We women and the future -

This morning I was up early despite the bitter cold. I had an appointment for lab work at the new medical practice we have signed up with. Our primary physician surprised us by retiring early at the end of 2023 so we had to search for someone new who was willing to take on older patients. Shortly after 9:30 AM I was on my way home again, craving coffee mostly as I had fasted for 12 hours for the blood draw. I considered a coffee shop, a quick breakfast place, or perhaps a grocery store stop for a few items for the veggie stew I'll be making today. I even considered a stop at T.J. Maxx as I passed by and recalled how I used to enjoy shopping, or rummaging through, in my younger days! 

But I didn't stop anywhere because I longed to just be home. I took the more scenic drive through quieter streets and it reminded me of what driving used to be like just about everywhere. Now the main thoroughfares are horrific and I no longer feel safe on them.  The houses are changing, small ones being replaced by new builds far too big for the average homeowner or family. Not much garden surrounds them for children and dogs to play in, it's all about the house.  The gardens have very little  color right now but they are still lovely in their winter neutrals, especially in the sunshine. The bird baths, frozen and sparkling, still entice the birds, and I splash mine with warm water on these cold mornings as the sparrows, finches and others sit quietly in the fig tree waiting to drink.

Yes, I did say my younger days because quite honestly I'm feeling different lately and I believe it's due to aging.  I used to do so much more with my time. I have now slowed down somewhat. You may recall that I've loved taking candid photos of women when traveling. I feel strongly about women and their place in this world of ours, a world getting harder for so many, when it should be better, easier, safer. 

Over the years I've taken many photos of women whose lives are much different than my own and I often go back into my photo archive, or revisit blog posts where they were featured, looking at these photos wondering if things have changed for them. Most seemed happy as they went about their daily lives..........but of course they, like me, are much older now.

Kerala, India

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Cochin, India

Kerala, India

London, England

Moscow, Russia

Hue, Vietnam

Niigata, Japan

Saigon, Vietnam

Hoi An, Vietnam

Zambia, Africa

Zambia, Africa

Laayoune, Western Sahara, Africa

Western Sahara, Africa

Sao Nicolau, Cape Verde Islands, West Africa

. . . . . .and here we are, in the second half of January already.  Our plans for this year are not quite etched in stone however we do have a list. The house needs some TLC including a replacement roof and we're busy getting estimates. As always, it's like comparing apples to oranges when you place said estimates next to each other. Daring young men clamber across the shingles, balance on the ridge vent, mark patches with chalk, and one flew a drone over the house last week. It hit a tree and fell on the front steps. He requested 'super glue' but that didn't work. He returned yesterday with a new drone which did a good job. Maybe we'll get that roof when the weather warms up.

Suppose...................

.................Spring didn't come!

Photos from frosty mornings.

Tonight and tomorrow night we'll be bombarded again with a deep freeze.
Temperatures will plummet, remaining far below freezing for night and early
 morning hours. I'm thinking of ways to save some of the budding 
shrubs, particularly the hydrangeas now showing bright green shoots. 
Last year this occurred and the usual wonderful display of blue
  mophead blooms in summer never happened. I really missed them.
Old sheets will be pulled out of the linen closet this evening and tossed
in a ghostly fashion over the shrubs. . . . . fingers crossed that will help.
Azaleas will have to fend for themselves I'm afraid, we have so many
 and the bushes are huge. 

 However, they are on their way . . . . . . those lovely days of sun, 

blue skies, green leaves, warmth. 

We'll throw off the heavy jackets, put the boots in storage, clean the car, 
service the mower, cut the new grass . . . . . . . and be extremely thankful.

Road Trips - always an adventure . . . . . . . .

Journal at Anthroplogie

Heading out this morning for a holiday weekend road trip.

Hoping traffic will be kind and the rain will stay away.

Leaving you with some pretty things to fill this space ~ hoping 

my camera will capture more to share with you later!

Happy September. 

If you're here in the USA enjoy your Labor Day

 weekend celebration.

Anywhere else - have a fabulous weekend too!

Timeless - a special anniversary. . . . . . . . . . . .

On this day, ten long years, ago I sat down at my computer and penned a little blog

 post, my first ever. It became the beginning of a new and exciting part of my life.

 My first blog I named Across The Pond, a title I liked as I believed it would resonate

 with any readers who might somehow discover me. Having come across that wide

 Atlantic Ocean many years before, and making a new life here in America, I was

 hoping to share not only my life here as an expat, but now and then throw in a

 few stories of my life growing up in England. . . . . . . and of my visits back and

 forth over what is now fifty plus years. 

After three years nurturing that first blog (still available HERE - see how bad

 my photos were back then!) I was forced to start another thanks to problems with

 the Google/Blogger gremlins! 

So, since 2010, A Breath of Fresh Air has been my window to the world, and my

link to kindred spirits. What an astounding world it is.

I especially have enjoyed meeting several of my blog friends in person, both here in

 North America, and across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in several countries.
 Those of you who follow me, whether you leave generous comments or just
 read and run, I appreciate you all so very much. I know blogging takes time and
 we're all busy. There are now numerous fabulous blogs to follow out there
 compared to when many of us started years ago.

