random reflections

Tanzania Adventure

Odysseys' Tanzania Adventure tour was accurately titled. It met every one of our expectations and then some. There was additional "excitement" for me because my passport disappeared the very night we arrived. It's a long story, but we do know I had it in my hand when I got on the van at the Killimanjaro Airport (thanks to the CCTV cameras at the airport,) but that was the last time anyone saw it. Needless to say, I got home, and Tracy and I had a couple adventures the rest of the group missed. Actually, they were wonderful adventures, and the biggest take-away I have from the trip is the kindness, coooperation, and empathy we received from everyone we encountered. The wonderful manager of Leopard Tours in Arusha who facilitated my trip to the American Embassy in Dar es Salaam said it all one day. "Karen, as long as you are in Tanzania, you are family." And that's how we were treated everywhere!

I'm posting a few of our favorite images from the trip here, but at the end of the post you'll find a link to my SmugMug album from the trip. There were many, many more photos but we tried to organize the SmugMug album with some of the most interesting. Once thing you'll see is the variety of landscapes in Tanzania. When I thought about a safari my vision was of the savannah or open plains. In Serengetti, that was true, but it was very different in the other three parks. If you view the SmugMug album you'll see captions for many of the photos, as well as all the photos I'm sharing here. 

You have to look closely but you'll see several beautiful black and white Colobus monkeys in the Arusha National Park-the largest monkeys we saw.

One of the first of many lions we saw. His full belly tells you he has recently eaten, is very sleepy, and won't need another meal for several days.

Mt. Kilimanjaro was only visible in the Arusha National Park. On the day we were there, just the tip of the mountain was showing.

This was not the only time we waited for elephants to cross the road.

I didn't know a group of giraffes is called a tower, but it makes a lot of sense, and I won't forget it. We counted over 20 in this spot.

We visited a Maasai village on the trip and were introduced to their culture. The Maasai are one of the few tribes that have managed to retain their traditional way of life.
We had a chance later in the trip to talk to a Maasai doctor who trained in the United States. He spent 10 years working in Denmark, but has now returned to his village
and is working with a small group to improve their health card and develop some ways to make their lives easier without impinging on the culture.
Two of the men who who conducted our tour of the village had B.A. degrees from universities but have returned to their village.

Our first view of the The Ngorongoro Crater. It was the area I was most excited to see, and it did not disappoint!
We spent one day in the crater and part of a second day in the Nogorongoro Conservation Area.

Sunrise over the Ngorongoro Crater. 

Getting up early to see the sunrise also meant that the light in the crater was perfect for taking photos.

One of many, many Wildebeast 

Both the zebras and the wildebeasts are part of the huge migration that takes place annually. A million wildebeasts and over 800,000
zebras migrate from Kenya to Tanzania and back in search of food during the dry season.

A

Cape Buffalo with Cattle Egrets

A final view of the crater at the end of the day, taken from our lodge which sat on the edge of the crater. 

It didn't happen often, but if word got out to the various driver/guides that there was an excellent viewing, a traffic jam
ensued. Our driver was exceptional, and we never left without a good photo. See below.

Our last two days were spent on Zanzabar, the Spice Island. This is a traditional boat called a Dhow.

We visited a spice plantation. The red is nutmeg, and the surrounding yellow is mace. 

There was just one photo I wanted from this trip, and luckily I got it. A dhow with the sun setting in the background over the Indian Ocean. Tracy and I left one night ahead of the rest of the tour so I could get to the American Embassy to get my emergency passport. Thanks to one of the women in our group, we did not miss the farewell dinner because she asked to have it a night early before we left. It turned out to be a very lovely event, and we are so appreciative of being able to attend. Like the Tanzanian people, our tour group was wonderful, as was our tour guide, our driver/guide, and the two men we traveled with on each of the game drives. We had so much fun!

Thanks for sticking with me through the photo tour. If you still have an interest here is a link to the SmugMug album. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt

Today is supposed to be the second post for this summer's scavenger hunt, but I got off to the slowest start ever and didn't have anything to share the first round. I've done much better since, and have 12 of the 14 items checked off.

A plant with thorns

A wordless directional sign--on the roadway indicating the bicycle lane

Something Berry Berry Delicious

Bridge #1: A lift bridge in Charlev0ix, Michigan

Bridge #2: A covered bridge in Frankenmuth, Michigan

Something That Dangles: A ride at Seabreeze Amusement Park

My Shadow on an evening walk

A crack in the sidewalk (I had my pick of these--so many to choose from!)

