Oh no, so sad to see this land cleared for a housing project.

Adolph and Pat: I've worked with various land conservation groups for many years. They use my photography in their efforts toward preserving open space.

I chose to live in an area that's still largely agricultural so I can bring awareness to the importance of our dwindling open space. The goal of this photoblog has always been to show how the land is used to grow our food, supply clean drinking water, provide habitat for wildlife and give people a sense of well-being.

Kathleen,
Glad to see you turn your photographic attention to saving our open spaces! Good going! I don't know about you but I don't need another bank, dry cleaner, empty store front or house cluttering up my open spaces...
Thanks for this one, Pat

what the hell? the #*%@ developers are still building ??!??!?

I love the minimalism that makes the fog.

Greetings!

Hate to hear about more open land being turned into house lots. Sad story but mesmerizingly beautiful photograph.

JPH: Bravo!!!

Kathleen: This photo has captured a sad feeling of loss for what once was and for the man made junk that will replace it.

Amazing to see a lopsided wacko sapling transformed into an elegant and intriguing myriad of soft lines, multiplying as they taper toward each lofty vanishing point. Even a vacant lot, kissed by a fog, can become some kind of prints:)

Kathleen,
Sorry to see habitat land go into developement. Awhile back weren't you involved in preventing farm land from such development ? We're all faced with such 'problems' - blight . Your photo captured the condition, sadly !
Adolph

Even a fine misty, moody, picture does not excuse
Another housing development the locals should refuse.
For gone from the country is another stand of trees
To be replaced by a vision of what might sell and people please.
Granted, folks need homes, a place to hang their hat;
But is it necessary to carve up another chunk of wooded habitat?
It seems that there are plenty of available homes both new and old.
How about putting some effort in getting these places from "For Sale" to "Sold"!

Lovely scene. The sky is beautiful against the snowy hill. I love the tracks, too. Beautiful memory of winter.

Beautiful. Thank you for sharing your photos online.

Wonderfully composed and captured...that would make one hell of a jigsaw puzzle:)

How beautiful!! Can't help but agree with all the comments above. As always the clouds have once again done their dance for you.

David Tinnon: That;s enough for TWO Burma Shaves.

Fantastic work as always Kathleen. Keep up the great work!

This is a stunning and dramatic photograph. I'm in awe.

white matter
white spaces
white noise
nomad's traces
one eye sees
natural graces
sharing freely
vanished places

--Burma Shave

Wow! Wonderful photo.

Your photos really rock my socks. The monochromatic feel is so neat!

Kathleen -

This image is outstanding! I tried to do something similar, but failed.....

I must keep trying....

absolutely LOVE this!

So that's what cross country ski tracks look like. My son used to invite me over and over to go cross country skiing with him and his wife but I never did. Thanks for the picture.

Ahhhhhhhh we there yet?

I love the "nothingness".

I love this composition. Most excellent.

I love all the subtle shades of white and the simplicity of the composition. Three cheers for warm temps and melting snow!

What a beautiful...vast..perfectly simple and expansive winter landscape. WOW!

Oh, man -- you're breaking my heart! I love the warm weather, but I still miss the snow...

Could this be a view of the vast frozen north
Where igloos, dogsleds and Eskimos come forth?
No, it's just in Durham where last week it was found
That skis were, for a few days, how best to get around.
Now this week the snow is gone and winter seems to be over,
The ground is bare and soon could be pushing up clover.

Gorgeous! The colours are wonderful and I'm amazed at how well-exposed the whole scene is!

Beautiful shot. I love long exposures and how the lights and smoke turn out.

Uh oh, Tinicum Twp is trying to ban all "outdoor wood-burning boilers"... is this farm being targeted for that?

The smell of the smoke must be delicious....

almost dreamy house

Bonsoir,
A beautiful exposure..An amazing processing..Bravo!

my point of view with Canon 5D Mark II, ISO 400 is quite ok and the photo looking so nice, but exactly what leonie said "ISO 400 has harmed you much (if at all)" but if there was a source of light next time please use ISO 100, my experience,i work in News Agency and if something goes wrong with the photo, photo editor wont give you a second chance, i am not trying to teach some, who is far more experience but just a presence of mind can help you take better quality photo, and in the end that all that matters.

A photo like a fairytale. This is what they mean when they talk about a photo telling a story!

I don't think the ISO 400 has harmed you much (if at all)! :)

Kathleen; Well, you could have scooted the barrel over to block the offending fixture, but I suppose Sisely, Pissarro or Kinkade would have objected... so let's go with you and Manet. (Actually, the darkened windows would have likely offended Mr. K considerably, but you are a risk taker:)

Brief ode to composition

The message I'm getting now seems to be mixed....
Orange arms are okay but floodlights need nixed?
So I'm left with no intense glare, but the foreground is soooo tiny.
I still like the shot, but I was feeling kind of whiny.

Magical!! The light is amazing!!!

Thank you so much for capturing this and the writeup. This country has moved away from true syrup in exchange for awful awful replacements. I wish I could walk to glen's place and buy a bottle.

There is nothing better than true maple syrup. I have a hard time sharing it with the pancakes.

david tinnon: If you look closely at the bottom left you'll see the flare of the lamp that's illuminating the building and trees from the ground. I composed the scene so it didn't include that intense glare, but I had to settle for an uncomfortably tiny bit of foreground. (The spirit of Manet told me to go with the discomfort.)

Does the, "no street lights within 5 miles" remark mean the UPS truck does not pick up? (I was hopping the little room next to the fuel depot was a shipping department.) Love the intricate lacework of bare limbs before the night sky in the Versionale del Humongusto. I would be a little more comfortable standing out here in the dark yard if I could see a hint of terra firma for support. (Jeepers, Kathleen, I assume you were not cropping out some foreground excavation equipment when your compositional judgment literally scraped the bottom of the barrel:)

I've never seen a sugar shack before. This looks so idyllic.

Really like the solitude and the way the tree is illuminated in the background, excellent composition.

What a fantastic picture! My initial thought was that you had captured a photo of the little house as it was sneezing!

Lovely image! Unique night shot - I love it!

I also LOVE LOVE LOVe real maple syrup, and what a treat it would be to visit the sugar shack!

Gorgeous shot! I did the same thing with the ISO with some evening tripod shots at Yellowstone.

You'll get the 100 ISO next time. I really like the "feel" of this photo. Thanks for sharing.

Barbara: No lighting on my part but there is a light outside the building illuminating it from ground level. Helps everyone see where they're going since there are no street lights within 5 miles of the place, haha.

Did you use additional lighting in this? I can see why you wanted the ISO to be 100 but this is still quite lovely.

Anthony: My eternal goal is to shoot at ISO 100, haha! Yes, always less noise, more color vibrancy, etc. (This opinion is a leftover from many years of shooting Ektachrome 100. I realize it doesn't necessarily carry through to digital, but ...) I thought I'd set the ISO at 100 but was distracted by the elements and set-up.

Collection buckets are emptied and it's off to the Sugar Shack.
The days work continues well into the night that's so black.
Now gallons of sap are fed into the mighty metal creation
Where a wood fire speeds the process of simple evaporation.
Keep a watchful eye on the boiling, or I'll be afraid
That the sap will scorch, passing the proper amber grade.
If all goes well, they'll have more maple syrup "For Sale"
From the little building that looks like it is from a Grim fairy tale.

It is such an interesting process getting sap to syrup. I love the lighting in the picture.

Great night shot!

What would have been the benefit of ISO 100? Just less noise in the image? I can't say I see much noise here in the "Humongous" version, but I'm sure the original is much larger.

From time to time I come across a bottle of "American Style" syrup in grocery stores here in the Netherlands. Nothing compares to the real deal. Great series. Love the "Returned bottles" photo in particular.

Great photo essay. This is so different than anything we experience in Dallas, TX. Great to find this site. My fave is the returned bottles photo.

I would love to put a print of "Zack with sap buckets" in with prints of Andy's work at The Gallery. It would be interesting to stand back and see who would notice.

this "impromptu" picture picture as you call it is simply marvelous

Brian: Kathleen grew up right down the road from the Kuerners Farm and passed it up and back on the school bus every day all those years. It must have rubbed off on her somehow. So many of her photos look like Andy Wyeth paintings.

Kathleen!

Fantastic photos !

The photo with the buckets reminds me of a Wyeth painting at Kuerners Farm, Karl Kuerners helmet full of pine cones.

You are a fantastic photographer - and I so enjoy your images. You are a highlight in my crazy day...

Thanks!

Wonderful photos. I remember years ago collecting maple sugar with my folks. Thanks for bringing back some wonderful memories.

Kathleen, "sugar shack firewood" is another favorite. You have a knack for seeing something very special where many wouldn't even take a second look. Great shot!

Beautiful how do you manage to capture the softly
falling snow drops.

Don't know much about photography
But I do know what appeals to me
Your photos show history
'bout the way things used to be.

How do I go about getting a bottle of this syrup?

The Sugar Shack photo is my favorite ~ stunning work as always, Kathleen!

kathleen- you are a gifted photographer ! i am so
pleased that i called you in on last minute notice. i will call you this week, and if you wonder where i am, e-me too. thanks again, girl.

Oh, yeah. Loved JPH's poem!

I knew you'd get some great shots! Sorry we couldn't stop by. Can't wait for the next installment.

These are outstanding photos.

Hi Kathleen, Just wanted to say hello and tell you that I adore your photos. :)

Robin

shutterimagery: Thanks for the comment. I'm sorry to say that I killed the Nikon D100 in 2005. :)

great shot with all the scene, composition cant get better than anything, but my request, can you do a shot with your Nikon D100 with some standard lens?

What a great way to spend a day off from school! Wonderful photos of the adventure, and thet syrup, yum! Thanks for sharing all the fun.

Thanks for the reply, Kathleen. Greatly appreciated.

Barbara Thorbjörnsson: Sometimes I use an SLR Rainsleeve and sometimes I pop the camera inside my coat between shots, like I did when I took these. I was prepping and hanging buckets and taking shots in between so it would've been impossible to deal with the rain sleeve in that situation.

