Am I in heaven here or . . .

Greetings from Maryland on a crisp, chilly October day. As I write this, the clouds have moved in so rather than take my Kindle outside to read a bit, I decided to stay in and actually write a post . . . something that’s been long overdue. Because here’s what I think:

Thank God for this blog.

When I am feeling down, which thankfully is not all that often, I can go back and read about happier times. It’s also a resource for photo storage. What I mean is that I’m one of those people who detests filing. And my photos are filed by month and year. This has been working for me, especially since I have this blog – because when I forget when I took that one certain photo that I’m searching for, I can run a search on my blog and voila – the date of the post shows up and when I hover over the photo, I now have the image number. Unfortunately, all too often it’s a photo that was lost in the Great Hard Drive Crash of 2011 – what I call what happened when I lost 85% of the photos I’d taken since 2006.

When that happened, I was pretty upset but was going through a difficult time with my husband’s illness which overshadowed the photo issue. Besides, I had some key pictures saved on what I thought was a cloud with a company that I will not mention (because it’s not their fault). Unfortunately, last month all of these key photos were lost – deleted – from said company. Why? Because I didn’t purchase something from them in the time frame stated on their policy.

I actually cried when I found out. My husband’s cardinal – the female cardinal in snow – that he took and I edited and sold so many copies of – was gone. I contacted my gallery and told them I didn’t think I could do this anymore (to which they said that they hoped I would change my mind). I closed down my etsy site (because all of my photos for sale were on said company’s website and were now gone). The company told me to simply upload them all again. But I couldn’t . . . because they were lost in the crash.

 

Or so I thought.

 

I found the cardinal this weekend. I remembered that I’d e-mailed it years ago to a publication for cancer patients. The full resolution size was in my gmail account! And my bluebird . . . and my mourning dove . . . and my hawks . . . all found because of the blog and my filing system by dates. I still don’t have all of them but that just means I need to start taking pictures again.

 

These were all taken over the weekend using my iPhone 6 and edited with Photoshop for the most part. It was beautiful this morning and most of yesterday and I took George for a ride in the car to run errands, taking the long way through beautiful countryside.

I saw a starling murmuration (see example at end of post) and slowed down to watch, noticing that several other cars had done the same. It was like watching a graceful ballet with thousands of little birds all synchronized in flight and it was absolutely stunning.

 

I took this one coming up the driveway this morning after a trip to a grocery store a few towns over.

 

One thing I love on a weekend morning: If the sun it out, no matter how cold it is, I like having my coffee outside. I will wrap myself up in a blanket and wear a coat, hat, and gloves if I need to – but it’s really nice just listening to the birds and watching them go from tree to tree. The distinct sound of a pileated woodpecker, geese flying overhead, nuts falling from the trees and squirrels scampering about.

 

Hello, my friend.

For supper I’m making a roast pork loin and some butternut squash soup which I plan on packing for lunches this week. I’m making an apple crisp for dessert and will probably take some to work tomorrow. If I leave it here, I may end up eating the whole thing.

And life is good.

Hope you are, as well. Thanks so much for stopping by to visit.

A Starling Murmuration

Post heading is from Hold On by Sarah McLachlan.

Hello it’s me

It’s been a decent weekend and today’s weather has been fairly glorious. I woke to chilly temperatures, enough to warrant a light jacket while enjoying my coffee outside on the patio. I took my time waking up, knowing that come tomorrow, it’s back to work and a busy week ahead.

 

I found some wild morning glories growing in some weeds on the property and snapped this with my macro lens and my trusty Nikon.

 

And I baked an apple pie. I never thought of myself as an actual cook but there are some things that I make that don’t require me reading a recipe. This pie is one of them. And hot damn, it is delicious. Recipe here:

{favorite apple pie}

 

And because it felt so much like fall today, I roasted a chicken.

image courtesy taste love and nourish

This is a fabulous and easy recipe. I made a separate dish of roasted vegetables using tiny little yellow potatoes, onions, and carrots. And I made gravy for the first time in my life. I am in my late 50’s and I’ve never made gravy before. It was excellent and I can’t believe how easy it was. Jeez Louize. Here’s the recipe:

{Roasted Herbs de Provence Chicken}

 

Ok, now. Everybody who knows me in real life (and maybe even here on this blog) knows that I’m an Outlander fan. I love the books, the Starz show on TV, and I’m missing it dreadfully. I can’t believe I have to wait until early spring 2016 for the next season to begin. A friend took pity on me, recommending a historical drama on PBS that she thought might be up my alley.

