People, second post, more eastern Kentucky moments

post #433
        More, more, more! With my current (but temporary) lack of mobility, I am enjoying "being with" these folks whose photos I have taken, usually spontaneously. Thank you all!!
       

friendly fellow woods photographers

a  friend's January visit here, from Oregon

big 80th birthday party

the birthday girl

her daughter, Sandy, at a 4H competition

Sandy's granddaughter, and her 4H prize winner

Junie, at his home (with my granddaughter!)

 

Jean, of the photo Jean's jeans....

 

Jean's jeans (one of several versions over the years)

Jean's husband, Garry, has died, and it has been hard for everyone:

Garry's nephew

Garry's daughter with Jonathan, who was like a son

such a smile!

For some reason, I find this guy hilarious -- very rooted in the community, for sure.

 

artist and quilter

Jennifer, friend and artist and clear thinker

         Next week I will do more grandchildren, and other kids.  Then the last week will be folks I have visited in different places.  By then I should be back on both feet, instead of only one, and back out in the world. With my camera!  Hooray, hooray!

People, instead of places

post #432
      Recently several regular viewers of my blog commented on how they enjoyed seeing photos of people as part of last week's post.  Since I still can't get outside with my camera while my broken left foot continues to heal, I thought I'd take advantage of this time to hunt up more of my people photos to post. Showing them here will happen over a few weeks --  
       At first I wasn't sure how best to group them. I started by scanning through the last five years, mostly, so that's something in common, but many are Appalachian based, others are from trips I have taken to visit friends and family, including grandchildren, and some are purely random. You can find your own explanation for the groupings.
       I enjoy catching a moment, unplanned, and informal, taking my chances. I won't be giving out names, because that is not the point here. Making these photos is my idea of fun, so what I am sharing is what I see as I live day by day, where ever I happen to be. I thank my subjects for their patience with my efforts. I do try to give folks a copy of good photos but I am slow and sometimes disorganized about doing that, so enjoy what you see here. Remember that clicking on one photo will line up all the photos along the bottom of the screen, so that the photos can be viewed in a larger size. As always, if a photo of you shows up and you are not happy about that, just let me know so I can remove it. Easily done. 
        So, onward:

a boy in a truck with his dad, in Lexington, KY

while at a rally in Frankfort, KY, against mountaintop removal mining

neighbors visiting neighbors

Thanks, Bonnie, for helping me out last week!

 4H Fair:

cousins, taken a few years ago

being at the cemetery for his great grandmother's burial

While at a festival in Sandy Hook, KY, these three couples, on motorcycles, allowed me to film them, and they set themselves up just like this. Later I was able to figure out who one of them was, so I could give them a copy of the photo. It turns out they are extended family members.  Let's hear it for small towns!

This year's annual 4H competition and sale, in Sandy Hook

post #351
      I was so excited this year to take my granddaughter to her first 4H day that I forgot my camera at the house! I am not proud. So all these photos were taken with my iPhone6s. In the beginning I was able to give T. the phone to take photos with. She may be only 6, but she is an ace. She did do some exploring with it, which was the whole idea. By the time we needed to leave, we were both tired, and I would have been more tired if I was using my big camera. It turns out I was coming down with a cold, which I haven't done for years. This is all very annoying, especially since I can't complain because it happens so rarely....

       Always start an event with a concession hot dog!

     
        Three photos by T.. I think the rabbits were her favorites.

   Sandy introduces T. to two handsome, well groomed goats:

    A small puppy was the center of quite a bit of attention, while we waited for the judge, who was a half hour late....

    Finally, the judging started, first the rabbits and then the hens.

 

       going for a better view of the cages:

   The goat cheat sheet, since the judge was likely to ask about goat parts:

     
          In the ring, with the judge checking her goat -- I don't know what question she got, if any, but she and her sister (on the right) received top prizes.

       This was the last ever competition for Jayla, on the right, since she has graduated from high school and has gone off to college, in Morehead. She later showed a sheep and a big black bull!

           As always, bravo for hard work during the year taking care of the animals. I know T. wants to come another year.  For all of us spectators, it's always fun -- especially when the weather cooperates and it isn't too hot. The left over rains from the hurricane showed up the next day.

favorite photos, 2016, part 3 of 3

post #318
       Cold weather -- time for warm memories and final favorite photo moments from 2016:

  I am doing pairs of photos today.  I so often want to tell a story through what I see.
 

my neighbor's house, across the road, near the mailbox

Clyde's apple orchard and garden, from the curve along Hogtown Ridge

 
     Two sets of paired photos from September's 4H event in Sandy Hook:

Jayla won the grand prize later, but I chose this earlier photo because it shows her in action.

I don't personally know this young girl, but this is my favorite photo from that afternoon.

Again, congratulations to all the hard working students taking part in 4H!!

 These two photos are from my two days in London, where I met up with a close friend from Norway after spending some time with my step-mother in Chipping Campden. We had walked under the ferris wheel before crossing the River Thames headed toward the famous clock tower, Big Ben, on the parliament building. The English sky makes these photos work for me! Love that light!

The next two photos pay hommage to the wonderful woodstove that had been left in our house when we bought our land 45 years ago. Such a wonderful companion in any kind of cold weather!  I made these photos last winter but the stove is in use today, for sure.

       I can't stop myself from ending with a few brief words about our future as the clamor for PROFIT NOW gets louder, while the call for taking care of our one and only earth for our children's children gets drowned out.  Clean water, clean air, and healthy forests are clearly threatened by a pervasive lack of backbone. (I definitely don't get it how anyone can deny the reality of our part in the warming of the world.)  Saying coal jobs can come back is like that fairy tale "The Emperor's New Clothes."  Read it and weep. At the least, in the face of double think, take time to figure out what might be true even though it is outside some random comfort zone.
       I am grateful for Kentuckians for the Commonwealth (KFTC.org).  They are not backing down from advocating Clean Power and a healthier and more economically sound future for our state. I congratulate them, too, for reaching their 2016 fundraising goal of $500,000! Let's take time to celebrate how far hard work has brought us even though the job is far from finished.