Wood is stacked in the shed, cord upon cord.
Waiting fuel for the fire, to release the heat it has stored.
Choose a Maple then pierce the trunk with a drill;
Hammer in a tap, hang a bucket, soon the sap it will fill.
Now don't forget to cover with a lid the ol' bucket
So it's clean and undiluted when back to the Sugar Shack they truck it.
These are the first of the steps that slowly reduces
The sap of the Maple into the sweet syrup it produces.

Dear Harriet Potter, 1. I'm a bit of a tree freak,(the home we currently enjoy was chosen mainly for it's trees) so I'm, struck by the role of wood in the beam framed shelter for maple sugar production firewood...even the rake handle is a tree product. That's 4 for 4! 2. For some unknown reason, I can't stop laughing over the term "sap bucket" (...meaning a habitually gullible individual I suppose?) 3. Even trees need ID's (That rhymes, Jon.) 4. Steve looks like he got caught at something. 5. Ah ha, Steve is into tree abuse. 6. Fortunately, on-shore drilling is still permitted for maple syrup, thanks to powerful lobbying efforts by "Big Syrup." (And a great composition too, Ms Connally!) 7. Still can't get over the term, "Sap Bucket." Now the idea of, "a sap bucket on the wagon" has me rolling on the floor. Isn't that a gullible individual who is trying to act like a cynic? 8. Anybody who can put a "Sap Bucket" to work has my vote!!! 9. All Sap Buckets should be hung on site. 10. I can't see the forest for the "Sap Buckets." Oh stop, please, my sides are hurting... 11. I can't guarantee a bottle return, but can you ask Glen and Cindy if I can get 32oz of Pennsylvania's Finest? (they take PayPal, Visa? ..I'm, serious.) 12. Beautiful, snow-covered distant treeline, the mirror is perfectly composed in foreground, and a running mid-stride Becky is perfectly captured in the center of the mirror, ...dang woman, are you showing off or what? (Go ahead Kathleen, show off anytime. Makes my day! :)

Awesome photos! You really capture the feeling. Making maple syrup is truly a great tradition.

Kathleen,
I have been a fan of your back yard for years, Taking day trips along route 32 and 29 is one of my favorite past times. know one is better in capturing this area's essnece then you ! Your like " Harry Potter" with a Camera

" BEAUTIFUL WIZARDRY "

All great photos.

Kathleen,
When you are photographing out in the elements, do you have some protective covering for your camera?

My childhood pal in PA, Don, has a few acres with some sugar maples, so he taps them every year. He's got an old stove in his garage where the enormous vats of sap cook for days and days, all for those few ounces of syrup. In my opinion, it's worth all the effort.

like the composition and the people looking so small.

this photo makes me so happy and sad at the same time. I wish I lived closer to family to be on walks like this in the snow. there is nothing like a good snow adventure with pancakes at the end. great shot as usual

rob

Based on the weather you Easterner's are enjoying, just leave this image up for now, grab a 2 liter maple syrup jug and head back to Becky's :)

Handsome.

You did a really good job on this winter scene. The people give good perspective to the large field and long distance to Becky's house.

Beautiful image!

Hi Kathleen,
at the first time, I thought this one was taken with a T+S lens, I can see you're using your 24-70! nice!

Cheers,
Marco

I'm glad the pancakes were excellent. They'd have to be to get me to go out in a blizzard. Beautiful image.

I feel like I'm looking into a different world. Love the vastness that surrounds the strollers and the fog. Dreamy...

Beautiful...I want to be in that picture! Lovely.

beautiful!

Love this shot!!

Too, too, good!!

Another great shot Kathleen!

I love the color of the "hungry travelers" with the white backround. Very cool....

Gorgeous winter scene. Love the spot of color!!!

What a wonderful winter scene. Quiet, peaceful awesome view of mother nature.

Another nice balance with wonderful patterns in the field ala Humongous Version. Funny how just knowing that the destination is a warm kitchen full of pancakes turns this desolate blizzard-scape sojourn into a pleasant outing and frozen dread morphs into toasty envy and I'm thinking, "thanks for the nice blizzard breakfast commuters image!" (There was maple syrup too, right?)

Wow! This is lovely.So peaceful. Looks like a greeting card.

I'm guessing they'd have quite an appetite after walking in that snow!I guess the shortcut through the cornfield helps!

P.S. Does she take reservations? :-)

Grab your scarf, hat and warm coat for a hike we're going to take
To Becky's house for a stack of her special pancakes.
It was well worth the effort, we were not disappointed
For the cakes were delicious with blueberries and syrup anointed.
So this place should win all of the races
Of the "Photo Essay on Favorite Breakfast Places."

How long a walk was it to Becky's house? It looks like fun all walking together. Are those leftover corn stalks? You can tell I am just getting to know the country and the things that are planted in the fields.

Love the relationship between the foreground shapes and the frozen branches. Terrific.

We rarely see snow and ice in Nashville, so I especially enjoy the photos of our northern neighbors. I don't think I have ever seen water freeze like this with snow building on ripples. It's beautiful - thank you!

Wow, so strange... I've never seen the snow build up on the water like this before. Nice capture, Kathleen.

In my opinion, the wet snow patterns and bridge are the dominant elements and the red metal thing (I had no idea what it was) is very distracting.

It's a cool idea to document the man made element invading the beautiful scene, but I think it should then be more obvious that was the intent. Perhaps two (?) steps to the right would make everyone happy.

Lucy's Limerick....

Into the countryside of Durham she went
Camera by her side to photo the blizzard event.
Into one picture an orange arm did stretch,
Seeing such a scene made some want to wretch.
But KC was glad people just cared enough to comment.

Gazing at Kathleen's images can effect one's basic perceptual capacities. Apparently, the heightening of consciousness and capacity to spell can be altered inversely, so not a problem, Lucky:) Also, the previous comment would have rhymed had Jon not missed the meeting.

(I hope Ms Connally is not stressing with some perceived need to top this image, as this "secret excavation of a creek-side sarcophagus" seems to get more intriguing with each visit...listening to a special Coast to Coast on the Twilight Zone writers tonight, the stone massif of Cook's Creek is gaining noticeable eeriness. She says it's only an abandoned abutment. That is what they want you to think....the Egyptians were here you know...and the Irish are one of the Lost Tribes... it all fits ...and who was Cook? ... really... a Mason... Knights Templar? What would Art Bell say, or Rod, or Bob, or Jon, or Lucy? So this picture is easily worth a thousand....and way over... What will Kathleen uncover next?)

David: Forgive me.....
That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet

JPH: Can you come up with a quick poem to help
me out?

Lucy, First: the interior looks like my studio so it is to personally dear to evaluate fairly. Second: I love the brilliant young satirist on the stairs who is making delightful ridicule of the absurd hats worn by the other inhabitants of this masterwork. C: It makes perfect sense to hang filthy rags on the banister to dry before attempting to set them ablaze in the yard, so I approve there. D: Not to mention (which, of course, I do) that prior to April 25, 1882 the model's union would not allow children to pose for painters, so dwarfs got more work as this example demonstrates. Third: at least everyone is busy, that's a good thing. And E is for excavator, which was not removed, but only buried by clutter.

Commentose Disclaimer: All remarks appearing on this blog by Mr. Timnmons are for general enlightenment only and any resemblance to a hair-brained half-baked criticism of our host is only evidence of incompetence on the part of poor Mr, Tinnmmnos who's inabilities are to numerous to calculate until we get faster computers. (After only 4Hr 23Min of professionally administered water-boarding, Mr Tinimimmnison freely admitted that he is perfectly O.K. with the use of all types of construction equipment in any photograph Kathleen takes....ever.)(In fact, if Mr Timmoons had any construction equipment, he would be happy to donate such equipment to a global photobloggist prop department to be loaned without charge to any photobloggist who wanted to spruce up a shot:) ......whut?

Sincerelley, Friends and Relatives of David Timmnmons

What a gorgeous winter landscape. Especially love the patterns in the water and ice.

Absolutely stunning photography. Love the icy creek! Beautiful.

I would love to hear David Timmons take on the first painting by Adriaen van Ostade

JPH: While I adore your poetry, I hope I haven't discouraged discussion about the photos because I really enjoy the back-and-forth. It gives me an opportunity to explain the philosophy as well as the practical issues behind the photographs. I suppose I could be more detailed in my explanations, however. Sorry if I seemed curt!

Regarding leaving details in the photos, i.e., the coke bottle in the 2007 photo, and the excavator in this shot: I may not always succeed, but I have a deep love and an unbounded enthusiasm for the challenge of creating photographs that are technically and compositionally sound and which tell a true story in a single frame.

Part of this comes from my background in art history and a particular affection for genre paintings (scenes from everyday life) from 17th century Holland, in which minute details are the key to solving the fantastic puzzle of the artist's ultimate message.

Painters like Adriaen van Ostade, Gerard ter Borch, Jacob van Ruisdael, Pieter Saenredam and Gabriel Metsu (to name a tiny fraction of influential Dutch artists of the time – there are more obvious names like Rembrandt and Vermeer) used details - sometimes disorderly and unsightly – to both literally and symbolically tell the story of what people were thinking, feeling and doing in those times.

To bring that concept back to this particular photo, the excavator is both literal and symbolic -- large, orange, man-made, obviously out of place in this gorgeous scene – and its inclusion in the photograph (rather than taking two steps to the left and leaving it out of the picture) is my way of raising awareness to the way 21st century people treat their landscape.

Here's my 2 cents worth....Someone with only an artistic bent would have taken those "those two steps to the left". But my observation is that KC is more of the "what I see is what you get" variety. (My comment on the Feb 15th, 2007 Spaniel picture had a similar Russ-type observation and KC response.) See why I now usually couch my comments in rhyme? :-)

Kathleen, RE "this image;" I'll have to admit that's some very adorable Chicago Style Horse Poop in the street, but you'll notice they etched out the excavator (and all the dogs:)

Lucy, whut what?????

