My laptop is definitely happier to be working from home.

       I am finally home, after 12 days driving around New England visiting family, good friends, and a few special scenic places.  I drove from Kentucky to and from NYC with a good friend, and we laughed a lot. She stayed in NYC, and I went as far as Maine!  

        She and I did some serious driving through periods of heavy rain, especially in Pennsylvania the first day of our trip.  I see tonight  -- when I am finally able to put together last Sunday's blog -- that there are currently tornado warnings in those very same places! I was fortunate that my friend is an intrepid traveler AND a very cool headed driver.  

         As for the delay in this week's blog, it was all about not being able to transition smoothly from one network after another on my laptop in all the places I visited.  I'll be asking a lot of questions soon about what mistakes I was making as I changed networks so steadily.  I will be making today's effort short, because there are still some "production issues".

         First Smith College and the rock garden behind Chapin House, my "dorm" for 3 years.  None of the college buildings were open to the public last week, including the greenhouses, but the rock garden was lush from the rainy spring and summer in Massachusetts.

The heron is a sculpture in the greenhouse pond.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) Maine, where my cousin Sarah and her family live:
    

     This is the view of the cove from the house .  There were a dozen of us cousins gathered there for a few days; we do this every few years. Both my sisters were there.  The lobster tradition continues, as does a good game of dominoes.

 

     We did get out and about a bit:

 

 

dinner prep! 

BLUEBERRY PIE

 
            There will be more, but not yet. (That means more photos, I'm afraid, and not more blueberry pie....) I will be adding a video at the end next time, from Hamden, CT, near New Haven, where everyone on the block seemed to excel with some plant or other.  Lovely, lovely.

            May we all be spared from harboring anger toward our neighhbors, and may we be there to support each other and fill the room with kindness.   Also, Bon Appetit --  Ann                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

 

 

a wave break....

post #357
     

       True confessions -- I've been away from home a week, visiting friends and family mostly in Massachusetts. I spent several of those days on Cape Cod AND Martha's Vineyard.  This is a trip I have talked about doing for 2 years, and I finally got it together to do it. Today I can't resist celebrating my finally being there by sharing some photos of waves and water!! The weather really was as good as it looks. We mortals can always respond to the serenity of breaking waves and the constancy of the tides under calm skies.  
       The first set of photos above: Lucy Vincent Beach, on MV, open to the public after Columbus Day. It comes with memories for me of my photo workshop on the island in 2004 with Alison Shaw. (We visited her gallery but just missed seeing her. Guess I need to go again....) Lucy Vincent is a very special beach. Thanks, Patty, even though I know you already wanted to go there after Columbus Day anyway...

     The next beach I was able to experience was the one in East Dennis, on the north side of Cape Cod. I arrived just in time for a race with the setting sun.  Again, here's a place rich in memories for me, as is being with Henry and Susan and their family.

an eleventh generation Cape Codder....

        This walk on the beach was such a lovely beginning to great catch-up visit.

        The other beach we went to, the next day, was Nausset Beach, at the outside of the elbow that Cape Cod presents on the map.  The sand was warm enough for bare toes but not so hot as it becomes with summer sun. Susan and I saw a seal also enjoying the waters.

waiting for more waves in the in-coming tide

See the seal???!!

one of several memorial benches, with evidence of rotating sets of liberated feet

       I'm preparing this page during a layover in the Philadelphia Airport, on the way back to Lexington. Wondeful diversion for me. I guess this fits with my recent "beauty in the world" theme. We obviously need to preserve, protect and honor even the ocean whose vastness alone does not guarantee its health and happiness. It doesn't hurt, as part of that effort, to have fun!
       

on the road, in brief, with photos from 4 states in the northeast

post #290
       I recently drove from Kentucky to New England, by myself, with Lee Smith's memoir in essays, Dimestore, as my book on CDs for company.  First stop: a party, near Albany, NY, where I got to meet the latest extended family member, saw her mom and her longtime aunt-in-all-but-blood.

I was holding both this beautiful 2 month old great-niece and my iPhone, experimenting.

Oh the challenges of white skin, black skin, white dress, dark purple dress, with a thank you for the more medium toned barn door behind.... Even so, this may be my favorite photo from the party.

        Went from there to my daughter's, where the school year was ending for two teachers and a five year old, with traditions to be honored -- such as students in line to water dunk one teacher after another.  I missed filming the actual splash for my son-in-law, but at least in this photo it looks like he was briefly having fun!

a live smiling hibiscus plant....

