Yesterday

Yesterday, my Mother and I spent the day driving north and west here in Virginia, to capture some of the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains before winter comes.

This was a favorite pastime of my father’s and mine, as we would spend hours driving the dirt roads of Vermont, stopping here and there to snap a photo or two. Loving what the land offered our souls but loving more, our time together. He’s been gone 8 months now…but it still feels like…Yesterday.

I’m glad my Mother appreciates and allows me to side track us any time we are out, and yesterday was no exception. But it’s impossible to do without thinking about Dad and remembering all of our…Yesterdays.

Yesterday. Just the word brings to mind the song, doesn’t it?
The problem is, the original lyrics don’t fit my yesterday, so maybe I can come up with some that will, could, maybe, fit into my…Yesterday

Yesterday
All the clouds just seemed to melt away
So the sun could shine and birds could play
Oh how I loved my yesterday

Suddenly, I’m not standing where I used to be
I’m outside so I can truly see
What yesterday did share with me

Why tears start to flow?
I don’t know, it’s just that way
Dad flashed through my mind
How I long for yesterday

Yesterday
He’d have loved this simple day away
It was how we used to spend these days
Oh, just to have one yesterday

Why he had to go?
I don’t know, he couldn’t stay
But I knew he was there
He’s in all my yesterdays

Yesterday
Love came through in such a special way
As I stood before what he would say
Was prove he’s never gone away

Yesterday…for my father

I Believe in Signs!

TRAVEL THEME: LETTERS

Alisa at Where’s my backpack has a travel photo challenge, and as this appears to be my new hobby (challenges), I thought I’d jump into this one.

When I first saw the theme, I thought of letters. You know, snail mail letters, like this one I received from one of the busiest blogger/vloggers I know! My friend Paula Acton in the UK. She even wax sealed it for me like the blogging Queen she is!

But on seeing the entries, I realize most are of letters.

Words. Letters. You know, like the alphabet.

And boy, do I have those!!!

So many in face, I think I’ll collage them to save space and you from becoming insanely bored! 🙂

1.) The world of words being a New England (and the Bal’more O’s of course) sports fan

2.) The words of the places I love to eat, drink, and be ~~mary~~ (oops) merry

3.) Advertising is all about letters making words that drive us to WANT, NEED, CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT! And I saw a story in this group…can you? (Not to worry…all in fun. I LOVE ooze and wine!)

4.) Famous words that drew me to interesting places while in London

5.) And lastly (I know what you’re thinking…phew right?) But, lastly some local favs

These letters may not be the same as writing or receiving a letter…but as letters go…these’ll do nicely!

Cheers 🙂

It was there all along…

The Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge this week is: (Extra)ordinary – Mundane and meaningful objects. Beautiful everyday things. This week, surprise us with something or someone (extra)ordinary

Seeing the world through a lens is as second nature to some of us as changing our underwear.

Would you leave the house without changing your underwear?

No…nor I think, would you leave the house without your third eye…correct?

Anyway…for people like us, (the underwear changing kind) seeing the Extra in the Ordinary is really just a matter of perspective.

We see it everywhere in every thing…eventually.

Sometimes, it’s in the reason we stop and shoot.

And sometimes, it’s in the 5th or 10th or 30th shot with minute changes in a particular subject.

But most of the time (at least for me) it’s often just a change of perspective…moving my focus, moving my feet, or just plain, being moved.

Below are some of my photos that I believe are Extra-ordinary. Not because they are great photos, because they are not. Some are pretty good, some are damned good, but some are just okay.

And I’m good with that. What I appreciate about all of them, is that by changing my perspective, choosing to shoot in less than favorable conditions, or focusing on the emotion of them and therefore hopefully translating it to the picture, more often than not, bring out the Extra in some of the more everyday, mundane, and ‘it’s just a sunset’, pictures.

Thanks for looking and here’s to more of the Extra in all of our Ordinaries.

And by all means, click on the photos to get the ‘extra’ full size effect. lol

Cheers 🙂

When a beautiful ocean sunset... — **When a beautiful ocean sunset…**

...become 'extra' for the frond silhouette — **…becomes ‘extra’ for the frond silhouette**

**When a lone fishing boat surrounded by sea birds becomes ‘extra’ for the blanket of morning sea mist**

**Or when a lonely cabin in the middle of acres of dormant farm land becomes haunted and ‘extra’ for the snow fog quietly taking over**

**When I capture a magnificent ‘*bird of prey*‘, I’m not yet thinking..**.

**…about who he becomes when zeroing in on this beautiful ‘*bird who prays.* For me, they both become the ‘extra”**

IMG_0023 (2) — **When a sunset becomes so much more, has so much ‘extra’, when captured on a day the sky is teaming with the right combination of pollutants. Pollution as extraordinary? Extraordinary!**

1015230_10201188597627895_1558047865_o (2) — **When what the ocean throws away that which is more beautiful than anything than man can make…it becomes ‘extra’**

1040100_10201276390022650_1394358944_o — **And when the ocean captures and transforms what man has left behind, and turns it to something beautiful…it has that ‘extra’**

**Or when a forgotten church, surrounded by shadows of life forgotten…seen from a distance, and imagining its history…it becomes the ‘extra’**

We all have our prisons…

Cee’s Black and White Photo Challenge this week is themed Small Subjects.

