ever elusive sunset

Here on the east coast - I often think of photographing the sunrise

- but rarely a sunset

Our view to the east is - well - prettier

- besides, I am normally busy at work when the sun sets

Just take the afternoon off - I thought

combine Christmas shopping with a sunset photoshoot - I thought

find an open area - I thought

two birds with one stone - I thought

Yeah, well, shopping was awesome

- sunset photoshoot - not so much 

- too many buildings in the city - who knew?

The golden glow from the late afternoon sun was pretty, though

and making time to wander aimlessly,

is something I am so very thankful for during this busy time of year.

Sunset... to be continued...

I am joining Michelle for Thankful Thursday

This is likely my last post before Christmas

I wish you all a very happy, safe holiday - however you celebrate!

photo challenge - week #10 juxtaposition

I'm running behind

- yep, nothing new, here...

Sooooo - juxtaposition...
Anyway - a couple of weeks ago, during a snowstorm in Boston,

I heard on the news of a man in Copley Square, lying in a hammock

Yeah - he was there, I wasn't - but how cool would that have been?

Then, this morning on my commuter train, 

pulling into the station in Boston, a man is wearing a ski helmet

- goggles and all - ???

I was there - but missed that shot too...

So - thank goodness for Copley Square

- my old reliable

where historic and modern comfortably coexist

Next up - something old

which will likely be late - again

I think I know what I want to do, but need daylight - at home

yeah - I'm not home during daylight hours...

Is it summer yet?

Canon EOS Rebel T3i

EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

32mm 1/50 sec at f/9.0

boston public garden

One of Boston's true treasures - in any season

This particular day was cold and blustery,

 and way too sunny - which is normally my preference - but not so great for photos at mid-day

yeah - oh well...

Another lunch break - I hopped on the subway to catch a Boston favorite

make way for ducklings - all dressed for Christmas :-)

this is one of the most popular attractions in the Boston Public Garden

- and one of my favorite childhood stories, written by Robert McCloskey

(although I may be biased as the story takes place in Boston)

A friend said to me - it must be so fun to work in the city during the holidays
Yes, it is!

I'm thankful for my lunchtime photo adventures
- Exploring a city with a LOT of holiday cheer
- Christmas with my family
- Vacation next week!
- My warm home during these cold days

The ducklings and I wish you a very merry Christmas!

I'm joining Tom for Tuesday's Treasures
Michelle for Thankful Thursday
Tanya for Willy Nilly Friday Five

Thanks for dropping in!

photo challenge - outtakes

I am learning so much more from my photo challenge than I had ever anticipated

- the prompts, themselves, are meaningless

and yet, each one challenges me to focus on something specific
- while trying something new

- take a different approach
- look from another angle...

So this week, I'm sharing some outtakes

(aka camera dump - but I'll keep it to a minimum)

Clouds - still clicking away at the John Hancock tower,

I like the fluffy cloud reflections and bright blue sky

this was a close runner up - but leaves me dissatisfied somehow
although, I can say the same for my chosen photo...

The color red - technically not an outtake

I took this photo a few weeks before starting - and archives are against the rules... (gasp)

The red cups drew my eye - but the photo is about morning in a coffee shop

From a high angle - I was really just playing
- but laughed when I saw this one
penguins and tie-dye - Laura has always loved color - and LOTS of it
- and I do believe I caught her catching up on my blog :-)

Door(s) - this is one of my favorite Boston neighborhoods

I often walk through it on my way to work - stopping one morning,

hoping to capture the early sun and feel of a city morning

- hmmm, maybe if there was a family leaving for work or school

 - but then, I would have felt like a stalker...

From a low angle

There were so many ways to approach this prompt

This photo is a good reminder to me, 

 that while I'm feeling completely conspicuous,
kneeling on the sidewalk with my camera near the ground

- only one person even notices me

He looks kind of grumpy - but I don't think he really cares

Next week - back on track with Close-up
- which is actually ready to go - but it can wait...

Happy Sunday - enjoy your day!

boston public library

Boston Public library

- established in 1848, it was the first publicly supported city library in the country.

