Helter skelter week

My life felt a little bit helter skelterish last week. 

After visiting lovely warm Scottsdale, I met up with The Professor in cloudy cold Snowbird, Utah.  He had some ~man~ time for several days skiing with our son.  Apparently, the weather wasn't great and by the time of my arrival, he had had enough.   So much for ME capturing any ski shots!

But fortunately they sent me an iPhoto shot ... I guess proof that they were actually skiing ....  in between beers!  Ha! 

The only photos I got on this trip were riding in the car.  Gah!  And all of them were taken through the car windshield coming DOWN the mountain, since I drove myself UP the mountain to meet the boys.  And I wasn't about to take my hands off the steering wheel on that winding, guard rail-less road!

So this is where Topaz comes in handy.  

Turning those blurry useless pics into something a bit more pretty.

So I guess not all was lost.

: : :

I'm looking forward to hanging around home for a little while.

Maybe the cardinals and my other feathered friends will soon forgive 

my absence.

Hope you are having a great week!

I plan to begin watching Downton Abbey's first season.

Everyone says it's awesome.

So, am I the only one among you who has not seen it yet?

~ sigh~

~ ~ ~

A westerly visit ...

Oh my, it seems like I have been gone forever!  So much to catch up on. 

This past week, I was out in Scottsdale visiting a friend.

The world is so gorgeous out there and I couldn't seem

to capture enough of its beauty.

Most of these pictures were simply captured from walks in her neighborhood.

And you know me, I had to do a little editing artwork on them.

I just can't help myself.

I love using Topaz Adjust.

I found the cacti beautiful and intriguing.  Apparently the Saguaro cactus grows very slowly -- perhaps an inch a year -- but to a great height of 15 to 50 feet.  Some of the largest plants, with more than 5 arms, are estimated to be 200 years old.

The architecture of my friend's home just begged to be photographed.  

As did the area palm trees.

And the distant mountains.

Just so much beauty.

And then there was the wildlife.

My friend lives in a zoo!

On our first night, we encountered a coyote on our walk.  

He was not interested in us ... he had better things to hunt.

Like the zillion rabbits and quail that were everywhere.

And as we neared the end of our walk, another person stopped us 

to point out that he had just seen a bobcat over yonder if I wanted to grab a picture.

I decided to pass.  No need to disturb him ...

or me!

Apparently, a few days before, these two bobcats were captured napping by 

the mailboxes by one of my friend's neighbors. 
(Their photo, not mine)

Just a couple of kitty cats, I guess.

Of course, with all this wildlife around me, I still had to

give homage to my feathered friends.

 These guys hovered above us while we drank coffee.  I'm unsure what they are but I bet

some of you will know.

 They reminded me of robins in my neck of the woods but with 

a longer tail.

 So do you know what they are?

:  :  :

There was just not enough time to take all the photos I wanted 

of the area.  I so wanted to capture an evening sunset on the mountains.

Next time.

I left Scottsdale and headed out to Snowbird, Utah, to

meet up with The Professor.

Let's just say, it was friggin' cold out there on the mountain!

But more on that later.

Hope your week gets off to a great start!

Later friends,

~~ sharing with ~~

The Creative Exchange

Friend or foe

days end brings us

here

momentarily

to this place

of familiar terrain

you and i

we take pause

with shallow breath

hearts racing

friend or foe

in locked gaze

caution recalled

as boundaries dissolve

with departing tide

reflections

friend or foe

which be you

friend

            or

                      foe

~ ~ ~

I always find it fun and challenging to find a photo and embrace it with words that tell a story.  There are others who do it so much better than me like Brian at WayStationOne.  Take a few minutes and wander around his posts.  He is very talented!

I may be a little absent on my visits this week.  I'm traveling out to Scottsdale to visit a friend and then joining up with The Professor who will have put in a couple of days of Utah skiing and visiting our son.  I won't be skiing this trip ... my knees just aren't up to it lately.  (This growing old business is not for the young of spirit!)

Oh well ... at least I'll enjoy the 'apres' part of it!  

Thanks for dropping by and I'll look forward to catching up with all of you later this week.

Stay well,

A little peek at Italy

I thought I would give you all a break from birds birds birds birds and sunsets of Anna Maria.  (And to answer Sinbad's prodding to embarrass myself on the number of sunset photos I have ... well, let's just say it is in the 4 digits.  I need help.)

So as I was strolling through old travel photos looking for some other subject, I came upon another part of the world that I love.

Italy.

It was fun going down memory lane selecting and editing the photos in Topaz Fusion and HDR Efex.  The originals are not the best since it was back in 2006 and I was using my Nikon point and shoot.  I remembered that at the time I thought they were pretty good.  Oh, to have had my DSLR back then.

Siena - home of the Palio, the medieval horse race

Umbria's hilltown - Orvieto

Orvieto - sitting 1,000 feet above the valley

Pompeii - buried in 79AD under 15-20 feet of ash and pumice

Pompeii ruins

Pompeii human remains

The magnificent Colosseum in Rome

The back alleys of Venice

And more side alleys of Venice

Ravello on the Amalfi Coast

Sunset beauty on the Amalfi Coast

Hope you enjoyed.

I'm ready to go back.

Oh, by the way ...  Italians have the best food!
Now I'm hungry.

Sunset ...

What is it about sunsets that make us stop what we are doing and absorb their beauty.

No matter where I am, if I glimpse a sunset whether driving, walking

or from my backyard, I can't help but be in awe.

I guess that's why when The Professor and I are in Anna Maria, 

we march to the beach for sunset.

Beach chairs in hand.

And maybe some wine.

Each evening we are treated with a different scene.

A different cast of characters.

Performing their evening rituals.

As the day begins to fold up, one by one they depart.

Until the very last one performs his curtain call.

It doesn't get much better than this!

~ ~ ~

It would be embarrassing to tell you how many sunset pictures I have. 

I'm a crazy snapping fool at sunset.

And of birds.

But you already know that.

Hope your week gets off to a great start!

It is February!  Woot woot!

Cause then it will be March, then April, then May ...

with days that will grow longer!

This business of the sun setting around Philly at 5:15 is for the birds!

Anna Maria sunsets were a whole hour later.

Harumph!

~ sharing with ~
The Creative Exchange