Pictures, Thoughts and Comments

HOLGA - Abstract Lights

2012-01-08T08:28:00.001-05:00

Some more photos taken with a Holga on the bulb mode. These are more abstract than the previous photos.

Holga on the bulb mode for 30 seconds and the camera was moved around.

Holga on the bulb mode. Lights in a local hardware store window.

Very abstract.

Runon photo of gas station and hardware store lights.

HOLGA - Night Lights

2012-01-07T18:50:00.001-05:00

Some Holga shots I took around town just after Christmas using the bulb mode.

Wow. this gas station never looks so good.

Blue Christmas tree.

Runon photo of a B&B and then the B&B with lights.

Tiny blue trees in front of the local hardware store.

Sunset

2012-01-03T18:50:00.002-05:00

We've had almost no snow so far this winter. However there have been some dramatic sunsets with clouds or clouds with sunsets.

More Japan & China Too

2011-12-24T19:55:00.000-05:00

After my last post Hello Japan-November Challenge from In Spring It Is the Dawn I thought it might be fun to take photos of a few Japanese and Chinese things I have collected.

A volcanic ash figure of Jizo next to woven Lucky Bamboo which is Chinese and originated in Taiwan.

A closer view of Jizo with a red paper ribbon which I put around his neck as I don't have any bibs or hats.

Another view of Jizo with from left to right: Hello Kitty from a McDonalds children's Happy Meal, a clay figure of a Terracotta Warrior from Xian China, a Japanese metal cookie box with a carp, a blue antique Chinese tea cup and in the background a printout about the Jizo shire in Kita-Shinjuku.

Closer view of Jizo and Happy Bamboo.

A ceramic raccoon dog, Tanuki , and a smaller volcanic ash Jizo figure.

Hello Kitty figures I've collected in various regions of Japan.

Hello Kitty phone straps of from left to right: Osaka Castle Kitty , Onsen Kitty, Ninja, and Shinkonzen Tokyo Hello Kitty.

Hello Japan - November Challenge

2011-12-11T18:02:00.020-05:00

In Spring It Is the Dawn has a monthly challenge, Hello Japan. This month's challenge is to choose five favorites about Japan. The topic is wide open and allows the participants to be as broad or narrow as long as it's about Japan.

The Bodhisattva, Jizo, protector of women, children and travelers, is one of my favorites as he is portrayed in Japan. He is associated with pregnant women, children, children who have died and is seen as a friendly figure. He is found in many places in Japan and wears a red bib and hat. Often he carries a staff and six rings. I became aware of him a few years ago and now take photos whenever I see him. Below are five places in Japan I've photographed Jizo figures.

1. A Jizo shire in Tokyo's Tennoji temple in the Yanaka Cemetary area.

Notice the origami thousand cranes which grant the folder a long life or recovery from illness.

2. Jizo seen in Kyoto along the bank of the Kamo River. The facial features looked to be drawn with a magic marker.

3. A shrine in Tokyo's Kita-Shinjuku. The older couple who maintained this shrine said it had been in this area of Tokyo for 400 years. It's near where I stay and every morning there are toys and other offerings placed in the shrine. It's the only Jizo shrine I've seen where the figures wore patterned red fabric rather than solid red.

4. Jizo wearing a crocheted hat and bib on the walkway to the Hokokuji Temple in Kamakura.
The temple is known for it wonderful bamboo gardens.

5, Two Jizo figures at the Tenri-in Temple in Matsushima. One on the roof and one with a red hat and bib to the right of the shrine.

Yet another Jizo figure at the Tenri-in Temple.

Snowy Day in December

2011-12-09T07:02:00.008-05:00

Wet heavy snow fell over night. When I went out at dawn to clean off my car I decided taking pictures of the light, clouds and fallen snow was more interesting than brushing the snow off my car.

Looking east into the sunrise.

A few minutes later.

A little later.

First icicle photo for this winter.

Bush covered with snow.

Sun's up!

Later in the day around 4 PM the snow had melted of the trees and the moon was up.

HOLGA - Desert Photos

2011-12-03T06:02:00.003-05:00

Here are some Holga photos of my recent trip to the desert east of San Diego.

Taken from the car. The rocky hills are very different from the hills in Vermont where I live. Holga shots are fun to take from the car as the bottom of the photo captures movement and the top of the photo is still.

Overlap photo with the side of the woman on the left and her face from the front on the right.

Hot Springs Spa

2011-11-25T13:32:00.001-05:00

Several people had told me about the Jacumba Hot Springs Spa located where else but Jacumba, California, population 561. Jacumba's on the Mexican border seventy miles from the city of San Diego and still within the county of San Diego. Great hot springs, funky, retro, fun, pink flamingo statues, and best of all inexpensive were what friends said. A visit makes for a good beginning or end to sightseeing in the desert and the food is good. A few days before I left Vermont I looked up the spa's web site which had no photos but lots of information and the prices were very affordable. Worth a visit I thought.

.

We arrived late morning in time for a visit to the hot springs and then lunch.

Funky 1950's/1960's type sign.

Ugh-oh! But......I was on vacation and the desert is like a foreign place to me so I wasn't too upset. I got out of the car for a quick look around.

Big cactus held up with string and what looked like my dog's red leash.

By the entrance to the spa.

Front view of the entrance area. The tile sign must have been nice it its day.

Another view of the very closed spa. We looked over the wall and there wasn't much to see.

View as we left the spa to for further desert sightseeing.

When I returned home I again looked up the web site Hot Springs Jacumba and it was different from the site I'd seen before I left. Maybe the new Hot Springs Spa will be there on my next visit.

HOLGA - October Snow on Trees

2011-11-23T23:59:00.000-05:00

In addition to digital photos I took of an October snow fall I took some Holga photos. I didn't tape the outside of the camera as I wanted to add some color with the red light leaks. Also I used a clear tape mask inside the camera and the thin black lines are pieces of hair. I had just had my hair cut and they fell on the tape so I decided to leave them and see what effects they produced.

Early Morning - San Diego

2011-11-20T08:39:00.000-05:00

Early morning is my favorite time of day. When I'm visiting people in a time zone three hours earlier than my own I wake up early the first day. On my recent trip to San Diego I had my camera ready for very some early morning photos. I thought it would be interesting to catch the first sun light on some local homes and buildings.

Very early.

Pool area....too early for a swim.

Just a little light.

More light.

Now the sun's up higher in the sky.

Back inside waiting for the coffee to brew.

Street Sweeping. What day is it? Oh, silly me, I don't have a car here.

Southern California - Along Route 94

2011-11-18T16:40:00.001-05:00

San Diego county which is bigger than the state of Rhode Island encompasses both the city of San Diego and the desert countryside to the east. On a recent visit we drove along California Route 94 which is entirely in San Diego county near the Mexican border. It was fun taking photos so different from the ones I take in Vermont.

