sharleenstuartTell Me a Story: September 2018
Posted on September 30, 2018
Well the title this month seems apt to where I am going with my next few blogs. I am telling a story. On September 14, 2018, with just a single carry on bag and a camera bag each, we headed off on a whirlwind exploration of north east America. By chance we were offered the use of a cottage in Wells Beach, Maine. The discussion was quick, the answer was yes, and I began studying the surrounding areas and planning things to do and see. My friend said this vacation was going to kill us and she was not far off the mark. We did so much and saw so much. I was blown away by the beauty up north and yes we were lucky enough to see the start of the fall colors making their appearance in the area.
So on the Friday morning – bags packed and all ready to go we head off to the local airport at some crazy early hour, like 4:30 am. Our flight to Boston was via Atlanta. We had been watching Florence all week and wondering how that would impact us. Good news – no impact at all, not even a bump.
Arriving in Boston, I knew from my agenda that we were heading to Salem first, then on to Manchester by the Sea, and finally up to Wells Beach. I also knew that we did not have a lot of time in each place due to our check in time in Wells Beach.
Navigating through and out of Boston, came with a few choice words, and a good reminder never to do Amazing Race with Richard. I am a useless navigator and it is hard to follow a map when you have no clue where you are. Of course, it is even more annoying when your driver does not trust your navigation system 😦
That said we finally arrived in Salem, along with the 2000 other tourists. What I have learned over the years is that Richard has little patience with traffic and especially in places he does not know. So we whizzed down the main street of Salem, with me saying “mmm that looked interesting”. We found the main city center and after finding a parking we got out and walked around the town. There were some interesting sights to see in Salem.
First off, I love the old buildings. I love the cobblestones (although they are not that comfortable to walk on). A lot of the buildings are brown. All these towns have wonderful old churches.
Salem’s history dates back to around 1692 and the story of the the witch trials. If you want to read more about the witch trials click here.
Bewitched Statue of Elizabeth Montgomery
The history behind this statue is that this is a depiction of the woman who starred as Samantha in the sitcom “Bewitched”.
Nooks and cranny’s where you could stop to rest your weary feet and have a drink.
Lady of Salem – there were a number of artist inspired ladies posted around the area.
Lots of color around nightmare Gallery
And talking nightmare gallery – this CVS is not on my list of places to visit.
You will find a lot of pics of Richard walking ahead of me – I get easily distracted. Love the cobble stone and the red brick pavers.
I loved looking up at the amazing edgings along this building.
I am not quiet sure what this is but it looks scary enough to be in Salem.
Like all these historical cities you have many actors sharing their thoughts on city life.
We walked around looking for a restaurant but never found one. Finally found one at 7 pm that evening – first meal of the day and it wasn’t in Salem.
I spotted this guy playing music from the top of the road and just zoomed in on him. Only realized later that he was outside the Salem Museum.
As I mentioned earlier I love old buildings and if you follow this series of blogs you will find a number of old churches that we came across.
Tabernacle Congregational Church in Salem.
We are on the road, leaving Salem and heading towards Manchester on the Sea. Notice something different, yup we are heading into fog.
This is a circle blog and I am looking forward to seeing what everyone else has got up to this month. Follow the link here to see what my fellow blogger Beth of Beth Williams Photoblog has for you this month. Don’t forget to leave a little love on her page.
Look out for the next installment of our road trip when we head to Manchester by the Sea, city of the 2017 film “Manchester by the Sea”
You can also find me on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Google+ and Viewbug.
Share Six: August 2018: Gold
Posted on September 6, 2018
This month we switched out our theme – or rather postponed it. The reason we did this is that this month highlights the Childhood Cancer. “September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month, so for all of September we’ve decided to team up and join forces with @thegoldhopeproject to help spread awareness!!
