New England Autumn Fun

New England is a great place for people who love seasons. We get hot weather in summer with plenty of thunder storms. Winters can be downright blizzardtastic. Spring is full of beautiful blooms and great sunshine. And fall....well that is like a red-orange-yellow-yougottabekiddingme color explosion. A few days ago we had some rather stiff winds off the coast of Massachusetts that whipped up the ocean. My husband took me to Gloucester, Rockport, and the Nahant area to look at the stormy seas.

I love photographing waves; I do it every chance I can when I'm at the beach or on the coast. It's a matter of getting the timing just right to catch the power and beauty contained in the water. It is addictive for me, and I lose track of anything but those beautiful, rhythmic waves. Thankfully my husband is excellent at preventing me from stepping off into oblivion while I blissfully snap picture after picture.

Waves crashing over rocks near the shore of Gloucester

The effect of high winds making the waves even fuller and more dramatic

After taking pictures near the Gloucester coast, my husband took me to an area near Nahant. There is a beautiful walkway that curves along the waterfront. The area is safe, as long as you remember that waves don't have much respect for staying behind walls, especially at high tide during a wind storm. I took several pictures, and we stopped for a bit to admire the crashing waves. All of a sudden, one of those waves came right up, over the wall, and all over us. We turned at the last minute and my cameras were protected, but we were soaked to the bone. All we could do was laugh at our dilemma. It really was pretty funny.

Rough waves near Nahant that go over the wall at high tide

This is what you see before you get soaking wet if you stand too close to the edge

There are other fun autumn things to do (aside from meeting the ocean) in New England, like gazing upon the beauty of deciduous trees during their color show. We drove west on highway 2 this past weekend to see what we could find. We stopped at some lovely towns along the way and did see the beginnings of fall color. Most places in Massachusetts have been warm and dry which has delayed the usual timing of the leaf color. But we found some beautiful places to visit and photograph. We also had lunch at a quaint little restaurant and grabbed fresh produce at a real farm stand. It was a beautiful day!

Bridge near Turners Falls, MA just off Highway 2

Old building in Turners Falls

Pedestrian bridge in Turners Falls with an old power house in the distance

Looking downriver from the pedestrian bridge

Fall color in the Colrain area

More beautiful colors

This gives a good sense of the progression of color so far

The leaves may not be changing according to the usual timeline, but there are so many beautiful towns and countryside in New England that beg to be explored. Happy Autumn!

Changing of the Seasons

Autumn has arrived once again. For a brief spell, our days and nights will be equal, then the darkness outweighs the light. In spite of the shorter days, I enjoy this time of year. College football arrives, the hockey season starts, and the baseball playoffs take shape. I also love the cooler weather and the "brisk" feeling that arrives with fall (I relished it as a kid because it gave us a break from the hot Southern summers). And for leaf color, there are few places on Earth more beautiful than New England. I had the opportunity to live in Connecticut for a year, and the color did not disappoint. This year remains to be seen since the Boston area has been in a dry spell for most of the summer and all of September. Maybe I should run out and water all my trees heavily.

Holidays also start to show up with the arrival of fall. The first is Halloween, then  Thanksgiving. I don't do much for Thanksgiving these days since most of my family has passed on or are scattered far apart; it was much more fun when I was a youngster (never mind that traveling was WAY easier). My Mom, Stepdad, sister, and I would drive to my Aunt Tootie's house, and she would cook a feast. I could see all my other aunts and uncles, cousins, and family friends. And the food....oh my, the food. I sure do miss those gatherings. These days, my husband and I usually do something simple for Thanksgiving. We sure as heck don't drive or fly anywhere. One year we spent it at the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum in Dulles, VA. Other years we cook a turkey breast (perfect for two people), or we dine on something totally unrelated to the holiday. 

