The Norwegian adventure, part 2 (of three or four)

      The ship and me and my friend Patty and 300 other travelers were on the way at 9 p.m. and soon the obvious becomes, well, obvious. We are going to be seeing a lot of water in the next 12 days, a lot of rocks, some big enough to be islands, and yet there are signs of life everywhere.  We are headed to the most northern piece of land in all of Europe, and, since this is mid May, it will be light outside most of the time. (Luckily staterooms have some serious shades to create darkness while we sleep.) 

    The routine of ship life is pretty basic -- there is no pool, no band or dancing, no library, etc.  But there are wonderful meals, 3 a day, and many stops along the way. Fresh fish is therefore really fresh!  All the food is splendid, and very Norwegian.  (Smoked salmon every day, for one thing, if you want it!!)

    So on to the photos I made - with my cell phone because it is good with light, and there were so many wonderful light moments.  Enjoy!

An excursion stop -- colors and light - Nidaros Cathedral, started in 1070 and located in Trondheim, which was the capital of Norway,  A national shrine!

This cathedral, it turns out, was near where my Norwegian friend grew up! 

a wake.....

our ship inching in to the pier, one of several stops that day

the view from one of our two windows... and we appreciated those windows immensely, day and night. 

in the rain, which we didn't have much of -- though we had some snow flurries!  I love the colors on the houses, everywhere.

SCARY!!

getting closer to the north! We were still on an "excursion", and I happened to be sitting in the front seat of our bus... Most of the road is invisible!

on the bus with less mist -- not a heavily traveled road...  We will get back on our ship at its next stop.

   My friend Patty, in a borrowed rescue suit.

our bird watching excursion continues by boat --- Patty is somewhere inside that amazing rescue outfit. SEE THE THOUSAND BIRDS IN ROWS ON THE ROCK.  Our boat was basic, the winds were real, and I'm glad to have been there!!

This blog has done a new trick for me that I am not happy with, so I give up for now. Will resume soon in the next post!!

 

Exploring what I see by chance and unexpectedly

            Our last snowfall (6 inches here in northeastern Kentucky two nights ago) was unexpected, and, for some reason, it set me thinking about how much the unexpected is part of my photography. I notice things, I like working with available light, and I wonder at what circumstance so often provides.  I have been amazed so many times that I was where I was, that the light was right and, of course, that I had a camera with me.

            I looked through some of my photos to find images I had no idea I would get.  Some of these I have already shared over the past ten years and others may be new.   

            I actually love the unexpected in general. It's sort of like having a really good idea that someone would never have thought of otherwise.  

This view is close to home, so having my camera nearby is not that unusual.  However, a reminder: It never works to say "Oh, I will take that photo tomorrow when I have more time."  Ha! No way!

Guess what - this is all about the light, fleeting at best.  I was in Maine for a cousin reunion, last July.  I had stepped outside for a moment, but I quickly had to put visiting on hold while I got my camera... in a hurry.

This light looks simiilar, but it is near home in Kentucky, and again this just happened. I think my camera was nearby in the car --- i.e. I didn't plan the timing, but I was delighted.

This is a moment, but there will likely be others like it  --- though there's never a guarantee. I don't always need spectacular unusual light to feel engaged by something I see.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

This rooster is probably one of my best known photos. I had just happened to stop by the barn area belonging to neighbors, and this guy decided to strut his stuff. We didn't have an appointment, but I did have my tripod in my car  and made this photo -- back in the days when I used slide film.

This photo also started as a slide.  It was getting dark in the woods, but I wanted to show my daughter this nest on the ground that I had discovered.  I NEVER expected 1) there would be a bird on the nest or 2) that she would not fly away.  I only took 3 photos so as not to scare her away -- I later talked to a Fish and Game person who supposed she was protecting newly hatched chicks. She made it into the book Counting on the Woods, by George Ella Lyon. The bird is a worm-eating warbler who actually may not eat worms.

an unexpected gift!

I wasn't looking for a writing spider, but there it was, near the pond.

There is a car in that mini-pond -- this photo made it into the newspaper.  UNEXPECTED!

This fire tower is in Central Kentucky and I wanted to go see it. Since no one seemed to have time or interest in going with me, I went by myself.  I didn't know I had to climb  part of the side of a mountain to get there, and then no one was around.  So  of course I climbed up almost to the top to see what I could see. It was worth it, though I should have known better! 

 

                                     That whole afternoon was unexpected......!!!!!!!


          I think I'll stop this for tonight. I can already see that I want to do another unexpected post.....This has been too much fun.  Thanks so much for coming along --   Ann           

Our snows here this year in KY reminded me of the same, in England.

    I am going to try a new font, because why not.  We can always get wild and take a new path. This font is called Carrier.  What I have liked and used for forever is Ariel.  I want to see if the letter "l" looks either more or is it less than what I usually see. (When is an l not a 1??) Look closely. There is a difference!

