Lily #2

Our driveway comes to the back of our house. It's a long driveway, 250 feet give or take. Our property is a flag lot and we turned the house to face away from the busy road we live on, and to face Cold Spring Pond. The driveway runs along a neighbors yard, this neighbor is a landscaper.

Last spring Oscar, the landscaper neighbor, planted this Lily on my side of the driveway. I don't know why. This is the first time it bloomed. I'd like to split the plant and move half of it to my front yard. I love the color.

Old Dodge Pick-up

I came across this old Dodge pick-up truck this evening in a parking lot in Rocky Point. The evening glow of the setting sun helped with the color.

It's a guy thing, trucks, cars.....

Made with the Canon 5d and processed with ACR.

The Village Silver Smith

 

There's this silversmith shop in the village that I often pass. I never pay much attention to the place. I guess with the overcast skies and empty street this evening the flower boxes really stood out. It's like a line of life against all the worn out shingles and black painted window frames.

Cool greens and blues

 

After church today, a friend and I started talking about summer vacations. Phil mentioned he was leaving for Denver on Monday. He asked if we had any plans. We don't. The boys need to work through the summer in order to have enough money for college, mostly books and pocket spending. It's hard to take a family vacation, maybe we would take a weekend trip up to Massachusetts. I became very interested in John Adams after reading the David McCullough book and thought it would be interesting to visit his old home and farm. Phil commented that many times when he's elsewhere in the country, people ask where he is from. When he replies he's from the Hampton's, they ask why is he here for summer vacation instead of back home.

It's different, that's one reason to get off Long Island. I guess no matter where you live, the grass is always greener elsewhere. We don't have all that many rivers here on Long Island. In Suffolk, we have the Nissequogue, Connetquot, Carmans and Peconic Rivers. Wikipedia lists ten others, but they're not like rivers elsewhere in the country. They're all small in comparison to most. We don't have mountains, that's another reason to leave...but that's a different picture.

Today's photo is the Raquette River, made from Potsdam New York. I love the cool greens and blues.

The Garden

This is where I've spent most of my time this month. Tomatoes, peppers bell, jalapeno chili and others, zucchini, string beans, snap peas, cucumbers and lettuce, I love fresh vegetables, we love fresh vegetables. I jar fresh salsa and tomatoes and they last all year. I tried pickles, but we didn't like the taste of them. I usually don't get all that many cucumbers. The past few years I've given the surplus to Sally and her daughter next door.( That's Sally's house in the background of the top photo.)

Gardening is a lot of work but I find it very rewarding. There's a great feeling from seeing things you plant, grow. There's even a better feeling when you' re eating the fruits of your labor.

For me, even working the soil in early spring is special for me, almost religious. I get a feeling of being closer with God as I turn the soil and rake in the compost and peat moss. Sounds crazy, but for me all the hard work is enjoyable.

What a view.

 

I didn't have a chance to photograph my garden today, I worked late. So I'm posting a photo I made coming home yesterday. Yes I was driving, the window of opportunity was not open long, this lab went back under the cove after for or five photos. This is the best of the bunch.

My dog Isabel would never settle for the bed of a pick-up truck, she has a hard time when we tell he to get off the furniture.

Made at 60 miles per hour with the Canon G10 and processed with ACR.

Hollyhock

This Hollyhock is a volunteer. A plant that grew from a previous year's seed. I tried harvesting the seeds and planting them, but I had no luck! I'm not trying to toot my own horn or anything, but my thumbs are partially green. Most of this month I've spent in the vegetable garden. I'll have to make a photo tomorrow.

I worked this image in Photoshop using a blur filter in layers to achieve that soft look.

Hydrangrea

We purchased this Hydrangea about a year ago. I just love the little flowers that seem to orbit around the larger buds. And the foliage has a lot of color going on also. It looks like the photo was made in autumn, but I snapped it just yesterday.

It's been a bit busy in my life, I haven't started any of the summer projects I set out for myself. I can't turn down the work, you never know when it will stop.

Made with the Canon G10 and processed with ACR.

Father's Day

I don't remember how I felt my first Father's Day. I do know I miss those hand-made gifts the boys made for me in elementary school. They got me a rain barrel this year, and helped made ribs for diner.

Evan is fifteen now, he's our baby, and that's the end of hand-made cards and gifts and plants in paper cups for gifts.

I really don't need anything. Having a peaceful day weeding in the garden, was really enough.

Being blessed with well behaved respectful young men is enough.

This is a Lily from a flower box, made with the Canon G10 an processed with Abobe ACR.

Big Old Oak Tree

I love big old maple trees. Trees you can climb, or rest under. It felt ten degrees cooler under this tree.

I wanted to climb it, but I was already trespassing.

Leaf and raindrops

I pumped up the contrast on this simple leaf and raindrops photo. Made with the macro mode on the Canon G10 and processed with ACR.

Bavarian Inn

 

Today's post is of the Bavarian Inn, a catering hall that closed a number of years ago. It sits on the north side of Lake Ronkonkoma. Some time ago, the water table on the north side of the Lake began to rise causing homes and businesses to flood. The Bavarian Inn was one of the businesses. Many people from around the lake believe the flooding started when the county highway department put in street drainage.

Just a few months ago I photographed the demolition of a home on the north side of the lake. It was bittersweet for the people that owned the home. Back when all this started, they were young and the flooding became a financial strain that eventually broke-up their marriage. The house was unsellable and, believe it or not, property taxes were still due.

