La Joie De Vivre

Paul

This one's for you

 

Playing with my new lens

My new "toy" has arrived  and it is an absolute beauty. For many months, I have been eyeing this lens, watching the price go down. Two weeks ago, came an alarm call. Only 5 of them were left. It was now or never. So I took the plunge and went for it. All I can say is that my new lens is absolutely incredible. I have been a Canon fan since I was 17 years of age, but I kid you not, this lens is just fabulous. My new lens is a EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM. OMG,  is all I have to say is..... I am in love! I have  been literally "dying" to use it, but the weather has not been conducive for it. Today seemed to be the perfect opportunity . We were on our way to Pfeiffer winery to pick up our allocation of whites, and I thought that, for sure, I was going to be able to catch some wildlife along the way. I came back empty handed. It did not stop pouring the entire time. So, instead of spending 5 minutes at the winery making our purchase and spending the rest of our time on the lookout for some wildlife, we ended up spending a lot of time at the winery. All I have to say is that .... eht eniw saw doog!. Did I spell this right????????. Who cares!, it's just the internet. I was in a desperate need of some pictures. I had an itch, so I fixed it. 

Here we go..... 

The end!

A great hike in the woods today

I woke up this morning looking out the window to what was going to be a cold, crisp but yet a very sunny day. It was a great day to be outside. The camera batteries were charged, my backpack was ready and my hiking boots were at close range. It was a wonderful hike. I took a lot of pictures, but only a few were uploaded to my website. Please check them out. I think that you will like them. Tomorrow is back to work. Time to get organized. Be well. 

Alex's "Hot Chick"

On a crisp sunny day

 

nearing the Christmas holiday, I venture myself to King Estate Winery. The place is spectacular, the atmosphere is serene, the view is splendid. The air is cold and fresh. I take a deep breath, and I can feel my lungs fill with oxygen. It is a wonderful way to spend the day. An immense sense of peacefulness and happiness enters my being and helps me rid of my prior day's experiences.  I am calm within. I purchase my wine, drive home, and capture with my eyes every scenery imaginable. 

There is not a plane in the sky. The cars are far and few in between. What a beautiful day !

So long King Estate. I look forward to next Spring, when the terrace will re-open and we will be able to hang out outside, and enjoy a nice meal accompanied with fine wine.

                                                                             Life IS good!

My beautiful Amaryllis

I have been nursing this flower for the last three weeks and I am delighted to report that it is looking good. 

Little by little.....

...the house is getting decorated. Saturday, I decorated the fire mantel. Today, I am decorating the tree. I was in the mood this year for a new tree skirt. Luckily, the Pottery Barn store had a few on sale, but the one that caught my eye was of course the red velvet skirt. It looks great!. My tree is coming along fine, and so is the rest of the house. I am looking forward to the holiday season. I love to walk downtown and watch the decorated store fronts and the bright white lights on the trees. I am keeping my camera in my handbag. Some great pic is about to come my way. 

Are you finished with your holiday decorating?. What makes your holiday season special?

On the other side of the camera

While I always seem to be the one taking the pictures, I thought that today I would change things slightly. I am not used to this, so you can image how hard it was. Well, I did it. Thanks Jeff!

Note to self: Effective immediately, please make sure that you have more patience with your subjects when doing portraiture!

Thompson's Flouring Mill

Today's travels took me to Thompson's Flouring Mill. The mill is located 87 miles or so from the house, and is listed under historic monuments. It was an interesting place to visit. The history behind the mill is fascinating, and the myriad of antiques laying on the property are just breath taking. You just don't see things like this anymore. I have posted pictures on my photo website for your viewing. After the mill, it was time for lunch. We found this quaint little place called, " The corner Cafe". It was one of those establishments that doesn't look like much from the outside, somehow, one wants to check it out, and once you do... the inside will amaze you!. The food was great and the decor kept you entertained. 

One word of warning!... the food they serve is not for dieters or allergy sufferers. It's all comfort food and it tastes good. 

Halloween

Hey friends... are you ready for Halloween? Well guess what, the local farmers are! I happened to drive by today, and could not help notice the beginning of what is going to be many weeks of fun for all the local children. The corn maze is well under construction. A lot of scary things are in place. I took a few pictures which I will upload on my photo website. See the link above for info, and check out the "Travel - USA" gallery. 

The following pictures are for Erin's daughter Chloe.