random reflections

Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt--Second Link Up

It's time to check in with the Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt. I've managed to find some more items on the list. 

An Outdoor Clock - found in Ithaca, NY #1

The word "Summer" - found in Virgil, Ontario #5

I have two photographs for #8 Shells, all found on Nantucket Island.

These shells were called "toe nail" shells by my daughter-in-law's mother. My granddaughters and I spent quite awhile collecting them. Although we've visited Nantucket several years, I had never seen these before. Once you started looking, they weren't hard to find as they almost sparkled in the sand. I've put them in a pretty jar that sits on the window sill of my craft room alongside another jar filled with sea glass I found on a beach in California 23 years ago.

A straight tree trunk and a crooked (#12) trunk - Niagara-on-the-Lake

Two colors of the rainbow in any order - chairs at The Golf Club in Niagara-on-the-Lake #13

A handwritten sign #14 - my local farm market

A sail #17 - Nantucket Island

A funny or memorable bumper sticker #19 - Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Take your pick! Here are a few: "Question Authority," "Real Women Don't Have Hot Flashes, They Have Power Surges," "Reef Relief-Protect Living Coral," or "Honk if Pluto is a Planet." 

Fresh Local Produce Alternate B - Ithaca, NY Farm Market

I have just three left to find, and a good idea for two of them. We have a bit of traveling to do before the last check-in so I'm hoping I'll find them all. Thanks, Mary-Lou, for another fun hunt!

 

 

 

Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt

It's late in the day, but I'm still on time for the first link-up for Mary-Lou's Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt. We've been away nearly every day this week at a cottage on Honeoye Lake with Tracy's family. Many of them spend the week there, but we always drive back and forth because we have too many commitments in the city. It does, however, take a big bite out of the day. We typically leave after lunch, and arrive home just about now (9:00 in the evening.) So here are my finds so far:

Single and Pretty #2

Two considerations for #3: Repetition

Blurred Vision: #4

Umbrellas (open or closed) overlooking Seneca Lake: #6

A Curving Path: #7

A bridge: #9

Two views of Something Made of Stone: #10

A Fish (sadly deceased): #11

Something that Should Be Found in Pairs: #18

Alternate A: A Birdhouse (If you look closely you'll see three birds peeking out.)

So I have nine of the twenty on the list, as well as one alternate. Numbers 2, 3, 9, and 18 and the alternate were from our day in Holland, Michigan. I found #4, 7, 10, and 11 while we were in Racine visiting Sarah. Only one was relatively local, #6 was found in the Finger Lakes. Clearly, I'm most tuned into this hunt when I'm on the road!

Thanks, Mary-Lou, for devising the list and hosting it this summer! You can find a host of other entries on her blog, right here.

 

Photowalk #15: Tulips in Holland, Michigan

On our way to Wisconsin this month, we made a side trip to Holland, MI to see the tulips. They've hosted an annual tulip festival since 1929 after purchasing 100,000 bulbs the previous year. Now each September close to 1,000,000 tulip bulbs arrive in Holland. Planting begins in October and runs through mid-November with over 120 varieties being planted. 200,000 of those bulbs are planted by hand in a variety of locations. (Although they talk about sorting through the 1,000,000 bulbs they never say what happens to the other 800,00!)

We visited two of the major plantings: The Window on the Waterfront Park which is any easy walk from delightful downtown Holland, and Windmill Island Gardens. In addition, there are tulips in window boxes in pots, and along green spaces in the downtown area. The annual festival ended on May 12th this year, and we arrived on the 15th. It was perfect timing: the crowds were gone, and the tulips were still at their peak. We talked to one local photographer who was out with his very big lens and tripod who told us he believed the tulips were the best they'd been in quite a few years. Without a tripod, or a big lens here are some of the photos I took that morning.

A closer view shows the beautiful color variation in the tulip.

Although I'm holding back on a few photos for the Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt, but this is a good one for #3 Repetition.

And now onto Windmill Island Gardens:

I love this display of wooden shoes and this is another one for the scavenger hunt: #18 Something Found in Pairs.

More repetition!

