life in photos – Page 3

I-64 lookouts

October 30, 2013October 30, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged 64 scenic lookouts, blue ridge mountains, charlottesville, fall, landscape photography, photography, valley, virginia, waynesboro1 Comment

I-64 boasts 2 lookouts between Waynesboro and Charlottesville. Since it’s a divided highway they’re only accessible going east from Waynesboro, so I have to wait until I have reason to head out that way to take in the view. This week I remembered to bring my camera along on a thrifting excursion, so I stopped at both lookouts on my way back home.

What a lovely fall day!

I asked the Century Link man who was stopped with me to take my photo. Thanks, Century Link man!

It’s days like these that make me fall in love with Virginia all over again. I’m lucky to live here.

Click on any image to see an enlarged version.

carter mountain orchard ’13

October 28, 2013October 28, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged apple orchard, blue ridge mountains, carter mountain orchard, charlottesville, charlottesville panoramic, orchard, photography2 Comments

Today is a beautiful day! High 60s, sunlight streaming through fall leaves, a light breeze. Since I work early on Mondays, I was free to take a quick trip up to Carter Mountain this afternoon. You may recall that I first visited last year with Daniel and my friend, Andrea, at the end of the season.

Most of the orchard is ripe for picking now, so lots of people were lazily meandering through the orchards with grab bags in hand. I didn’t need more apples, so I just went straight for the trails that looked most appealing, taking pictures along the way. The air smelled like apple cider vinegar thanks to all the abandoned, rotting apples scattered throughout. I watched workers load up trucks full of fruit and bees scramble to consume a fallen apple before heading back to buy some apple cider.

fall break

October 16, 2013October 16, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged autumn, blue ridge mountains, fall break, fall foliage, fall photography, mild climate, virginia, waynesboro1 Comment

Daniel’s fall break ended today. Though he spent many hours doing schoolwork, we still got the chance to unwind a bit, taking a trip to the Fall Foliage Art Festival in Waynesboro on Saturday, going on a quiet walk yesterday evening, and eating at a couple local restaurants.

The skies are bright again and the weather is mild. Judging by today’s crowds at the coffee shop and on the Mall, Charlottesvillians have fall fever. I’m looking forward to every tree adorned in fiery autumn hues (the street photo above was taken in mountainous Waynesboro; Charlottesville hasn’t fully embraced fall yet). I’m crossing my fingers that Shenandoah National Park will open again soon so I can take in the view on Skyline Drive.

take a walk

October 5, 2013October 5, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged albino deer, bee gif, charlottesville, fall, fall leaves, insect photography, landscape, mountain view, nature photography, virginia, white deer, wildflowers5 Comments

Last Sunday, I took a walk right before golden hour hoping that I’d spot the mystical white deer that roams our neighborhood. I didn’t then – though we spotted it grazing in our yard last night at around 9:40! – but I did spot a patch of wildflowers pouring out from a neighbor’s yard into the sidewalk. It was full of bees and flies and late afternoon sunlight. I love this quaint little neighborhood with a mountain view and mature trees.

surprises

September 27, 2013September 27, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged after hours, almond pave, birthday, charlottesville, downtown mall, friends, life photography, paradox pastry, pizza, surprise party, virginia, vita nova1 Comment

We threw a surprise birthday party for my boss on Wednesday. My coworkers and I gathered at a pizza place on the Downtown Mall while we waited for her daughter to find a reason to get her out of the coffee shop. Once they passed, we scampered to the shop to set up. We ate delicious pizza from Vita Nova and had Almond Pave from Paradox Pastry (delicious and gluten free!) for dessert.

She didn’t suspect a thing. She insisted I take my picture with some birthday balloons since my birthday was yesterday. I love the coffee shop staff, so it’s always great to hang out after hours.

*Photos were kept to a minimum in this post to respect the privacy of friends and family. But there are lots of great ones!

old charlottesville

September 4, 2013September 4, 2013Posted in life in photos, UncategorizedTagged belmont, black and white photos, charlottesville photography, john shepherd, lifestyle photography, nostalgia, old photos, photography, street photography, vintage photography, west main street3 Comments

John Shepherd is a Charlottesville local who focused his early photography efforts on “people on the street.” These 1970s film photographs of downtown Charlottesville fascinate me because they’re simultaneously familiar and foreign.

Where could you get a huge wig dyed all colors of the rainbow? Try the Love Wig first. That’s Batten’s Auto Parts on the left, now a consignment shop.

I don’t know who are at the counter but that’s Pearl behind the cash register. I gave her a copy of this when she retired.

Click the image to be redirected to the etsy listing. All images used with permission from the photographer.

staunton

September 2, 2013September 2, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged birthday, blue ridge mountains, cold front, day trip, mountain town, staunton, virginia photographyLeave a comment

We took a day trip to Staunton on Daniel’s birthday a few weeks ago. It’s a scenic 40 minute drive through the mountains. The cold front that weekend let a bit of fall seep in prematurely. We perused antique malls, drank iced coffees, and stopped in at Cracker Barrel for birthday dinner.

