Snowy Tuesday morning

Thank goodness for the time change. Finally I am able to get up and out the door in time to catch the sunrise! 

Since the sky was cloudy when I awoke I didn't really rush, thinking there would be no sun anyway. Thankfully I arrived at the waters edge just in time.

What a great way to start the day! The air was pretty mild compared to what it has been. Eventually reaching the low 50's. 

 A total sweetheart. All she wanted to do was love on me.

After a few pictures at Jenness Beach and Rye Harbor I thought it would be nice to check in on the local resident Snowy Owl. Uh yeah, I think she's still here ...

Sometimes I wonder who's watching who. She seems quite oblivious to all the local paparazzi that visit on a daily basis. Every time I stop by people seem to be giving her a wide berth so as not to cause any stress. 

After shooting for a while then taking a few minutes in my car to warm up I decided to walk back over and see what she was up to. It was quite a sight to see, she was feasting on a bird she'd caught either earlier in the day or the night before. And though I shot some rather graphic images of her eating I felt it might be best to keep them out of this post. 

It's not difficult to tell she has quite a bit of blood on her front feathers, around her beak and eyes. This is all good because it means she isn't going hungry. Something that was of concern for some of the snowy owls along the east coast.

Once breakfast was consumed she started walking around and eating snow, which I didn't expect. A girl has got to get a drink somehow.

Finally, when the snowy was through pruning, snow eating, and scratching she decided to catch a little shut eye. All the while I looked on at how glorious she is, thinking how fleeting her time here will be. Any day could be her last before she heads back up north to Canada.

nap time = time to go home 

Beach stroll

Last Friday I enjoyed a beautiful late morning walk with a friend along the beach. Although I wasn't going to bring my camera along for the walk, my friend Karen encouraged me to grab it. I know how anxious she is to see a few of the shots I took, so Karen, here you go!

There's nothing like salty air, the rush of the waves, and a good friend to make everything else seem a million miles away.

One of my favorite things to photograph at the shore ... dogs. They always exude such joy. This very happy Golden Retriever had found a shell to call his own and was not going to give it up no matter what.

Brodie, above, was so darn sweet I wanted to bring him home! His mom and I were talking and it turns out her son and my daughter go to the same high school. It really is a small world here along the seacoast.

This little lady is a service dog who puts in time on a regular basis at a local retirement home. Jeff, her owner, spoke in such a loving way about his dog.  You could visibly see the bond between the two of them. 

While walking around Rye Harbor we came across this saying engraved into a large rock

Also in Rye Harbor ... a male merganser enjoying the warm sun. In all the time I've photographed mergansers I don't think I've ever seen one sitting on the beach.

Although I posted this in part for Karen I hope some of my regular readers enjoy it as well. It's been far to long since I've posted. Thank you for stopping by!

iPhoneography: Beachin' collages

It's a beautiful, sunny, but very windy Sunday here in the Northeast. This morning my daughter Elise, her boyfriend, and I all volunteered to help out with one of the water stops at the 'Chief Maloney Memorial Run/Walk'. Chief Maloney was shot and killed in the line of duty on April 12th, the week before he was set to retire. It's been a rather emotional experience for many of the locals. Things like that just don't happen here. Nor should they happen anywhere.

Needless to say it was a great morning! Everyone was up beat, friendly and positive. Willing to do whatever it took to make the run/walk a success. My husband decided to run the race and out of over 2,000 people he came in 29th! The man can move I tell ya!

After a quick nap, a cup of coffee, and a little collage work it's off to the gym for me. What are you up today?

I had fun making the bottom collage on Picmonkey. They don't offer collages yet but if you want to know how to make one manually just head on over to Ashton's blog post on Something Swanky. That girl is one smart cookie!

Till next time, thank you all for the warm response you've given me after being away for so long! It's a real boost to keep me going. My other blog, The Sweetest Days, has a new post as well which you can view here or at the top right of my blog.

Sharon

Linking up with Mary's Little Red House blog for Mosaic Monday

Brushed by Irene

Yesterday during the storm my daughter and I took a ride down along the beach. As would be expected many other people did too.

It was a bit chilly and very windy. There were even a few fools in the water. I tried to capture some of the more scenic views.

He's flying!

Actually he's just a jumper : )




Semipalmated Sandpiper

Can you see it?




Even a bad day at the beach is still a good day when you're a dog

The surf was rough and the gust of wind were strong, but quite frankly I've seen the waves much worse.

Out of all the people who lost power (and there were a lot), we were one of the fortunate ones to hold onto it, and let me tell you, in this neighborhood that is a rare occurance. Today was supposed to be the first day of school for my daughter but it was cancelled. She was so disappointed. Hard to believe it's that time already. I'll be posting photos of apples before you know it!

If you experienced the wrath of Irene I do hope you weathered it well.

It's a dogs life at the beach

It's been a while since I've had the time to post but that doesn't mean I've stopped taking pictures! Summer has been a busy one in our house though I can't honestly say it's the summer I'd hoped for. Between my husbands extra long work days lately, the girls crazy schedules, and a 3 room makeover, I seem to keep busy but not often doing the things I want to do. However, I've made time for the evening walks along the beach. An absolute must for my sanity.

On this particular night I decided to photograph dogs for a change. The sun was getting low in the sky, the water was smooth, and the air was warm.

Seriously, every dog should come to the beach and be this happy!




An Arctic Tern perhaps?







I know, it's a sad, old, worn out dog but I had to post the photos.

You cannot imagine how much love and attention the owner was bestowing upon his companion. He took her down to the water and held her in the waves, letting the water wash over her body, lifting and lowering her as the waves came in and then subsided. He carefully guided her out onto shore, carrying her when necessary. At one time this was probably the place she loved being more than anything.




The owner then brought his dog up onto a blanket and gently laid her down, placing a pillow under her head. He stroked and kissed her, never leaving her side, all the while his wife played with their child in the sand and water. Although I cannot say for certain I had the feeling this was a last act of love.

As I walked away tears rolled down my cheeks. This man was probably about to lose one of the first loves of his life and you could tell he was cherishing every possible moment before letting go. It was a very touching scene.









This photo reminds me of my Lily at the beach ... running full speed, hair blowing in the wind, filled with a love of the moment. One thing that struck me was how many kids and dogs were playing together!

Next time I'll bring you with me Lily. I promise!

*Wow! Such a great response to the garden photos in my previous post! I only wish my garden looked as nice as the photos portray. In my own eyes there is still much work to be done and a lot more money to be spent. It's a lifetime project that never ends. About the time it looks pretty good, it's time for a change.

Thank you for always being so generous with your comments.