This trio of Amish girls were in perfect synchronization as they zipped down the road on a recent spring day.Looking at their baskets,I wondered if they might be one room school-house teachers on the way to school.They almost appear to be parked and talking but they were cruising and I was lucky to get a sharp shot with the telephoto.A few Amish even have battery-powered scooters that reach 20-30mph, and I found a place that sells them but amazingly they are almost a thousand dollars.
Blooming Magnolia
Magnolia trees begin bursting with color as spring arrives. This mausoleum is quite the final resting place for someone.A late spring freeze tonight threatens to ruin the magnolia blooms,at least the weather men are saying that today.
Happy Holi
This pair of images were taken at a festival held at a local park this weekend. It had to be the most colorful event I had ever seen,with folks showering each other with intensely colorful powder. On the way there my daughter tells me she is not putting any color on,but a minute after arriving,she starts begging me to join in,which we gladly obliged.It was my first introduction to the festival called Holi,and it was a very happy and fun time. A few folks seemed to want to color me,but thankfully they refrained because of the camera I was holding. I had to keep my distance to keep the camera safe, but I thought this pair of images would give you some idea of the event.
Holi is a spring festival also known as the festival of colors and the festival of love.It is an ancient Hindu religious festival which has become popular with non Hindus in many parts of South Asia and beyond. It is primarily observed in India, Nepal and other regions of the world with significant populations of Hindus or people of Indian origin. The festival has in recent times spread to Europe and North America as a spring celebration of love,frolic and colors.
Spring Makeover
Looks like new carpet is on the way as this Amish buggy heads down the road with all the supplies.
Goose For Lunch?
This eagle takes to the air after surveying the possible choices for lunch.The snow geese are keeping a keen eye on the predator as they swim in the open water.
Last Flight Out
A telephoto helps to magnify the setting sun behind a group of snow geese as they head to the fields for the night
Cleared for Takeoff
With spring comes the annual snow geese migration.Every once in a while they take to the air in large numbers as shown here.
Sign of Spring
I shot this image last year during one of the counties many mud sales,which get their name from the usual muddy conditions in spring.I will be posting more sporadically for a while because I cannot keep up with posting everyday.This group of Amish men are bidding on farm implements.
Roadside Filling Station
Another surprise roadside scene we came across on our new england trip. I think this was in Vermont and the owner said it was a replica of his first gas station. This was at his house right along a back road.
Greener Pastures
Fading fall foliage provides a backdrop for this lone horse in Vermont.
Family Resting Place
Fall foliage adds a touch of color to this Mount Auburn scene. A bit of flash adds an accent to brighten the stones.
Shrouded in Mystery
A grove of trees becomes a place of mystery as fog envelopes the landscape. Do you dare wander in to find what creatures lurk just out of sight?
Mary Baker Eddy
This monument was completely in the dark until I illuminated it with flash. Doing so allowed the texture and inscriptions to reveal themselves. I must thank my friend Morrie who helped keep my camera dry under an umbrella while I moved around the structure with the flash.
Often, monuments and mausolea are designed by the same architect who designed other residences for the family. The Mary Baker Eddy monument does not follow that mold, instead, it was the result of a design competition. Egerton Swarthout, a New York architect, won the competition in 1914, with a tholos form design of a circular colonnade consisting of 8 columns each 15 feet in height. Swarthout omitted a roof because he felt there should be “nothing between the grave and sky but flowers”.
Originally, the architect specified the monument be constructed of Colorado or Vermont white marble. As an acknowledgement to the harsh New England winter, Bethel, Vermont, white granite was substituted because it withstands the elements significantly better than marble.
The Mary Baker Eddy monument has been acknowledged as one of the finest examples of the granite carver’s craft. Among the details incorporated into the design are the wild rose, which was Mrs. Eddy’s favorite flower, the morning glory, which opens to the light and closes to the darkness, the lamp of wisdom and a sheaf of wheat.
Husband and Wife
Nestled at the base of a giant maple tree are the graves of this husband and wife. Her stone reads-“her example is our inheritance” and his reads, “the master called and found him”. I wonder if the tree was planted since they were buried or just happened to grow from a seed that landed there?
British Invasion
You never know what you might come across when traveling, and this double-decker from England caught my eye as it was parked along the road in Massachusetts. Looking at this unique vehicle left many questions,as the drivers area looked tiny and impossible to get into and it appeared as if passengers would load from the back,but that might be way off. It doesn’t appear to be moving anytime soon.
Crystal Avenue
Lobster Buoy Collection
This home in Rockport Massachusetts beckoned me to capture its unique seacoast charm after I noticed the many old lobster buoys adorning the entrance. As I was speaking to the owners wife,she told me her husband had collected these authentic buoys along the shoreline years ago and this quaint scene had been featured in magazines more than once.
Serenity Lake
This peaceful fall scene leaves you wishing you could paddle out into the foggy lake setting and just sit listening to the call of the loon or moose.
Mums For Sale
Ramblin Rose
New England Charm
Granite Art
Harbor Light
I climbed down the ladder the fishermen use to access their boats to get this image in Rockport. A wide array of colorful boats made for a nice composition.
Throne of the Ice Queen
Freezing Rain on Trees
Waves of Snow
Another image that features me using my flashlight to help reveal the texture in the snow as well as lighting each building.My camranger was having a little trouble transferring the image to my tablet at the farthest building as I lit it,but it all worked out in the end.
A Nice Accent
This beautiful old mansion is made even more spectacular with the addition of heavy snow sticking to trees and bushes.This was one of the rare times I had to hand hold a shot instead of using my tripod.I stopped on the street and shot a quick series before having to move for other cars.
Ice Creature
Pardon my ignorance but I have no idea what this sculpture is supposed to be of? It was at a book store during the fire and ice festival but that is all I know about it. A dragon,phoenix,who knows?
Peaceful Evening
Frozen Stagecoach
Lititz,Pa was voted Americas coolest small town this past year and one of the cool events they held was called the fire and ice festival.Expert ice carvers create these beautiful sculptures throughout town and thousands stroll the streets to take it all in. This stagecoach was one that caught my eye so I used my flashlight to bring out the icy details.Thankfully cold weather was around the region this year so the masterpieces were around for several days.
Donald Reese Photography 