10 on 10: Maple Syrup Festival 2016

We went the Maple Syrup Festival this year. It was different than last year . . . a warm day for late February and no snow at all. This winter we had pretty much no snow, which is rather disappointing. 

Also this year there were no incidents like last year where I almost did not make it up an ice-covered hill because I followed directions on my GPS that took me on a road that is not maintained in the winter. Actually this time, Dave even found on the website for the festival a warning not to follow GPS and turn on that road :) 

The funny thing is I was telling my mother about going this year and also about going last year and told the story about getting stuck on the hill (last year) and she still seemed worried about it . . . even though it was a year ago . . . she wondered what I would have done if I had not finally made it up the hill . . . again, it was a year ago and I did make it up. Water under the bridge, right? I guess, though, I'd better consider myself lucky, and I do.

We had fun, of course. The festival was much more crowded, but we still had enough of an opportunity to enjoy ourselves with the activities:

We stayed overnight at the same hotel as last year and ate at the same restaurant as last year. My son, who prides himself on his memory (and he should) was a little bothered that before we showed up at the restaurant he did not remember it. But as soon as we walked in and saw the 'periodic table of pizza', he remembered everything :)

The next day, we 'forced' our kids to stop at a state forest (they just wanted to go get lunch and then go home), but, I mean, as you can see they had fun on the unseasonably warm February day in the woods:

I had fun, too.

This is part of the 10 on 10 blog circle. Please follow the circle, starting with Trini's post from Norway.

February 10 on 10

This winter, so far, has been especially boring. We have gone back and forth from bitter cold, gray and windy weather to unseasonably warm and wet weather most of the winter. I like snow, so I am missing it this year and I have not been good at all about getting outside no matter what because it just seems like there is nothing to do (I sound like my kids). My motivation is not stellar at all. I am trying to at least get some rooms organized and cleaned up around the house, but often I just don't get started. Being lazy does not suit me well, unfortunately. 

As far as shooting, I have been as random as the weather and as inconsistent as my mood. At times I have found something nice outside, like the dried hydrangeas (still a typical subject for me):

Sometimes finding opportunities for abstracts from nature (lots of post-processing required): 

And other times 'forcing' an abstract indoors--just looking for something to do--by spraying flowers,  

panning on everyday objects and adding texture layers

or placing a water drop on my water resistant table-cloth. 

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This post is part of the 10 on 10 blog circle. Please follow the circle to the talented Kristina Rust.

10 on 10: Winter Break

We got to spend winter bread (a whole 2 weeks) in Raquette Lake this year. This was the first time being in our vacation rental home over the holidays, but I have to admit being there over there over the holidays was one of the main motivations for me to push to buy the place (I know that is bad). 

I had visions of sub-zero temperatures, frozen lakes, learning how to snow shoe, warm fires in the fire place--all that: a perfect holiday experience. 

This time, though, we decided to go there because, first, we could--this year, all of the extended family was more or less doing their own thing and second, because, we had to fix the floor in the downstairs bathroom and who better to do this than us? We would save a lot of money, after all, and it did need to be done.

When we first got there, it was nothing like winter and winter--snow plus really, really cold temperatures (I am talking 20 to 30 below so that the lake freeze so solid you can drive a heavy truck over them)--this is what they need in the Adirondacks. Winter tourism is a big deal in the Adirondacks. But the whole area around where our house is  was in the doldrums because of so many 50 to 60 degree days in December and no snow. 

We did have work to do on our bathroom floor so that kept us busy for the first week we were there--we thought it would be a 3 day job, but it turned out to be a 7 day job and very laborious. We bought nice, easy snap together vinyl for the flooring (it looks great), but the old one-inch square, shiny ceramic tile that we had to take up was the hardest tile I have ever taken up-- whoever put that in, put it in to last!

During the second week we were there, we had some company since my family is all (relatively) nearby.

My parents and my brother and his wife came for a few days (December 28-30). And at that point we did get a little bit of snow--it was a wet, sloppy snow though. Still, enough to build a small snowman.

After that, though, there was some snow and some of it very pretty.

During the last part of our stay, my sister and her family came to stay for a few days and that is when we got the prettiest snowfalls--and we got out in it a bit more, which was great fun.

 

We have family all over the country and have been spending holidays in different places each year, but part of me wants to make spending our winter holiday break in Raquette Lake a more regular tradition and I think we will.

This is the first post of 2016 for the 10  on 10 blog circle, which is a blog circle of women photographers who share their photos and stories each month. Please follow the circle to the very talented Connie next.

December 10 on 10: Wrapping up the Year

This post is part of the 10 on 10 blog circle. A group of women photographers post 10 photon the 10th day of each month. After reading this post please follow the circle starting with Trini in Norway.

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This month, this strange thing happened to me: 

One day before work, I stopped off at one local park on a cold morning, and I found a frozen puddle in a parking lot. The puddle had the most a lovely freeze pattern, so I took some photographs with my macro lens. 

After work, I processed my favorite out of the group and posted it on Flickr. The photo made it to 'Explore' and the next day, someone contacted me via Flickr and he wanted to purchase the photograph. This person offered me $250; he just wanted the file to print it himself so he could hang the photo on his wall. He said, "I think it will look great". 

I could not believe it. I took the offer; I actually got paid and I sent the file, but I have to admit to being a bit nervous about the whole deal. I have sold a few things before but mostly on Society6 and I do not get that much money for prints, etc., so why should I get this much money for spending 10 minutes taking pictures of a frozen puddle? Am I really some sort of fraud? Will the print turn out the way he expects? Do I deserve this? I felt torn . . . it's just a puddle--a lovely, lovely puddle, but anyone can do this. It was not hard; not hard enough.

Despite my second guessing and my guilt for the sale, I will try to be realistic and look at this as just something nice that happened to me and try to remind myself that I did not ask; he offered, (and I will keep my fingers crossed that the print this man makes from the file I sent to him lives up to his expectations). 

And here I have nine more rather random, but rather typical photographs (for me) that I took these past few weeks:

I hope everyone is having a great holiday season.

10 on 10: Hocking Hills, Ohio

For the kids fall break from school, we were able to take a couple of days away from home and I found a vacancy in a cabin in the Hocking Hills State Park--this is a place I have wanted to go for awhile because it was supposed to be spectacular, plus it is only 4 hours from my home in Indiana. The place did not disappoint. It was so amazing and beyond belief to me--with the caves, caverns, gorges, cliffs and wonderful trails through old growth forest in this non-contiguous state park.

Here are some of the photos I captured from our brief trip.

Ash Cave is not a true cave, but amazing none-the-less and the most prominent feature of the Hocking Hills area. In season, there is a tall waterfall that cascades over the edge of the cliff and I plan to be back there someday to see that wonderful sight.

Old Man's Cave was very crowded since it is the most popular 'attraction' in the area, yet the trails through the woods nearby were so tranquil and interesting. 

The most interesting spot to me was a true cave called Rock House.  The kids were impressed as well. 

Since Rock House was pretty crowded on the evening we went there together as a family, I decided to go back at dawn by myself in the hopes of being alone (which worked out, too!)

I will be trying to get back to this lovely natural place sometime in the future--perhaps in the spring when there should be an abundance of waterfalls to add more magic to the landscape.

This post is a part of the 10 on 10 blog circle. Please follow the circle starting with the lovely Kathleen.