Living the New England dream: Corn maze

Last year I was slightly to the right of sad that I didn't get to go apple picking or go to a corn maze...they're just not activities you do by yourself unless you want to really drive home how few friends you have.

This year I made it happen...and joined the church youth group on their outings. ha.

My group of four intrepid women headed into the maize maze with gusto...and we were the last group that managed to find a way out. It was not without adventure, namely one of the maze cops (I'm not making that up) flirting with the young lady with the bun.

Album cover! When they eventually write more than one song, I'm claiming this photo for their first EP.

and Mary

Harvest

A few photos from a farm down the road. I never get tired of these blue skies...or apparently of taking a photo of the same thing from different angles and zooms...

This is macoun apple crisp...I just made that up.

What is it about old wood...and in a field? Jackpot!

with filter

Without filter

without color...

chives

Just kidding...more corn.

Talk soon...

I took vintage-y pictures of the fair

Grab a funnel cake and enjoy the show.

I want that pig.

I'm loving it...Matt (my editor) and I went down that. Woot woot!

Late afternoon ride

Centrifugal

Man eat turkey.

Sweet

This is great...surpassed only by the unicorn cow.

Hey-o!

Will we still have jobs when we get home?

signed,
Still employed

Oh hi...I went to the fair

Let's face it. I'm completely incapable of focusing on only one interest. At this very moment, I've got pieces of a skirt pattern in one corner. A vanilla ylang ylang soy candle prototype is cooling on the counter. A rats nest of fabric and rope is squirming on the coffee chest (which I wish was a coffee table). And I've got a few hundred photos I wish I had already edited and posted here. There's also at least 5 pounds of local cranberries sitting in bowls all around the living room/kitchen/office that I need to can and stuff into the wardrobe. Mmmm....and the hallway is littered with handmade cutting boards curing with mineral oil.

Oh my goodness and I've only read 10 books this year! Consider this an APB for a 30 hour a week job and/or a redhead with a good job who just loves a putterer.

That said, I played hooky early this fall with my editor. (We sort of got caught by our boss...but sometimes you have to preserve your sanity.) 

We went to The Big E aka The Big Eastern Exposition, New England's big state(s) fair. I love state fairs. I'd go to one right now, if there was one to go to. That's how much I love them.

Tour guide

Don't mind if I do, Billie.

Hate corn dogs. Hate them so much. Yick.

Here's lookin' at you, kid.

Oh to have taken this in film...but I love it.

Ain't nobody got time for that.

Fun fact

Ewe're laughing out loud right now, right? What a good sport.

More, even better photos soon.

Redemption

To me, one of the great mysteries of the world is that people who probably don't have any more wisdom than the rest of us can create beautiful, redemptive art. If you've ever written something, taken a photo, or strummed a guitar, I bet you've felt it - something beyond yourself that's almost creating through you rather than directly from you.

I love the following quote from one of my favorite movies, A Love Song for Bobby Long (don't read the book, by the way) – Critics were not so much fans of said film...they were wrong. It's gorgeous and literary and a picture of how one event can break lives to pieces and how another can glue them back together.

This interaction is one of my favorite in the movie. 

Let's not forget that a few words can change a person's entire perception of themselves.

The little'uns of Haiti

When you're taking a purposeful picture of kids in Haiti, their tendency is to give you a serious look. Luckily for me, I wowed them with my amazing French language skills and got some brilliant photos of their pretty perfect little faces...

 This kid had different, even somewhat Asian, features from most of the Haitian people I saw. Très exotic.

 I loved this kid's head. Such a great, photogenic head.

 ...then there's this guy...

 there's Asian Haitian and perfect head kid again! Love love this photo and the lighting taken in their classroom. They're getting a new school soon!

All the kids in these photos have their school tuition supported through the Bethany Project. If you're interested in sponsoring a child for $30 a month, let me know. The money also helps to give the kids a few meals a day as 80% go to school hungry.

Haitians up close and the best picture I've taken in a year

I don't do it enough, but I really do love taking pictures of people, especially people in foreign countries. Kid pictures will be up in the next post.

 

 Marie was a sweet lady from our sister church. We couldn't communicate well, since she only spoke Haitian Creole, but she was so encouraging and welcoming.

 Another shot of Jeremy, our driver who also works with a ministry based in Port-au-Prince. 

 Surprise! Goats were about the only healthy looking animals we saw...I presume because they eat everything.

 Our constant shadow Lolac all bleached out.

 One of the young women of the vocational school.

The best picture I took in Haiti. Hands down. Ok, this lady was crazy...like she was actually crazy but wow she was gorgeous. I had to beg for 5 minutes for this picture. Worth it.