For me, this blog is my personal creative outlet, a way for me to share my

 photos (a now favorite hobby which, by the way, has been impacted greatly by

 blogging), especially those taken on my travels to places near and far on all

seven continents.

But, even more special, is the fact that my blog has brought me to

your blog, some for many of the past ten years, others more recently. I do so 

enjoy reading of the lives of others in their special corner of the world.

Some of us mention now and again that we are considering giving up blogging 

for one reason or another. It does take time, especially if you like to write 

a wordy post, prepare your photos, and do that several times a week, perhaps

 even daily. I admit to having had thoughts of quitting. Just think of all the other

 things I could be doing, such as making lampshades like the one above, yes I used

 to do that when my eyesight was better and sewing was a big part of my life.

 But now I really enjoy getting out with a camera, and coming up with something

 to write about which I hope you will read and enjoy.

Yes, blogging and I are planning to keep going a while longer. . . . . .  as long as

 I am able to fit it in along with all the other things life has a way throwing at us.

 I will be traveling internationally again this Spring - to a few new to me

 beautiful places - more on that later!

So here's to this day next year when hopefully we can celebrate yet another

 anniversary together. . . . . . . . .many thanks again for stopping by and

 sharing your time and your words with me here. You are certainly a very 

special group of great friends, and I'm thankful for each and every one of you.

Big hugs.

Notes on the new camera. . . . . . . . . .

You may recall my very quick note regarding a new camera on the day I was 

leaving for Europe in December. Here I'll explain what happened and why I 

found myself at the camera shop at the last minute. Definitely not planned but

it was the only way I could see myself gathering photo memories of the trip

with a good camera.

On Thanksgiving Day, somehow the new Canon Power Shot SX530HS camera

 I'd purchased in September was splashed with the turkey gravy as it was passed

 around the table. Can you believe that, and me being vegetarian and not even

 eating turkey let alone drowning my veggies with gravy, haha!

I was able to wipe the camera off and it worked OK that day and on the beach trip

 which we took the weekend after the holiday. I didn't use the camera again until I took

 a few packing pix as I readied to cross the pond. That's when I realized the zoom

wasn't working and I could see a sticky substance down in the zoom lever. 

Hells bells. . . . . . a mad dash to the local camera shop, although

 I didn't buy the Canon there (purchased it from B&H in NYC).  The shop advised

 it would have to be sent away for repairs, so that day I bought another camera, 

this time a Sony, a first for me, as they didn't have the same Canon. I liked the 

Canon except it didn't have a viewfinder which I truly missed as I find it hard to

see well on the LCD screen. 

I decided to bring the broken camera home and send it off through the local

 camera shop when I returned from Europe. Later however, on checking my

 paperwork from B&H I found I had 2 years of insurance coverage, which

 included drops and spills, from SquareTrade as part of the camera purchase. 

Sent it off, described what happened, within a week or so it was returned,

 no charge, and working perfectly again. 

Amazing, and I highly recommend SquareTrade for their easy and excellent

 service - everything was done via a smoothly run online process and it didn't

 cost anything - they even paid the shipping both ways.

These test photos were all taken around the cottage this week with the new

 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V which I'm really liking. 

It was highly recommended by my local camera store staff

 whom I trust, and although more expensive than the Canon it does have more

 features including a Zeiss 50X optical zoom lens, 20.4 mega pixels, a full 3" tilting

 LCD screen, and a great electronic viewfinder - when you put it to your eye it

 automatically opens rather than having to view your composed shot on the screen.

 There are a lot of features I've yet to learn so I need to spend time with the camera

 in the coming weeks. I did enjoy using it on the trip, it's a wee bit heavier than the

 Canon but very comfortable to hold.

Quite honestly, for me, and maybe for you, these new bridge digital cameras are

 amazing. I see them perhaps eventually taking the place of the huge, heavy

 DSLR's which require lugging those bulky interchangeable lenses, adding so

 much more weight and taking up a lot of space in luggage when traveling. 

I think professionals will always require those monster cameras, but for the likes

 of us, these smaller, lighter versions can do what we need at a much lower price,

 can be charged through a lap top, often have great pre-set scene options, and

 are definitely much easier to handle for we amateur photographers.

 I realize we all want to take great photos and that a DSLR with the option of

 changing lenses and settings will always give the best - once you learn how to use

 it and hold it steady. That was not easy for me with my huge DSLR, the Canon 7D,

 but my granddaughter loves using it and is taking great photos with it. 

Young people have good eyesight and nimble fingers. 

Just watch them with a smart phone!

 I'm quite happy with the photos I get with this camera and, in all honesty, with

 today's editing options - I use iPhoto and PicMonkey - we can all tweak our shots

 and make them even better, just as the professionals often do.

Cropping, sharpening and a little cleanup can work miracles.

Some may call that cheating, I call it being creative!

Wishing you happy days with your camera - and looking forward to seeing your

photos on your blog. The sun is shining here, a bit chilly but I think I'm heading out 

for a walk in the woods later - and of course I'll take the camera.

