DECEMBER PUPPY FIX

It's always lots of fun when Wendi invites me to go along to visit a litter of puppies. Mom is the black female on the right, peering in the window, wishing she could be inside with all the visitors. The chocolate is an American Lab. You can see the obvious difference in size and in the facial features. Rylee is an English Lab.

Here is a shot of seven of the puppies. It is very difficult to get a bunch of squirming puppies to all look in the same direction for a litter shot. It's even more difficult when some are black and some are yellow. Always more challenging to bring out the features on a black animal.

Then we got into a cutesy mode -- stuck this Santa hat on a very obliging puppy. Next year's Christmas card?

We shot quite a few photos of different puppies in the basket in front of the Christmas tree. I was struggling with depth of field to get all the puppies in focus. Everytime I upped my F stop for increased depth of field, I lost shutter speed. When I adjusted to regain shutter speed, then my depth of field diminished. This is more difficult when shooting inside, especially since you have to shoot fast.

I love this portrait shot. I think the patch of sunlight makes a very effective frame.

We took the puppies outside for about 10 minutes. It was very cold and windy, so we couldn't stay out too long. They are only 5 weeks old. I was just waiting for a puppy to investigate this blue glass garden ornament. . .

Another outdoor shot. It was difficult to get shots because the eight puppies were all running in eight different directions. There were also six adults and two children moving in different directions as well, often walking right in front of my camera as I was about to take a shot.

Play and fresh air is a prescription for tired puppies. In about 2 weeks they will go to their new homes.

MERRIE CHRISTMAS!

The other day I did a Christmas photo shoot, hoping to get some photographs that might make nice cards for next year. I thought this was a beautifully decorated mailbox with an uncluttered background.

At the same house was this decorated lamp post. I like the simplicity and good taste.

These next 3 photos were taken in a development that now occupies the land which was once Georgana Farm where I lived for 19 years. The houses are quite large and were built by Toll Brothers, a developer I do not like because of their penchant for gulping up so much farmland.

I think this photograph of the red door would be nicer had I included the light on the left side. Seems a bit unbalanced. I think a tight crop would improve this image.

A white door for a white Christmas which we are having this year, the first in many years. When I was a child living in Shippensburg, white Christmases were common.

“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.” (Calvin Coolidge)

WINTER SOLSTICE

A friend sent me this article which I very much enjoyed -- so much that I quoted portions of it in my Christmas letter for this year. What I love about the celebration is making the time to be alone and getting in touch with my inner self. The way I most commonly do this is by walking alone with Hannah in the outdoors in all types of weather.

Dr. Rich encourages us to not dread the darkness but to embrace it.

Winter Solstice: A Paean To The Pregnant Darkness
Dr. Judith Rich, Featured Contributor, The Huffington Post

Having spent nearly a lifetime dreading the onset of winter with its short days and long nights, I now hold this season of darkness as most sacred. Learning to honor Winter Solstice has transformed my relationship with winter and subsequently this entire season of long nights. I've gone from fearing darkness to embracing its rich possibilities where silence meets stillness and invites me to turn inward.

In the busyness of this time, with holiday parties, shopping, cooking, and rituals shared with family and friends, include time for stillness and reflection on the evening of Solstice to honor the pregnant possibilities of the dark.

With the Solstice approaching, and in the spirit of embracing its darkness, I share this replay of a post I wrote last year. May you find comfort here.

Solstice = Standing-Still-Sun
Dec. 21st, we enter the belly of the night.

Winter Solstice: We come to the portal that separates darkness from light. Standing in this arch of time where Earth takes a breath before facing us back towards the sun, we too, take a breath, turn inward, pause in this moment of fullness and let darkness reveal its gifts.

Winter Solstice: A time to look back at the year gone by, gather its lessons and put them in the stew of your life. Time to let the heat of your presence cook the stew. Render the lessons into the sweet nectar of wisdom. Then drink of it. One-small-sip-at-a-time.

Winter Solstice: A time to let the longest night of the year seduce you into stillness. Time to silence inner voices, listen to the beating of your own heart. Time to breathe slowly, become the breath. Linger here. The night is long.

Winter Solstice: Time to savor the sweetness of the dark. Nothing to fear. It's only you. And millions of years of Earth's turning; away and then back, away and then back towards the light. It's all you. The dark, the light, the fire, the night: it's all you. You're all it. Sweet oneness, savored in the dark.

Winter Solstice: A sacred link, where Earth's veil thins, the unseen, seen. Images of ancestors and ancient roots threading back beyond time. Back to first humans, their fires still burning to call back the light. We are the ones who hold them sacred. We honor their struggles, their triumphs. We're here due to them. They gave us our blood.

Winter Solstice: A time to reflect on your life in this moment. Like never before, or ever again, reflect on this sweet, fragile moment.

Winter Solstice: A time to let go of what burdens. Empty out stones sitting heavy in the heart. Let bygones be bygones. Acknowledge. Forgive. Begin again.

Winter Solstice: A fertile time, a time to ready the womb; a time for pregnant possibility. A time to sow seeds of imagination that germinate in the darkness. A time to tend the inner hearth; be warmed by the coals of creativity.

Winter Solstice: The union of opposites. Fullness: emptying. Emptiness: filling. 
The shortest day meets the longest night. Celebrate the dark. Greet the light. We've journeyed long; we've journeyed far. In summer, we rejoiced in the sun, now absent. In winter, we settle into the night, now present. We draw inward, tuck in our wings to keep warm. All flights are canceled.

Winter Solstice: A time to check inner weather and road conditions. Are you cold? Are you hot? Are you merely lukewarm? Is it stormy? Is it balmy? Are there blue skies inside? Does the road rise to meet you? Are you on shaky ground? Is it smooth? Is it rocky? Can you see where you are?

Winter Solstice: Can you be with it all, just as it is? No fighting, no trying, no pushing the river. It flows by itself, so you watch it. You notice. You see twigs and branches submerged in the stream of your life. Without effort, the water flows over, under and around it all. Nothing can stop it; it goes on forever. Like you do. Like I do. Like we do.

May you go on forever, like this most pregnant night of the year.

A brief ritual to include in your observance of Winter Solstice:

1) Set aside at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, but whatever works for you is fine.

2) Include friends, family members, or celebrate alone if you prefer.
3) Turn off all the lights. Settle in to the darkness.
4) Spend time with your eyes closed, breathing slowly, watching the breath.
5) Let your awareness settle down in your belly. Feel it fill and empty. See your 
life coming and going on each inhale and exhale. Feel the strength and fragility of each 
breath.
6) There's nothing to do but let go into the dark, allow it to hold you. Feel its safety. Thoughts arise and fall. Just watch them come and go. Return to the breath.
7) Remain in silence for several minutes after you've finished. Savor the moment.
8) At the end of 30 minutes or whenever you're complete, light some candles, build a fire, have a warm cup of tea or a hot drink of some kind and celebrate with yourself or those around you the possibilities found in the dark.

The Blessing of the newborn Sun God:


"Out of Darkness Light is Re-born. Carry the hope of this moment like a torch in your heart through the coming year. Let it sustain you in your times of darkness, and be a symbol of blessing in your times of joy. Let Peace be with you.

Wishing you and yours a Happy Solstice! May you find peace in the night.

SNOW PUPPY

Southeastern Pennsylvania got socked with a Nor'easter yesterday. Hannah loves the snow as much as she loves water. This is the first time she's seen snow that was so deep she had difficulty walking or wading through it. She wound up leaping through it -- She looked so funny and joyous, I was calling her Pogo.

Snow photography can be difficult with the light meter trying to read the light on the intense white -- takes manual settings. I got this picture of Hannah, which I like because you can see her eyes, and the snow on her face is in decent focus.

I spent an hour shoveling my driveway this morning and still was not finished. My elbow and shoulders were protesting. Came into the house to rest, and soon a truck and plow appeared to finish the second half of the driveway, a gift from our wonderful next door neighbors.

The sun is out and the sky is blue. It is gorgeous but cold -- windy, but not blustery. I will venture out later on with my camera and Hannah.

2009 TAMANEND PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST

I entered the Friends of Tamanend Photography contest in 2007 and did not receive any awards. Last year, with all that was happening with mom's medical issues, I did not enter. This fall on one of my walks to Tamanend I saw the contest posted. The deadline was very close, so I scrambled to have enlargements printed, matted them, and took them to the park office. On Thursday morning I received an email from my friend Hillary who is a wonderful photographer, and she congratulated me on my winning photographs which were on display in the Southampton New York Camera and Video store.

I entered this photograph in the people division, and it won a second place. The focus is not extremely sharp, and I was disappointed in the color quality. No photo editing is permitted in submitted photographs or they will be disqualified. This little girl was beautiful and adorable. She did exactly what I asked her to do. I told her to hold the leaves up and look at them instead of at me.

This image won a third place in the Natural Scenes division.

This photo won a second place in the Natural Scenes division. This is the old farmhouse in the park. I shot this picture while paying close attention to the reflection in the window pane. It came out very crisp and focused.

I've always liked this photograph because of the red foliage (center left). I thought it was a great splash of color in an other wise neutral photograph, but it did not place. Click on the photo for a full sized view.

This doe photograph was submitted for the Animals/Wildlife division and won a third place. The focus could be sharper, but it is a peaceful, calming image.

This photo won a second place. I was walking one day and had my 300m zoom lens on my camera when suddenly I spied this buck about 12-15 feet from me. He was standing in the foliage that bordered the path where I was walking. I raised my camera thinking he would bolt when I started pressing the shutter, but he just stood there looking at me. I should have adjusted my camera settings for a higher shutter speed, but I was afraid he would take off and I would totally miss the shot. It is not as sharp as I would like, but it is still an interesting photo. Don't you love the lyre shape of his antlers?

CHANUKAH -- part 8

8 Chanukah Mysteries Revealed (continued)

by David Holzel

8. So how do you spell it – Chanukah? Hanukkah? Hanuka?

The short answer is yes. We’re dealing with a transliteration that – because English and Hebrew don’t share all of the same sounds and none of the same letters – is inexact.
The first Hebrew letter in the holiday’s name has the sound of a guttural “h.” How would you prefer to render that in English – with an “h,” which can lead people to think that the word starts with an English “h” sound? Or how about using “ch” instead – which could lead some to think the sound is like the “ch” in “cheese”?

Then there’s the final letter hey, which does have the sound of “h” – except when it comes at the end of the word. Then it’s silent. So, do you use an “h” to be as true to the Hebrew spelling as possible? Or do you leave it out, because the word doesn’t end with an “h” sound?
The choice is yours. Chew it over while you polish off your jelly donut.

CHANUKAH -- part 7

8 Chanukah Mysteries Revealed (continued)

by David Holzel

7. What were you saying before about pancakes?

Forgive me. You can’t go without a nosh. Potato pancakes – latkes in Yiddish – are the traditional holiday food for Jews whose background is in Eastern or Central Europe. They’re usually topped with sour cream or apple sauce. In the Middle East, sufganiyot – jelly donuts – are the holiday delicacy.What they have in common is both are fried in oil. So there’s a reminder of the miracle in every delicious bite.

CHANUKAH -- part 6

8 Chanukah Mysteries Revealed (continued)

by David Holzel

6. Is this the big Jewish holiday of the year?

You’d think so. And, in fact, a 2000 survey found that 72 percent of American Jews light Chanukah candles – slightly fewer than the 77 percent who hold or attend a Passover seder, but a lot more than the 59 percent who fast on Yom Kippur. So Chanukah is certainly just about the most popular Jewish holiday.

But for most of the 21 centuries after that first celebration in Jerusalem, Chanukah was a low-key, minor holiday. That began to change in the 19th century when, under the secular influences of the Enlightenment and Zionism, the Maccabees and their struggle began to be seen as heroic.
Today in Israel, Chanukah is celebrated as an act of national liberation. In the United States, the holiday’s subtext of religious freedom resonates.

CHANUKAH -- part 5

8 Chanukah Mysteries Revealed (continued)
by David Holzel

5. Why do you get a present each night?

For the same reason that people line up outside Wal-Mart at 5 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving. There aren’t any set rules for gift-giving. But how can you not do something everyone else is doing? When it comes to commerce, Chanukah has been absorbed into the larger Christmas gift parade.

It wasn’t always that way. Once upon a time, children might get a few coins during Chanukah. I have a book about Jewish holidays published in 1938, which put it this way:“The children eat pancakes and count their coins, and consider themselves fortunate.”

CHANUKAH -- part 4

8 Chanukah Mysteries Revealed (continued)
by David Holzel

4. Speaking of spin, what’s the deal with that top?

That’s the dreidel in Yiddish; sevivon in Hebrew. It has four sides, marked with the Hebrew letters nun, gimel, hey and shin. (They make the sounds “n,” “g,” “h,” and “sh.”)The dreidel found itself connected to Chanukah because the four letters form the abbreviation of the phrase “Nes gadol hayah sham” – “A great miracle happened there” – “there” being long-ago Judea, and the miracle being that high-mileage oil.(In Israel, the sevivon is marked nun, gimel, hey, pey, for “Nes gadol hayah po” – “A great miracle happened here.”)

But the Israeli version is a relatively recent adaptation. It seems the dreidel is based on a German top. The four letters also stand for four words in Yiddish, a European Jewish language based on German. Nun stands for nitz (nothing), gimel for ganz (everything), hey for halb (half) and shin for shtell-arein (put in). And these are the keys to playing the dreidel game.

Traditionally dreidel is played with nuts, rather than coins or chips, which are divided between the players and a pot in the middle. Each player takes a turn spinning. The letter facing up when the dreidel stops determines whether the player can take the whole pot, half the pot, nothing, or must add nuts to the pot.

CHANUKAH -- part 3

8 Chanukah Mysteries Revealed (continued)
by David Holzel

3. What about the miraculous oil?

You’re referring to the wonderful story that, when the Temple had been purified and there was nothing left to do but light the eternal lamp, they found only enough pure oil to burn for a single day. By a miracle, the oil lasted for eight days – long enough to process more kosher oil and rush it to the Temple.

The story of the oil offers an alternate reason for why the festival is eight-days long. It comes from the Talmud, which contains the law and lore of the early rabbis. And while the earliest rabbis lived long after the pious, honorable Maccabees, they were contemporaries of the Maccabees’ despotic descendants, who ruled Judea by combining the offices of king and high priest, corrupting both.

The miracle of the oil was the rabbis’ spin on Chanukah, which enhanced the holiday’s religious meaning while de-emphasizing the political role of the Maccabees.

CHANUKAH -- part 2

8 Chanukah Mysteries Revealed (continued)
by David Holzel

2. So why is Chanukah 8 days (nights) long?

The first Chanukah celebration lasted eight days, in imitation of the eight-day fall harvest holiday called Sukkot (the festival of Huts), which the Maccabees had not been able to celebrate in their mountain redoubts. Jewish holidays begin at sundown because that’s when the new day begins, according to the Jewish calendar.

ANSWERS TO EIGHT QUESTIONS ABOUT CHANUKAH

I found this article interesting. When I was working as an elementary librarian, I loved reading the Chanukah story HERSCHEL AND THE HANUKKAH GOBLINS by Eric Kimmel, to my classes. I think I liked it even better than the Christmas stories.

I will post one question and answer over each of the eight days of Chanukah.

8 Chanukah Mysteries Revealed

by David Holzel

December 8, 2009

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared December 2008

Chanukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, begins at sundown on December 11 with the lighting of one candle on the eight-candle menorah. Every night an additional candle burns, until the eighth night, when eight candles are lighted. To celebrate, we’ve answered eight questions about the mysteries of Chanukah – one for each night. And yes, one of the mysteries involves the proper spelling.

1. What is Chanukah?
To put yourself in the right frame of mind, think 2,000 years ago. Better yet, think 2,200ish years ago. Thanks to Alexander the Great, Hellenistic kings rule in the Middle East, and Hellenistic culture has been embraced by the region’s elites.
Now focus on Judea – at the time, the area immediately surrounding and including Jerusalem. It was from the mountains and caves of Judea that a rebellion of traditionalist Jews, known as the Maccabees, broke out against the rule of Antiochus, the Damascus-based Hellenistic king, and those Jews who had abandoned their traditions in favor of Hellenistic ways.
King Antiochus tried to root out local religions in his empire. In Judea, that meant outlawing circumcision, kosher food and the Jewish Sabbath and, in 169 BCE, introducing pagan sacrifices in the Temple in Jerusalem.

