Mountain Reflection

Mountain and Lake



I love the reflection and the colors in this photograph.  The calmness of the area has been captured really well.  This photograph reminds me of soft, quiet canoe rides during childhood.  Not all canoe rides were peaceful though.  When I was about 6, my brother and I considered canoe rides to be an opportunity to challenge gravity and balance.  Our older sister took us out for canoe rides, and each of us would heave and hurl our small frames from one direction to the other, testing how far we could go while avoiding a flip and our sister's wrath.  As kids it was hard to appreciate the serenity of a scene like this, we needed adventure, or at least a little competition.  I'm not sure I can blame it solely on childhood...I can't promise that if he and were to go back today, we wouldn't be pushing each other to the edge of flipping all over again.  Unfortunately, instead of g.i. joes or penny candies, each of us probably has car keys and cellphones in our pockets   

Baby Duck

Mallard Ducky

This is a beautiful up-close shot at an early stage of life for a Mallard Duck.  I love the detail in this photograph-- how clearly you can see the fluff of this little guy's fur, and the focus of his sharp black eye. 

Cleopatra

Cleopatra Cat

Our family cat, Cleo, has been in our family ever since she snuck inside out back porch over a decade ago.  After 45 solid minutes of begging, my mom agreed to adopt her.  She ended up birthing 4 litters of kittens which provided us kids with years of cute, cuddly entertainment.  The name Cleo suits her, as you can see in her pose here, she's got a regal air to her.  

What really makes this photo special though is the backdrop.  My mother and I spent several hot, humid summer days scouring river beds in Vermont for smooth flat rocks to build a walk way with.  It was hard work, and after a few hours, even the smallest stone felt a lot heavier than it was.  But it was worth it, and my mom was able to craft a puzzle across her walkway.  The finished product is beautiful, as each stone was placed at the perfect spot.  And now Cleo has a stone walkway to smell the flowers on.   

Fun After Dark

Full Moon

Since living in Boston, Worcester and New York City over the past 4 years I've realized how dark things get in Vermont.  There are about 3 streetlights along the half mile stretch on my home's road, and that's about it for light pollution.  No neon signs, few lit homes.  Taking an astronomy class at Clark, I realized how few stars you can see in Worcester compared to Vermont.  Crystal clear darkness is all you'll find on most nights.  And when the moon does come out, there is no other light-source competing for it, and so it feels like it lights up the whole world.  That's what this photo here caught.  From the pitch black forest below you can see the transition to a bright, regal purple sky, all thanks to the moon's reflection.

Covered Bridge

Through the Bridge

My home town of East Fairfield was home to a rare and beautiful piece of architecture: a wooden covered bridge. Located literally a stone's throw from my backyard, it was always a great place to explore and play as a kid. There was an air of mystery to it. It was old. It was dark. It was downright creepy. Even at noon on a bright summer day, walk on the creaking wood to the middle of the bridge and see nothing buy a few shards of light spiking through the cracks and splinters in the bridge. The darkness was scary enough, but the instability of the bridge definitely added some panic to the experience. No cars had been allowed over it in decades, and even crossing it on a bike seemed daring. All the candy in the world would never have been enough to bribe me to go anywhere near that bridge at night. My fear of heights didn't help. In reality, the bridge probably wasn't more than a 15 feet over the river it crossed, but in the dark all you could hear was the water passing underneath, and I'd watched the movie Cliff Hanger enough times to fear falling to my death more than most kids probably do.  

The members of the town eventually realized that the bridge was a danger, and rather impractical, as only foot traffic could pass through it. And so they hauled the bridge, in its entirety, away to be repaired. While keeping portions of the original structure, the bridge got a major face-lift. Plenty of new wood, nails and hard work resulted in a new bridge sturdy enough to hold cars, bikes and people.  

This photo here is of the new, renovated bridge, and it looks great. I dare say I might even be comfortable crossing this bridge at night, or at least dusk.

Geese Heading Home!

Flying Geese

This picture was taken one crisp gray morning while my mother was in our backyard.  Everyone knows how geese leave the cold north for warmer airs each fall.  Each spring, they return.  As a child, I remember being saddened seeing the geese leave each fall.  Sad because my summer adventures were officially over, but also sad that they might never return.  After a few winters in Vermont, I could understand why no goose would want to come back.  In fact, with the exception of a few deer, there isn't much wildlife at all to see during the hard months from November-March.  Yet, these graceful geese sweeping over our backyard came back each year.  And Mama's there to catch it on film.  

Hiking in Vermont.

My mom has taken some pretty amazing photographs during some family hikes.  The link below is to a video that shares a few photos from one of these hikes.

My home-town friend Jenn and I decided to take a hike in Jeffersonville, VT last summer, and my mom came along with her camera.  The weather was beautiful, every tress was in full green bloom and we had a wonderful day on the mountain.  Now that I'm living far from home, having keepsake photographs like these can bring me back to that place, back to that day.

I hope you all enjoy the video and can savor a taste of Vermont's GREEN.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uJHi_xZ7RA

Moooo!

Jersey Cows Grazing

My mom has always loved nature, and when it comes to catching animals in Vermont on camera, she has had a great deal of luck.  This particular shot was taken while the cow gave dead-set eye contact to my mom, who was a mere few feet away.  Cows are usually skiddish, and being spooked by a human can frighten them so badly that the milk in their udders can go sour.  These Vermont Jersey cows here actually have their milk sent to the Ben & Jerry's factory to be turned into the most delicious (and arguably over-priced) ice cream there is.  These beautiful creatures here make Cherry Garcia, Chunky Monkey, or the newly created Shweddy Balls Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavors possible.

Luckily, my mom has had enough experience with wildlife to get close enough to capture this shot without spooking any cows.  Their milk is safe, and thanks to them, thousands of sweet-toothed kids and heart-broken girls will be able to find comfort (food) just a spoonful away.

Visit From Bambi



Vermont Wildlife At Our Front Door

I was lucky to grow up in a way few people do these days.  As urban and suburban sprawl continue to cover more and more of America in concrete or shopping plazas, northern Vermont has remained the same.  And when I say northern, I mean as close to Canada as you can possibly get.  A classmate of mine used to play tag with his cousins in his backyard.  Running into the woods behind his house meant crossing into Canada, which was considered "safety" in the game.

Plenty parts of Vermont remain in the 20th century.  My home was no exception.  My mom's VHS collection is extensive.  Cell phone reception, along with the nearest pharmacy, grocery store and hospital, is a 20 minute drive away from home.  And while making that drive, you're likely to be surprised by how much play-time Nelly's hit songs from 1999 still get on the only "top 40" radio station.

And sure...this all means that I graduated high school in 2007 with a dial up connection so slow that I had never been able to load a full 3 minute music video off youtube at my home before.  But it also meant that on quiet mornings, I was able to look out my front door and see a sight like the one pictured above.  Bambi had wandered into my front yard, and my mom was able to capture the moment.

Besides, the last four years as a student with high speed internet have given me oodles of time to watch all the music (or cat) videos I want.  Turns out I wasn't missing out on much after all.

My mom, Rosalie, has always been infatuated with photography.  She loves to tell the story of when she left home for the first time as a teenager and returned from girl scout camp with hundreds of dollars worth of film to develop.  Her parents were less than pleased, but the habit was just beginning then.  During any family event or outing, my mom is frantically snapping shots.  Several years ago, my siblings and I began referring to her as Papparazzi.

Each of us have had moments of frustration, when our mom has snuck up on us to take a "precious" photo of us sans makeup, wearing pajamas and eating spaghetti on the couch.  She saw it as documenting a candid moment. As teenagers, we saw it as documenting a blemish we didn't want remembered.

None of us can deny that she has real talent though.  And as each of her kids has grown up and out, she has turned to photographing nature, landscapes, and animals that don't mind being caught off guard with a quick flash.

Each photo I post has been taken by her, and each photo ties me back to a place or person.  These photos, taken through mama's lens, tie into one of my memories.  In writing this, I hope to share those memories, and more importantly, spotlight the incredible work my mom has created.