sunset

5:365:2011


Today I helped a friend move to the fabulous town of Placitas.
Old Placitas is a fantastic village... and if you ever get the chance... it's a "must see" kind of place.
That said... I didn't have the opportunity to take any photos until I was on my way home... and it was very quickly getting dark.
So... here are a few from the ride home...♥



*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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From sunrise (above)... to sunset (below)... I am trying to be more mindful of my surroundings. With being sick... it has been doubly hard, in the sense that my sleeping hours are really jumbled... and when I am awake... I am exhausted... so I don't always get much of anything done. It can be very frustrating... especially on those days when I feel like my only accomplishment for the day is feeding the dogs...

This morning, however, I was up early-- as I wanted to say "so long for now... and safe travels"... to a dear friend who is moving out of state. I wish him the very best life has to offer. And while I will miss him; it is incredible to me how he is taking life "by the horns" ... and moving to a dream location... no job, no preconceived notions, no phone, and very little money... and traveling only with what he can stuff in his car. I have complete and utter faith that he will not only be OK... but that he will somehow blossom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And in other news... I was contacted by a fellow 365 Project photographer... and thru a series of emails... am featured on this blogpost in recognition for completing my 2nd Photo-A-Day project.
How cool is that?!

Rest well my friends... and safe journeys wherever you roam...


*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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Having used my Kodak pocket camera for over a year now... I am really happy with the photos I have been able to get with it. It is affordable (other than the batteries... it was awesome cost-wise)... easy to carry with you all the time... and surprisingly technically good for such a small camera.


I am a firm believer that the camera does not make the photographer. Over the course of the past year... I feel like I have learned that lesson well. Using a point and shoot encouraged me to go back to the basics... to really focus (as it were)... on what I wanted to accomplish with each shot... the feeling I wanted each shot to express to whomever saw it... but within the limits of a point and shoot camera... and that was an incredible lesson to learn.



It also encouraged me to concentrate on the art of the photograph. The composition... the color... and not just the technical stuff (aperture, focus, lighting, depth of field, etc). Simply put... there are some shots that you can do with a point and shoot camera... and ones you can't. But just as true... is that a point and shoot camera can be much more accessible than a big digital SLR.



And now... ((as of a few days ago))... I have the Nikon D300s with an 18-200mm zoom lens. Now.. I begin the "work" of combining a more technically savvy camera and all that goes with that... with what I re-learned about composition and color and feeling... and it is a wonderful feeling.

So.... can you guess which shots on this post were taken with the Nikon and which with the Kodak?

*all photos by Elaine A. Russell

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It's been raining off and on here today... and it's colder than I thought it would be for this time of year... but it was still an awesome day.
I got some items listed on Etsy... updated my blog links... took a few photos walking around the neighborhood... did some laundry... did some cooking... and spent some time with family.
Awesome.

And I made some fresh roasted roma tomatoes... and then some fried green tomatoes to go with a couple ham steaks for dinner.


Ingredients: Garden fresh green tomatoes, 2 eggs & milk whisked into one bowl, about 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of cornmeal in a second bowl, butter, salt, pepper.

1. Slice tomatoes 1/2 inch thick. Discard the ends.
2. Whisk eggs and milk together in a medium-size bowl. Mix cornmeal, flour, salt and pepper in another bowl. Dip the tomatoes into milk and egg mixture. Dredge in breadcrumbs and flour mixture to completely coat.
3. In a large skillet, melt a little butter. Place tomatoes into the frying pan in batches, depending on the size of your skillet. Do not crowd the tomatoes, they should not touch each other. Season them with salt and pepper as you desire. When the tomatoes are browned, flip and fry them on the other side. I cook them on low heat on both sides first to get the tomatoes all warm and juicy, then increase the heat to brown them on the sides. Serve hot and enjoy the sunset :)


*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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*photos by Elaine A. Russell


"If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive..." ~Eleonora Duse (1859 - 1924)

I have been rather despondent as of late. Part of it is a change in my medications (*or more accurately, having been without them for several months.. and going back on them), feeling overweight and out of shape, and having been through the great turmoil of life that is my family...