        

first teacher to be dunked, on the way into the water!!

line of hopeful students/dunkers

NOW!

  Another visit was to my Alma Mater, which is nearby. Those trees and their shadows in the central circle seemed particularly beautiful to me. I also went the college art museum, which always satisfies.

    The next day I showed up at Sheila's house, near Hanover, NH, for a lunch that was not only beautiful but also delicious. I hadn't seen her for too many years, and David was away to lead a folk dance event, but I am grateful we had time for sharing stories, a meal and a garden tour!! and some laughing!!  The wine glasses contain a cold melon soup with treasures added -- eloquent and tasty smoothies.

 

delphiniums with me

and without me

     Sheila reports she finally found a solution to their deer problem - which we also have in Kentucky.  SO I took a photo of what she says has given her back her garden.  Since her garden is an anchor for her, this has been a true gift.  I haven't checked yet whether this expensive environmentally friendly spray is also available in Kentucky, but I will be  researching that and be ready to try it next year.  (It requires an early spring start.)

        Finally it was time to leave the Hanover area to return for one last night in western Massachusetts before starting the drive home to Kentucky... Squeaked in here before dark last night.  Saw evidence of the terrible flooding in West Virginia. I am wondering of course if man's damage to the mountians contributed at all to the wreckage from the already powerful downpours they experienced.  
       Anyway, while returning to Massachusetts I drove the back way for awhile. The route includes this long covered bridge from New Hamsphire to Vermont, over the Connecticut River, near nothing else in particular except the small town of Windsor, VT.  

  The last photo for today was made at my cousin's house in Hanover. I couldn't resist the combo of colors and textures of these flowers.  My thanks to all friends and relatives for taking me in, sometimes at the last moment, and for the chance to get caught up a bit with our lives. Meg, you got me first but I didn't do well in the photo department that first day! 

some spring photos I don't want to leave behind, part 1 of 2

post #238   
       My spring has been full, with places to go and beauty to behold. Last week's post shared our visit to the rhododendron at Carter Ford, the week before was hemp growing and included Peg's four dogs and her other farm companions.  Before that were two posts mosty about Kentucky Folk Art, following several posts featuring cemeteries in Eastern Kentucky.  
       I was able to be a few other places as well, however, and then there are the treasures found during walks to the waterfalls. So this week and next I want to share some photos from here and there, literally. I guess, just to be convoluted, this display also doesn't give me any good excuse for saying "I never get anything done...."

      My first share comes from my long drive up to Massachusetts in May for a visit with my daughter and her family before I went to my college reunion.  Here are some photos, a few from several places during my trip:

My daughter and her daughter live near my college, so they came over to visit. That's when we explored this garden area. I was totally taken by this bush design and by the tulips in the next photo!

This photo is full of tradition, the seniors standing all along the sides as members of each of the reunioning classes walk down the middle on our way to an outdoors auditorium area the day before their graduation.  Getting the clapping hands of my classmate (Beth, aren't they yours?) was purely the luck of the moment, not staged or planned.

    Sort of "on my way home" I went to see my sister, Robin, who lives near Boston. She grows remarkable gardens and has great skill with her drawing pens.  Her recent exhibit had made it home but had not yet been packed up, so I was able to take some photos of that:

     I find her work amazing. I can't imagine the patience and skill this takes. I would be including some garden photos as well, but I was there midday with bright sun, so nothing I could have photographed in the short time I had would have been worthy of what was growing there.  Sorry!

      I went next to visit close friends Susan and Henry who live on Cape Cod.  Henry is a 9th generation Cape Codder!!  Their home and land always has wonder shining all over it. Does the red-winged blackbird show up on the screen between the two swans? I am sending them a copy of this photo in an 8x12 size. It is sharper in real life than whatever it ends up being on my blog.
    

     Susan and I managed to be on the beach while between rain showers.  I LOVE IT.

     When I made my next segment of the trip, to Connecticut, where my high school friend Elisabeth lives, I went through quite a bit of rain. I timed it well, however. This is what greeted me -- such an abundance of color!  Unfortunately, I didn't have time to take more than about 6 photos all together.

      I did make it home finally, pretty worn out for awhile, but it is now fun to be sharing these few photos and revisiting the people and places without ANY driving involved.  Next week there will be the Kentucky photos, but I would like to end with one today that I think about often. I will try to include it in next week's post as well so that I can explain more about this Memorial Day family potluck. Thanks for traveling along with me.