Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
2016 Daily Photos – March 22-26
I made it……through the entire alphabet……26 days…….26 letters……..26 photos…….not a single one stumped me and had to be skipped! YAY!!!!
And, so, here are the final alphabet inspired daily photos for March 22-26 representing the letters, V, W, X, Y, and Z:
TUESDAY, MARCH 22:
“V is for Veggie Variety”
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23:
“W is for Wine and Wicker”
THURSDAY, MARCH 24:
“X is for……hey, sometimes an X is just an X!”
FRIDAY, MARCH 25:
“Y is for YMCA”
Orleans County YMCA in Medina, NY
The building that now houses the Orleans County YMCA was built in 1901 as the Medina Armory.
It was the home of the New York Army National Guard until 1977 when it was closed and the YMCA took over the building.
And, last, but certainly not least……the period at the end of the sentence……the last sound you hear at the end of a long hard day……the letter ZZZZZZZ!
SATURDAY, MARCH 26:
“Z is for Zig-Zag Road, Albion, NY”
So, now that the alphabet is done, but there are still days in the month, I think I’ll take a break from themed photos and just snap whatever catches my eye for the remaining five days in March. I have to decide between two possible options for the theme for April, but I have five days to make that decision……you’ll find out on April 1st!
2016 Daily Photos – Celebrating “U”
OK, so…..unless this is the first time you’ve ever visited my blog and this is the only post you’ve gotten to, so far, you know that I’ve challenged myself to do a photo a day throughout 2016 and that for March, I have chosen the Alphabet as my inspiration. When I started, I thought there may be some letters that I may just have to skip because I wasn’t sure how in the world I would find something local to photograph to represent them….but, I was determined to not let that happen. Early on, I had ideas for X, Y, and Z – the ones I assumed would be the toughest. Q came to me fairly early on, as well. So, I have had those ideas ready for when those days came and I could get out and capture the photos I had in mind…..unless a better idea came along in the mean time. But, I have to say that U has turned out to be the most difficult one right up until the bitter end! Three days ago, it hit me that Umbrella would be PERFECT…..but, not until AFTER I used a photo of an umbrella for R (Red Rain Repellent)…..DANG!!!
Then…..last night and this morning, a flood of ideas poured into my brain! Why didn’t I think of any of these sooner and save myself from Unnecessary stress? So – since U looked like it was going to be the most challenging and ended up being a really fun one to do, I decided to devote a whole blog post to showcase the letter U! And, now, without further ado, here is my CELEBRATION OF THE LETTER “U”:
Yes, it looked like U was going to be the Underdog – a Unique letter creating mostly Under Utilized words that, for the most part, are typically adjectives I could Use to describe something, but not many that I would likely find locally and easily to Utilize for the subject of a photo! I don’t think I know anyone named Ursula, so that idea was out…..I already Used an Umbrella and my main rule was to ensure each photo was Unusual – not the typical subject you’d think of for each letter or any repeats, so that was no longer an option…..I thought of finding a Utility worker in a bucket high on a Utility pole, but I knew I couldn’t count on finding one (and, as it turns out, I didn’t see a single one anywhere, today — must be a Utility worker holiday or something). So, Under the circumstances, as the day came closer and closer and the Utmost Urgency to find a U photo closed in, I wondered if U would Unfortunately end up getting swept Under the carpet and skipped over!!!??? Um….NO! I found this option to be Utterly Unacceptable…..I am Unstoppable…..I knew I would Ultimately prevail…..and, I did! I went around town, today, having Unbelievable fun going through my list of ideas and giving my Undivided attention to the Letter U!
First Up – the photo that Ultimately became the official March 21st photo to represent the Letter U that was posted to Instagram and Facebook:
MONDAY, MARCH 21:
“U is for Upstairs at the Hoag Library”
And, now for all the Uniquely wonderful alternates:
“U is for Unfinished Puzzle”
“U is for Uno”
“U is for Utensils”
“U is for Umbrellas”
Yeah, I know – this is a duplicate I said I wouldn’t use…..so sue me!!!
“U is for UnCola”
“U is for Underpass”
“U is for Universalist Church”
Now a museum and part of the Cobblestone Society that is primarily used for tours and special occasion services. I was married in this church on June 21, 1985.
Built in Childs, NY (then called Fairhaven, NY) in the early 1800s, it is the oldest cobblestone church in the country.