White Flowers

Extraordinary Water: Niagara Falls 
Taken from the car once we discovered it would cost $70 to park the two cars in order to walk
over the see the falls. Fortunately, the grandchildren were happy with the view from the car.

Summer Tools: Tracy and Matt have been installing an irrigation system this
summer. Once it's finished all the plants (and pots!) will get watered automatically.

A For Sale sign

Something that rolls: My granddaughter, Hannah, and her suitcase.

I took a few photos of ducks and geese for "Something Netted or Webbed," but I wasn't happy with any of them, so I'll keep looking. I do have some other ideas--just haven't found them yet. I also need "A School"--not a difficult one to find, but I have something particular in mind and haven't taken the time to photograph it yet. Those two will finish it off, but I'd also like to take a photo of my "favorite summer taste." I have to admit that I've enjoyed it several times this summer but never took the photo!

Thanks, Mary-Lou for creating the scavenger hunt and keeping us on track!

 

 

Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt 2022: Final Link-up

It's time for the final posting for this summer's photography scavenger hunt. Just this morning, I captured my last photo for the Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt kindly organized by Mary-Lou at Patio Postcards. My previous finds are here.

For some of the prompts, I have multiple photos to choose from. Instead of choosing just one, I'm posting them all and letting you choose which one ought to be the "winner."

I had prompt #3 on my mind while we were traveling in Scotland, and have multiple photos--many of which I like. 

I loved the plaid carpet going up these stairs in one of our hotels.

Looking down at a spiral staircase carpeted in a variety of colors.

Our first day in Scotland we walked over 7 miles out to Leith. These stone stairs were on our path.

I'm counting two items with this photos #3 Stairs and #4 Faceless Selfie:

Taken on our last day in Scotland.

This was one of those happenstance photos. I took it when Hannah was visiting us and playing with our very old Fisher Price "people." Only later did I see the "t" for #5 Looks Like a Number or a Letter.

Our hotel in Oban, Scotland was on #6 A Corner:

There were several contenders for #8 Sipping On, but I chose one from our week on Chautauqua Lake when we ate at the Ellicottville Brewery.

Try as I might, I could not come up with anything original for #9 Shapes Shape When Wet. My grandchildren get these "toys" that grow in water, but that's changing size, not shape, so here it is--spaghetti.

When we were in Edinburgh the Fringe Festival was in full swing. The Royal Mile was mobbed every day and there were street performers and hawkers all about. This one captured #10 OMG, The Shoes:

I had a photo for #22 Yellow and Blue Together for my first link-up, but this one was so much better. This is a bridge in Inverness, lit to honor the people of Ukraine.

When I was hunting for a good spot to photograph the lighthouse on the Isle of Skye under the bridge, I found this:  #13 All Gone, Empty.

And these empty fishing cages and crates in the harbor of John O'Groats in northern Scotland, near the ferry to the Orkney Islands.

Here are some Left Overs (#14) from a card making session. Here's the card.

Both of my photos for #15 Wind Power were taken from our coach as we drove through Scotland.

Out Of Place, #17, was the hardest one for me. I was talking about this hunt this morning with a friend when all of a sudden I realized I had the perfect photo right next door. Over a week ago, our neighbor put someone's hat on a pole at the end of his driveway. Our street is a popular one with walkers--it's a dead end, and has quite a steep hill just beyond our house. Whoever lost their hat, hasn't been walking here for awhile.

I also had a photo last time for #18 In The Distance, but found a much better contender:  Stirling Castle taken from the Bannockburn Memorial.

Culture, Yours or Another, #19, was a no brainer after being in Scotland for two weeks. I have several photos of bagpipers, but this one on the streets of Edinburgh captures it best.

I recently found a woman who might be able to restore my first edition copy of Charlotte's Web. This book definitely Invokes a Childhood Memory, #21, of being read aloud from early childhood to until I was well into my 40's when my father asked me if he could read a short story to me while I ironed. 

Add, 1-2 To Change the Taste, #22, presented several options, but I chose two hot sauces which definitely change the taste. The Wet Wizard one is produced by a company owned by our nephew's wife. The Korean chili paste is called for in several Asian recipes we like. I have a couple other hot sauces as well despite the fact that we're not huge fans of very spicy foods.

Alt A is Recent Purchase. I didn't have much in mind when we left for Scotland, but I did know I wanted to purchase a cross on Iona. This one was made on the island, and I'm happy to have found it.

I posted a sunset for Alt. B in the previous link-up

My choice for Alt. C: Free Choice, is a photo of Kilt Rocks on the Isle of Skye, possibly the most beautiful place we saw.