And one final photo for my "Shadows" collection:

We spent some time at the visitor's center where a lovely woman shared lots of the history, and told us of the year when all the tulips bloomed in March, and there were none left by the time of the May festival. After our tours of the park and the island, we spent some time looking through the lovely shops in downtown, and having lunch on the patio of an Irish pub. All in all, a very satisfying morning. We both agreed it was worth a return trip.

Final Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt Posting

Today is the last day of September, and the end of the Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt. At the end of August, I had just two items left to find: #9 Looks Smaller Than You, and #13 Equal Portions. 

I found the first one on a road trip to Ithaca a couple of weeks ago. On our way into Ithaca, we stopped at the overlook to Taughannock Falls and Tracy helped me get this photo:

Somehow I remembered the Equal Portions prompt amid all the excitement of Skylar's birthday party, and Matt let me snap this photo before he served any of the delicious chocolate cake.

As I always do, I enjoyed the hunt and look forward to the next one! Thanks to Mary-Lou for creating a fun list and hosting the scavenger hunt. You can find the rest of my scavenger hunt photos here, here, and here. Typically I create an album for all the hunt photos in a SmugMug album, and eventually that will also happen. Travel does seem to interfere with my best posting plans! 

 

Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt: August Link-up

It's the last day of August, and in some ways it still feels like the end of summer which it surely was all the years I taught! Officially, we still have a few weeks before the end of the Summer Scavenger Hunt, and I have two items left to find. Fortunately, Mary-Lou offered up a couple alternate items which may be easier to find than the last two I need. We'll see. I have posted earlier finds here, here, and here.

For August, I have three new offerings and one more for Mellow Yellow:

On our weekend trip to the Adirondacks, I found two more items.: #12 Bells and #16 Something that Could Be From a Favorite Book or Movie. Both photos of bells came from the Old Forge Hardware, one of Tracy's favorite haunts.

At the Wild Center in Tupper Lake, we found this web which immediately made me think of my very favorite book from childhood, Charlotte's Web.

Last, #15, Out of the Blue--gorgeous hydrangeas.

One of our neighbors has this sign posted. It's so sad that such a sign is necessary in this country, but it speaks to one of my biggest concerns--the lack of tolerance and lack of civility in our country. 

Thanks, as always to Mary-Lou for creating the hunt and hosting the link-ups!

July Link-up for the Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt

July flew by just as quickly as June. Although I have two short trips planned for August, we'll be home more than we're away which is a first for the summer. I'm looking forward to getting back to the craft table, having more time to read, and getting back to the gym on a regular basis. Routines have been hard to come by. I probably would have missed this link-up had Mary-Lou (the kind hostess of the scavenger hunt) not reminded us it was coming.

Travel, among its many pleasures, offers opportunities for photography so several of my offerings this month come from our travels.

Stripes, #2:

My family and travel companions usually get interested in the items for the scavenger hunt. Someone at the table pointed out that Ella's grilled cheese sandwich was a good contender.

That same day at the beach, the striped umbrellas were everywhere.

On our way to Nantucket we spent a morning in Falmouth. This wooden flag was displayed (for sale) in front of one of the stores.

A framed view: #3:

These are four of my favorite photos from July. The first three are from the Hancock Shaker Village near Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It's long been on my bucket list, and I hope to have a blog post devoted to our visit up soon. 

When I took this last one as we got out of our car on the ferry leaving Nantucket, I didn't think I'd gotten a very good photo. I was pleasantly surprised when I uploaded it.

I have a couple photos for items in the list that I also found in June. You can find those right here. First off #4, Wings:

This sea gull cooperated for this photo. He/she was after the fish that were being thrown back in on the Critter Cruise. 

And another entry for Pedal Power, #5 found outside the Lily Pulitzer store in Nantucket.

Two contenders for #8-A Pile Of:

A pile of lobster shells after Maddy's birthday dinner.

A woodpile at the Shaker village.

Our trip to Springdale Farm was the perfect opportunity to get #10, A Field of Plenty.

A Trilogy of Three, #14, was pretty easy since I have three adorable granddaughters who live around the corner. Truthfully, though, it isn't always so easy to get them all together and willing to have a photograph taken. (And for the record, a fourth adorable granddaughter, and grandson, who live too far away!)