“U is for Universalist Church….again”
Built in the early 1890s, the Pullman Universalist Church was built in Albion and the congregation moved from the cobblestone church in Childs to this new building.
And, now…..drum roll…..for the fun photo of the day……all you dirty minds out there, hold the giggles in – its not like you can’t see these in any Walmart in the country…..hehehe!!!
“U is for Unmentionables”
I hope you enjoyed this celebration of the letter U and I hope it helped show that nothing is impossible if you put a little (or a lot) of thought into it!!!
Oh, boy – just looked ahead and tomorrow will be the letter V……gotta get that thinking cap on, again! 🙂
2016 Daily Photos – March 17-20
Well, we’re winding down the end of the alphabet – one week to go after these photos – then, I’ll have to decide how I want to finish up the month after the alphabet runs out!
Anyway – here is the next set of Daily Photos for March 17-20, representing the letters Q, R, S, T:
THURSDAY, MARCH 17:
“Q is for Quarterback”
Well, what do ya know!!!??? Peyton Manning showed up in Albion to pose for my “Q” photo!
And, he wore an Xpress Fitness T-shirt!
FRIDAY, MARCH 18:
“R is for Red Rain Repellent”
After I posted this on my “R” day, I thought ooppss – should have saved this idea for my “U” photo!
Wonder what I’ll do for “U” now…….
SATURDAY, MARCH 19:
“S is for Silos”
SUNDAY, MARCH 20:
“T is for Time”
2016 Daily Photos – March 14-16
Next up on the 2016 Daily Photos is March 14-16, representing the letters N, O, P!
MONDAY, MARCH 14:
“N is for Nighty Eight North”
a.k.a. Main Street, Albion, NY
TUESDAY, MARCH 15:
“O is for Otter Creek”
This section of Otter Creek flows by Otter Creek Cemetery. I walked to the west edge of the cemetery to get this photo. When I was much younger, my brother and I used to walk from behind our house through the corn field and down a steep bank to get to “the crick”. I would also go sit on the bank and listen to the water flowing when I wanted to think and relax! Later, I’d often use it as the place I went to in my mind when I needed to clear my head or find calming thoughts……I still find it calming to think about and it is part of many wonderful memories!
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16:
“P is for Puzzle Pieces”
I love puzzles!!! Don’t do them very often, anymore, but I do enjoy it when I do!
M is also for Medina Sandstone
I took a TON of photos while out looking for my Daily Photo Challenge for the letter “M”. I opted for the fun shot of the Meggie Moo’s sign for the official Photo of the Day, but ended up with several wonderful shots of Medina Sandstone that I HAD to share!!! I kept my sandstone photo options to two shining examples out of several outstanding buildings constructed of the gorgeous stone quarried in Orleans County – The Pullman Memorial Universalist Church and the former St. Mary’s Catholic Church – the two that I feel have the best examples of rich colored sandstone.
The first grouping of photos are of the Medina Sandstone used to construct the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church on the corner of Main and East Park Streets in Albion. This church was commissioned by George Pullman (of the Pullman Railroad Car fame) in honor of his parents. It was built in the early 1890s and formally dedicated in January, 1895. It is the home of several stunning Tiffany Stained Glass windows, but these photos showcase the beautiful pink Medina Sandstone that is so prevalent in our area.
The following photos were taken of the former St. Mary’s Catholic Church, showing off a unique mixture of colorful and more typical shades of Medina Sandstone. The Catholic Diocese closed this church in 2007 and merged the congregation with the St. Joseph Catholic Church on Main and West Park Streets, creating the new Holy Family Parish. St. Mary’s was built by Polish immigrants in the early 1890s on the corner of Moore and Brown Streets and contains many incredible stained glass windows and murals. It is now the home of Our Light of Victory congregation.
So, yes……M is also for Medina Sandstone!
2016 Daily Photos – March 11-13
The next set of 2016 Daily Photos is for March 11-13 and represents the letters K, L, and M:
FRIDAY, MARCH 11:
“K is for Keys”
Tinkerbell and Disney Princess keys, to be more specific! 🙂
SATURDAY, MARCH 12:
“L is for Lincoln”
Located in Mount Albion Cemetery, this memorial to Abraham Lincoln was placed on Dec 27, 2015. It stands 5 feet, 8 inches and includes a quote from his second Inaugural Address on March 4, 1865. It was a gift from Rajean Furmanski and Douglas Rich and was created by Brigden Memorials in Albion. It is simply STUNNING!!!