Lots of rocks along this drive.

And sandy desert roads too.

More desert vegetation.

Reminds me of snow in Vermont.

Cactus.

Interesting rock formation.

October Winter Wonderland Continues

2011-10-29T07:41:00.006-04:00

The morning after the early snowfall was beautiful. The sun was out and everything was covered in snow. I knew I'd only have a brief time to take pictures as snow this early with sunlight shining on it melts within hours.

The sunlight was just beginning to light up these snow covered branches when I took this photo.

All the trees were covered in snow for a brief time.

The leaves haven't fallen off all the trees.

The tree on the left reminds me of a Dr Seuss character.

Look carefully to see the snow falling off the trees onto the bridge.

The snow covered willow trees looks like the head of a dinosaur to me.

Lots of texture on the snow cover grass and bushes.

A swampy area covered in snow.

Still some orange leaves on this tree.

More winter wonderland.

Winter Wonderland or Ugh

2011-10-27T18:54:00.002-04:00

So the winter weather begins in October. Not unusual but a tad unexpected. The snow won't last and the roads will remain wet but not dangerous. Yet it's a beginning of winter weather.

Late afternoon.

But there are still leaves on the ground.

Looks pretty.

The falling snow can be seen against the turquoise building.

And on the roof of the red car.

Fall - Dwindling Color

2011-10-23T20:06:00.005-04:00

A few rainy windy days and the fall foliage season dwindles down for another year. While not as spectacular as some falls there was still a lot of color to admire.

The dark clouds are harbingers of the approaching winter.

There is still color to be seen. I like the two trees next to each in different stages of fall colors (or loss of colors).

Leaves on this tree turned only a little yellow before curling up and falling to the ground.

Patches of orange.

Wow yellow.

More Fall Colors

2011-10-13T07:37:00.007-04:00

The sky was overcast and the light gave the fall colors a slightly candy colored look in the late afternoon. The reds looked pinkish in some places the the orange leaves look muted.

Fall Continued

2011-10-09T19:42:00.007-04:00

The past couple of days I drove around looking around to see how the fall color change was progressing..... a mixed bag in terms of color but still lots to photograph.

Still very green around this farm just north of Whitehall, New York.

South Bay just north of Whitehall is the end of Lake Champlain and a good place to fish I'm told.

Lily pads and reflections of trees on the water.

South Bay looking east toward Vermont.

South Bay

South Bay

South Bay. South Bay is very lovely but I was looking for fall color and to quote Clara Peller from the 1986 Wendy's ad, "Where's the beef."

Sunday morning in Manchester, Vermont. Red!

Orange through the morning mist in Manchester. Vermont.

Fall Colors

2011-10-01T07:07:00.003-04:00

This year hurricane Irene brought so much rain that the fall colors were effected. So far the colors are not as brilliant as in past years yet there is still a lot to see as the leaves change color and fall to the ground. A more subtle fall color season makes this photographer look harder for interesting shots. Not a bad thing.

Maple tree.

The frogs had a good summer. They are larger and heavier than in the spring.

Leaves on a picnic table by the trail along a local steam.

Moss covered rock in a local stream.

Leaves in a pot hole in a local parking lot.

Beginning Fall Colors

2011-09-28T19:12:00.000-04:00

Southern end of a local lake.

Same location.

Friend's garden.

Garden entrance...an old door with a wreath of grape vines.

A few leaves have changed color on this tree.

Most leaves on this maple tree have changed color.

More signs of fall.

HOLGA - More Pink Shapes

2011-09-24T13:20:00.008-04:00

More fun and experimenting with my Holga. Awhile ago I put up photos with pink triangles floating about in the pictures. Using the same red plastic filter I cut different shapes, taped them onto a clear plastic mask inside my camera and shot a roll using Velvia Fujichrome which I had crossed processed when developed.

Denny's.

Waiting in traffic.

My old beagle.

Mountains and sky.

Clouds.

Going home.

Panoramic Photos

2011-09-21T18:04:00.003-04:00

Panoramic photos are fun and so is seeing what else one can do with them. Below is a photo I took in a local restaurant and then I had fun with it. My subjects hammed it up for the photo too.

Waiting for lunch at a local restaurant.

The same photo used as a background photo on my computer. I used the stretch to fit the screen option.

Then I took panoramic photos of my computer screen. I like this one the best.

Another panoramic.

Last one.

Scenic Walk

2011-09-16T15:24:00.003-04:00

A couple of weeks ago we had a gathering of family and close friends. We started the festivities with a very short walk our family has enjoyed over the years. And when I say very short walk I mean an easy 5 minute walk over a gorge on a suspension bridge and into a wooded area where one can go down into the gorge and hike along the rocky shore line or climb small hills or just hang out talking with family and friends. We like this walk as it's scenic and versatile. Since it's part of the Appalachian Trail one can continue on from this area and walk northeast as far as Maine or south to Georgia.

We walked here the day before Irene stormed through. Fortunately there was very little damage to this tiny part of the trail.

Suspension bridge over the Clarendon Gorge.

Closer view of the suspension bridge.

And yes, if anyone wonders, you can rock the bridge side to side... but only a little bit.

View from the bridge.

View of the river from the wooded area.

Up river from the bridge.

View of the shore and woods.

Down stream from the bridge.

Another view.

Hiking closer to the water.

Rocks in the river.

Sumac

2011-09-12T00:21:00.001-04:00

Here in Vermont one harbinger of fall is when the sumac leaves turn color. With our recent flash floods and damage from the tropical storm/hurricane Irene I hadn't noticed that the beginning of fall was upon us. The past couple of morning have been cool with temperatures of 58F/14.4C and the days warmer with temperatures in the 70'sF/23C. This an an ideal day for me but to others signals the beginning of fall and then winter weather.

Most everything is still green except for a sumac bush which has turned color.

These sumac still say summer to me.

However this says fall to me.

Sumac and other green trees.

Close up of a drupe (red bunches of sumac fruit).

Another close up.

HOLGA - Vermont- Misty Morning

2011-09-06T02:10:00.000-04:00

A few photos I took on a misty morning a couple of weeks ago.

Cows on the move.

Note the old family cemetery on the right.

Holga - Habitat 67 Montreal

2011-08-22T07:51:00.000-04:00

The day we went to Habitat 67 was overcast so I used Fujichrome Velvia film in my Holga camera. Velvia film adds color so if the digital photos I shot were lackluster I'd still have colorful Holga shots. Also I put a 16 photo plastic mask in the Holga so there are 16 separate photos rather than the runon/overlapping shots I usually take. My other Holga didn't seem to be working correctly. Silly me never thought to check one of the few switches on the camera which turned out to be set between settings. All in all I was happy with both the Holga and digital photos.

