Saturday, October 31st

Halloween has such strange customs! I suppose it serves a purpose other than the obvious one of kids getting way too much candy. It gives people an excuse to engage in silliness and pretending, and then to go back to normalcy without anyone saying they're crazy.

I wonder if someday anthropologists will look at old halloween artifacts and conclude that we were superstitious and fearful. They'll probably think we took this stuff seriously! After all, we tend to look back at people who lived long ago and fail to consider that they had a sense of humor.

I took the above picture in front of a discount store using my old Nikon camera. My newer Canon camera is in the shop. I first noticed it failing when it was just over 3 months old, too late to return it to Crutchfield's. The zoom was erratic, failing to return to normal after I used it to zoom in on something. Unfortunately this did not show in the viewfinder, so I lost a number of photo opportunities. Here's an example.

Through the viewfinder, I saw a cute dog looking out the door. I photographed him with the colorful wall and pumpkins lending interest on the right. It wasn't until later that I realized that the zoom had not retracted properly and the doggie was out of the frame. (The camera is a G16 and not an SLR.)

Speaking of dogs, our buddy Flash is not feeling well. We took him to the vet yesterday and she said he has an overgrowth of bad bacteria in his gut. She prescribed metronidazole and a probiotic powder.

Sharing with Sepia Saturday and Saturday Critters

New Pergola at Glen Burnie

In Winchester, Virginia

Sharing with Black and White Weekend and Saturday Silhouettes

Yellow Ginkgo Trees

Last year I discovered the gingko grove after many of the leaves had fallen, carpeting the grass with yellow.  It's at the State Arboretum, also known as Blandy Experimental Farm, near Boyce, VA.  Since I wanted to see it at its autumn peak this year, we drove there yesterday after an appointment in Winchester.

Yellow yellow yellow! It was glorious with yellow!

Sharing with Skywatch Friday

Scarecrows in The Plains

One day we had lunch in the town of The Plains, Virginia because I wanted to check out a new restaurant. We found that the town had a scarecrow contest and many businesses were participating.

Since My Town Shoot Out has Halloween as a theme today, I'm linking up there, and also sharing with Orange You Glad It's Friday.

Even the fire department had a scarecrow!

By the way, the restaurant we went to check out was a bit disappointing. The food was okay but the noise level made it unsuitable as a place to meet Frank's daughter for lunch and conversation. Also, the menu was very limited, especially considering my food allergies. They did have a little message (pictured below) about allergens which would have seemed funnier if I had found enough to eat there.

Click to Make the Image Larger

In Front of Kentuck Knob

The current owners of Kentuck Knob are collectors of sculpture and other items. I found some nice rail fences to share with Good Fences, and some bird houses and a London phone booth to share with you.

The house called Kentuck Knob was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. We were not permitted to take pictures inside but it was fascinating. Some of the door openings were oddly narrow. 

This is our pretty tour guide, Debbie. She provided an interesting history of the house. The original concept was for an affordable home. Wright was already a very famous architect and designed the house without seeing the site, although he had photos and engineers' drawings.

See all my Kentuck Knob posts. 

A Walk in the Woods at Kentuck Knob

October in Western Pennsylvania

If you tour Kentuck Knob, you have a choice of taking the bus back to the Visitor Center or strolling back through the woods. This is a walk worth taking! Sculpture was placed through the woodland by the second owners of the home. The original owners, the Hagans, planted the trees back in the 1950s or '60s, apparently selecting species that would provide spectacular fall colors. The effect is delightful!

This piece is a section of the Berlin Wall, which was demolished starting in 1990. Below we see two stone structures, a cairn and a circular wall. (You can click on a picture to see a larger version.)

Sharing with Outdoor Wednesday

Troilus the Tortoise

Sharing with Wordless Wednesday and
Black and White Wednesday
and Camera Critters

Frank Lloyd Wright's Kentuck Knob

Sharing with Wordless Wednesday on Tuesday and Through My Lens

The View from Kentuck Knob

We visited Kentuck Knob in Pennsylvania on Friday. The house is known for being designed by Frank Lloyd Wright who was the architect for the more famous Falling Water, which is nearby.

The house on Kentuck Knob is surrounded by trees. A path leads to a spectacular viewpoint.

It was a fantastic day to be in the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania! Autumn colors were at their peak. We did not visit Falling Water this time because we've been there before, but if you find yourself in southwestern Pennsylvania, you'll enjoy touring both places. Spend several days if you can — nearby Ohiopyle State Park is beautiful and historic Fort Necessity is worth a visit.

Sharing with The Barn Collective

and NF Trees and Bushes

and Our World Tuesday

More Pictures of Bill's Wedding

Once upon a time I considered photographing weddings. I had taken many photography classes and worked as a department store photographer. I worked as an assistant to a wonderful portrait photographer Suna Lee and even helped her photograph a wedding. But I really had no desire to go to weddings; I found myself wondering where the quaint customs originated and why they persist. (To be honest I found some of them weird!) So I never pursued the opportunities and only go to weddings of family and friends.

My brother-in-law's recent ceremony was small and sensible, which is the best kind in my opinion.

(Click on the collage to see it larger.)

Sharing with Mosaic Monday

Center UMC Hosts a Wedding

In Natrona Heights, PA

Frank's brother got married yesterday! We drove to Pennsylvania for the wedding, which went beautifully. The couple's children and grandchildren were there, as well as some friends.

I was asked to take pictures. Since I am not a wedding photographer and all three of my cameras are undependable, I deputized Frank as my assistent. Between the two of us, we got an adequate selection of images.

Frank, Bill, Alan, Dan

Bill's Daughters (Photographed by Frank)

The Bride

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Walcroft

Sprays

Sharing with Sepia Saturday