If you or your family have been affected by cancer then you know how hard it is to walk that journey. I could not imagine having my child suffer from cancer. It was hard enough watching my boy go through surgery after surgery for 9 years for a bone disorder, but at least I knew that, unless something went horribly wrong in surgery, he would be going home with me. Yes, we had long recuperation periods but that boy is now 29 years old and I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to walk that journey with him.
For those of you that don’t know, The Gold Hope Project is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization of photographers who aim to provide free portrait sessions to families battling pediatric cancer. As photographers, we understand how truly important it is to document our children’s lives, and what better gift to give to parents going through such a tremendously difficult time!
In addition to pairing young warriors with photographers, @TheGoldHopeProject also works to raise funds for pediatric cancer research! If you want to participate with us this month, here are just a few things you can consider:
1. Tag your gold photos with the #TeamUp4GoldKids (for features) and #theGoldHopeProject (to spread awareness). You will have a chance to be featured on one of the MANY participating hubs for the month of September!
2. Go to goldhopeproject.com and see how you can apply to be a registered photographer!
3. Donate! It DOES make a difference!
This month was perfect for me. We had just spent a weekend down in the Keys. On the first night we headed off to my favorite spot to capture the sunset. We did did some walking around and then Richard wandered off and I sat down on a tree stump to wait for the setting sun. I had an interesting companion that evening – a homeless man joined me and chatted with me for over an hour. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with him. I was too scared to ask him if I could take his photograph but next time I am down there, if he is there I will. So here are my {Gold} images for this month.
This last picture is a victory picture for this man. You see, 18 months after we were married, he developed a melanoma. It was a scary time for us. He had to have a second surgery to remove additional areas as the cancer was sitting on the edges of the the flesh that they had cut out. After they were happy that they had got everything out, he had to have a skin graft. 18 months later, they picked up cancer in his lymph nodes under his left arm. More surgery to remove all the lymph nodes. You have to know that by then I was in panic mode. He is going to die! Radiation came next and the waiting seemed endless. 30 years later his is still alive. I am grateful that we were given this time together. We do not know what tomorrow will bring but I am thankful that we have had an incredible journey together.
Here are a few Childhood Cancer Facts
– Cancer is the #1 disease killer of kids in the US.
-Childhood Cancer is more than a dozen types of cancers combined including tumors, leukemia and lymphomas.
-The causes of most childhood cancer is unknown. Childhood cancer can not be prevented.
– Many childhood cancer treatments are the same that existed in the 1970s.
– 1 out of 8 children with cancer will not survive.
– Childhood cancer research receives 4% of the annual budget from the National Cancer Institute. That equals 195 million for all 12 types of childhood cancer. Adult cancers receive the renewing 96% of the budget.
– 9 children are diagnosed with a brain tumor everyday.
– 43 children are diagnosed with cancer each day.
So come and share your {Gold} images with us on our our Facebook page and our Instagram Page by tagging #sharesix_gold.
Help to be a part of highlighting Childhood Cancer Awareness and remember you can:
1. Tag your gold photos with the #TeamUp4GoldKids (for features) and #theGoldHopeProject (to spread awareness). You will have a chance to be featured on one of the MANY participating hubs for the month of September!
2. Go to goldhopeproject.com and see how you can apply to be a registered photographer!
3. Donate! It DOES make a difference!
Thank you for joining me for this month’s Share Six blog post. This is a circle blog. From the sneak peak images I have seen, you are going to want to follow the circle. Please take time to visit my friend and very talented artist Ceri Herd Photography and see what she has for you this month. Keep following the circle to see what the other photographers have shared this month. Don’t forget to leave a little love on their page as well.
You can also find me on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Google+ and Viewbug.
Tell me a Story: August 2018
Posted on August 31, 2018
This month I have hardly picked up my camera but I did spend some time walking through Morikami Japanese Gardens and Museum. The walk is so pretty but in summer it is hot and humid, and the minute you sat down the mosquito’s feasted on you.
Of course, I chose to play in the shaded mosquito eating area. This month I decided to try freezing water. It was fun to experiment, and I will probably try this when I go up to Maine next month with the ocean. Hopefully I will have rocks to capture within the movement.