David Tinnon: I think of this project as a way to create (and leave behind) information about this place at this time in history. Obviously it's slanted since it comes through my life experience but I don't wish to slant it further. (If I wanted to remove the excavator from the image I'd have taken two steps to the left, haha.)

I chose this image at random from a Google search on "historic street photography." What if the photographer had the capability of cloning the horse manure out of the street? It might be a more genteel image but it'd leave out a critical bit of information about life at the time it was taken.

Christopher: The black & white snowy night shots are just gorgeous. I couldn't guess which of the 14 were cropped unless I saw them printed, or viewed at 100% on a monitor.

I have no problem with cropping, I just prefer the challenge of thinking it through at the time I'm holding the camera. Also, the original resolution makes a better print.

David Tinnon: Whut ???

oops the period at the end of the link corrupted it. just delete the Period or use http://www.christopherlmoore.com/id10.html should work

I don't like cropping either but I still have a few difficulties with my camera's viewfinder crop (96% frame coverage), trouble seeing the angle, and generally seeing things differently on the monitor at home. I just got a new EeD focus screen that may help with the angle and composition judgments. But it's still hard to tell how much stuff on the fringe will show up. Either way I try to keep it to the original size and aspect ratio but periodically stray. I confess to cropping 4 of the 14 in this set http://www.christopherlmoore.com/id10.html. Could you tell?

Kathleen, there are some shots, like this one, where--if it were me-- I'd do the clone-up. I still appreciate that you do not alter the image content for the sake of documentary honesty. After all, there are so many opportunities to deceive each other in this life, that passing up one or two won't significantly damage the overall effect:)

I disagree with Russ. That little bit of color adds so much to the photo. Thank you Kathleen for having that eye for beauty that most people miss.

Russ: Thanks and some info for those who don't know what "cloning" is (in the photographic sense, LOL): it's a process within editing software such as Photoshop that digitally removes or changes things in the photo. Examples might be removing utility lines from a street scene or removing wrinkles from a portrait.

A number of years ago I made a commitment to this project that I wouldn't use the cloning tool except to remove dust/dirt spots on the lens or on the camera sensor. The approach is documentary - to bear witness and show what was there at the time (sans the dust bits).

Great shot, Kathleen. I really love the textures and the curvy leading lines in this image. My only complaint is that my eye is drawn to the swing arm of the backhoe in the background. I would have cloned it out to clean up the image.

Christopher: This is a separate photo from the bonus shot. As a rule I don't crop my photos; I work pretty hard to compose them in-camera.

I haven't taken Maisel's class but wouldn't hesistate for any reason; he's a master, getting older so you never know how much longer he'll want to teach. From what I understand, it's a rare and exquisite opportunity.

(Sinusoidal!)

I really like the photo. The repeating patterns within the sinusoidal snow and branch arches really complement each other, along with the contrast of the stone rectangular abutment. Did you crop or just zoom and or move for different compositions to get this and the bonus shots?
Re Maisel interview: it was an interesting interview and lots of info I can take away from it other than carry the camera always. he apparently does classes but $5K for a week of room board and 'tuition' is a bit out of my financial range.

so so pretty. but I'm cold looking at this. :)

Great shot Kathleen!!

Snow-flakes

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Out of the bosom of the Air,
Out of the cloud-folds of her garments shaken,
Over the woodlands brown and bare,
Over the harvest-fields forsaken,
Silent, and soft, and slow
Descends the snow.

Even as our cloudy fancies take
Suddenly shape in some divine expression,
Even as the troubled heart doth make
In the white countenance confession,
The troubled sky reveals
The grief it feels.

This is the poem of the air,
Slowly in silent syllables recorded;
This is the secret of despair,
Long in its cloudy bosom hoarded,
Now whispered and revealed
To wood and field.

Beautiful water texture and color. Love the nuance of blue and green in the water coming through the ice.

The combination of elements transformed by the snow is just so beautiful to take in. There is so much to see in this. Those graceful curves created by the mounded snow on the creek are really captivating.

The bonus version is BEAUTIFUL!
Makes me feel like I am right there enjoying it all.

Kathleen,
Continue to enjoy your work and friendship ,Thanks!
Adolph

Thanks JPH, it's lovely.

The snow is caught in floating undulation
Anchored to the shore by an old stone foundation.
By winter's soft light
Frosted branches are a sight.
The finished scene is still under creation.

Amazing shot. Love the colors and snow clinging to the trees. Beautiful.

...or a tomb in which to bury the Dead of Winter.

Wow, those swirls in the creek are gorgeous! (Crossing my fingers for more snow tonight...)

I just love snow that clings to tree limbs, tall grasses, etc. This is a beautiful shot and can easily be recognized as one of yours.

Bucks County or some studio back-lot? Given the "light tent" effect of the weather and the fantastic patterns in the creek, the image looks completely unreal. Like a set form a Busby Burkeley Musical. I'll just load the bonus wide-screen set and wait for the 74 gorgeous synchronized skater babes to appear ....Dick Powell? ....Ruby Keeler? .....a few dozen pianos.... maybe I'll make some popcorn......write a poem.....wonder where my skates are? Thanks for the bonus, Kathleen! It really is one of those "truth is stranger..." kind of scenes.

This perfect photo makes a person want to live through another blizzard. What perfection.

This is perfection, and so spiritual!

In a word...Magical!

We had about 17.5 inches here which was plenty.

I did not get out shooting during that storm...I feel I missed a great opportunity but just couldn't find the motivation to go shooting this time.

Snow up, snow down, snow is all around,
Snow near, snow far, snow falling to the ground.
Snow deep, snow cold, snow is so pure and white,
Snow morning, snow noon and snow well into the night.
A blizzard takes the normal things of life and puts them temporarily on hold,
So that special memories can be made and someday be retold.
So twenty years from now when the grandkids say my memories are a pack of lies,
I'll sit down at the computer and show them ancient history from Kathleen's photo archives.

Excellent photo as usual! Very, very nice.

wow. i can't imagine how quiet it was? did your feet get wet? just beautiful.

I like the mysterious look in this photo!

I love the look of this; I live in Maryland and I went throught the blizzard of 2010. I hope you were well and safe as my family was.
I have a question; if your photos free to use to make sigs in paint shop pro?
I just love nature and these photos are awesome. Thank you in advance. Have a great weekend. Brooksi

The mood of a snowfall is captured very well. It looks very quit and peaceful.

Great shot, so peaceful...hope you kept warm

In view of your past body of work, some of your more recent shots have been in my opinion, somewhat mediocre, but this is rather good. I like it.

Beautiful! I live in Ohio & we only recieved 16" of snow. My sister lives close to you I do believe....in Yardley.

winter wonderland. lovely vision.

Kathleen - I just knew you would be posting an awesome photo out of this storm. great job! You are so good at depth of field.

I posted a snow image on my blog. I was driving around my local park in the midst of the storm. My wife was not very happy about it. If you get a chance, check it out. I would appreciate any comments - hopefully constructive..

Magical, mystical, wonderful!

simply beautiful

Beautiful picture.
Looks like Russian autumn.

Absolutely gorgeous winter scene!!!

Beautiful place. I like you're pictures..

Now Cotton Cook owned Cotton Wood.
T'was under a cotton sky.
Cotton balls grew everywhere
so thick t'would make you cry.
So Cotton Cook crafted a plan
t'would net a handsome ransom.
Sell Cotton Wood, creek, sky and all
to the folks at Johnson & Johnson.

Now Cotton Cook rides in a coach of gold,
the wheels are polished silver,
while we stand here in old Cook's Creek,
Our feet forever to shiver.

(Best read with hot cocoa. Cotton balls or marshmallows optional. :)

dwarfs in the forest of giants - beautiful

What a magical place! I love the way the snow built up on each individual rock. But I love the tree branches most.

WOW - found you through Moontree Press - what a shot - looks like heaven. I'll bet it was soooo quiet. I would not have wanted to walk further and disturb it.

Beautiful. Love the dark, rich colors (some reddish-browns even?) that lurk down below, dotted with those fun cream puffs. A great contrast with the bleak whiteout above.

Marshmallow and Fudge Creek beneath tree frosting with sprinkles, so sweet of you

Lovely, lovely, lovely.

I can see some color in rocks and things in the water. Everything else is white. Misty looking in the back. Nice.

gorgeous shot - captures the day perfectly. the mounds of snow on the rocks in the creek makes this scene so interesting!! 28 inches in Chester Springs!

Beautiful shot! I love when photo accidents turn out so nicely :)

Laurie:
You should be cautious about putting out this type of photo. Your use of a blurred background for a cover shot sounds great. It will make the type stand out because eyes will focus on the print on the page.
In the case of a completely blurred picture, viewers will move on quickly.
Who wants to look at a picture that is out of focus? That is why we wear glasses.

Friends and Relatives, The Bob reference is form "What About Bob" a cult film in it's own right. I thought everybody had memorized the dialog by now. If you've ever known, worked with or "had" a psychiatrist, you will split a seam. It is so funny 'cause it is so true. As for Dylan, I think he hit the psychiatric couch somewhere in WW3. (..let ya dream my dream, if I can dream yours!)

About a year ago I took a shot similar in concept to this in the Great Swamp, although I intentionally held it out of focus. I had taken the out of focus shot to use as the background image for a winter concert program cover. It never made it to the winter program cover last year due to a last minute shift in the program's content and focus. I almost used it again this year. It made it to the proof but I rejected it for the final draft in favor of a more traditional winter looking scene. I have often revisited that shot and I do like it but I have never posted it to my blog. I have always thought it might not be that well received...quite frankly I was chicken of the response and well, maybe getting my fragile ego bruised...lol. Seeing how you put up this "happy accident" and how much it appeals to me, I may even decide to post that winter concept photo now.

Thanks Kathleen for your ever inspiring works.

Isn't it great we have so many options?
When I started, manual was our only choice.

FYI -- It is possible to know your equipment so well that you can be quick without automatics.

