Sunday, August 30, 2009

Wedding @ GREENTREECLUB.com









Last time we were at the GreenTree Country Club, 538 Davenport Ave, New Rochelle NY,
We brought a horse for the bride to ride on the beach... This time we had just as much fun! Every wedding is different and we look forward to them all! Julie and Mayur were great sports and the DJ was wonderful, check out www.PEPNYC.com... What a special day!

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

SNUG-HARBOR.ORG









Nice to photograph an event that's walking distance from my studio in Staten Island. Anna and Michael are so special, I knew that right away, I love romance and they love each other! I tell all my couples if you're getting married, lets have some fun!!!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

The Death of Rocket Power

Rocket Power

It started like an ordinary day. I was cleaning out a storage room in the back yard when my daughter, Christy, and her 4-year-old son, Raymers, arrived. Before I could get out to greet them, Raymers came running in excitedly exclaiming "Grammy, you've got to see this.. come on!!" I asked what I had to see. He said, "a baby bird fell out of a house and its all dead!!!"

So I went out to see the hapless bird and, sure enough, there it was lying in the carport below a birdhouse. Christy found a flowerpot close at hand and scooped the baby bird up in it. She gave the pot to Raymers when he insisted on holding it. Christy and I discussed what one does with a dead bird, and decided the proper thing would be to bury it. Raymers asked what "bury" meant and we explained as well as we could to an impressionable 4 year old. Raymers said, "NO YOU CAN'T BURY HIM, HE"S MY PET!!..................... ", and after a pause, “my dead pet."

At this point Christy and I both lost it. We didn't just laugh, we howled. Raymers looked at us so seriously and we tried very hard not to laugh.

I went in to change my pants…

When I got back out Christy had convinced Raymers we needed to bury his "pet" and then suggested we bury him in the garden. Raymers stated an emphatic "NO.. WE CAN'T BURY HIM IN THE GARDEN.. HE'LL GET TILLED BY PAPA!!!!"

Up until this point Christy and I were still laughing; trying to hide it but still hysterically laughing. With the “bird getting tilled” remark we doubled over laughing again. We were both in pain and telling each other to “STOP IT”.. Poor little Raymers was watching us with a confused look and still being totally serious. He kept asking us "why are you laughing?". Christy, with tears streaming down her cheeks, explained to her confused son that we weren’t really laughing.. we were sad and were crying. How else would you explain our hysterics to a child attending his first funeral?

We decided the bird might, indeed, get tilled if we buried him in the garden and instead we found a corner by the fence that had been tilled so the ground was soft but was out of the "Papa might till again" area. Christy dug a hole and Raymers poured the bird out of the flowerpot into the grave. We were still weak from laughing and couldn't see for the tears in our eyes but Christy managed to ask Raymers if he wanted to name the bird. Raymers looked into the hole at the bird; it’s graying skin showing through the scattering of white feathers, its head twisted weirdly to one side, one leg almost gone, one skinny pink “elbow” where a wing could one day have been, and said seriously "his name is Rocket Power".

I went in to change my pants…

After we finished burying Rocket Power, Christy built a little cross and we talked about Rocket going to heaven. Raymers wisely stated, "yes he will go to bird heaven". As we carried the cross out to put it in the ground, Raymers said, seriously, "I hope we don't stick it in the baby bird".

I went in to start the washer…..

Raymers found two more dead birds that summer and both were given a proper burial and laid to rest beside Rocket Power. Eventually the crosses were pulled from the ground and nailed to the fence as a permanent monument to the Rocket Power family.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Bambi - Sunday Archives

Could it get any cuter? This little black-tailed deer was standinig next to a dirt road with his mother. When I stopped to get a shot, he looked up at me with his bright curious eyes and his ears all perked up. I love how you can see the light through the ears.

Bambi

Originally posted 11/23/2006

Friday, August 21, 2009

Sailing In The Bay

Leaving Portland and headed to the Oregon Coast. This is a bay near North Bend Oregon. If you look closely you can see the North Bend bridge in the background.

Sailing in the Bay

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Noble Rot - Get Up Here!

More from my Portland Oregon trip. Portland is known for being "different" and many Portland folks I know pride themselves in being weird. It isn't only the people that are weird.

This restaurant is called Noble Rot and the sign says Get Up Here! Its on the top floor of a large building.

Noble Rot - Get Up Here

The building itself is beautiful and fascinating. It takes up a big part of a block and the windows all around the building have this art work. It looks like it could be an apartment building. I love the building but it makes me wonder if the occupants are ok with the windows being mostly blocked by the art.

