A Visit to the Bamboo Farm

While I worked at May Howard field trips to the Bamboo Farm were commonplace by our little people. But, having always taught upper elementary I never made a trip there. I went looking for another location to take pictures and ended up here on another short field trip with my dad.

The gardens and farm appear to be in the midst of a large renovation plan. The map available shows many gardens under construction and planned for the future. A large central building was near completion during our visit. The new water garden was definitely my favorite!

Savannah's Wildlife Refuge

My time in the US for the summer is quickly coming to an end.

This time next week I'll be back in Milan, brushing off my Italian language skills and getting together with my colleagues from work.

But for now, I'm trying to make the most of the few days I have left.

Today, Dad and I headed out to the Savannah Wildlife Refuge, technically located in South Carolina, but just over the Talmadge Bridge and state border. The SWR has a four mile gravel road that is designed for visitors to drive down and pull over as desired. For me, the first two miles were more interesting than the final two since there were more flowers and changes of scenery. We didn't see much wildlife, but I think that summer is not the most ideal season and we'd have better luck at other times of the year.

I just purchased a new camera lens, one with a open aperture, and wanted to experiment with what I could do with it.

Here are some of my pictures from our outing:

protected nature, with a factory just across the river

Scavenger hunt-- find one alligator!

All images shot with a Nikon D3100 and a AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G lens.

Photographing the Dead...Well, Sort of!

Living on Wilmington Island places us fairly close to many of Savannah's historic treasures. We're ten minutes from the beach and ten minutes from downtown. Snuggled in between the islands and downtown Savannah you can find the city's largest cemetery, Bonaventure Cemetery. Bonaventure is the final resting place of poet Conrad Aiken, song writer Johnny Mercer, and photographer Jack Leigh among many other notables. It was also home to the "Bird Girl" featured on the cover of John Berendt's book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil before her move to the Telfair Museum of Art. The cemetery, founded in 1846, features grand live oak lined pathways and burial sites ranging from very simple to highly ornate.

If you're making a trip to Savannah, a read of Berendt's book is a good idea.

Dad and I took a stroll around the cemetery so that I could practice using my camera. This summer I enrolled in Candice Stringham's Mastering Your DSLR on A Beautiful Mess. I shot all my images on manual, using this setting for the first time ever. All in all, for a first go, I was happy with a few of the shots. You can check them out below!

Savannah's Live Oak trees are super gorgeous!

Dad resting on Conrad Aiken's 'bench'.

All images shot with my Nikon D3100, still rocking the kit lens- AF-S DX VR Zoom Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G.

I love checking out different and unique cemeteries. Both Savannah and Milan have their share of cool burial grounds. Where are other interesting cemeteries?

Tybee Time!

Tybee Island, Georgia is just a short ten minute drive down the road from where my family lives in Savannah. Locals and tourists alike flock to the shore every summer to enjoy the miles of sandy beaches and warm weather.

I've been to the beach several times this summer and actually ventured into the water. Unfortunately, the Atlantic Ocean water off Savannah's coast does not resemble the clear, blue waters you can find along European shores. This murky water has always discouraged me from splashing in the waves. (The murkiness results from the muddy river water merging with the ocean. source) I prefer to see what I'm swimming with, especially when the water is warm and the jellyfish stings are common. But, this summer, I steeled my nerves and made a few trips into the ocean.

It's fun to see my friends' children enjoy the waves and playing in the sand. I was also able to hit the beach with my Aunt Joni, while she watched her youngest grandchildren experience the beach for the first time.

Someone likes to dig holes to play in!

Mmmmmmm!

Splashin' in the waves!

Digging away!

Sunset at the Tybee pier

Aunt Joni and I at the beach! 

Street Art of Reykjavik

A modern, edgy vibe exists in the heart of Reykjavik. Many of the stores and restaurants help to create this feeling and it's echoed through the street art that can be found as well.

Here are some of the examples of cool street art that I found while in Reykjavik.

This was hard to get a clear shot of because of where it's located, but the top of the roof edge
is designed to look like a snow capped mountain.

Hopefully, they find their mate!

I love the geometry of this. That should not shock anyone who knows me well.

outside the hrim store

Need to learn how to tie your tie?

So cute.

Found on the windows of a local bar...

B-B-Boston!

After spending a week in the US, I was off to Boston for the Building Learning Communities Conference offered by Alan November and his team at November Learning. The conference schedule was full of individuals that I've followed on Twitter and have read their blogs or other works, like Silvia Tolisano and Kathy Cassidy. It was great to see these ladies in person and hear their ideas and know that what I believe about global connection and collaboration is in align with what they were saying.

It was also nice to have some time to explore Boston and tour a US city for a change.

Boston Tea Party harbor

Boston Common- There were a number of green spaces in central Boston.

I wandered down to Fenway Park just to check things out.

Alright TV fans...name that show!

The red velvet was AH-MAZING!!
And yes, the icing is as thick as the cupcake itself.

Have you read The Dot? If not, you should check it out!
Peter autographed my book and we were invited to the Fablevision studios located in Boston.

I met up with Siri, a former ASM colleague, for dinner on Boston's Newbury Street.
We took about a hundred pictures and disliked most of them, including this one,
but it was the best of the bunch. It was great seeing Siri again and catching up!