The Maccabees fought a guerrilla war against Antiochus’s forces for three years, before recapturing Jerusalem in 166 BCE. They immediately began to cleanse the Temple of its ritual impurities. And on the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev (roughly corresponding to December), they made the first burnt offering in the rededicated Temple.
That was the first Chanukah, which means “dedication” in Hebrew. And it has been celebrated beginning on the 25th of Kislev every year since.

DO DOGS INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY?

It seems a few happy tails make for a happier workplace. RED HERRING, a magazine and website about business and technology, says pet owners would be willing to take less pay, work longer hours, and even switch jobs if companies would let them bring their dogs to work.

In a poll conducted by SIMPLY HIRED, a job-search company based in California, 66 percent of dog owners say they would work longer hours if they could bring their four-footed pals to work, and 32 percent say they would work for less money if

Rover could come along.

SIMPLY HIRED partnered with Dogster.com to identify dog-friendly companies because, RED HERRING points out, "more US households have pets than children."

What do you think?

AS THE WHEEL SPINS

Yesterday I went to Fleming Pottery Studio in Doylestown to see a pottery show and sale. It was a fun opportunity to photograph as well. There were a variety of pieces which were wheel thrown as well as slab built. Several potters were selling their wares or "stuff" as I joked with my friend Ron Andress, The Happy Potter. Ron is a real artist, with vision and a talent to make clay come alive under his hands. He is also a glass-blower. His glass work is also stunning.

This piece was very intricate. It was made by one of the other potters.
This is one of Ron's Raku pieces which I loved. I love the iridescence of this type of Raku glaze. I also loved the wavy handle base.

This is another of Ron's Raku pieces with a very creative raffia adornment. I said that I felt it was reminiscent of African pottery. Ron and his wife both said it had more of a South American feel to them. I actually bought a small vase with the black and white Raku glaze. While it feels very African to me, there is actually a spot in the glaze that looks Japanese, and this is why I liked it.

Another small Raku vase/pot by Ron.

This bowl showed one of the most colorful Raku glazes. The single holly leaf added a bit of interest. I was thrilled to pick up the iridescence so well.

If you are shopping for that unique piece of art -- either pottery or glass, visit Ron Andress and see his work. You won't be disappointed and just may find that perfect gift you want for a special person. 215-345-9911.

PET PEEVE -- ME AND I

I finally found the type of moss I'd been wanting to photograph for months. Instead of just being a soft carpet of green, it has upward growing tendrils. I'd love to photograph this moss after a rain or frost. I didn't have my close-up lenses with me, so I used my 17-85mm zoom and shot on the macro setting of that lens. I played with depth of field which is simply the range of focus from front to back of the image. In a short dof, only a small part of the image is in focus, and in a long dof, the entire photograph will be in focus. In macro photography the depth of field is extremely narrow (short), and, in my opinion, makes close-up images fascinating.

The reason I titled today's entry PET PEEVE is because I get very disturbed when I read the misuse of "me" and "I." I guess it is my grammar background.

"Thank you for taking pictures of Hannah and I."

"Thank you for taking pictures of Hannah and me."

Most people would say Hannah and I which is incorrect. In this case, Hannah and me is the correct use of "me." A simple test to do if you are one of those who are uncertain is to phrase the sentence quickly in your mind using just me or I . . . most people can distinguish the proper use. Instead of using lots of fancy grammatical jargon, I believe that most people who struggle with the proper use of me and I will find this test easier to do.

"Thank you for taking pictures of I."

"Thank you for taking pictures of me."

I think all of you will agree that the correct use is "me" in this sentence. So, therefore, the proper use is: "Thank you for taking pictures of Hannah and me."

"My mom and I will go to the store today."

"My mom and me will go to the store today."

"Me and my mom will go to the store today."

Which is correct? Do the test.

"I will go to the store today."

"Me will go to the store today."

The correct one is the first one, "My mom and I will go to the store today."

Sorry for reverting to teacher mode, but if only one person finds this helpful, then the entry was worthwhile.

So, having said all that, Hannah and I are going out this afternoon and will take a walk where she can run off leash.

Have a great weekend!