The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia is a nice outing for all ages. My favorite exhibit is the Butterfly Room. You can find more information here: Butterfly Room at Academy of Natural Sciences
I was fascinated by the cocoon hatching area.
The butterflies are attracted to the yellow walls of the room.
Maybe the butterfly in me is why I am attracted to yellow walls. SMILE!
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” I Peter 5:7
Banishing wintertime blues and anxieties can be as easy as visiting a local garden, a nearby park or arboretum. Even a quick walk or bike ride around the neighborhood does me good in the winter. Saturday was a perfect day to visit one of my favorite gardens, Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. The sight of God’s beautiful flowers in the conservatory was the perfect prescription for my hunger for green.
Check back tomorrow for a slideshow of my favorite flowers in the Longwood Conservatory.
This beautiful “country” church stands in the town of Richwood, New Jersey. The church was built in the 1860’s. You can find the history here: Richwood Methodist Church. Although the church stands near a major highway, for most of its existence the setting was country-like, surrounded by fields and orchards and sparsely placed homes.
Across the street is a beautiful fellowship hall. Built within this century, much thought and planning was devoted to it’s design to enable it to blend in with the charm and old-fashioned graciousness of the church building. Progress is on the march though…the road has been widened, more houses and developments have sprung up. Convenience stores and pharmacies are now only a stone’s throw away, a Walmart might soon be erected down the road, but still the church glows with country-warmth and cordiality when you step inside the doors. Her core values, worshiping the Lord God and serving Him, are intact. I hope that despite the days and times we live in, and the creeping of liberalism into church denominations for political correctness’s sake, that the church will hang onto her values. God bless you and yours on this beautiful Sunday in January.
I can’t remember during what season of the year I took this picture of a man fishing in the Delaware Bay. I would guess it is Autumn or early Spring by the way the fisherman is dressed. He’d be sweltering in heat if the photo was taken during the summer months, and most likely he would have a cooler of ice alongside of him. I’ve lived within fifty miles of the ocean for most of my life. I visit the beaches of the Atlantic dozens of times in a year, yet when I see the waters without landscape and foliage to give me a clue, I have a hard time discerning the season. Along with the ocean, I love the bays that surround our area, the Delaware, the Chesapeake. Every now and then, even as far inland as I dwell, I sometimes think I can smell the sea.
I have taken many photographs over the last twenty years. Thousands of flowers, hundreds of seascapes, vast quantities of landscapes. I even take pictures of the sky and clouds. I have a good collection of reference photos on disc. One day in the midst of spending too much time searching for a particular photograph, I decided I must have a master list. It took me a quite a few hours, but I managed to get all my discs categorized.
I have also posted many of my photographs on Flickr and in the WetCanvas Reference Library. All artist and crafters are welcome to use these photos copyrite free for any painting or project you desire. There are links to my photos in the right sidebar of this blog. If there is a specific photo you need and can’t find, leave a request in the comment section and I will check my files. I have too many photos to post them all, but would be happy to send you something you need through email.
December 1st dawned with the weather unseasonably warm, a perfect day to visit Ocean City, New Jersey. The day was sunny with fluffy white clouds in the sky, quite the departure from the grey skies of Hurricane Sandy. As you can see in the picture above, there are still a few storefronts boarded up. We didn’t see any damage in Ocean City. The beaches seem to be intact, and the boardwalk undamaged.
We stopped at our favorite pizza place, we think it is the best pizza in the world. Manco and Manco, in the past better known as Mac and Manco, can’t be beat for delicious boardwalk style pizza.
It was fun to see Santa Claus arrive and climb into his boat, ready to listen to Christmas wishes from the children.
We both left feeling good about one of our favorite places in the world. Our next stop was Strathmere…our favorite beach to visit. The town lies next door to Ocean City, but is more rustic, no boardwalk and very small. The perfect place for a quiet family outing in the summertime. We were thrilled to see although the beach had a bit of erosion on the point, for the most part the town fared well too.
The first meeting in the tabernacle in Pitman, New Jersey, was held in 1871. A history of the town and the camp meeting can be found here: History of Pitman, New Jersey. The tabernacle is at the center of twelve paths, or spokes, reminiscent of the twelve apostles.
C. Austin Miles, a prolific songwriter, wrote the hymn, “In the Garden,” while staying in the grove area. He said of himself, “It is as a writer of gospel songs I am proud to be known, for in that way I may be of the most use to my Master, whom I serve willingly although not as efficiently as is my desire.”
Here are a few pictures I took Sunday at about 10:00 in the morning.
These small cottages are just a sampling of the dozens and dozens that surround the tabernacle.
Many years ago when I first moved to the area with my parents, I called this cottage on the fringes of the tabernacle wheel my home. What I remember most about it was the amazing attic it had. When I lived there it had a long front porch which has since been enclosed.
My husband I recently took our grandsons to the Philadelphia Museum of Natural Science. We had a grand time. My only complaint…it’s a little dark inside.