SUNDAY, MARCH 13:
“M is for Meggie Moo’s Ice Cream Parlor in Medina”
A GREAT retro ice cream parlor – check it out!
2016 Daily Photos – March 8-10
Our next set of Daily Photos are for March 8-10 and represent the letters H, I, and J:
TUESDAY, MARCH 8:
“H is for Happy Hands”
This fun sculpture was found on the bank of the Erie Canal in Brockport, NY
This photo was shot from the back of the sculpture because of the location of the sun
The canal can be seen in the background – it is currently drained for the off season
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9:
“I is for Ingersoll Memorial”
Ingersoll Memorial Fountain and Bench in Mount Albion Cemetery
Erected in 1914 in honor of the Ingersoll family.
Nehemiah Ingersoll (1788-1868) was one of Albion’s founding fathers.
THURSDAY, MARCH 10:
“J is for Jelly Beans”
YUMMY!!!
2016 Daily Photos – March 5-7
Continuing on with the alphabet, here are the Daily Photos for March 5-7…..E, F, and G:
SATURDAY, MARCH 5:
“E is for Edgar Allan Poe”
Thank you to Carolyn Ricker of Bindings Bookstore in Albion for allowing me to high jack her books for this photo!
SUNDAY, MARCH 6:
“F is for Frozen Fence”
Taken at Point Breeze, NY where the Oak Orchard River meets Lake Ontario
Despite the recent warmer temperatures, the water spray up on the break wall chains is still cold enough to keep this beautiful sight from thawing out.
MONDAY, MARCH 7:
“G is for Garlic”
LOTS of garlic!!! I bet Tops doesn’t have a huge problem with vampires doing their shopping there!
2016 Daily Photos – March 2-4
So far, so good with using the alphabet as my inspiration for these Daily Photos! Here are the ones I shot on March 2-4:
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2:
“B is for Bells”
Some of the beautiful hand bells used by the Albion First United Methodist Church Bell Choir!
THURSDAY, MARCH 3:
“C is for Culvert”
What do you do on your way from Medina thinking about things to represent the letter “C” for your daily photo challenge? Well, stop for a photo op at the Canal Culvert, of course!
This is the only spot along the entire canal system where the road goes through a culvert under the canal! Constructed in 1823 and still accessible today, it is not only an engineering marvel of its time, but it is also listed in Ripley’s Believe it or Not.
FRIDAY, MARCH 4:
“D is for Dance”
I have admired this sign for a long time…..and always wondered if there was a story behind it – maybe the upper floor above what is now Uncle Sal’s restaurant used to be a dance hall??? Well, I decided to stop and get a photo for today’s “D” challenge and while I was shooting it, someone came up behind me and said “I can turn the sign on for you, if you’d like”!!! I turned around and it was Uncle Sal’s owner, Kenny! I jumped at the opportunity to learn more about the sign. He said there is no story – just a really cool sign…..and I lucked out to have a really nice chat about it! So — no dance hall ghosts waltzing till the wee hours of the morning, but still a really cool sign!!!
BONUS SHOT:
I like the long shot better cause it shows off the building’s beautiful architecture, so it was picked as the photo of the day, but I thought I’d also include a close up so the sign can be the star of the photo!
2016 Daily Photo – March 1
Here we are starting a new month……and a new inspiration for my daily photos! This month, I am trying something different. Instead of being inspired by what catches my eye on any given day or by ideas for a staged photo, I plan to try one of the suggestions left by a follower in a comment on an early February post…..my inspiration for the month of March will be the ALPHABET! I will go through the alphabet and find a creative way to depict a different letter on each day of the month. I think it will force me to give these photos more thought and chance to be more creative….I’ll try to not be lazy and go with the obvious choice for the day (like I avoided taking a picture of an apple, today!), but I’m sure some days will require a LOT more thought and creativity than other days……thinking ahead to Q, X, and Z!!! Also, since there are more days in the month than letters in the alphabet, I am not sure, yet, how I’ll treat the last few days…..go back and repeat letters from the beginning, pick my favorite letters and find new ways to represent them, or maybe randomly draw the letters to be repeated out of a hat!!!??? We’ll see……
So….let’s kick off March with the letter “A”:
TUESDAY, MARCH 1:
“A is for Albion”
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