It was a sunny, sultry Sunday, but the many joys I discovered at Chanticleer made the trip worthwhile. Chanticleer, the former Main Line estate of Christine and Adolph Rosengarten Sr. in Wayne, PA, calls itself "a pleasure garden," and it is. There are charms here for all ages. Join me for a stroll...

Henry David Thoreau would feel right at home at Tyler Arboretum.

Not just because he'd be in the midst of 650 acres of nature in this corner of Media, PA, but because, as part of last year's "Totally Terrific Treehouses" exhibit (now closed, but changing and reopening later this year), a replica was built of Thoreau's famed house at Walden Pond in Concord, MA.

On Saturday, my first visit to Tyler, I asked how to get to the house -- and was amused to hear that it was, appropriately enough, "down by the pond"! (Actually, the Tyler house is closer to its pond than Thoreau's was to Walden.)

Here's how it looks as you approach it from the path:


In the foreground of this shot, you can catch a glimpse of the frozen pond at the arboretum, with the cabin in the background.


Here's the approach to the house from the front...


...and from the back. (Purists will note there is nothing behind this house.)


The entrance...




Welcome to what I call 'Keystone Walden'!




The view out the window: Henry would approve!


Time to head out for a saunter...


Off to the pond! (On the other side of the fence)


I leave a pine cone in Thoreau's memory.


[Note: The sketch at the top of this post was drawn by Thoreau's sister Sophia.]

[This post refers to photos I took yesterday; scroll down to see them.]

"Try harder, dig deeper."

That's the voice in my head now as I go on photo walks. The trouble with finding a passion for an activity is that it forces you to stretch, to grow, to avoid the easy path. While I can -- and do -- still take some quick snaps just to capture the moment or remember a special gathering of people, most of the time I try to use what I've learned about light, composition, color, camera settings, etc., to make the image better. And then I try to learn more.

Yesterday was a perfect example. On my way home from running errands, I figured it was a good chance to drive through Valley Forge National Historical Park -- and keep my eyes open for opportunities.

Valley Forge has numerous photo-ops available year-round: Soldiers'-cabin replicas, statues, cannons, trees, scenic vistas. It's not hard to take perfectly acceptable pictures of any of these. The challenge is to find something new to show, something different -- a new angle, a close-up view, an unusual place, an element of the scene that you don't usually see. Then you break through the cliche into the unexplored and exciting.

When I got to the park, I had no idea where I was going to end up. As it happened, I drove by the Washington Memorial Chapel, and soon after, I saw a driveway leading off to the right into a parking lot. As I pulled into a spot, I began thinking the thought that always leads me to adventure: "Let's see where this goes."

I hadn't walked far when I spotted some deer in the field. I thought they would trot right off when I approached, but they didn't. Snapping pictures of them was tricky because the substantial sun glare made it hard even to see them. One of the joys of digital photography is the freedom to take numerous shots and not have to spend money developing all of them -- or any! I just shot away and then looked at and deleted images later in the (nice warm) car. Did I mention the temperature was about 19 degrees? My trembling hands were another occupational hazard that afternoon, especially when using my zoom.

(There may be photographers out there who can snap only an image or two and nail them, but I haven't met them yet. I take a good assortment of shots and then winnow them to my favorites. I should add that my camera is not at all expensive. A camera class I took this fall stressed that developing an eye is much more important than having a fancy camera. I've seen some great shots snapped on cell phones.)

Turning away from the deer, I saw a gate. Again I thought, "Let's see where this goes." Turned out it was a cemetery. I began stomping through the snow, looking for interesting gravestones, perspectives, whatever grabbed me. And as a family historian, I was probably lucky the snow was covering many of the names, as I would have been tempted to document them on my memory card.