    I got distracted a half hour ago. Then the photos that showed up were of snow in England, during the winter of 2013! After all, it does snow other places. I was visiting my stepmother who was living then on the main street in picturesque Chipping Campden, in the Cotswolds.  The Brits had a hefty snowfall during my visit, and even though these photos are not all totally fixed up I think they give the flavor of the place at that time.  My stepmother, whom we called Potter, was staying 2 weeks several towns distant recovering from having her hip repaired. When I drove to see her, with snow on the roads and cars on the left hand side of the road, I managed to do a little damage to her car.  Well, maybe a little more than a little.... But it all worked out. I hope these photos are fun to see. 

    

in town, before the snow came

This view from the third floor is included because the other photos of this garden show everything covered with snow.

This oak tree and sheep were on my way to see Potter -- before the storm.

driving by the next day...

The tree and sheep were off the main road, and it didn't seem the milk delivery had gone smoothly this day.

The sheep market, hundreds of years old, is in the middle of town.

other winter trees en route

what awaits even then

 

outside the house, not too many tourists on the sidewalk for a change.....

in Potter's back garden

  across the street

warm inside, and I always loved this wisdom on her wall

more of the back garden

                     I ended up fixing this image a bit.                        It may well be my favorite photo of this post.

    If I try to put these photos in perfect order tonight, I would be in deep distress. MY apologies. I am familiar with imperfection -- believe me, it can have its benefits.  I wish every one well, and how fabulous it would be if a war based on greed and ego wouldn't start this week or ever need to happen. When all is said and done, it snows and rains on each and every one of us.

 

 

BACK AGAIN!!!!!

    Hello all -- so glad to be back!!!  There was some big Google Glitch, so I haven't been able to post anything for a few weeks.  I missed "visiting" with all of you, even though I am now posting biweekly -- after more than 12 years of posting mostly weekly.  The world continues to need our attention and our care. I hope everyone is able to seek truth and share kindness.

    Today is February 3, and there is a chance that the impending ice storm will cause electricity breakdowns around here in northeastern Kentucky.  Therefore I am going to put up some January photos and get this published sooner rather than later!

 

outside my window -- Christmas tree doing double duty now as bird sheltering

 

going to get the mail, late

The cardinal is the Kentucky state bird.

brief moment caught just before dark

THREE PHOTOS BY Rebecca W.:

signs of a beaver covering over his or her tracks with that handy wide tail

testing the log but wisely not going the whole way across -- oh, to be ten again!!

Sideway Road curving uphill...

the sun trying to get through

    There are more, but the images by me are all within walking distance from my house, at all times of the day. And this weekend may be full of winter as work, in many locations, and not just winter as fun and beautiful. 
    I will plan to do the next post on FEBRUARY 13, if Google can keep its act together. Be safe, vaccinate for the sake of the health of our world, thanks for not giving up on me and my blog! 

surprise, surprise --- mostly snow photos

 

                                                       SNOW AT LAST!  (photo by Rebecca Wright)

 
     Here in the other end of Kentucky from the terrible tornadoes, we have had two days of snow, and then last night and today lots of rain -- snow chasers.  I believe next will be some lower than usual temps.  So I figured I needed at least to enjoy the snow while it lasted and the photography that it provokes. (Those many people stuck overnight on I 95 earlier in the week have my total sympathy. How terrible and scary. I haven't needed to go anywhere for days, but my car is facing down the driveway, in case.)

    That first photo is wonderful. I love it, but I didn't make it.... Another bravo to my daughter.  They explored the icicles down by the waterfalls and, near the house, wore the snow out with the sled and two playful dogs.   

       SO here, barely in chronological order, are some other snow photos:

Well, this is an older photo, along Route 504, and it wants to be included even though it's an earlier storm...

The way to plow your south facing driveway is to get the mail carrier to drive up to the house to deliver a package and later have your son-in-law bring over some of his tasty stew and a dolly to move a file cabinet. By then the road snow will begin melting -- 

 

 

 

 

This is after she drove up and then out, apologizing for not being sure if she had driven on my driveway or not!  She managed better than some do even on a good day.

the end of the first day, still snowing at dusk, so very quiet everywhere (no wind), the pond not even frozen yet.

deer tracks, I think -  on the way to water

this afternoon, after the rain finally stopped

                 NOW, next, la pièce de résistance, a "movie" of the pond before the rain began:

         Please remember that it's possible to double click on any one of the photos, and they will then all line themselves in order at the bottom of the screen.  That way, they can be seen one by one.  Just sayin'.  I had some struggles today, which I hope don't show.  And I will be trying again in two weeks to make things work more smoothly.  It's hard to believe I've been doing these posts for over ten year and still have to learn stuff.  I love the movie this time -- I hope it works smoothly. 

    Let's pursue truth and not believe what doesn't make sense.  And while we're at it, as members of the same human race, let's sharpen our capacity for kindness.    (Voilà, that's my first political statement of 2022! )