Ice Storm

John and I left early Saturday morning for a weekend trip to Boston. As we packed our little suitcase, our conversation went something like this:

Him: I was thinking of taking the Pike to Boston and Route 2 home from Boston. [You see, we're very tired of the turnpike...to the point where it sucks the life out of us. Er, me.]

Me: Well, it's a beautiful driving day today, and we don't know what tomorrow is going to be like...[clearly]...so we should take Route 2 today. It'll be fun!

Him: OK.
___

So, yeah...we have a small pile of unopened newspapers from the latter part of last week, and once we saw that John had school on Friday, we thought that the storm forecasters had really gotten it wrong.

They didn't. The storm just happened to miss us, and for that we are very lucky and grateful. Below are some photos from the early part of our trip on Route 116 through Cheshire, Savoy, and Windsor, Massachusetts. Absolutely everything was encased in glass-like ice, weighing down trees, powerlines, signs, and even blades of grass.





(Even apart from the storm, this was the worst route yet that we have taken across the state!)

Hairpin Turn

On a lovely fall day, we parked at the hairpin turn on Route 2 in North Adams. We had taken Route 2 from Boston when we moved to the Berkshires, and it wasn't until we drove through Florida (the town) that I remembered John would have to navigate this crazy-sharp turn in a giant U-Haul. He told me afterward that his hands got all sweaty. Yikes! It is easy to see why:


In our Corolla, however, it was a very pleasant trip:

Send It to My Hotmail

No, really.


That picture was taken on a hot morning in August. The one below was taken this morning. Brrr!


I couldn't help but also take a picture of the bizarre fur-like frost that grew on our car's roof overnight. Weird! (Click on the photo for a larger image.)

Weekend Outing: Windsor Jambs

John and I have really been enjoying our proximity to places of outdoor adventure. We wanted to go for a bit of a drive for a day trip, and it seemed that all of the exciting places to visit were right around the corner!

With our handy Garmin, we arrived quickly at Windsor Jambs...kind of. I found all sorts of conflicting information as to which Berkshire town this forest resides. Finally, I plugged in a nearby address and we followed signs. Weird!

We arrived at the picnic area and walked around a bit, then decided to follow the hiking trail uphill to the jambs. I had been to the picnic area once before (when I was about 3 years old), but had never returned and had never seen the tumbling water of the jambs. I was on a mission...only we couldn't find the trail! So, we drove to the jambs and hiked around the trails there. Ah, well...


Windsor Dam (not to be confused with Windsor Jambs):

The Jambs:

I experienced a total flashback when we first arrived at the forest. I was standing by the edge of the pond and saw all of the tadpoles swimming in the sunny, warm part of the water. Suddenly, I remembered looking at the tadpoles 30 years ago in that very spot. (Actually, I had forgotten all about tadpoles!) I did some photo research when we got home, and here was the proof:


Um, you'll just have to trust me that this photo was taken at Windsor Jambs with the tadpoles. Anyway, click here for a few more photos from our adventure.

SplinkDesign — Up 'n Running!

I am very excited to announce that my online portfolio is largely complete. Although it is my plan to design the website in the near future, the easiest way for me to post my work for now is in blog format. (Oh, the elusive web-design class!)


I have posted a good volume of work, spanning from student projects to current ones, and will continue to keep it updated. The portfolio pieces are sortable by project type, type of software used, and workplace. As of this morning, I still need to add my favorite portolfio pieces — my custom invitations! I'll get them posted soon. Feel free to leave (nice) comments!

You can access the blog by following my nickname-inspired URL: www.splinkdesign.com

Beijing 2005

During my 2005 trip to Beijing, we were able to peer over a wall near Tienanmen Square to catch a glimpse at the construction of buildings for the 2008 Olympics. It's difficult to imagine that part of the city being the focus of positive international attention, particularly since not even 20 years have passed since the massacre that took place there. (For some context, a member of the Chinese military tried to knock the camera from my hand after I took the photo below.) Perhaps in 2021, New York will have healed enough to host the Olympic games in lower Manhattan. Of course, they, too, would have to oust a couple million people from their urban dwellings to make room for gigantic complexes that will too soon be empty.

I had the opportunity to visit the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona in 1996 — only 4 years after they hosted the games — and it was a ghost town. Quiet, creepy and sunny. My only hope for the 2008 Olympics is that the future utilization of these buildings was decided upon and considered throughout their design and construction.

That's right, I don't give a crap about Michael Phelps. I didn't know who he was a week ago (I don't think I'm alone here), and although I am in awe of his ability, NBC has done too fantastic a job of overpromoting the image of him...and his mother. I watched (part of) the opening ceremonies. There are approximately 10,500 athletes competing in these games. Why do I keep seeing the same 5? I find NBC's coverage to feel constantly contrived and difficult to watch.


