Maple Syrup Season

 A true harbinger of Spring. Our next door neighbor tapped the maple trees and the sap is already running into the buckets.

Another harbinger of change.......I used my camera for the first time today since November 2020 to take this shot. I stood on my covered deck out back to take it. 

I'm healing and am out of the boot and able to walk wearing a sneaker. Yay! I still have a significant limp and still don't have full range of motion and am walking with the assistance of a walker, but the progress I am making is significant. 

I hope all is well in your world!

Words For Wednesday 1/27/2021

 

"The fog of illusion,

the fog of confusion

is hanging all over the world"

----Van Morrisson

May the fog that we are living in lift soon!

Stay safe and healthy my friends. xxoo

Milky Way Killington VT

 As previously mentioned, I have some photos taken this past Fall that I haven't shared on the blog. Today's photo is a Milky Way shot that I took at Kent Pond in Killington. It was a very chilly night with very strong winds blowing across the pond. The water had waves and white caps as you would see along the ocean from the strong winds.

This was a perfect location for shooting the Milky Way, as it rose directly above the peak of Killington Mountain.

There was something really special about the night sky this particular evening. I have never seen so many stars, and such vibrant stars, in the Vermont sky as I did this particular evening. I'm not sure why but it was a gorgeous sight to see. 

 The trees in the forefront are not sharp due to the long shutter speed I used and the blowing winds. However, I still love this photo despite it's technical flaw.

Stay safe and well my friends. xxoo

Words For Wednesday 1/20/2021

"The new dawn blooms as we free it

For there is always light,

if only we're brave enough to see it

if only we're brave enough to be it"

---From "The Hill We Climb"

By Amanda Gorman

Inaugural Poem 1/20/2021

 

Cranberry Bog Harvesting

 Hi all. Before I go into the cranberry bog photographs, I'll take a moment to update you on the progress of my injuries. It's been 46 days (but who's counting) since the accident. I went to have x rays taken at the orthopedic Dr this week and I'm healing well. I finally got the ok to do some weight bearing in the air cast walking boot that I'm in. I will start going out for PT this week which I'm happy about. The Dr said it will be two more months before I'll be able to drive and resume normal activities. I'm trying to be positive and reminding myself I should be healed just in time for Spring......a time for new beginnings!

I haven't picked up my camera since November 28th.......a very long time for me. It's strange to say, but I actually haven't even had the urge to take any photos. Normally my shutter finger would be very itchy to get out there shooting. I'm sure once I'm able to be mobile I'll be itching to get back out with my camera. For now, I'm just healing, reading, watching tv and making plans for when I'm healed and can safely see all of my friends and loved ones. Speaking of that, I do have some good news to share. Although I'm out on a medical leave of absence from work, I was able to go in to the hospital in my wheel chair to get both of the covid vaccines. I just got the second one this week. With my medical history and being high risk, it is a HUGE weight lifted off of my shoulders and I'm so thankful that I have been vaccinated. 

Now on to some New England photography! I actually have some photos that I took this past Fall that never made it to the blog so I'm going to start sharing them. In mid October I was invited to go to one of the local cranberry bogs here on the South Shore of MA to take photos of the cranberry harvest. We have many cranberry bogs in this area, and it's always a treat to see the bogs being harvested each Fall.

This is a family owned bog and there were three generations at work the day I visited. These cranberries went to the Ocean Spray Company by the way!

This was a moment I was happy to capture. I could feel his joy to soak up some sun and it felt as though he was very happy and thankful to be working his families bog. 

The truck to load and transport the cranberries wasn't available on this day so the cranberries were hauled away the next day. It was a spectacular Autumn day and I'm happy to be bringing you a taste of Fall here in my neck of the woods

Stay safe and healthy my friends. xxoo

Merry Christmas

 Hi All. It's hard to believe that today is Christmas Eve and the year 2020 is almost over. What a year it has been for all of us. I got on the blog today and noticed that the last time I posted was on Thanksgiving. A lot has happened between Thanksgiving and now, and I'll explain to you the reason for my absence.

On December first, I was hit head on in a motor vehicle accident. After spending a few days in the hospital, I was able to come home via ambulance. The therapists in the hospital recommended that I be transferred to a rehab, but I refused to go to a rehab due to covid. I felt I would be safer in my own home and I don't regret that decision one bit. Mr. S took almost three weeks off from work to care for me. I'm receiving some PT and OT through the VNA and have a very long recovery ahead of me.

My right leg and foot bore the brunt of the impact and I have multiple broken bones in my leg, foot, ankle, and heel, with at least ten other smaller fractures throughout my foot. Although these injuries are pretty severe, I count my blessings every day as I know that things could be much worse. I'm going to work as hard as I can to make a full recovery, and although I may not fully recover back to 100 percent, I'm going to try my hardest to get back as much range of motion as I can. 

I haven't picked up my camera since November 28th, when I took some Christmas card photos for Miss J and her family. It was a beautiful November day, and we were blessed to have a "surprise" visit from Santa Claus!!!! Ryleigh immediately figured out who Santa Claus was and she couldn't stop laughing!!! (Mr S played the role of Santa) Poor Stevie, the middle child, was frightened of him and wanted nothing to do with him, and Joey, the youngest, was so excited to see him that he ran up and jumped into his arms. It was so precious! 

This photo about sums it up!

A few more photos....

Ryleigh

Stevie

Joey

I'm disappointed that I got hurt and couldn't take Christmas photos of my grandson Henry, but I'm looking forward to taking photos of him when I'm able to.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of the readers of this blog. I wish you nothing but good health and happiness this season. I truly consider myself very lucky and I'm remaining positive and thankful for the many blessings I have in my life. 

May peace be with you and your families. xxoo

Happy Thanksgiving

 From my family to yours, I want to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving.

This Thanksgiving may be different for you, and not look or feel the same. It's like things are blurred and out of perspective for us. Today at my diner table will just be Mr S, our son Jay who still lives at home, and myself. I will miss the rest of our family, but to keep us safe this is what we decided to do......as I know many other families have chosen to do the same thing. 

If you're feeling out of sorts today, I think it's ok to not be ok. Allow yourself to feel that way, but just try to remind yourself that your loved ones are safe (I hope) and that better days are ahead. 

These lyrics speak to me about the crazy turbulent times we've been dealing with throughout this entire year.

THANKFUL

by Josh Groban

Somedays, we forget to look around us

Somedays, we can't see the joy that surrounds us

So caught up inside ourselves

We take when we should give

So tonight we pray for

What we know can be

And on this day we hope for

What we still can't see

It's up to us to be the change

And even though we can still do more

There's so much to be thankful for.

Look beyond us

there's so much sorrow

It's way too late to say I'll cry tomorrow

Each of us must find our truth

It's so long overdue

So for tonight we pray for

what we know can be

And everyday we hope for

what we still can't see

It's up to us to be the change

And even though we all can still do more

There's so much to be thankful for.

Even with our differences

there's a place we're all connected

Each of us can find each other's light

So tonight we pray for,

what we know can be

And on this day we hope for

what we still can't see

It's up to us to be the change

And even though this world needs so much more

There's so much to be thankful for

Happy Thanksgiving my friends. I have so much to be thankful for. Stay safe and healthy. xxoo