random reflections

SOS on HS: MS

School has been so time-consuming I've had to give up some of my daily pleasures. Playing along with HS: MS is one I really miss. But today is Show Off Sunday and here are two photos I like from my trip yesterday to visit Matt in Ithaca. There are several more in the post below.

This is part of the first printing press used by the Paleontological Institute which runs the Museum of the Earth outside Ithaca. It sits in the entryway to the museum.

Just a few leaves have turned color here. Another two weeks and it should be at peak. These were laying in the stream in Robert H. Treman State Park.

Fun Day

Fun Day
Found this tonight on A Fancy Word for Simple:

Saturday, September 29, 2007
Fun Day

I have plenty of work to do--plenty of work for work, plenty of work for school, and plenty of work around the house. But, I've declared today and complete and total fun day. I'm a firm believer that it will make me work better when I finally decide to settle in and get some things done.

How will you enjoy yourself today?

"When we truly care for ourselves, it becomes possible to care far more profoundly about other people. The more alert and sensitive we are to our own needs, the more loving and generous we can be toward others."
-----Eda LeShan

And a fun day I did have. Tracy is in the Adirondacks backpacking with his friend so I drove to Ithaca to spend the day with Matt.

We started at the Ithaca Farm Market. A lovely place with a wide variety of booths—lots of organic produce, beautiful flowers, crafts, and great food. Bought some organic veggies, a bag of apples, and a great breakfast burrito.

The market is right on the inlet to Cayuga Lake, a lovely spot for a farm market.

Next time I go back I’m going to buy a Ithaca Farm Market tee—should have bought one today.

Next stop was The Museum of the Earth where Matt had a project to complete for his Evolutionary Biology class. I took along Songs Without Words by Ann Packer in case I got bored, but no way. Lots of interesting videos and fantastic fossil displays.

A mural of sorts composed of 45 tiles, one standing for a million years in the life of the Earth hangs in the hallway of the museum.

By then, Matt was hungry so we headed for the Commons. Finding a place to park was an adventure in itself since Ithaca was celebrating the Apple Festival. Lots of folks, lots of food, disappointing crafts. Bought an apple pie for Tracy.

Since neither of us had ever been up the east side of the lake we decided to take a drive. We went as far as Auroa. It’s a beautiful village, but there’s not much on the west side. The east side is more beautiful and there are several wonderful parks, wineries, and a fantastic lakeside road. But now we know.

We still had time before dinner so we headed to the Robert Treman State Park. First we walked to the Lower Falls since we didn’t have time to do either of the two-mile trails to Lucifer Falls.

We took some photos and drove through the park. As we left we saw a tiny sign pointing to the left that said: “Lucifer Falls” so we headed up the road. Lo and behold, there is a second entrance to the park. From there the falls are but a quarter mile away. This is a much more beautiful part of the park and we’re so glad we found it.

Trails to Lucifer Falls.

Only a portion of the falls since I had my 50mm lens on the camera and left the zoom in the car. Not much water since it's been such a dry summer.

Finished the day with dinner at Joe’s. I ate there when I was a student at Cornell. It closed for a number of years and reopened a while ago. Every time we leave town we drive by it so I was glad to check it out. The menu is diverse and the Italian food is just as good as I remember it! (And it’s certainly been a while!)

The drive home along Route 89 was stellar—a big yellow moon rising in the east and its light reflecting across the lake. It was a fun day.

Summer Collage

A summer photo challenge was posted on a photography board I belong to. So I put together a collage of some of my favorite photos from Summer '07, and thought I'd share it here too. Some of the photos are favorites because I love the image, many are chosen because they record important memories from the summer. Not all the photos benefited from being cropped into squares, but it was the easiest way to fit them all in.

Cake

The challenge today at HS:  MS is "cake," and let me say everyone's looks yummy! We are not big cake eaters so there's never any cake here except on special occasions. The last one was Adam's birthday which we celebrated on Kiawah Island. It's an Ashley River Mud Cake, and it was delicious.

Show Off Sunday

It's SOS. One of the pleasures of our patio this summer was this hibiscus. It bloomed most of the winter in my classroom, but was especially happy on the patio.

SPS

It's that time again:  Self-portrait Saturday and I 've been shamed into participating by looking at everyone else's blog. So here it is--at the last minute before we leave to play bridge.

Feast

HS:  MS challenge:  feast-A large meal or a plentiful supply. We went to the Dansville Hot Air Balloon Show Saturday and it was truly a "feast for the eyes." (More photos are on the Photo-a-Day blog on the sidebar.)

Hold

HS: MS Challenge   Hold:  To grasp, carry or support with your hands.

It's hard to take a photo of your right hand with your left hand--especially late at night, but it's much easier to post tonight than early tomorrow morning so here's what I'm holding way too often!

Learn Something New

I've enrolled in Shimelle's latest class Learn Something New Every Day. My thought was that if I could create a page for the book every day the month school started, it would be an incentive to follow the Paper Source motto:  Do something creative every day. I've started a photo album with the layouts on the sidebar, but here is the title page.

Thoughtful

Thoughtful:  Absorbed in or involving thought.

The HS:  MS prompt went up this evening so I can post mine before I go to bed! This is another photo I took for Barbara Carroll's Photo 101 class at BPS. It is a portrait of my very dear friend who is one of the most thoughtful people I know.