Window Art

Monday, August 17, 2009

A Fashion Statement

I took this shot the last time I was in Portland. I was actually taking a picture of something else nearby when I noticed this guy standing in front of this window and then, of course, this became the real shot. I love this shot. I'm sure this guy didn't even realize where he was standing while talking on the phone. :)

Yes, Dear, I'm alone

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Rustic Wheel - Sunday Archives

I've decided to start a new feature on my blog called Sunday Archives. I'll be posting some of my favorite shots from the almost-4-years I've been blogging. Most will be newly edited since I had no idea what I was doing when I started. :)

Wheel and Thistles

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Monkey Business - Camera Critters

This series is a combination of 4 posts I made on my Wildlife Safari blog 3 1/2 years ago. It tells a sweet story about a gibbon ape I have become quite fond of.

Feb 11 2006
You never see this gibbon ape without her stuffed companion. She drags it everywhere. If she needs her hands to climb, she uses her feet to hold her friend.

Sometimes she just sits and hugs it.

Amazingly, she always seems to hold it right side up

Do ya think it needs a good bath? :) Of course it would probably be too traumatic for her if they tried take it away to wash it.

**************************************************************************
Feb 25 2006
There was a strange happening at the Wildlife Safari today. On Feb 11 I introduced an ape that has a stuffed monkey she carries everywhere. Today she was pulling the stuffing out of him. I think the first bit was an accident.

After awhile she was purposely pulling the stuffing out. She tasted it but evidently didn't like it and then she rubbed it on her face. I'm sure she was confused about what was coming out of her best friend. It's sad because she is going to wonder what happened to it. I hope one of the park employees patches it up for her

I didn't see how it ended. She was just staring at it when I left.
*************************************************************************
March 4 2006
I am very pleased to bring you the next chapter in the monkey with a monkey saga. Today at the Safari I was delighted to find the stuffed monkey back all puffed and stuffed and in excellent repair. I was even more delighted to find the monkey was swinging her newly recovered friend :)

All is good in the primate world...
***********************************************************************
April 1 2006 - Exciting news!

Where before there was one ape who carried a stuffed monkey everywhere she went, there are now two apes and no sign of the stuffed monkey. I assume the new one is a male. He is larger than the original ape.

They're still getting to know one another. He spends a lot of time running around, moving close to her and then running around again.

She spends a lot of time putting him in his place :) I expect they will become great friends and mates.
Be sure to check out other Camera Critters here

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Barn, Blackberries Vines and a Roll of wire

I didn't notice the little roll of wire hanging from the fence when I took this shot. Now I love it. I think it adds more character to the picture.

Barn and Roll of Wire

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Elephant Car Wash - Camera Critters

The bottom part of this sign said "guaranteed not to get your car clean"

This is something new at the Wildlife Safari. It costs $20 to have the elephants wash your car and you get to get out and take photos.

I have mixed feelings about this. In a way it feels like exploitation of the animals but on the otherhand I know these elephants love getting out and doing things like this. And this is a non-profit organization and the animals have to be fed and cared for. Plus I know how well the Wildlife Safari takes care of the animals.

For the car wash the elephants squirt water on the cars and pick up sponges and wipe them over the vehicles.

Elephant Car Wash

Be sure to check out other Camera Critters here

Friday, August 7, 2009

Orange Sky - SkyWatch Friday

The colors in this sky were amazing. There was nothing close by that the sunset would make a perfect background for, so I just had to snap what was there.. a few lights lights and this tree.
Orange Sky

Check out other SkyWatch Friday posts here

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Wishing

I wish I had a house at the end of this road.... A big old two story house with a wrap-around porch.... a few chickens scratching in the back yard.. and a noisy rooster to wake me at dawn. I wish frogs and crickets sang in chorus late into the night and a little stream ran by (that never overflowed it banks) with rippling water to lull me to sleep each night.

I wish I knew what was at the end of this road....

Country Roads

Monday, August 3, 2009

Old Building on Garden Valley Loop Road

What do you think this old building used to be? It sits in the back yard of a modern house looking very out-of-place. It is very tall and narrow. I thought maybe a school or church because of the area for a bell on top. It would be too small for a church I think, more like a one room school house. But it is built strange whatever it is. Any thoughts?

I don't do a lot of black and whites but this old building almost demanded it.

Old Building on Garden Valley Road

www.ExcelsiorGrand.com again!







Danielle and Rob waited til the last minute to book their photographer, (www.FineArtfotos.com )without their videographer Geoorge Steuber of TOTAL VIDEO ENTERTAINMENT (www.tvenyc.com) insisting they needed one they would have surely missed out on our delightful, candid memories...

Saturday, August 1, 2009

The Gate

Mandy from Mandy’s Meanderings honored me by writing some lovely words to go with this photo. Thanks Mandy

linked fences
wildflowers grow tall
in the field behind

love from mandy


The Gate

So much for the rule of thirds. I tried several ways to crop this so the gate part wasn't right in the center but it just didn't work any other way.