I guess I need to speak up for those of us who operate in (semi-)automatic mode---for me, aperture-preferred. That way I can take an "instant photo" when circumstances demand (and have a good chance at correct exposure), but still easily adjust the aperture and shutter speed (via the compensation dial---my 7D's +-3 stops is usually enough) when time permits.

And mistakes---they're often the best way of opening our mind to something new!

Kathleen:
I ALWAYS discourage new photographers from using auto. (I am a photography teacher.)

Barbara:
Plus it's way more fun!!!!!
Don't your fingers hurt from crossing them..... hoping your pictures turn out the way you want? LOL

Kathleen,
I am one who spends FAR too much time in "auto". I do this out of fear I will ruin an otherwise beautiful shot. Having confess this, I need to acknowledge, YOU ARE RIGHT!
I think the difference between shooting in auto and manual can be likened to an the difference in coloring in a coloring book with crayons (and staying in the lines) and creating a new work.

This is to "Friends and Relatives":
Dr. Leo marvin and "Bob"are references to a movie titled, "What About Bob?" Not Bob Dylan. The movie is funny and it stars Richard Dreyfuss.

Sophia: Thanks for the continuing conversation!

Everyone learns photography in their own way and I wouldn't want to discourage new photographers from shooting on Auto. That said, relying on Auto won't take us anywhere as photographers or as artists (esp. as professionals). Shooting manually is the true fun of photography; a mental challenge, an intellectual workout, a chance to manifest the visions and philosophies inside our heads rather than the algorithms that Canon or Nikon build into theiir cameras.

Under extremely bright conditions (crystal clear sky, winter sun at an angle, freshly fallen snow) and wishing to focus on only a small portion of the creek while leaving the rest soft or in bokeh (as a suggestion of winter rather than a literal pounding on the head - heaven knows we get enough of that just looking out the window here, LOL), I chose the settings carefully and purposefully. The accident was firing before I manually focused the lens.

I'm over the moon that this fun visual mistake inspired such detailed conversations! Woooo! Thanks, everyone.

Great, automatic cameras can be called PHD cameras, for Push Here Dummy.

The use of f/2.8 at 1/2000 for a static landscape is what seemed like an accident.

...except in this case the camera is not set to Auto, it's in full Manual mode, and I accidentally pressed the shutter before I focused the lens. (I shoot only in Manual mode, no exceptions, ever.)

Experiments are supposed to be
done under controlled conditions.

Accidents happen when the photographer is out of control and the camera is in control (on automatic).

Interesting. Push it forward so accident becomes experiment.

Don't let others tell you how your art should be done. If you like it, that is what matters; unless, of course, someone is paying you.

I like that you admitted it was an accident.
But, real art isn't accidental or automatic, it is thoughtful. Use your camera's manual capabilities to purposefully create art and I am sure you will not encounter these types of comments again.

Let me also say, since this is the first time I have been prompted to speak up,
that I always enjoy your photography very, very, much.

david tinnon: Yeah, there is a club. You mentioned Bob. We hope that is Dylan but can't find any mention of Dr. Leo Marvin in any of the lyrics in his songs.

Kathleen - while I respect and admire the honest opinions offered above, my hope is that you continue to allow us to follow along on YOUR journey, rather than having us dictate a journey for you. Keep up the wonderful inspiration. Thank you, David

RE; "Friends and Relatives" Apparently there IS a club...and they're saying it's like when Bob realizes we can never fully understand Dr. Leo Marvin...I get it.

focus is a funny thing. it tells you where the photographer's eye is....where they are thinking about. It guides the viewer to think on your terms. And I love that about focus. Just when you think you know what a picture is about, you suddenly see what they are really about..the surprise of focus and out of focus is delightful. And a pic out of focus does crazy things too. It makes you feel like there is some other substance that the photographer feels akin to that isn't in the picture...albeit the feeling, the spirits, or something internal. Interesting. This picture feels very dreamy to me...almost in another place.

I believe we all experience a "shift" in the way we perceive the world around us.We are being invited to partake in her shift and like any shot that features motion (the act of change), there is always the chance of it appearing blurred.

Kathleen...

Your out of focus photo of the snow laden trees is what I call a Happy Mistake...(I have made them time and time again over 50 years of shooting with a camera)...I stumbled on your web site several months ago but I had forgot that I stored it in my favorites column...I opened it today and voila..."Instant Beauty"...

As I reassessed your photos again...I realized that you are a truely a gifted artist with a camera...I shall not wait so long to view your gems again...I will visit you often...Thank you for your wonderful folio...

We have no comments about what you do because you are always way ahead of us leading the way. All we can do is stand around with open mouths wondering what is next. Most people don't know that photography is only one of your many talents. The list goes on and on. People who don't know you personally are missing your great mind as it opens up to new adventures and leaving us in the dust.

Kathleen...Alas, your reply to Al has forced me to another poem.(plus I'm marooned inside 'til it quits snowing.)

My great Uncle Paul Botzler, I remember him well.
Some of his story I'd now like to tell.
He had a job, a family and Florence his wife.
Lived what most would call just another normal life.

He was tall and strong with hands that never waivered,
A skilled craftsman whose work was always highly favored.
From homes to office buildings to the occasional church hall,
A project that was big was a combination of many that were small.

Memories of his character and skill return in a flood
And I'm thankful some of his genes also course through my blood.
The work of his hands endures even though he has now passed.
So whether your medium is pictures or mortar, create something that will last.

It is my sincere hope and also my prayer,
To be remembered as great as my uncle who was
"only a brick layer!" :-)

Stream of consciousness
Personal vision
Enjoy another's
Follow you own

I disagree with two points in the overhead comments.
First with you, Kathleen, when you site a corner turned. I have joked and prodded you in the "art department" and a little in the "tech room" while following your journey for years. In my personal (subjective) opinion, considering your body of work as a whole, you are cyclical in selection because experience is cyclical and there you are and linear in process. New chapter? O.K. You are not a person of corners.

As for the "recent dip quality," I have seen this honest observation before, and felt it too. However, a glance from time to time in my rear view mirror has repeatedly affirmed that for me, the dips are mine, not yours, for later, the "dips" can't be found. If anything, I am each time re-impressed at the delightful and inspiring retrospect of beauty and humor that has literally become "every day" at AWTDT. Keeping "every day" fresh and creative is a priority of choice that you have consciously pursued, and illustrated perfectly. (As posting this image exemplifies) I continue to enjoy the "every days." Let's have a club!

(...and watch out for sharp objects on the left, you could put an eye out young lady! :)

Kathleen

I've also been viewing your site for over a year now and while I've seen a shift in your style, I don't consider it negative per se. I sometimes feel that the photos we choose to display at any given time are often reflective of our inner moods. As Anthony observes above, some of your more recent posting may indeed just be a reflection of the feeling the season in your part of the world brings.

I look forward to watching how your recent explorations into photography influence the evolution of your style.

On a side note, your blog was among a handful of about five which provided me with the insparation to develop my own and I love the world it's opened up for me... and for that I thank you.

Today she was hanging around Gallows Run.
By mistake the camera fired, what's done is done.
The picture ends up slightly out of focus.
To please some a magician would have to work some hocus-pocus.
For me it's okay to have things not clearly seen,
For many things in life are not what they seem.

Interesting photo -

I brings me back to my college days. Many days were "out of focus."

Get ready for the snow! begins falling in New Jersey tonight. Drive carefully....

Kathleen - I expect some nice photos out of this storm!

Hi Kathleen, I'm a huge fan of yours... sounds silly in my head as I write this... never thought I'd be a "groupie" but there it is, I simply love your work! Anyway, I have to agree with Al, your recent shots seem uninspired. As I got to thinking about it, I was wondering if the change in color, light and scenery that winter brings with it has anything to do with our perception as viewers that your work has changed. I do like your post today with the out-of-focus shot, as I am currently working my way through a "bokeh" fascination.

I liked your reply... the part about how your family and friends don't talk shop with you. I'm a quilt artist, I have a large studio devoted to this and despite how much my life revolves around this artform, it's rarely fodder for casual conversation!

Keep up the great work and just know, we all love you no matter what you send our way!

Not every photo can be a home run -- though Kathleen's work here over the past few years does make it seem like *almost* every photo can be. Still, to me her more recent shots seem to be simply a different style; it seems like she's making an effort to try new things. And I think they may not all be leaping off the screen the way many of her older shots do, but I'm still enjoying them very much. They certainly express the feeling of the season around here right now (I'm just a county or two away) and I appreciate that.

Al: Thank you for the great note! Interestingly, I'd say my work was, at best, enthusiastically amateur up until about six months ago when I turned a mental corner about my approach to photography. But that's part of the joy of viewing art and/or photography, that what we see is totally subjective, and there is no right or wrong, there's just us at that moment. (I should probably add that my friends and relatives rarely talk to me about my photography, haha - I may as well be a brick layer!) I really appreciate your time and honesty.

Hi Kathleen,

I have been a long-time visitor to your site, and I write this letter with a little hesitation, as I am a big fan. I am finding your work as of late to be very uninspiring and seems to be a muted form of what you are capable of. I understand that your artistic vision is not something that needs to be justified to general interpretation, but I've seen such great work from you, and what you've released in the last few months seems to be kind of weak or lacking in any expression that your past images have been known for. I know that you are very capable of amazing visual work. I'm just wondering where it has gone. Sorry if this is overtly critical. I think you are a great artist and just wanted to see if this would prompt you to see something maybe others have not pushed you to do, whatever that may be. I know that as an artist and photographer, which I am, it is easy for us to surround ourselves by friends and relatives that pat us on the back daily for our work. I hope that this comment will not come as ill-criticism, but of encouragement to change if that is needed.

This would make a great book cover shot!

Looks like you focused on the branch in the upper-left. I like the composition but wonder if I'd like it more if that branch were more visible in some way... ? -- but the out-of-focus snowed-over stream meandering into the distance is quite lovely!

I like it as well. Funny, I too have experienced shots where I did something by accident and found I liked the end result.

Light trip.

this works well - the plough lines bring in the eye to the centre

thanks

beautiful, i like the composition.

