband's guess, as well. Snapping turtles love our pond and this one was coming from the wetlands and over the berm, heading for the pond.

He kept sniffing, or so it seemed, and his nostrils were huge. I put him back and George sniffed him for a bit, then went and treed one of the cats who had come down the hill to investigate.

I put the little turtle down and sniffed my fingers and what an awful smell! I thought I'd smelled something bad. Now my fingers smelled like swamp and muck and I had an urge to run home and wash my hands before touching my camera again.

But I'm not that kind of girl. I can handle the scent of swamp-rot for a little bit.

I looked up the hill and saw my husband working in the garden. It was a beautiful day yesterday, but later in the afternoon, the wind picked up and we had some gale force breezes going on. It blew like that all through the night and we had a little rain and some thunderstorms. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods today.

Pansies and collard greens: perfect together

It's Saturday morning on the farm and George has gotten me up early. My husband is already at work and had just taken George for his little morning walk. But George was home now and wanted me to play. It's 6:30 AM, puppy! And so I got up.

I took these pictures a few days ago. My husband tilled our garden last weekend and planted collard greens on Wednesday evening. The pansy bud picture was taken that same evening.

The second pansy picture was taken just this morning. The sun was shining on it and I'd just gone outside (read: hobbled outside) to feed the cats and saw that the little pansy bud was blooming. So back inside to get my camera and get a picture. This all takes a long time because I am moving just a little slow. See how full my life is here?

I came back inside to put my leg up and attach my ice apparatus. See, it just keeps getting better. I had poured myself a cup of coffee, set my cell phone by my little couch and attached my ice and proceeded to try to get myself wedged into my seat and ended up grabbing the coffee cup by mistake and spilling it all over my cell phone and my camera's storage disk.

Can you guess what I cleaned first? The phone can wait. Now that the mess is cleaned up and I've made sure my cell still works, and I'm sitting here, after finally getting the disk to work, I realize that I really really need a pain pill. Darnit! I wasn't going to blog about my little problems!

My goal for today is to finally get my bandages off. And I want to actually sit outside. The weather in Maryland today is sunny and nice. So I'm planning on finding an extension cord for this ice bucket device. I'm going to accomplish this! People have offered to come over and help me, but I'm ok, really I am. My husband will be home later and of course, I have George here who brings me squeaky toys. Which I'm tossing in the living room for him.

My life is complete.

Oh, I would like to publicly thank Margie, our art teacher at school, for the sweet and thoughtful basket of cheer she sent me in the mail yesterday. Margie sent me all these cool little things to cheer me up: my favorite soaps, candles, little chocolates and a CD she'd created herself and had made a cover for and titled it "Kate's Get Well Music". Because she's an artist, Margie handmakes all her own cards and this one is beautiful. Thanks again, my friend.

And now, where's that pain pill?

Fungi and lichen: perfect together

My sister, Char, and her family will 'get' the title of this post because it's also one of their family jokes. They have a lot of family jokes.

Years ago, there was a certain governor of New Jersey, who coined the phrase (said with a slightly nasal Joisey accent, and a slight lisp) "New Jersey and You: Perfect Together". So everything in their house is now "something and you: perfect together". Like "plaid and paisley: perfect together". Although I could never imagine plaid and paisley EVER being perfect together.

I'm posting these pictures because, although they're lichen and fungi, I still think they're beautiful. I took them in December after a rain, during a warm spell we were having at the time. I had just started blogging, and had also just purchased my new macro lens and had gone for a walk and came home and wrote this post.

I love how the pale green color of the moss looks against the rain-darkened wood of the tree. The carmel color of the fungi is interesting, too. And I just wanted to post something different and quiet today.

No offense was meant to anyone from New Jersey who happens to read this post. I'm from Jersey. And I'm PROUD of it.