Open Window

Brave Souls

Spring is definitely here and some brave souls are even trying to rush summer! What a wonderful day at the beach - summer temps, a perfect picnic, and no crowds. Hope you all have been able to enjoy this weather.

Sent from my iPhone
Claudia Danforth Ward

Open Window's Second Year

It's official, Open-Window is now two years old. I can hardly believe I began this blog on a cold January day, sitting at the island in my kitchen, 730 days ago. In the past two years, Open-Window has focused my days on creating stories, snippits, and photographs that I hoped you would find entertaining, sometimes informative, and maybe even amusing. We've covered a lot of ground and many diverse topics over this time ranging from Hawaii to Paris, Hamburger Relish to Caviar, Horse Racing to Airshow Acrobatics. As time has passed, we increasingly focused on the images and slide shows that would accompany a post, and have worked diligently to improve the quality of all that we delivered. Peter has continued to emphasize wide-angle HDR (high dynamic range) photography whether on his DSLR (digital single lens reflex-camera) or his, ever-handy, iPhone, and I have continued with my love of all-things-macro, although we each dabbled in the other's specialty just to keep it interesting.

Mexican Train Tiles and Turtles
Photo © 2011 Claudia Ward 

Over the past twenty four months, we've made 388 postings to Open-Window which is an average of almost 4 per week, nearly every one containing at least one photograph and 60 of which included a slide show with music. When we embarked on this endeavor, we expected to focus on travel, food and photography. As it's turned out, the focus has been just that ... but in reverse - photography, food and travel. See, we'll photograph nearly anything - food that we eat, games that we play, children at the beach, machines of any sort, flowers and their residents, landmarks and landscapes, moon-rises and sunsets, and even light itself. 

The Outer Banks of North Caroline
Photo © 2011 Claudia Ward taken with the iPhone using the Pro HDR App

This year has been quite a journey photographically as well as geographically. Peter and I traveled over 14, 500 miles. We drove the entire east coast from the east end of Long Island to Orlando, Florida, traversing Florida, and turning north to reach Memphis Tennessee. We crossed the states of Tennessee and North Carolina end-to-end (west to east), photographing some of this country's most beautiful scenery in the Great Smoky Mountains. When we reached the Atlantic Ocean, it felt like we'd returned home, for tidal waters are in our veins, and the days on the Outer Banks are now cherished memories. Early morning sunrises over the ocean, wild horses on the beaches, hang gliding from the dunes, and fish tacos are just a few of the things we captured in-frame. With tornadoes nipping at our heels from western Florida, to Memphis and eventually to eastern North Carolina, we headed home just hours before their destruction hit the locales we'd come to know and love. Atlantic City was our refuge from the storms, before returning to the calm, untouched East End.

Spanish Mustang on the Outer Banks
Photo © 2011 Claudia Ward

Thirty days and thirty nights, and 4,000 miles on the road gave us a tremendous, renewed appreciation for the beauty and diversity of this country we live in. A couple of hundred more miles were covered seeking out horses at Saratoga Springs in August. For one who isn't known as an animal lover, I do love photographing them. Whether in their stance or stride, they speak volumes to me and hopefully that is being captured by the lens. Finally, the balance of those miles (nearly 10,000) were accomplished by a trip to The Big Island of Hawaii, where we were able to photograph the incredible diversity of this island's landscape and all of its beauty from a helicopter. 

Antique Hood Ornament
Photo © 2011 Claudia Ward 

More locally, we visited Belmont Park just a week before the Stakes were run and attended the Hampton Classic Horse Show every single day it was held over Labor Day weekend. There were at least three Antique Auto Shows, one Road Rallye and a Mini Cooper Scavenger Hunt that we shot as well. Our beaches on the east end of Long Island are some of the most breathtaking in the country (right up there with North Carolina's) and we spent many happy hours either hip deep in snow in January or ankle deep in sand in August, capturing the undulating shapes of their dunes draped in snow or the power of their seas after a storm.

Light Painting for New Year's
Photo © 2011 Peter Tooker 

The holidays that dot our calendars were also not ignored. Memorial Day is always an homage to the "Opening" of the Hamptons season. Flag Day, the 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the Christmas season were all duly noted and celebrated with photographs too.   

Meaty Tomato painted by Barbara Andolsek

Let me also add, ever so humbly, that I have once again been thrilled that Barbara Andolsek continues to make paintings based on some of my photographs. Barbara and I have yet to meet but feel a friendship beyond pen-pals. Nearly 3,000 miles apart but with a shared appreciation for the beauty of the world around us, Barbara and I have forged a friendship that could only occur in this wonderful 21st century. It still astounds me at how incredibly open and selfless so many people are using the internet to connect, communicate, and share. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to be a part of it.