I like Noreen's comment. Making the commonplace exceptional is one of the things that makes good photography. And Kathleen does this very well.

very graphical, and I like how you composed this shot. Nice work.

I like it.

This is a daily view for me, but you have made it exceptional today. It always makes me smile. Thanks Kathleen.

Lovely photo Kathleen - you can hear the silence. I can imagine the Divine Artist reaching down with His trowel - shaping the white landscape.

My day is always better when one of your pictures pops up in my RSS reader. This is a lovely scene and makes me want to leave the city and get outside into the country. Thank you for sharing your vision with us.

How nice to see such wonderful proof that, when the sun does not shine, Kathleen does. This is a "best of the best" for your Intelligent Design* edition of the hardbound AWTDT and may we re-title it, "Meditation for a February Morning" (since I don't see no road no-place no-how?:) Maybe is my screen settings, but it does look like a caterpillar on powdered sugar. (Maybe I should have breakfast.)

As for income-salt, in your case Jon, "When it snows, it pours!"

Minimalist landscape sans caterpillar: http://www.rnejranowski.co.uk/view-item.asp?iid=73

*Could also be published in the "Ms Connally; Practicing Medicine Without a License" edition.

JPH: You made me burst out laughing on that one. A classic.

The only sign that man has visited this place
Is the pattern on the field the farmer did trace.
Gray skies, brown trees and white snow give us good reason
To be thankful we're halfway through this cold winter season.
But if we believe the forecast, this weekend should be quite a trip
For old man winter will still have us firmly in his grip.
So if we get the near blizzard and things grind to a halt
Only snowplows and KC will be out earning their salt.

Clean and peaceful. I just want to say Aah. Big sigh.

I love the simplicity of the composition and the tones and your use of negative space with the sky. The swirled plow pattern in the earth looks as if God himself put his fingerprint upon the land.

Great . . . Great . . . Great . . .

Awesome photo. I like the way the color of the land is reflected along the bottom of the clouds.

I really love this photo. I love the color, contrast, composition, and the mood of it.

I love the colors and the surrealist style of this photo. beautiful

Great shot. I love the colors!

what a gorgeous color.

They are all gone away,
The house is shut and still,
There is nothing more to say.

Through broken walls and gray
The winds blow bleak and shrill:
They are all gone away.

Nor is there one today
To speak them good or ill:
There is nothing more to say.

Why is it then we stray
Around the sunken sill?
They are all gone away.

And our poor fancy-play
For them is wasted skill:
There is nothing more to say.

There is ruin and decay
In the House on the Hill
They are all gone away,
There is nothing more to say.

Edwin Arlington Robinson

i love how the colorless seasons bring so much anticipation and excitement to the life we will soon be experiencing. I love this picture for what it is and for what it will soon be.

Very pleasing burnt sienna woodland against soft grays with a smattering of pale blue. No doubt shot through the windshield of a hang-glider, giving us the impression that we are about to literally drop in on Karen. And what nice light is produced by an unshielded fusion reactor filtered through a carbon dioxide laced greenhouse layer. How wonderfully unique to have such a dramatic "This Old House" portrait, and a safe landing too I hope, Ms Connally! :)

I really like that burning red color you get when the sun stands that low.

How is life today in the House of Karen?
Goes it up or down? How are things fairin'?
Her house peeks out of the trees through their branches.
Will she visit her neighbors? What are the chances?
What will be next in the Novel of Durham still untold?
Pictures will document what yet will unfold.

This reminds me so much of Christina's World by Andrew Wyeth--but in a backwards kind of way. It is just a beautiful photograph!

I love the warm light at the end of the day and you captured here very well. The house just pops out of the woods. I like that you included the subtly-colored layer of clouds at the top of the image. It completes this great image.

It is so beautiful where you live. Your inspiration is multi as you step foot out your door.

yes, and Nature's pretty right on that one :)

pierre: I took about 10 different shots w/different compositions (while hanging out my car window) - I liked this one best because I thought the color of the twigs in the corner gave a balance to the color of the chair backs/seats, not only compositionally, but philosophically. The colors are so similar. It felt as if Nature was saying that humans can pretend to separate themselves with their inventions and contraptions (chairs in this case), but in the end, it all turns back to Nature.

this is great, I like it a lot.
(just to nitpick : I would have cropped out the colorful twigs in the upper right corner, I find them a bit distracting)(sorry)

Preston: I checked yesterday; the chairs are still there, but now they're above the water line again and sitting in ice. :) I'll look for an opportunity to get an updated shot this week.

Something very romantic about the simple irony in this. Gorgeous muddy colors!!!

Love the "Poet's Corner" on your blog. Those are wild and crazy branches on the trees. Makes me think of a cat lost in the woods for a long time, its fur going in every direction and a wild look in its eyes.

Wonderful capture of a rising river. I doubt those two chars are still there now.

would be a great place to sit and rest a bit IN THE SUMMER! kept warm...

Very peculiar image ! I like it !

The Duel of the Abandoned River-Chairs Poet's Society, Vol. 4 Subscribe online, earn free M&Ms.

Two sailors from the Port of Hiaphong
sat on the banks of the Musconetcong.
but the swift rising river
caused their bare feet to shiver
so they both fled the scene
thereby missing Kathleen
and sailed back to the Port of Hiaphong

Ebay now enters the tale
two chairs have now gone up for sale
it shan't take very long
for the bidding is strong
'tween two sailors form the Port of Hiaphong

When row, row, rowing my boat gently down the stream,
I passed two chairs in the water, an unusual place, it did seem.
The occupants, for higher ground wisely have moved along,
For there is flooding on the river the locals call Musconetcong.

The branches on these trees are wild and beautiful. It seems as though it would be impossible to make a painting of them. You have the eye for seeing something many of us don't see even when staring right at them.
The empty chairs tell their own story."See ya' tomorrow if the creek don't rise"

Our oldest son, Jeff at about the age of 5, out of the clear blue sky asked his mom, "Do fish sit down?" Well about 30 years and 2500 miles later, the answer has surfaced. I can't think of a more logical place to find it.

Jon, What's-a-matta-U, no rhyme for Musconetcong?

I have followed you for more than a year now and nearly every photo you have posted has made me smile (like this one), inspired me to try something similar or just made me dream.
Thank you very much!

I also tried to shoot JPEG+RAW, as you do, for a while but gave up becaus it is so cumbersome to edit, organise and keep track of all the double images.
I really see the point why you shoot JPEG+RAW and also would like to keep on doing it. Maybe you could give an hint on your organising system or the program you use?

Regards Frederik

Kathleen -

Another wonderful shot. Your colors are always vibrant and true.

Two empty chairs. A hasty departure? An invitation? There is certainly a story here....

"...And when we grow old
I will find two chairs
and set them close each sun-lit day,
that you and I - in quiet joy -
may rock the world away."

It looks like spring in this picture, not at all like here with still so much snow. We have had white yards for a couple months, no sign of grass under the snow yet. It is nice to see bit of grass in this photo. The chairs are a mystery though.

We studied your photo for a while before reading your text ~ imagined a couple sitting in the river.... and then we realized that they had probably not put the chairs there on purpose.... :)
The green grass as the only "living" color works great in this image!

The canopy above is a leafless gray scene
But the clearing below still hints of grass green.
Two chairs once placed over the river to view
Have become one with the river, though slightly askew.
Whether it's spring or winter keeps everyone guessing
For it often seems with the seasons someone keeps messing.
So snow or rain, deep drifts or high flood,
They all are more picturesque then our fifth season that's.... MUD!

I would have never thought photographing a crack in the ice could prove so interesting. The eye definitely follows it.

geez, this is unbelievable.
makes me think of "Ice Age" - I guess Skrat the squirrel is just out of the frame :)
simple and super well composed.
very well done, Kat.

great photo

Carlos: I was standing at the edge of the lake on the ice.

Guido: It's called Lake Nockamixon.

This is such a striking image Kathleen.

I apologize for being absent so long. I am on an extended break from all blogging activities. Recharging the batteries and just so busy. I have forced myself to walk away for a month...stop blogging altogether and even hung up the camera for a month...so much harder than I thought it would be. I have however cheated and sneaked peeks on your blog fairly regularly...despite myself.

Nice shot! not so nice cold i guess.. same here in Netherlands.. freezing lately..
SPRNIG! where arest thou?

I like the perspective of this shot. Is this a river o a lake?

he wrote what he thought
cause he thought what he meant
it takes a government crew
to put a lake in a splint

And who but Ms K
with more scratches (or not)
will be right on the scene
to capture the shot

For she shoots pigs in the mud
she shoots corn in the field
you can bet your pink boots
she'll snap the lake when it's healed

Besides of the unusual shot at least for me who haven't seen a crack like this ever, you managed to play with the lines and the composition to get a wonderful result. Where were you standing?

That is certainly a threatening image!

Maybe 15 years ago, it was a New Years weekend at a small inn in Manchester Vermont. It was freezing, well below zero F. My wife and I hiked up to the lake behind the Equinox Hotel. The lake was frozen. I picked up a rock and threw it on to the ice. The thump sound of the rock hitting the ice echoed for almost a minute. Then we walked out on the ice. Then I thought to myself - if this ice cracks, and we fall in - we are DEAD. And your photo brought this all back to mind. Thanks!

What tack should a person take
To fix a broken Nochamixon Lake?
In our area dial 410-962-7608.
They'll share their thoughts, won't that be great.
No longer will you face this problem alone
For it's the Corps of Engineers that answers the phone.
So with plans and equipment lots of trained men will descend
On your ailing pond they will do their best to mend.
Make this call quick before spring flowers start pokin'
'Cause if the weather warms the lake's no longer broken!

Ms K took the shot
JPH has spoken
but who do you call
when your lake is broken

Cool composition. Love the graphic impact of the ice crack.

That's a pretty amazing photo.

Just beautiful !

Global warming perhaps???? If that ice should break off lake waters could rise enough to flood Quakertown. Sorry, couldn't resist.
Another awesome shot Kathleen.

