random reflections

SNAP: The Moon

Tracy's family rents a cottage each summer on one of the Finger Lakes. This year it's on Honeoye Lake, and luckily, a week for the full moon. Here are four shots taken on two different nights, checking off #13 on Rinda's Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt.

These are not the best shots of the moon I've ever taken, but I'm really quite happy with them, since they were all handheld shots. Better than I expected. I'm hoping to have the tripod ready tomorrow night. After tomorrow, the moon rise gets pretty late, and we drive the hour home every night. Plus the moon will be waning after tonight. Linking up with Helena for another week of SNAP sets. You can find others right here.

SNAP: the Grandchildren

We spent more time with our grandchildren last week than we usually do. Caleb's visit combined with the arrival of Madelyn meant we had lots and lots of time together. They played in Matt and Betsy's wonderful yard, went to a splash park, went to the playground, and in general, had a wonderful time together. It amazes all of us that the minute Caleb arrives, it's as if he lived next door. Actually it's been almost a year and a half since they've seen one another. I've got a pile of photos, but I tried to find four that represented a bit of the different activities, and one that included the new addition to the family. 

Linking up with Helena where you'll find more SNAP sets: three or four related photos.

SNAP 27: A Birthday Party

Yesterday was my mother-in-law's 87th birthday, and we celebrated with a family picnic at our house. I thought I'd share four photos from the party for this week's SNAP---a photography meme of 3-4 related photos hosted every week by Helena.

 

The cake was "Chocolate Decadence" made by Leo's bakery, and it was moist, rich, and totally delicious! Skylar and Ella had left by the time we had cake, so Caleb was the only great-grandchild available to help blow out candles. Before the little girls left, however, the three great-grandchildren provided some "musical" entertainment. Caleb and Gigi had a great time together opening all the cards and notes.

Here's the card I made for Mom.

Once again my starting point was the fabulous Papertrey Ink Make-it Market Kit: "Don't Forget to Write." The kit was a big splurge, but worth every penny. The two stitched panels are from the A2 Note Card dies by Papertrey, and I die cut the letters from Neat and Tangled's "Journaling Alpha." The stamped sentiment is from "Retro Style Birthday" (PTI).

And while I'm here, #7 for the Summertime Photography Hunt:  a family gathering, surely not the last opportunity I'll have this summer for this item on the list.

Everyone looks a bit overdosed from the chocolate cake and ice cream, but we had a great time!

SNAP: Strawberries

I think strawberries might be my favorite fruit, at least when they're fresh from the farm market. Years ago we used to pick our own, but the local farm stand has fresh strawberries from their fields every day, so I'm willing to pay a little extra for not having to do the work. I'm pretty sure my knees thank me. On Saturday I bought four quarts and froze three of them. It was so easy, I went to the farm market at Brighton High School on Sunday and bought four more quarts to freeze. I thought they'd make a good SNAP collection, red being my favorite color.

It's a "steps in the process" SNAP:  cleaning the fruit, drying it on paper towels, then slicing the strawberries and sprinkling them with super fine sugar. Finally, they are vacuumed sealed and popped into the freezer. There are seven bags in there. Not too sure how long they'll last! The farmer at the market on Sunday said the dry, hot weather we've been having has shortened the season. I'm hoping to buy two more fresh quarts near the weekend, before Sarah, Adam, and Caleb arrive, but if not, we can still indulge in strawberry shortcake.

I'm linking up with Helena and her wonderful meme of three or four linked photos: SNAP.

SNAP: Eastman Vibes

Once a month during the summer, the Eastman Museum hosts a concert in their beautiful gardens. Last Wednesday was the first one. The group was from Louisiana playing cajun tunes, so it was a lively event. In the first photo, you can see the band on the right, and members of the audience dancing on the left. We arrived just as the gates were suppose to open, but judging from the crowd that had already chosen their spots, it must have opened early. We were lucky, though, to run into friends as we came in, and enjoyed their company as well as the music.