I went off on a number of 'arty' tangents that I concluded were better in theory than in practice -- a red bow against the white snow, a tiny lantern in front of a tombstone, and some fascinating twisty bare trees through which I shot pictures of gravestones until it became clear the combination wasn't doing anything for me. Still, it was worth playing with, just in case. I say that partly because this search led me to what I called the "Frozen Angel" statue, with snow dotting its head and wing, that perched on one small tombstone. Getting that shot with the snow added another great layer to its story, something that would have been missing in July.

Being open to possibilities also led me to a beautiful bud I snapped a close-up of because I loved the faint edging of red, and touches of yellow, that topped the green leaves. One thing photography forces me to do -- and it is incredibly good for me -- is be totally focused, totally in the moment and noticing the small details.

After my icy hands and toes had bitterly complained for some time, I reluctantly left the graveyard, climbed into my car and turned up the heat full-blast. Then I looked through the windshield, saw more deer, and was off again. It was one of those few shots, on my second go-round, that proved my favorite. Then, as I was about to drive away, the contrast of the red door with the surrounding snow caught my attention; in this case, the image formed by the two colors "clicked" -- pun intended.

My last stop that day, before I had to go pick up my son at school, was to see a statue I had driven past earlier in the day. The cliche shot would be a full-figure image from any angle, and I did take that, but for my files only. I really wanted to capture something out of the ordinary, and I kept circling the statue till I saw what I wanted. I ended up taking an upper-body shot because of the statue's hands and the level of detail on the side I was featuring. In addition, I got an unusual picture of one of the statue's boots, which had the bonus of showing the swirling drapery of the baron's cloak. Recently I realized that when a photo is taken of part of a piece of art, the photo essentially becomes a completely new piece of art. That concept fascinates me.

This whole trip fell into place at the last minute, which makes me thankful I have recently adopted the creed, "Take your camera everywhere!" You never know, to use an old photo joke, what will develop.

The Visitor


The Doorway


Frozen Angel (at cemetery in the park)


Together


Promise of New Life


Baron von Steuben Inspects the Troops


Standing Proud

I tried a different kind of shutterbugging yesterday. The "Philadelphia Area Photo Walk" group had its first gathering, with participants meeting at Rittenhouse Square in the city and strolling down a number of picturesque streets and snapping away happily!

Urban photography is a change of pace from my usual nature shots, but I had a wonderful time playing with the possibilities. Here are a few of the results...

I braved the cold this morning (8 degrees when I set out, 19 on my return) to take a five-mile hike at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum.

For much of this beautiful walk, it's easy to forget you're only about one mile from Philadelphia International Airport. The refuge is in Philadelphia and Delaware counties, PA, and according to the website, "was established by an act of Congress in 1972 to protect the largest remaining freshwater tidal marsh in Pennsylvania .... Over the years, the refuge has become a resting and feeding area for more than 300 species of birds, 85 of which nest here. Fox, deer, muskrat, turtles, fish, frogs and a wide variety of wildflowers and plants are among the species that call the refuge 'home.' "

Here's a taste of this winter wonderland.















Since the group I was with was moving at a good clip, I didn't have the chance I would have liked to linger and look for wildlife. However, I was happy to see a blue heron --



-- and what has to be the fattest squirrel in Pennsylvania!

Here around Philly, there's some buzz about a possible all-Pennsylvania Super Bowl -- Philadelphia Eagles vs. Pittsburgh Steelers.

And here's the name someone came up with for it: "Tussle of the Turnpike Titans"!

Fudgelady's Laws of Winter:

* Severe winter weather (say, three to six inches of snow) will develop on the exact day of an important family event (say, Fudgeteen's martial-arts demo in Philly). [Note to Lisa: Yes, it's the equivalent of three tiny snowflakes in your neck of the woods. But you'd be assuming that everyone around here knows how to drive in the stuff. Don't I wish!]

* Severe winter weather will be predicted two Saturdays in a row, rather than on any school days when students (say, Fudgeteen) could hope for a snow day.

