Sunday Scavenger 262,265,267/365

Linking with Ashley for this week's Scavenger Hunt. 



This week's items were:  Classic Still Life, Self-Portrait, On the Floor, Lines, and Fresh

{265/365} Pear

Still Life:  I'm hoping this shot will suffice.  I'm not drawn to still-life photography.  I applaud and admire those who are, but if I had to (and I don't) label myself or style it would be more toward photojournalism or landscape.  We've had a lot of grey and drizzle lately.  It might be time to embrace some still life to keep my options open.

{262/365}  Funky

Self-portrait:  Playing in the mirror is always fun when it's raining outside.

New Sandals

On the Floor:  Well on the earth's floor.  Spring has causalities already.

{267/365} Rails

Lines:  Good thing a train wasn't coming!

Berry Farm

Fresh:  Patten's Berry Farm-always tempting to visit for fresh fruits, veggies, and plants.

Thanks for checking out my images this week.  It's always nice to have a visit.

Weekend Reflections

Linking with the itinerant James for this week's Weekend Reflections.


Been having trouble commenting on other's posts...I think maybe that has cleared for now.  I wonder what little wrench Blogger might have next week.  Keeps a girl guessing.  Forgive me if I'm unable to make a visit to your site.

Got a little "mixed bag" of reflections this week....which also keeps a girl guessing, or wondering...  what the hell am I doing all over the place?  We've just come out of a dreary grey drizzly spell with a couple of sunny days so I was out covering all my bases.  Seems as if the rain, grey and drizzle are back.  I'm trying to be thankful it's not snowing and I'm definitely thankful there are no tornadoes...but a little sun now and then feeds the soul.  Just sayin'.

Walk-Talk

It seemed like everyone around was in a better mood with a spring in their step when the sun made an appearance for the first time in ages the other morning.  These two women were across the little frog pond from me having a lively walk and talk.

Two Times

It's about a 1/4 mile loop around the pond and on my 3rd trip I snapped this lovely reflection.  Good thing.  The wind came up just after that and the 4th time around the mirror effect was gone.

Window

I love me a good old abandoned building.  I've visited this one once before, but the other evening I went 'round the back and found more broken dreams.

Sunglass Display

OK, so we haven't needed these much, but I thought the reflections were pretty cool.  Who doesn't like to see themselves over, and over, and over, and over?

Focused Reflections

I think this is my favorite this week....my nephew who is not allowed much TV was coloring and checking out the Belmont horse race last weekend.  He chose Mucho Macho Man, and my niece chose the jockey in the pink shirt with polka dots.  If I'm fessing up, had there been a photography inspired name for one of the horses, I would have selected that one.  It's just how things go.

Have a wonderful weekend.  I hear there might be sun at some point.

Creative in my own mind 258/365

Connecting with Lisa today for this week's Creative Exchange.  Thanks Lisa.  I love the creative freedom your link offers.







 

I've been connecting with Lisa most every week...she pops up her linky on Monday and sometime mid to late week I get around to adding my post. 

I'm such an anal-retentive, I must wait for my creativity to show itself.  I think (no, I know) it's always there, it's just my technical, practical self I'm waiting on to get the hell out of the way so the right brain can steal the show. Good news, today the right brain is here!  Bad news....what's on my right brain's mind. 

Geez, I just took a quick gander at Lisa's link with the pretty blossoms, rural scenes/landscapes, and painterly textures and now I'm sharing me.  Oh well; I'm going with where I'm at...still looking for/trying to understand the creative voice inside-no matter what it's whispering to my right brain.  Thanks for working with me on that one.  One can't lie to oneself on what comes from the heart.

Bob Brown's Service Station

This is Robert E Brown's service station (or so it says).  It calls to me each time I drive past, which is usually a few times a week.  I wish it wasn't what was speaking in my ear, but it is.  It reminds me of how service stations used to look.  It's a throw-back, old school, retro....Wanted to make sure my photo included the rubber hose that goes "ding" when a car pulls in.

