Wordless Wednesday : The Last of the Fall Foliage.

Love,
Jodi

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Color, Color, Everywhere.

Just some random pics taken around the yard to show you the colors that are *exploding* around here. So intense and beautiful. I am always thankful for autumn. I would love to see what fall looks like where you are too.

Oh, and we have a winner for the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom book ... "Sweet Tumblebeans". (Please send me your name and address!) We have another giveaway coming soon in celebration of the new movie, "Where the Wild Things Are" - please stay tuned.

Enjoy your day.

Love,

Jodi

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A Walk in the Woods on an Autumn Afternoon.

Can't you just smell it? The autumn scents that are conveyed in these pics? So yummy.

Or do you feel the cool, musty breeze?

What does fall look, feel and smell like in your neck of the woods?

Love,

Jodi

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Photographing November.

November has always been a hard month for me. The colorful fall foliage has all fallen from the trees and scattered in the wind. The days are oh so short. The sun is scarce. And my seasonal affect disorder kicks into high gear --- making me want to either sleep, cry or go mad (and eat lots of unnecessary chocolate).

BUT there is also beauty in November. The crisp, cool air can be invigorating. The shorter days have me waking earlier to seize the daylight hours. The barren trees allow me to more easily spot the gorgeous Maine birds that choose to spend their winters here. I begin to finally spend some time indoors ... organizing, crafting, cleaning ... preparing for the holidays ahead. And I seek out the company and comfort of friends and family. All good stuff.

Oh, and the photography ... well, it seems to suffer a bit in November. I mean, Summer and Fall are so much fun to photograph. Spring too (after the "mud season"). And I am not opposed to photographing Winter either. Kids in snowsuits make for wonderful photography. But it is that space between the richness of Fall and the beauty of Winter snow ... that space where the earth is slowly falling into a deep sleep, but is not quite there yet ... the space where everything looks a little too dormant (i.e. dead) ... that is the space that is November. That is the space that I struggle to photograph. Perhaps it is a visceral reaction to anything that appears death-like. I love and long for vibrancy ... rich coloring, expressive action, etc.

But perhaps herein lies the lesson (as there is always a lesson) ... perhaps I am meant to seek out the beauty of this dormant phase ... to make peace with it ... and to find (and photograph) the "life" within it. Photography - for me - is a soul search ... a journey into capturing moments in time that can never be repeated ... finding their beauty, appreciating them, savoring them, giving them the attention they deserve ... and learning more about myself in the process.

So, I will journey out into November ... exploring the seemingly dormant landscape for the life I have yet to appreciate ... allowing myself to accept that the earth is winding down ... remembering that just as the sun rises every morning so too will spring return ... making peace with the time and space that I am now walking in ... seizing the day ... and capturing it on film.

Love,

Jodi

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October, How I Love Thee.

October --- you make me happy. Long ago, you saw me into this world ... on a cool crisp afternoon. The first air I breathed came from you.

You have continued to nourish me throughout my life ... inspiring me with your rich autumn colors, enriching my body with your earthy scented air, calling me to reflect on the cycles of life, encouraging me to walk the earth in search of all the beauty that surrounds me. The colors of your sky are wondrous. The way you call animals to harvest and to hibernation is simply awesome. I feel the pull of it also. I want to stock my cabinets, to pull out the quilts, to hibernate a bit ... but not before I explore all your amazing beauty and wonder. Not before I watch the does eat up the last of the grasses. Not before I watch the squirrels harvest the acorns and the leaves explode in gorgeous colors that could never be replicated by anything other than you.

So, I will walk. I will reflect. I will cuddle up at night with my family ... with windows open to your delicious scent.I will rejoice in you ... and savor every moment.

Thank you October.

Love,
Jodi

P.S. Blogger friends, please don't forget that today is the last day to sign up for my giveaway. Good Luck!

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Fall Begins.

So, can you guess what we did this weekend? I'll give you a hint, it has everything to do with pumpkins.

Goodness we love pumpkins. And in Maine, you generally "pick your own". We went to this big 'ole farm in Corinth, called Thomas Vegetable Farm. At 15cents a pound, I am not sure I will be going back though. It is a reasonable price to be sure, but there is another great place - Rocky Ridge Farm - also in Corinth - that only charges $1 per pumpkin no matter the size! (For you Mainers, their # is 207-285-7764 and they are really great folks).

Fall has begun. The oranges, reds and yellows of the season are showing up everywhere. And I am excited to use my new camera to capture as much of it as I can. I treated the above photos in picnik with two of my favorite filters. I am quite partial to giving everything a 60's/70's feel (one of the filters that picnik offers). There is so much to learn about photography and about post treatment of digital photos. Sometimes I am so overwhelmed ... but I do love photography enough to give it my all.

Fall also seems to be a time for saying "goodbye". So many loved ones in my life have passed away in this season. And this fall is no exception. Today we are saying goodbye to our dog Jenny. Likely the most loyal doggy friend that I will ever meet. Back in 1997, I purchased her from the local humane society to join us in the move to our first home. We bought a house out in the country, and I wanted a country-type dog to join us. She was perfect. She loved walking with us through the fields and the country roads. She loved chasing some critters and protecting others. She never left our sides for anything and slept in our bed at night. We loved her and she loved us. And saying goodbye really sucks. But it is time. Though she can still wag her tail and go for walks ... she is clearly in pain ... and I do not want to prolong it just so that I can have a few more weeks with her. I rather see her pass from this world still able to "smile". But I will miss her greatly. Goodbye my loyal friend. I will surely see you again. Until then ... I hope you are playing fetch in heaven with Colby, Sarah, Heidi and the rest of our beloved crew.

Love,
Jodi

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A Walk to Remember.

Because we will not be living here for much longer, because our neighborhood is gorgeous in the fall, because we all needed a break from our house, because we wanted to say farewell to the migrating birds, and because we love one another and needed some quality time together .... we took a wonderful walk that we will always remember ...

For more great photos of our walk, please see our Flickr site.

I hope you are enjoying the outdoors where you are :)

Love,

Jodi

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Yeah for Pumpkin Picking!

We did it, we entered into a fun fall activity. That post yesterday really gave me the *umphh* to schedule in some fun time with my little man. Thanks Paula for the inspiration also!

Right here in Corinna, we have this sweet little farm stand with all sorts of pumpkins. But if you choose to, you can go across the street to their pumpkin patch and pick your own for just $2.50 each. So, that is what we did. We chose four beauties, one for each of us plus Meg. It was a good time in the fresh crisp autumn air.

Oh ... and I have a funny story for you all too ... Isaac and I came to this farm stand about a month ago, just to buy a couple of pumpkins for the front porch. When we got out of the truck ... Isaac was amazed by all the pumpkins. He looked at one particularly large one ... mouth agape ... and exclaimed, "Oh sh*t Momma, that's a big one!" I replied, "It sure is Babe" and just smiled. That's my boy. He gets it from his Mom ... so how can I be angry? It is now the latest funny family story...being passed on from relative to relative.

So, join us my friends ... get out there and enjoy fall! (Unless of course, you live in Australia, then I suggest you get out there and enjoy summer :)

Love,

Jodi

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