The word "blog" is derived from the expression "web log", which originally was an online journal of sorts and has morphed, over time, into a platform for communicating and exchanging information and ideas. I want to thank you all for your enthusiasm and support over the last two years but more importantly for your participation - "communication and exchange" are exactly what has occurred when you've left comments for us, and you've made it just that much more fun and interesting.

So here is a slide show which represents a snapshot of Open-Window's second year. It's shorter than last year's and yet still longer than most at just under 10 minutes. Perhaps you can set aside a little time next Sunday morning. We've made this for you, to enjoy and remember a year that we shared, and for that I want to say with great sincerity "Thanks for the memories". 

  

Photos & Slide Show by Claudia Ward & Peter Tooker © 2011
Music: Concerto in E-flat Major for Trumpet & Orchestra: 1. Allegro Con Spirito by Wynton Marsalis, National Philharmonic Orchestra & Raymond Leppard 

 

P.S. Please feel free to leave a comment and let us know what you thought of year two and if there is something you'd like to see more of in the coming months.

 

 

Shooting the Rising Moon

Moon Rising over the Beach © Claudia Ward
Nikon D60, 200mm: ISO 200, f/11 for 1/100 second, taken at 4:05 p.m. EST

Once a month, the day before the full moon, the moon rises before the sun sets. Did you know that? I didn't consciously know it until this Night Photography eClass I've been taking with Kent Weakley. Sure I've seen the moon still in the sky early some mornings and thought "that's a little odd" but never did I focus on it as I have over the past week.

The full moon here was on Saturday Dec 10th, so to capture a sunlit landscape image with a nearly full moon in it, we packed up our tripods and gear and headed to the beach on Friday afternoon, to a wooden deck that straddles the sand dunes and provides a perfect panorama of the dunes, beach, ocean and hopefully, the moon. 

Rising December Moon in the Hamptons © Claudia Ward
Nikon D60, 80mm: ISO 200, f/11 for 1/30 second, taken at 4:09 p.m. EST 

The moon was scheduled to rise at 3:42 p.m. and the sun was scheduled to set at 4:21 p.m. so there was a 39 minute window in which we might be able to get a photograph of the rising moon in a well lit landscape. Well, 3:42 p.m. came and went; we saw nothing. There were a few cumulus clouds along the horizon but nothing anyone would consider cloud cover, so hope persevered. By 3:52 p.m., I was walking the beach, peering around dunes, to see what could be hiding our precious moon - to no avail. We checked our iPhone apps to reconfirm exactly where the moon should appear, and we knew it should be there. 

Moon over the Hamptons © Claudia Ward
Nikon D90, 55mm: ISO 320, f/9.0 for 1/15 second, taken at 4:29 p.m. EST 

It was nearly 4:00 p.m. before the moon made its appearance, just above the clouds, as a large pale white disk rising slowly in the sky. We were thrilled.

Rising Moon at Sundown © Claudia Ward
Nikon D60, 135mm: ISO 200, f/11 for 1/30 second, taken at 4:16 p.m. EST 

The winds were brisk, off the ocean, and it was mighty cold on top of that platform, but Peter and I had a ball and kept shooting until the sky to the west was nothing but fiery orange and black. It was a challenge to firmly anchor the tripods but I think we got some good shots and hope you agree. This is the first post on "Shooting the Rising Moon", more to come.

Full Moon in December © Claudia Ward
Nikon D60, 200mm: ISO 200, f/5.6 for 1/100 second, taken at 4:20 p.m. EST 

Let us know what you think and if you have any tips on shooting the moon, feel free to pass them along.

 

Beach Weekend

Beach Weekend  painted by Barbara Andolsek

I get such pleasure out of seeing Barbara Andolsek's paintings of my photographs, and if I were to be quite candid, I often prefer the painting to the photo. I truly believe there's a frustrated painter inside of me and her only means of expression is through photography - thank goodness! - but this painterly side of me gets immense satisfaction from seeing Barbara's paintings. 

Thank you so very much Barbara, I'm so glad we met.

 

Hapuna Beach on Hawaii

 

Hapuna Beach on Hawaii © 2011 Claudia Ward

Hapuna Beach on the Kohala Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii is a long stretch of pristine white sand framed to the north and the south by dark lava reefs. The tropical blue waters are warm enough for a long swim and yet cool enough to be refreshing but not cold. The clean waters permit snorkeling and the shallow surf provides for some fun rides for the younger boogie boarders on the beach. As the center of the Hapuna Beach State Recreational Park, the beach is easily accessible. It also has free parking, rest rooms and showers, a snack bar, and beach chairs and umbrellas for rent.