Fill 'er Up

The other day I HAD to take a photo of this side door.  I don't know if the broken window above, the shabby appearance, the narrow-ness, the drippy rusty stains....something was saying "shoot shoot", so I did.

Side Doors

And then I thought "well hell....there are two doors there-normally not great composition, but they don't match and there's a tire beside them and grass poking up along the base....and dents and rust in the old metal building. I better take this too. "  Might you remember when stations had restrooms along the side?  I bet that's what these doors were/are for.  Not wanting to go inside to find out though.

{258/365}The Office

I peered through the giant windows into the office.  Holy shmoly.  Multiply this by at least 20 and you'll get the idea of what's happening inside that floor to ceiling office space (with the over-sized glass windows so the whole world can see).  Oooh this makes my anal-retentive brain hurt-good thing my right brain is here today.  I imagine the owner knows exactly where everything is- as it looks like it's been there a long time.



Pansies on Top

Out front....the niceties have not been forgotten however, and this is how I'm getting a blossom into Lisa's link today.  I love the gas pump with "Double" written in Sharpie pen as the pump is too old for current (pathetically awful) prices.

Thank you for traveling with my creative right brain to "Bob's" today.  Hopefully something scenic and beautiful will call to my creative spirit next week.  Have a wondeful day.

Comments Rn't Us

Mama's Threads

Friends-
Having a hard time commenting on your lovely posts....blogger won't let me sign in correctly....it allows me to make a few here and there, then shuts down and makes me anonymous no matter how many times I enter my sign-in information.

So, if I've not been by to say hello of late-it's not for not trying.  Wonder what's going on in the internal in and outs way inside the cogged wheels of this huge blogger apparatus.  Anyone else having the same trouble?  Well, if you are I guess I'll not know if you can't comment.  Hold up 1 finger for yes, 2 fingers for no.

Too bad things aren't nice and orderly like these colorful cross stitch threads of my mothers.  Hmmmm.

Wordless Wednesday w/Words

Linking with Rachel at "and then she {snapped}" for this week's Wordless Wednesday but with Words.  Hooray for words indeed.

At the Fountain

The ubiquitous seagull: scavenger, pro-active, daring, stalker, opportunistic, bully, acutely aware.

J.L. Seagull

Sky Sweeper

The ubiquitous seagull:  magestic, soaring, dashing, proud, free, parading between earth and the Gods.

Today

Linking with the lovelies at communal global with my today.  Check out many other "todays" by pressing on through.  You'll be glad you did. 

Wrong Feet

My brother's little girl is pretty independent/Daddy's girl depending on the moment.  Put her own sandals on, but OK if Dad pushes her around the yard in the stroller so she can take in a full view.  Her favorite color is pink....I feel a princess comin' on. 

Brother of mine, better start saving for a big wedding now.

Kids putting shoes on the wrong feet....that always strikes me as cute.  Extra cute if it's snow boots.  I'm in the wrong season (thankfully) for that.  Have a great "today".

All Scavenged Out 266/365

Happy Sunday.  Becoming sort of a personal tradition to link up with Ashley for Scavenger Hunt Sunday each week.  I get my coffee, pop open my blog and start posting.  I rather like the laziness of it all compared with the regular work day routine.  Thanks Ashley. 

I'm also connecting with Kat over at Kat Eye View with a take on form.






This week's items were:  My Passion, Sound of Music, Inner Beauty, Ethereal, and Sharp.

Remember the Rudolph Christmas special?  I imagine they still play it every December....when I was little it was a "big deal".  When a show was called a special, it was truly special-it wasn't the regular routine on one of the 3 biggies- CBS, NBC, or ABC. This was prior to the remote control too-when you had to get your ass off the chair to flip the channel and surfing took no time at all.

Anyway, I digress (what else is new?).  I was thinking about Rudolph because of the island of misfit toys.  This week I feel like my photos are from the misfit island-that my images will be misfits in the linky-but I'm OK with that.  My photography voice is just singing in it's own key, playing it's own rhythm.  Thanks for bearing with me.

