away from home, carrying the hills within me

post #36
      The beauty of this past April at home has spoiled me entirely, even surrounded as I am today by the rushing streams and stunning azaleas and crabapple trees of another spring, here in western Massachusetts, where I am hanging out this week with our mellow-even-at-two-weeks granddaughter!  The fact that these rushing streams are partly due to the constant rainy weather -- every day! -- may be, excuse me, dampening my enthusiasm for them....

       

       But first, here is this week's THIS IS APPALACHIA NOW.  See the paragraph above to understand why I chose this photo for today.  As mentioned in earlier posts, I have photographed this house, from a variety of angles, in all four seasons.

Appalachian spring, along Mauk Ridge (Route 504)

       However, to be an equal opportunity gawker, I want to show some of that New England rushing water.  Location above: behind the Bookmill, in Montague, whose motto states that they have books you don't need in a place you can't find.

also, above, along the Connecticut River, from the French King Bridge, and, below, an ordinary house with an extraordinary azalea

     I am ending with a photo I took as a slide when John Flavell and I were photographing an amazing rhododendron display, down on Carter's Ford, several years ago, in my pre-digital times.  I recently scanned the slide so the image is now available digitally, joining the "makes me happy" collection.  I love seeing this kind of natural light, which I might not even notice were I not out wherever with a camera.  
    

Note: I use the Epson 4990 scanner, which was top of the line at one point.  These days I have to make sure my computer doesn't get ahead of it.  Good luck to all of us in making it possible for the components of our equipment to continue their invaluable working relationships!