Thursday Photo Challenge: Food

The theme this week is food.  I'm working on a photographic family cookbook.  This is my husband's favorite - pineapple upside down cake!

Lunch with the Deer

I am fortunate to work down the street from the forest preserve.  I often take my lunch there so I can enjoy the quiet.  During the warmer months, I sit at one of the picnic tables to eat, otherwise, I sit in my car with the windows open slightly so I can listen to the birds and the sound of the Des Plaines River.  Today, I was surprised by the number of deer out in the clearing.  It appears someone has treated the deer to a snack of apples and potatoes.  

  

"I see you, lady with the camera."

Catching snowflakes on his tongue???

It started to snow on the way home and I couldn't help but take a picture of the trees covered in snow.  Today was a very serene day.  I love when that happens!

Images of Winter Birds

Seagulls, pigeons, and geese are drawn to urban and suburban Chicago parking lots in search of food.  There is a large shopping area with a retention pond, plenty of grassy areas, and unfortunately, lots of fast food establishments.  

The birds were not afraid of people and I suspect that they have many friends who frequently drop off treats for them.  The natural sunlight allowed for some wonderful photographs but I think the first one is my favorite.   

Preserving Family History

"Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family"

                                                                               - Anthony Brandt.  

My mom is the keeper of the family history.  She has spent countless hours collecting birth/death certificates, written letters to supposed relations, searched the Newberry library for evidence, and finally compiled the names, dates, and memorabilia. Perhaps out of a desire to save future generations the effort, my mother has made it her mission to document her own life in photos.  

Mom is rarely without her camera.

Rarely will she venture out without her camera.  We once overheard a mother speaking to her young child, explaining that he shouldn't waste his film.  "Only take the picture if you know it will be good."  Mom couldn't wrap her head around that telling me, "better to take a picture and see that it didn't turn out than to have missed the opportunity".  Perhaps it is from her that I inherited my fondness for photography, however, I must state that my subjects are rarely of the human variety - but that is a post for another day.  

As a psychology student, I am enrolled in a human development course.  One assignment required an interview with a senior citizen so that we could apply geriatric theories to our subject.  I chose my grandmother, Bernice.  At 82, she has gained a greater perspective on life. She was the perfect choice.

During the preparation of my paper, I found myself connecting with the subjects of her stories.  Although I had heard many of the them before, there was something unique about the interview process that brought to life these individuals I had never met.  From her descriptions, I could imagine the house she grew up in, what family dinner at her home was like, and how frightening/exciting it must have been to elope at 18 and travel from Sioux Falls to Texas with my grandfather. Afterwards, I felt a sense of pride in her accomplishments and for the life she has lived.  

Mom has always wondered which of her own children should inherit the compiled family history journals and  memorabilia that is "her life" (currently occupying 50+ photo albums and an old chest) after she passes.  For a long time my sister was the chosen one.  Perhaps we'll need to talk about that now.

Signs of Winter #1

We woke this morning to a thin layer of snow.  I love the first hour after a snowfall when it is still clean and touched only by the animals.  I was so glad I had remembered to refill the bird feeders yesterday.  As I opened the front door to get a better view, I noticed four male cardinals enjoying the black oil sunflower seeds.

Footprints in the snow.

One of the male cardinals.

 My abrupt presence, of course, startled them and they flew up into the trees to await my departure.  One was particularly vocal and I was suddenly pulled back into Dr. Dilger's high school animal behavior class when we learned the calls of all the local birds . . .  "here, birdie, birdie, birdie birdie" (that is how we learned to recognize it, anyway).  I love taking photographs of the birds.  Many will stand still as though posing.

Here some of my other photographs of birds.

A robin I photographed this past spring.

I caught this bird while on vacation at Disney World in Florida
two years ago.  I imagine he was thinking, "You are in the happiest
place on earth, why are you taking MY picture?"

I saw (actually heard) this woodpecker while
we were at Castle Rock Lake in Wisconsin
this past summer.