And looking behind me from the same location:

So that's a wrap! A week ago, I wasn't sure I'd have them all, but it came together at the last possible moment. Thanks, Mary-Lou for the list! I always enjoy it.

 

 

A Test Run (Or Walk, as the case may be)

Tracy and I took a day trip to the Finger Lakes last Saturday. It was a three-day weekend here in the States, so heading to Watkins Glen wasn't probably the best idea ever, but I have a new camera and a new pair of hiking shoes that I wanted to test out. It was crowded, but we had a good time. We parked at the top of the gorge, walked to the bottom and then hiked up to the top.

When we were in Scotland, I saw a tiny Sony compact camera with a 200mm zoom lens. I was intrigued. I loved my Sony which "died" several years ago. The Panasonic that replaced it has never been a favorite. After doing a lot of research, I went to the local camera shop to see what they had to say. They had nothing but great things to say about the new Sony, and let me play with it for awhile. The next day I took my Panasonic and my mirrorless camera (which I never quite mastered) and traded them to help offset the cost of the Sony. The Sony is really tiny, but I have small hands, and the controls are familiar to me and easy to use. I'm already a fan, and never again will I be hauling a big camera around when we're traveling. Here are some photos from our hike, and a close-up from a winery we visited after lunch. It will take some more experimenting, but I'm happy with the first run.

Looking down at the glen from the top of the gorge.

So I'm quite happy with the camera, and also with the new hikers.

It was the first time I'd worn them and I had no discomfort whatsoever. With two bunions and other feet problems, they are definitely keepers! I like the looks of them, and they're water resistant which was another requirement. 

We're having wonderful weather this weekend, after four straight days of rain. My brother is here for a long overdue visit. Dane, Matt, and Tracy golfed today, and we had a lovely dinner at a favorite restaurant downtown on a patio overlooking the river. Tomorrow we're off to a favorite Mexican restaurant for lunch, a visit to a winery, and then dinner here with Matt and his family.

 

Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt 2022: First Link-in

The Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt is on. I was trying to remember how many years I've participated, and it took me awhile to figure it out. The first scavenger hunt was posted in June of 2011 and was organized by Rinda Ontiveros who no longer blogs. When she gave up the endeavor, Mary-Lou of Patio Postcards took it on. So that makes 11 years! You can find this summer's list right here. There's still plenty of time to play along if you'd like. Photos can be taken anytime from June 1 to September 30. 

Like last year, I got off to a slow start, but Hannah provided me with two more photos yesterday. We're renting a cottage on Chautauqua Lake for a week. We've rented a boat for two days, and both grandkids were excited to go swimming and tubing. It was a beautiful day, but a bit windy.

So here are the eight photos I have. I may find better ones for some of the prompts, but it's a start.

#1 Path

#2 Peek-a-Boo  This wasn't posed exactly. She poked her head around and said "Peek-a-Boo,"
and did it again so I could get the photo.

#7 Leaf Vein - I have no idea what kind of tree this is, but I admire the leaves every time I walk 
down this street--which is frequently on my daily walk.

#11 Yellow and Blue Together

#12 Fuzzy Wuzzy Texture-this little guy was on the Brickyard Trail

#16 Oh So Colourful

#18 In the Distance - A respectful distance!
This skunk was headed in the other direction toward the sidewalk
 as I was walking last week. I had no desire to get too close, but pulled out
my camera to take a photo. With that, he retreated into the bushes, and I only got the tail!

#20 You Grew It, Made It
Last year we moved all our peonies which hadn't produced many blooms
in the past 10 years. They love the new spot, and this year we had plenty of beautiful flowers.

Alt B: Sunset 
I think I'm likely to find a better photo for this prompt, but this was the sunset the first night
we were here at the cottage, and I thought I'd better capture one when I saw it.

Many thanks to Mary-Lou for the wonderful (and occasionally, challenging) list for this year's hunt. It always turns out to be a family and friends project when we're traveling, which makes it even more fun.

 

 

 

Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt: Final Link-up

I don't often post twice in one day, but today the new Color Hues Challenge went up, and it's also the final link-up to the Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt, kindly hosted by Mary-Lou. You can find my previous link-ups here and here. I managed to find all the items on the list as well as two of the alternates. No excuse for not having a photo of a local landmark; it just fell off my radar.

So here are the final photos.

A Breakfast of Champions 

Not sure this qualifies as a breakfast of a champion, but it's reliably my breakfast of choice: a No-carb egg bake that I make, cut in squares, and freeze with a selection of fruit.

Favorite Time of Day

I love evening, especially when we're near the water and can capture the sunset. I'm quite sure we regularly have lovely sunsets in Rochester, but to capture them I need to be in the right place at the right time, which rarely happens. This was taken at Big Twin Lake in Michigan in August.