Montreal - Fun In the City

2011-08-19T13:36:00.001-04:00

Montreal is an interesting and fun place to visit. There is always something to see and photograph. Here area few photos of what we enjoy about the city.

Poutine, a tasty French Canadian dish of french fries, gravy and cheese curds is a meal in itself. Not exactly food for a hot summer day but the restaurant was air conditioned and I was longing to have some. And no, the two of us didn't finish all of it.

Fantasia Festival is held every year at Concordia University. I think we've attended twelve of the fifteen years of the movie festival. Favorite movies this year: The Last Ronin (Japanese), 13 Assassins (Japanese) and Blackthorn (Spain).

A visit to Odyssey Books, a second-hand bookstore, in downtown Montreal, is a must do. Every visit I find a few books here that "I've always wanted to read".

Interesting titles to temp anyone who loves books.

Fun discovery ....an artifical palm tree... it's probably the only kind that can survive a cold and snowy Montreal winter.

White haired older women need exercise too.

Downtown Montreal is an interesting mix of older buildings next newer skyscrapers.

Close up of an older building.

Montreal - Habitat 67

2011-08-17T17:29:00.008-04:00

Habitat 67 was designed for EXPO 67 by Moshe Safdie when he was a young architect. The design is based on his master's thesis at McGill University. The apartment complex made of modular concrete units is located on Marc-Drouin Quay in the St. Lawrence River in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

On many trips to Montreal I've had a quick glimpse of Habitat 67 from the highway as we've driven into downtown Monteal. On our recent trip I decided I would photograph the complex. The photos are taken from the front side of Habitat 67 as there are residents only signs posted on the property and that morning police were present. As we drove away from Habitat 67 we realized the police were there deciding where to set up a speed trap.

Habitat 67 sign by the front entrance to their parking lot.

An overview of part of the apartment complex.

Close up of one of the ground floor units.

Interesting open spaces on the upper floor.

Closer view of the ground floor. I was so busy looking at the poured concrete wall I didn't notice the man on the cell phone until later when I looked at my photos.

View with the open areas in the center of the photo.

Closer view of an upper floor.

Photo taken from further away from the complex.

Yes, people live there.

I like the box like concrete sturctures that make up the apartment units....

....and the open spaces.

Habitat 67 was only the beginning of Safdie's career. Have a look on his website at some of the interesting and beautiful buildings he and his firm have designed over the years.

Holga - Midsummer in Vermont

2011-08-14T20:20:00.004-04:00

Out and about in the early AM in Vermont.

Early morning sky.

Butterfly chair later morning.

Bushes along rock wall.

Roses too.

Shadows at 6:30 AM.

At 9:00 AM.

Another view at 9:00 AM.

Hay bales at 7:30 AM.

Panoramic Photos

2011-08-11T18:29:00.000-04:00

A fun feature of the Fuji camera I bought earlier this year is its panoramic setting. Even more fun than matching up the three photos one takes to create a panoramic photo is seeing what effects one can create by purposely not matching up the three photos.

This year's Fantasia Festival banner. I took a close up photo of the festival poster which was on a sandwich board outside the theaters at Concordia University in Montreal. Then I took two photos of the festival banner which hung over the street between the theaters.

Habitat '67 built for the 1967 Montreal World's Fair. This futuristic looking modular apartment building looks like this even when the three photos are in alinement.

Self portrait.

Local swamp with frogs.

A Croc and a running shoe on a rug.

Out and about with my new pink Holga.

Hello Kitty, Chu Totoro and self portrait. I had a 4" (10.16 cm) by 14" (35.56 cm) print made of this vertical photo.

Montreal - Yellow Mannequins

2011-08-08T18:31:00.008-04:00

Montreal's rue Sainte-Catherine is a major downtown shopping street. There are department stores, large shopping malls above and below ground that are connected with each other and branches of international stores like Zara. I enjoy looking at their window displays and my favorites are the boutique windows. A handbag and shoe store caught my eye because the yellow mannequins placed around the store were nude.

The front of the store with reflections of shops across the street.

Can anyone miss the strategically placed black bag on the male mannequin. I was happy to see I wasn't the only one taking photos.

Female mannequin wearing a necklace.

Female mannequin in a different pose.

Another shutterbug. The nude mannequins are effective at drawing attention to the store and I like how the boots are around but not worn by the mannequin.

Pensive mannequin and pensive passer-by.

I had to leave for a movie so left without looking at the name of the store. Next trip I'll check. Nude yellow mannequins this year...what's next.

Montreal - Summer Morning

2011-07-31T15:23:00.000-04:00

Every summer when we visit Montreal we stay in the same hotel. This year changes are taking place next to the hotel. A large construction site now occupies the vacant lot next to our hotel. What's going on??

As I ate my breakfast outside the cafe bistro at our hotel I decided to visit the large hole/ construction site next door. Notice the reflection of across the street in the window of the restaurant.

Side of the hotel facing the large hole.

The black netting around the construction area has all sizes and shapes of holes in it to peek through. Notice our hotel in the right corner of the photo.

A large hole in the netting.

A closer view. What's happening? Something mega big.

View of buildings south of the mega hole. I didn't find a sign saying what was going up here. Perhaps the hotel staff know.

HOLGA - Invasion of the Pink Triangles

2011-07-30T12:11:00.000-04:00

More fun with a Holga. A few weeks ago I purchased a pack of clear color gels. I used one part of a gel and cut out triangle shapes which I then taped onto the clear tape filter I'd already put inside the camera. The below photos remind me of a very very very low budget attempt to create an alien invasion. Who says aliens won't arrive in/as pink gel triangles.

Wow, what are those pink triangles flying about in the early morning mist.

Now they're flying in front of the two silos I'm driving past in my car. Are they following me?

Where did that third pink triangle come from.

The triangles look brighter. Does that mean they're getting closer to me? Should I drive faster to get away from them.

Phew, the triangles now seem more interested in the field of wildflowers.

The Holga is such a great camera.

Hazy Summer Morning

2011-07-26T18:12:00.008-04:00

My drive to work is very scenic and one morning last week I left home just before 7 AM so I could stop and take photos along the way. It was sunny and hazy which means the light can be a bit weird.

Round hay bales at the top of a hill ready to be picked up and stored for winter.

Close up of a round bale of hay.

Mountains, lake and a stone and a wood fence. When I see a stone fence I think of Robert Frost's poem Mending Wall which ends with the famous line "Good fences make good neighbors."

Another view of the lake and the mountain.

Early Morning

2011-07-23T07:04:00.001-04:00

Wet leaves after an early morning rainfall.

HOLGA - Going Home

2011-07-20T06:38:00.003-04:00

I took these photos with Fujichrome which I had cross processed when developed so the reds, pinks, purples are intensified. Vermont is very green this time of year. However these photos made me smile as they were taken after a long tiring day at work and the colors were more in keeping with my mood than green.

