Pumpkin Art, Ithaca, New York, USA

It's that time of the year.....for pumpkin carving! This is me with my creation! I think I need a bow tie.



My design was quick and simple.



Others were much more artistic and involved detailed designs.



Like this soaring hawk. (Note to self: big knives are not so good for detailed pumpkin carving).



Small, sharp, wood-working tools are more suited to a finely detailed design.  And it's gonna take quite a while to finish......

...... in the meantime, me and my simpleton got dressed up and went for a walk.



And when the precision carving was complete, here's the final result.........



..........and when illuminated from within - pumpkin art at its finest!

Rabbit Pond Revisited, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

I stopped by Rabbit Pond again to see what progress the colors had made since my last visit.

I can always count on the maples.

Invariably, they put on the best show.

A Walk in the Foothills, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

I recently published a series on the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta at this link.  If you are not interested in ballooning, there is plenty to do otherwise - like take a hike in the nearby foothills of the Sandia mountains. There are numerous public conservation and parklands to enjoy. This view is looking westward across the Rio Grande valley. (Panorama - click to view full width if your device supports that action).



The conical hill is "U-mound," located where Copper Avenue NE dead-ends into the foothills. There is dedicated parking there for maybe a half dozen or so cars at the trailhead. The vertical climb to the top is about 330 feet increase in elevation.



Not just people on the trails either.











The cactus is a reminder that I am far, far, far away from my home in the verdant northeastern State of Massachusetts.

Buttermilk Falls, Ithaca, New York, USA

Although one of my first thoughts about Ithaca is as a city of higher learning - Cornell University, Ithaca College - the town motto, "Ithaca is Gorges," is a clever play-on-words as well as a true characterization of the countless waterfalls all around the area.



This series of tumblers is just outside downtown in the Buttermilk Falls State Park, which, by the way, is free to enter this time of year instead of the usual $7 per car fee normally charged. We seniors do love a bargain - and since I turned 65 on this trip, I am now officially and forevermore, undeniably a senior.



Although the peak of fall has passed there are still a few stragglers that accent the skyline.



And yes, those are man-made steps that parallel the river as you walk deeper into the gorge to enjoy the sights and sounds of this natural wonder.



You photographers will appreciate the challenge - I couldn't get a shutter speed slower than 1 second to get better water blurring without blowing out the highlights. Not to mention I needed a smaller aperture, and a lower ISO, and a tripod, and a bigger format camera, and a pony, and some ice cream, and a............

Around Town on a Fall Day, Manomet, Chiltonville, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

It's that time of year again when nature's palette comes alive in New England. (Click to view a higher resolution version if your device supports that action).



These sights are from random locations in the Plymouth villages of Chiltonville and Manomet.



Sometimes just subtle golds complement the greens.......



....and other times, fiery reds and oranges predominate.



Fall coloring makes a good complement to an old red barn.



Meanwhile, a pine forest wonders what's all the fuss about.



It's a fuss I never tire of seeing - nor the slight chill in the air as the days grow shorter in preparation for the first white blanket of snow to appear.  We have it all - hot, cold, warm, cool, sunny, cloudy, snowy, clear, windy, rainy, icy, calm - sometimes, all in the same day or week! New England weather - if you don't like it, wait a few minutes, it will change.

"Little Shop of Horrors," Dress Rehearsal, Part 2 of 2, Priscilla Beach Theatre, Priscilla Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Priscilla Beach Theatre (PBT) recently held the last main Barn Stage production this season with the ever popular, "Little Shop of Horrors." The image above is a posed portrait of the entire cast and director (at center with hat).  It is a rare treat for me to have every performer with their million dollar smiles looking directly into the camera.  Most of my work at PBT is during live action performances and the camera is invisible. They look as great as was the show!

Bob and Sandy Malone, owners and guardians of Priscilla Beach Theatre,  have done it again - closed out another season of outstanding performances with this sold-out run!

These images are from the final of two dress rehearsals - the last one before opening night! Part 1 is at this link.

The story line: "A sci-fi musical smash hit with touch in cheek comedy! The meek floral assistant Seymour Krelborn stumbles across a new breed of plant he names 'Audrey II' - after his coworker crush. This foul-mouthed, R&B singing carnivore promises unending fame and fortune to the down and out Krelborn as long as he keeps feeding it, BLOOD. Over time, though, Seymour discovers Audrey II's out of the world origins and intent toward global domination." (Source: PBT)

Many members of the PBT team that make all this happen behind the scenes include:

Owners, Guardians, and Producers: Bob and Sandy Malone

Director: Matt Torrance

Choreographer: Ashley Evans
Production Manager: Joshua Patino
Stage Manager: Ross Magnant
Musical Director: Christopher Ricci
Lighting: Ellie Rogers
Sound: Chris Conti/Clear Line Audio
Production Assistant: Richard Danehy

Director Matt Torrance, a Plymouth native, is a multi-talented singer, dancer, actor, and director who many of you will remember for his outstanding role in PBT's 2015 opening summer season production of "Chicago." Many of you local PBT parents will remember Matt for his kind and endearing manner as a director of many children's productions here at PBT.

The following images are in order of appearance in the show. (Click on an image for a higher resolution version if your device supports that action).

And yes, I realize some images are similar to each other. That is purposeful. None of these are posed (except the all-cast portraits), rather, they are moments frozen in time during a live performance. They are basically snapshots. An individual actor/actress may look better in one than the other. It matters if you are the individual actor/actress - perhaps not so much if you're a random reader looking at this blog post - please indulge me for the benefit of the cast. They often use these images to share with family, friends, and to build their portfolio.
















































































































































































































Season tickets for the 2018 season go on sale in December. Come out and support this magical local resource in our community. Buy some for yourself, your family, your friends - you will be glad you did when next summer arrives and you already hold tickets to the shows! Almost all shows this past season were sold out way far in advance - don't miss out!

Here's the line-up for next season:

"The Last Five Years" in May,
"The Drowsy Chaperone" in June,
"Guys and Dolls" in July,
"Bye, Bye, Birdie" in August,
"Damn Yankees" in September, 
"Dames at Sea" in October.