We spent two lazy days walking the beach from end to end, bobbing in the water basking in the beauty all around us. Mauna Kea, the often snow capped mountain on the island, overlooks this beautiful beach, and could be seen or perceived below, behind, or in the clouds, depending on how the wind would blow. The western part of Hawaii is largely desert in nature, and is the only side of the island that has these beautiful white sand beaches - delightful treasures nestled in along the coast.

Enjoy the slide show. If you want to see it in HD, and I recommend you do (the quality is so much better and is what I shot), click on the HD in the lower right corner and it will tell you that you can "watch this video in High Definition on Vimeo". Click on those words and you'll be taken to Vimeo where you simply click on the play button to see it in HD.

 

Photos and Slide Show © Claudia Ward
Music: Wood Wind by the Henry Paul Band 

 Wish you were there?

 

Sanderlings at the Shore

Photographing birds at the beach I always find entertaining but this group kept me busy for nearly an hour. Running to-and-fro, chasing the waves and pecking for lunch, and then taking flight in a flock for no apparent reason but flying only yards from where they left, sanderlings are in constant motion. No wonder these birds are so svelte! They use up the calories they consume pursuing the next morsel.

I found their behavior fascinating and their colors against the sand and sea captivating, I hope you agree.

 

I'm OK. You're OK?

It's been one week since my last post, that's a first in over a year and a half. One week ago today, we were bracing ourselves for Hurricane Irene which arrived in Tropical Storm form the following day leaving a path of destruction and outages in her path. Long Island was hit quite hard with downed trees every where, hitting houses, cars and power lines. We fortunately survived unscathed, however we did lose phone, TV, and my beloved internet on Sunday and just got it back, thus the reason for my silence. There are plenty of photos of the impact of Irene and its aftermath ... being worked on; however, the work is being interrupted by the Hamptons Classic Horse Show which began four days late due to the storm but is now underway and wonderful. So please be patient with this "gap"; I promise I'll be back to regular posts shortly. In the meantime, here's just a few images from the time of Irene.

All Boarded Up

Irene's Fury

Tattered But Not Torn

Sisters at the Shore

After a week of unending rain, the sun is shining and we're headed to the beach. Our picnic lunch is packed, our beach chairs are in the car, and the sail bag is chockablock with towels, books and, of course a camera or two. Wish you could join us.

Sisters at the Shore ©2011 Claudia Ward

An Evening on the Beach

Peter and I, and two very close friends went to the beach last evening to play, picnic, and enjoy the day's end. After weeks of watching our government representatives act like self-centered children who were never taught to "play nice in the sandbox" with the other children and a single day drop in the market of 500 points, we felt a strong need for some simple diversionary entertainment. Peter and I packed up the cool kites we bought in the spring when we were in Kitty Hawk, NC and hoped this would be the perfect evening for their inaugural flights. The wind was respectable when we left the house, so we were optimistic.

At the beach we set up our tables, poured some wine, enjoyed the yummy appetizers our friends brought and savored the cool, clean ocean air. As the concerns of the day faded so did the evening breeze, but not so completely that my ever-optimistic husband didn't try to make at least one of the kites airborne. Fortunately, we packed our sense of humor too, because it was entertaining watching his efforts to make them fly. Now we can look forward to flying our kites some other day.

Our picnic dinner was sliced grilled lamb in pita pockets with homemade tzatziki sauce, sliced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and feta cheese, which was followed by an assortment of specialty brownies for dessert - mine was blond and had raspberry jam inside. With each of us now enjoying a wonderfully lazy satisfied feeling, the gents settled back into their beach chairs to chat.

Anxious to get my feet wet before dark, I asked my girlfriend to join me for a walk. We ambled along the beach, arm-in-arm, watching the twilight-sky turn pastel pink and blue, a lone surfer sitting on his board hoping for just one more ride before sundown, and the crescent moon become brighter in the sky as nighttime fell.

We had such a good time enjoying each other's company and the incredible natural beauty we have around us - all worries set aside. As the weekend approaches for the worker bees among you, I recommend you do the same - set your worries aside and enjoy where you are and who you're with - you can pick the worries back up again on Monday as you go out the door.

 

Beach Feet

Greetings from Cape Cod!

Peter and I left town for the Cape and Islands right after I was laid off from a Wall Street bank two years ago. Well it's becoming an annual event as here we are again, visiting friends and family, eating lobster by the pound, and getting sand in our toes.

iPhone photo ©2011 Claudia Ward

Here's to all of you worker bees ... We wish for you all sand in your toes, sun on your back, and sea breezes in your hair.