And oh my gosh . . . it is. It’s no Outlander, and Ross Poldark is no Jamie Fraser but he’s a good man and this is a beautifully filmed production. The title character returns to England after nearly dying while fighting against the American rebels during the Revolutionary War. He finds his home in shambles and the woman he loves engaged to another. As he begins to rebuild his life, facing almost insurmountable obstacles, he finds love where he least expects it.

The scenery is exquisite and it’s filmed against the rugged and beautiful backdrop of Cornwall’s coastline. Highly recommend this series, although I’m only on season 1, episode 4. I’ve been watching it here: {Poldark}

 

And lastly, I have a new favorite drink. It’s called a Moscow Mule.

Pour a little vodka over ice, then splash on some ginger beer and top with a squirt of lime.

Delicious ~

 

A walk in the park

Today I took George for a walk in Battery Park, which lies along the Delaware River in Olde Town New Castle, DE. It’s about a half hour drive from my home and it was 72 degrees and gorgeous.

I’d never been to this colonial coastal village before and plan on going back this fall to get some photos of the buildings because they are simply charming. It reminds me a little bit of Williamsburg and even Federal Hill in Baltimore. I was looking for a walk where I could bring a dog, somewhere near the coast so I could feel the breeze and when I got out of the car, the first thing that hit me was the scent. It was fresh and salty and perfect.

 

It was early yet and the park wasn’t very crowded which was good because I could get clear landscape shots.

 

There’s a little beach but it doesn’t allow swimming or wading. On closer inspection, it was full of goose feathers.

 

Flocks of Canada Geese were in attendance.

 

And it was lovely sitting along the shore on a piece of driftwood and watching their graceful landings.

 

They seemed to revel in soaking themselves and then looking for bits to eat.

 

There is a paved path that runs directly along the river with a large grassy space on the other side. People were riding bikes, or jogging, or sitting on benches, children were taking advantage of the playground, and every other person seemed to have a dog with them. There were several steps such as this as well.

 

After a bit, I sat on a bench and called my husband’s parents – something I’ve done every Sunday morning for years. Sometimes I would sometimes forget that it was Sunday and 10:30 and my husband, when he was alive, would always remind me. It was his way, too, of saying hello to his parents once a week. This morning, I hung up as this tanker was slowly making its way down the river, heading south to meet the Atlantic Ocean and points unknown.

 

There were also many large and beautiful trees, some marked with plaques as to their description.

 

George seemed a little concerned at the fact that I might be leaving so I assured him I was only taking a picture.

He loved it here and I received lots of compliments on him which was unexpectedly nice.

 

What a beautiful start to a gorgeous September day.

Hope your Labor Day Weekend is a good one, my friends.

And yes, I know – two posts in the space of a week. Bazinga!

For my sisters (and everyone, really)

I’m sure I’ve mentioned in the past that my three sisters and I write to each other on a regular basis. This is done via group e-mails and has been going on since our mother passed away in 2006. We have always been close, but it was her death that brought us closer and I’m sure she’d be glad to know that.

I actually began this blog about a year later, in 2007, as a way to write to my sisters and incorporate photos I’d taken and wanted to share with them. It was private back then but they liked it and I was encouraged to open it to the public. And so I did. And I became extremely popular in the blogging world.

I’m kidding. Just making sure you’re all still with me.

* snort *

My sisters have been telling me how much they miss my posts.

And after reading the latest group e-mail this morning where my youngest sister, Ginny, asked why I couldn’t just write once a month rather than not at all, it really made me think. I haven’t written anything since the first week of August. Good grief!

