painting in the snow

As I walked this afternoon I wandered onto the grounds of the Phillips Andover Academy. I was following paths through the snow when I turned my head and saw a splash of unexpected color.

At first I was sure I was seeing things. I turned to walk closer and found a painting of sorts, placed in a field, standing. It's an image of a trail through the woods, a trail painted with the words "They walked here - not anymore".

brr!

The air was cold, the wind picked up yesterday's snow and tossed it into the air, brr!

It was a good day for a walk at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye, NH. I saw footprints and cross-country ski tracks but I pretty much had the park to myself.

A few more photos from today's wander can be viewed in the gallery Winter 2013 starting with this photo and ending here. (And yes, I know it's not 2013 yet, but it's winter, and this winter belongs to 2013.)

today's goal

A sign on a store in Portsmouth, NH: Do one thing a day that scares YOU.

top 13 images, 2012

I browsed through the photos I took this year with a goal of selecting (what I think are) my top 10 images of 2012. I looked at photos, marking them with "top 10 2012", ending up with over 30 images after a first pass. I reviewed my selection, removed some photos, reviewed them again, and again. Somehow I didn't manage to select 10 favorites; instead, I have 13 images to share with you.

In date sequence, here are my favorites from 2012.

reflections in smooth water, from the bridge to Plum Island

tulips unfolding

trees along Jessup Path, Acadia National Park

looking, Schoodic Peninsula, Acadia National Park

high on Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park

butterfly posing, perched on pink

Schwabacher Landing, Grand Teton National Park

Jenny Lake, Grand Teton National Park

late season rose

Gem Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park

painted rocks, Schoodic Peninsula, Acadia National Park

sanderlings standing, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

patterns in pools of water, Halibut Point State Park

These photos are collected into the gallery Top 13 images, 2012. If you'd like to view them as a full screen slideshow, click here to jump to the gallery, then click on the slideshow button.

a bubble of light

My mom and I were standing (high on a hill) Tuesday evening chatting with friends. I looked to the sky and saw a bubble of light, bright, moving, heading in our direction. We all turned and stared.

It was free floating, above our heads. A balloon came to mind so I started searching (the web) for balloons with lights. I think it was an LED light embedded in a balloon filled with helium.

Interesting, fun, and yet... do you think the individual who launched the balloon wandered the countryside later that night to pick up the balloons as they dropped back to the ground?

patterns in rock and water

from a visit to Halibut Point State Park a few weeks back...

patterns, pools of water in front of a relatively calm ocean

four weeks

It's hard to believe that four weeks have passed since my dad died. It seems like just yesterday but it also seems like it has been much longer than four weeks. Time has folded, sometimes taking just a second to jump back, sometimes taking much longer to traverse the fold.

As time passes, memories grow stronger.

emerging winter

The weather wizard didn't wait for the winter solstice before decorating the landscape with snow and ice.

I headed a short way up the coast of Maine yesterday for a visit with a friend. Swirling snow squalls were with me for most of the drive followed by a quieter afternoon made for December-cold air walking. Ice started to form.

The snow returned in the evening, continuing through this morning. I woke to a few inches of white.

A few more photos from a quick snowy afternoon's wander in Yarmouth, Maine can be found in the the start of my running gallery for the season, Winter 2013.

a bit of pink

from last Sunday's walk along the coast, at Jenness State Beach, Rye, NH

a little color

I'm feeling the need for a bit of color this morning.

While autumn color in the northeast is often bright, the color in the leaves of this Japanese maple is a bit more subtle.

blue, quiet

pastels

wet sand, the sparkle the ocean water, clouds, a study in pastels...

More photos from Sunday's wander can be viewed in the gallery New Hampshire coast - 2012 starting with this photo and ending here.

painting a seascape

A painter paints, an empty frame captures a seascape...

sculpture at Great Island Common, New Castle, New Hampshire

peaceful

harbor view

different seasons at Halibut Point

Today was a vacation day for me, a good day for a wander with my camera. I headed to Halibut Point State Park to fulfill a promise to myself to see the park in different seasons.

I circled the quarry, and I walked on the rocks by the ocean. It was quiet, empty of people, a good place to absorb beauty.

December, gray, trees without leaves

September, sweeping clouds against a blue sky, trees wearing green

More photos from today's wander at Halibut Point can be viewed in the gallery Halibut Point, quarry and ocean starting with this photo and ending here.

sanderlings standing

crashing waves

I needed a good walk today, a walk along the ocean. Somehow walking the streets of Manhattan over the last month didn't satisfy my need for quiet wanders.