In the Moment

I changed my routine this week and I think for the better. Rather than toil at everything to do with photography from sunrise to sunset, I've set aside an hour or two every day, just for me. Late last week the northwest breezes were brisk and the air was dry, and I tucked myself away on the second floor deck in the lee of the roof to enjoy the warmth of the sun and read a good book. For an hour I basked in a comfortable chair, watching the new spring foliage move rhythmically with the wind out of the corner of my eye. I finished one book and started another as one day became two and then three.

Yesterday I moved this hour of R&R to the beach and what had been a single hour grew to two. The beaches here aren't crowded yet - that will come soon enough - and those who are on the beach are savoring every moment just as I am. I arrived just before 3:00 p.m. and reluctantly departed about 5:00 p.m. still wanting more of my book, the sea-breeze, and my colorful companions.

There was a family of four nearby - Mom was napping, Dad was reading and the two boys were entertaining themselves either digging their way to China or skidding across the shoreline on their boogie boards. A gay couple, obviously new to the sea, took pictures of each other standing in the waves that were lapping the shore. A tall beautiful single woman wearing a bikini, yet wrapped in a shawl ambled, along the beach lost in thought. A middle aged couple gingerly walked into the water holding hands - giggling and providing each other moral support before they plunged into the chilly sea. Three college-age guys played lacrosse near the dunes, and a single woman walked westward along the water's edge under a bright red umbrella, appearing to have not a care in the world.

© 2011 Claudia Ward, Painter's Filter applied in Photoshop Elements

I always thought I was fairly good at relaxing, fully appreciating the time I had off from work and making the most of my surroundings and the moment I was in, but I can honestly say I'm mastering it now. I'm pleasantly surprised by everything I find my senses appreciating at any point in time, whether it's the sweet smell of privet in bloom, the first light of dawn, the sight of cirrus clouds gliding across the sky, the feeling of cool crisp cotton sheets as I slip into bed, the weight of grandmother's silver in my hand, the taste of homemade chicken soup, or the smile on my husband's face each morning when he wakes. I truly find myself unintentionally relishing every moment and it's immensely gratifying.

 

The Outer Banks North Carolina a.k.a. OBX

The Outer Banks of North Carolina, affectionately known as OBX, is a long string of barrier islands off the east coast of North Carolina starting at the northeast corner of the state and covering nearly half of its northern coastline. From Bodie Island in the north to Ocracoke Island in the south, the Outer Banks have over a hundred miles of pristine beaches. In his annual ranking of the best beaches in the U.S., Dr. Beach has included a beach on the Outer Banks in each of the last ten years, most recently Cape Hatteras has been the beach chosen, but for the previous six years it was Ocracoke's Lifeguard Beach - the prettiest beach I have ever seen.

Many who visit the Outer Banks rent houses, take up residence, and relax and restore themselves in one location. Others venture forth and are rewarded with experiencing the history and charm of its varied villages. Recently, Peter and I traveled from one end of the Outer Banks to the other. In Corolla, we saw the wild Mustangs on the beach at sunset. The quaint village of Duck (yes that's the name of a village), with its infamous 25 MPH speed limit was impossible to miss, and has incredible views and sunsets over Currituck sound. The Wright Brothers National Park in Kill Devil Hills should not be missed, but if you're adventurous and want to fly on your own, you can take hang gliding lessons off the largest natural sand dune on the east coast, Jockey's Ridge in Nags Head. Peter and I climbed the dune and photographed those adventurous souls one breezy afternoon. Continuing south, you drive cross the Oregon Inlet to get to Hatteras Island. The easternmost point on the island is Cape Point, the one that gets pounded by all those hurricanes and where we found the famous Cape Hatteras Lighthouse - one of the prettiest in the country.

It's roughly 90 miles from Corolla to Hatteras and to continue south now, you have to take a ferry to Ocracoke Island, the "jewel in the crown" of the Outer Banks. The Hatteras-Ocracoke Ferry is free, departs every half hour, and carries cars as well as passengers. As beautiful as the northern islands are, Ocracoke was the one that stole my heart. The sands of the beaches are fine and white, the dunes are wide and traversed by elevated boardwalks, and the waters are gloriously clean. A single "highway" leading to Ocracoke village is bordered by dunes on both sides. On the way in to town, we found Howard's Pub on the right. A novelty, without a doubt created for the tourists, but one with great seafood and a roof deck with views across the dunes to either shore.

The village of Ocracoke is unpretentious and was once home to Edward Teach. "Who is that?" you ask. Well the pirate Blackbeard, of course, and this is where he was killed. The center of Ocracoke is Silver Lake where ferries to Swan Quarter and Cedar Island will get you "on or close" to the mainland once again. (These ferries, which are over two hours in length, require reservations, carry cars, and do charge a fee.) Nearby is the belle of Ocracoke, towering over the village and it's shore, the all-white Ocracoke Lighthouse can be seen near and far, and has been operating since 1823. The rewards are many if you travel the length of the Outer Banks and Peter and I can't wait to return.