And so here I am, coming to you live from the old manor house on the hill on a dark and quite warm night, with George at my feet, Miss Blackie in the windowsill seat nearby, and the gray kitty, who my son has named Squeakers, sitting on the rocking chair.

 

I am sharing photos I’ve taken over the past month – the first three from a tour that I went on with my school this past weekend. We toured the Historic Tome School for Boys in Port Deposit, Maryland which was named a National Historic Site in 1984. It’s been crumbling for many years but the remnants of what it used to be are still there. The buildings were designed in the beaux arts style by one of the premier architectural firms of the times, Boring & Tilton. And the grounds and the Italian Gardens were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.

 

This is the old football field, looking toward the Susquehanna River which is through the trees and down the hill. The buildings surround the field. If you are interested in reading about the old school, which was one of the premier educational institutions on the east coast, here is a link:

Bainbridge Development Corp – Tome School for Boys

And if you want to see more of my photos taken that day, here is my Flickr link:

K.Young Photography Flickr – Tome School for Boys 2015

 

The rest of the photos in this post were taken with my iPhone using VSCO Cam. (Thanks for telling me about it, Daryl). I’m not sure if you remember that I was working on this shade garden back in May but here it is in full bloom. That potted bush is actually a pussy willow that my husband rooted using a bunch of them that I’d brought home from the grocery store several years ago. I’m going to have to plant it in the ground . . .

 

And George, of course.

 

The iPhone 6 takes some pretty good photos and I’ve enjoyed playing with it.

 

Kitty aka Squeakers

(ugh – I really dislike that name)

 

And Miss Blackie who I have to sneak up on because she has this thing about having her photo taken.

 

I met a friend for dinner last week and stumbled on a vintage car show in the nearby town. (The gallery where my photographs are displayed are right up the street).

And well . . . I guess that’s about it.

Oh, except for the fact that school started on Monday and it’s really nice having all the children back. I mean I like summers and all and I can get lots of work done but it’s all about the children. And it’s good to have them all again.

Until next time, my friends. And I’ll try not to make it so long until we meet again ~

Pictures from my new phone

It has been too long. Yes, I know this. But I have been wanting to write and to share my photos with you and I believe it’s high time I did. July is not my favorite month, but August is worse. I am not a summer person – the heat wilts me but I am blessed to have air conditioning.

My phone was due for an upgrade and ever since doing a routine software update a few months ago for my Samsung Galaxy, it had been running weird, half my apps didn’t work, and I kept saying that I was going to just get an iPhone. All of my iPhone friends and all of my sisters have been asking me what was stopping me. I have never been an iPerson is why but after getting my first iPhone last week, I don’t know why not. Because I love it.

I especially love the camera in the iPhone 6 and all of the photos here were taken with it.

This was the first picture I took with the new phone – of my living room in the early morning light last Saturday. It would have been nice had I vacuumed the rug but I opened up this one in PS and cloned out the chunk of dog hair that was on the rug.

* snort *

No. I really did.

 

This is my sweet grand-niece, Colleen Elle, who I met last Sunday for the first time.

Lovely lovely little girl.

 

And this is a dog who was caught trying to pull his shark stuffed animal from the wash pile.

After this was taken and the wash hung on the line, I spent the better part of the day scrubbing my kitchen floor. This is a huge job and one that would have taken me half the time in my younger years. I do try to keep my floor clean, but every couple of years or so, I scrub off all the old finish product and all the dirt that forms in the little crevices. On my hands and needs. And when it’s dry, I apply Pledge Floor Finish. A clean kitchen floor is happiness.

But then so is a good cocktail. A good movie. Jamie Fraser in a kilt. And a number of other assorted things.

 

My clean kitchen floor.

Because I am just so certain you wanted to see it.

(not)

 

It rained the other day. I came home from a long workday, angry for some reason or other. I know what the reasons are, but I just don’t want to share them. So I sat and read in my living room (which is not air-conditioned, by the way). I asked my son to put a unit in the window and he never did. It’s in a difficult area to install. After three times, I stopped asking and ended up realizing that I don’t really need it. I am sitting in here now and it is not bad at all even though it’s 88 degrees outside. Plus, not using it really cuts down on the electric bill. Anyway, back to the story which really isn’t even a story.

