Life in the Bristolwood

This is just a potpouri of photos with no continuity but I thought I would share.

Yeah….while Angus is “all about business”, Murphy is ridiculously clueless about his surroundings!  Little fellow just wants to be our baby!

On a little diversion to Salamanca on Monday, I walked around the town a little.  Coming into the town on Main Street,  one passes over a bridge and sees this pretty mural on the side of a building.  Salamanca is located on Indian (Native American) territory.  It is a pretty little city which was also the home of Ray Evans, the man who wrote the lyrics for the Christmas song,  Silver Bells.

On Monday, I took a brief walk around the park to see what I could see.  It is fun to walk as one sees things that would never be seen from the car.

Tadpoles or pollywogs? I don’t know!  There were many of them in a stream I saw while crossing over a little foot bridge.

These pines along the road were so pretty against the sky of blue!

This was my find of the day, though!

Later in the day, I was hungry so we stopped by the Administration Building at Redhouse.  I got a menu and ordered a sub. It was a toasted turkey sub. Very good and it came with a pickle and fries! Wow.  The price was good, too.  I had to run upstairs to the restaurant to grab it.  I had never been up there and what a surprise. It is a pretty little place!

Amazing how cozy this restaurant is…it has dormers on the front of the building, facing the lake.  The only downside is that the restaurant doesn’t have an elevator, so Mark cannot go upstairs.  Downstairs, though, there is a lodge area with chairs and huge windows overlooking the lake.  One of the waitresses told me that if we were to stop by when it wasn’t too busy, one of the waitresses would run a meal down!  The lodge is located down a few stairs from the main level, but there is a little lift there so wheelchairs can access that area.

After our busy day of exploring the park a little (believe me, there is TONS more to see and do there!) we stopped by the Quaker Lake gift store.  I found a real treasure there!  I am always, always uploading photos off the SD cards and forgetting to put the cards BACK into the camera.  Oops! 

Yes, this awesome brightly-colored little pouch (necklace) is perfect for storing an SD card in its case!  AND, it also gets compliments!

On Tuesday morning, we left the park shortly after ten in the morning to go visit my parents. On the way, Mark stopped at the Butterfly Field (yes, it is designated as such) so I could see if any butterflies were around.  Apparently, they are late sleepers because I only saw one as we were leaving!

This field is huge and I walked a trail that covers its perimeter.  I was so disappointed.  It was pretty hot in the sun, too!

I think I felt how this spent Thistle looks after all my traipsing about!  Although I didn’t see butterflies, the entire field was absolutely buzzing with bumblebees and honey bees, working in the Goldenrod!

I already mentioned that we went to my parents’ to visit on Tuesday.  While we were there, my older brother, Bob, came by. Bob lives in the country and has quite the garden.  He really loves gardening and has always had a garden, even when he lived in the city.

Bob brought along some zucchini squash, yellow tomatoes, red tomatoes, and corn.  Well, my dad decided to deck himself out!

Uh huh.  Now we know where my sense of humor came from, right?

I drive Mark to distraction when I tell him I might be needing a new camera.  He automatically begins to list the amount of money spent on photographic equipment.  But, that just isn’t fair, say I!  After all, he would be hard-pressed to simultaneously play his nine guitars and countless amps, eh?  True, they cost less than my hobby, but….

I have been finding myself grabbing the little Panasonic point and shoot more and more lately.  Its compact size makes it much easier to take along and were I to damage it, it wouldn’t be so heart-wrenching as hurting my Nikon.  Oh, and don’t get me wrong…..my Nikon isn’t going anywhere.  I love that camera and it serves me well.  It’s just that when “on the run”, smaller and lighter makes a big difference.

So…the camera I have been thinking on is a Panasonic 4/3 camera.  Its compact size, yet interchangeable lenses make this so enticing.  The price is not bad, either.  The biggest plus with this camera is the fact that is is about the same size (without lens) as my little Panasonic point and shoot!

I have read and reread the reviews given for the model I would like to get, and they are pretty good reviews, indeed! In fact,  one or two of the reviews have stated that the Panasonic was bought to replace the big Nikon -SLR’s.  No way for me….I love my Nikon and whenever possible, it is always, always my first choice! I do like the photos I get from the Panasonic, though. They really are good quality.

Okay, so enough of the dreaming for now.  Here are a couple of photos from my cell phone.

The first, my Wee Angus of Bristolwood. (and yes, that is his “proper” name!)

