a tribute to the French, from a fan

post #259
       I have been neither to Mali nor to Beirut, but I have been to France. In light of the recent attacks by extremists in all three places, I figured one thing I could do was share here some of my photos from France, a country where I lived for a year as a high school exchange student when I was 16.  I have stayed in contact all these years with the family I lived with, in Alsace in eastern France. In May 2015, I was able to spend a week in France visiting  various "family members" as well as some other friends of mine who live in Rennes.         
      Needless to say, I deplore thoughtless destruction of human life and the impetus to impose a single set of values on all the lives in the world. It happens in democracies as well as in dictatorships, and we have to work hard all our lives to nurture fairness and tolerance and respect for the world and all the peoples in it. 
      Now some views in France, an imperfect place like any other but certainly not deserving of random terrorism.  No one is. Anywhere. Isn't it about time we all take up working toward more global cooperation rather than increasing fear and hatred and divisions based on the behavior of extremists? We can take a photo of Pluto but we can't work together to solve hunger, poverty and inequalities?  The reason I was an exchange student to France way back when was because my school was part of the school exchange project set up by the Quaker organization (called the American Friends Service Committee). It sought to reestablish trust and understanding between nations after World War II. They set up these  exchanges in schools in France, England, the USA and Germany. I felt so fortunate to be part of that effort.  Each of us had a small role to play, which added up in the long run to something bigger.
  
 FIRST, FRIENDS:

     

My French "nephew" Frederic taking his son to school

Frederic taking me to the airport, via the River Seine.

modest Mariko, my longtime friend

in this famous park in Rennes

and at the market on a Thursday morning.

Mailys and her children, in Paris, on the train

        SECOND, FOOD:

 

a market in Rennes

my French "sister", Maud, in her kitchen in Mulhouse

   
  THIRD, WONDERFUL MOMENTS:

Maud and donkey (?), during our long afternoon walk

a stork nest, in Alsace

a stork overhead

in the Rhine Valley of Alsace, looking toward Germany

vineyard

beehives

          and in the VOSGES [Mountains]:

looking from Alsace over the Rhine River to the Black Forest in Germany

Annette and a friend come to the mountains for a Sunday walk.

                                                               

un cafe, s'il vous plait....

       It should go without saying that the idea of not welcoming refugees to our country is insanity!  We Americans allow any kind of person to own a gun and then some of them wreck havoc and kill children, yet we shouldn't reach out to people in need because of atrocities in their own countries?  Give me a break.  Fear may be convenient, but it is not helpful in the face of tragedy.  Merci, mes amis, et a la semaine prochaine, Ann

recent photos during my travails with the iPhoto to Photos transition

post #258
       Even though I am still struggling with the finer details of the new PHOTOS software on my Apple laptop, there has been progress. It helped to be in Lexington Friday where there is an Apple store. I went there, and I quietly insisted they help me. Right then. I live two hours away, I pointed out. No, coming in again and taking my chances in the morning is not an option.  And then Adam walked by; I was told I could ask him 5 minutes of questions.  Well, I can ask anyone 5 minutes of questions since that is how I think. But Adam ended up staying with me until I could ask almost all my questions! Now, even if I can't remember exactly how to get where I want to be, I at least KNOW that place exists and can be gotten to. SO I am vastly encouraged and no longer totally freaked out. Isn't that a pretty good definiton of progress?
         My plan today is to try sharing some recent heretofore inaccessible photos.  Please just celebrate along with me if indeed that is what I manage to accomplish.  

      First, here are some views while driving back from the county seat where I paid the property taxes and picked up my refurbished laptop.  Thank you, Maynard!

       Along the way, I passed this former two room school, now a community center with lovely cliffs to the left. The schools in this county were consolitdated in the early 70s. 

     More views along the way -- I do pull off the road in order to make such photos...

      Two terrific teens -- close friends with each other -- brought up a whole load of wood from a waiting pile in the our woods. Half the load went on to the porch, see below, and this remaining half was on its way to the barn.  Thank you, J and J!  And thanks, F, for preparing the pile last fall!

      This last photo is the home of one of my neighbor's. I like the way the tree in front of it has lost enough leaves -- but not all -- so that the house is visible behind the screen of branches yet remains part of the glory of the season; it ends up, sort of, hiding in plain sight.

         If anyone has had trouble downloading the photos in this post, please leave me a comment to mention that.  I am not 100% sure yet if everything I did was exactly what needed to be done. Thanks! Using the Anonymous option after clicking on Comments lets anyone send a comment my way.  Next week I may be able to share some of my photos from France, in recognition of the senseless yet serious tragedy there this week.

