Posted on by Anne Sandler · 47 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #406: Summer Daze

My goodness it’s triple digits Fahrenheit here in sunny California. Heat waves come and go during the summertime. We are used to it. When it happens, we go to the beach, find a pool, go to a movie or stay indoors. How do you cool off?

Water is one way to distract our children from the temperatures. It could be a beach where people leave important items, a backyard pool, a water feature for children or a boat on the water.

Summer is also time for camping. We camped when my children were very young. We started in a truck and camper and through the years, graduated to a fifth wheel trailer. I mostly enjoyed the campfires and traveling with our friends. The photo on the right, Montezuma Well was from a camping trip to Sedona Arizona with our friends Sandy and Ken.

And, is there anything more fun or hot than County Fairs. I honestly don’t know why they are always held in the summer. There’s usually a concession selling hand held, battery operated fans! Big attractions are Ferris wheels, merry-go-rounds and bands. The first two images are from the Sacramento County Fair. My last image shows a mother dancing with her young child to a band at the Sonora County fair.

Oh, there’s something special about the foods we enjoy during the summer like raspberries and blueberries.

In addition to our rivers, we have a few lakes to enjoy and are available nearby for short photography trips. My dog Molly (who is now in doggy heaven) loved water. There was no keeping her out of this lake as my husband found out.

I’ll leave you with a smile–a field of sunflowers.

Depending on where you live, summer may be super hot, hot, mild or even cool. What do you do during your summer daze?

Thank you Ann-Christine for taking us on great adventures last week, and to all of you for sharing yours. When you reply to this challenge, please remember to link it back to this post and use the Lens-Artists tag. I want to know all about your Summer Daze. Patti is leading the next challenge, so look for her post. In the meantime, stay safe and be resilient.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 34 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #405: Adventures

There are many ways to look at an adventure. When my kids were young and I got lost while driving somewhere, I would tell them we weren’t lost–we were on an adventure! When something would happen with the truck, camper or trailer when we were on a camping trip, I would tell them that it was all part of the adventure.

Ann-Christine shared her Greenland adventure and wants us to share one of ours. I had two dream adventures I wanted to fulfill: going across the United States in our trailer and sailing through the Panama Canal.

We accomplished the first for our 50th wedding anniversary in 2013. My husband is not a true traveler, but he agreed to the trip. We took the Southern route so we could visit my cousin in Texas. Aside from seeing my cousin before he passed away, Memphis was a highlight. I think I’ve shown you some pictures from that amazing city before.

We then visited cousins in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Long Island. Finally we got to Niagara Falls–a bucket list item for me. It was amazing. Here are pictures of the American Falls at night from the Canadian side and all three falls–American, Bridal Veil and Horseshoe from the American side.

I was in awe of the amount of water pouring from the three falls. We did all the touristy things, including the Maid of the Mist boat ride that took us under the Horseshoe falls.

During that trip I discovered that corn can be “as high as an elephant’s eye” and saw the fantastic St. Louis arch.

My other dream adventure was to go through the Panama Canal. Last summer my friend called and asked if I wanted to do a Panama Canal cruise. I didn’t hesitate; I said yes. Richard even wanted to go on this 16-day cruise. It was exciting to go from the Pacific Ocean, through the locks and into the Atlantic Ocean. Here are pictures of a ship in front of us going through a lock and into the lake separating the two sets of locks. The third is our ship leaving the last lock and entering the lake.

At 83, have I gotten too old for another dream adventure? I’m not sure, but if one should come along?????

Now that I’ve shared my adventures, I’m looking forward to seeing yours. When you share yours, please link to my post and Ann-Christine’s post. And remember to use the Lens-Artists tag. I’ll be leading the next challenge, so look for my post next Saturday! In the meantime, stay safe and be resilient.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 15 Comments

Out and About: Old Sacramento

Don’t you have a place you keep going back to knowing there will always be something new to photograph. For me, that place is the Old Sacramento waterfront on the Sacramento River. They keep making changes like new parking meters 😢, new stores, boats and seals. It’s the people that have me coming back. It’s where I can practice street photography.

So we chose to go down there on a recent Sunday, getting there early for a parking space. We walked around, and when the stores opened we shopped.

One major attraction was the reopening of Evangeline’s, a gift shop and costume rental store. Last year a devasting fire destroyed most of the store. They were determined to rebuild and be a fun spot in Old Sacramento. Here are some pictures of the entertainment outside the store and some fun items inside.

We also went into an area that housed several shops. I was intrigued by the mirrors, reflections and lines.

Now for the street photography and people. This is where I’m still a little timid. Old Sacramento is a great place for me to practice.

I didn’t show any of the waterfront this time, but I have in past posts. I’m sure we will be back again for me to practice. It’s something to look forward to.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 27 Comments

Out and About: High Hand Nursery

Happy Birthday to us–Marlene and Anne! My dear friend Marlene and I have June birthdays, and each year we celebrate with a delicious lunch and photography. This year we chose to dine at High Hand Nursery’s Cafe in Loomis. We made our reservations–yes you need reservations for this cafe–and needed to do it two weeks in advance!

Lunch was delicious and the photography delightful. The only drawback was the high afternoon sun. Here are some of the pictures of the nursery.

Now we’re looking ahead to next year. Destination unknown.