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As someone who lives and walks this city daily…my blog is all about delving a little deeper, seeing what it has to offer, and capturing the true essence of New York City. Whether you live in Gotham, or just visiting…feel free to look around my blog. Bet you might find something new to do!
P.S. As of the end of April 2013 my more personal postings will now be at The Next Few Years.
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Tag Archives: virginia
the quintessential dutch home
And of course I have to toss in this little beauty captured in Virginia!
the backroads of holland
Give me a secondary road to travel any day…and that’s what the girls provided me during my two day excursion through their country. I’ll let my captures, instead of words, explain this pastoral countryside!
And of course during the visit last week with my parents in Virginia, we discovered some backroads too where the autumn color was spectacular…the Blue Ridge Parkway…
More to come! Thank you too for all of your visits and comments. They mean the world to me!
the real holland
This trip to Europe provided me an opportunity to meet face-to-face with two kindred spirits that I’ve befriended over the internet. Ginnie (left) is very involved in the Vision and Verb blog that connects women from all over the world through “vision” (our photography) and through “verb” (our writing) which I’m a proud member and contributor. That’s how we got to know each other. And through Ginnie, I met Astrid (middle) her spouse. Imagine the excitement (and apprehension!) of meeting these gals and getting to experience the real Holland! Within minutes of being picked up at the hotel in Amsterdam, the three of us felt as if we’d known each other for years. What could be more perfect than meeting new friends who love photography as much as I do and getting to see parts of Holland that many people would never experience. So the next few upcoming posts, I’ll share with you their country, the real Holland.
Within no time we were out of Amsterdam and heading into the most beautiful pastoral countryside towards their home. How did they know? We’d never discussed the topic of adult beverages so what a surprise when we stopped at Wijnhandel van Ouwerkerk in the small town of Arkel near their community, Gorinchem.
Well as many of you know…I ♥ wine. Oh my, I could’ve parked myself in this location and photographed and drank myself to oblivion. A business that started in 1860 and has been passed down from father to son with much enthusiasm, knowledge and expertise…and even better? Wabi-sabi everywhere! Not only do they sell wine, but every imaginable wine memorabilia that exists must be in this location. The sales area and tasting rooms were filled with vintage bottles, antique mirrors and furniture, glassware, art, you name it…and all tastefully pulled together. An exquisite introduction to the real Holland and of course the complimentary pour of aged Kopke port didn’t hurt either!
Before continuing with the next post…and since the subject of wine came up…just had to share a capture of a vineyard that is within 10 minutes of my parents farm in Virginia and beside the home place/farm where my father grew up. It couldn’t have been at a better time to experience Valhalla Vineyards during autumn!
More to come!
Posted in Travel
Also tagged Amsterdam, Arkel, Gorinchem, Holland, Kopke port, Valhalla vineyards, Wijnhandel van Ouwerkerk
7 Comments
anne frank house in amsterdam
I long to ride a bike, dance, whistle, look at the world, feel young and know that I’m free.
Anne Frank
A visit to the hiding place where Anne Frank wrote her diary during the second World War will be a visit you will never forget. Unfortunately photography was not permitted in the house, but the impact of experiencing the small rooms where the family lived for two years in mostly silence leaves an imprint on the heart that won’t be easily forgotten.
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On a side note…this is what I woke up to on my first morning in Virginia…
view from the farm
And speaking of leaving an imprint on the heart…later in the day I took a walk with my daddy…
And this is the beauty we experienced…
Also a feeling I’ll always remember…
animal speak
Well the past two weeks here in Virginia have been filled with so many encounters with deer, that it made me eager to reference the symbolism and the meaning of their appearance. So out comes my trusty book, Animal Speak by Ted Andrews.
Deer represent instinctual energy, independence, and regeneration, which stems from their antlers being shed and re-grown each year. This instinctual energy that deer represent tells us to trust our gut reactions, because those instincts will tell us when to fight or flee. Deer also symbolizes the gentle, enticing lure of new adventures. Should a deer come into your life, look for new perceptions and degrees of perceptions to grow and expand for as long as the next five years (deer shed and grow their antlers for five years).
Wowza! After reading about it, I most certainly welcome the deer into my life!
Oh, and by the way…do you know that deer can scream? Yep, heard it with my own two ears. On one of my early morning walks into the woods with only the sounds of acorns dropping…she startled me and I startled her and off she went screaming deep into the woods. A sound I’d never heard before. Well sure enough, a google search informed me that deer will use a continuous and uncontrollable scream as their distress call. All I can say is that I’d never believe it had I not heard it myself!
Have you ever heard a deer scream?
summer in the city – naked cyclists
in the city - philly naked bike ride
As we leave August’s summer in the city…I’m heading off to the farm (Virginia) for a couple of weeks…but just had to finish the month by sharing a few captures from Philly’s Naked Bike Ride! So what’s up with the Naked Bike Ride you might ask? Well how about 2,600 cyclists gathered to promote cycling advocacy, raise awareness about fuel consumption and of course to promote a positive body image!
I’ve always wanted to photograph one of these rides, but typically the public is not made aware of the event’s location until the last minute…which means you just have to be at the right place at the right time to view. So imagine my delight when walking out of a Starbucks while in Philadelphia, the riders just happened to be cycling down the street allowing me a few minutes of pure bliss snapping photos!
Now please note, riders were informed if they don’t want someone to film or photograph them, they must print out “This photo was taken without Permission” sign attached to their bike or body. Funny how I never saw one of those signs! (Note…I did capture some great individual shots, but I’ll be entering a few in a photography contest later in September...and if by chance something comes of it…you’ll be the first to see!)
