My Dad!!

Chair Ladder, South Cornwall, UK

So I decided I'm going to do a lil shout out to my Dad!

Even though we're only an hour or so away from each other by plane, I wish we were closer, and I could see him more often than I do (the next time will be the beginning of March! I can't wait!)

My Dad is a great rock climber, and he loves it! He travels all over the US and England with his friends on climbing trips, hitting one rock after another, with Rufus in tow when possible!

Dad used to climb before he met my Mum, and I'm so happy he's gotten back into it so much - it really makes him happy!

This year I'm hoping he'll be making a climbing trip to The Gunks, so he'll be close for a NYC visit!!! Fingers crossed!!

       

Ripple, Enchanted Rock, Texas High Exposure, The Gunks, New York

        

Brinton's Buttress, Devil's Lake, Wisconsin The Gunks, New York

Muffins and America...

This was me yesterday afternoon!

Yesterday I went to the Farmer's Market on 14th Street, I really should go there more often - I love it! Of course, there were about a billion other people there too, I should have made my trip earlier in the day! I went up with my main goal of getting some fresh blueberries, and I found some juicy ones from New Jersey.. they tasted so good too that I picked up two containers!

So yesterday when I got home, I put on my pink 1950's apron and got to work! I just love making muffins - they're so easy and the possibilities are endless with what you can put in them! No two batches of mine are ever the same, and I love that about them, it's like a surprise every time one comes out of the oven!

This batch was made with, of course, blueberries and with oats. Below you'll see a pic - although I've eaten this one now! - and it was so good! There's nothing quite like homemade muffins...

one of my blueberry and oat muffins...yum!

So this morning, while having my breakfast of a blueberry muffin and fresh coffee, I thought about a photographer, Michael Eastman, who's work I really like. His freshness and his use of space and proportion are a real inspiration to me.

And with my 50's apron and muffin making, I couldn't help but think of his "Vanishing America" series. Below I have posted some of my favorites, some of these make me sad that parts of America have really turned into this, others make me happy that these places existed in the first place.....