A Techie, I'm Not

The coolest thing happened a couple of days ago. I was in kind of a rush to get out the door and made a very quick post about when my readers might find me over the next couple of weeks. The post referred to the local Christmas tree farm in Bethlehem, NH and several other places both in NH and VT. What I wasn't prepared for was how truly remarkable technology can be. I received an e-mail from the photography editor of the very organization that I had mentioned in my previous post. She wrote how her computer had alerted her to my blog entry when I mentioned the state managed farm and wanted to know if I was interested in providing them with photos for their quarterly magazine. This is a great opportunity for me to showcase my work and more than 25,000 subscribers will have that magazine in their hands. But, my head hurts when I think of the kind of programs there are out there scanning the Internet for all kinds of information, entries in blogs, e-mails sent and received and so on. If there's a lesson to be learned here it's be careful! Be careful what you write, who you send to and where you allow your credit card information to be given out. Most of the time, this caution isn't necessary and knowledge gained from the Internet is a wonderful thing. Just remember, all I did was make a remark about a craft fair location and someone in Concord, NH was notified about my post. In the meantime, the holiday season is in full swing and I, totally in need of having my head examined, have just gone into a new cooperative venture in Lancaster, NH. The shop is called "Birds Of A Feather" and will feature the talents of local artisans. I'll pay a monthly rent and need to staff the store one day each month as I do in Lisbon and Campton, NH. May this store be as successful!!!

The Season Is Almost Over

For the next three weekends, I'll be exhibiting my work at The Rocks, a Christmas tree farm in Bethlehem, NH which is part of the Society For The Protection Of NH Forests lands. It's a beautiful place with hundreds of acres to roam in all seasons and I do hope you can come by and visit with me. You can also see my work in Lancaster, NH on November 29th and in St. Johnsbury,VT at the Green Mountain Mall on December 20th-22nd.

Blessings Of The Season

Today is Thanksgiving, a day when we should be reflecting on how fortunate we are and giving praise to the Lord for what we have been given. This is not a sermon and while I consider myself a person of belief, I have many faults which are not the purpose behind this post. So today, before I began to enjoy my buffet dinner prepared by Warner's Gallery in Wells River, Vt. with my husband and mother, instead of being sad because I was not able to be with my children or other members of my family, I thought about what makes this day special for me. I have my health, plenty to eat and the love of family and friends around me. I have been blessed with a talent that I use to allow people to view nature the way I've been able to experience it and I enjoy listening to people say how beautiful my images are. Of course, filled with self doubt the way I am, I look at the work of others and feel so inadequate. This day, I am thankful for my children and their health and the blessings of grandchildren is no small thing either. So, when you read this post, even long after Thanksgiving, please take a moment, close your eyes and give thanks for the things that you have. Try not to dwell on what you are lacking. My guess is your life is full and rich and you aren't even aware of it.

It Was Inevitable

The weather has been too mild to be considered the beginning of the holiday season but there it is right there on my calendar. I tried to begin my Christmas shopping yesterday and wasn't in the mood. I even walked by an azalea bush with a few blossoms on it. talk about being confused. But, there was something different about the air when I left the mall. Call it a hunch or whatever but I could smell the snow coming. The air had a crisp almost fresh quality about it. It was like being out in the middle of the wilderness, miles from any road or factory, at dawn. The air becomes clean, unspoiled, almost new, as if all of the pollution had been filtered out overnight. It's hard to explain exactly what that type of air smells like and my family has, in the past, thought me nuts when I've mentioned that I could smell rain coming. They are always surprised when the rain begins to fall a few minutes later. So, I don't know why I found myself in that same condition when the flakes began to filter down from the heavens. The wind picked up with a fresh earnest and suddenly it was winter. Well, almost. The traffic slowed and everyone became cautious of the way they walked down the sidewalk. And so the transformation from late autumn to early winter had become complete. And i was dressed for late autumn.

A Note About Sun Dogs

Today, I had a small amount of vindication. My husband and I were headed down Rte 91 towards Lebanon, NH when I spotted a "sun dog". It may be called something else in other parts of the country but there it was, as plain as day, encircling the late afternoon sun. It wasn't as well defined as the one I had seen in Jackson, NH last year but, hey, a natural phenomenon is never the same twice. Each event is unique. Now, I'm not sure exactly what it is that causes the circular rainbow but I suspect it's ice crystals that are suspended high up in the atmosphere which the sunlight refracts through. If anyone knows the real deal, please leave a comment. Now I started this post with a mention about vindication. When I arrived at the Lebanon Art and Crafts Association Holiday Store to set up my exhibit, I asked another photographer if he had seen... Well, you know the rest of the story, right?

Does This Happen To You?

Have you ever been chatting with friends when the conversation swings around to a question being asked such as " Did you see that sunset last night?" or "How about those northern lights last evening?" ? If you've been in a situation like this, no matter what the question was, you have to wonder about these friends of yours. Did any of them call you, knowing that sunset would have been picture perfect? Did just one of them give you a call or drop an e-mail to let you know about those spectacular lights in the night sky that you've been dying to capture for years? The answer is always "NO". This happens to me quite frequently. And each time I ask the inevitable, "So, why didn't you give me a call?" The answer is always inevitable, as well. They didn't think about it until long after. Then, I ask where their photos are of the event in question and again I get a predictable answer that they didn't have their camera handy. I'm not sure which causes more frustration for me, being told about that incredible event or not being able to confront the hard evidence. In any case, let this post be a wake up call to all of you out there. The next time you witness something breathtaking, call a friend or even me, whoever is closest so they can enjoy nature's spectacular variety. We'll be in Lincoln, NH this weekend for a two day event so come on by and see some of my latest work.