Skull Graffiti

My Passion:  In shooting photos I have passion for many different things-RR tracks, yards, bridges, etc. and graffiti often get me charged up.  Combine the two and it's double bonus.   This shot of a moving freight train crossing a graffiti covered bridge was a big two-fer for me.  Misfit, I know. I'm sure I'll see a bunch of beautiful "passions" from the other scavenger hunt participants.  It's okay though; someone will understand.

Landon

Sound of Music:  My best friend's son.  Poised and accomplished at 18 ready for college.  Had no trouble hopping up on the stage and singing a few tunes at the BBQ.  I would be scared to.  What a wonderful gift at 18 to be assured in sense of self.

Hangin' in the Kitchen

Inner Beauty:  I love Chuckie T's.  I think any girl/woman who wears them-especially with a skirt, has an amazing sense of inner beauty....she need not wear fancy shoes to say "I'm beautiful", because she already  knows she is inside.

Puff

Ethereal:  Don't know why a photo of a dandelion says ethereal to me, but.....

Will admit there are plenty visible ethereal reminders out in my back yard.

{266/365} Sharp Form

Sharp:  My family operates a real estate business.  Tough sledding these days.  We've just been able to start new construction, a condominium complex (anyone looking to purchase?).  I keep visiting the site to gather photos....and found this circular group of nails in a window frame awaiting the nail gun.

Weekend Reflections

Linking with James for this week's Weekend Reflections.  Wondering if James is on the road towards CA as of yet or still in beautiful downtown Newtown PA.  Where ever he is, I hope he's safe and well.

Here in Maine-as like much of New England it's been a dreary and grey week with very few photo ops, no sunsets, and little to make one want to wander outside except for necessity.  I'm reaching back a week and a half or so to share some reflections I captured one nice evening while in Portsmouth NH just over the Maine border. 

Portsmouth is an old "port" city, full of quaint shops, great restaurants, a vibrant art community, and lovely scenes along the river.  I have fun each time I visit (which is often) and especially when my focus is on photos.  Here are a couple catches from that night.

Shoe Shop Reflections

If it's not in a catalog, I'm generally not buying.  I'm not much of a shopper, but I do appreciate a pretty store front, especially if it offers reflections.

Soup Reflections

I'd be more inclined to let someone in this shop take my money more so than the last.  I love the clarity of the old buildings across the street.

Crane at Dusk

Many places along the river are still "working waterfront"....like this crane near the large salt piles.

What is it about cranes that I find appealing?  Don't know.  I guess they're kind of like the giraffes of the construction vehicles. 

Wishing you a happy weekend with plenty of reflection opportunities.

Fab Friday 260/365

Linking with Jen for this week's photo challenge on Fabulous Friday.  Thanks Jen.

{260/365} Inter-generational Wisdom

I love this photo.  This is Grammy Stone and Megan. 

Grammy is 90 and renowned for making the BEST cookies and having a kind and youthful spirit.  I don't know her well, she is a friend of my best friend, so we cross paths from time to time-often there are cookies involved.  Megan is my friend's son's girlfriend....and I'm guessing she's telling Grammy all about her prom dress, what time she's going to have her nails done, how patient/impatient she thinks her tuxedo clad date will be, and about how she'll be wearing her hair. 

I could be all wrong; they might be talking about the weather.

Have a fabulous Friday. 

Sleeping

Linking with Faith over at Simplicity for this week's photo challenge....sleep. 



My Dad is a champion....as in super bowl caliber...snore monster.  The entire family knows it, and he continues to deny, deny, deny.  I like to take photos of him in "the blue chair" eyes closed, head tilted to one side, mouth agape.  My mom tsskkks each time I do that-her compassion for her mate of more than 50 years still intact.

Frankly, photos of the old man sound asleep and dreaming are NOT attractive and would not make a positive addition to Faith's link this week.  I chose instead to select an image of someone for whom sleeping is an art form AND who still looks beautiful and cozy while doing so.

