morning awakening

So - vacations are made for sleeping in
- unless -
you happen to be running an impromptu early morning shuttle for wayward-daughter-hikers...

But then - one morning after an early morning drop-off,
I managed to come out of my sleepy stupor to notice

Hmmmm - the world looks different in the morning.
Yeah - I'm really not a morning person...
(although - I'm normally up early preparing for work - ummm, not the same thing)

So - I managed to ignore my instinct to rush towards my nearest caffeine source,

and pulled out my trust Rebel -

and watched

as the Vermont countryside

slowly awoke

to greet what turned into

a most beautiful day.

And then - I drove home and made myself a pot of coffee
- where I caffeinated myself, gazing at the mountains from my deck
and marveled at how wonderful morning can be.

I am joining TexWis Girl for Good Fences

rurality - the mountains are calling -

- and I must go

Yep - it's February

and I know that many of you were wishing me a vacation on a warm, sunny beach -

not that I would turn one down

- ever - 

But a week at our mountain getaway

relaxing, exploring, skiing -

watching the snow fall -

(not to mention trekking up our long steep driveway because our little Subaru won't - seriously?)

is just what the doctor ordered - figuratively speaking.

So - we drive past this beautiful little farm often

- and we always slow down as we pass to catch a glimpse of the "oreo" cows.

The other afternoon, sitting in the car with my camera on my lap, I mention,

"Wow, look how pretty this farm is in the snowfall"
(Which is really code for "stop right now - I want to take a picture")

Greg: (drive, drive)

Me: "It would make a cool photo"
(Also code for "stop right now - I want to take a picture")

Greg: "Hmmm, what? Should I turn around?"

Me: :-)

Have a great day!

Rurality blog hop

west arlington, vermont

A couple of summers ago, Greg and I rode our bike through this little village,

and I vowed to come back someday with my big girl camera.

Yeah, it took me a while - but better late than never.

The sun was low in the sky - and I loved the way it created this red reflection in the water.

Walking back through the bridge, you can see the former home of Norman Rockwell.
Now it's a bed and breakfast.

So it would seem that the holiday season is upon us -

and I'm still binging on excessive amounts of Halloween candy

- yeah - bought way too much of that stuff -

Not to worry, though, I've just about polished off the last of it.

(Whew - just in time for turkey and pie...)

Anyway, you may have noticed that I'm having a tough time keeping up,

so I think I will be taking a bloggy break.

I'm wishing you all a very happy holiday season

and look forward to seeing you again in the new year!

(if not before)

I am joining Madge at The View From Right Here for Rurality Wednesday

tired and happy

There's a mountain in Putney, Vermont that is supposed to be a great place to watch hawks.

I've been wanting to do this ever since I read about it last Fall.

So, a couple weekends ago we headed out for this little adventure - 

but - I really should have read the blurb a little more closely.

Yeah - the hawk watch is in September and October.

Oops - well

along the way, as I sat chatting with a friend in the car,

Greg spotted this barn .

You know that feeling you get when you put in a hard day's work,

and at the end of the day you're feeling tired, but also happy?

That's what this barn makes me think of -

a cheerful, tired old barn.

Oh - and the hawk watch - I'll try again in a few more weeks.

But all was not lost. Not only did I get to take these photos, 

but -as it turns out Putney, Vermont also has a winery -

with wine tasting

( smile )

I am joining Tricia for Barn Charm.

barn charm - vermont weathered toppling barn

We stayed home this weekend to attend my niece's graduation party.
She's the baby in our family - sigh...

I also managed to spend a little time sorting through old photos - organizing -
and was pretty excited to run across this photo from last summer.
Weathered and toppling - but it looks as though it's still in use.

So this summer has been flying by, and my blogging has been rather sporadic.
Some days I'll think that I'm back on track and then the next day -
well, not so much...

How about you - do you find that summer has been messing with your routines?

I am joining Barn Charm

vermont farmhouse gardens

It's been a crazy few weeks, with only one week left to close out our fiscal year.

I think I'm seeing some light at the end of the tunnel -

and I'm pretty sure it's not a big ole freight train headed my way

Yeah, pretty sure...

Anyway, it's that time of year in Vermont where the farmhouse flower gardens are coming into bloom.

I can't even count the number of times I've driven by this pretty farm and never even noticed it.

What a difference a season makes!

Have a wonderful week!

Barn Charm, Our World Tuesday

vermont springtime barn

I'm honestly not sure where this barn is

- somewhere around Newfane, Vermont -

When I mentioned to Greg where I'd like to go for the afternoon,

his response was

"Okay, but I get to choose the route"

Hmmmm - new route, new barns, new scenery...

Gee, tough choice.... 