Skylar, Maddy, and Ella in their Pottery Barn chairs. All three received these as gifts from Grandma on their second birthdays. Both Ella and Maddy were thrilled to get theirs since until then they had to share with someone else.

On the swings at Bartlett Farms, Nantucket

Matt spotted these in the parking lot of Jetties Beach on Nantucket.

Tracy is responsible for this easy-to-find photo for #17, Re-purposed. Several years ago we purchased this dragonfly made from spoons at an art fair.

Last, #18: Currency. I've been purging my stamps for a garage sale event on Sunday, and came across some currency from our travels. It's another Trilogy of Three as well.

I'm linking up here with Mary-Lou at Patio Postcards. Thanks, as always, for hosting this fun activity!

 

 

Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt: First Check-in

Tomorrow's the last day of June, and today is the first check-in for Patio Postcard's Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt. The hunt runs from June 1 to the last day of summer. It took me awhile to get going, but I have seven of the items on the 20 item list to share.

The Rosiness of Red. I spotted these beautiful roses on the Landmark House and Garden Tour the second weekend in June.

Wings: Another beautiful butterfly from the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Glorious Green: Hannah in her new yard in Wisconsin.

An Unexpected Reflection: Standing in the kitchen at the house Tracy's family rented for a week, I spotted the reflection of the lake in the oven door.

Pretty in Pink:  Stunning roses at Trader Joe's

Picture Postcard Perfect:  Sunset on Honeoye Lake

And finally, a card to share that I think would qualifiy for "Pedal Power." I made this card in June just before leaving for Chicago to send to Sarah's father-in-law, an avid biker. I'm quite sure he doesn't have a basket on the front of his bike, but I loved this small image from a new stamp set by Pinkfresh called "Itty Bitty Elements." 

I stamped five bikes across the bottom part of the card, and then die cut a sixth bike to color and pop up in the middle. I already had a sentiment die cut in red from Papertrey's "Penned Elegance" that said, "let's celebrate." It was quite easy to trim the "let's" away from the celebrate. I added a strip of patterned paper from MFT "Black and White Stripes" paper pad and a thin strip of Pure Poppy cardstock.

I'm quite sure I'll find other candidates for some of these selections before the end of summer, but for now, it's a start. I have another 13 to find.

 

 

Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt: Part 2

It's time for an update on the scavenger hunt being hosted by Mary-Lou at Patio Postcards. I found 11 of the 25 items in June and I was certain I'd find most of the remaining items on the list while we were on vacation. In fact, by the end of the month I'd found them all. There are a few I'd like to find better examples for, but the pressure is off. I have several photos to posts for some of the items.

Number 4: A zigzag. I found this one at the McKenzie Barn Sale:

Tissue box holders

Number 5: A seasonal relaxing space.

Jetties Beach on Nantucket

Number 6: A pipe

At The Heritage Gardens in Sandwich, MA. This also is another entry for #10: Something Yellow

Number 7: The inside of something. I have two for this one.

The idea for this one came to me while cooking breakfast in Nantucket.

The inside of a geode. Also works for #20: Something found underground

Number 9:  A kite or a balloon.

 This kite was hung in the dining hall at my niece's wedding.

At Jetties Beach

See from our boat on our harbor cruise in Portsmouth, NH.

Number 12: A wedding

Two photos from my niece's wedding in Vermont 

Number 14:  Someone Fishing

Getting instruction at Orvis in Manchester, VT

In Portsmouth, NH

Number 15:  Something crafted from wood.

At the Burlington, VT pedestrian mall. Another entry for #9: A kite or balloon

On the road from Manchester to Burlington

At the Kittery (Maine) Trading Post

Outside the Kittery Trading Post

Number 18: A fan (This is one I'd still like a better photo for.)

An old fan refashioned into a clock, found in a gift shop in Stockbridge, MA

On the porch at The Fisherman's View in Sandwich, MA

Number 20:  Something found underground:

Oil well (oil underground)

Marble sidewalk and wall (marble from underground)

Number 22: A dial. I found several sundials. I'm sure I could find some other kinds of dials, as well.