Um, anyway... Traveling to Japan and China was a lifelong goal for me. As I have not previously posted the photos from my trip on my blog, I thought that this was an appropriate time. Please click here to see select photos from my trip.

Documenting Mount Carmel Church

My friend, Jeff, had recently informed me that Mount Carmel Parish in Pittsfield was closing. His great-grandmother had sponsored one of the faux-windows in the church (behind which the bell tower rises) and he wanted to take photos of the window and dedication plaque.


It's not very often that one is offered the opportunity to take photos in a church - let alone an empty church - apart from weddings and baptisms. It was a beautiful day, and the natural light in the empty church was really interesting. Jeff had asked the janitor in advance for assistance, and he had provided us with a 10' ladder to help bring us level with the tall window.


The painted window dedicated by Jeff's great-grandmother:

After taking photos of the window and the main church building, we were invited to experience the climb up the bell tower. We entered through a door that "most people think is a broom closet," and were guided via head-lamp up the iron ladder and pigeon-poo covered stairs (my hands were sweaty with acrophobia) - thus the blurry photo! We weren't able to ascend to the actual bell, but we were darn close!


I am excited to share all of my photos from this morning's adventure here.

Berkshire County 'Relay for Life' 2008

At long last, the 24-hour 'Relay for Life' walk began this past Friday evening at 6pm at Onota Lake in Pittsfield. Many months ago, my friend Laura and I had formed a team in honor of my mom, JoAnn, and her fight against cancer - JoAnn's Knockouts!

It was a beautiful event (and all of my photos from 'the walk' can be seen here. Grab a beverage and click on Slideshow - there are lots of photos!).


In the end, there were 28 people on our team (26 were able to attend the walk) and many, many more supporters. I don't have the final numbers but, by my calculations, we raised at least $3500 for the American Cancer Society. I am overwhelmed! (An addendum: as of June 24th, the Berkshire 'Relay for Life' has raised over $281,000 - and counting!)

We arrived to set up camp at about 4pm on Friday - a day marked by typical zany Berkshire weather patterns. There was one last downpour before the start of the walk, but the sun shone the whole time. We knew it would blow over and, for the rest of the event, we were blessed with perfect early summer weather. The Onota Lake backdrop didn't hurt, either!


Many thanks to all who walked with us, to those who donated, and to everyone who offered their support!

Travel Plans?

I was bit by the travel bug a few months ago. Excited by the replenishing of my vacation time at work, and very much looking forward to warmer weather, I started thinking about what exciting locale we might travel to this summer. Where do I want to go? Where have I been?

• Create your own travel map or travel blog


• Visit TripAdvisor.com

I was torn between a week in Chicago or, by contrast, Bar Harbor, Maine. We've never been to either of these places, and I came very close to clicking on the "Purchase This Package" button multiple times on more than one travel website. My finger started trembling each time I attempted the click. Why could I not commit to these plans? I was forced to explore this question.

Our lives have been pretty crazy throughout the past year or so - new apartment, new spouses, grad school, new jobs, family illness, attempts to grow into a family of three, and questioning our geographical location while examining house-buying options. While all of this would seem to be good cause for a vacation, it seems to be working against us right now. We want to save the money that would allow us to be more mobile, and we also desperately need a week of no-work, and no-plans. So, that has become our new plan this June. In fact, I have realized that John has not ever had the opportunity to explore my hometown area for longer than a three-day weekend. So, the plan is to kick-off our vacation week with the Relay for Life in Pittsfield, and then explore the Berkshires - something I have not been able to do, myself, in many years.

The same week that I graduated from MassArt, I traveled to China and Japan as part of an Art and Architecture class. Since I already had my degree in hand, I didn't need the class credits. Finding a job, rather than completing the final project for this class, was my priority upon returning home. However, I did propose a project idea to the instructor: I was struck by how many photos I took on my trip - I was so alert to every detail at each location we visited (holding a camera in my hands always causes my eyes to open to everything in my path, as though it's a second set of eyes).

Just some Chinese door?

Just a Chinese lunch?

For my project, I wanted to bring this same level of awareness to a photography project at a location with which I am overly familiar (Boston, Pittsfield, my backyard, my workplace), where I ignore and under-appreciate the little things that, together, define a place. I never started this project (but I did find a job!).

When I first decided to attend art school, I had planned to major in photography. It is my hope that my own (long) post here will inspire me to revisit my passion for the camera, and to re-realize the volume of exploration that can be done in the most familiar surroundings. (Hmmm...I need a good title for these photo explorations - any ideas?)