Very cool shot...

Wonderful! As someone who mostly sees the lake in the warmer months when we sail, thank you, thank you. It was worth the scratches! (well, at least from my point of view...)

Wonderful winter mood - I love that sparse coloring, the interspersed changes in the ice color and the way the crack extends into the softly blurred background. Definitely works for me!

Worth a few scratches, Kathleen! What a nice B&W-to-Color vignette going on here. Very subtle, thought it WAS B&W at first. I had a few wise-cracks to add, but I thawed better of it:) Perhaps a poem will soon help break the ice.

I hope you weren't traveling over the ice part of that time. That is one thing I seem to have a fear of, ice on water giving away. This is an outstanding photo. That looks like a huge crack.

I still enjoy your work!!

Why there is no skating?....
Crack in the ice.
Your drink to warm?....
Crack in the ice.
Drug on the rocks?....
Crack in the ice.
Swollen ankle need healing?....
Crack in the ice.
Bad relationship ends?....
Crack in the ice.
Is it winter at the lake?....
Crack in the ice.

(This is a prime example of why I should have gone to bed)

:D Great shot! Made me stop for a second or two! It made me smile!

Brian: I know the story well and maybe Patrick does also, otherwise why would he pose that way especially with the electrical cord. He is such a sweet guy, he could fit right in with the monks.It is "The Seven Story Mountain" that is my favorite.

........then there's the movie, Local Color. The art discussions had me in stitches, not to mention the art show. Rated R for impressionistic blue-streaks in the dialog. I heard the exact same sentences spoken in the 60's by avant garde artists who's "hippy" lifestyles were funded by the parents/government they rebelled against, or girlfriends who 9-5'd M-F for insurance companies and "hippy-chicked" on weekends. Anyway, the movie rates 10 pallet knives. (like AWTDT:)

Kathleen, can you send me some drop cloth color swatches from YOUR paint store? Our local paint retailers only offer white and off-white. So boring. So dull. I mean, if extension cords come in yellow, red, orange, green, and blue, why should the 21st Century North-Western-American Citizenry have to settle for white drop cloths? (After all, we have Yellowstone, Red River, little green men, a blue moon, even a painted desert! But the poor drop cloth has been left behind in the parallel universe of Henry Ford.) OK to ship ground via brown truck or orange and blue van. (See?)

He is wired.

There once was a worker named Patrick Philipi
Picked up the dropcloth laying nearby,
To the occasion he arose
Striking an arty pose.
'Twill never be a classic, but nice try.

I can see where he was painting. Even in this fun photograph you got the lighting right.

Kathleen -

When your image first hit my eyes, I thought this was a picture of a Buddhist monk. After further study, I realized what I was seeing. It is the electric cord that brings to mind my favorite monk, Thomas Merton. You may know the story of the famoust Trappist monk, Thomas Merton (Fr. Louis). In 1968 he travelled to Bangkok for a meeting with the Dalai Lama. When he retired to his hotel room, he was electrocuted by a malfunctioning fan. He now lies buried at The Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky.

Merton would have loved this picture. He was also a photographer.

Great stance! Thought he would be an unemployed bassist imitating the Native American portraits e.g. Eanger Irving Couse, and the Taus Painters. And speaking of painters, shouldn't you have call a painter, not a photographer? (I would complain about the extension cord, but I suppose it tells about the spontaneity of the shot, so you're good to go!)

fabulous! just fabulous!

Ty for writing this about my dad and the nice words that were said.

:Justin: I rarely use a tripod because most of the photos on this website are taken spontaneously. To specifically answer your question, probably less than 1%. I'm about to invest in a Gitzo or Manfrotto to do more night photography and video. It'll likely factor into more serious environmental portrait work, too.

Kathleen, What would be your best guess on the percentage of shots you take w/ a tripod? THANKS

Love the artistic preservation of your township!

One of my readers just sent me your link. Your photographs are just exquisite. Oh I will be back very often. I'm thrilled ot find your site.
V

Brian - Now you're to blame for that tune going through my head all day. Thanks. :-)

Kathleen - I love these shots! John is so happy cleaning chimneys - I wish he could drive up to North Jersey - my chimney is a mess....

JPH - This is not my writing, but I think you will like it...

Chim chiminey
Chim chiminey
Chim chim cher-ee!
A sweep is as lucky
As lucky can be

Though I'm covered with soot
From me 'ead to me toes
A sweep knows 'e's welcome
Wherever 'e goes

There are good days - and there are days when one is going about their business and a talented artist appears to share a laugh, tell your story, and capture your essence with a lens. I'm sure Mr. Bazemore was blessed to meet you! Oh, and great images as always.

David

Wanted to add a little to this story. Patti LaBelle grew up in our old neighborhood in Philadelphia. Many years ago my brother-in-law, a captain in the Army, came back after being a prisoner-of-war. There was a huge block party for him. We think it was young Patti who went onto the front porch after all the politicians made their speeches, grabbed the microphone, started singing and didn't stop for about an hour or so. Her voice and the microphone were so loud it could be heard several blocks away.

At first glance I thought this is an entertainer playing the role of a chimney sweep.
John, you can't hide that professional look under a kerchief

This is a wonderful story behind the image. Just another reason to keep taking pictures.

Oh, and I should add that we bought a box of your niece's Christmas cards this year -- an incredible Brooklyn Bridge design! Sent them all out...

Awesome photos AND story! Funny, but we just got our chimney swept this week, too. 'Tis the season.

Ironic as it is true, thousands of talent-rich musicians like John spent decades entertaining millions. These same people also work as shoe salesmen, chimney sweeps, municipal maintenance crewmen or whatever work they can get to survive between paying gigs. Unlike John, for many side men, music is all they know, and the gaps between paying jobs can be pretty difficult. A few months ago, we had our piano tuned by the same guy who, for years traveled the world, tuning pianos for Elton John and other celebrity artists who use Steinway on stage. I was amazed. He said the action was sticky, so he and I took my wife's piano apart and spread the hammers and "what-evers' out on the driveway, took my compressor and blasted the parts, then we reassembled the piano --THEN he tuned it. He spent most of the day at our house (telling great stories the whole time) and charged us $80 for a tuning! He obviously enjoyed the entire process and loves what he does. (As you might expect for a retired Steinway field rep.) It was a "life inspirational" experience that I will never forget. Like logging on right here.

By the end of the next decade, most of the incredible stories that make up the history of the birth of popular music in America will be lost forever. Thanks Kathleen, for giving me a chance to meet John Bazemore, and for the reminder. There are a lot of "John Bazemore's" out there. The last of and age that can never come again, because it was a beginning. (Has he met Mary Poppins? ...Bert?) (I met Bert, but that's another story!) Best wishes to John, and all the other players we don't know, who back up the star talent that we do know. Rock on, John! (And careful on that ladder, dude!)

WOW!!! What a story and i can only imagine the stories you heard!... Love the pictures all of them. Thanks for sharing. Some days...the photo goddess sends great things your way...

He seems so happy with what his life has become
Using his brushes in a chimney or on the surface of a drum.
Talented people are blessings when they share what they know
Whether it's cleaning out your soot or doing rhythm for the really big show.
So just another example why not to by just the cover judge a book,,,,
Learn what's inside by taking an undercover look.

What a wonderful and expressive grouping of images depicting real people in real life. Love the silhouette of him up on the chimney top!!!

wow! that's something totally fresh here. "Hanging Bonnet" is a perfect photo. one day, when I have my own (really MY O W N) place, I'll get a print and hang it on the wall.

Hanging Bonnet or Snoopy's Ghost? Vote Now.

Love the lighting, the composition, and to know that a such a beautiful photographic location exist! Thanks for sharing this very tranquil picture.

Simple and thought provoking of time long ago.

kay ! creative! thought it was an old lomo shot,you got me there!
love your blog, keep it up!

JPH: Simple as that idea sounds, it requires some significant structural changes and coding within the blog software. But I'll keep that idea in mind for the next incarnation of AWTDT. Thank you.

JPH, I wonder how many sub-teen capitalist currently double their "income at home" by furnishing mom and pop with IT support?

KC,...and speaking of Mystic Orders, Kathleen, I should like to place one --for a lifetime's worth of Mystic Imagery....installment plan....one here, a couple there....Just kidding, that would be redundant. After all, you already provide Mystic Imagery Support to the multitudes. (But isn't that a little Socialistic? E-Communalistic? Time to double click on the left turn signal, comrades? :)

It would be easier to view both pictures if they were posted side by side instead of one above the other. (If you don't know how to do this ask your son, that's what I do!) Either way, keep the pictures coming. :-)

As the upper image appeared, I first thought you'd captured a spirit....then I realized you hadn't ...then I realize you had..... again.* Not a bad piece of work on the way to the Printer's.** As for Mr. Beissel's first path, --been there, done that-- ....nothing to do now, but sit back and wait for the wisdom business to kick in so I commence all that construing as prescribed by JPH, AWTDT's resident semi-monastic religious mystic.

*Insert "Thank you, dear lady" here.
**Too much ambiance for a windshield,--took it for a rear view mirror shot. Bull's eye either way ya' know, Ms. Oakley :)

Excellent pair of images! Kinda spooky feeling.

Kathleen - wonderful images as always. I first viewed them on a grayscale monitor at work, and I think they are even more powerful as B&W. The meditative atmosphere really came through to me. Thank you so much for what you do!

David

Remembering a time when life was more simple,
A plain shelf with pegs holds the white whimple.
A capsule from yesteryear preserved for us to view,
Whether life was better or worse that is for each of us to construe.
So just down the road from Durham in Lancaster County,
Lies this collection of historical bounty.

I have been following your work for some time, and I think these photos are among your best. I wouldn't have thought it possible to photograph "stillness" but you have done it here. And that stillness speaks. Thanks for this.

Interesting to see the sparse interior of the semi cloister community. Not many are invited to view the inside of a regular convent much less cloister. I love your information.

