Shadow Shot Sunday - Birthday girls

Shadow Shot Sunday is the place for the many interesting lighting effects. Hosted by Tracy at Hey Harriet in the sunny land of Oz, we look all about, inside and out for the obvious and/or elusive shadow.

This week we look at my favorite ladies, the lovely Patti (mom) and Allegra (daughter). Tuesday December 29 is a special day as they share the same birthday. Lady Allegra will turn 21, as always, a great kid. Her date of delivery was in1988, a week lake, but worth it, the perfect birthday gift to Patti.

Patti was born in the 20^th Century, and that is all that I’ll say about that!

On the top, the firstborn arrived home on New Year's Day 1989. The shadow on the wall comes from the new mom admiring our new family member.

I took the first picture, but not the next two.

However, the light shadows complement the girls nicely as they were on a school trip to Paris awhile ago.

The beautiful spring day gives a warm shadows near the from the trees by the famous Champs-Élysées.

December 29 is a wonderful day, and the happiest of birthdays to these special ladies!

Sepia Scenes - Tinseltown

Grandpa loved big Christmas Trees. He also loved tinsel on his big tree. And if he visited us on Christmas, he reserved the right to place the tinsel on our big tree (we always acceded - the grandkids loved to see Grandpa happily at work...)

Sepia Scenes is a great place to present a look at his big tinselly tree. The monochrome dulls the sheen a bit.

I thing that this is we are in about 1959 at their home on Oregon Avenue in Steubenville Ohio. There is Grandpa Ralph, Aunt Terry and Grandma Agnes dressed so nicely on this day. The print was color and washed out, so I went to B&W, converted to a light sepia. The era of the big tree looks just right here and the family is truly enjoying the holiday together...

Ruby Tuesday - Holiday Heirlooms

Ruby Tuesday this week is for a bit of nostalgia. The Christmas holiday arrives quickly, and since this is a holiday for kids of all ages, we go back to the day in 1993, with Allegra (almost 5) and Cameron (just turned 3). Santa was generous that season, and rubies are all around. A Radio Flyer wagon, a bowling set, a 'tool' kit, Snow White and the Dwarfs offer plenty of red.

Their sleepers also have a bit of ruby in their patterns. Let us not forget the Mickey ornament on the tree either. The two of them are happy and excited. The perfect family holiday!

Happy Holidays to all of the fun participants of Mary's always fun Ruby Tuesday!

Shadow Shot Sunday - Summer Wistfulness

The shadowy world is always in fashion at Hey Harriet's most excellent Shadow Shot Sunday.

We know that it is Summer in Queensland so it is warmer there than most of the US now. And with an approaching snowstorm that is poised to leave 12-16" (30-40 cm) or more by noon Sunday. So not only will it feel like Winter, it will look the part too. To prevent any seasonal blues, we can alter our psychology a bit.

We look to the summer on our patio instead. It is true that we want the warming sunshine now as we prepare for snow. Yet, we look for relief when the sun is strong, so the shadowy shade we seek.

The umbrella covers the table outside, and we luxuriate in shade on occasion. This day was in 2007, the patio was scrubbed down, the humidity was delightfully low, and the ambient temp was around 80°F (29°C). In all a delightful day to light a charcoal fire and burn cook food over the grille. And sit in the shade. and relax in the sun, with the snow to be later and we will deal with it then!

Looking at the Sky - November Fire

Tisha's Looking at the Sky allows the colors of the heavens to shine. Like here, the brilliance of the sky takes over the view, and we stare...

Perhaps it is the opaque condensation inside that we notice. Or perhaps the pastels. Maybe it is the brilliance of the sun peeking in at the window's edge.

All three work for me!

Given the date, I guess that it was a lot of 'warm' rain that left the moisture inside and a cold front that is passing. Since I do not know the specifics, the vivid colors outside this window will suffice for now...

Sepia scenes - Soft Snow

Surrounding snow, a nice take for Mary's Sepia Scenes. Unlike my previous snowy shot in Utah, this is Ansonia a few years ago after a wet snow. Hard to shovel, but beautiful to look at in the backyard. It adheres nicely to the branches and growth along the fences. Maybe in the Spring we will hire someone with a brush cutter to trim the unsightly in Summer looking brush. But only after a Winter when the snow transforms the yard from weedy to lovely in snow...

Note to readers, I had much spam piled onto my posts recently. So I had to resort to word verification. For a few days to dissuade the spammers hawking their wares online...

Ruby Tuesday - Wasatch Winter

Ruby Tuesday returns, the mere requirement being the inclusion of red. 

This week I am providing pictures from my brother Christopher. He and his family live north of Salt Lake City near the snowy Wasatch Mountains. 

Naturally, the winter is full of snow on the Salt Lake Basin. the wintery currents dropping frozen precipitation from the range nearby. Great skiing I am told! The University of Utah offers a fine ruby that stands out so nicely in this seasonal snow! Thanks Bro!

See rubies galore at Mary's fun site!

Shadow Shot Sunday - Chrome Shadows

From sunny Brisbane, Hey Harriet offers the meme Shadow Shot Sunday that is fun work that never tires us. We search for unique shadows almost incessantly, and without warning they appear, yet not always apparent at first glance.

Regular readers know I like old cars. Here the intrepid photographer sees a restored 1955 Ford Fairlane, resplendent in a rich burgundy paint. And with blindingly bright chrome that these old land yachts carried acres of. The shadow I am interested in is in the curvaceous rear bumper. The thin shadow follows the curb (kerb?) from the sidewalk over and up, following the edge of the shiny steel contour. Of course, the photographer leaves a shadow on the sidewalk - why not participate in this shadowy world, too??

The front bumper sits on the sunny side of the street, so the shadows are even less apparent. The most obvious one sits under the chassis, with the equally curvy contour replicating the 1955 stylish Ford arc. The more subtle one seems the be the reflection of (who else but?) me. In my 'chair, I seem to be surrounded by a snaky shadow created by the brilliant sunny orb in the background.

Yes, looking for shadows is a task we never tire of. See the great photo artists from all parts of the globe at this most fun meme!

Looking at the Sky - The Sky, The Bliss

Looking at the Sky gives us a reason to continue our look upward and onward.

Patti and I were at a wedding of one of Patti's newspaper colleagues a few years ago. The ceremony was held outside, at a facility along beautiful Candlewood Lake in Western Connecticut.

Low 70s temperatures and low humidity. The facility was super, the grounds well manicured and the string trio were wonderful accoutrements. But the sky, so blue with the fairest weather clouds portends the beginning of married life. We see the sky as symbolic of a beautiful relationship and life for the couple from this day forward.

See the heavenly views from all over at Tisha's fun meme!