The Copley Square location opened in 1858

 - designed to be a "palace for the people"

I often hear people say that libraries are obsolete

- yeah - they should really come here for a visit

because this library is alive and well

- and while I've been borrowing e-books for several years

this was the first time I actually stepped inside this location

which I'll admit - my first thought upon entering was "huh?"...

but this is not your library of yesteryear

ummmm - sorry - I seem to have a thing for reflections, lately

- kind of like two photos in one - or something like that

and never fear

- you can still find real books, here

Back out front, I stopped to snap these statues

and was photobombed by this dapper gentleman

(love it when that happens!)

So anyway - this was my first real experience with "street photography"

I learned a lot - and have a lot to learn

but as far as lunch breaks go - this definitely sets off the fun-o-meter

- and I'll be back - because, well, exploring Boston is a bit like

awe inspiring...

I'm joining Tom for Tuesday's Treasures

because the BPL is truly one of Boston's treasures

Do you enjoy visiting your local library?

Thanks for dropping in!

photo challenge week #5 - door(s)

"Library doors are a gateway to anywhere."

Boston Public Library - Copley Square

Yeah - so - this challenge had me stumped

doors - everywhere - mostly nondescript...

Then I happened upon the quote above

- and because - well - I can spend hours in a library - exploring

I knew what I needed to do -

Another lunchtime walk to Copley Square,

watching as people entered this majestic gateway to anywhere...

"I always felt if I can get to a library, I'll be OK." Maya Angelou

Next week - from a low angle

Other than home - what are your favorite door(s) to walk through? -
(real or metaphorically)

Canon EOS REBEL T3i

EF-S18-55 f3.5-5.6 IS II

35 mm 1/100 sec at f/4.5

Thanks for dropping in!

photo challenge week #2 - clouds

a girl, a camera, and a lunch break

Copley Square - Boston, Massachusetts

The cue this week is clouds

easy, peasy - right? - I see them almost every day
 - which made me think - hmmm - I see them almost every day
if an interesting cloud formation doesn't present itself,
what can I do that is - well, kinda, sorta different?

about a 15 minute walk from my office, the John Hancock Tower is all mirrored glass

(except it's not called that anymore - but I still do)

why do they keep renaming landmarks? It's confusing...

standing across the street from the tower, I caught the clouds reflecting off the glass
- with my 50mm, which I knew was the wrong lens for tight city spaces,
but stubbornly took it with me anyway - I'm oddly attached to this lens...

Oh, and then I googled the John Hancock tower to find out its new name
- and my computer filled with images of reflected clouds
- some from very cool perspectives, making me wonder - why didn't I think of that?
so much for different...
and, who even cares what the new name is? argh!

anyway - this was such a fun place to take photos
this girl and her camera - will be back!

On deck - the color RED - yippee! one of my favorite colors! hmmmm
Have a great day!

Canon EOS REBEL T3i

EF50mm f/1.8 II

1/200 sec at f/8.0

chain link - city style

Hi!

So - is blogging kind of like riding a bike?

- because, I'm feeling like I've pretty much forgotten everything

- or maybe everything has changed

-or maybe...

Anyway - it's been a very long time since my last post -
in a nutshell:

Greg and I moved from our home near the city to a town up the coast a ways (aka Major Upheaval)

I was promoted at work (aka Death of Blog),

and our daughter got married in August (aka Summer of Laura)

But, hey - otherwise life is the same - and we're still heading to Away for the weekends
(well, sporadically...)

So now, I'm not really sure where to begin

- let's see - how about some urban chain link fences

Scenes from my weekday life -

(NO idea what that graffiti means - but I do applaud the colors on this dreary day)

Ah yes - the orange line - I could probably write a sonnet

How do I despise thee? Let me count the ways...

I actually took these photos a few months ago during a lunchtime walk

- and found them sitting on my computer

but I'm dusting off that big girl camera

- and getting back on that bike (so to speak)

- and probably needing to relearn lots and lots of things (my head hurts thinking about it...)

I'm happy to be back, though, and looking forward

to seeing everything that's going on with you!

Have a wonderful day!

good fences and pausing for red chairs

I don't know what it is about Adirondack chairs, but they always make me want to slow down.

Walking from one meeting to another, yesterday

- the red chairs on the other side of the fence made me pause -

and smile.

