Indian Summer

Fall is a favorite time of year for a lot of us. Growing up in NH I got to see some dramatic fall foliage every year. A couple years ago I was driving around Reidsville and saw this maple tree in the lot of the drivers license office. The sun was shinning through the yellow leaves and made the tree just glow. So I grabbed my camera and walked around under the tree. It was Indian Summer and the day was warm, but with a nice breeze. I have a favorite fleece blanket that is similar in color, so I felt as if I was snuggled up in my blanket while under this tree. Then while I was just mulling around, the sun hit the tree and gave me a chance to get this amazing shot. It is during one of those moments where you give a big thank you to for the beauty around us each day.

http://www.heirloomcrafters.com/gallery/indiansummer.html

Halloween

Ghosts and goblins, spooky spirits, snips and snails and puppy dog tails, that's what Halloween is made of. One of our many trips to the Outer Banks of NC brought us to this cemetery. We frequent Oriental and the numerous sites around. I think I took this in Bath NC, home of the infamous Blackbeard. Inside it we found a grave with a cannon, live oaks with long branches almost embracing the tombstones, and many old grave stones. It was afternoon, so long shadows started to creep their way over the landscape. It was perfect for a Halloween image. I hope you enjoy and have a great time during the Halloween season. BOO!

http://www.heirloomcrafters.com/gallery/halloween.html

Gardenia

A couple of very dear friends gave us two gardenia plants they had started from cuttings. As a fun thank you, we named the two bushes after them. Fraysure and Dale went in a very prominent spot in our front garden. This way when they blossomed we, and our friends, could enjoy the fragrance entering or leaving the house. Well, as stories go with a lot of couples, Fraysure started out strong and Dale didn't seem to be too interested in competing. Then one season Dale took off. (We all agreed she was just a late bloomer.) Poor Fraysure, he was being out done by his wife, and we all had a good laugh. Well, this year Fraysure put his best foot forward and here is a shot of two of the beautiful blossoms produced. Way to go Fray!

http://www.heirloomcrafters.com/gallery/gardenia.html

Recycled

One of the things I marveled at while in Haiti was the use of everything. Nothing went to waste. What someone may discard got reused by someone else. The Haitians have recycling down pat, and we as a country could learn from their example. I saw this angel statue and while the work is beautiful, it is even more so when you see the different scraps of metal used in its design. A brilliant combination of discarded items to become something treasured. How many of us have heard the old expression "One man's junk is another man's treasure"?


http://www.heirloomcrafters.com/gallery/recycled.html

Dichotomy

To the left is another of the stark contrasts to be seen in Haiti. Here is a nation with most of it's populace struggling to earn enough to eat. And then with in viewing distance is a well maintained house with a swimming pool. Dichotomy seemed an appropriate name. I was amazed to see so many homes without windows, paint, doors, or even finished roofs and then see these three homes rise up out of the chaos. In this 2008 election season, we are hearing all about the fear of socialism and wealth redistribution, but at what point does it become necessary to question the logic of such extremes? I don't presume to know the answer, but I do feel compelled to ask the question. I feel if I have enough to help those in need, it is my responsibility to do so. But at the same time I cannot judge someone elses behavior no matter how opposed I am to it. So, not only does the image reflect a visual dichotomy, but an emotional dichotomy as well. I keep falling back to the old Bible verse of judge not, for by the same measure you judge others, so shall you be judged.

http://www.heirloomcrafters.com/gallery/dichotomy.html

Blanc

The image you see to the left is a portion of an amazing fountain in St. Joseph's. For me it symbolizes a number of different things. In Haitian Kreyole, Blanc means Non Haitian. In French blanc means white. I did not see this fountain until the end of our trip, but it represents what we experienced during our trip. While we were in Haiti, the food riots of this year were in full swing. We were unable to move about freely as car fires, road blocks and general unrest were running rampant. People were rioting against the high cost of rice, a major staple in their diet. We stayed in our guest house most of the time, but Peter ventured out on to the streets with a local guide. While he was walking to the Catholic Church in Fermathe, he was told to go away. Not because he was a Blanc, but because they were afraid for his safety. I also received a surprising response when I was on the roof of our guest house with Gesner, one of the residents of Wings. The women on the street gave me disgusted looks, again not because I was a Blanc, but because of who I was standing with. Haitians have religious roots in Voodoo. Voodoo believes a handicapped person should be put out as they are demon possessed. Gesner holding my hand in public represented a number of religious and cultural taboos in their minds. Once we left Wings and went to St. Joseph's I could not shake the image of the women from my mind. I was both angry and surprised to see women hold such animosity and to harbor more than the men I saw. Then I saw this fountain and thought, if only we could all look at each other without description. The blank and colorless face of this fountain made me pray for all humans. I prayed we all would view each other more like this fountain and not be influenced by color or disability. Naive, I hope not, because I honestly believe in heaven their are no such distinctions and we are all equal.

http://www.heirloomcrafters.com/gallery/blanc.html

Cave Treasure

In our meanderings through the various shops around Charleston, we discovered this little shop with an interesting display of crystals. Throughout the store they had several lit up as you see here.







http://www.heirloomcrafters.com/gallery/cavetreasure.html

Carriage Ride

While in Charleston we did the traditional tourist items including a carriage tour from Palmetto Carriage Company. http://www.carriagetour.com/splash.asp The barn interior was fun and included these interesting lights in the ceiling. If in Charleston, I would use these folks again. The were helpful, informative during the tour, and best of all, the guide was funny.




http://www.heirloomcrafters.com/gallery/carriageride.html

The Ghosts of Charleston

Anyone who has visited Charleston discovers a couple of things. There are lots of ghost tours, images of the bridge and the historic district. I had fun playing with the shutter speed on my camera while on a dinner cruise in Charleston. I love how this one came out. I thought it appropriate to name it The Ghosts of Charleston since it combined the location, along with the other interesting points of interest. The dinner cruise was great, and anyone wanting to take it should look up Fort Sumter Tours. There link is http://www.spiritlinecruises.com/

http://www.heirloomcrafters.com/gallery/ghostsofcharleston.html

Market Square

While on a recent excursion to Charleston, SC, I got to walk through the historic district into the Market Square area. Immediately the ceiling caught my eye with the combination of angles and lights, so I pointed the camera and clicked. We also found lots of interesting things to look at from the vendors and found one gentleman who was selling a acupressure device. Let me tell you, it works! It helps reduce pain and was brilliant. Needless to say, I not only walked away with a cool photography, but a great product as well. Make sure you pay the market a visit when you are in Charleston.

http://www.heirloomcrafters.com/gallery/marketsquare.html