This is a circle blog and I am looking forward to seeing what everyone else has got up to this month. Follow the link here to see what my fellow blogger Elizabeth Meachem Photography has for you this month, Don’t forget to leave a little love on their pages.
You can also find me on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Google+ and Viewbug.
30 Minutes in the Life: August 2018
Posted on August 27, 2018
I have recently taken to photographing lizards, big and small, While out on my walk out the other day, I was mentally thinking I was a little disappointed that I had not come across any Iguana. Iguana are illegal aliens apparently to South Florida. To my mind they are incredibly beautiful lizards however, they do breed copiously and are inclined to take over. However, I was lucky enough to come across one along with a few other varieties of the lizard family.
So here are my takes for this month.
Brown Anole (I love it when they get all puffy and blow out their flap to try and intimidate you).
Northern Curly Tailed Lizard (I do love these chubby lizards. We have a few in the garden but one in particular that lives in the rainwater down pipe from the roof. You will often find it sunning itself on the driveway. Get to close and he is off to the down pipe).
Green Anole (I think) This was quite and interesting looking lizard and a first for me. I probably would have walked passed it if people had not stopped to look at it).
Northern Curly Tailed Lizard (I came across another one of these cubby little lizards. This one was not afraid of me and just kept it’s eye on my to make sure I did not get too close. The joys of a zoom lens)
Green Iguana (Last but definitely a favorite of mine. They vary in size going from small to pretty big. They are herbivores. They originate from central South America and from the Carribbean. However, they pretty much populate South Florida as well. They love warm climates and do not do well when we get extended cold weather. They have been know to freeze and fall off the branches they are perched on. We used to have one living on our back deck, but it disappeared on cold winter. They also wiggle their flap when you get to close.
Thank you for joining me for this month’s 30 Minutes in Life. For the rest of the blog group, please take time to visit my friend and fellow blogger Liz Godfrey Photography and see what she has for you this month. Keep following the circle of photographers to see what the other photographers, from the US and around the world, have shared this month. Don’t forget to leave a little love on their pages.
You can also find me on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Viewbug and Google+
Inspired by Life: August 2018
Posted on August 20, 2018
I am very conscious that I sit a lot and so every Friday I try to go for a walk. Instead of going to the wetlands this past week, I decided to go to Morikami Japanese Gardens and Museum. I have a membership there and I should go more often but in summer it is really hot and humid, and this week was no different.
I am part of a group called the Color Chase Challenge and this particular month is purple. While I wasn’t actively looking for purple, I managed to find quite a bit of it. The gardens at Morikami are beautiful and if you have never visited and you get the opportunity I would encourage you to do so.
The colors are somewhat less as we move through summer towards Autumn. However, I was pleasantly surprised how many flowers I did actually find. So here are some of the beautiful sights I saw on my 2 mile walk. Walking in these gardens definitely inspires me.
Thank you for joining me for this month’s Inspired by Life. This is a circle blog although we are a little on the light side this month. Please take time to visit my fellow photographer, Tracy Martindale of Bee Cherished Photography see what she has for you this month. Keep following the circle to see what the other photographers have shared this month. Don’t forget to leave a little love on her page.
You can also find me on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Google+ and Viewbug.
Share Six: August 2018: Water
Posted on August 6, 2018
Kathy chose {Water} as the theme for the month of August and growing up in an ocean city, I spent a lot of time at the beach. Summers were spent in the water, swimming, riding the waves, and when I was brave enough attempting to stand on a surfboard. I was never really successful. I grew up with a father who loved fishing so off the the ocean we would go.
Over the years I learned that water sustain an unbelievable amount of life. Aside from our own lives the ocean sustains so many varieties of sea life. I have scuba dived in Mozambique, and on the South African coast and been blown away by the beauty that lives below the water surface. Both plant life and creature life is rich with splendor that just takes your breath away.