And - the sunshine didn't hurt, either.

I'm joining Theresa for Good Fences

I wish you a wonderful day!

smiling about...

Do you ever get that feeling that you're always running behind?

I have a backlog of posts -

but work has been crazy - mostly in a good way -

and when I get home at night, the introvert in me just wants to sit and read a book

- and maybe play a little candy crush...

Anyway - I'd like to share a few random things that made me smile this week

My niece, Molly, receiving her college diploma from her dad - my brother-in-law, Jim

Way to go, Molly!
(I stole borrowed this photo from my sister-in-law's facebook - Thanks, Deb - please don't sue me)

We had beautiful weather this week, and I traded the cacophony of treadmills

for a serenade of bird chirps - and gobble-gobble-gobble

The latest pic from Maggie - back in the North!

Yeah - she's pretty excited about the availability of

Dunkies iced coffee

wcvb

I sound like a broken record when I mention how much I despise my daily commute -

but, thank you to the Mass DOT for putting a smile on my face yesterday morning.

And - yes, I always use my blinkah - but only at the last possible second, because -

every Bostonian knows, that a blinker is really a signal to the drivers in the other lane to quickly fill in the gaps to prevent your lane change...

Tulips!! :-)

So - today is Mommy-daughter day with my youngest, and tomorrow I look forward to an afternoon with my Mom and sister and the MFA in Boston.

And - that's my week in a nutshell.

What has you smiling this week?

I'd like to wish a very happy Mother's day to all

mothers, aunts, and caregivers!!

boston fencery

So - I went out last weekend and took lots of photos

- downloaded them to my computer

-installed updates

- and -Crash!

Ummmm, yeah, my mistake was installing the updates...

Not good...

So anyway - I found this photo of a some Boston fencery on my iPhone

I took it while out walking earlier this week - can you see the signs of Spring?

-smile-

I've always liked these old brick apartment buildings

- and the way that in the midst of a busy city, you can find quiet tree-lined streets

and that whole computer thing? - yeah, we'll see - grrrr

boston lunch break

So, I admit - I'm beginning to find the city a bit tiresome

- it's probably an age thing... shhhhh

- but -

some days, I really enjoy getting out for a lunchtime walk, and I find all that urban energy

well - ummm - energizing.

No city loves baseball quite like Boston does.
(If you have your doubts - check this out)

And since my office is a hop, skip, and a jump from Fenway Park,

I hopped on over to join the excitement of opening day.

There are quiet areas, too - but is it just me,

or does this tree make things look a bit creepy?

hmmm - I'm going to have to revisit in the summer...

And then - through a tall iron fence,

I spied this mural in a parking lot near Symphony Hall.
Pretty sure that's Seiji Ozawa staring me down.

How about you - city, country, or a little of both?

random five - one of those days...

Happy Friday!

So - I stayed up too late last night reading Help for the Haunted.

You know how it is when you get to a point in a book where you know there's too much left to finish at a reasonable time, but you can't put it down?

Yeah - I knew I was setting myself up for one of those bleary-eyed days...

Anyway - rushing out my door at the last possible moment and feeling dazed,

as I'm walking to my bus, I'm pondering whether I have anything on my Kindle to read on the subway.

Probably, I'm thinking, as I realize I'm not wearing my glasses.

Yep, it's going to be one of those days...

Still rushing to make my bus, I look down at my black pants, black shoes, black sweater and -

wait, am I wearing navy socks? Bleary-eyed and all, yep, they're navy.

Ugh - it's going to be one of those days...

Soooo, sitting on the subway - feeling bored - and contemplating my navy socks, as well as the footwear of everyone else on the subway - I'm thinking that I'm kind of glad that winter is coming. I am tired of looking at flip flops.

(I know, I really should have something to read while I'm on the subway...)

Bored with the whole footwear thing - I jumped off the subway a couple of stops early, picked up an iced coffee and enjoyed walking the rest of the way to work through the park.

I've decided it's going to be one of those days.

:-)

For more random fun, hop on over to A Rural Journal for 

Random 5 Friday

Have a great weekend!

five on friday - my "style" edition

Okay - so it's still just a little early to say that Spring has sprung -

and I suspect that when we get to Away this evening, we'll find that there are still many piles of snow along with a fair amount of mud.