(wink)

Well....  okay....

It always seems that the barns I stop to photograph are hiding,

but I do really love the springtime blooms in this pretty state.

Have a nice day!

Barn Charm, Tuesday Around the World, Our World Tuesday

barn charm, a prize find - jamaica, vermont

Saturday afternoon -

a lazy lunch at our favorite coffee shop -

a planned trip to the pond for some kayaking...

Chatting about this and that,
Greg asks our friend about some photos posted on facebook,

and this is where he directed us...

Greg was scouting for new mountain bike rides

I was scouting for barns (what else?)

We both agree
- although for different reasons

This place is a prize find!

And what would a Vermont farm be without a weathered wood barn?

Happy Monday!

Barn Charm,

barn charm - another londonderry barn

"Monday, Monday - can't trust that day"...

I was singing this in my head this morning as I sat in what was essentially a parking lot on my drive to work.

Monday can truly be a rude awakening, sometimes.

Anyway -

it was a beautiful Spring weekend in Vermont -

a little hiking, a couple stops at our fav coffee shop, grilled steak on the deck...

This barn - we can't quite figure out.

I think it's new - and there has also been quite a lot of beautiful work done on this property -

- but -

no signs of farming that I can see.

No animals,

no crops,

I don't think I've ever seen any people, either.

What do you think?

weston, vermont charmers

Our weekend was blissfully quiet and uneventful

and I enjoyed my week of 200 mm more than I expected to.

Weston, Vermont is one of my favorite towns to visit -

beautiful farmland and charming homes
(not to mention The Vermont Country Store).

A few weeks back I photographed this barn using my nifty fifty,
and when I realized it would require a lot of cropping - I scrapped the photos.

One of a cluster of buildings - sitting quite a ways back from the road.

I was very surprised by how close it appeared at 200 mm- it completely fills the frame.

These little outbuildings are also part of the cluster.

And then, across the street -

on a farmhouse porch attached to the barn,

a pair of farmers relaxing on a beautiful sunny day in the mountains of Vermont.
I hope you all had a chance to find a little peace last weekend, also.

barn charm - barn segments

My thoughts and prayers go out to all the runners, helpers, observers and family - anyone affected in any way by the attack at the Boston Marathon. The mood here today is somber as we try to make sense of the violence that took place at this event that does so much good for so many.

This week - all 85 mm - resulted in barn segments.
I was much too close to this barn for my lens setting.

Barn side

Barn roof

Barn foundation - I like the stones down a the bottom right.

This barn sits on Main Street in Jamaica Vermont, and is for sale - along with a charming little house.

I dream of opening some sort of shop in it, and using the barn as a workshop.

Sigh

I took this photo a couple months ago before I started this nonsense 

errr, I mean extremely valuable creative exercise...

It's a cutie.

On another note, I was extremely surprised while catching up on my blog reading last weekend to find that one of my barn photos had been featured as a Friday Find on Laurel's blog The North End Loft.

Laurel is extremely creative and always has something fun and crafty going on in her Idaho home.

If you've never visited her blog, click on over - its a fun place to be!

I particularly love her recently redecorated craft room.

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Joining: Barn Charm, Rurality Blog Hop

barn charm - 24 mm week

Fresh mountain air and scouting for barns -

the perfect medicine for a tension headache.

We spent a quiet weekend at Away, working on little projects around the house -

and of course, just a little exploring.

This week's focal length is 24 mm - which seems to be better suited for me

(with just a little cropping).

This big red barn is attached to the back of the farmhouse -

which is not unusual in Northern New England.

I imagine it makes it easier to tend to the animals during the long winter months.

We were fortunate that mud season has not made the roads too unpassable- yet.

Although, we did hit one rather muddy spot in an area that was just a bit off the beaten path.

When you see quaint villages and beautiful farms such as this one,

it's easy to forget that parts of Vermont are - well - a bit different.

(We're thinking we may have heard dueling banjos in the distance...)

Yeah, it would seem we ventured into an area of hermits (think Unabomber),

 and communes (yes - they do still exist).

It's always an adventure.

And with that, I'll leave you with this thought 

- which hangs in one of our favorite restaurants.

barn charm - londonderry, vermont

Last weekend, Greg and I stayed home to celebrate Easter with our family.

And while I'm sure there are barns in the Boston suburbs - well, I didn't see any.

So this snowy barn is from a couple weeks back -

which is just as well, because this week's focal length is 100 mm,

and so the challenge really begins...

Can you guess what it was about this barn that caught my eye?

:-)

Fortunately, we're beginning to see the first signs of Spring at home -

and even managed to take our first warm-up bike ride of the season.

Yep - there's hope.

How is the season shaping up where you are?

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!

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