{152/365} Tough Job

As you see, the moniker "Princess" is not an overstatement.  I must confess though, in the right situation this dainty dozer can stir up quite the snoring mambo of her own.  It's pint sized, but pretty loud.  I refer to her as 6 pounds of fur and purr.

Wordless Wednesday w/Words

Linking with Rachel at "and then she {snapped}" for this week's Wordless Wednesday, but with words.  More words than I should, but....Rachel doesn't have word rules.  It's all good.






In my early morning fog it occurred to me that today is May 18th, which instantly sent me back to today in 2004-wow 7 years ago now.  That was the day my first dog passed on.  It wasn't really my first dog, I'd had dogs as a kid, but she was MY first dog.  A wonderful black lab named "Tavi". 

A dear companion, wonderful watch dog, but sadly had lots of arthritis due to poor breeding.  After her first 5 years she spent the remainder of her 13 years slowly and stiffly hobbling around-with a love of life and all things edible in her head.  Around my extended family we came to call her "Granny" because of her slow movements and her crabby disposition when it hurt to move.

So I was just thinking of my old girl today and found this old photo about a year before she died-as an "old timer" she loved to have a little sunbath in the garden-her nose twitching in the breeze.  Miss you my sweet angel.

"Granny"

Not to be outdone....but 2 years ago now, I lost my 2nd dog early one spring morning, May 22.  I am thinking of her today as well.  She also gave me 13 long and wonderful years of companionship. Might as well have a little bittersweet old dog memory party all at once.

  My Abbie was a lover of life and did everything at 110 mph.  She would do and then think-which often got her into trouble and kept me on my toes.  She was fearful of nothing (except a grouchy Granny).  I loved her and her endless zest for life.  I found my favorite photo of her too....waiting with longing eyes for me to say we were going to do "something fun".  Abbie was all about fun.  Aren't dogs just the best?  Whoops....don't let Princess P I said that.  Cats are great too.

Abbie Louise

Miss you my sweet baby girl.  Thanks for all the fun.

Fresh Ears! 253, 259/365

Well....my blog got extra snazzle-dazzled in the blogger snafu of last week.  For days now I've been able to see my blog and other blogs, but unable to sign in, comment, post, etc.  I have to thank my friend Ms. Becky over at Shaking the Tree who emailed to say "where are you?" and offer encouragement and thoughts about how to get things up and running again.

I'll not bore you with the trivial details....but after nearly a week long hiatus, I'm kind of speechless.  Usually I have plenty to blah, blah, blah about, but tonight I'm almost uncertain where to start or what to include/exclude.  You know, normally these posts have a theme or feature a group of photos or involve a link.  I'm sort of flying without a captain or even a flight attendant here.

Rather strange to be out of the blogger loop.  It's like being on the outside looking in.  I could see the whole world posting and linking and yet I couldn't get there.  Bizarre.  Glad "the ears" are back.  So while you all were busy posting and linking I was here trying not to be frustrated, and continued taking snaps in between the raindrops.

Focus

One day I caught some surfers down at the beach.  The water temps must be around 50 degrees....crazy, but fun to take photos of.  Set up my tripod right there along the beach wall.

{259/365} Pick Me

Another afternoon (when the sun actually did make an appearance), I went to Lowe's for an exciting purchase of mulch and stole a few snaps of pretty flowers on display.....

Lowe's Reflections

...and cool reflections in the parking lot.  I'd hoped to link up with James at Weekend Reflections.  I'll catch you again next week James.

{253/365} Rustic Sunset

I caught an overcast sunset or two....

Azaleas

...and managed to capture some azaleas before the pouring rains knocked all their colors off.  I was hoping to link with Ashley for the Scavenger Hunt with these for "give me flowers" and with

On the Wall

my interpretation of "visual contrast" I found in one of the pieces I admired at the Museum of African Culture.


Adding Sparkles

I also have this catch of graphic mural artists in Portsmouth NH I found "in action" and


Bank Windows

you know, other stuff from out and about....


Skate

....here and there.  It's been a busy week.

Thanks for checking out some of what happened around here last week.  Hope your week was great.