Don’t know about you, but I’m ready for sweatshirt kind of weather along with the crunch of leaves beneath my feet! More from the farm as we head into September…
Posted in Summer in the City, Travel
Also tagged farm, philly naked bike ride, Summer in the City
5 Comments
cope
my version of Vera's cope
Before leaving for Virginia, I was eager to see the new installation of the large scaled sculptures placed along Riverside South, at the Hudson River, like they did last year. The Art Students League of New York, for the second year, presents the Model to Monument Program (M2M), a collaboration with the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation. A total of eight new sculptures have been placed along the river to be viewed until June of next year. You can learn more about the program and sculptures here.
After returning from my trip, a stroll along the river was in order just to catch my breathe and regroup…and I was immediately drawn to Damien Vera’s sculpture titled Cope. Beautifully written, here’s his inspiration behind his work:
Change is inevitable and necessary for progress and innovation. While we humans are affected greatly by the constant flux in our environment, most of the change in our lives comes from ourselves. A significant part of change is processing the new information presented and adapting to a new situation. Sometimes these events are fortuitous, other times it can be a tremendous personal, emotion, or physical loss. Gain, loss, and adaptation are the very nature of flux. I designed Cope to incorporate this idea with the feelings of solitude and reflection that I sense in the site itself. The monument’s towering pillars evoke these primal elements to create a personal, visceral experience.
How poignant coming off a week of many experiences and emotions!
Happy Fourth of July everyone!
Posted in Public Art
Also tagged Damien Vera, Hudson River, M2M, Model to Monument, The Art Student League of New York
2 Comments
rebirth on the farm…
Looking out from my parent’s home in Virginia, the views are breathtaking…the Blue Ridge mountains in the distance, the views of what used to be a large portion of the working farm, now mostly developed into neighborhoods, but still lush and green. Over the years, on the hillside, my parents have planted numerous butterfly bushes and many have reproduced on their own. For those of you who aren’t familiar, well…it’s a bush that attracts butterflies. They have bright flower colors of purples, blues, reds, and have a wonderful fragrance that attracts butterflies like bees on honey.
So what’s so special about all of this? Well, it’s been two years now since my sister passed away. Her wish was to be cremated and several weeks after the service, we had a smaller, more intimate service here on the farm to spread her ashes. We all loved the thought of spreading them around the butterfly bushes so we picked a pretty purple one. Imagine our delight (and surprise!) when the butterflies from all the other bushes decided to pay tribute as well. They all gathered on the bush. Since then, this particular bush has flourished and clearly from the photo below, the butterfly bush on the right totally outshines the others.
Now it’s important to note that my sister who passed is a twin. (Not my twin, but my other sister.) So once again imagine our delight (and surprise!) this week…and I kid you not…when twin fawns were born underneath the butterfly bush. I’ll leave you with these photos to ponder such an amazing and beautiful event!
And then of course it was time to get out in the sun and explore this brand new world!
state of emergency in virginia
Gregory Electric convoy on Interstate 81
It’s been a grueling few days…with lots to tell…but I’ve never seen anything so inspirational as seeing this on the way from Virginia to NYC on Interstate 81 resulting from the power outages from the deadly storms in Virginia… More to come from this week on the farm…without power…with 100 degree temperatures!
delivering transformers in Virginia
a dream come true…
As a child in the late 1950′s, my favorite book was Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry. A book about wild ponies running free on a small island off the coasts of Virginia and Maryland. I’m sure you know what’s coming next. Yep, one of many items on my bucket list…a visit to Chincoteague and Assateague Islands in the Chesapeake Bay area to experience first hand the land of Misty.
Wild ponies on Assateague Island
In the book, one of the ponies, Phantom, is the mysterious of them all. A rarely seen wild mare that evades all efforts of being captured…until a young boy and girl lay eyes on her and decides they can’t live without her. A creature forever of the wild, she brings to the island a gentle, loyal colt Misty and the story unfolds…
There’s no better way to explore the remote areas around the islands than by boat and especially during the evening hours. After much research and reading many rave reviews, Daisey’s Dockside Nature Cruises was the chosen one. The Daisey’s were among the original settlers of Chincoteague and their love for the island has been passed down through generations.
Immediately upon arriving at the boathouse, we were greeted by friendly staff, introduced to our captain and led to an exceptionally clean and extremely comfortable 24-foot pontoon boat. Limited to six passengers to each boat, plenty of room was available to relax and move around in preparation for an evening filled with oohs and ahhs. To our delight, the excursion featured views of the world-famous wild ponies, dolphins, bald eagles and all kinds of other birds in their native habitat.
Besides the incredible tranquility of the scene, our captain – Nate – a life-long “Chincoteaguer” was the best. Knowledgeable, caring, funny…a true southerner…you immediately felt part of the Daisey family straightaway. Not at all in a hurry, our two hour cruise went into overtime without a concern in the world. An evening cruise turned sunset cruise and then a moonlight cruise as we headed to better viewing areas north of the islands. A bucket list item come true and one that will always remain in my heart, just as Misty has all of these years.
Sunset in the Chesapeake Bay
Bucket Lists. Some people believe in them…others do not. Personally, I’ve always felt if you write down your goals and dreams you’re more apt to accomplish them. Are you a believer?
(Cross-posted over at Vision and Verb where a collaborative group of like-minded women
from all over the world share their passion for photography and the written word.)