I am trying very hard to change what I can and be as optimistic as possible.
Some days are easier than others.

However, today was my dear hubby's birthday. And after dinner we went on a drive... chasing the sunset as far west as it let us go before it faded into the hills. It was awesome.


I have no answers to the depression that fills some of my days... I have no words of wisdom. I only know that I must keep on doing what I love... and hope that everything works out in the best way possible. Art and the love of my family are what is currently keeping me going...
What do you do when despair knocks on your door?

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-----------------------------------horses grazing in the fields of Gold, PA


So... today; we had alot of company at the house... which is good, but can also be very tiring.

I loaded the car full of recycle-able goods... and headed over to Gold where there is a recycle plant. Unfortunately, by the time I got there.. it was closed. Apparently, it closes daily at 3pm; instead of the 5pm that I was told. Ah well. No bother. It was a very nice ride; and I can do it again tomorrow.

For dinner, my daughter and I stopped at the Sweden Valley Inn again. She has never been there; so we sat and ordered some food. She got the "double baked" potato soup... which was absolutely fabulous... loaded with yummy melted cheese on top. Then she had a salad with shrimp on it. I had a cheeseburger with bacon and blue cheese, and an order or mozzarella sticks and some fries. As a special treat... I had another one of those butterscotch schnapps hot cocoa drinks I mentioned a couple of days ago. It was still just as good as it was the other night.
As a bonus.... we sat more in the dining area this time ... and there are lots of vintage photos on the walls of places around town... but circa 1900 through the 1950's. I was able to take photos of a couple of them... and will post them on my flickR account as soon as I can.


------------------------ "double baked" potato soup at the Sweden Valley Inn


My dad managed to fall in the shower today... banging his hip that he had the surgery on. Fortunately... he didn't seem to do any damage.... I think he hurt his pride more. Problem is... my mom tried to pull him up... and hurt herself as well. Sort of a comedy of errors I suppose.... but not funny at the time.

I mention this only in the context of .... I never really thought about this time in my life. When I was younger, I dreamed of being in love... perhaps having children... traveling.. that sort of thing. And after I got married... I would daydream about growing old with my hubby... always in a "rose-colored glasses" kind of way.


I don't recall however, dreaming of being middle-aged. I don't like to think of myself as middle-aged. I am not sure what that even entails. But I don't like it much. It is very strange to have my kids on the cusp of getting married/ leaving home... and at the same time... being in a position of taking care of my parents and helping them out as much as I am able. It is a very strange in-between time. I am sure I will get used to it.... but for now, it is almost freakish.


------------------------------------the pond beside the Sweden Valley Inn


**all photos by Elaine A. Russell

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I took some time this afternoon to go and take some photos. Just outside of town on Route49... in Colesburg... is the WaterWheel Farm. I think it is still owned by the Regis Family, who live nearby. Either way... it is stunningly beautiful. Even with winter's coat still on.... and spring but a whisper away... it is still gorgeous.



And so... Kristin, Sabrina and I all walked around the farm, ponds and such. This red winged-blackbird kept calling to me... but stayed just far enough away that I really couldn't get a great shot of him.... but I tried.



There is a creek that feeds the several ponds on the farm... and it was bubbling with fresh cool water from the hills surrounding the farm ...



Sabrina found several gopher and rabbit holes to investigate... and was having a wonderful time frolicking about. We weren't there maybe an hour or so... but it was timed right so that we had the opportunity to see the sun beginning to set while we were there...



We then drove to get my mom from the hospital from her visit with my dad. My mom is quite sick with the bronchitis... her cough is just awful. She is on a good dose of steroids as well as antibiotics now... and the meds are giving her some fits as well (hot flashes, really flushed and sore cheeks, upset stomach, etc). I think she is just plain wore out.

Kristin also came down with the flu this am... although tonight she seems a bit better for having taken some medicine and gotten out in the sun...




And then there's my dad. He is not doing well. Seems like every day he is getting a little worse. He is on nebulizers now for a bad cough, and continues to be distended in the abdomen and very swollen in his legs. Additionally, he is becoming somewhat lethargic... and has no appetite at all. I just don't know what to do...