Japan - In Search of a Folk Artist (Part 3) - The Museum Itself

2011-07-17T06:50:00.002-04:00

The third part of my tale of Munakata Shiko is about his memorial museum. The museum opened in 1975 three years after Munakata's death. The building is in the Azekura style. The oldest surviving structure of this style in Japan is the wooden Shosoin treasure house (AD 756) at the Eastern Great Buddhist Temple (Todai-ji) in Nara. Basically the gallery part of the museum is a log cabin which sits on pillars. The Munakata Museum's pillars are made of steel reinforced concrete.

Notice in the above and below photos how the walls are stacked beams (steel reinforced concrete again) whose ends overlap at the edges of the building. Upright supports aren't necessary in this style of building. My first reaction to the building was that it looks like an interesting fortress.

Another view of the log cabin edge of the of the museum's gallery.

A closer view of the statue of a woman in front of the museum. There's a lovely pond and garden in front of and along the walkway from the street to the museum.

From the museum's website. A winter view of the statue. Do you think she's cold standing there in the snow.

Closer view of the front of the museum.

Looking up from under the eaves.

Looking in the window at a photo of Shiko Munakata.

Attention to the details add to the overall impression of the building as a well designed museum.

A larger rendition of the same design at the entrance to the museum.

A structure in the garden. The light was interesting the day we visited as it was overcast and dark when we arrived then the sun appeared as I took the above photo. Weird light.

Another view of the pond.

The director, Mr Hiro, and the staff of the museum were so helpful and made our visit very special. Mr Hiro, who speaks excellent English, explained many things about the museum and Munakata's work to us. We also spoke with one of his staff who is learning English (doing very well) and she was kind enough to call ahead to a restaurant where we ate a delicious dinner. I like that the size of this museum is big enough to show a range of Munakata's work yet small enough that the viewer can appreciate each work of art and not be overwhelmed.

Two ladies leaving in the rain. An hour or so later sleet was coming down as we left. The director was kind enough to have one of his staff call a taxi for us.

Photos from the museum's website. Above: Winter at the museum. Below: Spring at the museum.

Japan - In Search of a Folk Artist (Part 2) -Found

2011-07-15T10:53:00.008-04:00

My first outing in search of Shiko Munakata (1903-1975) which I wrote about last month was one of mishaps. In retrospect the day now seems like a fortuitous adventure which led to a trip to Northern Japan a beautiful area I might not otherwise have visited. We took the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Munakata's hometown of Aomori and the location of the museum dedicated to his work, the Munakata Shiko Memorial Museum of Art.

We visited this lovely museum on a gray day in late October.

A closer view of the museum whose interesting architecture I'll write about another time. Note the sculpture of a woman looking into the pond.

Munakata Shiko. A picture of Shiko Munakata taken from outside the museum. As with most museums photographs aren't allowed in order to preserve the art works.

The museum's excellent English language brochure shows examples of the different styles and techniques Munakata worked in. The museum exhibits about 40 of his pieces at a time as Munakata strongly believed this was about the maximum number people could carefully look at at one time. The museum rotates the exhibition four times a year. However a few major works like the Ten Great Disciples of Budhha seen at the bottom of the above photo are on display all year long.

Munakata is know for his woodcuts which he did in the sosaku hanga and mingei style. The sosaku hanga movement emphasized the artist as the sole maker of the wood cuts. Instead of the traditional system which included the artist, a carver of the wood block and a printer of the wood block Munakata embraced a style where he himself was the artist, the carver and the printer of his works. To him the woodblock not the artist was of major importance. Also Munakata's subjects were not traditional ones.

In Praise of Kanjiro Kawai's kiln, 'Shokei', Japanese Cherry Tree. 1945. One of a series of wood cuts I saw as I entered the Japan Folk Crafts Museum in Tokyo last fall. My initial reaction was I want to see more of this artist's work. The above photo is from a postcard that I purchased in the museum's gift store. Unless otherwise noted the below photos of Munakata's work are from postcards and reproductions I bought in Japan.

Aomori. My favorite of the artist's work. The photo is from a book of the artist's works I bought at the museum in Aomori. Munakata was inspired by poetry so sometimes includes it in his works.

Mount Fuji. Woodcut. Hand colored. 1965.

Birds. Woodcut. Hand colored.

Photo from the internet. The artist at work. Munakata had poor vision which further declined as he aged. The Aomori musuem shows an informative and interesting documentary about the artist and his life. As he aged he literally got closer to his works.

In Praise of Flower Hunting. 1958. Woodcut.

The Sutra of Kannon, Compassionate Goddess of Mercy, Ashura, a Demon God. 1938

Portraits of Male and Female Deities. 1941. Woodcuts.

Wood cut. Hand colored. 1965

An example of Munakata's calligraphy.

(to be continued)

HOLGA - Vermont Summer Morning

2011-07-07T17:22:00.002-04:00

Misty morning drive.

Walking from the parking lot into work. The tan building on the right is the side of the bookstore.

Chickens in a friend's yard.

Hey Frogs!

2011-07-03T18:25:00.005-04:00

Hey frogs, where are you hiding? When I hear a frog kerplop into the water then realize I was almost standing on him/her I realize how well they blend in with their environment. Yesterday I sprayed myself with insect repellent and lurked at the swamp for an hour. I stayed still until a bug bit me through my slacks. I yelped and was surprised that none of the frogs I'd been photographing moved.

I noticed how the frogs take on the color of their surroundings.

I didn't notice this frog at first.

This frog is almost the color of the board.

There are at least two frogs in this photo.

HOLGA - Experiment - Trees and Mountains

2011-07-01T06:55:00.008-04:00

I took these run on photos looking into the late afternoon sun. The sun was behind the mountains in the darker side of the photos and above the mountains in the lighter side of the photos. Then I had some fun playing with the photos. In the past I have had the negative for run on photos (the negative is one long strip) developed from different starting points to get different run on photos. This time I decided to have the photos put in Photoshop to see what the different combinations looked like. Many thanks to my daugher for doing this.

Runon photo taken in the late afternoon on my drive home from work.

Next runon photo taken in the late afternoon on my drive home from work.

Photos put together in Photoshop. Sometimes when the photos match up this well I tape them together and take a digital shot of them but I didn't want the line between the photos to show.

Lighter sides of the photos put together in Photoshop.

Darker sides of the photos put together in Photoshop.

Many Holga users are purists about NOT tweaking the photos in anyway. The photo is the photo. I agree with this philosophy 98%. The other 2% likes to play around when I take photos like the above ones.

Frogs and More Frogs

2011-06-27T20:55:00.005-04:00

Yesterday at the local swamp there were frogs everywhere. A thunderstorm was forecast so I quickly snapped away before the clouds rolled in.