* The mere possibility of severe winter weather will inevitably cause grocery-store shelves of milk to vanish.

Do you have any laws to add to these?

Most of this morning's winter wonderland has melted now, but it was magical while it lasted...

Barack was back! His return appearance in Montgomery County was greeted with a huge, enthusiastic turnout at Abington Senior High School this morning.

I'll post more pictures and details soon, but for now, here are a few quick snapshots. It was a great day and I'm glad I got to be part of it!

Another amusing story, this one from a Democratic committee meeting last night. It may show that the primary season, at long last, is almost over.

A big Clinton fan in the group announced, "I have a story for you. Actually, I have TWO stories!"

Forgetting he had regaled most of us with the tale the night before the Pennsylvania primary, he grinned (clearly bursting with pride and expecting oohs and aahs) and said, "Did I tell you I met Hillary?!"

There was a moment of quiet, then the response: "What's the second story?"

Heard a cute story tonight at the grocery checkout.

The cashier told me that the day after the Pennsylvania primary, a man with a heavy Russian accent held up the newspaper and pointed to Sen. Clinton's photo.

Apparently (blissfully) unaware this wasn't yet the general election, he pointed to Hillary's face and said, "President? President?"

Pennsylvania has spoken. And I'm tired.

Tired not only in the "working the election for 17 hours" sense, but also in the sense of "how much longer will this go on?"

Barack and Hillary and their crowds and volunteers and bowling balls and whiskey shots have vanished from the Keystone State. Camp Clinton and Camp Obama are now set up in North Carolina and Indiana. Cheesesteak stories will be replaced by Southern barbecue.

Doubtless, we'll hear two more weeks (and probably more) of stump speeches, traded barbs, and gaffes.

Meanwhile, John McCain will be sitting pretty: relaxing, networking, strategizing. He and his cohorts will select the worst video clips of the Democrats and work them into ads and speeches. Every day the Obama vs Clinton bout continues, it's a gift to the Arizona senator.

I keep hearing wry comments about Democrats "snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory."

We're not really going to do this to ourselves, are we?

I visited Barack Obama's whistlestop tour today at the Wynnewood train station! More pix are coming, but for now here's a quick peek:

As a proud and loyal Democrat I am determined to, as John F. Kennedy said in his Inaugural Address, "pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend..."

...Eat any chocolate...

Last night I made a major sacrifice to the cause of victory at the Willistown Dems and Malvern Democrats' fundraiser last night, a Chocolate Tasting! It's a rough job, but someone had to do it.

Here were two of the evening's seven "candidates," chocolates from various makers and parts of the world. I told someone this is how we should run elections in the United States: Connect a presidential candidate to each type of chocolate, and whichever chocolate is to the "taste" of the majority determines the winner!

I really think I have something here.





Just think: No more debates!

In addition to the gourmet chocolates being judged, plenty of other tasty treats were available of what the organizers promoted as "the latest health food, Chocolate!" Hey, works for me! The chocolate-trivia information on one table noted, "Chocolate contains antioxidants which may help prevent cancer and heart disease." Yep, that's the only reason I eat it -- that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

(Or it may be more accurate to say it's sticking to me.)

Other fascinating facts about chocolate, from the same source:

"The largest slab of fudge was over 2,000 pounds and was made in Canada." Pass the knife...

"In general, the shelf life for chocolate is a year." ( I'll have to take their word for that, as the shelf life for chocolate in our house is about two hours.)

Anyway, feast your eyes on the assorted yummies:





In the evening's other "election," the Party partygoers bought raffle tickets to put into the bag of their favored Presidential candidate.



This was one of the prizes at stake. (This basket featured a saying, "Promise me anything...but give me chocolate!" A winning campaign strategy if I ever heard one.)



Pennsylvania State Senator Andy Dinniman stopped by to lend support and give a pre-primary pep talk. (If he nabbed a brownie or two along the way, I'll never tell!)



