After a long string of gray, snowy days, we’ve been blessed with several days of bright sunshine. When I went downstairs to read early yesterday morning, I found wonderful shadows cast by the rising sun and decided I’d run about taking photos of some of them. Here are five of my favorites:

This pretty flower sits on the coffee table just in front of my reading chair. The sunlight on it was what prompted me to see what else I could find.

I purchased this wire frame two years ago, hoping it would corral our Christmas cards. It does that very well, but we like it enough that we never take it down. It holds valentines, birthday cards and occasionally, photos. I love how the sun showed up as bright yellow on the wall.

This is the view from our front hall window looking down the street. The bell tower of the former Colgate Rochester Crozier Divinity School was highlighted by the sun.

In our bedroom, we have three windows that look to the south. The sun made a blurry shadowy pattern on the wall.

And, back where I began, the sun shining on the bookcases in the living room.

And for fun, a snowy contrast to the above photos:

Looking out the same hall window at the snow the morning after one of three days of snow. At this angle you can’t see the bell tower, but you can see thedeer tracks coming from the backyard headed toward the street.

A view from the kitchen window. You can see by the snow piled on the glider and the bird feeder how much snow we’d had.

Tracy hung lights on the railing around the patio. We liked them so much we left them on, and they really look pretty at night when the railing is snow-covered.

I’m not sure Sandie is hosting the 5 photos in 5 minutes this year, but it’s an activity I enjoy so I think I’ll keep it up regardless. 

 

 

As is often the case, I’m a few days late with my Five in Five post—five photos in five minutes (to be taken on the 5th.) Early Monday morning I was trying to think about what I might do for this meme, hosted by Sandi each month, when I looked up and saw the twinkling lights in our living room. Then I realized we’d added some new twinkling lights this year, and it took less than five minutes to hop up and take these photos with my iPhone. We’ve had little white lights on our tree for many years now, and purchased the lights for the mantle in Indiana several years ago.

The lights around our kitchen window were added just last year. We never took them down, but rarely turned them on after the holiday. Now we turn them on every morning and again at dinner time.

We’ve had a little artificial tree on our patio table for several years as well, and for the last two years some lights on the lower fence. This year Tracy added white lights to our new wrought iron railing around the patio. Once we had them all lit, he decided that the white lights on the tree needed to be changed to colored ones. Even though they can’t be seen by more than a couple neighbors, we can see them from the kitchen, the dining room, and from one window in the living room.

The outside lights have been around for a few years, and we’ve had the wreath (one of three) for probably twenty years. The bows have been changed a few times, though. The small trees on the porch have been replaces at least once. One year, one of them disappeared overnight. So strange. 

The twinkling lights add a festive feel to the house which is more needed this year than any before. COVID is taking its toll here, and we’re more house-bound than we’ve been since early spring. That’s not likely to change. If predictions hold true we’re in for several more months of serious infection before the vaccine will be available widely enough to make a difference. If only the necessary precautions had not become so politicized in the United States, we might find ourselves in a better situation. Here most people seems to wear masks, but I think they’re a little less conscientious about social distancing. The big difference seems to be the increase in family gatherings (even before the Thanksgiving holiday) and indoor dining. I do miss going out with friends, but I’m happy to cook at home.

Thanks to Sandi for hosting this most months this year. I always enjoy the challenge.

Well, I missed the link up for Sandi’s meme this month, and I have no one but myself to blame. But I wanted to share the fall photos taken on Friday at Taughannock Falls just outside Ithaca. It was a gorgeous (actually hot) day, and we knew it would be the last one for awhile, if not until next spring sometime. One advantage of being retired is the ability to take a road trip on a week day.

Our first stop was Taughannock Falls just north of Ithaca, New York. Our local meteorologist commented that the leaves had past peak in the Finger Lakes, so we were pleasantly surprised to find some beautiful color. The first five photos represent my 5 in 5 for the month, but since I’ve missed the link up, I’ll add a few more photos from our road trip at the end.

We didn’t spend a lot of time in Ithaca, stopping just for a few minutes at another state park, Buttermilk Falls. Not a good time for photos here since the sun was behind the falls.

After a stop to buy some pastries at the Ithaca Bakery, we drove up the east side of Cayuga Lake to Aurora for lunch. The Fargo Inn had closed their patio, so we got take-out and found a much better place to eat—the village park right on the lake.

The Inns of Aurora created a 3 mile nature trail this summer, so after lunch we hiked a portion of it. The beginning of the trail makes it appear like a pretty easy walk, so I was surprised to find it really was a hike, not a walk. 

The hike begins just on the other side of the road that runs along the lake. There’s a bit of elevation to reach this pretty overlook.

Later on we came to an overlook built for good views of the lake.

I didn’t take a lot of photos of the trail, but this one gives you a feel for the open spaces.

Saturday the temperatures were nearly 40 degrees colder, and it was no warmer today. Getting out was definitely the right thing to do.