In the Sticks

Richfield Springs is considered a village, not a town.  A village is smaller than a town, but larger than a hamlet.  A city is bigger than all of them.

I don’t live in a city.  I don’t live in a town.  I don’t live in a village.  I don’t even live in a hamlet.  Some people might say I live “in the sticks.”

Now, I don’t mind living in the sticks.  In fact, I kind of like it.  You never know what you’ll see when you look out the window.  Deer, turkeys, bunnies, horses…they’ve all roamed in my yard.  Why one morning I even woke up to find a herd of cattle grazing on my lawn.  Did I mention that I live in the sticks?

Which brings me to my point.  I may live next to nowhere, but with just a few clicks of a mouse, a window opens to anywhere in the world.  The World Wide Web, that is. 

My window to the world was abruptly shuttered last week when, without warning, my Internet service failed.  Suddenly, I was isolated…cut off from the rest of the universe…for nearly five days.  FIVE DAYS!  It was suffocating. 

I grew up without computers or the Internet.  In fact, I made it into my…well, let’s just say I was well into adulthood before the Internet was a household word.  Now I can’t live five days without my window-to-the-world?

Maybe I do mind living in the sticks!

Fourth of July

We Will Remember

We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.  ~Cynthia Ozick

Through My Lens

Yesterday the rain clouds parted and sunshine filled the sky…at least for a short while.  As the old saying goes, “Make hay while the sun shines”…and I did.

A lovely afternoon was spent in the company of a good friend.  As we walked and talked, this is what I saw through my lens:

Friends are the sunshine of life.  ~John Hay

Here’s my homework!

A few  months ago, a friend of mine (who lives out of state) asked me to photograph the neighborhood in Gloversville where she and her brother grew up.  Specifically, she asked me to take pictures of their family home, a little park across the street from their house, and the neighborhood school they attended (which is now a museum).

I turned this request into an assignment for my photo group, the Mohawk Valley Photographers.  Due to technical difficulties (my flash drive and Linda’s computer did not like each other), I was unable to show my assignment images at our photo group meeting this past Tuesday evening.  (There is definitely something to be said for old-fashioned paper prints!)

While I took many “straight” shots to send to my friend, I tried to make my assignment images a little more creative.  Finally…here’s my homework!   

 

And a very Happy Father’s Day to all of you dads out there!

Rhythmic Expressions

Last night my friend and her two daughters performed in a dance recital.  I was there to cheer them on…and to capture some memories!

At first I moved front and center to get my shots, crouching on the floor out of the line of vision of video cameras.  However, I thoroughly embarrassed myself when, trying to rise gracefully, I lost my balance and stumbled, nearly falling into some guy’s lap.

Needless to say, I was glued to my seat for the rest of the evening!

DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know…

…that the 1826 Round Stone Barn at Hancock Shaker Village is the only circular barn ever built by the Shakers?  This unique structure has been attracting visitors…including Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville…since its construction.


Did you know…
…that the Shakers really liked bright colors?

…as evidenced by their clothes, furniture, crafts

…and buildings!

Did you know…

…that the Shakers invented the flat broom?

The Shakers were a fascinating social and religious group who made many important contributions to American culture.