All the photos were taken with my iPhone so there aren't any close-ups of the band. I did try to get photos from different perspectives which give you a sense of the crowd and the beautiful grounds at the Eastman Museum. You can purchase a meal from a food truck at the museum, or bring your own, which is always our choice. A bottle of wine is also encouraged, and we are happy to oblige. It makes for a very pleasant evening.

Linking up with Helena, as always, the gracious hostess of SNAP!

SNAP: Stairs

Helena set up a wonderful meme for this year:  three or four related photos. I'm really enjoying participating each week, and usually have several photos from the previous week to link together. There were no particular photographic events last week, so I looked to a list I made early on of possible subjects. One of several subjects I often choose to photograph is stairs, so I looked back over the last few month, and relatively quickly came up with:

The top two photos were taken in March at the Art Institute in Chicago, the bottom left in New Orleans in April, and the one on the bottom right at the Eastman Museum here in Rochester in February.

 

SNAP: Poppies

Monday I shared a photo from the Eastman Museum's beautiful garden. I was particularly taken with the red poppies which sometimes are a challenge to photograph. This time I had enough good ones to share for Helena's SNAP meme which asks for three or four related photos.

It's interesting to me how different the greens look depending on the angle (and therefore, the light) of the photograph. Off to see the other SNAP collections for the week.

SNAP: The Poet's Garden (Spring Edition)

In February (SNAP #5) I posted photos of a walk through the Poet's Garden in Highland Park, and I promised to do another walk through this spring. I must say, it's a lot lovelier in the spring than it was in February. I ought to go again this winter when there's snow, and see what it's like then.

I told a bit about the garden in my previous post, but here's a link to an article about the garden which was first planted in 1916 to honor William Shakespeare. Thanks, as always, to Helena who's hosting this meme each week featuring three or four linked photos.

SNAP: The Lilacs

It was a bit belated, but the lilacs are finally in bloom at Highland Park. I've made a couple more trips to the park to take photos, not only of the lilacs, but of the festival since there were a couple of requests to know a bit more about the Lilac Festival itself. First, this week's SNAP collection---thanks again to Helena for hosting this meme of three or four related photos every week.

This years festival was the 118th Lilac Festival. It's held every year at Highland Park designed by Fredrick Law Olmstead and planted with over 1200 lilacs representing over 500 different varieties. It's grown over the last 40 years that I've lived here, and there are more and more special events, activity booths, food tents and trucks, as well as the children's ride area. The first weekend of the festival is the parade. This past weekend was the 5K and 10K runs. There's live music nearly all day, every day, and into the evening. Tracy's brother played the first night of the festival. He came in from Austin, TX and played with two other musicians from his very popular band of the 1970's and 1980's. 

The pansy bed is always an attraction. Every year it's planted in a different design.

Most of the tents and activities take place in the park across the street from the lilac bushes, the magnolias, and other flowering plants and trees.

Cornell Cooperative Extension always has a plant sale. This year there were lilacs (of course), hydrangeas, peonies, a variety of succulents and other perennial plants.

This is the area where the activity and informational booths are set up. Just up this path a ways was the Artful Fairy booth where Skylar made her fairy garden.

Thursday morning when we walked over, one of the high school bands was setting up to play. Professional bands that draw big crowds are scheduled for the weekend evening slots.

The one area I didn't get to this year was the craft fair which is set up on the two weekends. The first weekend we were busy with the parade and the fairy garden, and last weekend was cold and rainy so we decided to pass. 

I'll leave you with a few photographs of the flowering trees and lilacs.

 

 

 

SNAP: On the Slide

When I edited the photos Sunday night from the Lilac Festival Parade, I realized I had a great set of photos of Matt, Skylar, and Ella on one of the "rides" at the Lilac Festival.

We knew Skylar would love the slide. It was her first choice. We weren't so sure about Ella, and about half way down she looked rather uncertain. There's a good little "bump" in the slide that gives you a bit of a surprise. By the time she got to the bottom, she was hooked and wanted to go right back up to the top, which they did!

Linking up with Helena, as always on Wednesday for the SNAP collections.

There were a couple requests for more information about the Lilac Festival. I'll be back with that!