Halloween is a different story. I love Halloween. I get to buy all that terrible candy I'd love to eat year round but try to avoid for fear of accelerated tooth decay. I always buy stuff I would like to eat in case no children show up. Then I'm not stuck with a bunch of Honey-Crack or Chocolate-Covered-Coconut-Bliss. The past several years, I've lived in places where trick-or-treaters are fairly abundant, so I haven't had to deal with much in the leftover candy department. I also try to make sure I have chocolate and non-chocolate type of candy available. I get a big kick out of planning my pumpkins. I try to do at least one, but most years I can do two. I even bought a brand new fancy carving kit. Maybe this year I'll go for 3 or 4 pumpkins. Last year I had to do "simple" carvings because I tripped over my black cat, Neo two weeks before Halloween. Ironic, yes. I also have a skeleton I can dress up and a cat skeleton to compliment the human bones. This year we also have an additional black cat, Murphy. One can never have enough "Halloween" cats. However, I will keep Murphy, Neo, and Ixie safe inside on Halloween.

I'd love to write more, but it is time for me to get busy choosing pumpkins, preparing my carving ideas, dressing up the front of the house (and the skeletons), and buying some candy. Hopefully this year will be as fun and successful as previous years. 

Once In A Long While Opportunity

Last night, those who did not have cloudy skies were treated to a rare sight. You've probably heard of a harvest or super moon. Those occur when the moon's orbit is closer to the Earth, making the moon appear slightly larger. And you've probably heard of or seen a lunar eclipse. On September 27th, about 21:00 (Eastern Time), we had a rare occurrence of a Harvest moon and a lunar eclipse. The last time these two events lined up was 1982. The next one will be in 2033. So it isn't exactly a once in a lifetime opportunity, but certainly a once in a long while event.

I was ready with my camera and tripod last night. I "glued" a series of the shots into a progression:

Progression from no eclipse to about 90% eclipse

 It was fun to sit in the dark and watch a rare celestial phenomenon. Heck, I would have been happy with just a lunar eclipse, but to get both at the same time was even better. And I think my cats were happy that I was pointing the camera at something else besides them.

In olden times, this sort of thing caused chaos and panic among people who were wary of deviation from normal moon phases. What does it mean? Will the harvest be poor? Will we be plagued with locusts? Will our wells dry up? These days we are less superstitious and more in awe of such an event. As a writer, this sort of event fuels my well of inspiration and gives me ideas for enriching my stories. 

The next time the news media makes a hype about something in the night sky that happens once in a great while, go take a peek if you can. You might discover the wonders of stargazing.

Savannah 20 Year Time Warp

Savannah is a city unlike any other in Georgia. It sits on a significant river, and is only a short drive from Georgia beaches. It enjoys fantastic weather year round. It tends to see far less hurricanes than other eastern seaboard cities due to the shape of Georgia’s coastal geography. It is rich in culture and steeped in history. It has fantastic culinary offerings. It has both palm trees and old oak trees draped with Spanish Moss. It has horse drawn carriages and stately mansions. It has been the backdrop for movies and books. It makes for a great vacation destination since you can stroll the river-front in Savannah or drive to the beaches. You can take a tour of Tybee Island or visit Fort Pulaski. There are plenty of accommodations around the city that are affordable. There are also upscale, trendy hotels inside the city of Savannah. There is plenty of very fresh seafood to be had, but if critters from the ocean aren’t your thing, there are alternative culinary delights. It has unmistakable old-world charm plus Southern hospitality.

I grew up in metro-Atlanta, so vacationing in Savannah was part of my childhood and teenage years. In March of 2014, I had the opportunity to go back to Savannah for the first time in over 20 years. I ate at restaurants I discovered while walking around. I nosed around in cute little boutiques. I even took a look through an art gallery. While there, I purchased an awesome print because it reminded me of my black cat (I couldn’t afford the several thousand dollar price tag of the original painting, but shelling out less than $100 for a reproduction print was certainly doable). The gallery folks were kind enough to ship it home for me since getting it on an itty-bitty commuter jet wasn’t happening.

Neo admires "his" painting that momma purchased in a Savannah art gallery

When I was younger, my family stayed on the outskirts of the city, in the more “suburban” hotels that were affordable. In 2014 I stayed at the Andaz inside the city of Savannah. The Andaz is a nice place….a very nice place indeed. Sadly it wasn’t my flavor. However, I was not about to utter one peep of complaint. My husband was attending a conference and the company hosting the conference was paying for the hotel. And besides, they had some cute vodka:

What cat lover wouldn't appreciate some CatHead Vodka?

