Things That Caught My Eye Today

Sometimes while we're out walking, I remember to capture a shot of what may be an unusual sight in other parts of the country.   

Part of someone's morning commute.  Because it's not like you can just walk around to clear off the other side. 

And then, imagine going to such great lengths only to remember it's a Sunday, or that you forgot your keys.   Yeah, that would not be fun.  As I watched him head back to shore just moments later, those are the thoughts that crossed my mind though.   

As I stood on shore watching and snapping pictures, I couldn't help but imagine that not much in the scene I was gazing out on had really changed in the past 100 years or so.  Except for maybe the bench, of course.  

The scene is Sorrento's Village Green, looking across Frenchman's Bay toward the mountains of Acadia National Park.  A place that I'm lucky to be able to visit every day.

I even found a lovely piece of sea glass along the shore right there today.   Often, whenever I find a piece of sea glass, it  makes me wonder how it came to be mine.  This particular one, deposited right here at my feet, completely smoothed and hydrated from a 50+ year journey that perhaps began as a bottle of 7up. 

And of course, it's always the bright colors that catch my eye.  Especially in winter.   

And especially if they're right outside my livingroom window. 

A Painfully Beautiful Time of Year

This little birdie doesn't seem to mind the blizzardly conditions our Winter has bestowed upon us this year. 

Within this clump of clinging white outside our window the birds gather to wait their turn at the feeders. 

No church services until July at Sorrento's Church of the Redeemer.  Pity, as most of the summer parishioners may never know what they have missed out on during the winter months. 

We may as well let them believe that winter here is just grey and gloomy.  And that the sun never shines. 

And the only thing the moon shines down on is a frozen tundra in the middle of winter. 

Never to be seen peering above blue skies near dusk. 

Impatiently awaiting its turn after sundown. 

If you finally tire of winter, inside a reprieve, tucked here and there can help tide you over. 

Courtesy of someone who had the forethought to plan for times such as these. 

Even if it is just more white. 

If someone in your household feels the need to make a statement about the conditions this time of year. 

I always find it best to just humor them and snap a picture.  And be thankful that at least he hasn't lost his sense of humor.

Starbird

Stormy, snowy winter days are a perfect time to make a few changes around the house.   And my changes started out when I decided to give a name to our upstairs kitchen. 



Then I came up with an idea to convert one of my glass insulators into a shade to replace a pendant light that I had grown tired off.  I just had the local glass shop drill a hole in the top, and then Henri masterfully replaced it for me using the same hardware from our previous fixture.  If you would like to do this too, I found out the hard way that only a very small and very low watt bulb (15W) will work.  My use of a larger 40W bulb heated up the glass too much and caused my previously perfect insulator to sprout a sudden small crack, complete with sound effects, right before my eyes!  Fortunately the light switch was handy enough for me to react quickly to stop the damage. So now the fixture has a bit more character on one side than I had planned, and that's okay with me too!

Oh, and here is the reason I named the kitchen Starbird. Our Simon who is 38 years old.  The kitchen is where he spends most of his day. 

I also decided to dress up his cage with some sea shells that I added to some frayed tie-top curtains I made. 

He hangs out on the top of his cage during the day.  The only time he actually goes into his cage is at night.   Also, I did the ceiling in that embossed paper that is supposed to make it look like tin.  I have not yet painted it though.  I may just leave it white. 

Across from his cage he has a friendly tin seahorse to keep him company. 

See his reflection in the porthole mirror right there? 

I also added touches of gold leaf to my previously distressed cabinet doors that I painted black. 

Here's a close up of the gold leaf on a shell embellishment that I found at the hardware store. 

I should also mention that the color of my new light fixture, along with the name I gave the kitchen, might just be a nod to a common navigational sign you may be familiar with.   

In a previous post I confessed a little trick of how I always remember my left from my right, navigational-ly speaking, that is. 



Red for Port.  Green for Starboard {Starbird}.  Just a little visual in case you need help to remember that too! 

Sorrento After Dark, A Spooky Post

In our resolve to get our walk in on a day when our schedule stretched past sunset, we headed out with flashlight in hand along Sorrento's Ocean Avenue making a loop around the downtown peninsula.  Upon reviewing the few shots that I stopped to take I noticed something a little strange.  Keep your eye on that looming dark shadow there on the left. 

And then just as we were about to pass the Sorrento Public Library (open only in the summer months of July and August), it appears I captured an eerie shadow of a shadow.

[Okay, that's really Henri, but it is rather strange looking, no?]

So, here we are winding our way back to Ocean Avenue near the site of the infamous "cocktail rocks" where a ghostly shadow of one of Sorrento's former residents has been seen.  Why is this dark looming shadow still in the picture frame on the left?  The first picture with the same shadow was taken at least a half mile away! 

Since I didn't use my flash for this one, it was completely pitch black except for a white light until I lightened up the image.   Not to worry, that's just a boat returning to the harbor this evening. 

Gosh I'm sure glad you went along on the walk with us tonight, it was kind of spooky now wasn't it?

Sepia Tones & Exotic Fare

Late afternoon as we passed Sorrento's golf course on our way to get our walk in, it was still snowing.   I tried to capture the soft hazy glow through the trees of where the sky meets the ocean. 

Here's the town landing, where we park and begin our walk.   With daylight fading I liked how the lit tree stood out against the fresh cover of white.  Henri reminded me it was snowing and not good for the camera. 

As we continued on our walk I sheltered my camera inside my coat from the falling snow and when Henri wasn't looking I quickly pulled it out to try and capture a scene or two.  On this image, I used a sepia tone effect which I think helps to highlight the falling snow. 

One more that I took.  I couldn't help it.  Don't tell Henri though.  He keeps telling me how bad moisture is for a camera.  But in my defense, the snow let up for this one.   

So anyway, back at home, Henri knew he was in store for a treat.  This is a "care package" of sorts that his Mother sent, because I mentioned to her the other day he was craving Indonesian food.  Henri was born in Djakarta, Indonesia.  I was born in Maine, yet I was craving it too. 

This is his Mother's recipe of Nasi Kuning (yellow rice) and some of the ingredients that I used to make it for him. 

Lucky for me, my rice cooker makes cooking it a breeze. 

Suet for the woodpeckers outside. 

Inside, Nasi Kuning covered with stinky, salty fish for us. 

The fish really are stinky too.  For the first 15 years of our marriage I would make Henri eat them outside, until one day I got the nerve to try them and I couldn't believe what I had been missing!  Besides it's just way too cold to eat outside this time of year. 

We Eat, Therefore We Walk.

 So far this year we're getting our daily walk in.  Mostly at sunset. 

5 down, 360 to go.  At least that's the plan. 

 Sometimes after walking we just get in the truck and drive around to take more pictures.

Like this evening.   But we really should concentrate more on our walking. 

Do you know how easy it is for us to get side tracked while out walking around here? 

Like when we run into someone else out for their daily walk. 

Hi Jake.  Paw.

Because mostly when we're not out walking, we're usually eating.  This is what happens when you get a new diversion, like say, a new cookie stamp. 

 It's already my 2nd batch this year.  Oh dear. 

And then there's our evening cup of hot cocoa too. 

Our new resolution:  No walkie, no eatie.