Tag Archives: Photography

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Selu Conservancy: Colors on a Misty, Cloudy Day

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Selu Conservancy, a 380 acre tract of land along The Little River, serves as a retreat center,  and an outdoor classroom and science lab for Radford University.  I’ve been to Selu several times over the years for business meetings, government retreats, special events, weddings and a memorial service.  This day I came for the Fine Art & Crafts Holiday Market.

The day was rainy and cloudy, and as I pulled out my camera, one of the other patrons commented that there really wasn’t much to photograph because of the “dreary day”.  I of course disagreed and only wish I had the ability to capture the beauty!  Photographic opportunities are endless at Selu …  today I offer just a glimpse into all that the Conservancy offers.

The Selu property houses The Barn (a research and science center), The Observatory (which resembles a silo) and an “authentic replica” of a 1930s homestead.

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The mist and clouds made for striations of color against the mountains.

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The grayish blue day provided a perfect backdrop for the silhouettes of the trees.

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Jeff Armistead, the Director of Selu, and I, spent several minutes on the deck of the Retreat Center trying to photograph the multiple levels of color on display before us.  I’m not sure that I was able to do justice to the view, but I sure enjoyed trying!

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To Bare or Not To Bare

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I drive past this field most mornings on the way to work.

I’ve been watching and waiting for the day when 1) I had the time and 2) when the sun was shining, in order to catch the one tree, of the many that ring that field, that has held on to it’s leaves.    The orange leaves catch the light beautifully.  I love the shadow being thrown from the hay bale and the barely visible moisture steaming from it.

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It wasn’t until today though that I noticed the dramatic difference between that tree and another nearby.

One bare … one still leaf covered.

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Reflections – Your Suggestions Please!

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Upon arriving home each evening, I hit the switch to turn on the tree lights and am struck by the simple beauty of  lights reflected in the window.

So, of course I reach for the camera … and I’ve taken 25 fairly awful pictures.

I’m told I have a decent eye … so why can’t I capture the image that I visualize?

Any suggestions for this rookie photographer?

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Foggy Morning in Radford

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You may remember me saying that I often head out the door in the morning without a clue as to the weather or the temperature.  This morning, when driving to accomplish the mundane task of getting the oil changed in the truck, I was fortunate to witness the beauty of a foggy morning.  By the time I got home an hour later, I had stopped twice to shoot the silhouette of trees and once, the beautiful view shed that Radford offers.

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This just makes me happy …

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I know … the quality of the picture isn’t great, but the tree and the lights sure are!

Lights on a tree really do make me happy.  I look forward to turning them on every morning and have them glow in the background while I sip my coffee and enjoy your latest blog posts and email messages.  Or picture this: the lights on the tree in the evening, a lovely beverage and a book.

Ahhh …. contentment.

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It Just Caught My Eye

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I took a different route to work this morning and the site of this church in the morning sun just caught my eye.  So, of course you know that I just HAD to stop, turn around and take some pictures.

And STILL managed to get to work on time!

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Grayson County: A Weekend Without Technology

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I’m always grateful for time with friends … even more so when that time is spent in an early 20th Century farmhouse in Elk Creek, Virginia.  Seven women, the cares of family, work and life left at home, gathered for a weekend in Grayson County.

Grayson County is in far Southwest Virginia and is the home to the Mt Rogers Recreation Area and the highest point in Virginia (5728 ft).  The twisty, hilly road to our weekend getaway took us through the mountains and by thousands of acres of Christmas Tree Farms and pumpkin patches.

Our farmhouse (Shepherd’s Retreat ) was actually a Sears Home, built in 1909.  Sears was one of the largest companies to sell mail order homes. “Entire homes would arrive by railroad, from pre-cut lumber, to carved staircases, down to the nails and varnish. Families picked out their houses according to their needs, tastes, and pocketbooks. Sears provided all the materials and instructions, and for many years the financing, for homeowners to build their own houses. Sears’s Modern Homes stand today as living monuments to the fine, enduring, and solid quality of Sears craftsmanship” (http://www.searsarchives.com/homes/history.htm).

While only an hour and a half from home, and 12 miles from the nearest gas station / small store, it was almost a step back in time.  No cell phone, no internet, essentially no TV and definitely no college football!

The lack of technology was not a problem for this group of women.  With no restaurants any where near by, delicious meals were prepared in a kitchen filled with light and the sounds of friendship.

   

Card games were played, and songs were sung.  At times, the house echoed with laughter, talk and dancing; at other times, peace and quiet reigned as books were read, walks were taken and naps were indulged in.

    

The beauty of our surroundings had me reaching for my camera time and again.

   

(Ruth Babylon, the real photographer, took the last picture)

Frosty mornings ….

… led to gentle, warm sunny afternoons ….

… and gorgeous sunsets.

As the weekend came to an end, we felt grateful to share such treasured friendships.  We were recharged and ready to get back to life outside the farmhouse.  And isn’t that what friendship and freedom from the distractions of technology should do?

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Frosty!! The Transition from Home to Work

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If you’ve seen some of  my posts, you will know that I love my ride to work.  I travel on 3 short but pretty roads.  The first thing that caught my eye this morning was the sun’s reflection on the frost of this cedar tree.

There was something about that bare tree,

the questioning looks as I darted back and forth outside the fence line,

and the sunlight shining through the hair on their backs.

What a lovely, lovely way to transition from home to work.

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First Frost

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It truly is a wonder that I get to work on time … but I do … really!   As I drive the short route to work each morning, I often have to force myself to keep the truck moving toward the office.

As one who loves all seasons and most types of weather, I thought the morning was wonderfully cold at 29 degrees.  The little bit of sun that was shining through caused the frost on the leaves to sparkle. I pulled over and ran along the side of the road (in my skirt and heels) snapping a few pictures.  The girls in the field were curious as to what I was up to, and followed my movements.

It was lovely to connect with the out of doors before getting back in the truck, finishing the ride to work and spending the day closed up inside a building.