The county would purchase the land from the couple, but not with the house on it. So, Legislator John Kennedy got the house demolished free of charge for the couple helping the sale of the property could go through. They are still left with a mortgage, but not as large as it was.

The inn was being looked at for possibly purchase by the county, but the economy went south and that's the ended that. Too bad.

My friend Karen held her wedding reception there, that was many years before any of the road improvements.

Both images are HDR, processed in Photomatix Pro.

Rusty Tractor

 

A hidden tractor in the overgrown field is my last post from the old Calverton farm. The steering wheel, seat and exhaust pipe are all that are visible. The weeds are almost as tall as the corn that once grew in this fertile soil.

Yesterday I photographed the ribbon cutting for a community garden. At the ceremony, I learned that Suffolk County is the largest agricultural county in the state of New York. How much long I wonder ?

Flag Day 2010

Today is Flag Day here in the United States. I spent a good portion of my day in a local government building and nothing special was done. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States by the Second Continental Congress in 1777.

I didn't post an American Flag today, although I did stop at a filling station which used the American Flag as a decoration. I wanted to continue my series on the Calverton Farm, so I'm posting a Parking sign.

In my mind the farmers Parking sign is similar to American Flags used at the Gas Stations in that both are used to attract customers. The flags have little or nothing to do with gas stations.

Most likely, the gas comes from a Middle Eastern country and the men behind the counter are Turkish. They use the flag as a lure to make us believe we are doing something American. Enough... you know how much it irks me to see an American Flag used as an advertisement, or an article of clothing or to miss-lead people. Do you want to be patriotic? Fly an American Flag, not twenty five around your business.

As the weeds gently blow in the wind, the snow fence offers a barrier between a place for you to park and the fields that were once abundant with crops.

Time takes its toll.

This is the barn on the Calverton farm that is up for sale. Time and the weather has taken its toll, but she still stands. Many farmers here on Long Island can not afford to farm any longer. Taxes, the economy, the cost of labor and the anti-migrant worker climate have all aided the decline of the farming industry in Suffolk County.

The five eastern towns of Long Island through the Peconic Land Trust, set up a program where they purchase the development rights from farm families. Farmers get cash, but agree not to sell their farms to developers. Many continue to farm their acreage, some let them become open space. The local program gets the money to purchase the farm land by adding a 2% land transfer tax on property sold in the five eastern towns. This tax is set to expire in 2020.

It's important to preserve both open space and this way of life.

This is another HDR image processed with Photomatix Pro.

Because we don't think about future generations, they will never forget us.  

Henrik Tikkanen

The old fruit stand truck.

I have to thank God I'm so busy. I had some time today after a job to make some photos up in Calverton.

This old truck is on a farm and was used as a stand to sell fruits and vegetables. A few years a go I saw a young teen girl working the stand. Today. The farm is up for sale, the stand is vacant.

In this age of technology, its got to be difficult for a teen age girl to work a family farm stand. I'm assuming she was family.

I made a few photos I'll post over the next few days.

This was processed as a HDR image with Photomatix Pro.

Wild flowers

Some flowers at  a wild flower site.  The day was overcast, my favorite weather for photos.

A path over the hill.

I love the morning fog. The tree and the path did it for me. I had to stop my car and make a frame or two. My shoes and slacks were soaking wet from the high brush I walked trough to get what I wanted. It was worth it.

Capital Barber Shop, Babylon Village

Babylon Village has a couple of old time barber shops, this is the Capital, south on Main Street on Fire Island Ave. I was attracted to the old bicycle out front. You don't see too many of them like this anymore. I was a bit disappointed it didn't have a basket.

Made with the Canon G10 and processed with Adobe ACR.

Wedding Bells

I photographed a wedding today. A second marriage for both the bride and the groom. It was small but fun. I'll post one of the photos after I process the images.

Today's post is from my trip into Manhattan for Congressman Bishop's event on Thursday. I was waiting for the light and saw these kids, their moms and the professional dog walker. This is a scene you could only fine in an urban setting.

I grew up in the suburbs so, for me, it's not a common scene.

Made through the window with the Canon G10. Converted to greyscale with ACR.

What a week!

That's a good way to sum it up, what a week!

Wednesday evening I covered the Babylon Village Scholarship Awards Diner. The really cool part was unbeknown to me, a friends daughter was one of the three winners. Nice to get $2500.00 from the village you live in.

Thursday night I covered a fundraiser for my Congressman Tim Bishop, and Former President Bill Clinton was the guest of honor. It was held in New York City, in a private residence, a beautiful private residence. I can't image having a former President come to my home.

I need to thank everyone who offered ideas for my slide show. The Town of Babylon has it on their website now. I did it over in imovie. If you're interested you can see it here. I still want to use Soundslides Plus for my blog. I'll need to invest some time when I have it to get it to work.

Now I have four jobs that need to get out, and tomorrow I'm photographing a wedding.

Memorial Day Photos

 

I made a slide show of the seven parades I covered yesterday, but I can't figure out how to get the ftp site information for blogger. So, I picked out some of my favorites.

The “Thank a Vet” shirt is Councilwoman Jacqueline Gordon, she can wear something like this because she not only served in the US Army, she's an active commander in the reserves. The front of the shirt says Got Freedom.

There's an Armored Division patch, the Amityville HS Band member and the flag waving boys sitting on the curb in the village.

We owe a lot to the men and woman in uniform.

I wish I was more web savvy so I could post the slide show.