The sun suddenly came out.

I went outside and saw this picture you see above. Underneath the trees, it looked as if the rain was still gently falling. And I thought it was beautiful.

 

This is the same scene, after using the Waterlogue app.

"I remember every moment, every second. I’ll never forget when I came out of the church and saw you for the first time. It was as if I stepped outside on a cloudy day, and suddenly the sun came out." - Jamie Fraser, Outlander

Don’t even get me started on Outlander quotes. I am a total geek. One of the file cabinets got stuck at work this week and I pounded on it saying, “Open up, ya wee besom.” I was surprised to hear this come out of my mouth. I hadn’t meant to say it – it just. happened.

 

And finally, the wee kitty who still has no name. I call him Kitty. Were he mine, I would have named him but he belongs to my son. Kitty comes when he is called. There have been many nights when I have let him out after dinner and before I go to bed, I will call him and he has always come. He is a good cat and very sweet.

I hope your weekend is a good one. I would visit you if you lived closer and had a pool.

ha.

Long weekend

It’s been a quiet weekend here at the old manor house on the hill. I was invited to a couple of 4th of July parties but I really just wanted to stay home, although I made a couple of salads to take just in case I changed my mind. Now I have plenty to pack for lunches this week.

I did attend one gathering last Thursday, though. It was a going away party for Beth, a long-time friend and co-worker. She and I became friends when I moved to Maryland in 1996 and our sons met in the 4th grade. She was a substitute teacher at the time and ended up coming to work at our school full-time about 15 years ago. The party was held along Pembrey Beach on the Elk River. I walked out onto the dock at sunset to capture a few photos.

I tried to photomerge this one and the one below but my program was having nothing to do with it. So I gave up rather than become frustrated. It really was not that important.

 

The party was nice and it was a good way to say goodbye. Lately I’ve been saying goodbye to some of my favorite co-workers but I have to remember that life is about change. Nothing can stay the same.

:   :   :

I had the day off on Friday and spent it doing some much-needed chores.

I also had a visitor to the property on Friday evening.

 

I was walking through the dining room on my way to the kitchen and saw a shape out of the corner of my eye which made me stop. It was a little doe with her nose to the ground. I went back to get my camera and she looked up as I ever-so-quietly opened the door.

 

And then she bounded away.

:   :   :

No big plans for the weekend other than getting some chores done, some of which I’m not finished and I keep putting off because I don’t want to do them. I need to get over it, though. They’re outside chores and they involve cutting back masses of vines, a chore that my husband did quite ably. I also have to attack the patio weeds because they are voracious with all the rain we’ve had. I almost want to weed it with my hands but the last time I did that, I had pain for weeks. So this is what getting old feels like!

I bought the ingredients for a spray to combat the weeds (thank you everyone for your suggestions) and plan on using it today if it doesn’t rain again.

 

This morning, I set up my camp chair and table under the old hickory tree on the front lawn and enjoyed my coffee accompanied by bird song and cool breezes. I had my camera and a pair of binoculars and eventually began to wake up. Sometimes it takes me awhile . . .

George wanted some stick throwing and the cats were exploring as I sipped the delicious brew that began to make me feel more alive. “Thank God for coffee”, I thought, as I reflected on just how lucky I am to be here in this place, watching the bluebirds darting to and fro looking for their breakfast in the tall grass.

 

Miss Blackie sticks close to home but the younger cat was out and about. He still doesn’t have a name but then, he’s not my cat. He’s my son’s.

My son is the one who should be clearing away the vines. Let’s not even begin that discussion.

 

I downloaded a book on my Kindle yesterday that’s full of dog tricks, one of which is teaching your pet to put all the toys away into their toybox. When I saw that trick mentioned, I thought “this is the book for me”. George can go and get a toy that he knows by name, but I’ve never been able to figure out how to get him to put all the damn things back into the box and each night before I head up to bed, I’m always putting away his toys. I’ll keep you posted on this trick, as it should be interesting.

Thanks for your kind comments and your visits here. I hope you all are having a nice weekend ~