My favorite exhibit was the butterfly house. It’s amazing to feel butterflies flitting right by your head.
The museum has a dinosaur hall too…quite a few dinosaur skeletons on display.
There is even an Egyptian mummy on display.
On the way home we said “Hello!” to William Penn. It was a perfect day in the City of Philadelphia.
On the day of our departure from Block Island we stopped at Payne’s Killer Donut Shop and bought a few of their amazing donuts for the ferry ride.
A last goodbye to the buildings surrounding Old Harbor and the ferry parking lot.
I snapped just one more photograph for my watercolor/acrylics reference library and we were off. We’ve already made our reservations at “The Upstairs” for next year. I can’t wait to go back.
To get to the amazing beach below the steep hills of Mohegan Bluffs you must climb down 144 steps. The first time you descend you get a rude surprise. Instead of stepping onto the beach, you have a 15 to 20 foot portion of the bluff to pick your way down. This can be tricky. There are many natural springs in the bluffs, and the fog and surf spray can make the rocky dirt slippery. It’s worth the effort though. The beach is gorgeous, and the view in all directions is terrific. If you click on the photograph above you can get an idea of the climb at the end of the staircase. The two people in the upper right corner are at the end of the staircase, and the people in the middle have just finished climbing down the side of the bluff.
It was foggy when we reached the bottom this year. The misty atmosphere gave a magical feel to the field of Cairns along the beach.
I have never seen so many cairns in one spot before. The photograph can’t capture them all because they fade into the mist.
I loved this arrangement of stones with a message and decided it would make a great motto for the year. I took a snapshot and pasted it in the front of my daily to do notebook.
Here are a few more photographs of the beach at Mohegan Bluffs.
This gives you an idea of the clay that can be found all around the island. Many people apply it to their skin, let it dry in the sun, and then dip in the water to wash it off. Others create interesting works of art by scraping images into it with driftwood and shells.
Mohegan Bluffs is worth the climb.
I am not much of a beach bather, but I am an absolutely avid beachcomber. The evidence sits on shelves in my garage. Stacked in boxes and bins are hundreds of pieces of driftwood, seashells, sea glass and even fishing lures that have washed up on the beaches I visit. I also enjoy creating cairns (more on these tomorrow) and stone sea nymphs. Here are a few pictures of this year’s creations. I named the photo above “Three Sisters.” I am a part of that three sister trio. I am the stone maiden on the right. My sister Amy is on the left, and sister Sue is in the middle.
I also really enjoyed putting together the bride and groom beneath the driftwood arch. Fun! Yes, it’s true…I will never grow up.
Clayhead Beach on Block Island is probably my favorite beach. This past winter, storms and currents deposited extra sand on the shoreline. The stretch of sand along Clayhead has always been sensational, and now is better than ever. The large rocks just off the beach create amazing tidal pools. These pools capture hermit crabs, periwinkles, starfish, and this year I even saw a sea urchin for the first time. The pools are a big draw for beachcombers, young and old.
Seaweed is abundant on Block Island and grows in these pools. In the past it was farmed and sold. While I was researching the seaweed, I found this article about a present day forager of seaweed. You can read the article here: Seaweed Forager – Jen Lighty
Here are some photographs of the seaweed on the island.
I especially loved the look of the frondy seaweed in the picture above and decided to try to press it. Luckily, I had thought ahead and brought a few books for pressing along with me. I gathered up a cupful of the seaweed then soaked it in fresh water, changing the water several times. I then spread the clean seaweed on several layers of newspaper and left it in the sun. Within a matter of hours the seaweed had lost all moisture, but unfortunately was also rock hard. To press it in this brittle condition would have shattered it. I decided it was an impossible task. Happily, I didn’t throw it out right away, but forgot and left the hardened seaweed on the balcony overnight.
Hooray! Thank goodness for my occasional absent-mindedness. During the night the seaweed reabsorbed a bit of moisture from the dew and fog. It was not wet, but only sticky and damp, and a bit pliable. I put it between the pages of my book and in a few days it was hardened again, but now perfectly flat.
The dried and pressed seaweed held on to a bit of its pink color, but all the greens and whites faded out or darkened into browns and tan. The pieces, even though pressed, are still fairly thick. I don’t think I can use it in my usual greeting card artwork. One idea I have thought of is to use it as a stencil in my painting. I also could apply paint with a brush and use the pressed seaweed as a stamp. Any ideas for me? Please leave a comment. I’d love to get some input on how to use it.
Can you spot the deer watching us from the meadow in Rodman’s Hollow?
Day three was overcast and gray, but that wasn’t such a bad thing; we decided to hike the mile through Rodman’s Hollow and walk along the beach below it’s bluffs. Hiking beneath cloudy skies is easier than trudging along in blazing sunshine and heat. This nature walk and the descent down the side of the bluff to the beach is not for the fainthearted. The climb is a bit dicey, but worth it to Joe and I, so we carefully picked our way down the steep trail. The view of homes on the bluffs is one of my favorite sights on the island.
