Hoping I can find opportunities to capture the awesome power of Gods creation this summer storm season and also live to share the photos such as this shot I captured last summer. I will be using my tablet to fire the camera so I have no direct physical link with the camera.
This is an image from the past and includes an Amish buggy pausing to let a hot air balloon drift across the road in front off him.I apologize for my lack of posting recently but the stresses of life have taken the wind out of my sails right now.
This quick snapshot shows the effect of infrared on the landscape at Longwood Gardens
I was driving around looking for shots when I noticed a buggy that seemed to be tail gating another buggy,but as I got closer it became apparent it was being towed. Here they are arriving at a buggy repair shop in the heart of Amish country.
This crop of tulips were some of the few that were blooming last week at Longwood. Not my favorite colors but a nice scene anyway.
This Amish child is enjoying the best seat around as mom heads to the local store. I was parked at a store and saw them coming and managed to get this shot.The kid was waving as they came down the road but I have no idea who she was waving too.
Farmers have been struggling to get crops planted after an extended winter and wet spring.This Amish farmer guides his team through the field preparing the soil for planting. Hopefully sweet corn will be on time for summer picnics.
The ever popular Foxglove has always been a rather frustrating flower for me to try and grow in my garden,so when I see displays like this,I just stand in awe. We tried several times to use them in the garden,but either they die off and never return or blow over and get destroyed.We staked them and tried a variety of ideas but finally gave up.Someday I hope to visit an area like the Cotswolds in England, where cottage gardening is an art form.This was at Longwood Gardens.
Another striking floral display at Longwood Gardens.The one conservatory path was lined with these stunning complimentary color palettes,and there must have been sixty feet of these luscious blooms.
These lovely flowers,which I think are called Canterbury bells filled a room at Longwood Gardens. They had a bell up high in the room that was struck every so often to enhance the experience.
If you love spring and you love flowers,now is the time to head to Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. I went this past friday and was just a touch early for the full tulip show,which will be amazing this week and next. Thousands of colorful blooms are set to dazzle the senses in this yearly spectacle which I find to be among the prettiest time of the year at Longwood. These tulips were blooming and caught my eye with their vivid color palette.
The old goat seems to have decided he needs to not only eat some hay,but he also chose to take a siesta in the food trough while he was at it. The one young lamb seems to want to call him out on his rude behavior ,but after seeing the horns,he decided to just give him the stare down.It was a bit breezy this day,so maybe the trough gave a little wind relief.
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.
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.
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.
Looks like new carpet is on the way as this Amish buggy heads down the road with all the supplies.
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.
A telephoto helps to magnify the setting sun behind a group of snow geese as they head to the fields for the night
With spring comes the annual snow geese migration.Every once in a while they take to the air in large numbers as shown here.
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.
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.
Fading fall foliage provides a backdrop for this lone horse in Vermont.
Fall foliage adds a touch of color to this Mount Auburn scene. A bit of flash adds an accent to brighten the stones.
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?
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
Donald Reese Photography 