But - here in Boston, we have our first blooms - 

and this guy looks much happier to me, lounging among the petals.

So - I'm calling this week's random five - my so-called style

1) I'm tall, which I definitely didn't appreciate when I was young - but now, I'm kind of liking it.

2) I have a closet full of cardigan sweaters. I don't know how or why this happened, but boy, do I ever need a style consultant!

3) I also have a closet full of flats - but then, I don't really need to wear heels now, do I?

4) A typical outfit for me is a skirt, tights, flats and sweater (okay, yeah, a cardigan) - which my kindest friends call "classic", but I know it's really more like "catholic school girl"

5) One thing I love about having daughters is their savvy style advice which goes something like -
eye roll - "no, mom..... no"

So with that -

A quick update on my focal length "challenge" -

I probably shouldn't call it a "challenge" so much as a "creative exercise". 

This week was all 24 mm -(which is just one of the settings on my kit lens).

And what have I learned so far?

Well, if I want to take different shots - I have to move around.

Believe it or not, that in itself is a valuable lesson -

"A good photograph is knowing where to stand." Ansel Adams

Linking with A Rural Journal for Random Five Friday 

walk & click lunch break

On not becoming a hermit...

My normal lunch break - a salad or sandwich in my office while

sorting through photos, catching up on blogging, reading a book...

Sometimes I think it's a good thing that I don't have the option of just being a hermit.

Soooo - yesterday I realized that if I wanted to participate in Walk & Click,

I needed to - well -

get out and do a little walking (and clicking)

Trusty rebel around my neck - I headed out for a walking lunch break.

Boston has a great mix of both old and new.

How about that flag-as-curtain on the third floor?

One of the nice things about taking a walk for lunch

(other than seeing this cool architecture)

are the many places to pick up something more interesting than the sandwich I had brought.

Peanut butter sandwiches will keep...

When I started working here several years ago, I thought I'd be out walking everyday.

But, I guess acting like a hermit in my office is easier.

Did you know that the first YMCA in the U.S. was founded in Boston? (1851)

This more permanent site was built in 1921 - and dedicated by President Taft.

(Little historical tidbits like that kind of fascinate me)

I like this fence - it runs right down the center of Huntington Ave - separating the surface road

from the underpass.

I would like to thank Walk and Click Wednesday for getting me away from my desk.

neither snow, nor rain...

The fence in the quad outside my office -

It always amazes me that no matter the weather,

there are always bikes locked to the fence outside my office.

Dedicated students?

And speaking of weather - apparently we are bracing for another storm this weekend.

This time - I guess I have to go to the grocery store.

Remember how I cleaned my kitchen on Monday?

- and tossed (and tossed and tossed)?

Ooops - I'd better go join my fellow New Englanders in the mad rush for milk and bread.

Have a great weekend!

Fridays Fences, Weekly Top Shot, Sundays in my City

oh the weather outside...

Are you all tired of hearing about Nemo, already?

I've been fortunate, so far, in my little corner of suburbia.

No digging into the protein bars quite yet.

I'm taking advantage of this rare time at home to sort through photos,
do some much needed cleaning,
and watching chick-flicks with nearby-apartment-daughter.
Greg is still stuck in Europe
 - so here's hoping he can make it home tomorrow.

I hope everyone is staying safe and warm - I hear there are many without power.
Take care!

Thanks for dropping in!

motif no. 1

Motif #1 - Rockport, Massachusetts

frozen in time

During our winter recess, Chicago-daughter was feeling the need for a seaside visit

as well as a fresh lobster roll.

A visit to nearby Cape Ann fit the bill.

This little red fishing shack, built in the 1840s, was dubbed "Motif #1" by an artist and painting instructor because of its immense popularity among art students. Painted innumerable times by various artists,

Motif #1 is thought to be North America's most painted building.

Little changed since the 1840's, this charming shack seems to be frozen in time.

The many paintings of this site that hang on walls all over the world

ensure that it is.

Friday My Town Shoot Out, Weekly Top Shot, Cool Clicks Thursday

Thanks for dropping in!