Sundial at Eastview Mall

A most unusual sundial on the side of a barn on the road from Manchester to Burlington, VT

The sundial at The Heritage Gardens in Sandwich, MA

Number 23: Something powered by wind.

Vermont

The Old Mill on Nantucket--the oldest functioning mill in the country

 Number 24: Seasonal food or drink

Sangria on the harbor in Portsmouth, NH

Number 25:  A hat

My hat and my camera bag ready to pack in the car.

Thanks for hanging in there for a LONG photo-heavy post. You can see the entire collection on Smug Mug.

We had a lovely weekend in Toronto. I'm hoping to get a travel post up in the next few days about our vacation as well as the weekend away. I finally have most of the photos sorted and edited.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Scavenger Hunt 2017: June Report

Thanks to Mary-Lou at Patio Postcards we have a list for a Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt. I've managed to tick off 11 of the 25 items this month, and should be able to find a few more on our trip.

Number 1: Something fuzzy-a catapillar. 

Number 2: Bubbles.

Number 3: Web. I have two, one from the zoo playground and one very dirty web I found on the dock's ladder at Honeoye Lake. I'll still be looking for a cleaner web.

Number 8: Rust. I have two for this one as well. The first on a wooden barrel at Caroline Vineyards in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and the second on a railing going down to the lake at the cottage on Honeoye.

Number 10: Something Yellow.

Number 11: Summer toy-a bubble maker.

Number 13: A Dome-the inside of the dome at the Lyric Opera House where I was a House Host during the Landmark Tour.

Number 16: A baby--this one was easy! Here's Hannah at almost six months.

Number 17: Circles or crosses in architecture--from Fort Mississauga in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Number 19: Feet of man or beast; hope feet of a woman counts. I couldn't help but notice the variety of colors on my niece's toes.

And finally, Number 21, a plaque:

You have until September 30th to find the items on the list, which you can access it right here, so if you'd like a photographic challenge, please join in. It's become a topic of conversation with my friends and family over the years. Everyone wants to know what's on the list, and is eager to contribute ideas. It's thanks to Jade and Sarah that I have the web photos. I might have seen them, but they noticed them before I did. 

 

 

Summer Scavenger Hunt: August Edition

As I expected, I found quite a few of the items from the 2016 Summer Scavenger Hunt while we were on vacation. Some of them are duplicates of items I found earlier, but I couldn't resist adding them to the collection. All together I've found 20 of the 21 items, and both alternatives. I still need a photograph of twins (#17), but have two possibilities, and there are still a few weeks left before the official end of summer. 

So without further ado, here are this month's photos:

A skeleton (#3) - found at the Whaling Museum on Nantucket. Notice the difference in size between the skeleton and the whaling boat beneath it!

A book read during 2016 (#4) - I've read 31 books so far this year, 12 since the start of the scavenger hunt. This was one of the most recent ones. 

A porch (#5) - in 'Sconset, Nantucket

A camper (#6) - I was hoping to find a cuter one than I found in July, and here it was on the Thruway coming home from vacation. I'd love to see the insides.

Bicycles (#10) - I never tire of photographing bicycles. The last one is the one I rented in Nantucket,
parked at the weather station near Altar Rock, the second highest point on Nantucket.

Fresh produce (#11) - at our favorite farm market

A buffet of food (#14) - We went to the most amazing buffet on Sunday when we were in Nantucket. In addition to the dessert table and salads,there was a raw bar, and a table of hot entrees (all covered so not a very exciting photo).

A family gathering (#7) - here we are at the buffet on a porch overlooking Nantucket Harbor

A team logo (#15) - I'm auditing a class this fall at the University of Rochester. When we were there last week trying to find out about parking, I got this shot of their team's logo.

A map showing a trip taken during the time period (#16) 

 A photograph of you with a newspaper from the time period covered in the hunt (#21) - My least favorite item on the hunt every year! I picked up a copy
of the local paper in Nantucket. It was first published in 1821.

You can find the original post for the Summertime Photography Hunt right here.