Kathleen - again, your pictures are awesome. Sometimes I think you and Andrew Wyeth share the same genes, as your photos are so reminiscent of Wyeth’s paintings. A few years ago my wife and I drove up to Rockport Maine for a weekend. We visited Christina Olson's house (Christina's World). Your image here is exactly what stirred the spirit of Wyeth, at Olson's and at Kuerners in Chadds Ford.

* I have a photo book by Frank Monaco titled "Glimpses of the Cloistered Life." You and your fans may enjoy his photos.

http://www.amazon.com/Brothers-Sisters-Glimpses-Cloistered-Life/dp/B0007YJ3SE

Blessings to you and yours!!

I especially like the simplicity of the first shot. Very strong. The second shot is nice too with this unusual distorting effect...

Gorgeous, Kathleen.

Kathleen, we gotta talk.
You really shouldn't have her as Your model. She's so beautiful that I can't think about the quality of the photo any more.

JPH, Wrong season for dandelion seeds yo, even the Humomgos Versions to be found in Magical Kathleen's neck of the woods. More likely the spirit orb of a prior National Hotel guest...(check the register for a Dan Lion:) Can you blame a past-lifer dude for jumping at the chance to dine with MK&J? J obviously has a soft spot for the spiritual side, right, eye guess.

Jenn is absolutely gorgeous in this shot.

Excellent work Kathleen.

I love the black & white! the light is awesome..

the best

"... when both eyes need to be in focus for a portrait."
Really, Russ, what planet do you live on?
: )

Beautiful portrait, Kathleen, and a beautiful model. My only complaint is that her right eye is out of focus when both eyes need to be in focus for a portrait. That's probably due to the f/1.4 aperture necessitated by the low light inside the hotel.

Beautiful portrait, lovely tones and bokah and a beautiful model too.

Do you think that might be steam coming out here other ear? Maybe she's not as patient as you presume... Kudos to you both.

What gustatorial masterpiece in shallow DoF and seducing bokeh ;) I do like the way you rendered just her left eye tack-sharp whilst the other parts of the image can enjoy a wrap of softness without falling into the "sweet" clichee.

Great image, Kathleen! Captivating expression!

Would they mail the mac and cheese to me?
This is a wonderful photo and the description of the National Hotel adds to the fun.

"Look toward me for a moment" Auntie Kathleen softly cries.
So away from her dinner Jenn now focuses her eyes.
Camera ready and willing this moment to seize
For us now captured a picture to please.
But a window must have been left open across the room or somewhere
For a clump of dandelion seeds have floated in and stuck to her hair.

(Almost as good as your picture of me on facebook)

Whatever event is occurring just above Jenn's right ear looks like it involves the Hadron Collider. (It certainly does not envolve Mac&Cheese!) On a different note, if Jenn's personal goal over the last few years has been to become a truly ugly humane being, I'd like to be the first to congratulate her on a spectacular failure:) Nothing wrong with her particle physics.

Kathleen, what a beauty. You captured it right on. The hotel sounds quite interesting - so fortunate to have it in your area. As always you find the most facinatinating places. Thanks for all of this .
Adolph

Love the blurry overall blue feel and the little touches of red from the car lights

beautiful. I think it turned out really great!

Great shot! I really like the atmosphere and the colors.

I really like those rear lights, the red just balances out the blue in the rest of the image, and you caught the snow beautifully!

Lovely shot. It has a sort of dreamy feeling.

You have irreversibly/irrevocably and forever altered my personal concept of the commute experience, ........but this guy (gal?) has been driving to work for 5 days already. I am only one member of a select and growing crowd of spoiled and demanding (addicted) Durham-philes who, by now are beginning to feel a little jittery ....slight chills ...cranky ....blurred vision ....restless .....you get the picture ......one more, please, even a "smaller version" would help... stat? K?

Very nice photo, as always. I have been enjoying your work for a long time through my reader, I just now clicked on the link to the comments section which I hadn't noticed before...your work is very good!

love the stop snow... the trucks taillights adds that splash of color, creating a very impactful image.

One thing I keep forgeting about photos is that you have to be there and see it. Fantastic shot.

Love the simplicity..the surprise red lights in the otherwise black and white landscape.

This photo is so very captivating. The entire capture is fantastic.

i would say you "stopped" the snow just nicely! love taking pics in the snow ... nicely done

Commenticus Major, Vol. II

Brian 's grandmother makes more sense than Jerry Lee Lewis ever did, enough with the shakin' already!

Sounds like Marta could use a "roll'o whites" to counter the blues, or maybe just some Starbucks! :)

JPH, How about, "For by wrecking the truck, the day could unravel." After all, it's only the truck, man!

Kathleen, Yeah for experiments! That's where "creative" creaps in. (I prefer 3000 to 3500 for whites, but that's a painter for you {as in Nora Jones' "If I were a...."}) [Looks like "Global Warming" {Oops, Climate Change} is not a problem back there now:] Apparently, winter got past Homeland Security too!

On a road in Durham this morning one traveled
As snow covers the path normally graveled.
Headlights brighten the way
A safe journey for them I pray
For wrecking the truck life would become unraveled.

what was wrong with Your bed, Kathleen? because I can't really think of any good reason not to be asleep at this time, on that day.
but then I can't find any reason not to be in bed at any possible time.

this photo is all about the end to me.
a Nick Cave song, ending credits.
the one in the car is not really coming back.

Kathleen -

This is a wonderful shot. It reminds me of the "snow globe" in my grandmother's house so long ago. I remember shaking that globe endlessly - creating a category 5 snowstorm! I shook it until grandma said "that's enough"!

Thanks for the memory !!!

When I saw this picture, I thought how did you make snow stop without flash. After reading your post it all made sense. Great technique, snowflakes in front complete whole picture. Congratulations ;)

Fantastic. For a moment, I got a feeling that I am looking this scene from a window. The focus on the sow is great.

Mag. Nifi. Cent. A new year of photos from you? We are so lucky. Best, -MD

Were you up in a tree while taking this shot?
This is amazing really. Not only the color but the calm and serene quality.

Kathleen gets the Rush Hour Blues.

Hope the truck's in tune,
won't be needing A Flat.
Just a little soft slide.
No, you can't fret that.

Good pickin' as usual:)

Lovely serene scene in blue that you have created. So this is rush hour in Durham County? Out here it is more of an "ants all over a trail to cupcakes on a picnic table".

YA! lady this is awesome... just genius stuff here. Focus on the snow, and incredibly, it brings out everything else. Just awesome.
Thanks for this.

so beautiful!

Beautiful image, perfect and bravo!

Very nice. You've taken an everyday image and turned it into a work of art.

Great picture. The combination of lines, cloud and sky color make it very interesting.

You make such beauty of things we miss hurriedly speeding by not seeing the trees for the forest. Who knew that a lonely cloud, chem trails and corn rows in the dead of winter could make this lovely pattern.

Beautiful view of an amazing sky and field. A wonderful start to the New Year.

Tu trabajo, en su conjunto, es admirable. Felicidades.

Well seen simplicity!

beautiful, Kathleen.

happy 2010!

Up to the horizon let's take a short walk,
The way is outlined by many corn stalk.
Reach toward the sky, cloud cumulus to grab
Our efforts are for naught, it's to high to nab.
Just crispness and coolness, with sky icy blue
Winter has arrived in this northward view.

This looks like a million dollar painting. Almost too perfect. It is beautiful.

Chem-trails above cloud-shaped mother ship attempting an emergency landing after a failed crop circle attempt. How you manage to get all this stuff in one shot is a total mystery to me, and it's a mystery I am fortunate to enjoy going into a new year. (Fwd; to Art Bell?) And Happy New year to you, Kathleen, and your cast of characters; family, friends, neighbors, candy farmers (and farmers, otherwise,) and all their respective pets!

Superb job Kathleen! Lead-in lines, fab colour, snow and blue sky!

Kathleen, I suffer from the same Disappearing Field Syndrome as Liz. I can't drive the outskirts of town without sensing the impending development of every cornfield and pumpkin patch. Perhaps some other Webster can refer us all to an Incantation Specialist for a Field Preservation Chant. (The only Crop Circles I fear are the ones that are found at the end of newly formed Culs-de-sac.)

If any new developments pop up near you, you shoot'em, OK? :)

Exquisite, soooo lovely. Thank you.

1920 x 1080 is my screen resolution.

All I have to share is a story of sorts - which you could share with your Daughter or your Mom.

Do you know what a Honeymoon Salad is?

Lettuce alone.

My first full time job was with Prudentail Insurance in Newark NJ in 1972 and back then Pru had a free lunch! But they were very thrifty so almost every day they offered Honeymoon Salad. Since I met my wife there and we have been married for 32 years - for me it was just that... God Bless and thank you...

Paul

This is such a peaceful and beautiful scene. And open space is so precious nowadays - I get nervous now when I see open fields - wondering which field will be next to go. Wonderful to hear that your friends are good stewards. The comments are great - you even have poems left in your comments -how neat is that?

Liz

Zykor and Jan: Happy New Year! Check your email. :)

I was looking for my Christmas present ;-)
Did I miss out?
Or maybe you are away?
1920 x 1080

1280x800...... Thank you! I like ur pictures, especially those reminding me life's simple

Thank you for your generosity offering this wonderful image as a screensaver.
Monitor is 1920 x 1080

Thank you & God Bless you & your family!

just a quick note...here's wishing you a grand start to the new year, nothing but the best to you, Kathleen!

Merry Christmas to you Kathleen!

Lovely photo - it really makes me want to retire to Durhan Township. As I Live in the NY metro area, it would certainly be a big change!

PS: At your advise, I just bought the Canon T1i EOS Rebel. I think it will take some learning.

Best regards,
Brian

I used to live in Upper Bucks County and even after 20 years I still miss it. Your photos bring me closer to it. Thank you!

What a great image. Very peaceful and calming. Thanks for posting such a wonderful photo.