Even in my back garden there is water and life. Just looking in the canal today there is fish life, turtle life, and on occasions, though not today, there is alligator life.
Water is defined as ” a colorless, transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid that forms the seas, lakes, rivers, and rain and is the basis of the fluids of living organisms.”
We depend on water to survive and this is why it breaks my heart to see the green algae that is coating the rivers in Florida and on Lake Okechobee, and the red tide that is washing up on the west coast of Florida’s shores killing everything in it’s wake. It is so sad to see that whale sharks, manatee, turtles, fish are washing up dead at the edge of the ocean.
I recently watched a documentary on the amount of plastic that is killing our sea life. We as consumers and beach goers need to take responsibility for our garbage and have the policy of what we take in we take out. We need to be worrying about what we are doing to the very liquid that sustains all life.
I picked images this month that, for me, focused on the beauty of water.
The simplicity of water drops on a leaf. These water drops sustain not only the plant but the dragonfly, the lizards and various other critters.
The fish in the canal causing ripples as they dive for pieces of bread. This river sustains the life of the local fish, the turtles, the alligators that travel up and down and so much bird life.
The gorgeous jewels made by water drops on a spiders web are some of my favorite {Water} images.
Tiny Moorhen Chicks live and feed in the water. Their diet being different plants that sit in the shallow waters. They have tiny wings and great big feet.
The gurgling of a river found in Columbus Georgia.
The beauty of the ocean on a flat day and the opportunity to to take the paddle board out and enjoy what the ocean has to offer. On days like this there are pelican on parade, fish jumping in the ocean and if you are lucky you may get to see dolphin.
An absolute treat for me is to see an Osprey dive to the ocean to pick up a fish. The water sustains the life of the fish, and the fish the life of the bird. This cycle could not happen without the water.
And there is nothing better than being out on the ocean as sunset enjoy the beauty of the end of the day.
Water is critical to our lives. I would encourage you to learn more about how you can help keep our oceans and water ways clean. This is so important to all of us.
Thank you for joining me for this month’s Share Six. This is a circle blog. From the sneak peak images I have seen, you are going to want to follow the circle. Please take time to visit my friend and very talented artist Kathy of KG Ledbetter Photography and see what she has for you this month. Keep following the circle to see what the other photographers have shared this month. Don’t forget to leave a little love on their page as well.
You can also find me on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Google+ and Viewbug.
Now it is your turn. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook at Share Six and come and share your images on the theme {Water} throughout the month of June. A new theme will come out on July 6.
Remember you can follow us on Instagram at @sharesix and tag your images #sharesix_water.
You can also find the Share Six webpage at http://www.sharesix.wordpress.com
We look forward to seeing your images on the theme {water}
Tell me a Story: July 2018
Posted on July 31, 2018
Wow this month crept up fast and I was starting to get a bit panicky about if I was actually going to get anything for this months blog. I have a doctors appointment every Friday and also a lot of works work to do on my day off. This Friday was not different with the doctors appointment at 10:30am and apparently he was running late and so I got out of there at 12:30pm. Not the best initial visit. Of course, I won the lottery and get to undergo an invasive test. Not my idea of fun. Added to that the weather was not great and there had already been one downpour and a grumbling sky which was threatening another. So I went back to the location I went to last month thinking I may be able to find some more lizards to play with. This time the little guys were not out but a larger sized green lizard was. I got to use my macro lens as a macro lens this time and added to that I found a few butterflies as well.
Here is what I have for you this month.
Thanks for strolling along with me, I hope you enjoyed the different flora and lizards that I came across.
This is a circle blog and I am looking forward to seeing what everyone else has got up to this month. Follow the link here to see what my fellow blogger LUPJi Photography | North Virginia Based Photgrapher has for you this month, Don’t forget to leave a little love on their pages.
You can also find me on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Google+ and Viewbug.
30 Minutes in the Life: July 2018
Posted on July 30, 2018
This month I was really challenged on what to blog. It has been a busy month and a number of doctors appointments has had me busy on my day’s off. I was playing around with the computer the other evening and thought I would come up with some silhouettes. So here is this months 30 minutes of working on my computer.