Click on the photo and you can see the frog on the board that goes into the water.

Closer view.

Another frog sitting on another board. Often I see frogs basking in the late afternoon sun.

Two frogs in the pond. Notice the millifoil weeds growing in the water.

Close up of another frog.

View of the small swamp from the other side. Notice how mashed down the reeds are from the deer who come at night to drink from a nearby stream. Also there's a frog on the board.

A small frog.

A tiny frog almost hidden. At first I thought it was mud.

Storm clouds.

I walked faster when I saw these clouds.

HOLGA -Summertime in Vermont

2011-06-22T19:01:00.000-04:00

Below are some Holga photos I took last week while driving around on my day off. I usually take a Holga or two with me in the car. In the summer I tend to take more local photos as it's too hot to leave the cameras in the car so they're in my bag and easy to take out and use.

An indoor pond with koi fish and a waterfall inside a local garden center.

I like the bright blue pots these flowers are planted in.

Hanging basket of an unknown plant. There wasn't a tag which identified this odd looking plant.

A runon photo of wild irises and a purple plant in the bookstore garden .

More wild irises.

A new car wrapped in white at a local car dealership.

More wrapped VWs. I've put up photos of wrapped VWs before and still can't resist taking photos of them.

Runon photo of a wrapped VW and a bird of paradise flower growing inside a local garden center. Neither the koi fish nor the bird of paradise flowers are local to this area. It's too cold outside for them. Inside a warm garden center they're fine.

Japan - In Search of a Folk Artist (Part 1)

2011-06-18T22:09:00.001-04:00

Last October at the Japan Folk Craft Museum in Tokyo I saw some blockprints by folk artist Shiko Munakata that I liked so much that I wanted to see more of his works. I googled him and discovered not one but three museums in Japan devoted to this artist.

The closest, Shiko Munakata Print Art Museum, was about two hours away in Kamakurayama (suburb of Kamakura). The next morning I took an express train from Tokyo to Kamakura, got a map and directions from the tourist information center and after a thirty-five minute bus ride and a short walk arrived at the museum. It was closed.

The Shiko Munakata Print Art Museum in Kamakurayama. Photo from the website.

The place was locked up tight and from the look of the entry hall I got the impression of not just closed for the day but for awhile. There was a hand written sign on the door which I took a photo of so my daughter could translate it for me. How could the the museum be closed. I'd checked an English language things to do around Kamakura website and spoken with an English speaking woman at the tourist information center. After walking around the entire museum building and seeing no one I was so frustrated I jumped up and down ... several times. There didn't seem to be anyone out and about in this hilly residential neighborhood where the museum is located.

What a lovely vine covered archway in front of this home. I was so upset with myself for not planning more carefully that I only noticed how attractive this area is when I looked at my photos the next day.

I'd passed a Police Box so walked back to it intending to ask/mime for information. I had a print out of the museum's website which included a photo. The Police Box was closed too. A sign on the door said something about noon to 2 PM. It was then 12:05. Yikes.

Kamakurayama Police Box.

I went into a garden center but no one was there either. Was everyone out for lunch.

I decided to "cut my losses" and to return to Kamakura where I knew places were open. Also I knew the buses ran once an hour and with the way the day had gone so far I'd probably have a wait. Forty minutes later the bus to Kamakura appeared and I got on it. Forty rather than sixty minutes...things were looking up I thought to myself.

Bus stop. I kept peeking around the big tree so the bus driver would see me waiting.

Back in Kamakura I treated myself to a sweet potato soft ice cream cone which cheered me up and bought some small gifts for friends so the day ended well. The soft ice cream isn't real sweet but creamy and tasty.

At dinner my daughter told me the sign on the museum door said the artist's works were on tour and the museum was closed for several months. The Japanese website also had this information. She suggested that since I was so interested in Murakata we take our mimi away from Tokyo trip to the artist's hometown, the northern city of Aomori, where there was another museum of his works. First she would call to make sure that museum were open. It was and two days later we were off to Aomori.

To be continued.

More In the Woods

2011-06-16T18:40:00.003-04:00

Some photos from an early evening walk in a local woods.

I was in such a hurry to take this photo I almost missed the moon.

Looking into the woods.

Reflections in a local stream/river.

Wild iris taken after a heavy rainfall.

Big foot next to a broken robin's egg.

After a rainfall.

Wet maple leaves on a piece of slate

There's that frog again.

HOLGA - Sunny Day in Early June

2011-06-11T09:53:00.001-04:00

I took these Holga photos on a sunny morning after a night of rain. The green leaves and flowers looked rich and colorful . Many of the photos overlap and were taken at different locations.

An overlap photo taken in my driveway and on the road north of town.

Closer view of the tractor and a wonderful garden center.

Another view of the garden center, Mr. Twitters. I love the purple fence.

San Diego - Palm Trees

2011-06-08T19:11:00.003-04:00

I like palm trees. I like their look and I like them as kitsch from visits to tourist shops in Florida. I like them because they don't grow where I live. One morning during our recent trip to San Diego I walked to a local grocery store and I saw lot of palm trees. I couldn't resist taking pictures of them. I preceded to take photos of palms trees for our entire visit.

Morning in the North Park area of San Diego.

Lots of overhead electrical wires in this photo.

Close up of a Date Palm.

Shadow of a palm tree (last one in this photo essay) in late afternoon.

Mediterranean Fan Palms at the San Diego Museum of Art.

I couldn't resist taking a photo of the "cage" on the bed of this pickup truck.

Palm at dusk.

HOLGA - School Bus

2011-06-03T08:34:00.003-04:00

When I take photos with my Holgas I usually load the film and shoot the roll in the next day or two. However the below photo is from a roll of film I put in my camera in San Diego at the end of April, carried in my bag back to Vermont and then for three weeks left the Holga on a table which gets afternoon sun. I had no idea if any of the photos would come out and only a few (4 out of 13) did. I took this photo one morning when a school bus stopped in front of me to pick up some kids.

Early Evening in the Woods

2011-06-01T18:10:00.007-04:00

The weather has been very rainy for the last week but usually in the early evenings the clouds roll away and the sun makes an appearance. It's a good time to take our dog for his daily walk in the local woods and of course take photos.

What's a walk in the woods without a stream.

Dame's Rocket (Hesperis Matronalis) is common in this area. This wildflower is considered an invasive species in some states.

Northern green frog aka the typical pond frog in this area of the country.

Swampy pond, home of the typical green frog in the above photo.

Dandelion seedhead.

A place to sit in the woods. The grass around the benches is mowed a couple of times during the summer.

HOLGA - More Desert and Salton Sea

2011-05-27T06:32:00.000-04:00

I've lived most of my life in the northeastern USA so I found the desert east of San Diego fascinating. Unfortunately we didn't have time for many stops so I took photos out the window of the car for most of our day trip. Next trip I plan to take my time. Most likely I'll go with one other person who also likes to take lots and lots of photos so we may be gone for days or weeks.

