Great Brook Farm State Park

Most of the time I feel very blessed that my life is full. Every day is busy and full of life. It's to the point that there isn't enough time in the day to do all that I want to do. In one way, this is just a testimony that I have everything I want and I am truly thankful for it all. In another way, it can make it difficult to take a step back and just enjoy. Today was a day, that I just had to stop to enjoy a perfect fall day. The messy house can wait. I'm not going to worry about the lack of groceries in house and nothing planned for dinner. My camera is calling me to get outside and just enjoy my surroundings. I really wish I had more time to get out in mother nature and just observe nature with camera in hand. Someday, hopefully, I'll have the time for this, but too many obligations get in the way. For now, I'm just happy that it's saturday and we have a free day to go for a walk and I can play with my camera. We chose a new destination which turned out to be a stunning backdrop for some more photography. I'm driving my kids crazy with sitting them in front of my lens, but it's the price they have to pay for me taxi-ing them to all the afterschool activities, birthday parties and playdates that I sit through. Chuck works on Saturdays, so I typically have the kids to myself on these days. So many beautiful days and places, not enough time to capture them. The days are numbered before snow falls. The years are numbered before the kids just won't cooperate for twin shots, so today I took complete advantage.

A halloween redo

Last year's halloween was a sick one. We had California visitors for the event, so we pressed on with trick or treating dispite flu-like symptoms. Anyway, the kids would have insisted on trick or treating regardless of how sick they felt. Thankfully this year was a healthy one. Nobody got sick and the kids decided to get a second wear out of their costumes from last year, I certainly didn't argue, avoiding a one-time-wear purchase! Halloween has become less about the dress up and much more about the size loot bag and filling it up with loot. We hooked up with some pals to romp the neighborhood. Thank You Boemers for inviting us along for your spooky festivities! We enjoyed seeing lots of Barrow school ghosts and goblins along the way.

You Win Some, You lose Some, You Win some

Fall is my favorite season. The changing light and comfortable weather gives me the urge to do some portraiture experimenting and practicing with the family. They moan and groan but it's Mom's joy, so they go along. This family outing was to Plum Island. I just got a camera upgrade and am still learning it as well as how to get that great exposure. In the process, we get a few keepers and maybe a Christmas card photo. This day, I had some good success with good lighting, mild weather and winds and smiling faces with not too much resistence. Finding the one Sunday where we are all free and the weather cooperates in the short season is limited opportunity. We left the beach with a keeper for the holiday card and we were all pleased that it went without a hitch. We ended the evening meeting up with family in Newburyport for dinner and I was so excited about my photography triumph. But when I got home and began to review the images on my laptop, the files got corrupted in the reading process. I lost my Christmas card photo and all the keepers with it. The moment of perfect lighting, calm winds, cooperative family smiles and the completion of holiday photo task all lost. It's a sick feeling. So frustrating. That moment in time is lost, gone. The whole reason I love photography is because it freezes a single unique moment in time. And when you capture a good one one camera, it can really be a winning feeling. When you lose it, it stings. I would say it's the same feeling as when an athlete made an error and cost the team the game, or a fisherman's catch that got away. I sulked about this for a few days. I started looking into how lost files can be recovered. My family were all hoping for recovery because they don't want to have to repeat the whole process of a repeat photoshoot!! Neither do I, because time is scarce and New England weather is fickle. Fortunately I work with a former photo journalist for the Salem News and he had a program to recover lost images. He look my memory card and was able to recover 75% of my lost photos!! THANK YOU MAT! So, here is what was recovered and after all the emotional turmoil behind this Christmas card, it definately earned it's spot on the front of 2010 card.

Pick a Peck at Parlee

We made our annual trip to a farm for apple and pumpkin picking. Parlee farm has it all. They cater to the family for lots of fall activities.