It’s interesting to watch the homes come into focus as we walk towards them.
After we scaled the bluff again, and hiked back to the car, the day deteriorated into heavy showers. Luckily for us the Olympics were on all afternoon. We watched the Games and Events and tried out every box and bag of snacks we brought with us: cheese puffs, candy bars, jelly belly beans, peanut butter crackers, potato chips, Pepperidge Farm Chessman cookies and goldfish.
I woke up in the middle of the night and got out of bed to take this picture of the moonlight shining through the dark and gloomy clouds. It was quite the eerie atmosphere. (Or could my mood have been affected by too many sweets eaten during the day?)
Day two dawned gorgeous with the promise of blue skies and sunshine. We decided to explore Grace’s Cove and Dorie’s Cove. I was on a quest to find stones shaped like hearts, a favorite pastime of mine on the beach. While we were walking we came upon this small beach hut made of scavenged materials: driftwood, lobster cages, rocks, rope…anything and everything that washes up on the sand was used. I always find these impromptu shelters interesting.
We also stopped and watched as a group riding horses along the edge of the waves passed us on the beach.
Here are a few of the heart-shaped stones I found during our stay.
Last week we began our week-long vacation on Block Island, Rhode Island. To beat New York traffic, we leave from our New Jersey home at 2:00 AM. Yes, it’s early, and yes, we are usually very tired by the time we pull into the ferry parking lot at Point Judith.
Joe waiting in line to drive the car in reverse onto the ferry. I’m glad he is the one to navigate this task, and I am able to board the ferry to find a table with a good window and view.
The ferry always takes off right on time. We enjoy watching the fishing boats and jetty as we begin the hour-long ferry ride to Block Island.
Soon the beautiful bluffs of Block Island (New Shoreham, RI) come into view.
Within a half hour of arriving on the island we were on West Beach, enjoying the day, and even catching up on a bit of the sleep we missed.
I enjoyed talking to this young guy who had collected quite a few mussels and was building a fire pit for cooking them. He planned to steam them in some white wine and butter inside a large tomato can. By the time he had built the large pit he had already drank the wine, and decided to cook the mussels in butter alone. I didn’t have a chance to ask him how they turned out, but I bet they were amazingly good.
Our next stop was checking in at the home we stay at while we are on the island. The Upstairs is a such a lovely place to spend our week. It is built on a beautiful piece of land overlooking a conservation property. While we were out on the balcony the first night Joe pointed out this beautiful rainbow in the sky. What a great way to start our time on the island. A few raindrops are welcome when they paint one of God’s masterpieces in the sky.
We were blessed with even more of God’s beautiful works of wonder as we watched the sun set from the balcony off of our room.
To view information for “The Upstairs,” check out this link: The Upstairs on Block Island.
It all started with this crazy-happy placemat I found in Macy’s…I love it, and even better, it was on sale for almost nothing. As my Mom often says about her great bargains…”They were almost giving them away.” My husband and I had repainted our back porch in the traditional white woodwork and gray floor, but I wanted something wild and colorful and inviting as decoration. Sometimes it is hard to come up with the perfect color scheme, but I found all the inspiration I needed in the placemat, and I was off to the decorating races.
I painted a few thrift store tables and chairs a glossy black. They took a lot of time, but I was really pleased with the way they turned out.
I added a few throw pillows and repainted the porch swing a bright, vivid green called, “Tree Frog.” I love the paint and I love the name of the color, and I’m on the lookout for some tree frog additions of some kind…I’ll post when I find them.
I also painted a large acrylic canvas for the back wall.
Plastic Adirondack chairs are bright, resilient, and very easy to keep clean.
A few more pieces of this and that and the porch is near completion, and yes, it is used daily, usually more than once. Every morning I sit on the swing and have my morning coffee and devotions. I feel God’s presence all around me as the birds sing and the sun shines, or the rain patters, and I rock and read and pray.
My grandsons helped me make this special floral arrangement for the table. A dollar store beach bucket filled with sand from their sandbox, an inexpensive and durable windmill of butterflies, some fabulous “jewels,” and the kid-friendly porch and dining table was ready for our first meal together…pizza for lunch. Happily, the wind was feisty and blowing, the windmill spun and fluttered and happy little voices cried out, “It’s Spinning!!!” God is so good to me!
I love visiting the quaint town of New Hope, Pennsylvania. The town of Lambertville, known for it’s art and antiques, is just a stone’s throw across the river.
The town is great, but leave plenty of time for navigating the traffic flow. I took the pictures below as we made our way through town on a holiday weekend. New Hope is crowded, but well worth the visit. If you have time take the NewHope-Ivyland Railroad and visit the sister town of Peddlar’s Village.
A few final pictures from Jamaica.
I hope to return to Jamaica one day.
