Thanksgiving, in Colorado!

post #364
        Last week's post was about alone time photos, from the last few months. This week it's Thanksgiving in Colorado with my son and family. Next week -- alone time photos, from this summer, just in time for Christmas.... 
          I want to note, however, that I am writing this from Morehead. The roads were too terrible last night for me to make it all the way home from a day in Lexington. Thank you, Tom and Molly!!!! 
          Now on to Denver and family and Thanksgiving:

welcoming lights the Monday night of my arrival

Denver's light rail system took the two kids and me downtown to meet up with Eric for lunch.
       

from the balcony, this is the view of "getting lunch" at the new Whole Foods near Eric's new office location

      Two views from their office, all on the 12th floor of the new office/hotel building -- see the stadium!

floor to ceiling windows!!

Then Thanksgiving, in the mountains near Denver:

LOTS OF TASTY TRADITIONS AND HOME-COOKED FOOD!

Special treat - fresh apple cider (despite what it looks like!!)

LOTS OF CARD PLAYING!

LOTS OF DOG LOVING! 

LOTS OF SPOUSE LOVING!
 

              NOT lots of snow, but all of us did get out for a walk and a session of "skipping snowballs over ice:"

Winter Park, CO

         I'm very thankful, as always, for my family and for having time together. This may sound obvious and trite, but it is monumentally true.

sharing my camera and its new lens with a photographer friend

post #362
      I am away from home for Thanksgiving, in Denver, where some of my family live. They absolutely love it here. Also a friend, Chris Garris, from near where I live on Mauk Ridge, teaches here at Metropolitan State University of Denver, otherwise known as Metro or MSU Denver.  
       I consider Chris to be a particularly fine photographer, and I was glad we could meet for coffee a few days ago. I brought my new lens with me to ask him about, since I know it's one he uses most often. We had to use the sidewalk "patio" for our visit because he had brought his dog, Cole slaw.  When I went inside to order a hot chocolate (with lots of whipped cream), I asked him to please use my camera if he wanted to. He did! 
      Seeing what someone else saw while looking through the same photo equipment I use was unexpectedly a hoot, mainly because he was seeing in his own way. And that's really what good photography is all about.
       I asked his permission to use several of those photos on my post today. I haven't done any of the editing work he might or might not do, so these are "raw," the real thing. They show the eye of a photographer focusing on the eye of his subject in, at most, 10 minutes. 

         
          The lens is the first non-zoom one I have used, since I started in photography only 20 years ago after zoom lenses had begun to be more reliable and versatile. It's probably only fair to share a few of the photos I have made this trip when I had occasion to "play" with this new part of my repetoire. I think I will be using this small, light 50mm lens quite a bit from now on!

       The link to more of Chris's photos is here. He likes to travel....just saying.  Chris, thanks so much for being willing to share your eye and your photo skills!
        And here's a reminder about next Saturday's HOLIDAY ARTS MARKET at Morehead State University's Laughlin Hall, 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.  If you mention to me something you liked or didn't like on one of the posts on my blog, I'll be so happy that I'll give a 10% discount on anything you buy from me. I will be located near the main entrance of the gym.
        
        

post-Thanksgiving post

post #313
       Not able to let this season go. Still wondering if I should have had my small field bush-hogged this fall or whether a spring mow will catch the encroaching woods in time. Loved the huge moon week, especially driving all the way back from Lexington in the light of its glory. Knowing next weekend is the annual Arts and Crafts Fair at Morehead State University, where I have shared a booth with the very talented and fun Jennifer Reis for years -- but not this year since I continue to work on my major move which has brought on a total review of everything I own, saved, or didn't know I had.  This is good. This takes a lot of time. This needed to happen. Anyway, I plan to go to the Fair, and I encourage everyone within range to go see what's showing. I hear that more artists/crafters than ever before applied to take part this year.  9-4, Saturday, at the Laughlin Health Building on the MSU campus. Tell Jennifer I encouraged you to go to the Fair to check out her art jewelry and knitted items!
       I know I said that last week's photos were the last fall ones for this year, but then I saw what I saw. ... So the photos today are from this past week.  The first ones are from our pond, and the dog is my daughter's:
 

Who cares if the pond is chilly??!! A pond is a pond is a pond!

same reflection from two vantage points on the dam for the pond:

During a walk near to where I am now living:

I could barely see the mist with my bare eyes, but it was brief in any case. 

SIDEWAY GALLERY -- my Gallery/home from across the road. I am so fortunate to have found this place five years ago, so close to where I lived until this fall.

 Then there was the walk in the woods while the Thanksgiving turkey was cooking:

Lots to be grateful for, lots to wonder at, and lots to look for if we pay attention. I want to give special thanks for all the friends nearby who have been helping me so far in this physical changing of places I've been experiencing -- Doug and Karen, Ann S., Molly, George Ella, Melva, and, this Thursday, Bob and Carolyn -- and especially Rebecca, Jeremey and T., whose patience and steady assistance have made it all possible. More on all this later - it is not over yet!  See you at the Fair, Saturday.

thankfulness, shown in some of this year's photos, part 1 of 2

post #260
     First of all, I am thankful for this blog and the opportunity it gives me each week to check in with my work and see what photos I took that mean something to me.  This week and next week, I'll be looking through this year's photos with my "grateful glasses," which I believe I wear part of every day of the year. Of course not everything I see with them will show up in these two posts. So, if you know me, and what you might expect is not shown, worry not - there are those pesky space considerations, AND sometimes I don't have the    right photo of something for which I am truly thankful.

      What looms largest is the weeklong cousin camp that took place at the house in August!  We had so much simple fun -- and I took some happy photos, some of which were already posted a few months ago.

THE TOSS INTO THE POND

most recent photo of cousin camp director (photo taken in Massachusetts)

      And now for a photo of the missing cousin, who had a summer job he couldn't neglect and in another state. Here is Nik setting up his drums at his house:

       Next, the two siblings together. Guess which one is showing us his or her college dorm room! Bravo for a good start to your new endeavor and its adventures!! 

     Now, as always and often on this blog, I celebrate the beauty of where I live.  I am thankful all these images show up in my life, especially when I happen to have my camera with me....

        
   I am also grateful for such moments as unexpected skies, and for the lone cow then standing there "in reflection"....and within reach.

       With these beautiful Appalachian hills come wonderful Appalachian neighbors and friends, who help me out, make me laugh, and who are patient with me and my camera.

 

       This is so much fun to do, so MORE NEXT WEEK.  Should I say, "until then, just keep on truckin'?"