Thank you for joining me for this month’s 30 Minutes in Life. For the rest of the blog group, please take time to visit my friend and fellow blogger Sonia of Sonia Eppel Fotografie and see what she has for you this month. Keep following the circle of photographers to see what the other photographers, from the US and around the world, have shared this month. Don’t forget to leave a little love on their pages.
You can also find me on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Viewbug and Google+
Inspired by Life: July 2018
Posted on July 20, 2018
This title could not be more apt this weekend as I learned about a friend of Richards who was in critical condition in ICU. He is our age. I keep saying, lets do, instead of talking about it. Before it is too late and we cannot do it anymore. I don’t want to let time pass us by.
Fourth of July, and we decide the night before that we are heading to the beach to watch the sunrise. Richard is taking his paddle board out and I am going to watch and enjoy the moment the sun breaks through the horizon.
On arriving at the beach I was not optimistic on what the sunrise was going to be like. It was overcast and blueish. However, the water was perfect for paddle boarding. Until you got in that was. It was then that you discovered reed, thick and going on forever. However, Richard stuck out the paddle boarding and I photographed the sunrise. The change in tones was surprising and really enjoyable.
Life is beautiful, but we are only given one life. Enjoy it, soak up the moments, be inspired by life, because before you know it time has flown by and you are sitting asking yourself where it went. Hug your loved ones, tell them you love them, let your friends know that they are important to you. Continue to be inspired by the life you have.
Thank you for joining me for this month’s Inspired by Life. This is a circle blog although we are a little on the light side this month. Please take time to visit my fellow photographer, Cath Britton Photography and see what she has for you this month. Keep following the circle to see what the other photographers have shared this month. Don’t forget to leave a little love on her pages.
You can also find me on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Google+ and Viewbug.
10 on 10: July 2018
Posted on July 10, 2018
July 4th was a busy day for us. We were up at 5:30 am to head to the beach to watch the sunrise. I was going to photograph the sunrise and Richard was going to take his paddle board out on a very flat east side ocean. Kind of made me think of the gulf.
After that Amy and Richard decided to go kayak. I went along on the understanding that I was going to be able to walk some nature trails. That did not happen. They went kayaking and I walked around a very short walk around a park, took a few photographs watched a group of older men playing baseball, and then found myself on a blanket in the shade reading my book until the eventually came back.
The afternoon brought rain and of course, when the rain stops I head out with my camera to capture water drops.
Last shoot of the day 4th of July and nobody wanted to go. Richard had been saying all day that he was not interested in going to the fireworks. Amy decided she was tired and did not really want to go. I was undecided whether I would go on my own to the park and just stop off somewhere and take my photographs or alternatively just go outside and take photographs. The rain ultimately helped me make my decision. I was going to go out back.
So I set up my camera settings, pulled out and attached my tripod and I went outside to do my best to get some fireworks shots. I live on the edge of the Everglades. It is the slowest moving river aka a swamp lol. Obviously in summer we have a mosquito problem. Our mosquito’s remind me of the ancient of birds a “pterodactyl”. These mosquito’s are huge and they are mean. I think I spent more time swatting mosquito’s than I did taking photo’s. I lasted all of 10-15 minutes and came inside, along with a colony of mosquito’s, before the fireworks finale.
I was not sure what I would get but since this is only the second time I have tried to take fireworks, I was quite happy with what I got.
I hope that you all had a good and safe 4th of July. This is the 17th year we have had the opportunity to celebrate Independence Day, and we are thankful that we have been able to.
Thank you for joining me for this month’s 10 on 10. This is a circle blog. Please take time to visit my good friend Ceri of Ceri Herd Photography and see what she has for you this month. Keep following the circle to see what the other photographers have shared this month. Don’t forget to leave a little love on their pages.
You can also find me on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Google+ and Viewbug.
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