Ponies

Sweet lighter colored pony didn't love my camera clicking in her face, but she was too pretty not to get a few photos.

and then it got interesting...

Last week, I posted about the roadside sale we found while in Estes on the first day of our trip... Like I said, I was looking for interesting-ness... and we created a little of our own.

The New Apartment

Wanted to share a quick walk through of our new home. It's not the best video (because of the light coming in the windows), but it'll suffice for now. I didn't show the washer and dryer in the hall closet, but if you look close enough as I come down the hall, you can see the door to it and maybe even hear it running. Also, the last room I showed was the bedroom and it's a bit of a wreck! We still have major work to do on it... need a box spring so we can get the mattress off the floor and into the new bed frame, have 6 boxes of school stuff and files that will return to the classroom in the fall, but for now are taking up a corner of the room, in desperate need of a dresser or something to help store the clothing (because we now are closet-less). But the bedroom is for sleeping and it has a great view of the living room and windows to the outside through the french doors, so I'm okay with it as it is for now.

Here is a list of the things I love about our new home... (because, as my husband says, I have too many favorites and I can't choose only one!):

• my kitchen table and the view of green outside it
• my desk location, again with a view to the green backside of the building
• the fire escape of plants (some are just visiting for the month of July)
• the vast amount of space in the living room (we are no longer all sitting on top of each other in here)
• the closet that holds a piece of Heaven (a.k.a. washer and dryer)
• the birds are hanging again (you can kind of see them in the kitchen window)
• the shelves are also hanging once again (my amazing husband put them up... despite how nervous I was about them being as perfect as my father-in-law made them in our old apartment... Seth has a bit more practicing before he gets his father's talents, but I think he's on his way!)
  

And here are a few questions, scavenger hunt style!
1. What side of the hall is the washer and dryer closet on?
2. What chore do I have to do in the kitchen (only gave a quick glimpse)?
3. Can anyone make out what is sitting on the kitchen table (part of my birthday present from my husband... something I've been asking for for over a year because my grandmother has these too)?
4. What do you notice about the books on the shelf?
5. Can anyone name the singer of the lovely music playing from my computer?

Happy Friday! Seth and I are off to pick up some good friends of ours from the airport this evening!

Side of the Road

Found this one at a road side sale. The gentleman who was running the gig had a crazy assortment of items for sale. He asked why I was taking photos, and I explained that I was documenting interesting-ness. Lucky for me, it wasn't too hard to find here!

He had bicycles galore. On the days after our stop, we'd see different bikes put out for sale. Wish I could have managed to transport a vintage bike back to New York with me.

Oh and the interesting pictures aren't over. I have one more set that I want to run together. So Watch for it!!

Golfing

I've gone along on golf outings many times, but it's been just recently that I actually played a game of golf myself. On our first day in Estes, we joined April and Nick for a game of golf near Lake Estes.

This golf course is absolutely beautiful with the mountains surrounding the course.

"Practice swing."

The gals cheering us on.

Love them!

We got to hole six and had to hit our balls across this...

After getting them across (maybe not all of us got our across), we headed down this path towards the bridge to cross over to the other side. And this would be the moment that I lost interest in playing anymore...

We had created names for each other on our score card (which we didn't really use...) Seth was Darius Whitefeather. I was 2 Running Rabbits. April was Candy Cane or Candy Necklace... And I can't remember Nick's made-up name...

The elk were all over the course. I was curious if they ever got hit with balls and what would happen if they were.

My ball made it through to the end! Of course I did stop at hole 6...

Denver

Our first morning in Colorado was spent with one of my favorite friends in Denver. She was so sweet, always has been, making sure that everyone around her is happy, comfortable, welcome. When we woke up, we took her sweet puppy for a walk in search of coffee for ourselves. And then she let me take a ride on her charming vintage bike (TO DIE FOR! It even had a basket!! A birthday gift from her boyfriend... I think he's a keeper!)

Good morning blue sky!

Painted bird seen while searching for coffee.

Mural on the side of a building.

Penny wishing she were outside...

April's vintage blue bike... with a basket and vintage seat.

The morning dew still hanging onto the blades of glass.

Park up the street from April's. I rode there on her bicycle.

Leaving Denver (I think this is almost to Boulder... At the end of our trip we stopped near the residents halls to the right to meet up with another old friend...) It was weird being in a car. Seth drove most of the time, but the one time I did drive, I almost honked at someone to tell them to get out of my way (Ooops, those taxi drivers almost rubbed off on me! Imagine how offended someone would be by me honking at them compared to people in NY who should just expect it, even if they are offended!)

Bikers were all along the road to Estes.

The town where we saw this bus was quaint and cute. I wished I could have stopped and spent some time walking the streets and snapping photos.

Simple Things

I spent last week taking in the simple things, shedding all the weight that had been on my shoulders... I began to get myself back to center, back to the calmness I have desperately needed the last few months. Here are a few of the simple things I enjoyed while away... I hope I can keep these things with me until I get back... Next round, I'll share the simple things I have in my everyday life.

Wild flowers growing free and beautiful.

If I were a tree, I'd wish to be that tree, standing beside/connected to my tree love, together, taking in our view, surviving the elements of life.

Sit. Breathe. Take in the view.

Big skies. I couldn't get enough.

A cup of coffee on the porch, enjoying the morning moments.

Power lines.

Four of my favorite people.

The smell of fresh air. The smell of a rain just passed. The sun shining. Breathing it all into my soul.

Thanks Christina for the inspiration! For her simple things and other amazing lists of simple things, click over to her blog Soul Aperture.