The conversation was lively, and whether folks were sporting Obama or Hillary buttons, the atmosphere was of Democrats united and ready to taste victory!

It's 1:25 a.m. in a Pennsylvania small town, population about 4,000. I've lived here for nineteen years, and I am bitter.

Here's my dictionary's definition of "bitter": "Angry, hurt or resentful because of one's bad experiences or a sense of unjust treatment."

If "unjust treatment" doesn't cover the deaths in Iraq of more than 4,000 of America's sons and daughters in a senseless war, what does? If it doesn't describe more than 82,000 civilian deaths in Iraq in the same five years (source: Iraqbodycount.org), what will? If it doesn't cover the physical and mental anguish of so many of those who did make it home but are being ignored by our government after putting their lives on the line, why? If it doesn't include the enormous waste of not only human life but also money, how come?

I'm angry at what is happening to the economy. One of my "economic indicators" lately was a young couple of neighbors with two little girls and a dog. The husband had a good job, and the wife was in college to get a degree she could put to work. The girls played in the yard, and my husband and son played with the dog. All seemed well. Then the couple looked at their bottom line and decided they had to sell the house.

They couldn't. They tried it twice, with a realtor and on their own. They couldn't get a decent price. The family tightened their belts, then tightened them some more.

Then, one day not long before Christmas, they were gone. No couple coming home with groceries, no little girls playing in the yard, no dog rolling over for some attention from his buddies next door.

I found out through the grapevine that the couple had split up.

My husband told me about the new trend of "jingle mail," when someone can't pay the mortgage and simply gives up, sending the house keys to the bank.

I'm reading that not only home loans but student loans are getting tougher to get -- just the news I don't want to hear when we have a 16-year-old planning to go to college in two years. (His preferred school -- not an Ivy -- costs about $48,000 a year. I hope the community college is building a new addition, because something tells me the student body will be growing fast in coming years.)

My parents don't live in Pennsylvania yet, but they are about to (if they can sell their home in their local housing slump), then they will be faced with the dilemmas of other seniors here: the cost of a home, surging bills for groceries, health insurance and medications, and the ever-higher prices at the gas pump. Filling my tank sets me back almost $50.

And Pennsylvania is home to once-booming communities which had busy steel or textile mills or coal mines in their heyday -- the kind of cities Billy Joel described in 1982 in the song "Allentown": "Well we're living here in Allentown/And they're closing all the factories down/Out in Bethlehem they're killing time/Filling out forms/Standing in line..."

Has the Bush Administration remembered people like these? Has it tried to help them? Would they be a priority in a McCain Administration?

You know the answer. You also know that Barack Obama is speaking out for people like this, who have "felt abandoned by Washington and political leaders when it comes to an economy that’s falling apart." People who are struggling are being heard.

That's the bottom line. Let's keep our eye on the ball. I have not always expressed myself perfectly in my life, nor, I suspect, have most people. But our commitment to the people in our lives -- their character, their values, their caring -- endures. We don't pick a badly-phrased comment from our husband or our child and slam the door on them. We look at the bigger picture.

Barack Obama noted yesterday that "politicians seek to divide" people by using "wedge issues" involving gays, immigrants, etc., "that I think distract from the very difficult issues that we have to deal with."

Absolutely. And that's the way to say it. Now, I expect someone like John McCain to try to score cheap political points rather than focus on human beings whose lives are being destroyed. But with a Democratic victory in November on the line, I don't expect (or I didn't) such cheap shots from Hillary Clinton.

Evidently, with Hillary unwilling to keep the focus on the people who need help most -- in Pennsylvania or elsewhere in the country and the world -- it is up to each of us to help our struggling fellow Americans, with our time, our money, and our vote.

Till the bitter end.

Caroline Kennedy campaigned for Barack Obama yesterday at the Pottstown Diner. I'll post about my experiences there later, but for now a few pictures tell the story: