finding beauty where I least expected it....

I should begin by saying I hate to be scared.  I'm the biggest chicken, I will totally admit it.  I avoid haunted houses. I avoid scary movies.  I find it ironic that I love forgotten places, because some can have a creepy or scary side to them.  I avoid those at all costs, so I surprised myself a bit when I discovered the beauty of old cemeteries. I don't find them creepy or scary, just forgotten beautiful places.

When I visited New Orleans, I knew I needed to see the cemeteries there. I had heard how beautiful they were, and I wasn't disappointed. They were amazing.  Unfortunately, that was back in my film days, so I will need to scan some of those photos to share with you.  Since then, I have found a few others that although they are very different from what we saw in New Orleans, they were still beautiful in their own ways.

We found this cemetery on a trip to Maine, and were told it was one of the oldest in the city (dating back over 300 years).  It was beautiful, and somehow forgotten even though it sat between buildings in the middle of a city.

babysitting a 700 pound giant

This week I babysat a 700 pound giant.  Babysitting a giant pumpkin is both exciting and stressful!  I will begin by saying that I absolutely love having this opportunity. I love visiting the pumpkin patch every day. I love seeing the pumpkin grow. I love seeing the long gourds, and seeing them grow is so obvious from day to day.  It still is a little bit stressful, only because I don't want anything to go wrong while in my care. 

Day 1:

Day 4:
These are two of the smaller long gourds, but you can see they have definitely grown from the day 1 photo above.

This is the biggest long gourd on the plant and he keeps growing.

The giant pumpkin was pretty well protected from the elements, which is a good thing because we had the threat of a bad storm.  I was so worried when I heard that bad winds might be headed our way, but thankfully we avoided them.

Day 5:
It takes a giant plant to grow a giant pumpkin.  This is only part of the plant.

He is starting to turn more orange.  Can't wait to see how bright his color will be in October.

This giant was 36" at last measurement (the day before babysitting--Saturday).  He was measured again Friday, and he has reached 54"!

Although I am done babysitting these giants (unless, of course, they need me again--I will happily spend more time in the pumpkin patch) I will continue to visit often and photograph them as they grow.  I can't wait to show you all how big he gets over the next few weeks.

That's a LOT of pumpkin!

It's been about 10 days since my last visit to the pumpkin patch, and since this is prime pumpkin growing seasion, the change was enormous.  At my last visit, the giant pumpkin was weighing in at around 360 pounds.  In my absence, he gained over 200 pounds! He weighed in at 560 pounds 2 days prior (which means he was probably around 600 pounds in these photos).  Yes, you read that right---600 pounds of pumpkin!

His orange color is coming out more.  He comes from a line of pumpkins who have been bright orange, and looks like he will be just as bright as they were.

The gourds have started to grow, and they will grow quickly now. They are fun to watch because the difference is so obviously visable in every visit.  Ten days ago, this gourd was teeny.

Another hanging gourd starting to grow from the top of the trellis. 

I will be babysitting the pumpkin patch this week, so lots of pictures will follow in the next few days.

back to the pumpkin patch...

I look forward to my visits to the pumpkin patch.  Seeing a pumpkin this big,  makes me excited for Halloween.  I feel like Linus in "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown."

The giant pumpkin is growing fast---over 20 pounds PER DAY!  The stem is propped up so it doesn't pull on the pumpkin.

So how much does this backyard giant weigh?  He was measured the day before my visit, and was 360 pounds! This is the time he will be putting on the most weight, so I can't wait to see how big he is at my next visit.

We had another visitor in the pumpkin patch while I was there.  Notice the little frog a top the giant pumpkin....

The hanging gourds should start growing fast soon.  Here are 2 baby ones.

The pumpkin patch is so peaceful, and I am so glad I get to visit often.

Until next week's visit.....

Forgotten Greenhouse

I was driving home, not specifically looking for a magical find, but that seems to be when the magicial finds find me.  I passed a cemetary and happened to look down the street beyond it.  I saw this...

I never noticed a greenhouse here before. I saw the hole in the wall, and knew I needed to take a closer look.

I have a hard time chosing favourite photos from each find, but this one is definitely amoung my favourites.

I love the irony of this---an anbandoned greenhouse with plants taking over, growing everywhere.

Burried under the plants I found a mattress, patio chair cushions, and broken windows.

This was the building/house that was attached to the greenhouse.

please vote

If you are on facebook (and using a computer, not a smartphone), please visit the link below and vote for my photo.

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Contest ends at noon NY time today, Wednesday, July 25th.

thank you!

Giant Pumpkin 2012

I think autumn is the most magical time of year.  Leaves change to brilliant hues of red, yellow and orange. The air gets crisp. Afternoons are spent enjoying things like apple cider and pumpkin pie.  And of course, I can't forget Halloween. I know in July it may seem a bit early to be thinking about Halloween, but for giant pumpkin growers this is prime pumpkin growing season.

I've been photographing a giant pumpkin grower's patch for the last few years, and each visit to the pumpkin patch is amazing. The pumpkins grow so fast, it  is incredible to see.  Last year, I got to babysit the giant pumpkins, and although I was nervous, it was the coolest experience.

Yesterday, was my first shoot with this year's giant pumpkin.  The plant needed to grow a giant pumpkin is HUGE.  The leaves look like elephant ears.

This pumpkin is 20 days old, and he already weighs in at 140 pounds.  He can gain 20 pounds in a day!

As he grows, he will turn more orange.  He comes from a line of brilliant orange giant pumpkins.  He hasn't been named yet (all giant pumpkins in this pumpkin patch are given names---so if you have a suggestion, leave it in the comments and I will share it with the pumpkin grower).

In addition to giant pumpkins, there's a hanging gourd plant.  These are so wild. Last year's grew to over 8 feet.  They look like a giant baseball bat.  This little guy when he starts to grow, can grow up to a foot a day.

Pumpkin and gourd plants are strong. These little tendrils grab onto the fence, wrap themselves around and won't let go.

The frame for the hanging gourd is 12 feet tall!!! I will be sure to post more photos as a giant gourd hangs from that frame.