It Happens to the Best of Us

What happens to the best of us?  Well, getting old, of course. You can see that this old timer hasn't got much time on earth, at least above ground.  He was a good and faithful Jack-O-Lantern but now his time is almost up and he won't be illuminated on the front porch to greet passersby at night, sorry to say.  He has lasted a long time on his perch on the front porch railing.  And that is because he is illuminated by a night light, rather than a candle. We have used candles for years, but the heat causes the pumpkin to deteriorate so much quicker.  So he has lasted a long time, thanks to electricity.  A squirrel did eat one of his teeth and part of his mouth.  I think something else ate the two other teeth and then just normal deterioration caused him to soften and begin to collapse.  He served us well this year and has been a wonderful thing to look up and see, orange and glowing, when night comes on.

 

 

Light and Shadow

This is a funny story about how I came to take this photograph.  I was on the phone with Stan Honda, because it is a Tuesday and we talk each Tuesday.  That is something we started back in the time of Covid.  While I was talking to him I saw the light and the shadow on this glass topped table, and the vase of flowers, and the duck decoy and a pitcher that I bought in France years ago.  So I said to him, "Can you hang on for a minute?  Or two minutes?  I need to take a picture!"  So he did hang on and I photographed this scene and we went back to talking.  So this is all about light and shadow, and dark shapes and bright shapes from the sunlight, more than it is the objects. I think our eyes kind of move all around the image because there are so many things to look at.  I hope you enjoy this photograph because it is really different.

 

Our Magnificent Sycamore Tree

This magnificent Sycamore was a surprise to us the first fall after we bought our house in September. 1970.  About a month or so later this huge tree in our tiny front yard turned a brilliant yellow in color.  What a wonderful surprise!  After 56 years this tree tells me when I have to stop painting outdoors.  I have to stop painting when the temperature is 50 degrees or lower, and once this beautiful tree turns yellow, it is never warmer than 50 degrees, ever!  This tree is such a joy!

 

The "Mystery" Grass Returns

When I was looking up and photographing the brilliant yellow tree across the street yesterday, I had not noticed these decorative grasses right in front of my nose!  So I spent a few minutes trying to find a nice photograph of them.  I love how they stand out because behind them are dark evergreen trees.  So here's the funny part.  Back on September 11,  I did a close up photo of the top of something that looked like this, and I attributed the mystery of where it came to a house up the street and around the corner!  When in fact it was right across the street!  It is Japanese Silver Grass and quite beautiful!

 

Fall Color, Right Near Home

When I got back from my bike ride today, I was standing in the driveway looking around and there seemed to be a lot of fall color.  I saw two trees further down Laurel Avenue and I shot a few frames, then I walked over to the side yard and saw this magnificent tree to the north of us across the street, but easily visible because there is a hill to the north of us. I took a few photos from my side yard, but there were wires in the photograph.  So when I went down to the street, and up the hill a bit I had a clear view that included beautiful blue sky and even a bit of cloud.  Perfect!

 

Is Anyone Awake?

I ride the subway all the time in New York, but the last thing I would do on the subway is fall asleep!  Of course I am only liable to be traveling for less than half the length of Manhattan.  From Penn station up to the Metropolitan Museum of Art or down to the International Center of Photography.  So that's only likely to be 10 stops or so.  One time I did take the subway out to a barbeque in Brooklyn and that ride seemed to take forever!  But for people who ride daily, I guess sleeping on the subway is OK.

 

Stan at the International Center if Photography

A few times when Stan and I have been to ICP, there have been either extra large or extra small things that are not cameras but look by them.  Each time Stan has picked one up and pretended to photograph me which means that I will take a photograph of him because my camera is always ready.  So that happened today and this camera is furry!  So we had a good laugh over this photograph.

After I  posted the first photograph I went back and I did a search of the blog and found one other time that Stan picked up a fake camera and i photographed him with it!  This is starting to be a nice collectiuon!