On the home front... my son and his girlfriend have gotten engaged... and are planning their wedding! They are anxious to begin their new life together... and want to get things moving along. So much has happened while I have been gone... I just can't believe it...

And tonight my hubby told me that he picked up this week's issue of the ALIBI ( the local ABQ newspaper we get)... and it looks like I have WON their annual photo contest in the category of "manipulated images"... holy cow!

It all seems like such a merry-go-round at the moment.... I can't process it all. But I am trusting that everything will work out just the way it is supposed to... and I just need to "keep calm and carry on"... as the saying goes.....


**all photos by Elaine A. Russell

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...barefoot in the backyard.... warm grass and moss under my toes...

...snowdrops blooming in a neghbor's front yard...

...a childhood friend's house (also a "station" on the historic Underground RailRoad)...


...white birch at the local Patterson Cancer Center...

...views from a typical barn in the area...
(all photos by Elaine A. Russell)


Today was an odd mix of answering countless phone calls... taking a few pictures... doing laundry... getting groceries.... visiting with my dad.... cooking... cleaning... and (later) visiting with my mom who got back from Philadelphia late tonight.
It's late. I am exhausted... but I am thinking that (hopefully) things may be beginning to settle down.

75:365


Woke up initially at 6am... just in time to see the sun rising over the woods near CARP park on the north end of Coudersport, PA. (see photo above)
Took Sabrina for a short walk, and went back to bed. It is amazing how much rest a person can need... and yet, still feel tired.

Did some household chores, and called my mom. My dad is tentatively being transferred from Geisinger Hospital back to the hospital in Coudersport tomorrow.. so he can have a few weeks of rehab before coming home. He still needs surgery to completely repair his should socket, and to remove the large tumor on his clavicle... as well as biopsy his lymph nodes... but that will happen down the road a bit. He has done well with his hip surgery... just had a bugger with complications afterwards. Being almost 77 yrs old... I think he is doing really well.

So... here is the plan. I am going to drive to Geisinger this afternoon; stay overnight.... and come back to Coudersport the next day with all the stuff that my parents have had at the hospital (clothing, etc). Dad is going to be transferred via ambulance. My aunt and uncle are going to be driving from Bradford, PA to Geisinger on Wednesday morning, and will pick up my mom and take her with them to Philadelphia.... where they will be going to my uncle's funeral on Thursday.... and then they will bring her back to Coudersport on Friday.



The Wellsboro Diner.............



UPDATE:
I got to Geisinger just fine. I only made one slightly wrong turn; but figured it out right away and was able to turn around. The highways in PA are actually quite nice... some of the best I have seen in the US.

It took me about 3 hours to get to Geisinger. I stopped in Wellsboro PA to have a cup of coffee and some cream of potato soup (and to take some Tylenol for a pounding headache and fever) at the Wellsboro Diner. It is an old train car, that was converted into a diner, and has been in business since 1939. It is right on Route6... and has a distinctly 1950's feel. There is an attached gift shop as well.


On highway 15 ............



From there... I traveled through several small towns. PA is like that. You get little town after little town... with lots of farm land in between. Rarely... will be a town/city of substantial size..... at least, not in the areas I am traveling in. I saw ice and snow on some rock cliffs, several rivers, a swamp area with tons of Canadian geese....and a few Amish carriages driven by horse.

I was able to visit with my dad, and then my mother and I stayed at the "House of Care" .... a guest house for patients and their families... right next to the hospital. The House of Care is a fabulous place. Really affordable rooms ($15 a night).. kitchens... bathrooms.. laundry area... living areas with a library, fireplace and big TV... all snuggled in a little part of the Geisinger campus surrounded by some nice woods. We had a room in the back... and had an excellent view of trees and grass.



Amish carriage near Muncy PA......


Sunset near Danville, PA

(**all photos by Elaine A. Russell)



Links to Wellsboro, PA: here and here
Link to Geisinger House of Care: here
Link to Geisinger Medical Center: here

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...................................................................................(photos by Elaine A. Russell)

I am late in posting today... I have intentions of posting earlier in the day... and somehow it just doesn't happen. I don't know if it's from all those years of working night shift... but I really do more productive work at night. Plus... it's kind of a meditative thing to write my blog post summing up my day... at the very end of my day.