Staying at the Andaz also afforded me the opportunity to take pictures of the horse drawn carriages:

Horse drawn carriages are a frequent sight along the avenues in Savannah

This working horse admires his reflection in the window

I am an enormous horse fanatic. Well, I’m not enormous, but my enthusiasm for anything equine is big. When I was a teenager, I took a single picture of a horse drawn carriage. During the 2014 visit, I took lots of horse and carriage pictures (thank you digital photography!). In fact, I took a lot of the same pictures almost 25 years apart. It was almost eerie to compare the photos. Since film was not a worry, I took far more pics in 2014 than I did on my little 110 film camera in 1990. There were several images that bore striking resemblances even though the photos were decades apart. I felt like I’d stumbled back in time which is pretty darn cool. I really wanted my stepdad to see this comparison, but he passed away before I had the chance to share. So I figured what better way to remember him than to share my Savannah time warp photos with the Interwebz. Enjoy!

The bridges over Savannah River in 1990. A new bridge was in under construction.

The bridge over the Savannah River in 2014. The old bridge piers are in the background.

Savannah River front buildings in 1990.

That same building 24 years later with less ivy but more trees in front.

Savannah Government building in 1990

The same building 24 years later

Horse, carriage, and the driver, 1990

A pair of carriage horses in 2014

Riverboat waiting for passengers in 1990

Riverboats waiting patiently by the river walk in 2014

Cancer Is A Thief

My stepdad passed away just the other day. I was shocked and surprised when I heard the news. I’d talked to him a week ago, and he sounded good. But I was also relieved. Relieved? Yes. He was diagnosed with cancer last year and went through some rough treatments. He lost too much weight. His blood pressure was amazingly low. Eating was a miserable experience. After the treatments stopped last fall, he was feeling better and eating better. As is the case too often, the cancer came back this April. I didn’t realize the cancer was stage 4, so he only had a short time left. The doctors told him there was no treatment, and he should get his affairs in order. I sadly assumed I had at least three or four months (maybe more) to get down to visit him. I wasn’t looking forward to the suffering he would endure toward the end. Instead, he lied down for a nap one afternoon and never woke up. This was a blessing. I watched my Mom suffer with cancer twice. I’ve seen two uncles and an aunt suffer. My stepdad didn’t linger in pain for months on end, and when he passed, family members were nearby. This gave me peace of mind twice over.

I only have one regret: I wasn’t able to visit with him one more time, and share some recent photographs of Savannah. I didn't even take the time to send the photographs to him ahead of my visit. Heck, I didn't even think to mention the photos during my last phone call with him (which I never would have known was my last call). I did have an excellent reason for not visiting my stepdad sooner: my husband was recovering from cardiac surgery and a string of cardiac difficulties from the previous two months. Leaving town was never an option until I knew my husband was on the road to improvement. Thankfully, he is doing much better.

Back to the pictures..... As a kid, my family traveled to Savannah and the beaches of Georgia for vacations. Coastal Georgia and Savannah have a magic all their own. During a trip with my stepdad as a teenager, I took several pictures of the Savannah river-front and surrounding areas. Last year, I had an opportunity to go back for the first time in over 20 years. I took lots of pictures without thinking much about it (isn't digital photography great?!). When I got home, I remembered the pictures I’d taken as a teenager. I compared the 1990s pictures with the 2014 pictures and was stunned. I’d taken some of the exact (or nearly exact) same photos. One of my favorites was a bridge. It spanned the Savannah River, and I took nearly identical pictures in 1990 and in 2014. In 1990, the new bridge was only 1/2 completed and the old bridge was still standing. In 2014, the “new” bridge was now the only bridge spanning the river. It was amazing to see how much had changed, and how many things looked much the same. But it also makes me sad that I cannot share this with my stepdad. I kick myself for not sending him the pictures sooner. Why did I wait? Because I thought I had more time.

Bridges over Savannah River (1990). The new bridge isn't finished, and the old bridge stands in its shadow.

 The "new" bridge (photo taken in 2014). Notice the ghosts of the old bridge on the river banks.

You never know how long someone has left when cancer comes to town. Sometimes the patient goes through treatment, the cancer goes into remission, and they live for years. Other times the span between diagnosis and death is mere months or even weeks. It is one disease that seems to have no real cure, and a treatment program that can be more brutal than the disease itself. If someone you love is diagnosed with cancer, try to visit them early and often. You never know when the thief will steal their last moments from you.