  ©2011 Photos and Slide Show by Claudia Ward
Music: Vianne Confronts the Comte, by Rachel Portman from the Soundtrack of "Chocolat" 

 

This one's for you Carl!

 

Dawn at the Outer Banks

Dawn is my favorite time of day. I always find first light thrilling, I don't know why - perhaps it's the optimist in me ... what will a new day bring? But first there's sunrise which is ever so brief and beautiful.

We're overlooking the ocean, sleeping to the sounds of its constant motion, and waking to the drama of the sun rising from the ocean. The coast of the Outer Banks of North Carolina are picturesque, and Peter and I find the changing early morning light magical.

Sunrise

Dawn at the Outer Banks.

Sent from my iPhone

Stormy Florida

Hunkered down in St. Pete Beach, FL as tornados, torrential rains, 50 mile an hour winds, and hail are all around us. Decided to stay off the roads. Sadly, they're reporting that this same cold front will produce significant snow for the northeast. Chin up friends.

Look ... aren't we lucky, we have a room with a view!

HDR photo taken with an iPhone by Claudia Ward

This post was Sent from my iPhone.

Greetings

From sunny, but soon to be stormy, St. Petersburg, FL. This is for all of our friends in the nippy northeast. Warm weather will come.

March

... comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, and this year I just have to believe that this,

 is going to give way to this, 

 ... sooner than we think.

Despite the cold, the snow drops (those tiny bell-like flowers I introduced you to last year) are beginning to blossom and the daffodils have broken ground. There's spring in my step just thinking about it.

 

Winter Sunset at the Beach

Everyone knows that the weather has been wreaking havoc across the country. Wild snow storms, nor'easters and blizzards have struck time and time again this year, blowing all previous records for snow fall and destruction "out of the water". Well in the midst of all of this extreme weather, extreme beauty can still be found ... we hope you agree.

Photo ©2011 Claudia Ward All Rights Reserved

Beach?

On the run, digging out from our last storm, and getting as many pictures as possible. 

Photo ©2011 Claudia Ward All Rights Reserved

 
There's a beach there somewhere, right?

 

Who's Walking Whom?

Even now I find that little grammatical pixie sitting on my shoulder saying, "Don't do it, even if it does sound better. It's Who's Walking Whom not Who's Walking Who." "Do it right or don't do it at all." Gee, that pixie sounds a lot like my father.

Either way, I did ask the question when I saw these four characters on the beach yesterday. It was breezy but you didn't have to fight the wind to stand. It looks to me like everyone had been penned up inside for way too long.

 

Hurricane Season

 Flys Beach Southampton, NY - Surf Resulting from Igor 2010
Photo by Claudia Ward ©2010 All RIGHTS RESERVED

Hurricane season - did you know that it's really a six month season - yup, that's right - June 1st to Nov 30th, each and every year. And each and every year they name the tropical storms that may become hurricanes. If winds are over 39 miles per hour (mph), they get a name; if winds are under 39 mph, then they're just a really big wind! To make it to Category 1, i.e. entry level for hurricane status, a storm's winds must equal or exceed 74 mph.

Calling "HER-icanes" by the names of woman began in 1953, a practice that was liberated in 1978 with the addition of male names for such tempests. These were affectionately dubbed "HIM-icanes" by "libbers" of the time.

Donna (1960), Gloria (1985), and Bob (1991) all created significant memories. From Gloria, I remember my father driving us around "the loop" in Chatham (Cape Cod) during the eye of the storm to see all that had happened and not recognizing the street I lived on for all the flooding. From Gloria, the worries were boats moored in Sag Harbor; and, from Bob ... a cypress tree nearly took out Peter's car, we lived without electricity for five days, and everything had to be cleaned up and operational for my bed-and-breakfast guests by the next weekend.

This year, we're already up to the letter "N" and it's not even October. We all prepared for Earl, but that really didn't happen, at least on the east end of Long Island. Igor did his best to stir up the surf, as you can see above, and brought us extra high tides. And, Tropical Storm Nicole is clawing her way up the east coast battering the coastline and flooding towns as she goes.

Sagg Main as Tropical Storm Nicole Travels North 10/01/10 

As devastating as these storms can be, they are rarely un-photogenic and these are just a couple of the images we captured as Igor and Nicole traveled north and east of our shores.