Still in the Lupus flare... annoying. I have been inordinately tired... and not getting much done. But it is simply nothing compared to what is going on with my parents. Tomorrow, they are driving a fair distance to go to a specialty hospital so that my dad can get some surgery done to combat his newly diagnosed bone cancer with mets. I am not sure what all they are going to do... and frankly, neither is he.

And so... feeling a bit low... and frustrated... and sad... I went down to the river late this afternoon towards sunset. I love the water. It always has a very zen/ meditative effect on me. I used to always dream of living near the ocean... but really; any body of water will do. And so, I trekked down to the river's edge. It was awesome. There were Canadian geese, ducks, bunnies... and the more I walked about... the calmer and more clear I felt.






Simply Living Tip for the Day: relax. Life can be sooo stressful sometimes... and if you let it build up inside... whammo. The good news is... there are as many ways to de-stress as there are stressors. You just need to find the ones that work for you. Pick one... and try it every day for a week or two. ... then take note of how it made you feel. If it worked.. great! If not... try another...

Here is a good link with the top 10 ways to de-stress: HERE

61:365

...today I didn't even get out of bed til 4pm. I have been sick, and I seem to be sleeping (or trying to sleep) more than usual. My hours are totally mixed up and confused... my sleep pattern... erratic at best. I have some pretty vivid dreams... and occasionally they are quite disturbing. So when I woke up, I quickly tried to do some housekeeping... and then I despaired because I thought I had lost what little light was left for me to take a photo for the day.... and then I went outside.



What had appeared to be a totally dull, lifeless, and blah kind of day inside.... was certainly not what was happening in reality outside....


These two photos I took of some items I have hanging on my front patio. The green wire globe is a set of wind chimes that I got several years ago... they make a beautiful tinkling noise in the wind. The globe and wire contraption is an art piece I got off of Craigslist about 3yrs ago. When it twirls, it gives the illusion that the glass globe is moving up and down the wire spirals.... It is an awesome effect.



These are the views from my driveway... looking south. It was just beginning to turn into a stunning sunset, and the clouds were on fire in multiple shades ...turning from pink to burnt orange in a matter of minutes...



And then I drove out to the edge of the housing neighborhoods... and this was our view looking westward....



So for now.... goodnight my friends...Stay warm. Rest well. And try to enjoy the beauty that is around us all... all the time....

44:365


A few weeks ago I went with some friends to Bosque Del Apache.

"Bosque del Apache, which means 'woods of the Apache', was named for the people who often camped in the riverside forest. Today it is known as one of the most spectacular Refuges in North America.
This 57,191 acre refuge straddles the Rio Grande Valley in Socorro County, New Mexico. It ranges in elevation from 4,500 to 6,272 feet above sea level. It receives approximately 7 inches of precipitation each year. Within the refuge borders lie three wilderness areas totaling approximately 30,850 acres and five research natural areas totaling 18,500 acres. "

Having never been before... I was very excited. I was also quite nervous... because we were stopping on the way back to ABQ from a trip... and it was getting dark pretty quickly. Plus... it was not the right time of year to really get shots of the birds. I was afraid that I would not be able to get any shots at all... and so I resigned myself to relaxing and enjoying the experience, and not trying to get a "souvenir" photo.
As it turns out... I was able to get a few... and I hope that you like them.




--------------------------------- *all photos by Elaine A. Russell



See more here:
http://www.stateparks.com/bosque_del_apache.html
http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/newmex/bosque/
http://www.friendsofthebosque.org/

Cholla cactus sunsets

photo by Elaine A. Russell

The other night, my daughter and I went over towards the base of the Sandias. We were picking up a camera that someone was giving away on Freecycle... so we stopped to check out the view. It was quickly getting dark... so I wasn't sure that any of my photos were actually going to turn out.

This one, I was happy with.

I will miss the massive sunsets when we move from here... but in the meantime... I'm thinking I need to get out more and do some scenary shots. Anyone want to come ?