Stretching out the beauty of autumn and remembering 2013

post #257
       No one should want me to explain how hard I have worked all afternoon to access my photos of the last two weeks that I so badly want to share.  The truth is I have not been successful.  SO, since I did get positive feedback from my post repeat for last week, I am going to go that route today again.  TIme travel -- to 10/30/13.

post #162
       This week's post is all about 48 hours of trees and color, Wednesday and Thursday.  By coincidence, I had plans to meet two close friends for lunch in Prestonsburg -- two hours away -- on Wednesday.  However, I barely made it out of our driveway because it turns out that was the day fall peaked.  It was beautiful everywhere.  But, even with all the driving I did -- and it was all exhilerating -- nothing was any more beautiful that day than our driveway. 
       [These 2013 views do look a lot like it has been in 2015, though with my new camera, I think my photography is better.  One day soon I will find out!]

This is where the driveway opens up, close to the house I am leaving for the day.

halfway out, looking back at where I had come from

a second look

  

by the side of the driveway

Because I stopped and got out of the car, I happened upon an unusual sight and one which turned out to be very brief, since the wind soon blew the web away.  I am thrilled with these three found moments.

I continued out to the road, looking left,

and looking up, while stopped,

looking out again, when the driveway crosses the pipeline area,

looking left before turning right and heading to Prestonsburg,

and passing the neighbor's fields and woods along the road.

      More next week. I have to confess I went a little bonkers with my camera despite some challenging weather conditions.  All these photos are made during that one day, the day  before Hallowe'en.  
      Speaking of Halloween, I want to add this colorful photo of the season:

Lovely Mary!  Great colors on you!

     I am now going out for a short walk, before it gets too dark (earlier than yesterday.)  I'm glad to be able to share these wonders with whomever makes it here to this post!  [And glad to be sharing them in 2015 as well.]

Halloween revisited

post #256
     I think my best bet for today is to republish last year's Halloween post, including its admonistion to get out and VOTE.  Here in Kentucky this Tuesday we are choosing our next governor. Those of you who are not regular viewers may not know whom I will be voting for, but you can guess by which candidate shows up at the end of this post from a year ago...
      Another reason for my decision to use last year's post is my recent laptop upgrade along with additional memory.  I have had email hook-up problems AND no access to my usual tools for downloading my photos and producing a post!  I need more time to calm down, refigure things, and have hope.
      So enjoy this blast from the past, as if a year ago didn't just happen!

post #215, Nov. 1, 2014:

[He is saying] "Well, here she comes again, with that black thing in her face!"

    I saw this goat on my way to visit my clever neighbors who always have an amazing Halloween display.  The family hay ride and party had to take place two weeks ago, but LUCKILY two of their creative creatures were still there to greet me the day after Halloween:

  










 The leaves have been changing all through October.  Here below are three photos from last week:

fallen leaves on the driveway, facing the way we "leaf home":

the barn, behind the sycamore

the chicken house/tool shed building, with forestry sign

       My milkweed project lasted a year [2013], but I have been keeping an eye on the plants this year as well, out of habit.  I have seen hardly any of the fluffy, sailing seeds!  This year would have been a bust as far as following the plants month after month.  
      Then, just the other day, I noticed a single milkweed plant in a totally unexpected location, with seeds opening!  At last.  I took this first photo Thursday evening, with its lovely sedate artistic display. 

 
      This second photo was taken after our Friday night storm: wind! rain! first freeze!

       Many thanks to someone for the comment on my blog last week about my letter to the editor!  I'm sorry not to be able to write back, but I don't see an email address when the comments are sent to me to review before being published.  
       The sun is shining today which is why I decided I would not continue my blog review until next weekend.  I want to get outside!!  But I do have one last democracy directive to throw your way.  The election is soon, on Tuesday, though the political shenanigans continue.  My hope is that if enough people get to the polls to vote, Kentucky might actually elect Secretary of State Alison Grimes to be our US Senator and change the course of history.    
      Alison came to nearby Morehead Thursday night, for some speech giving and photo taking.  She could so entirely do a great job as our US Senator.  I will be calmer next week once this whole thing is decided.  

       PLEASE VOTE, where ever you are, and bring a friend with you!!  We need to make a special effort this year to do so to honor the many citizens who are being shut out from voting because of repeated Republican attempts to make it harder to pass muster at the poles, despite hardly any voter fraud anywhere in the nation.  In Kentucky, we also need to honor the convicted felons who have done their time but remain blocked from voting!