Hamptons Post Earl

The Hamptons don't appear to be any worse for wear post Earl, hurricane Earl that is. For all the alarms that were rung and alerts that were sent out, it really passed the east-end of Long Island with only some rain, minor flooding and higher than normal tides. Peter and I were hoping that the waves would be significant for photos and/or surfing shots, but that was not to be, so we photographed food shots indoors instead. Stay tuned.

This is what Sagg Main looked like this morning. Needless to say those beach fences do bear the brunt of every storm, but then again, that's why they're there.

 @2010 Claudia Ward

Dan's Papers 38th Annual Kite Fly At Sagg Main

On a beautiful August Sunday evening, Dan's Papers held the 38th annual "Kite Fly" at Sagg Main Beach, our favorite beach in the Hamptons. Peter and I had already spent four hours at the beach shooting the surfers, enjoying the sea breeze and having a picnic. When the "mayor of Sagg Main" told us they were expecting over 100 kite fliers after 5:00, we raced home, showered, changed camera chips and batteries and returned by 5:15 p.m.

Families that had been at the beach in the afternoon were still parading off the beach and into the parking lot as kite-fliers were streaming from the parking lot to the beach - a changing of the guard if-you-will. By our observation the kite fliers were split in age between the very young (8-10 years old), to the "older" (40-50 year old) - and of course there are always some in between.

Kites are no longer triangles of "paper and string" but are built of various plastics making them resilient and wind-worthy, and the shapes can apparently be anything that a creative imagination and sturdy wallet can conjure. Eagles, tigers, aeroplanes, geometric dynamic phenomena, dragons, sharks, dolphins, butterflies, and even Nemo were all soaring in the skies above Sagg Main Beach in a gorgeous constant onshore breeze - not too light to make it too challenging to keep the kites up, but not too stiff either. It was a perfect evening for flying a kite.

Photos by Claudia Ward & Peter Tooker, ©2010 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Music: "Let's Go Fly a Kite", by David Tomlinson, Dick Van Dyke, and the Londoners, from the soundtrack of Mary Poppins

Even as we were leaving, there was once again a line to get in to the parking lot, exactly as there is on sunny weekend days. Families were bringing picnic dinners, folding tables and barbecue grills, and more and more kiters were bringing their gliders to test the winds. Next year, we'll plan to stay longer.

A Day at the Beach

There's nothing like a day at the beach in my estimation. With the exception of a child with sand in its eyes, I've never seen an unhappy person at the beach. Worries and concerns, rifts and misunderstandings all seem to be left in the parking lot - to be retrieved only upon departure. What I do see and hear at the beach is pure joy - on the faces of children released from almost all discipline, in the touch of a wife on her husband's shoulder, in the laughter of families once again enthralled in each others' company, and in the ear to ear grin of a surfer after a good ride.

So this one's for all of you, who like me, love the beach, but especially for those of you who are tethered to a desk and can't get away until the end of the work week. Give me two minutes and I promise you a smile. 

Photos © 2010 Claudia Ward ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Music: Boeuf Bourguignon, Alexandre Desplat from the Soundtrack of Julie & Julia

Tell me, which one do you want to be?

Up, Down, and Sideways

Ever been at "sixes and sevens"?

So much to do ......... 

It seems ...

some of all of "it" gets done, but all of none of it gets done! 

The day has been up, down, and sideways, so this is what it felt like ... 

Up ....

Down...?

and, "sideways" ...

 Hope you had a great day! 

"Friend Photos"

A friend from the bank I used to work for has always been a wonderful photographer, especially of his family. He'd love to spend more time at it, but alas he's still in the ranks of the employed and can only do it "on the fly". He shared the attached photos with me recently and agreed that I could post them. I think each of them demonstrates his natural eye as well as his wonderful sense of humor. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. Thanks TWinsch! 

North Caroline Beach by Tom Winsch, 2010, All Rights Reserved 

North Carolina Crab by Tom Winsch, 2010, All Rights Reserved

Mama Fox in the Backyard by Tom Winsch, 2010, All Rights Reserved  

The Longest Day

It's official, summer begins today. According to the internet, summer solstice occurred in the Northern hemisphere at 7:28 a.m. EDT. The word solstice means the sun stands still, which is what appears to happen when the sun has reached its most northern point in our skies. The sun rose this morning at 5:21 a.m. and will set at 8:27 p.m. here on the east end of Long Island and that means we'll have nearly 15 hours of daylight and only 9 hours of darkness.

