Tag Archives: travel

Monochrome Photography

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black-and-white-down-the-roadI took this monochrome photo today, as we drove back to our camp ground. We are spending a few days in southern Utah, RVing in our 5th Wheel trailer. While studying my digital camera and the manual, I learned how to photograph in monochrome and  decided that today I would use this setting for all photos.

seeing-zionThe mountains in the far distance are part of Zion National Park. I get goose bumps just looking at this photo. Zion seems even more mystical in monochrome. These photos make me feel like I’m looking at photographs taken in the 1950s.

Ace-hardware-La-VercinWe made a stop at the local hardware shop, and if it wasn’t for the modern car, again I’d think I was looking at the 50’s

purse-and-Jeans-2This last photo is of my camera case resting on my lap. My jeans are dark blue and the case is chartreuse. It’s amazing how the monochrome setting works. I have a feeling I’ll  stay in this particular setting for at least another day, and then on to Sepia, I think.

An Early Morning Walk by San Diego Bay

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Walk-along-the-bayMy early morning walk gave me this tranquil view of San Diego Bay. Later while looking at   photos I’d taken, the one above is just one of many, I found myself smiling. It was then I realized that Plum Bird Corner, should be filled with photos that make me feel happy, and hopefully you too. Photos full of bright cheerful colors, beautiful scenery, flowers and birds. African-violet-1Above is my newest African Violet. It’s a perfect example of bright and cheerful, don’t you think? I spotted it by the door, when entering Trader Joe’s to do some grocery shopping, and I just couldn’t resist

Sail-Boat-ChulaSpeaking of cheerful, how could I not include this photo of a sailboat, named Happy. It certainly brought a smile to my face when I saw it resting in the marina this morning.

Candy and Kites in Bodega Bay

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imageWhile staying in Napa, California, and planning a visit to Bodega Bay, friends emailed  to tell us about a store there owned by long time friends of theirs. Second Wind specializes in kites, toys, sweets, and fun. Above is a bowl filled with sweet salt water taffy we bought there. We’d never seen so many flavors and we wanted to try them all. The shop was also filled with every sort of kite imaginable. We met Elaine, a very welcoming lady and one of the two owners. She took the photo below of me and my husband and our dog Annika in front of the store. We had a great time looking at the games, puzzles, wind socks, ground spinners and too many other items to mention. If you would like to learn more about this delightful store, take a look at their web site, www.secondwind.com.

imageOn  our way back to Napa, we drove through the town of Bodega, where we stopped at the old school house where Alfred Hitchcock filmed The Birds. You can see the building in the two photos below.

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imageIt was a busy day with lots of exploring. I wonder where we will be off to tomorrow. Right now I’m going to enjoy a piece of that yummy salt water taffy.

From New Zealand to Napa California

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Last April I spent three weeks with our daughter who lives in New Zealand. While there I purchased this stove top espresso maker. I wrote about it in the posts titled Coffee in New Zealand, and Love my Stove Top Espresso Maker. One of the things I love about it,  is its portability. Above you see a photo I took while preparing a cup of espresso on the stove in our 5th wheel trailer, during a recent trip to Napa California.

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Delicious espresso ready to enjoy. Another plus with the stove top espresso maker, is how quickly you can prepare a single cup of coffee, which I often do in the late afternoon. Our daughter recommended that I buy the stainless steel version rather than the aluminum variety which I did, even though it was a little more expensive. Being coffee lovers we also have a Keurig  coffee maker which uses pods, and we use it most days, but for size, flavor, and convenience, you just can’t beat a stove top espresso maker for a robust cup of coffee.

Beautiful New Zealand Day!

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pretty houseThis morning the rain stopped and the weather turned gorgeous. I decided to walk to the mall, which is an hour away. I was ready for some good exercise after being housebound for a couple of days. Above is one of the lovely houses on my daughter’s street. I love seeing the different architectural styles in New Zealand. Many of the homes have steel roofs in different colours. Aunti Mays house

When I saw this house I was transported back to my early childhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It reminds me so very much of the house my aunt, uncle, and cousins lived in before they moved to California in the late 50s. I just had to take a photo of it.NZ-lunchI walked back home, another hour, and prepared my lunch. As you can see, it was a New Zealand/California combination. Cheese quesadilla, tea, and ginger biscuits. Not the healthiest, but It was yummy.!