park

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These past few days have been very odd. My hubby is on vacation... which in itself.. it a small miracle... but he has also managed to become sick... which is not good. He had started a new medication for his high cholesterol... and within 3 days... began peeing blood... having muscle soreness... and a slight fever. Needless to say... he has stopped the medication (and the doctor is aware).
So... while we are technically on vacation... we have not really gone anywhere. This is fine with me, as I have also been sick... so it has been sort of a "stay at home vacation" time for us.

Plus... my son and his wife are expecting their first child any day now... so perhaps it is a good thing that we are staying in the area.



Just over a year ago... I put a camera on lay-away at a local shop. This year has been really difficult financially... what with me traveling back and forth to PA so much... that I had barely made a dent in the payments.
However, my hubby surprised me and paid the camera completely off!!! ... and today I got to play with it for the first time. My daughter and I went out on the west mesa to the volcanoes... and tried to get a couple of photographs. It was very quickly getting dark... and it was severely overcast as a major storm was rolling in...



Having not even looked at the manual for the camera (*yah... I know)... I was sort of shooting blindly... and was really surprised by some of the shots when I got them unloaded and onto my computer tonight. This last one became my photo for the day :)


*all photos by Elaine A. Russell

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All I know is...
that I am here... in this moment...
at this place... at this time... and I am alright.
I am tired... so very tired... but I will be OK.


Today's ride in the country was preempted by a spontaneous picnic at a local park with my niece and her kids. We ended up completely surrounded by Jr. football players... random kids ... cheer leading tryouts... more people than I had imagined would be there. It was rather chaotic... and in a way... completely and utterly peaceful. And so... we had fried chicken... potato salad... fresh fruit... corn on the cob... and spice cake muffins. We watched the kids play.... and I got to wander thru the park taking photos ...and it was wonderful.

Sometimes the very thing you need... is the the thing you least expect...



*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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It always amazes me how very hot it gets here... and then I have to remember that it is really the humidity that gets to me more. And so... with the air conditioning on full blast for a bit... we took a drive over to "Lyman Run" ...more properly known as "Lyman Run State Park."

This is a PA state park... with a man made lake ....that is basically surrounded by the Susquehannock State Forest. It is a fabulous place for fishing, swimming, playing in the sand... or watching the sunsets on the lake. It sports a relatively new dam... which was a major project a few years ago.

I remember a few glorious days as a kid... getting to swim over there... and run around the forest. (this would not be the day that my brother left me there all day to fend for myself while he hung out with his buddies... but hey... that was a good learning experience too... ). But I digress. It is really pretty there... as was the entire drive over there thru the woods.

Things are starting to calm down a little... and yet... there is so much yet to do. I didn't realize all the places you need to call when someone dies... insurance companies, social security, car registration folks, house titles, the bank for joint accounts... all kinds of things.
And so... that is what we will start with tomorrow.




(*photos by Elaine A. Russell)

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*all photos by Elaine A. Russell


Yesterday I had intended to do a blog post on Mitchell Park here in Coudersport. So many things were going on yesterday though... that by the time I sat down to post... I was too tired to think.

And so, today... I am trying to catch up a little.

There are 2 main parks in Coudersport. One is CARP (Coudersport Area Recreational Park)... where there is a track field, football field, picnic tables, swings, etc. It is a very nice area... and it is used alot by various organizations and such in town... as well as the general public.

The other park, is Mitchell Park. I believe it was named after Robert Mitchell and his wife Dorothy who used to live right across the street from the park. Mr. Mitchell was Mayor in Coudersport for several years... and they were an older couple when I was little... So I am assuming that it was either named for them, or for someone in their family. Unfortunately... I couldn't find any information to confirm or deny this on-line.... so... I am guessing.

At any rate... Mitchell Park is a nice smaller sized park right in town next to the town library. It has a covered pavilion with several picnic tables, and lots of vintage style rides and swings for little kids. Additionally, there are now 2 metal benches towards the back of the lot that overlook Mill Creek as it tumbles and wanders into town.

There is also a really cool bridge that runs across the river here; and connects to the back end of the property where the town pool is. This was an often used shortcut for many people in town.. myself included.





The photos for this post were all taken at Mitchell Park here in Coudersport... I hope you enjoy them...

rest well my friends.. wherever you are

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Today I went out to the Volcanoes (also known as the Three Sisters).... part of the Petroglyphs National Park, and conveniently near my house. I only had about an hour's worth of energy.. and fortunately... this was close enough that I had plenty of time to get there... walk around a bit.. and enjoy the scenery.

This has been a favorite spot of mine ever since we moved here in 1995.
~~ I'm sure you can see why ~~




((...If you click on the panoramic photos... you can see them enlarged... ))



For more information, check out these links:

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I have been editing a few more photos... these are from August 2009; when I went to PA to visit family. Near my hometown is the "Black Forest Trading Post and Deer Park." Basically, it's a penned in area where several families of deer are kept in a safe environment, and are fed, etc. Alongside it is a gift shop. It's kitchy... of that there is no doubt.

And for people who grew up in the area... it seems to be sort of a freak thing. Deer are all around us.... why have them penned up? On the other hand; one of the main influxes of commerce we have in our county is during hunting/fishing seasons ... when lots of people come from areas like Philadelphia and such... and come up to "the country." This little tourist spot gives them the opportunity to see the animals in an accessible area. And of course, there is the gift shop and coffee bar...