I arrived at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge just after high tide this afternoon as the temperature edged into the mid-40s. That's a little warmer than winter walking temperature, calling for a few light layers and constant motion. The waves crashed along the shore, filling the air with a steady roar, a pleasant sound to accompany my wander along the beach.

I walked and I watched a flock of sanderlings standing just inland from the high tide line. I'm always fascinated by the movements of these birds; today I was equally fascinated by their stance. Some were standing on one leg, head tucked into body. Some were standing on two legs, looking around. They appeared to be happy to share their ocean with me.

More photos from my wander today can be seen in the gallery Parker River - 2012 starting with this photo and ending here.

clouds reflecting

I usually post current photos in my blog, but this (2009) image of clouds reflecting in a reservoir near home jumped out at me this morning.

a quick Valley Forge walk

We headed to Valley Forge National Historical Park for a quick walk this afternoon. A chill wind was blowing, but the day was dry, sky decorated with layers of clouds.

Note: photos in this post were taken on my Windows phone

late season rose...

...a late season wild rose, captured along the eastern edge of the Schoodic Peninsula in Acadia National Park at the end of October.

painted rocks

It almost seems as if someone painted these rocks. I love the clear separation of color in the rock above the water on the right side - the soft reddish shade of the top separated by a strong black line from a deep rust color of the bottom.

at the Schoodic Peninsula, Acadia National Park

thinking and remembering

It is a sad time, it's also a time to learn to move on with life while keeping memories of good times and bad.

There were times when it was hard to stop the tears during the last several weeks. My eyes are dry now but I suspect that tears will return at some point. For now I need to pull memories forward and to know that Dad is out of pain, at peace, and hanging with his son, my brother Neal.

Dad touched many people, family members, friends and colleagues through his work in the glass industry. For a tribute, a few stories from his years in the glass industry, see the article Industry icon Eddie Goldberg passes away.

early snow

It's too early for snow. The calendar hasn't turned to December and the winter solstice is still over three weeks away yet wet clumps of snow are falling and clinging to tree branches. I thought the arrival of the season was supposed to lag the solstice; apparently the weather wizard has different thoughts today.

overwhelmed by death

an open letter to my dad...

It's the end of a life, the end of an era, the end of a partnership (a marriage of 61 years).

You have left many people behind, people who are very sad. You also left Bailey, your 4-legged pal. I suspect that Bailey's feelings of loss will be harder to deal with than ours. I'm so sorry that you're gone, but at the same time I feel a sense of relief that you are out of pain and at peace.

Dad, we'll carry a piece of you in our hearts forever.

Ed Goldberg: May 22, 1929 - November 22, 2012

A few more photos to tweak your memories can be viewed in the gallery memories of Dad.

quiet

clouds reflecting

I love the patterns here, the curve of the water, the reflections of the clouds.

(wild)flowers transition

flowers transitioned to a dried, fluffy state...

still hoping...

It's been a long time since my dad was himself, just over 3 weeks since his surgery. I asked for your healing wishes a week ago, and I thank each one of you who joined your wishes with those of my family.

It feels like we are on a bit of a roller-coaster ride. There have been ups and downs, improvements and setbacks. His white blood cell count was very high last week, it dropped, dropped some more, then went up again. It is still well below last week's high but the change in an upward direction feels scary to me.

He is fighting two serious infections yet we hold on to hope - hope that he wins the battle against infection, and hope that his body recovers its normal behaviors. Please keep your good wishes flowing to him.

bubbles

People watching in Central Park... a man holding sticks joined by a loop of string, creating big bubbles.

requesting wishes

I'd like to believe that thoughts and good wishes can help in healing. Whether that is true or not, I'm asking for you to send your thoughts to my father. He had (successful) surgery just over two weeks ago. Unfortunately his body has been hit by pneumonia plus an additional very serious infection; he is currently in critical condition.

Do you believe in the power of thought? Please add your healing wishes to those of my family.

reflective

photos! Acadia National Park

Photos from my wanders at Acadia are loaded into galleries, ready for viewing. Start with the top level gallery, Acadia, October 2012, or click on the photos below to enter a specific gallery.

looping Acadia:

wandering Schoodic:

outside of the park:

Interested in words? You can find my ramblings in the blog entries tagged Acadia 2012-10.