Photography

Mushroom: wwMc

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mushroom

I came across this little gem on my lunch time walk this afternoon.

It was a rather dreary, cool, overcast day, and this little mushroom – with its cap turned up instead of down – formed a little bowl to hold the rain water and created what looked like a miniature bird bath.

The wind was blowing and caused the water movement to look surreal.  The intricacy of the black curled ends of the mushroom cap created such beautiful detail.

It made me wonder about the miniature “world” surrounding it.  Were there tiny insects that bathed or drank from it?  Will a larger animal come and lap it?  Eat the mushroom?

So much detail in such a small space.  So much going on if we just look.

And it made me wonder…

Is this what we look like to God above?

Is there another life form out in the galaxy watching us as if we are a miniature world?

#wwMc

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

 

Pomegranate Love

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pomegranate

Besides the fact that I love the taste of sweet, juicy, ruby red pomegranates that have just started showing up these past few weeks in our grocery stores for their seasonal debut, I had a little fun photographing this beautiful, unique fruit.

My Walk with My Camera didn’t take me far today on this rainy fall day.

So I ask – to eat or not eat the entire seed?

Abandoned Home: wwMc12

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shaker 7

My friend Janet spotted and called this abandoned home amongst the brilliant Fall foliage to my attention on our walk at #ChristmasintheWoods yesterday.  More to come later on our fun day, but thought I’d share this for my daily #wwMc (Walk with My Camera) photo today.  Happy Sunday!

One of these things is not like the other… wwMc11

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fall dandelion

I couldn’t believe it when I spotted these dandelion blooms on my walk yesterday!  Dandelions typically bloom here in early Summer.  What are they doing amongst the fallen leaves of Autumn?

It reminded me (like oh so many things) of a song 🙂

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Refraction

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night lake water

This week’s Weekly Photo Challenge is Refraction.

The instructions said:  For this photo challenge, show us what “refraction” means to you. It could be an image taken in a reflective surface, it could be light bent from behind an object, or it could mean remedial math homework.

So can you tell what this is?

Some of you might recognize it from this post.

I thought this photo pretty much embodied refraction of light in reflection and the way it is ‘bent’ in the ripples of water behind our boat from the sunset on the lake.

And even if it doesn’t, I kinda like this photo, and it brings back memories of this lovely evening.  🙂

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

People let me tell you ’bout my best friend… wwMc10

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Mikey Fall Leaves 101514

My handsome walking buddy/best friend, Mikey – wwMc – Walk with my Camera

This photo I took yesterday coming home from our walk reminded me of this song and this show.

I used to love watching “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father.”

I forgot how profound it was!

“Sumthin’ always keeps sneakin’ in there,” says Eddie.

Boy – can I relate!  🙂

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Standing out in the Crowd: wwMc9

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wwMc9 standing out in the crowd

Standing out in the Crowd – Perfection in Imperfection wwMc9 – Click to enlarge

On my walk yesterday, this leaf stood out so boldly among the others.  It was an unseasonably warm 80 degrees F October afternoon, but the sky was filled with fast-moving clouds and the warm wind was whirling the leaves all around Mikey and me.  This leaf with its vibrant color and curvy shape laying on the fallen tree just spoke of perfection in it’s imperfection to me.

And does anyone else see the little face in the bark staring at the leaf and it’s eye reflecting the orange glow?  Or do I just have a really wacky imagination?!    I can’t take my eyes off “him.”

Yep – these are the things I notice on A Walk with My Camera #wwMc – at life in between.

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

 

Oh the Web we Weave – wwMc8

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spider web conneaut lake pa October 12 2014

Spider Web, Conneaut Lake, PA

This spider web caught my eye on my early Sunday morning walk down to the lake.

The thick and heavy morning dew dangled precariously in droplets that would soon disappear on the delicate threads of this web that daintily makes its home between the fence post pickets.

It reminds me of the fragility of life and the crazy webs we so often weave.

I love that having my camera with me causes me to take special notice of things I might otherwise overlook and nudges me to ponder deep and reflective thoughts.

Photography is so much more than just taking pictures.  It’s about observing life, sharing unique views (literally and figuratively), evoking emotions… It is art.

I dream of being an artist of life.

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

 

It’s Krautfest Time!

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kf cover

It was an absolutely gorgeous Fall weekend, and a great one for the Annual Brugnoli Krautfest Party!  What a joy to be a part of the amazing festivities.

You may be thinking to yourself – “What the heck is a Krautfest?”

Our family has a long-running tradition of making homemade saurkraut, and our amazing Joyce and Rob know how to turn a “chore” into a party!

So about 40-50 family members and friends ranging in ages from 2 to 82 got together on Saturday with 600 pounds of cabbage and made a party out of making kraut!

Join me through a pictorial journey of the wonderful day.

It started with cutting…

cutting

cabbage girls

then chopping and slicing and dicing…

marty choppingMarty used his grandfather’s 100-year old cabbage cutter and embraced the heritage of using something today his grandfather used in exactly the same way all those years ago.

mason cabbage  mason cabbage 2and new generations learned the tradition.

chopping

there were measurers and salters…

measuring  measuring and salting

Then lots and lots of pounding and stomping and smooshing and smashing.

pounding

pounding close up

pounding 5

pounding 4

pounding 3

pounding 2

There was food galore!

reuben pierogies
One of my favorite treats of the day were these Reuben Pierogies!  We sauteed potato and cheese pierogies in butter until browned, then layered with a slice of pastrami, swiss cheese, picked purple cabbage, and a small dollop of Thousand Island Dressing.

mason pretzels

Warm soft pretzels were served with homemade mustard and cheese sauces.

pierogies

We also had Parmesan Ranch Crusted Pierogies and Buffalo Hot Sauce Pierogies.

painting 3There was pumpkin painting,

painting 4

painting

painting 2

ella painting

ella painting 2There were games…

mother daughter

joyce

donut game

donut game 2

dg 6

dg 5

dg 4

dg 3

dg 2

dg 1

game

laughs 3Zip-lining and Swinging

zip line

zip line 1

zip line 2

zip line 3

swinging

swinging 4

swinging 3

swinging 2

Friendship, Hugs, and Laughs

watching

talking

talking 3

talking 2

rob

rob jodi

nikole

Michael and Ella

laughs

marty nik

games face

babies

bear

babies 2

Delicious cocktails – my favorite was the Bourbon Apple Cider with Rosemary Sprig!

bourbon apple cide

bourbon apple cider

We ate halushki, halupkis, pork and saurkraut, kielbassi, german potato salad, cheese polenta with homemade sauce. Oh the delicousness!!

We sang!

singing

The saurkraut is divided up evenly between all the crocks and buckets to send home with each family…

to wait – and taste test – and wait some more – remembering the special memories we created and looking forward to enjoying the fruits of our labor throughout the year.

kraut

It was a BOOtiful day!  Thanks Joyce and Rob for your amazing hospitality.  We love you dearly!

boo

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Trying to hang on a little longer… wwMc6

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Trying to hang on a little longer daisy wwMc

A daisy among the colorful Fall leaves – trying to hang on for just a little bit longer to Summer – the season it loves.