Hills of rocks on route 8 east of San Diego.

Over lap photo of a building and the desert along route 78 heading west on our way back to San Diego.

The Salton Sea.

Desert with the Salton Sea and mountains in the background.

Dreamy desert.

More desert and mountains.

Sign for Mecca at the Northern end of the Salton Sea.

SPRING - Maple Leaves

2011-05-24T18:50:00.000-04:00

The sugar maple is Vermont's state tree. This time of year when everything seems to turn green at one time the tree's leaves make the landscape look lush and beautiful. I never tire of taking photos of this tree which I guess is good as sugar maples are abundant in this area.

HOLGA - Torrey Pines Cliffs and Beach

2011-05-20T08:16:00.000-04:00

Two years ago I posted some Holga photos of Torrey Pines State Nature Reserve taken from the top of its cliffs. This trip to San Diego we walked along the beach and looked up at the cliffs. I used Velvia fujichrome which I had cross processed to highlight the reds.

A sideways triple exposure looking up at the cliffs.

Another shot of the cliffs. There had been so much rain that the paths up and down the cliffs were closed the day we visited.

Lots of people walk along the beach as morning exercise. It was about 8:30 AM when I took these photos and the sun hadn't risen all the way over the cliffs yet. I become a little disoriented in California as I'm used to the Atlantic Ocean which the sun rises over and here by the Pacific Ocean is where the sun sets.

The Salk Institute is nearby so we stopped to take some photos of the famous Louis I. Kahn poured concrete buildings which I will post digital pictures of in another blog.

A run on shot of the Kahn buildings on the left and the desert on the right.

Pacific Ocean.

One last shot of the Pacific.

More Spring

2011-05-15T18:03:00.000-04:00

Last week we had such nice warm sunny weather it was hard not to photograph everything in sight.

The green in the center of the photo isn't a large bush but a tree fallen on it's side and still producing green leaves.

Leaves beginning to come out. They look a bit like underwater creatures.

Close up of my favorite Japanese Maple. The leaves are copper color for a very short time before they turn green.

Tiny tiny local pond.

Another shot of my favorite maple tree.

Sugar maple leaves.

HOLGA - San Diego

2011-05-13T19:48:00.004-04:00

Early morning San Diego in the North Park area.

I love palm trees and I've taken zillions of pictures of them.

Local church.

Apartment building.

Salton Sea - Bombay Beach - Late April

2011-05-08T18:52:00.015-04:00

When I take photos away from my immediate area I usually use several Holga cameras and a digital camera. If something happens to the film I've shot I still have digital photos of my trip. Also it's fun to compare and contrast the different "realities" the cameras capture. Sometimes I take almost identical scenes with both cameras but didn't at the Salton Sea as there were several of us who took turns using the different cameras.

The entrance to Bombay Beach on the Salton Sea. So different from where I live.

These pictures are from the ocean side of the berm (I thought it was called a dike) which flooded and is abandoned. There is a community of people who live on the other side of the berm and I'm not putting up pictures of this side since Bombay Beach is the subject of thousands of internet photos I didn't want to intrude on them.

Making sure my cameras were ready to go.

Pelicans. The Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge is located at the south end of the sea. The sea attracts 375 bird species during the winter and is also a stopover for migrating birds.

The wood is bleached and dried out from the intense sun. A different look from abandoned/falling down buildings in New England.

Have we taken enough photos?

Used Polaroid film and a couple of eggs which shouldn't have been left as litter.

Leaving Bombay Beach.

SPRING - Finally Arrives

2011-05-07T09:00:00.004-04:00

Wow, warmer days with cool early mornings are here. Last evening as the sun was low in the western sky I took some photos of trees in different lights. Sugar maples and a variety of Japanese maple are typical of this area so that's what I shot.

Japanese maple whose leaves are copper/brown for a day or two then turn to green.

Little brown leaves.

Evening light made these green leaves look almost white.

HOLGA - Salton Sea - Bombay Beach

2011-05-01T19:50:00.006-04:00

The Salton Sea is a saline lake located in Southern California 166 miles (267.5 km) east and slightly north of San Diego where we recently visited. I went to the Salton Sea several years ago so was excited to visit again with my Holga cameras. I had read much about Bombay Beach on its eastern shore and wanted to visit as the rising and falling water levels have created what I thought of as a fun photo opportunity. It seems like Bombay Beach flooded and then the very small town was moved back from the water. A sand dike was built to prevent subsequent flooding. However some structures on the sea side of the dike were left and have deteriorated over the years creating photo opportunities.

I shot Velvia fujichrome which I had cross processed when developed. To get an idea of how sunny and bright it is in this desert area when I use Velvia in Vermont the colors are very bright red, orange purple and pink. And I took many many many photos, both Holga and digital, of this area.

A flip flop left on the edge of a crusted saline mire. And no, I didn't step on it to find out what was below.

A watertower (?) next to the saline crusted whatever.

A runon photo of fallen down and still standing abandoned buildings.

A double exposure photo of my daughter with her camera and the area.

Another abandoned building.

Father and daughter face off on top of the dike near the sea.

Another runon shot of our car, the rocky shore and the Salton Sea.

Signs of Spring

2011-04-15T07:57:00.013-04:00

Signs of spring mean buds on trees and crocuses pushing out of the ground. It's also seasonal snack bars opening and stores putting their goods outside. Last Saturday I drove around the area looking to see what was going on.

The Farmer's Daughter serves wonderful hamburgers and home cut fries.

Their selection of soft and hard ice cream is so extensive it takes me forever to decide what's for dessert.

This Saratoga Springs, New York business has been here a long time.

I know it's spring when the local hardware store puts out its selection of plastic Adirondack chairs.

Such pretty pastel colors.

The Lampshade Lady, Judy Sawyer Lake, has her door open today. Such pretty fabrics and handmade lampshades on the table on the porch.

A painting of the artist at work.

One of Judy's handmade lampshades features a local ski area. This delightful shop is in Pawlet, Vermont.

Then on to the bookstore in Manchester Center, Vermont. Such colorful cookbooks.

Mysteries set in Scandinavian countries.

A display of British mysteries. Is that dripping blood and a gun? Yes, paper blood and a squirt gun. Time to go home and read.

Local Shinto Shrine - Tokyo

2011-04-08T20:11:00.000-04:00

Several months ago I put up some photos I'd taken at a local Shinto shrine in Kamakura. I like to take photos of smaller neighborhood shrines as a kind of slice of local Japanese life. This shrine is not as spiffy as the one in Kamakura but it has a charm that I like. This Shinto shrine is off Okubo Dori in Tokyo. When I'm visiting I often see people stopping here on their way to work.