Route 11 Yard Crawl

August 11, 2013August 11, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged ball jar, cemetery photography, flea market, lutheran church, picking, route 11 yard crawl, rural landscape photography, shenandoah valley, summer adventure, thrift, thrifting, vintage, yard saleLeave a comment

Daniel and I heard about the Route 11 Yard Crawl from my coworker, Jamie, whose boyfriend attends it every year. It’s an hour and a half trip to the start from Charlottesville, extending from New Market to Stephens City across the Shenandoah Valley. The trip was gruesome without air conditioning in our car, but we bravely pressed on. I bulked up my Agatha Christie collection at the New Market Library book sale, bought a 1920s-30s Ball Jar at a flea market, and stocked up on vintage at Search Thrift Shop‘s 50 cent sale in Mount Jackson. We had to pass a lot of typical yard sale junk to find the treasures, but it was a fun experience. If only they had a commemorative t-shirt available in my size!

I brought my camera to chronicle the landscape along Route 11.

*Yard Crawl graphic via Shenandoah County Chamber of Commerce

at the skyline

July 31, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged blue ridge moutains, charlottesville, day off, friendship, landscape photography, national park, roadtrip, shenandoah national park, skyline drive, summer, virginia photography, wildlife1 Comment

Taylor and I became fast friends this summer. She’s moving to Georgia at the end of the week and I wanted the chance to meet her husband, newly arrived from Wales, before they departed. I took the day off and we all took a trip to Skyline Drive.

We saw wildflowers galore, dozens of butterflies, bees harvesting nectar for Wildflower Honey, deer, a turkey, a groundhog, and panoramic mountain scenes. We even got the chance to stop in to the Visitor’s Center to purchase some memorabilia; while perusing the gift shop, we witnessed a Junior Ranger excitedly – and somewhat bashfully – getting sworn in. We clapped for the new ranger, exchanged group photos with a family parked at one of the overlooks, and marveled, once again, at the breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains.

madison county, va

July 28, 2013July 28, 2013Posted in life in photos, UncategorizedTagged charlottesville, country living, countryside, frienship, hound dog photograph, landscape, landscape photography, madison, madison county, rural america, southern, virginia, wood crate1 Comment

We took a trip out to Madison to meet up with my friend, Taylor, before heading to a local peach festival. She lives with her mom, three dogs, a couple cats, and some feisty goats on a few acres surrounded by mountains and lush Virginia countryside. I’m so glad I got to see it before she moves to Georgia next week. I’m going to miss her a lot. But it’s ok because we bought friendship crates at the (otherwise lame) festival!

grounds

July 14, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged charlottesville, college photography, grounds, hoos, rotunda, summer, thomas jefferson, university of virginia, uva, uva campus, uva chapelLeave a comment

I wandered around UVA’s campus on Saturday while Daniel picked up some books from the library. It’s an overwhelmingly majestic place, full of secret garden pathways with blooms and buzzing insects, and century old buildings set in the valleys and hills of the Piedmont.

baine’s scottsville

July 8, 2013July 9, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged almond milk, baines books and coffee, baines scottsville, chai latte, coffee shop photos, coffee shop review, folk music, james river, james river brewery, landscape photography, martha bassett, piedmont, scottsville, virginia1 Comment

Earlier this year, my friend and her partner helped open a new coffee shop in downtown Scottsville. When she texted me Saturday to invite me to see musician Martha Bassett (and awesome upright bass player, Pat) at the shop, I jumped at the chance to finally visit Baine’s.

The shop is beautiful, with a freshly installed wooden counter top and custom bookshelves full of a broad assortment of texts on Virginia living, religion, and childhood. Scout made me an iced chai latte with almond milk (both the chai concentrate and the milk are made from scratch at Baine’s). It had a complex flavor – spicy, cold, and smooth – and was perfect as a subtle dessert drink with a chocolate chip cookie.

After we finished our drinks, my friend took us on a brief walking tour of Scottsville right as golden hour settled over the landscape. We headed down to the James River, then walked the levy path back to the downtown area.

After the show was over, we all walked over to the James River Brewery tasting room for local craft beer with the band.

4th

July 5, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged art show, bbq competition, downtown, fourth of july, hackensaw boys, harrisonburg, independence day, mountains, photography, road trip, street festival, summer, vacation, valley fourth, virginia3 Comments

We roadtripped to Harrisonburg with my friend, Taylor, to take part in the Valley Fourth festivities this afternoon. Amusements included art booths, a couple food trucks, a BBQ competition, giant cups of lemonade, and bluegrass music by the Hackensaw Boys. We ate Polish cabbage and noodles for lunch, stopped into the Artful Dodger for drinks, participated in the People’s Choice voting portion of the BBQ competition, and chatted up Bruce Rosenwasser of Wildwood Design. The weather was pleasant, the journey was scenic, and the festival was fun. Virginia’s full of pleasant mountain towns with scenic downtown streets.

father’s day

June 16, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged daddy's girl, father's day, father's day card, father's day graphic, graphic design, greeting, mountains, photograph2 Comments

My father and I have a complex relationship. We’ve developed (ok, I’ve developed) opposing opinions on many topics over recent years, but I’ve always been Daddy’s girl at heart. We enjoy the sport of arguing, discussing theology, and bleaching the bathtub, and we’re both a bit too hyperactive for our own good. I love you, Daddy!