How will you spend all those sunny hours? Many of you will be hunkered down in front of a computer screen in little boxes called cubicles, others may be lucky enough to spend some time outdoors - for it's gloriously beautiful in the northeast today! I, for one, will be in a court house. For those of you jumping to conclusions, please don't. The cold hard reality is that Suffolk County has summoned me to serve as a Grand Juror and they say this will last for at least 4 weeks. I'm packing my curiosity and computer, so I hope to continue to make regular posts. In the meantime, I expect I could speak for nearly all of us when I say, we wish we were here ....

  Coast Guard Beach, in the National Seashore Park in Eastham, MA on Cape Cod

Coast Guard Beach was picked #7 on the list of "America's Best Beaches", a list compiled by "Dr. Beach", a.k.a. Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, every year for the last 20 years. Check out the complete list, when you're not working, by clicking here.

Slide Show-Storming the Beaches

The Northeast just can't seem to catch a break. It started raining on Friday and here we are on Monday morning and it has yet to stop. But the rains have been only part of this storm sequence; the winds have been gusting at gale force since Saturday afternoon. Gusts of 54 mph were reported in Wainscott, the hamlet just east of Bridgehampton. All of this naturally wreaks havoc on our beaches, which were battered with nor'easters last fall, and snow storms and squalls all winter.

The beaches on the east end are our treasures and every town works diligently to protect them as best they can. Snow fences are common on all of our beaches and are strung along the dunes with the hopes that they'll fight off the ocean's relentless waves and high tides, and act as a retaining wall for our precious sand dunes. They truly are our front line soldiers. They take tremendous beatings as you can see but hold their ground until the bitter end.

At one beach, the town even fortified the dunes with used Christmas trees, burying them under tons of sand and building the dunes out beyond their core. As you can see in the slide show these efforts were all for naught with this week-end's storms. These fortified dunes were clawed apart by the waves and winds, sending the sand out to sea and littering the beach with the dunes' protectors.

Slideshow photos by Claudia Ward and Peter Tooker 2010 All Rights Reserved

The news is reporting trees and power lines down, and outages across the northeast and I'm afraid it's probably affected many of you who visit this blog. Peter and I hope you all have weathered the storm and come through on the other side, not too much worse for wear.

Note: Remember to click on the number 360 and change it to 480 for the best quality "view". Also enlarge the pictures by either clicking on the box that looks like arrows going in four directions, next to the numbers mentioned above, or by double clicking on the slide.

Have you got any storm stories you want to share? Leave a comment and let us know how you fared.

Les Carrots Sont Cuites! (We've had it!)

We've had it! Winter must go!

We all agree, this winter has seemed interminable, but this past week-end there was a glimmer of hope! Temperatures finally climbed out of the low 30's and indeed touched 50! The beaches were crowded with pasty white people like ourselves with dark circles under their eyes - remnants from this punishing winter - eagerly trying to find the spring in their steps lost last fall when the temperatures began to drop. Optimism was everywhere! 

One young man was walking his golden retriever, dressed above his waist for a harsh winter day - wool cap pulled over his ears, heavy hip-length wool jacket and leather gloves - and below the waist for summer - light jeans rolled up to his knees and bare feet! He was even walking his dog at the shoreline, burr-rr! 

 

A couple, wearing blue jeans and P-coats, napped on the beach, her head comfortably planted on his stomach - relaxed, soaking up the long-lost sun. 

 

And another couple, clad in heavy waterproof winter jackets equipped with hoods, windproof leggings and woolen mittens, brought beach chairs, planted them against a dune with the wind to their backs, facing the sun, and casually read the Sunday paper as if it was a warm summer day. I wonder how she managed to turn the pages with those mittens on.

We've had it! Les carrots sont cuites! That lion of March better not show his face - we've fallen in love with the lamb!

Comments of nearly any kind are welcome. Click on the word comments below.

Slide Show-Winter to Spring at the Beach

Someone asked me today, "What do you do all day?" These days the answer is learn. Learn Adobe Photoshop Elements, learn how to calibrate a color printer, learn how to back-up all of our photographic work, learn how to sell photos on stock photo sites, learn how to set up a website, learn how to set up a business, learn when and where the art fairs are around the region, and of course learn how to blog. I have yet to learn how to get more of you to leave comments, but hopefully that will come with time.

Today I've been experimenting and learning how to make exportable slideshows from iPhoto to post to this blog. I've made one that I hope you enjoy showing the transition from winter to spring at the beach using some of my favorite subjects - shells.

Photos and slide show by Claudia Ward 2009 All Rights Reserved

To watch just click the arrow at the center of the picture above, sit back and enjoy. But of you really want to have some fun, click on the arrow, then look to the lower right at the bottom of the picture. See the number 360p with an arrow next to it? Click on the arrow and select the other option - 480p. Once it's done adjusting itself, click on the square that really looks like arrows going in four directions, that will enlarge the slideshow to the size of your screen. Now sit back and really enjoy! What a hoot ... and I didn't know how to do this this morning!

