Tag: Photography

Posted in Travel

2023 Escape from St. Patrick’s Day #3

Posted on by Neal Saye

My daily snapshot of Robert’s and my 2023 trip to get away from Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day parade and celebrations.

This morning, after checking out of our cabin at Red Top Mountain State Park in north Georgia, we headed to Atlanta and Emory University to see a couple of exhibits at the Michael Marcos Museum of Art. We visited it before, loved it and have wanted to return.

We never try to go through an entire museum in a single visit, instead spending a bit of time in only one or two areas that peek our interest.

I was especially fascinated by this Chicago street photographer’s black and white paired photos of Chicago’s poorer districts.

Next, Robert seemed to spend an eternity in the Egyptian afterlife exhibit. It really was fascinating. With real mummies!

And here’s HR in the current life interrupting a museum tour on the level below. See him?

I was eavesdropping on a docent-led tour below, and pretended not to know him.

Whew. The things I put up with.

The Egyptians made us hungry, so we headed to Mary Mac’s Tea Room for their southern fried chicken.

Along with sweet potato soufflé, and collard greens with pot liquor.

To burn off some of the calories and to get outside, we rushed over to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens to see the tulips and their new Trolls (!) installation.

I’ll tell you more about the Trolls in other posts.

What a fun third day on our Savannah Saint Patrick’s day escape trip!

Posted in Life Experiences, Travel

2023 Escape from St. Patrick’s Day #2

Posted on by Neal Saye

My daily snapshot of Robert’s and my 2023 trip to get away from Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day parade and celebrations.

We started off the day in the cabin with beyond-delicious molten center brownies we had gotten in Savannah at our new favorite bakery, Sweet Patricias.

Bloated, we headed about an hour away to my small hometown of Ball Ground and the town cemetery where my parents are buried.

For as long as I can remember, having been taught by my folks, I have enjoyed “decorating the graves” of family members. Each changing season and holiday would find us heading to the various cemeteries and graveyards, spending time reminiscing and laughing at wonderful memories.

Busy this morning.

My older brother Lamar met HR and me to help. Here we are in front of our parents’ monument.

After a great lunch at a local meat and three, Robert and I spent a little while at Ball Ground’s small but beautiful botanical garden.

Here’s a bench in honor of my dad.

My dad’s lifelong nickname was Tub because he was a fat baby.

On the way back to our state park cabin, we stopped by the Georgia National Cemetery. I guess today we were thinking about those who have gone before us.

We left in great admiration and respect for our military service men and women.

Back at Red Top Mountain, HR grilled hotdogs, then we rested by the fire.

May you have a restful evening ahead.

Posted in Joy, Humor, Travel

2023 Escape from St. Patrick’s Day #1

Posted on by Neal Saye

So as you regulars know, Robert and I live in beautiful Historic District Savannah … and we’re directly on the route of the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade—one of the largest and longest and “liveliest” (i.e. alcohol-laden) in the nation.

Sidebar: After I retired from my career in the Department of Writing and Linguistics at Georgia Southern University, an hour north of Savannah, I headed down to Savannah. Found a neat little apartment, which was directly on the parade route. I loved those few early years of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and even hosted several parties. Then later when Robert and I moved a few blocks over just off Washington Square, we found ourselves again on the parade route. That sounds convenient and fun, right? Well, we quickly grew tired of the hundreds of thousands of folks who descended upon our small city, with an annual contingent camping outside our apartment the night before the parade, partying noisily throughout the entire night, trampling our outdoor plants, and … using the bathroom in our little alley.

So we started our annual tradition of heading outta Dodge for the week around St. Patrick’s Day.

I thought I’d volunteer to keep you posted on our shenanigans this year so you wouldn’t have to ask.

After hauling as many of our outdoor potted plants inside as we could manage, alerting the cat sitter, and saying a prayer of protection over our abode, we rushed out of the SAV with an Irish blessing.

We headed to north Georgia, stopping in Atlanta for lunch and a visit to our favorite Atlanta artsy destination —the High Museum of Art.

I questioned HR’s gayness when I found him photographing and flirting with an indecisive woman.

He thinks his smile can always get him out of trouble. Ha!

Storming away from him, I went into the craft area, found a large piece of poster paper, and created a little art of my own, which they quickly hung in the Beginner’s Gallery.

Back on speaking terms, we looked at a few more pieces.

Can you sit in/on these?

Deciding we couldn’t, Robert and I drove north of Atlanta to the first destination of our little getaway, a cabin at Red Top Mountain State Park on beautiful Lake Allatoona.

A late afternoon hike.

Here’s Robert conquering … a rock.

Why can’t hills be flat?

OK, enough of this foolishness. I’m eating Robert’s dinner off the grill. See you tomorrow.

Posted in Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 3/10/23

Posted on by Neal Saye

1. Young singer/actor Grandson Daniel owning the mic recently.

In a local vocal competition. He didn’t win, but oh my goodness, how he wowed the crowd. He was the youngest competitor, so perhaps it just wasn’t his time.

2. The wisteria outside my therapist Rubi’s office.

Okay, that structure IS NOT my therapist’s office. His office is in a beautiful old house behind this display of wisteria beauty.

3. Breath. Breath. Breath.

4. PINK in (nearly) spring Savannah.

I know, I know. I keep posting pictures of our azaleas. But Savannah’s display has been more than glorious this year.

5. My Orange Hubby.

May your weekend be filled with pink and orange and every color you adore.

Posted in Robert and …

“Robert and … #33”

Posted on by Neal Saye

A blog category of pics I’ve taken of HR (Hubby Robert) and … well, just about anything.

Robert and … a duck.

So yesterday we went for a little park bench sit-down (I was not feeling too well) at nearby Lake Mayer.

HR was so husbandly, lovingly concerned and supportive …

Until he saw a photo op.

He has this thing for murals. He has photographed them in a variety of cities. And the one on the side of this Little Library grabbed him.

Here he is explaining something to me about who knows what. I wasn’t paying much attention. Remember, I was not feeling too well.

But then an intruder arrived. See her (him?) Over to the right in the photo above.

“That is a Muscovy duck,” HR explained.

For some reason that duck made me feel better.

Posted in Beautiful Savannah, Where Happiness Finds You

Subtle Magic

Posted on by Neal Saye

As I have said, probably far too many times on this blog, I love living in downtown Historic District Savannah.

And one of the reasons? The beautifully unique twenty-two extant squares (two were lost to “progress”).

[Did I punctuate the above properly?]

This evening I am hanging out in Warren Square, the square closest to my own, Washington Square.

Hello!

This house is not mine.

Those houses are not mine.

But the sidewalk is.

Yes.

And that magic is free.