This photo was taken at the cabin we stayed at at Allegany State Park.  I love his big nose and shiny eyes! (When my mother had my Kiltie the Scottie, she often referred to him as “shoe button eyes”!) I would love to play with this photo a bit more, as it almost has an oil-painting texture and feel to it.  Angus is such an awesome little subject. He never complains and nearly always complies!

The second photo was taken today. Not sure why, but some years, my holly bush has few red berries on it. This year, there is an abundance!

One last photo, and this one taken by the Nikon, of Murphy and Michelle….

I must admit….I scratched my head and wondered what, exactly,  I would use for this week.  We were on a mini-vacation the past several days,  attending the Buffalo Sabres Development Camp.  (hockey) 

Well, yesterday, we decided to take a little trip to Lewiston, New York,  and in so doing, I came upon what I think is an awesome depiction of the theme “Free”! 

These statues are a tribute to the many brave people of Lewiston, who stood for what they believed, helping slaves who escaped from the south cross over to Canada where they would truly be free! 

I was so disappointed that it was pouring down rain in torrents when I took these photos, but in looking back, it was profound, really.  Many of the slaves crossing over the river faced much worse adverse conditions such as bounty hunters and the uncertainty that they would be able to make it.  If you have a few minutes, I have also included the story board below which gives a good desription of the statue.

As I stood photographing this statue in the rain (I am ever so gratedul to my trusty little Panasonic camera which also provided last week’s entry!!)  I felt so overwhelmed by the very presence of this statue.  It  made me wonder….would I have also laid my life on the line like the brave souls of Lewiston?

Last year, as my daughter and I sat in our cute little inflatable kayaks on Canandaigua Lake,  I was able to get pretty close to a beautiful Eagle perched in a tree near the lake.  I sat, awestruck that I was allowed this glorious view of a most amazing bird!  As I watched, the bird suddenly spread its wings……

and lifted up into the air!  The open wings were incredible!

The only downside to this adventure was that I was using my little Panasonic point and shoot camera. Oh, how I wished I could have had my D-SLR with me!

Isaiah 40:31

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint

After not participating in the Photohunt in what seems like forever, I am back!

Photo taken June 25, 2010, at Glen Iris Inn, Letchworth State Park, Castile, New York.

Cell phones, that is!

I got a new HTC Touch Pro 2 awhile back and have recently been experimenting with the camera on the phone.  The one drawback to the camera is that is has no flash on it.  Interesting concept,  but thus far,  I have not missed it at all.  I love natural lighting and I believe sometimes it can be used to cause the casual observer to look more intently, drawing said looker in!

I have been posting  my mobile photos in Facebook, as it is so incredibly easy to do.  After I take the photo, I merely poke at the screen a couple times with my finger, and voila!  My photos appear on Facebook!  I can probably do so here on my blog, but I’ve not figured that out….quite yet!  I am having a great deal of fun using my phone, though!

Another cool feature of the phone is that when I am talking to someone,  I can place the phone face down and it automatically switches to speakerphone, meaning I can use it hands-free.  And, (I found this so fascinating!) while it is in this mode, if I pick the phone up and pull the stylus out of the side,  up pops “Notes” so I can onveniently write down notes as I am talking.  Come on…how cool is that?

Okay, so those of you with Facebook,you have seen these photos and I apologize.  For those *not* on Facebook, here are my photos taken with my wonderful cell.  Oh, and guess what,  I get to use this tiny gadget to upload the photos from my cell’s mini SD card. (I set the key next to the card reader to show just how tiny it is!)

I know this phone will never take the place of my cameras, but it sure is fun playing with it!

Sometimes *delicious* is something very simple! 

 Last year, I had a bag of apples that were getting soft and mushy.  I didn’t feel like making a pie, so I suddenly had one of those moments when a great idea hits!

I cored the apples and mixed up a topping mix of butter, flour, sugar, oatmeal, and cinnamon. I put this inside the apples, leaving a little on top of each apple as well.  I baked them, then topped them with a dab of whipped cream after they cooled some!

                                                       ~DELICIOUS~

When I saw this week’s theme, I knew exactly what is the messiest job we do every year! Cuttting and splitting firewood makes a terrible mess, but I love the warmth from our woodstove *so* much!

This photo “only” shows the mess by the woodsplitter. When we are done, there are inches of bark and wood splinters all over the floor. It takes shovels to clean up afterward!