The countdown’s on

When I was a kid, seeing the Indian Corn on the door meant the Thanksgiving holiday was imminent. It still means the same thing to me today.

The turkey is brining in the fridge and the pumpkin pie is all set. Just a few more preparations to go for our holiday feast tomorrow. I can’t wait!

"Maize-y Days" (Indian Corn) Nikon D300, 105mm F/2.8G macro, F/7.1, 1/125s, ISO 640

Chances are, we’ll eat too much and fall asleep on the sofa, but we’ll also remember how fortunate and thankful we are, for the roof over our heads, the clothes on our back, the people in our lives and the love in our hearts.

This will surely be a happy Thanksgiving!

Autumn on display

"Bicycle Built for Autumn" (Floral Display at O'Brien's Farm Hill, Stoneham) Nikon D300, 105mm, F/9, 1/60s, -0.7EV, ISO 640

Today, I discovered the quaintest garden shop!

O’Brien’s Farm Hill Florist and Garden Center in Stoneham is definitely worth a trip. The displays are a floral feast for the eyes and I could feel myself smiling as I walked around, digesting every colorful morsel. Not sure how it happened, but a few items just had to come home with me!

It isn’t often that I am impressed by a florist, but the quality of the products, the attention to detail as well as the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff made it all delightful experience.

I will be back!

Blah, blah, blah

The best to be had on this overcast day…

"Dusty Rose" (Rose, Side View) Nikon D300, 105mm, F/8, 1/40s, -1.0EV, ISO 640, Built-in TTL Flash, -2.0EV

Gone to the dogs

"Darla" (Golden Labrador Puppy, 3 Months Old) Nikon D300, 70mm, F/13, 1/640s, -0.7E, ISO 500

Crouching on the beach with camera in hand is apparently the international symbol to dogs for “come see what I’m doing!”

There I was, minding my own business, when my shooting was interrupted by shouts of “No, Darla! Come back here!”  When I looked up, this energetic Golden Labrador puppy was bounding over to me, followed by her (apologetic) human parents. I assured them, Darla was just fine and she and I exchanged the normal human-to-dog pleasantries. The interaction didn’t last long as, being a puppy, Darla’s short attention span was quickly caught by something else and she was off and running once again.

Next up were a pack of dogs out for a walk with their dog walker. The first to approach (and quickly – too quickly for photographs) was a very large boxer, followed by the sweetest chihuahua named Diesel. With my chances for photographing the sea gulls gone, (dogs running along the beach are definitely a sea gull deterrent), I spent some time chatting with the dog walker and meeting all the dogs.

“Suess”, a lovely German Shepherd was sitting a distance away in a picture-perfect pose.

"Suess" (German Shepherd) Nikon D300, 105mm, F/10, 1/500s, -0.3EV, ISO 500

Once the group left, I couldn’t help noticing one lone dog, sloooowly making her way down the beach. I shouted to the dog walker “I think you’ve forgotten one!” and she yelled back, “That’s just Susie. She’ll come along.”

"Susie" (Pit Bull, 12 Years Old) Nikon D300, 105mm, F/10, 1/640s, -0.7EV, ISO 500

Turns out, the pack would eventually make their way back in my direction about the same time it took the older Pit Bull to catch up. I exchanged cards with the dog walker and promised to forward any photos of the dogs that came out well (I did, and she loved them all and said she’d keep me in mind for future work).

Cool!

Who knew a day at the beach could turn into a promotional op??

Was there the whole time

Finally got around to gathering up the annual pots around the yard (yeah, I’m a little behind in my gardening tasks….shoot me). Most things were completely dead (naturally) but one had a spark of life! A small patch in back containing some greenery and a few small white flowers, the variety of which is ironically named “Snowflake”.

"Tiny Snowflake" (Sultera cordata "Snowflake" aka Bacopa) Nikon D300, 105mm F/2.8G macro, F/11, 1/80s, -0.3EV, ISO 640

Huh, imagine that!

Panning for gold

What a gorgeous day! Started out dark and rainy but by this afternoon, temps neared 70 degrees (in November?) and skies were clear. An exceptional day for a walk on the beach!

I began photographing the waves crashing onto the shoreline but then turned to watching the seagulls as they flew low over the water. The scene couldn’t have been more perfect to test out my panning skills (i.e., tracking a moving subject with the camera lens which results in a relatively sharp subject against a blurred background).

This technique takes some practice but I was pretty pleased with this particular shot. Most of the bird is tack sharp with just a bit of vertical motion in the wings. Everything else is horizontally blurred, giving the shot a feeling of motion and speed (which is great for a bird in flight).

"Solo Flight" (Seagull) Nikon D300, 70mm, F/16, 1/320s, -0.7EV, ISO 400

I’ll need to keep practicing – perhaps with slower shutter speeds to emphasize the blur more – but overall, no complaints on the day or the shot!

Ah, I remember it well

"It Was a Very Good Year" (Corks) Nikon D300, 105mm F/2.8G macro, F/3.2, 1/15s, -0.3EV, ISO 640

September 1, 1994…the date we moved into our house, a mere twenty-three days after putting in the offer. That’s not to say our search wasn’t difficult. After eighteen months and well over 100 houses seen, it was good to be home.

I remember, as the moving trucks pulled away on that happy, sunny day, we sat on the front steps and wondered, ”What the heck do we do now?” 

Somehow, we took it day by day, and here we are, 15 years later and the house is officially ours.

Anyone who has been inside has no doubt noticed the enormous wooden bowl in the dining room that is filled with corks. Serving as so much more than a conversation piece, each one is a reminder of parties, dinners and celebrations large and small, the good times spent with friends and family.

Therefore, I raise my glass and toast, “Here’s to many, many more - Cheers!“