Farewell Summer. . . . . . . . . roll on Autumn

Here it is, another scorching hot Sunday and I'm doing the last minute 

household chores before leaving town tomorrow.

I like to change the linens, wash the kitchen floor, the bathrooms, vacuum

floors and throw a dust cloth around the tops - just makes me feel better to 

know that I will arrive home later with some semblance of a clean and tidy house.

Also, when family come by to check the house they won't think it's a mess -

something my dear mother instilled in me I guess, she was a neat and clean

housekeeper.

A beach in Ireland ~ May 2016

Saying goodbye to Summer is not hard for me.

 It is my least enjoyed season here in the southeast USA.

Roll on Autumn with your cooler days and lovely nights.

Bring your golden colors to the garden and woodland.

Drop your leaves and acorns around us as the flowers 

curl up to sleep. Share with us your harvest bounty of

pumpkins, squash and roots.

The wood pile is high, the chimney cleaned.

 The sweaters stacked, scarves, socks and gloves fill
 the drawers. Boots polished and brushed, jackets

hanging near the door.  

I'm off to Africa for a little while, but I'll soon be
 back and I'll be ready for Autumn days on
 my return. Leaving tomorrow - fly to London then on
to Nairobi - it will be a 22 hour journey with a long 
layover between flights.
I really hope to be able to keep in touch whilst

 in Kenya and to show you some special places, people,
 and of the beautiful animals. . . . . so please check back
 here when you have time. 
I'll try to read your posts but forgive me if I'm unable
 to comment - as usual, all depends on the availability of 
the Internet.

P.S. Yes, there has been a large 5.7 earthquake in Tanzania today!
It was centered on the other side of Lake Victoria, but tremors may
have been felt in the area of Kenya where our safari camp is located.
The sad deaths and many injuries, along with damage which has
occurred, is quite a distance from where we'll be staying.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the people of the area.

Blogging news and an anniversary. . . . .

Carolina wren on my front porch last week.

Sometimes I too feel like I need more balance in my life! I'm finding at this age I am not so good standing on one leg! I struggle to get into a pair of tights now, usually ending up sitting down! Trying any type of physical exercise which demands balancing sometimes makes me dizzy. Lately even getting up too fast from bed causes me to be off balance. Blood pressure is good with a little medical assistance. Guess it's 'an aging thing', like kneeling - why is that so difficult also?  Oh these golden years, so full of challenges!

Anyway, not to worry. Here I am, past seventy and still blogging! Yes, today is my anniversary. Nine years ago today I put up my first post on my first blog named Across The Pond (still available via the link on the top of my sidebar).

My guess is anyone starting a blog wonders, what the heck shall I write about that would be of interest to anyone who doesn't even know me? Who would even want to look at tiny photos, most of which were blurry and nondescript as I'd never used a good camera or had any formal instruction.

Perhaps my saving grace was that I had worked in art and advertising for several years. . . . all before computers became commonplace. This had given my untrained eye a path to creating lovely things to look at, whether through a lens or on paper. I learned about design and color, I tried basic airbrush retouching - the old way with a huge tank of compressed air standing next to my desk. I did line drawings and calligraphy. I learned about typography and choosing fonts. I wrote copy for page layouts, edited copy, and sometimes assisted art directors with ads designed for national companies. I was used as a hand model (my other bits apparently not marketable!) as I have long fingers and always kept my nails looking good! I used hundreds of rolls of Kodak film in cheap cameras. Don't laugh. . . . . I was actually the studio manager/admin. assistant but I so wanted to be an artist like all the talented people I worked with! All those things brought me to the understanding that I loved to be creative with pen, ink, paper, and a camera, that I could do things without being a real 'artist', and that I had found my niche in the world of art. I enjoyed those years more than any others in the workplace.

I realized how much I missed that creative part of my life when I retired. But then I found blogging! Here was a platform waiting for me to step up on, a place which might allow me to become creative again. This time I would be my own boss, working at my own pace and on my own terms, but with the help of an amazing computer and digital cameras. So here I am, nine years later, still blogging with no plans to cease quite yet. As far as what I write about - anyone who's followed me for a while knows that can be just about anything and everything - and that I take a lot of photographs both here around town and the world.

Last, but by no means least, you are out there and actually reading my posts, and seem to like them! Because of this blog I have a wonderful relationship with each of you. I love learning about you, your lives, your loves, your homes, your pets, what you cook, where you travel, everything that makes you tick! Sadly, some of you I may never meet in person. Others I have met, several more than once, and we have done fun things together. I do hope to meet more of you this year - who knows where or when - but it may happen, it's one of the big perks of having a blog.

So here I am, often feeling a bit like the squirrel, off balance, feeling my age a bit,
 but still ready to climb a tree in the sunshine, take a trip to a new place to share
 with you, or go on an expedition. 

Thanks to each of you taking time to stop here, read my words, or perhaps just
 take a look at my photographs. 
I always love reading your generous comments and understand how much time
 it takes to comment on the many blogs we each follow.
 I cannot thank you enough for stopping by as often as you do.

Hope you are having a great day. I am - and I'm enjoying my 9th anniversary!

See you next time.