I may have seem to gone underground (if not fishing):D but honestly I am not giving up on this blog..not yet. Life's such a whirlwind of activity right now that blogging has taken a backseat....but not for long, I promise. Meanwhile, hope spring's beginning to show colors in your corners of the world.. It definitely has sprung here :)
While revisiting the images from our trip to New Mexico, I realized I never got around to sharing some of my favorites from Santa Fe. These are from the Palace of the Governors where Native American vendors gather everyday on the front porch to sell handcrafted objects. They can only sell artwork that is crafted either by them or their household member. I enjoyed admiring their work, but more than that - conversing with them about their craft.
I stepped out this morning with a promise to myself to find color in my ice-d surroundings. Little did I know that I will chance upon more than I bargained for (in a positive way, of course) :) I am having one beautiful weekend here....wish you the same :)
He, like us, was a tourist paying his homage to the group of 22 islands in Lake Superior (Apostle Islands). They (he and his family) were visiting from Europe while we came from the neighboring state. They could barely speak English while that's the only foreign language we speak. But we bonded. Sometimes, the love for exploration proves stronger than the gulf of different cultures and languages :)
While this fellow li'l traveler was absorbed in his own world as we sailed to the sea caves, approachable only by water.
We were lingering over our blueberry muffins and the morning cuppa in this cafe brimming with homespun charm, chatting with the owner who was eager to share her experiences of this trip she made to Himalayas in India .......when my muse here began to play his harp. Needless to add we sat back a while, soaked up the mood and as we left to walk around the town on the shore of Superior, his music wafted through the air, across the street..............till it faded into distance.
A li'l more than a month back, sometime around this time, on my birthday, I was busy having a good time at the annual summer festival in Milwaukee. A childhood friend whom I love dearly and a husband whom I can't do without ensured that the b'day was a fun-n-love filled day. Next day we made a dash to yet another food festival, this time in downtown Chicago. Today, I felt like making a quick collage of some of the images from the Taste of Chicago event. Looks like everyone brought a hearty appetite, don't you think so!!! :) I had as great time partaking in this gastronomic orgy from behind the lens as I had with every bite :)
Results of my fooling around with camera while my husband single-handedly works upon our impending move to the other coast this January.
This was shot in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist at Savannah where we took refuge from the intermittent rains. I had almost forgotten about it till I saw Ash's beautiful "Prayer" post today. This elderly gentleman's head bowed in prayer compelled me to take this image though I generally will let people be alone in their intensely private moments.
I have lived a little more than the quarter of a century on this earth and as I grow, my faith acquires different dimensions too. It's no more religious but it's as powerful as ever in the smallest of the creations and acts and beliefs. As we all start a new week, all I want to say is Keep the faith :)
The artist
And his art
Key West is a place where you can sit back and spend hours watching the ebb and flow of people. One place where its hard to distinguish locals from tourists: the whole place has this hot, summery languor about it. Every time we visit Key West, its only for a weekend, and yet unlike in other places, that sense of urgency does not grip me that we need to go about town lest I miss something worthwhile. I'm the kind who relaxes by exploring (is that a camera-lover's curse??) and yet in Key West all I did was amble around the colorful streets, sea salts on my skin and smell of fried shrimps in the air. It does not take long to internalize the laid back pulses of this island. And while strolling, if I chance upon an artist, I will make sure he's on the memory card ;)
Much as I want to share the beauty of Mackinac Island here, I had to share this image shot this Sunday evening in good ol' Florida :) I love the reflections here and the moment warms the cockles of my heart for some strange reason. Hope you all had a great start to the week :)
It was hilarious how I waited anxiously for her to change her posture to be able to get a different version of the similar shot!!!
Geeky Feet!!! :)
Dog Day Afternoon!
Say Hello to Cinnamon! She's no ordinary dog and she isn’t just good at cuddling, she’s a life saver too. Met her and her owner a few afternoons ago and the lady had some stories to tell.
The faithful canine is trained to take care of the deaf and has been a companion to her owner who has hearing impairments, for the last 13 years of her life. The dog's aging now and it was so evident. It's a quiet dog and rested almost all the time we were there. 13 years for a dog is equivalent to almost 75 years of human life. Cinnamon's a grand old lady, really!!! And all through these 13 years, Cinnamon has come to her owner's rescue several times apart from helping her through her daily life. As she told us, "Whenever I have a bad day, she always delivers" :)
I have never owned a pet though I always badly wanted to ....right from a bunny to a pup, every summer vacations we (that's my brother and I) demanded one but in vain. I hope to own a houseful of them some day. :) If you own a four legged friend, don't forget to give her a belly rub tonight!
PS: I wanted this pic in Black and White but the reason for Cinnamon being named so would have been lost, so I retained the color.
We never got any rains but we did get a lot of breeze and a smattering of clouds. An almost perfect weekend before life gets busier and lesser fun.
A jaunt to Siesta Key in Sarasota a week earlier yielded this shot. Its one of the finest places to visit on this side of Florida. The crystal-white sand is so fine that it feels like satin below feet(they tell moi, the sand here is 99% pure quartz). And the Gulf of Mexico as blue as Blue Curacao.
She was the cynosure of every adoring eye on the beach. People would stop by just to smile at all the fun she was having. I could not contain my enthusiasm while capturing her and ended up with more than a dozen odd shots (as always :D). This one's my favorite. Absolutely adored the way she wants to have fun in water but not brave enough yet to leave her mom's side :) Have a great start to a great week, all :)
The languid summers are here and now that textbooks have been done with and pushed to some remote corner of the shelf, my study corner de-cluttered, and teetering pile of papers put away for recycling....I seem to have so much more time on hands to stop and smell the proverbial rose. And if weather fairies continue to be as benevolent as they have been since Sunday evening showers, I get to stay outdoors longer and shoot to my heart's content. :)
This shot was taken a few Sundays ago when on our way to St. Petersburg (Florida's own St Pete's ..am not heading to Russia yet :D)we spotted this gentleman stopping by the highway as his car began to sputter midway. His canine friend does seem concerned, if you look closely. I wish I spotted them a few micro-seconds earlier than I did and this shot could have been so much better. I like it, nevertheless. :)
..........trying' to find his way home" - Phil Cerasoli
"......If I stagger and wander, come to my help.
You are also human beings and you are also going home"
Leo Tolstoy
PS: It was shot right outside the back door of the church where the young artists sat sketching the interiors.
For someone who's as friendly as moi, I am so painfully shy to capture strangers on my camera. That explains the perennial lack of "human images" on my blog. I will not approach them for a shot and I'll not encroach upon their privacy : that leaves me highly discontented coz nothing enchants moi more than human expressions....Lately, I have been able to muster enough courage (fleetingly though) to click people in an engaging moment and yet not reveal them (more often than not) as identifiable individuals. Have a very modest collection of such images. Hope to share them in ensuing weeks.....
This one was shot at a church in Brussels, a few months back as a motley crowd of young artists sat there sketching the interiors.
"There was a little girl,
And she had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good
She was very, very good,
And when she was bad she was horrid.
One day she went upstairs,
When her parents, unawares,
In the kitchen were occupied with meals,
And she stood upon her head
In her little trundle-bed,
And then began hooraying with her heels.
Her mother heard the noise,
And she thought it was the boys
Playing at a combat in the attic;
But when she climbed the stair,
And found Jemima there,
She took and she did spank her most emphatic." .
Thank you, Sandeepa!!! :)
Thank you, Mark!!! :)
Thank you, JoAnn!!! :)
Thank you, JoAnn!!! :)
Thank u, Catherine !!! :)