One of the impressive komainu or lion dogs which guard the shrine.

Suzu or bells on top of the red and white poles in front of the shrine alert the gods.

Notice the concrete torii.

The folded papers hanging on the wires are called omikuji. Many of the people I saw stopping at the shrine bought these. Bad forturnes are folded and left behind at the shrine.

The purification temizuya where one performs a ritual of cleaning one's hands and mouth along with a prescribed number of bows and claps.

Small kitsune or fox guardian shrine.

More omikuji.

Waiting For Spring with Red Netting

2011-04-02T18:00:00.003-04:00

It's beginning to look brown and tan here now that a good lot of snow has melted. Not being a big fan of brown and tan I pulled some red plastic netting off a box of clementines and thought how can I use this with my new digital camera.

I held the red net way out in front of the camera and snapped this photo.

For this photo I held the netting up in the air closer to the lens of the camera.

The red netting is kind of draped at an angle and held an arm's length in front of the camera.

Closer to the camera.

Red netting held over a snow bank in bright sunlight.

Over soon to be green grass in bright sunlight.

Red net held in front of a Totoro decal on my car window. The wind picked up as I took this photo.

Clouds through red netting.

Again the wind picked up as I took this photo.

HOLGA - RED WINTER

2011-03-31T23:59:00.004-04:00

More Holga shots of winter taken a couple of weeks ago.

I like the red effect.

More red winter.

My favorite abandoned gas station looks good in red.

Driving to work and ice on trees.

HOLGA - Same Picture Twice

2011-03-26T15:26:00.004-04:00

Sometimes when I'm using two Holgas with different film I'll take a picture of approximately the same scene with each camera. The photos below were taken from the second floor break room window at the bookstore where I work. The first shot is taken with 400 fujicolor film and the second with velvia fujichrome. Both cameras have 3M clear tape masks to add texture

The photos were taken the morning after a storm which left a coating of ice on everything. The ice on the branches of the tree in the right hand lower corner glistens in the sunlight.

This shot, taken with velvia fujichrome and cross processed, has some vibrant purple color and, I think, because of the snow and bright sunlight also has a sepia look rather than more bright colors.

Winter is Almost Over

2011-03-23T19:09:00.001-04:00

Winter is almost over according the calendar. Officially it's now Spring. The temperature the last few days has been around freezing but we did have warmer sunny days last weekend which helped melt a lot of snow. I took some photos just across the border in New York State where the roads are a wider and I can safely pull my car off the road.

There is still snow but it's beginning to melt. There's some flooding in a pasture on this side of the trees along the river's edge.

Closer view looking toward the river.

Remaining frozen snow. Look closely and you can see dirt embedded in the frozen snow.

Pasture, brown dirt, not snow!

Flood water glistening in the sunlight.

A slate company at the bottom of the photo. The fields above it which face north are still snow covered.

Hermit Hill Books - A Contest

2011-03-20T18:40:00.014-04:00

The small town of Poultney, Vermont where I live has a terrific bookstore, Hermit Hill Books. The store specializes in used, antiquarian and rare books both bought and sold. We've had a lot of snow this winter and many stores and homes have high snowbanks in their front yards. This end of winter Hermit Hill's owner Patricia McWilliams is running a contest. Go to the store and pick the date when the snowbank in front of Hermit Hill is gone and win a $25 gift certificate to spend in her store.

I took this picture yesterday late in the day. The photo on the Facebook page was taken earlier and looks bigger.

A close up of the contest rules posted in the snowbank in front of Hermit Hill Books.

Another view of the snowbank.

The snowbank is deceptive as it spreads out and is quite large.

A book I recently purchased at Hermit Hill. A great find for me who is a big Kenzuburo Oe fan. It's a Book of the Month Club publication from 1995 of three of Oe's novels. Oe won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1994.

HOLGA - Guess What? More Winter!

2011-03-16T18:21:00.003-04:00

More winter scenes this time taken with Fujichrome Velvia which when cross processed as regular film has lots of over the top reds, purples and sometimes orange colors. By this time in still winter in March I like the Velvia funky and fun look better than a more naturalistic look.

Ah, the two lane roads with little if no shoulders in rural Vermont. This year taking pictures has been somewhat frustrating as there has been much more snow which means where there are shoulders on the rural roads there lies the snow from the road. It's been difficult to find a safe place to pull over and walk along the road to take photos.

The snow has been very pretty this season.

As have the numerous icicles.

A vertical runon photo.

The older buildings along the canal in Whitehall, New York. A place, as those who frequent my blog know, I love to photograph.

Bridge over the canal in Whitehall, New York.

AND ON AND ON AND ON - THE NEVER ENDING WINTER

2011-03-09T23:55:00.001-05:00

And so it goes. More snow, more winter weather.

Icicles.

Warmer daytime tempertures and kaboom. Icicles fall to the ground.

Yup, it's still winter.

Icicles on the steps covered with snow. Maybe I should shovel them off the steps.

HOLGA - Out & About

2011-03-04T08:01:00.000-05:00

Whitehall, New York is one of my favorite places to take Holga photos. There are a few blocks along the Champlain Canal which connects Lake Champlain to the Hudson River that I visit several times a year and never can resist taking a few photos.

Many of the buildings are in different stages of disrepair.

A runon photo of the top of the same building.

Looking down the frozen canal towards a bridge.

Howie's Bar & Grill.

A runon photo. The bridge in the top of the photo goes over Lock 12 of the Champlain Canal.

HAKODATE - West Meets East- Part 2

2011-03-01T19:30:00.000-05:00

The Motomachi area of Hakodate has some wonderful late nineteenth/early twentieth century Western style buildings. They are impressive looking and it seemed to me a little strange to see them in Japan where a few days earlier I had spent the day in Kamakura with its temples and the Daibutsu.

The Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward was built in 1910. The second floor balcony has a view of the entire port.

A closer view of this very large and commanding building.

Japanese buildings in Hakodate are a different style from those I've seen in Tokyo. It seemed to me these buildings are designed for the colder climate which Hokkaido is known for.

The striking Soma Company building was constructed in 1913 and is still in use today. It's my favorite of the Western style buildings we saw . I like its green color.

Another Western style building we saw as we walked downhill to the Red Brick Warehouse area and the bay which a local publication refers to as "the landing place of foreign culture."

We stopped here for lunch before we reached the the Red Brick Warehouses. The four beers in the top left of the menu are served as a sampler so of course we ordered one.

The beer sampler went well with our fish and chips.

The Red Brick Warehouses were built in 1907 and now house trendy shops and restaurants.

Women out for some shopping.

The warehouses are connected by walkways through small grass areas.

Some are also connected by bridges with walkways along the outsides of the warehouses.

A fun day.

