Grateful...Memorial Day 2013

This morning I raced around my house trying to get things done so we could go to the parade.  I got there, sat down on our blanket, and felt this overwhelming sense of gratitude.  I was reminded of how lucky we are, how many people have fought for and made huge sacrifices for our freedom.  I feel grateful.

I don't think commentary is needed in this post, so I will let the pictures tell the story.

 

To all who sacrificed so much for our freedom, thank you.

On the other side of the camera...

My love for old forgotten things extends far beyond buildings. I love old cameras. Just as old houses make me wonder about the memories that happened there, old cameras make me wonder about the memories they captured. I love anything that has a history even if I can only imagine what their history might have been. Like the photographer, the camera rarely makes it into the picture. I thought these beautiful cameras deserved a chance to be the subject.

A friend told me she had all sorts of photography goodies for me. I was thrilled when she handed me several of these beautiful cameras.  

The one below might be my favorite, although the flash on the first one is pretty awesome too. 

My mom found this beautiful camera. 

I did not know there was an "official Girl Scout camera" until a friend gave me hers. This camera is fabulous for so many reason. I love the color, I love the switch from color to black and white, and being a photographer for a Girl Scout troop, I especially love that there is a Girl Scout camera.

Time to plant the pumpkins...

While October may seem far off right now, if you are thinking about growing a giant pumpkin it is time to get started.

I visited my friend's pumpkin patch this weekend.  Most of the plants are still inside, but one was in the pumpkin patch, and another on it's way to the pumpkin patch.

It is hard to believe that those giant plants start off this tiny, but they do. In a few months, they will be taking over the garden with leaves that look like elephant ears.

This plant comes from the seed of the long gourd from last summer, you can see him here.  The seed shell is still attached to the leaves, but will fall off soon.

This plant was on his way to the pumpkin patch.  I will get pictures of him again once he is planted in the ground.

This is the first plant in the ground for this pumpkin season. He is protected from the elements and kept warm by his little greenhouse.  The number on the marker indicates his parent pumpkin.  This plant comes from one of the seeds from the amazing 923 pound pumpkin last year. 

Now that the plants are in the ground, I am excited to watch them grow. 

What little remains...

While on our hike to find the abandoned wheel house on the top of the mountain, we also found this collapsed cottage.  

As we got close to the top, I noticed this oil tank leaning against a tree in the woods.

Since we were hiking through the woods on a steep hill, a rusty old oil tank was an unusual find.  After making it to the top and exploring the abandoned wheel house, I knew I needed to explore more. How did an old oil tank make it up here? Then I saw all these pieces of wood sitting on top of a giant rock.

It wasn't until we got closer, that we realized this was a collapsed cottage.  It was destroyed, but a long time ago, it must have had the most amazing view.  

Standing behind where the house sat, looking out at the view.

Anything that was in the house, was destroyed in the collapsed; however, there was lots to find outside.  This old refrigerator was my favorite find here.

We found three or four rusty old bed frames all around the house.

This was such an awesome place to hike and explore. I look forward to going back here. It is so interesting to see what it looks like now, and imagine what it was like 50 years ago.  It seems like there used to be a lot of activity up at the top with the hotel and casino and the steep train ride up the side.

It is peaceful here now, with an amazing view.