Travel Adventure Part 2

Remember my post about my adventure TO the airport... It didn't necessarily get any easier once I got there. We checked in fine, found out that there was a possibility we'd be able to check the guitar we were picking up, headed through security just fine (minus the rude security worker... I was shocked in Colorado when we came back through security and all the people were overly pleasant... It was wonderful!) Once we got on our plane, everything seemed to be going as planned. And then... It hit. A thunderstorm. Stopped all air traffic. So we sat through the storm. Sat and sat. Luckily there were personal televisions that somehow worked through most of the storm. Each T.V. had 30 channels on it... For someone who never watches T.V. I was actually quite entertained by it (but I may have been the only grown woman without children as an excuse watching the Disney channel...)


When the storm finally passed, we weren't quite ready for immediate take-off. We had to wait and wait and wait. Since there are 3 major airports in the area, plane traffic was backed up. After almost 2 and a half hours of waiting in the plane (and the thought that if things had gone as planned we'd be half way there) we hit the runway and took flight.

If you look close, you can see the city in the middle of the land area.

One of my favorite things is flying over the city in the plane. It stretches on forever and ever... but when you see Manhattan Island, the part that is truly huge when you are in it, it doesn't look so large from above. In this photo you can see Central Park. You can see Roosevelt Island and all the way to the Southern tip of the island.


I love flying in the clouds. I had hoped for brighter pictures, but the sunset pictures were beautiful, just the same.

Relaxation Acquired

S and I got home at almost midnight last night after our time in Colorado looking for relaxation, reconnecting with nature and our families, visiting friends, doing only the things we wanted to do, enjoying the fresh air and the smell of the pines. The trip was exactly what I needed. I only missed NY a little.

There are so many photos to share from our many adventures. I actually cannot even upload them all onto my computer right now because I need to move files to my external drive (which hasn't been hooked back up since our move a couple weeks ago). But this one I share with you. We took it while waiting for the cabin we stayed in on our first Saturday in Estes Park. I think this photo is an example of our mindset and goal for the vacation.

Can't wait to share the photos. I got some really cool ones while we were flying too! But for now, I need to take a shower and head to the Food Coop to get some food for dinner... (P.S. It's the first Monday I'm spending at home for my summer break. It's 3:30 p.m. and I'm still in my Pajamas. Life is GOOD!)

24 Things to do Before I'm 25

24 today. No longer 23... I'm creeping closer to the 25 mark. It doesn't feel like I'm really this age. It doesn't feel like 23 was long enough. In my mind (for whatever reason it may be), I think the twenties are the best... But I catch myself wondering if I'm enjoying them to the fullest, because they are passing year by year.

I've decided to make a list, like many others, of the things I want to do in this next year of my life. I think it'll be a tradition I will continue year after year. I'm going to post this list in a place where I'll see it often, where I'll be able to check off the things I've completed, where I'll be reminded of what I want to accomplish before I'm 25.

1. Write letters more.

2. Write a song with Seth. (I'm on the words and bongo drums, he's on the notes and vocals and guitar.)

3. Sell photo prints.

4. Do at least 4 photo projects throughout the year.

5. Photograph people... families, children, lovers, friends...

6. Take a photography class.

7. Write Everyday. (I stocked up on a variety of notebooks from a great paper store I found in Estes Park over our trip last week.)

8. Participate in hope revolution.

9. Do something artistic/creative... painting... drawing...

10. Meet up with other photographers in NYC.

11. Walk across the Manhattan Bridge.

12. Have an Artist's Date every 2 weeks. (I know it's supposed to be every week, but during parts of the year, my life is too hectic to make a full-on commitment.)

13. Inspire.

14. Visit Boston.

15. Learn to embroider.

16. Crochet more.

17. Meet a blogging friend.

18. Get a vintage camera (TTV... Polaroid...)

19. Understand my DSLR and its settings.

20. Do Yoga.

21. Just Be... everyday (breath. think. don't think. relax. be calm. don't stress.)

22. Finish and share my photography website.

23. Visit a museum or art exhibit at least once a month!

24. See the sun shining.

Update from the Mountains

Hello from the mountains! I've been enjoying the view, the smell of the wonderful outdoors, and the thought that I really have nothing I Have to do other than just be! Seth and I have been waking up by 6:30 a.m. each morning, despite that we are on vacation. (It is 8:30 a.m. NY time & I love waking up early, especially when it's mountain air I get to take in when I open my eyes and step out onto the balcony.)

We've filled our trip with adventures since we landed in Denver Friday night. Had crazy times in Estes on Saturday with my high school best friend and her boyfriend... Of course, it's destined to be a fun day when you start with a case of cold beers during a game of golf (which would be officially the first game I've ever actually played, but I did forfeit the game at about hole 6...). By the end of the night we were enjoying great fun of $2 drinks downtown (a shock for a New Yorker used to paying at least $5 for drinks, if not more after happy hour hours).

Since Saturday, we've gone hiking, visited some of our favorite college friends in Fort Collins, and gone ATV-ing in the mountains (which was fun, despite my small breakdown and stomping of feet... yes I am an adult... I was just Very terrified of the situation we were in.) Many of our moments have been filled with playing with our adorable nephew. He pretty much rocks Seth and my world and I couldn't think of a better way to spend my vacation! This morning, we were breaking a geode with little guy in the living room. This evening, we were rolling by his quote from the Pippy Long Stocking movie (which I have video of on my iPhone and will probably watch often)... O and his "yacking" on his puppet frog.

4 more days, and many photos to share. I'll have a busy week next week when I get back, getting photos processed and up to share. Hope you are all having a wonderful week! xoxoxo