A Squirrel with His Lunch

This little squirrel caught me off guard, but I wheeled around and quickly shot his photo before he scrambled out of sight with his unidentifiable lunch in his mouth. Image shot with a Canon 5D Mark11, 75-300mm f/5.6 at 300mm. ISO 3200. Topaz DeNoise5 used along Topaz Detail.

Six Words Memoir

Have passport-Have camera-Mission possible.

Mine is a very simple six word memoir and I believe it describes me completely. My love of traveling along with my love of making images, whether I take extensive trip abroad or a just a day or weekend road trip, is an important part of who I am. I'm also happy my family loves to travel with me!

If you would like to compose a six word memoir, check out Smith Mag. Image shot with a Canon 5D Mark 11, edited in ACR, one texture "embrace" used twice, then Rad lab for an antique effect. Black and white photo converted with Nik Silver Efex

Plum Elegance

My love for photographing plums rivals that of pears. Displayed are two images of some Italian prune plums that I have photographed. The top color image has one layer of texture-a subtle one-just to soften the effect. The black and white image was processed in ACR, then using the Lo-Fi app- Kodachrome look with a slight blur, heavy grain and a vignette was applied.

More plum links
Plum Crazy-Part One
Plum Crazy-Part Two
Plum Ratafia

"The Door to Happiness Opens Outward"

Image shot at Wormsloe State Historic Site near Savannah with a Leica d-lux5.  Rad Lab actions, plus two layers of "evolve2"  texture by Kim Klassen were used with the texture brushed away from the face. Sharing withTexture Tuesday-the Open edition.


"The door to happiness opens outward"-Jiddu Krishnamurti 

Antique Wooden Bowl with Pewter Spoons

Fruit Still Life in Color and Black and White

Two images using the texture "embrace" by Kim Klassen. Sharing at  Texture Tuesday.

New Beginnings and a New Piece of Pottery

 Adding to my ever-growing collection of pottery pieces is this  cocoa brown casserole dish bought while visiting my daughter in historic Bethania, a Moravian town once included in the original tract  of Wachovia near Winston Salem. Bethania was established in 1759 by the Moravians as a self-sufficient farming community. Many of the Moravian style buildings have been preserved and the town is on the National Historic Register of Historic Places. 

Just a short walk down the main street, you will come upon Bethania Mill and Village Shoppes, a former working mill which dates to 1899. The mill has been restored and is home to various gift shops and a cafe. After lunch and a glass of "In a Heartbeat" wine from Divine Llama Vineyards at the Muddy Creek Cafe, we wound our way through the various gift shops beautifully decorated for Christmas. On the back wall of the of the Mill Stone Store and Gallery there was a large selection of locally made pottery. It was here that I found this piece of pottery. The name of the potter eludes me. A very rustic dish to display these pears.

Textures-Luminious and Aurora from Kim Klassen

Some quotes for the New Year from Goodreads.

“The beginning is always today.” 
― Mary Shelley

“I keep turning over new leaves, and spoiling them, as I used to spoil my copybooks; and I make so many beginnings there never will be an end. (Jo March)” 
― Louisa May Alcott, Little Women


“Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?”
― L.M. Montgomery

“Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.” 
― Meister Eckhart

Lunch on New Year's Day-Black-Eyed Peas, Collard Greens and Cornbread

Not one to play around with luck or lack thereof , my lunch today was black-eyed peas with bacon, spicy fresh collard greens and a big hunk of cornbread made with organic stone ground white cornmeal,  part of a CSA box my daughter gets once a week. According to Southern folklore, eating black eyed peas will bring luck and prosperity throughout the year. To triple the chances of good luck, I served collard greens which represents paper money (green) and cornbread representing gold. Whether or not, I become prosperous, time will tell, but being a daughter of the South, my meal brought back many memories of growing up in a small farm town with a mother and a grandmother, both expert cooks who didn't consider black eyed peas, collard greens and cornbread haute cuisine, but nutritious, inexpensive and delicious family food.

Collard greens are available year round, but are best from November to April and are said to be more flavorful after a frost. A cruciferous vegetable, collards are considered one of the world's healthiest foods. When buying fresh collards, choose those with bright crisp green leaves. When possible, buy from a nearby organic farm for maximum freshness. 

Braised Collard Greens

2 pounds collard greens, rinsed, stemmed, leaves rolled and sliced into strips

4 slices bacon

1 onion, diced

1 bottle (12 ounce) beer

12 ounces chicken broth, homemade or canned

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

a few dashes red wine vinegar

In a large saucepan, cook bacon slices until slightly crispy. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Dice and reserve. Add onion to pan and saute until softened. Add beer and chicken broth to pan, stirring to bring up bits of bacon fond. Add collards and bacon; bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 30 minutes, or until tender and to your taste. Add a few dashes red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Serves 8.

Black-eyed Peas with Bacon

Recipe Adapted From Hoppin' John

1 pound dried black-eyed peas

4-5 slices bacon

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup onion, diced

1/2 cup carrot, diced small

1/2 green pepper, diced small

2 quarts chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

salt and pepper to taste (do not add salt until peas are cooked)

Wash and sort dried peas, discarding blemished ones. Soak peas overnight in hot tap water, using three times as much water as dried peas. Render bacon in heavy saucepan. Add garlic, onion, carrot and green pepper and sauté until tender. Add drained peas, chicken stock, thyme and bay leaf. Simmer until tender, careful not to stir too much or beans will be mushy. Add salt  and pepper to taste. Makes large pot of peas. 

Easy Southern Cornbread

1-1/2 cups white or yellow cornmeal

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted

1 cup, plus extra buttermilk

1-1/2 bacon grease or vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 410° F. Pour bacon grease or vegetable oil into a small (8-inch) iron frying pan. Place in hot oven for about ten minutes. Meanwhile,whisk together dry ingredients. Whisk eggs into buttermilk. Add to dry ingredients along with the melted butter. You may need more buttermilk to achieve a batter like consistency. Protecting hands, carefully remove frying pan from oven. Place on heatproof surface. Pour batter into hot pan. Place in oven. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown and tests done. Makes 

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