five on friday

1) My week of all 50 mm is coming to an end. I was afraid this challenge would be limiting, but I'm actually liking it so far. This week I learned the importance of moving around (yep - with my feet) and choosing different angles when feeling limited by the focal length. Up on deck - 18 mm.

2) Also on tap for next week Kim Klassen's Picture Pro-cess for Elements 11 course. I'm pretty exciting to learn some of the ins and outs of this program.

3) I have a love/hate relationship with social media. I love blogging and Pinterest and - well - let's just say I'm not overly fond of Facebook. I closed my account (gasp!) a few months ago and have yet to miss it.

4) I finished my granny square blanket. Newbie effort - for sure - but I'm pretty happy with it. And now, I'm needing a new project - time for a visit to the yarn shop.

5) Ummm - there's no number 5 - so I'll just wish a happy Easter to all who celebrate it, and to everyone - a wonderful weekend!

maple season in vermont

It's Maple Season in Vermont.

Yep - Maple is a season here, and for good reason.

Vermont is the top producer of maple syrup in the U.S.

I would say that Maple Season is the sweet prelude to Mud Season,

but in truth, they overlap

Yeah, seasons are a little bit different here.

Anyway -

in honor of Maple Season, I'd like to share my favorite sugar shack.

(all photos still taken with a 50 mm lens)

It's no longer in use,

but I couldn't resist this photogenic gem.

and the rusty old truck

It looks as though sugaring operations have been moved across the street

to this newer, larger, but still charming, sugar shack.

I am joining Madge at The View From Right Here

Have a great week!

barn charm and the nifty fifty

Another quiet weekend at Away -
a little snowshoeing (ugh, yes - there's still lots and lots of snow) -
and some scouting for barns and sugar shacks.
Coming up the hill, the blue-gray color of this one caught my eye.

For the next few weeks I'm taking a (self-inflicted) photography challenge.

- only one focal length allowed for an entire week.

This week's lens is the nifty-fifty -

partially because it's my only fixed-length lens so I couldn't be tempted to zoom in and out -

and partially because it was already on my camera.

I'm enjoying all your photos of flowers - as you can see, it'll be a while up here.

Sigh...

Have a great day!

five on friday - oops - saturday

Running behind - as usual - there just aren't enough hours in the day for the things I want to do.

1) I love to read and usually have two books going at once - one on my iPod for my commute and the gym, a second on my Kindle (how did I manage before these new gadgets came along?)

2) I'm a research nut - always have been. So many interesting things, so little time. My girls learned early on that if something interested them, all they needed to do was mention it to me.

3) I got into cycling through research.

Chicago-daughter: I think I want to ride my bike across the country someday.

Me: Seriously?!? Is that even possible?

Me: (research, research, research)

Me: Wow! I think I want to get a bike!

Chicago-daughter: (chuckle) you always do that - look up my ideas and decide you like them.

Me: :-)

4) Cycling has been a lot like blogging for me. It's taken me places I wouldn't otherwise have gone, and I've met some really great people along the way.

5) I'm finding mobile blogging extremely frustrating. Please forgive me if this post is a jumbled mess when it's published - I'm not trusting this new app.

Have a great weekend!

district #3 - lessons learned at a one-room schoolhouse

District #3 - South Hill School

I learned some valuable lessons while taking photos of this little one-room schoolhouse.

Lesson #1 - as much as I enjoy lazy mornings on the weekends,
catching the morning light is worth getting up for.

Lesson #2 - Eagerness does not equal alertness (especially in the early morning hours).

 Lesson #3 -  always, and I mean always - check your camera settings before shooting all your photos and driving back home.

sigh...

So - please play along with me - and we will  pretend that these photos are intentionally grainy to create the proper setting for this story told to me by my grandfather.

I'm guessing many of you have been told a very similar story, as well.

"When I was a child,

I walked five miles to school every day -
each way -

in the rain and the snow -
barefoot -

uphill - both ways..."

After visiting this little rural schoolhouse - I'm thinking it's possible he was telling the truth.

Except for the barefoot part - I'm pretty sure my grandpa wore shoes.

So - a quick recap of the lessons for this week:

1) Morning light = pretty - get up and catch it!

2) Caffeine-yes! - grab that cup of coffee on your way out the door.

3) When in doubt - use a cheat sheet.

Class dismissed - have a great day!

barn charm - morning light

It was a quiet weekend at Away -

and that was okay with me.

I managed to get out with my camera

This barn sits way up high - do you see the ski slopes off to the right?

It was a beautiful morning up on the mountain.

The cold nights and warm, sunny days have been perfect for maple sap.

Weather permitting, next week I think I'll scout for sugar shacks.

 I probably should have mentioned in my last post that the photo of the bright yellow flower was from last summer - (my bad)

As you can see - we're only dreaming about flowers up here in this little corner of the world...

Have a great week!

5 thoughts on my first blogiversary

1) My one-year blogiversary is sometime this week - I'm not sure which day - exact dates have never been super important to me.

Soooo - maybe I should say that I think my blogiversary is this week...

2) To coincide with my blogiversary, I seem to be in a bit of a blogging slump. I'm not sure why, but I am certain it's temporary (I'll blame it on March).

3) Spring is around the corner (well, here in New England it might be down the street aways and then around the corner - we just have to get through March...... and April...) - but - I'm starting to feel a little excited about the colors of Spring.

4) Ice cream is my most favorite food in all the world - I have no problem convincing myself that it's good for me - you know, dairy product and all.

5) I started a new daily routine last week that includes more exercise and housework. Now, how long is it supposed to take for new habits to form? 12 weeks? Hmmmmm, we'll see.

Have a great weekend!

barn charm - blame it on march

Here we are - March - my least favorite month.

In my little corner of the world, March is mostly chilly gray gloom.

Winter fun is coming to an end, Spring is still weeks away…

Sigh

I had some great plans -

more barn photos, revisiting a one-room school houses for a couple extra shots, finding that woodpecker up on the mountain behind our house, taking this old body back to the gym…

But then -

My trusty Rebel spent the entire weekend in its camera bag.

Wow - that's never happened before.

I blame it on March.

So - my walk this week took place on a pair of cross country skis.

Fortunately, I remembered to tuck my point-and-shoot in my pocket.

This pretty farm sits across the street from the trails.

Then -after more than my fair share of slipping and falling -

(Seriously - strap a couple wooden planks on my feet and I just can't seem to stay upright )

this little barn provided the perfect excuse to pause for a moment.

So - the gym?

Yeah, bag packed, gym clothes laid out, work clothes organized, early alarm set

 - wait, no - not set - I shut it off - oops.

Yep - I'm blaming that one on March, too.

Oh well, the gym will be there tomorrow morning - and so will I

What is March like in your corner of the world?

Do you have any favorite (or least favorite) months?

Barn Charm, Walk and Click, Rurality Blog Hop