Spring…..is that you!?

Warmer weather and plentiful sunshine have arrived in Boston. It appears Spring is finally here, feeling like a warm hug from a favorite aunt. And not a moment too soon, for today is the Red Sox home opener. Thank you Mother Nature for smiling on our baseball team. Trees are showing signs of budding. Flowers are popping out of the ground before our very eyes. Allergy sufferers are reaching for medications and tissues. Spring is really here!

These plants have grown up overnight

Already today, I’ve been more productive than in the past month. Yesterday my husband and I did more yard work than we have in many moons. I was in shorts and a t-shirt for the first time in nearly 6 months (sorry neighbors for the glare from my pale skin). It is amazing what good weather does for the attitude and the soul. When it is gray, rainy, and cold, I want to curl up and hibernate. When it is warm and sunny, strap me to a go-cart because I’m off to the races!

Hello beautiful crocus!

I think the effect is the same on animals. My cats were out and about, wandering around the whole yard this morning. On rainy, yucky days, all they do is sleep. Well, all they really do is sleep on any given day, but on sunny days they have a 10% increase in activity. This is quite a jump for an animal that spends so much time practicing “energy conservation”. 

Neo strolling in the warm sunshine

The birds, the children, and the barbecues are coming out of hibernation. There is an undeniable effect Spring has on us all. But will it stay? Only Mother Nature can answer that. At this point, I’m just happy it isn’t snowing.

Will Boston *ever* see Spring?

I look outside my window and what do I see? That four letter word - snow. It is snowing...AGAIN. Folks around Boston have had enough of the white stuff to last 3 winters. Every time we turn around the meteorologists are predicting more snow. We've had 10 weekends in a row with snowfall. March only had a handful of days that were even close to normal temperature for this time of year. We've been below average all winter (except for the month of December), and we've had a record 110"+ of snowfall for the season. Thankfully all the snow hasn't melted at once (or we'd need our own arks to get around), but enough is enough. Thankfully I've lived in New England during another rough winter (Connecticut in 2010-2011 where they had record snowfall), so I've experienced a long, cold winter in these parts. But this is something else. By now, we should have highs in the upper 40s or mid-50s and some nice rain showers now and then. Instead we're stuck in Old Man Winter's grasp, and snow comes on a regular basis. Thankfully today's episode will turn to rain and by the end of this week the temperatures are supposed to moderate. 

Growing up, snow was a treat. Northern Georgia (around metro-Atlanta) saw more than an inch of snow at a time on a very rare basis. We only had four built-in snow days for the school district I attended. Generally you didn't need any of them, or may just one. But I do remember one winter we had a big storm that dumped 6" of snow. Six inches! The kids were in snow heaven. My mom and I went sledding down our street (and crashed into a holly bush, but that is a different story). There were other winters we did get a few inches, and I'd go to my Dad's condo to sled down the sunken soccer fields on a cookie sheet. And when it snows down south, everything STOPS. Each county might have 1 snow plow and a handful of helpful folks with their own snow plows on their trucks. People also tend to have 4-wheel drive since they like to go off road or get stuck in mud puddles. Snow was fun, and it was a happy occurrence. That's probably because we all knew it wouldn't be around long and Spring would arrive (mostly) on time.

Here in the Boston area, I don't think we can spell Spring anymore. I think it is hiding in the Bahamas somewhere. We keep asking it to come visit, but to no avail. I look at the bare trees in my yard and wonder if I'll ever see anything green again. The whole area is a study of brown, gray, and white. The only color we have are some songbirds that are feasting on the seed we provide. Poor little dears are probably also wondering where Spring is. They have nests to build and babies to raise. But not in this cold. One thing is for sure...when Spring *does* finally show up, everything is going to burst into action. Trees, shrubs, and flowers will bloom and sprout and leaf out all at once. Allergy sufferers, beware. It might be a rough ride.

Since I am not an all-powerful being that can influence the weather, I just sit here inside, sipping my coffee and trying my hardest to wish Spring into existence. Maybe, just maybe, we'll get some warmer weather and NO MORE SNOW during April. Hey, a person can dream, right?