I was instantly reminded of a photo I took a few years ago while still in the north, sitting on the steps of my home watching my husband and brother try to load a riding mower on a trailer.

That was a good day and it ended with me posting a rather comical post that sadly, fell victim to the maniacal, menopausal-mayhem, murder of my original blog Help Me Rhonda.

Anyway…while I have a think and a good chuckle about that day, and try to let go of the stupidity of deleting myself, I’ll share my Small Subject entry with you.

I call it – Concrete Jungle

S L I T H E R I N ‘

“Shannon’s Creative Photo Challenge: Spooky/Mysterious”

What spooks me?

Ummmmm

If you slink and slither…YoU WiN!!!

**Me thinks this Babe in Armour needs a good Mani-Pedi! Any volunteers?**

**Alright already…wish she’d stop glarin’ at me. It was just a suggestion. Eeeew**

**That’s it. I’m not sticking around to find out! Ugh**

**The lady in white herself – Bella Luna – Um…yeah Spookity Spook!**

It’s Yellah

FLOWER OF THE DAY – OCTOBER 14, 2015

Hi gang! For Cee’s Flower of the Day today, I’m choosing one of my favorite and longest lasting blooms…the African Daisy.

While I adore taking pictures of them, it’s rare that I get any I like because I have this “thing” with taking photos of yellow! More often than not, they are washed out…almost like it’s a white balance thing. Is it a white balance thing?

As I continue working toward capturing vibrant yellows that retain some detail…there is something to be said about this problem when I shoot these daisies in a certain light.

They look almost as if the light were coming from inside and that is the only reason I kept this series. They almost look cartoonish but for the red pot in the background.

Anyway, I like them and hope you do too.

Happy yellah….R

ONE WORD – AUTUMN

A one word photo challenge.

Keeping things to one word is certainly a challenge for me!

And so is keeping it to one photo 🙂

Ha…not what she meant, I’m sure.

Anyway, here’s my entry for Jennifer’s One Word Photo Challenge: Autumn

My favorite time of year in my favorite place to be…Autumn in Vermont

TAG…You’re It!

CEE’S FUN FOTO CHALLENGE: MAN-MADE ITEMS

Graffiti and Murals

Considering the amount of PRIME tagging surface in and around the city of London, I was amazed and impressed that the graffiti artists show so much respect for their city by adding creative value where they doodle rather than taking value away by defacing beautiful architecture. (Either that, or the laws for graffiti are so tough it’s not worth getting caught!)

Anyway you look at it, what graffiti and murals I did find, were photo worthy and I’m happy to share them here, as well as some from the coastal town of Whitstable, where I was lucky enough to plant my arse in the same seat where Peter O’Toole planted his! True story 🙂

This mural, painted high up on the side of an old building, is meant to depict the royal family. I don't know if it's offensive to them, but personally, I think it rocks! — **This mural, painted high up on the side of an old building supposedly depicts the royal family. I don’t know if it’s offensive to them, but personally, I think it rocks!**

These three were painted on the walls surrounding an area kids use for skateboarding and bike tricks. It's quite clever what they've done and the murals are fantastic! — The above three pieces of wall art, are on the walls and a concrete column surrounding an area kids use for skateboarding and bike tricks. It’s quite clever what they’ve done and the murals are fantastic! And yes, that’s OUR fearless leader; so popular in Bonny Ol’ England. That’s something huh?

Glad we cleared up who the author is right? Would hate not knowing! :) — **Glad we cleared up who the author is right? Would hate not knowing!**
🙂

This one was just too cute to pass by...no clue what it means, but me likey — **This one was just too cute to pass by…no clue what it means, but me likey**

Graffiti's answer to the Rorschach test? — **Graffiti’s answer to the Rorschach test?**

Talk about creative! This is actually a beach hut in Whitstable, painted entirely with these characters. Tiny though the beach hut is, it HUGE on fun — ***Talk about creative!***
***This is actually a beach hut in Whitstable, painted entirely with these characters.***
***Tiny though the beach hut is, it HUGE on fun***

And finally (blurrily?)... Life is Beautiful. Yes. Yes it is! — **And finally (blurrily?)…**
**Life is Beautiful.**
**Yes. Yes it is!**

Flower Power

FLOWER OF THE DAY – OCTOBER 12, 2015

Flowers are the jewels in Mother Nature’s crown. They are also perfect subjects for a budding photographer. Their inspiration knows no bounds.

I am born to serve
An open invitation
To be exploited

ODD-BALLING it again :)

Cee’s Odd Ball Photo Challenge – Week #41

Where does one put photos like these?

Maybe I should re-think my categories?

Now that I’m taking them out of the miscellaneous crap folder, maybe I should give them their own homes?

Could I create folders like…

“Places to park your arse” or maybe “Thrones” ?

(not that Pete was a king but heeeeello)

And could I also use…

“Places NOT to park your arse” ?

(ouch…get visitors much?)

And who couldn’t fill a folder with…

“Faces only Mummies can love”?

Oh but then, wouldn’t I have to include one for…

“Strange faces in stranger places”

There are many more of course. There always are. But no matter how I look at them…see them…I just can’t seem to let go of some of the odd bits that don’t seem to have a home of their own.

Yet.

Which is why I love this challenge!