Some of you have been kind enough to point out that lots of other YouTube stuff is offered up after you see the "videos", apparently that's unavoidable, at least we have yet to find a way around it, but rest assured we're working on it! Perhaps that's what I'll do tomorrow.

Please let me know what you think! Leave a comment by clicking on the word Comment at the bottom of this post or if that's too far to go, just click here and you'll be transported to the Comments box (that's like a mail box not a penalty box). Dialogue and Comments are what blogging is all about!

The Power of Positive Thinking ...

The power of positive thinking ... is flagging these days. There's been another storm hovering over the northeast for well over 24 hours; although I must say we on the east end of Long Island haven't been as badly hit as our compatriots to the west. It's been snowing for over 12 hours here but our accumulation this time is small - about four inches. Tiresome, however, still comes to mind.

Our beaches are being eroded badly as you can see.  One can hardly tell where the snow ends and the surf begins on some beaches ... and tomorrow is the full moon!

Photo by Claudia Ward 2010 All Rights Reserved

But the storm has made our village and its lanes "picture perfect".  We hope you agree.

 Photo by Peter Tooker Copyright 2010 All Rights Reserved

Comments are welcome on the state of the winter, the photographs, or this blog. 

Kite Surfing in Northwest Puerto Rico

As promised this is Peter's video of the kite surfers in Isabella, PR.  These were shot near Jobos Beach.

Rincon, Puerto Rico

I know you all haven't heard much from us but we needed to get internet access, and here we are!  I hate to report to our New York friends, who are currently in a deep freeze, that the breezes are warm as is the water here in western Puerto Rico. Our friends Helen and Harry are showing us most of the west coast. Yesterday we went to the southwest corner of the territory and I posted a photo from the last beach we visited.  I hope you agree it's inviting.  There's a great deal of grazing land on this side of the island too for cattle and horses.  Quite pretty to drive through. 

Today we stayed nearer Rincon and we're likely to do that again tomorrow, as week-ends here can get more crowded. Monday we're planning on going up to Isabella, apparently the northwest corner of Puerto Rico.  We hope to see more surfers.

It's lovely here and as I speak I'm looking out across a broad deck that reaches the beach.  Peter's down there photographing what may or may not be a sunset ... hopefully we'll all see.  A catamaran keeps traversing the horizon and a local fisherman is poised to get his evening catch. 

 

Stay well (and get warm)! 

Afternoon at Playa Buye, PR along the West Coast

Sent from my iPhone

Rincon, Puerto Rico

The back "yard" here in Rincon. Water and air temps in the 80's ... pure, refreshing bliss.

Sent from my iPhone

Our Final Meal on Maui - Mama's Fish House

To start our last meal on Maui at Mama's Fish House, Peter and I chose the Hookipa Sunset - an ambrosia of pineapple vodka, with pineapple, lime and Creme de Banana - incredibly smooth and dangerously refreshing!

 

The waiter recommended the main course that I selected, Monchong with caramelized Maui onion, tomato, avocado and jasmine rice - perfection! Monchong is a firm white fish which flakes with a fork and is absolutely delicious. 

 

Peter had the signature dish, mentioned in an earlier post, Mahimahi (caught by James DeBussey along the north shore of Maui) stuffed with lobster, crab, Maui onion and baked in a macadamia nut crust. None of the fish served here is commercially caught or farmed, it's all caught by the local fisherman, making it incredibly fresh and flavorful.

And all of this was enjoyed looking out under a canape of green palms to the ocean, enjoying the warm breezes and the wide-open windows.  This is paradise!

 Aloha!

Our Final Day on Maui - Ho'okipa Beach

With flights leaving Maui at around 2:00 p.m., we made a reservation for lunch at Mama's Fish House on Kuau Cove at 11:00 a.m. The day was glorious - bright sun, clear blue skies, warm and a light breeze. We left Hana early, around 7:00 a.m., in order to miss the road work on the Hana Highway as well as to give us time to stop and take photos along the way.  Even with stops, we pulled in to the parking lot for Ho'okipa Beach, next door to Kuau Cove, at 9:30 a.m.  

Ho'okipa Beach - What a magnificent location!  This is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful place I have ever seen. The mountains in the distance, the rows of breaking waves approaching the shore, the green of the palm trees and the blues of the water and sky, I could have stayed there all day, mesmerized.  And, when you add the surfers, and our whale and turtle sightings, it was truly entertaining as well.  See what you think by watching Peter's video on Youtube.  

 

 

  

Aloha from Hana, Maui

Hamoa Beach. Life is good!

Sent from my iPhone