JPH, Inspired by your recent financial critique, I've been doing some real research...mainly evolving the 5 lb box on the coffee table by the "tree." Low and behold, I discovered that peanuts ARE candy. Armed with this parcel of knowledge, I pushed ahead to do further research and re-read the poetically specified photo info, only to discover that real M&M farming involves not peanuts, but steer...so we could change the product selection options from "plain or PEAnuts" to "plain or..." ...maybe we should stick with the peanuts. Michael Palin might not agree, but at least one ex-President would approve:)

I love this shot. It is so peaceful; serene, ahh! I would love to see your peaceful shot and my fav shots without "man's industrial touch" added into the mix. Power poles, lines, and towers. There is hardly a place to shoot a clean sunrise anymore, here in Florida, except over the ocean. Thanks for sharing you photo, just beautiful.

So Jon, what are you saying, you in or what?

Kathleen, Michael Pollan? I'm not sure, but I suspect Michael Palin would approve.

Victoria, thanks for the visual! I hope we both recover--you from the feast and me from the envy of having missed it. (We must look like a couple of green M&Ms--available online soon! :)

I'm not quite ready to cash in my IRA yet
For David's notion of fortune he hopes to beget.
He really should read your photo info with more care.
Manfred and Friede only work for peanuts, not candy, so there.
So David's poor kids will realize Dad's just having another delusion
Wanting others to be part of his internet inclusion.

Hey David! Sounds like a good idea but can you wait a few weeks? After Kathleen's fantastic Christmas feast and holiday celebrating all of us here are lying back stuffed to the gills with crosses in our eyes. (It takes awhile to recover when she throws a party.)

Kierie: Thank you and check your email!

David: What would Michael Pollan say about your idea?

Robinson: Wow, thank you. Glad to know you're enjoying the photos so much. Hopewell is in a really beautiful area, not far from the Delaware Water Gap National Park. It's no wonder you miss it!

I'm from mountainous and forested Hopewell, NJ, but I go to college in flat, urban Illinois. I love my school (Go U Northwestern!), but it's always one of the joys of my day to open Google Reader and see that a new photo has come in.

And, actually, it's one of the joys of my roommate's day, too: he knows that "a photo's gone up from that photographer you like" whenever I spontaneously turn around from my computer and start telling him about how pretty it is in New Jersey and Pennsylvania right now, or whenever I stare at my computer for two or three minutes and just sigh.

Merry Christmas, Kathleen! And thank you so much for capturing the beauty of this place.

OMG, Just wait till my kids find out I have my own personal internet M&M farm! I assume the round building with the (adorable) pointy top is where I store them prior to packaging for internet sales. I'll be filthy rich in no time, soon as the first harvest and an online marketing blitz; Hey world, just click once for "peanut or plain," then gi'me that cc # and check yer download folder! (No sticky mess, melts in your mouth, not in your hard drive.)

We could even set up multilevel internet M&M marketing. You send them the farm and I'll sell them the internet marketing package. OK, Kathleen? .......Ms C?.....hello?........Lucy? .....Jon?.........Victoria?......ground floor opportunity here....Jakey?..... Amber?....Jenn?.....anybody.....come on people, where else can you get a free farm plus a mega-tastic, can't-loose, bullet-proof biz-op? ...time to wake up and smell the M&Ms here......

What a beautiful image...really striking. I would love the screensaver gift for my PC resolution of 1920 x 1080. Thanks Kathleen for sharing your view our our space....

David and Tim: Thank you! Check your email for the screensaver files. Snowcones to arrive under separate cover.

Fotobram and John: Thank you for all the return visits!

JPH: That poem absolutely killed me (in a Holden Caulfield kind of way). You're so observant! Happy Christmas to all the wonderful H's!

Technobabe and Robin: Happy Christmas to you both. It's great having you around. Thank you for your comments - I really appreciate them!

Simply loving the peaceful scenes you have here to show is... thankful for having such beauty at my fingertips... hoping that peace and joy are with you too on this lovely day.

Merry Christmas.

I love this image!
Time stands still. . .

I would love to have a screen saver version for my IMAC 24.
The screen resolution is 1920x1200. 32 bit color.

Regards,
Tim.

This is what gives Durham Township much of its charm
Peaceful vistas of places like M & M Farm.
Stonework on house and barn match as well
If only those walls could talk, what a story they would tell.
To all that drive by so they don't miss the view nice
They have put up two signs so you have to stop twice.

Merry Noel!

Peaceful winter scene. Have a wonderful Christmas.

This is wonderful! I've enjoyed your blog for several years now. Keep up the good work, and may the new year be your best yet!

Nice winter scene.
Happy X-mas to you.

Still looking at your shots :-)

.....and the next gift, (Thank you, Kathleen!) I love the atmospheric effect that results from having so much light bouncing off so much snow e.g. the softened shadows on buildings and hills alike. Nice powdery grays on the hills too, with the parade of power poles coming through that frosty blue cut. And yes, I'd like a 1680x1050 to go, medium-rare jpg, no onions, easy on the pixels. Can I get a snow cone too? Maple syrup of course! (Like I would not be THAT surprised if a maple syrup snow cone magically showed up with the free image, although considering how well runneth-over my cup is by now, even a snow cone would critically stress the karmic balance, so send the image only, to be safe.)

Dear Ms Connally,

May I here extend an appropriate personal seasonal sentiment upon the Connally household, your production staff and troop of regular players. Not sure about Durham Township, but it is Xmas Eve in SW Idaho. Here we currently suffer meager traces of a 1-1/2" snow that's 4 days old. (Not exactly Currier and Ives.) So like millions of other Americans who would otherwise be forced to endure an Off-White Xmas, I can throw another chunk of MDF, OSB or New York Times into the studio stove, pour a beverage of choice, and enjoy an appropriate, professionally prepared Xmas Vista Con Blanco, (which regularly exemplifies what a nice girl like you does in a place like that!) I ask you, Kathleen, does it get any better? Well if that were not enough, I also get a bonus seasonally well-adjusted literary offering from the pen of AWTDT's Poet Laureate, the Right Honorable JPH! AND YET, it gets even better, for like all AWTDT Websters, I share mass (consciousness) anticipation of soon opening the next gift...and the next...and the...

So may the special meaning which this time of year has for you be magnified utilizing a formula which incorporates accelerated multiples based on your "sharing-based" performance record. It's your Christmas Equation; (A really big number raised to a really higher power) x (a very lot of Ho,Ho,Ho's)=(MX2U)x(2009) Now, that's fair and balanced.

Nice photo, Kathleen. I enjoy how you use contrast in your images. Beautiful blue sky - makes me want to be out there.

Oh wow Jon. You got us all crying on Christmas.
Your best poem ever!

Just what is this season of holly and pine?
Let's take a few moments our thoughts to refine.
Is it giving and getting, the jingling of songs
Or something much deeper, oh, for which our soul longs?
Underneath the clamor and good will all around
The message of old with some digging can be found.
God's only Son, the Messiah, delivered in a manger,
Prince of Peace, Savior, to rescue us from danger.
So consider this message, appropriate it if true.
It changed my life and it is my Christmas wish for you.

Thanks Kathleen for the beauty shared with us and to the greater community of commenters who have become my friends. JON :-)

Wonderful advent to the winter season. Here in Alabama today it was above 60 degrees. I took advantage of the brief warm spell to rake leaves and needles. Beautiful shot.

Hello winter! Beautiful shot. Sounds like we will have many more opportunities for these types of photos in our area this year.

Nice shot to welcome winter - It's nice to see these shots while I wait for the summer to really hit down here in Australia!

It's snowing in italy too!!! It's 23,02, hopefully tomorrow morning i'll have some beautiful blue skyes to try match this lovely photo. Wish me luck Kathleen ;)

In view of the soft curves at work here, perhaps your legal department (and Brian) can sign off on "The First Wave of Winter". Any thing which could make me feel better than your "looks like a painting to me" series of grand exteriors would require a doctor's prescription and a credit card, so throw another "thank you Kathleen" onto the humomgos pile before going back outside.

And a nice piece of work from Jon too. (Even though poetry, like bank robbery, goes down best as an inside job:)

Beautiful white and blue.

Beautiful Winter scene. Nice way to welcome Winter in Durham Township.

Dang! JPH, you're getting better every day.

Technically, today is mid-winter day, or winter solstice. Not the first day of winter - that's a common media-generated misconception.

Happy Winter Solstice, Kathleen. Lovely picture. There is something about some of your photos, like this one, that they appear to "move" as I scroll down the photo. Interesting. Anyway, starting tomorrow the days will start getting longer so we will have more light. That is good for all you photographers, huh!! Happy Holidays.

Beautiful colors, like the fish eye effect

Lovely winter view of the area. Wishing you a Very Merry Christmas and Happy Healthy New Year. Happy Holidays to all.

It is really what they call... Spring Hill??
It must have swallowed quite a bitter pill.
It appears to be under the weather...
It doesn't have it all together...
It's recovering under a blanket of white chill.

winter desolation is amazingly caught.

Made me think of Wyspiański's "Thaw" (Pl "Roztopy"): http://www.pinakoteka.zascianek.pl/Wyspianski/Images/Kopiec_roztopy.jpg

Great photo! But too litle snow.... I like snowy winter

How about a board game? Photomopoly. I've been talking with the Bradley Twins, Omar and Milton. We start with the board covered with the latest 1000 of Kathleen's Durham Township postings and a deck of cards, each containing the corresponding comments for an image. Players draw lots to establish order. First player draws a card and must match the comments card to the proper image in 2.5 seconds. (2.5 sec. hour glass included) If the player succeeds, the player gets 2.5 points and retains the card. If the player fails, the card goes to the bottom of the deck. Next player draws the top comment card and play continues till all the images are matched to their comments. If you start the game by Greek Orthodox New Year, you can be done before Mr Field's nap is over. Yep, much faster than Monopoly and there's no jail--just some mud here and there! (Characters in trees not included.) .....So if Kathleen will just pop those 1000 18x24 prints (signed,numbered and matted) into the mail, I can get started on the board layout and send the comments to the typesetter. Helios bold condensed, or, Ms. C, would you prefer New York Times Roman?

Beautiful composition, I like