According to some internet research; the place has been in business since 1953-- and has had only a handful of owners in all that time. The past couple of years that I have been to PA... I have stopped and visited with the owner. Interestingly, he has a relatively fabulous selection of Celtic music and jewelry that he also sells in the gift shop; along with local maple syrup and maple candy, honey, local crafts..... all alongside alot of kitchy tourist-like items. It is an interesting place.




But I must confess... I love to the see the deer. Yes, I know some local spots where I can see them in "the wild"... but here I can see them... almost touch them... and give them some treats (sold in packages in the shop). For the photographer in me... it was an awesome opportunity.... especially as so many of the young ones were still spotted. Their ears and horns were all soft with velvet...their soft brown eyes looking upward...



And yes, I come from a hunting background. In fact; most everyone I know (back home) hunts. Yes, I started going hunting with my dad when I was about 13. Yes, I can shoot, drag, and dress a deer all by myself. Yes, really. Yes, I like venison. Yes, I like the movie Bambi. Yes, I cry every time the mommy deer gets shot. Yes, it makes me sad to think of all the animals shot every year in the name of "sport." However, I also know that without the hunting associations, the local deer population would be a mess. For it is (mostly) these hunting associations that make sure the deer herds get enough food... that idiots aren't poaching... that they have enough land to roam about and raise their young. I understand both sides. It is up to the hunting community to expect and enforce high morals and standards when it comes to safe and ethical hunting practices in PA... and I am fortunate to know many hunters who are doing just that.



But for me... I will continue to "shoot" with my weapon of choice... (my camera).

(all photos by Elaine A. Russell)

at the gardens



photos by Elaine A. Russell


So -- yesterday, the hubby and I decided to take a stroll at the Rio Grande Botanical Gardens (http://www.cabq.gov/biopark/garden/). We haven't been to it in years, and it seemed like a "weekend" thing to do. Seeing as I overslept, we ended up going mid-afternoon... and only had a couple of hours at the park. I had intended to see the aquariums, but we ended up spending our alotted time exclusively in the gardens.

There is alot more garden area than I remember, and alot of it seems relatively new. It is fabulous. We strolled through the Children's Fantasy gardens (led by 2 very enthusiastic young boys), through the Sasebo Japanese gardens, the Mediteranean gardens, the rose gardens (my mother-in-law would've loved this), the Heritage Farm and gardens (my parent's would've loved this), and the cactus gardens of the southwest.

Having just a simple Kodak camera now... I was a little worried about getting the kind of shots I would like. However, my little "koda" surprised me. Of course, it won't take the macro shots that I would like.. but it is turning out to be a really nice little camera. As I get them re-sized into more accessable pics, I will load them onto my FlickR link to the side --->

We stayed until closing (5pm) ... then we went for supper at El Patio. The hubby and I have eaten lunch there many times... and it is a nice dependable place to get quality New Mexican faire. I had the huervos, and he had the chicken burrito plate. yuuuuuuuuuuuuuum. http://elpatiodealbuquerque.com/

Pueblo Montano park








photos by Elaine A. Russell

Fall is coming upon us. It is my favorite time of year. I love the chill in the air, how walks at night become a little more brisk, how the sunsets seem more vibrant, how the moon seems more full, how the leaves make that cool rustling noise when the wind blows... it all speaks to me.

Yesterday the hubby and I took a short walk around the Bosque near Montano bridge, and the open space park there that features wood carvings by Mark Chavez. Mark was a fireman back when the Bosque suffered a horrible fire back in 2003. Most of the cottonwood trees succumbed, and many suffered severe damage. Out of that catastrophe, Mark, who is also a wood carver/ sculptor.... made art from the remnants of tree trunks and fallen trees. It is gorgeous... and a testament to our own lives... how we can build beauty from ashes if we just try.


See this link: http://www.examiner.com/x-1972-Albuquerque-Travel-Examiner~y2009m9d10-Hidden-Albuquerque-Pueblo-Montano-park-and-the-wood-carvings-of-Mark-Chavez

a brief spot of sunshine




photos by Elaine A. Russell

.... and I missed it. I had a migraine last night, and was not feeling well the night before.. and I think it caught up with me. So.. while that brief spot of glorious sunshine was bursting forth, and my brother mowed the lawn, and my parents ran errands.. I was asleep with Sabrina curled up next to me.. missing it all.
And when I awoke at 2pm, it was back to overcast and hazy.. and threatening to rain.
Ah well. I think I am destined to get rainy day pictures this trip. And maybe that is a good thing. When I get back to ABQ, and it hasn't rained but 6 days out of the year, I can look at all my rain photos.
So-- here are some photos (taken in the rain) up in Sweden Valley.. just 6 miles out of town. My brother in law and his new wife live out there, and it is gorgeous.
According to some quick internet research, Sweden Valley is home to about 500 people, with an average income of $35,000. There is one bar, one church, a putt-putt golf, a health food store, a golf club, a dog rescue, and a blueberry farm. It used to be home to the "World Famous Ice Mine" .. which has since been bought, posted, and left derelect. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coudersport_Ice_Mine
If you continue on thru Sweden Valley, you will end up at Cherry Springs... a great place to watch the sky and to get an airplane ride at the family owned airport. There are camping places and picnic places.. and some great scenic views. http://www.kwastronomy.com/History_of_Cherry_Springs_Park.htm
Up the road from the turn-off to Sweden Valley, is "Denton Hill" .. where you can ski in the winter, and do archery in the summer. http://www.skidenton.com/
And down the road towards Coudersport, is Sweden Valley Manor (nursing home) and Charles Cole Memorial Hospital. .. where I used to work years ago.