Head in the Clouds (and in the water!)

Window Views

I had several window views, but decided on this one: the view from my craft room looking out at our front yard.

Your Marie Kondo Moment

Sadly, I neglected to take a Before photo, but I'm proud to say that this photo was taken just this week, and the drawer was organized in early August. I think I finally came up with a system that works! Needless to say, there were a few items that left the house all together, and a few put away to see how often we really need them (Haven't pulled any out yet.)

Your Best Doodle Art

I have a tiny sketchbook where I randomly choose things to draw and watercolor. I've gone through and created a frame on each page with a credit card which gives you an idea of its size.

An Exit

I'm quite sure if I'd been more attentive, I could have found a more creative response to this prompt, but it didn't happen. I was alert enough to capture this in Traverse City, Michigan during the last day of our trip in August.

Decades of Sharing

Interestingly, this was the most difficult prompt for me. I can only be sure that these items are from the 80's because all three moved with us from our previous house. We've lived in this house for 36 years now. (That seems totally amazing to me.)

And finally, my most beautiful landscape of the season. In fact, it's not my favorite photo from the summer, but it's one of the few that truly quality as a landscape--a result I'll chalk up to the pandemic, and not much travel this summer. The cloud photo above might suffice as well. This view of Seneca Lake from the Boundary Breaks Winery was the last capture for the scavenger hunt, taken just last Saturday.

Thanks, again, Mary-Lou for compiling the list and encouraging me to be on the lookout for opportunities to capture a slice of our lives.

 

 

 

 

A Perfect Saturday

Yesterday we made a trip to the Finger Lakes. It was clear and quite chilly when we left the house around 7:00. Our first stop was at the Mennonite market in Seneca Falls where we picked up our favorite brand of bacon, some pork chops, green beans, two blocks of cheese, and a 50# bag of bird seed. We had packed a cooler for the meats and cheese and headed to Ithaca to the Farmer's Market.

On our way we stopped at Taughannock Falls to take a few photos. I have a new phone and wanted to try the camera. Most of these photos have had no editing other than being cropped to an appropriate size to print if I ever want to do that. It's quite a bit better than my previous one which was three generations old.

It was our first trip to the Ithaca market since the pandemic began, and like many things, was a bit diminished. My biggest disappointment was the disappearance of my favorite bakery. Nonetheless, there were still gorgeous vegetables and flowers, and I did find a delicious cranberry orange scone for a mid-morning snack.

The market sits right at the end of Cayuga Lake, and the rowers were out in force on this beautiful morning. Both Cornell and Ithaca College have rowing teams as does the high school so I'm not sure who was out practicing.

In addition to the sunflowers at the market, we found these on one of the rural roads we travel on the Finger Lakes.

The primary reason for the trip was to pick up our fall allotment of wine at Boundary Breaks where we are members of the wine club. Not only do they make wonderful wine, the views are among the best on Seneca Lake.

Although some of the grapes have been picked, there are still many left on the vines waiting for just the right time to harvest.

We arrived right at lunch time and enjoyed a wine tasting while we sat overlooking the lake.

But that was not the end of the day! After arriving home around 2:00, we had just enough time to rest up before heading off to our granddaughter, Skylar's, 10th birthday dinner. Skylar asked for a pajama party, but we were all assured it was an optional requirement. Even Ella, the seven year old, decided against it.

As always there was a piñata to break open.

Then there were gifts to open and a delicious dinner ordered from Skylar's favorite Korean restaurant. (The dumplings are amazing!) And finally cake.

If you've made it this far, thanks for hanging in there. I thought I'd share her birthday card as well. One night in August the girls arrived for dinner and needed to head home earlier than usual since they had been allowed to stay up late the night before to catch fireflies in a jar. I had recently purchased a couple of fun stamps and dies from The Greetery so knew exactly what I wanted to create.

Shaker cards are usually a hit and this one was so much fun to make.

I originally had three fireflies inside the jar, but the sequins kept getting stuck on their vellum wings, so I took the card apart and redid the stamping inside, moving all but one firefly to the outside of the jar.

The sentiment is just perfect for a new fifth grader. Skylar had expressed an interest in Copic markers from watching some You Tube videos. I was pretty sure she didn't want Copics, so I did some research while we were in Wisconsin. But instead of guessing what might work, I gave her another card last night with a promise of art supplies.

Today Skylar came over to play with my art supplies for a couple of hours. She tried out the Copics, the Tomboys, some watercolor markers, and some pan watercolors. In the end we ordered a set of alcohol markers that are less fussy than Copics and less expensive so she was able to get a good selection of colors. I gave her a few stamp sets, an ink pad, and a sketch book from my stash so she'll have some things to play with when the markers arrive later this week.

It's been quite the lovely weekend! Hope yours was good as well.

 

 

 

 

Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt: Round 2

It's the mid-summer check-in for the Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt hosted by the lovely Mary-Lou at Patio Postcards. I have six more to share, which (by my count) leaves me with eight on the master list and one of the alternates to find before the end of September. 

The first is the Art of the Fold. I take no credit for these folded stars. Sarah used to fold them while she watched a television show. At one point I thought she wanted to put them in a lamp base, but for now, this is a pretty cool decoration in her sewing room.

The Shape of Round:  I have three photos of two circular finds. The first is the inside dome in the Heinens Grocery Store in Cleveland. I have two views of it.

Next up is a very cool plaque in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Finding something that was a cause for celebration was an easy one. Tracy's mom turned 92 on the fifth of July. Dessert was six Nothing Bundt Cakes in a variety of flavors.

Inside Your Fridge or Cupboard. It's a constant battle to keep our pantry organized. A few years ago we invested in some metal racks and baskets and some plastic boxesthat have really helped. This was our latest reorganization done last week.

These Black-Handed Spider Monkeys at the Racine Zoo did exactly as I hoped they would do for the Upside Down, Right Side Up prompt.

Next up is Steps, But Who's Counting-also found at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

And lastly, one from the Alternates list---all the masks for COVID safety hanging on hooks at Sarah's house. We have a few in our kitchen as well, although not quite the collection seen here. We're back to wearing them almost everywhere again, even outside yesterday visiting family with a new baby. It's hard to see an end in sight, although once the grandchildren are able to be vaccinated it will be a bit easier. We had hoped that might be available by September, but it's looking more like November or December. It's discouraging, to say the least.

Thanks again to Mary-Lou for hosting and creating the fun lists each summer.

 

 

 

Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt

I've been participating in the Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt for years now, and always enjoy it. This year I really need the motivation to get out there with my camera. I'm off to a relatively slow start. You can check in with the other participants at Mary-Lou's blog, and join in if you'd like. The list (compliments of Mary-Lou) is right here.

We might as well start with #16 - A Guilty Pleasure - and yes, it was, on several nights recently with fresh local strawberries.

A Delivery Truck - #10

This is a perfectly acceptable entry, but I really missed the boat when they delivered a new window to be installed in our kitchen! I just wasn't thinking about the scavenger hunt!

Aphrodite 

Dogwood
What's in Bloom #7

Both of these plants have been gorgeous this year. The dogwoods are beginning to fade (or have faded), but the aphrodite will bloom all summer.

Last, but definitely not least, is a photo that represents three of the items on the list: #3-Something That Represents Home, But Not the Building, #6-Something That Makes You Happy, and #9-Something Older Than You. I know that's probably cheating, but we both got a chuckle out of thinking it up. I'm sure I can find other examples for some of those clues, but for now, he's got me covered!

Five in Five on the 5th: Sunlight and Shadows

After a long string of gray, snowy days, we've been blessed with several days of bright sunshine. When I went downstairs to read early yesterday morning, I found wonderful shadows cast by the rising sun and decided I'd run about taking photos of some of them. Here are five of my favorites:

This pretty flower sits on the coffee table just in front of my reading chair. The sunlight on it was what prompted me to see what else I could find.

I purchased this wire frame two years ago, hoping it would corral our Christmas cards. It does that very well, but we like it enough that we never take it down. It holds valentines, birthday cards and occasionally, photos. I love how the sun showed up as bright yellow on the wall.

This is the view from our front hall window looking down the street. The bell tower of the former Colgate Rochester Crozier Divinity School was highlighted by the sun.

In our bedroom, we have three windows that look to the south. The sun made a blurry shadowy pattern on the wall.

And, back where I began, the sun shining on the bookcases in the living room.

And for fun, a snowy contrast to the above photos:

Looking out the same hall window at the snow the morning after one of three days of snow. At this angle you can't see the bell tower, but you can see thedeer tracks coming from the backyard headed toward the street.

A view from the kitchen window. You can see by the snow piled on the glider and the bird feeder how much snow we'd had.

Tracy hung lights on the railing around the patio. We liked them so much we left them on, and they really look pretty at night when the railing is snow-covered.

I'm not sure Sandie is hosting the 5 photos in 5 minutes this year, but it's an activity I enjoy so I think I'll keep it up regardless.