After Another SnowFall

2011-02-26T13:54:00.005-05:00

When I emailed a friend yesterday and said we were having another storm I also wrote that I wasn't taking photos unless the sun was out very early this morning and everything looked pretty. But I slept in this morning so don't know about the sun or looking pretty. However I did take some photos around town mid morning.

New snow on an older not so pristine looking snow bank. As tired of winter as many folks seem to be we do agree that new snow "prettys up" the landscape.

There's the sidewalk plow which other years has been my nemesis as he seems to go by just as I've finished shoveling and am ready to back out the driveway.

The snow seems to be too heavy for the garland tied to the fence post.

I noticed there was a sign in the library window saying "Free Popcorn".

Shadow of me in my bulky winter coat as I scurry along snapping photos.

People out and about.

A signboard advertising hot pizza slices for sale until 4PM. Their pizza is delicious.

HOLGA - Winter Driving

2011-02-21T18:09:00.001-05:00

A snowy Thursday morning drive to work.

Where is everyone?

Turkeys out on Saturday afternoon.

Frost on the trees early Monday morning.

NORTHERN JAPAN - HOLGA

2011-02-18T07:28:00.008-05:00

I took over a thousand photos on my trip to Japan. Mostly digital but I did take advantage of a sunny morning in Hakodate to snap some fun Holga pictures. I used Fujichrome Velvia film which I had cross processed thus the intense colors. While I was taking these photos I later discovered that my daughter was across the street or behind with a digital camera taking pictures of me taking pictures.

Flags outside the fishmarket in Hakodate.

Runon photo taken on a train and in Hakodate.

I took a picture then turned the camera upside down and immediately took another photo.

Along the Fishmarket street in Hakodate.

Runon photo. The left side is in Hakodate, the right side is in Aomori.

Double exposure of a cool building in Aomori. I think the building is used to house floats for the annual Nebuta Matsuri festival which is held in August.

Fishmarket before business started.

HAKODATE - West Meets East- Part 1

2011-02-12T19:34:00.002-05:00

Hakodate in southern Hokkaido, Japan was one of the first ports open to foreign traders in the mid 1850's. Americans, British and Russians settled in Hakodate and built western style buildings and churches in the hilly Motomachi section. Today they are one of the city's tourist attractions.

One of the many slopes (streets) up to the churches of Hakodate. We turned around half way up and looked back down the slope.

Entrance to the Hakodate Russian Orthodox Church (1919) also called Gan-gan dera. Inside were paintings of Orthodox saints and religious figures and an elaborate altar with carved icons. No photos allowed inside.

Another view of the church.

A closer view of the green onion domes and spires.

Just down the street is the modern looking Hakodate Episcopal Church. Also in this area is a Roman Catholic Church and a United Church of Christ in Japan.

At the corner of another slope (street) is the Hakodate branch of the Higashi-Hongan Buddhist Temple. The main temple is in Kyoto. Also you can see the lookout area on the top of Mount Hakodate.

A closer view of the Temple.

Below is a Shinto Shrine I spotted in this area of Hakodate.

It's interesting that Rough Guide Japan and an informative Japanese & English publication, Romantic Hakodate, we were given at the Hakodate Tourist Information Çenter mention the Christian Churches but not the Buddhist Temple or Shinto Shrine. Part 2 of this photo essay will be the non religious western style buildings.

Snowy Day

2011-02-09T17:12:00.001-05:00

Another storm, more snow, another week in winter. I enjoy and look forward to winter and snow and it was fun taking pictures during the most recent storm.....was that three days ago or yesterday.....or tomorrow. There have been so many storms this winter it's hard to keep track of them.

The snow banks get higher and higher with each storm.

Late afternoon and it's still snowing.

I thought these boots looked big and bulky when I bought them but they're warm and provide good traction in the snow.

There are benches all around town. I wonder why the town leaves them out all winter.

Where's The Beach?

2011-02-04T06:44:00.000-05:00

All I see is snow!

HOLGA- More Winter

2011-02-02T09:01:00.001-05:00

The storm that stretched from Arizona to New England arrived during the night. Lots of snow is forecast for Vermont. I took these Holga pictures a couple of weeks ago. I plan to take more photos today so it will be interesting to see the area with lots more snow.

A friend who has a catering business recently had her car "wrapped" with her business information, logo and a giant carrot. Her business is called Village Roots Catering.

A field of snow seen on my drive to work.

Not much snow but I'm sure there will be a lot in the upcoming days.

An runon photo of my friends vehicle. Did I mention her food is so very tasty.

Fire hydrant peeking through the snowbank in front of a local church.

Hello Japan! - January Challenge

2011-01-31T17:46:00.015-05:00

Another challenge from In Spring It is the Dawn an entertaining and informative blog about Japanese culture. This month's challenge is to "try something Japanese that you haven't before". I've been thinking about the challenge off an on all month and kept coming back to a director whose early movies I've wanted to watch.

I'm a fan of Seijun Suzuki's later visually adventurous films like Pistol Opera and Princess Raccoon. I was curious to watch one of the B-movies he made while working as a director at Nikkatsu Company in the 1950's and 1960's.

TAKE AIM AT THE POLICE VAN, made in 1960, is in Criterion Collection's Nikkatsu Noir series. Two prisoners are killed in a police bus one night. The guard who was on the bus is suspended from his job for six months and decides to investigate the killings on his own. As he looks for friends, associates and families of the victims other people die. A enigmatic woman whose gang leader father is in jail keeps turning up. And who is the mysterious person he keeps hearing is supposed to be behind the murders. The movie is well written and directed with good actors. I thought it was very entertaining. However it's very much a studio movie and I didn't see any of the more imaginative direction Seijun Suzuki does in his movies after he worked for Nikkatsu. Still worth watching though.

Trains - Northern Japan

2011-01-29T13:05:00.000-05:00

On our travels between Aomori Prefecture and Hokkaido I became aware of the different types of trains one could take. I hadn't noticed this in Tokyo as I was used to going to a specific platform, getting on the train and then getting off at my destination. Rural train stations don't have as many tracks so trains going different places use the same track and it's important to know your train number and its departure time. Also in Tokyo most of the trains are very new looking while in rural areas many trains look older in varying degrees.

It was a chilly morning waiting on the track for our train. Those hot noodles looked good.

A local train (普通) on the track across from where we were waiting.

A newer train on the left and an older rapid train (快速) on the track we were waiting at. Not our train. The rapid train is slightly faster than the local train. We were waiting for a limited express train.

A limited express train but not ours as we were going to Hakodate in Hokkaido. I noticed as the trains progressed from local to express they became newer and newer.

The window wiper on this train caught my eye. This car has reserved seating.

Our train, the Hakucho.

A pastry with the shape of Hokkaido Prefecture on it. Tasty too.

Our train traveled through an underwater tunnel and this was our view as we left it and entered Hokkaido.