Kiernan the Fisherman

Kiernan did not have to go far from home to land this big fish! The Charles River runs right behind his home outside of Boston. Now I guess when it is dinner time, Terry and Amy just have to give him a pole and send him down to the river! Great job, K, you are really becoming quite the sportsman!
(That is Dad with the fish).....

Great music recommendation!

I have dreamed for the last several years of traveling to Tuscany, one of the most beautiful places in the world, bar none. Pictures truly look like paintings. It is just gorgeous...I really hope to go there sometime soon. The scenery is magnificent and I can only imagine the food. Well, I recently discovered a DVD of Anrea Boccelli's songs over pictures of Tuscany (he is from there). His music is world-class and combined with the photography, I think that I have died and gone to ......Tuscany! If you love great music and beautiful places, try 'Under Tuscan Skies" DVD with Andrea Boccelli.

Southwest photos

Babes in Beantown

Recently, I got the visit the Boston grandkids and what fun it was! Bridget, who is now almost a year and a half, had grown so much and is a precious, petite, happy little girl. Small enough to bathe in the kitchen sink, but big enough to enjoy being read to, sometime the same book again, and again, and again.
Kiernan has REALLY changed from a little boy to a young man. We went for canoe rides, walked in a bog(in water up to our ankles at times), got to watch him play ball and all of the fun things that young boys do.
Boston is a great city, especially for kids. There is no end of things to do. I look forward to my next visit.
A Cook's Tour of the North End was a great treat for me, as I got to experience the sights, smells and tastes of Boston's North End, the home of some of the best Italian cooking in the world.
I hope to see you again, Kiernan and Bridget before too long. Grandma Jackie loves you!

Waiting on De Plane!

I am currently at Sky Harbor Airport waiting on a plane that is broken. What a comforting thought! I guess that I would rather ride on a fixed plane than a broken one. Oh well, getting up at 5:30 AM is not exactly my favorite thing, and then to find out that my flight has been delayed is a bummer to say the least. I am beginning my journey to Savannah and now only have a 1/2 hour layover in Atlanta, a rather LARGE airport, to make my connecting flight. The joys of travel. But I consider myself very lucky to have made the trip at all. It is one of my all time favorite vacations. We drove about 1300 miles and saw some of the most beautiful scenery in the US. We ate some of the finest food in the US. Altough I hate to leave, I am going back to a place that I love, which is a good thing. From the high desert of New Mexico to the Lowcountry of South Carolina is a real journey, each place having its own unique beauty. I love them both. The people here in Phoenix are rejoicing that it will be only 106 degrees here today, which is the lowest it has been in a few weeks. The air here is equivalent to what you feel coming out of a hair dryer, no joke. Dry heat is hot hot hot......but no complaints here. There is nothing I hate more than being cold. Signing off for now. Stay tuned for a more exciting blog in a week or so with great slide shows of all my many pictures and may even some music!

Books and Pueblos

Hard to believe, is it not, that Jackie found a bookstore! I LOVE the name, Moby Dickens. It is a quaint little bookstore in the middle of the plaza at Taos and I HAD to get a book or two there dealing with the local history. We got to make our much anticipated trip to the Taos Pueblo, which has been in existence since the 1200's. There are about 50 indians still living there. There is much history surrounding the pueblo, including the fact that it was sadly taken from the Indians by the US government and then at last returned to them by Richard Nixon. I took many pictures there, of course, since it just begs to have pictures taken of it. It is so hard to imagine what it was like when it was fully populated. Originally it had only tiny windows and no doors. The only access into the homes was to go up on ladders and climb down through the roof. That way in case of attack, the ladders could be raised and the enemy had no access to the pueblo. The Indian artisans that we met there were incredibly friendly. We will be returning to Santa Fe tomorrow, (Sunday) and go to a flea market there where I hope to find some treasures at a fraction of the cost that I would find them anywhere else. Then one last night in Santa Fe and the long journey (8 hours) back to the heat of Phoenix on Monday. This has been one incredible trip. If you have not been to the Southwest, please put it on the list of things that you must do one day.

I am ready for National Geographic!

What a day. The dream of every photographer, even the super-amateurs like me is to find a place like Canyon Road in Santa Fe. I did not even have to go into a single gallery to get over 100 incredible photographs. The outsides of the galleries were as beautiful as the insides, if not better. The shadows and color made it easy for me to look like a halfway decent photographer. I just love it. There was beauty everywhere I looked. The nickname for New Mexico is "The Land of Enchantment" and it truly is.
We drove today from Santa Fe to Taos, which is an artistic community one hour north of Santa Fe. It is a truly eclectic mix of cowboys, burnt out hippies, artists galore, and artist wannabees. It is truly a fascinating town. We hope to go to the Taos Pueblo tomorrow and get more great pictures. I should be able to set up a slideshow for you once I get home.
To take a road trip with a girlfriend that you have known for almost 50 years is incredible just to think about. I am so glad to have such a great buddy and traveling companion. All women should have such a friend. Stay tuned for more tomorrow.

Bam!

Here is a picture of the cooking class that we took today. It was just awesome. The chef was incredible, has opened 7 Santa Fe Restaurants in Great Britain and has been a chef for a LONG time. We learned to make: Lime Marinated Salmon, Green Chile Scalloped Potatoes, Citrus Cilantro Dressing, Corn and Black Bean Salsa (to die for) and flan. It was just incredible. I cannot wait to go home and try it. This cooking school is famous world-wide. We then went to the plaza where the Indian vendors had their wares out for sale, beautiful jewelry, all hand made. I was good and did not buy a thing. Amazing. We walked around the historic section of Santa Fe until our feet wore out. It was a great day. It is nice and warm here in the daytime and cool in the evenings. Santa Fe is actually at 7,000 feet, higher than Denver. It is the highest state capitol in the USA. It is an incredibly beautiful city and boasts over 500 restaurants. It is by no means a large city but famous for its cuisine.
Tomorrow we head for Taos, about an hour north of here where I plan to get my best pictures. I can hardly wait. We are having a grand time. I highly recommend New Mexico for anyone wanting an exceptional vacation. I will try to send some "artsy" pictures tomorrow.
"For me a picture should be something likeable, joyous and pretty, yes, pretty. There are enough ugly things in life for us not to add to them"......Renoir

Do you know the way to Santa Fe?

Well, my wish for the last almost 10 years has been to revisit Santa Fe, which I visited briefly many moons ago. I consider it, along with Sedona, Arizona to be one of the most beautiful towns I have ever seen and I have felt drawn back to it ever since.
After arriving in Phoenix last night, where the temperature was a balmy 113 degrees, I got a good night's sleep, and took off this morning with my best friend of MANY years to play Thelma and Louise and take a road trip across the Southwest. The terrain is mystical and beautiful and around every bend in an awe inspiring sight.
My primary focus while I am here is to take some magnificent pictures which I hope to share with you beginning tomorrow and secondly to eat my way across New Mexico. Tomorrow we go to the Santa Fe School of Cooking to learn how to make a traditional Southwest meal from start to finish. I really think I need to quit work and apply for a grant that would enable me to spend the rest of my life traveling and taking pictures. And eating. Oh well, we can dream, can't we?
Happy 4th of July!