Title    

Text

©2010 Laura Smetak All rights reserved. All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

Super Moon over Texas

Super Moon 2012    

©2012 Laura Smetak All rights reserved. All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

A new hobby

Crescent moon April 7, 2011
     

Just got a new hobby courtesy of my husband. He gave me a Celestron 127SLT telescope for Christmas and I am trying to learn a little astrophotography on the side. Here is one of my first attempts at photographing the moon.

©2011 Laura Smetak All rights reserved. All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

A WORLD AWAY IN MY BACKYARD

Adriatica - McKinney, Texas
     

I have never traveled abroad, but just around the corner from my house is a Croatian-inspired development. Adriatica is a Mediterranean escape, right in the middle of McKinney.

©2010 Laura Smetak All rights reserved. All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

Disney in Black & White

Kodak Store Disney Hollywood Studios - Orlando Florida

Music Stage Disney Hollywood Studio

Cinderella's Castle at Magic Kingdom

 

Disney Main Street USA at Magic Kingdom

Spaceship Earth - Epcot

©2010 Laura Smetak All rights reserved. All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

BLUES AND BBQ

The Shed - Ocean Springs, Mississippi  


The joint is located just east of Biloxi in Ocean Springs, Mississippi and has been featured on Food Network's Diner, Drive-ins and Dives. Great BBQ! The building and decor are as memorable as the barbeque!

The atmosphere lent itself to striking up a conversation with other diners. You just grab a seat where you can, and we dined with some people from Pensacola on their way home from Biloxi and the gambling boats. It was their first trip as well. That is what I love about joints like this...just pull up a stool and dig in!

Rib Bone Chandelier - The Shed

©2010 Laura Smetak All rights reserved. All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

Twenty three years and Counting

A love story....  


Even after 23 years, he still puts his hand on my knee when he drives. Not bad for two people whose first date was April 1 and married August 22. I love him more than life itself. 

©2010 Laura Smetak All rights reserved. All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

Slaw Burger, Fries and a Bottle of Ski

Dumas Walkers - Greenburg, KY
 
It's a tiny place with a big reputation if you are familiar with the Grammy Award-winning song by the Kentucky Head Hunters. Have a seat and order up a Slaw Burger, fries and a bottle of Ski.

Ski (aka Green County Moonshine)


©2010 Laura Smetak All rights reserved. All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

Loveless in Nashville

Loveless Cafe - Nashville, TN



©2010 Laura Smetak All rights reserved. All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

Bikes and Biscuits

Loveless Cafe - Hwy 100 Nashville, TN  


Part of the journey is the food. We are not what we call those who "Ride to eat, eat to ride" kind of riders. But we do like to find those local (or not-so-local) food joints on our rides. Loveless Cafe was one of them. What a cool place. It used to be an old motel and cafe on Hwy. 100 outside of Nashville. Not on a main stretch of a road by any means, but it seemed to get it share of business.

What says Southern Hospitality like a plate of biscuits and jelly? It seems that is what Loveless Cafe is famous for. We enjoyed our dinner at the end of a long riding day of nearly 750 miles. We were getting close to our first days destination and Loveless Cafe was a welcome site for these riders.

©2010 Laura Smetak All rights reserved. All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

The Not So Lonely Firefly

Fireflies in a Cornfield - By Art Parnell
http://www.pbase.com/dataman/flowers_and_fauna


When we were kids I remember summer always brought lightning bugs, or fireflies as some may call them. We would find a jar and go to collecting. As kids we weren't so kind to the little creatures, often leaving them in the jar with just a few holes punched in the top and a few blades of grass in the bottom. They seemed abundant when we were kids, but i rarely see them now.
 

Ironically I am scared to death of junebugs. They send me into a tizzy. But there is something about this soft-bodied flying beetle whose bum lights up as it flies. They are magical to watch, unlike anything else on earth.

They have a special meaning for me, though. The night of my mother's memorial service, we came back to our parents home to find hundreds of fireflies in their front yard. They were just everywhere, but only in his yard. You could look across the street and see the normal one or two blinks, but right there in my dad's yard was a dance of lightning bugs I had never before seen.

We lingered a while and just like I did when I was a kid, I moved into yard, focused on one of the lights, slowly followed it and  lifted my hand to gently scoop it up in flight. It takes a special technique to catch them and not hurt them. They seem content to let you look at them as they crawl around on your fingers then lit off with a flit of their wings. There were so many in the yard that night, they were voluntarily landing on my shoulders.

Right there in my parents yard was a personal performance by nature...one night only. A private little miracle presented just for us. So after that night, when I see that fluorescent green flash it brings me comfort and reminds me that my mom is with me, watching over me. I always smile, and say hi to Mama.

Recently I witnessed another miracle of the tiny flying insects in Maryland. Next to our hotel was a cornfield where thousands of fireflies danced across the green field. I ran in and got my video camera and caught it on camera. I was happy. It was caught on video to share this special event with my friends and family. I couldn't wait to show everyone. But fate was not so kind. My camera fell from the motorcycle and exploded across I-40 in Arkansas. That 30 second video was the first thing I thought of. It was heart-wrenching. I began to grieve for the loss of the video and for the loss of my mother.

I received a package in the mail today from my friend who was on the motorcycle trip where I lost my camera. In that package was a children's book entitled "The Very Lonely Firefly" by Eric Carle. It was a story of a lonely firefly who is attracted to all kind of lights...flashlights, lanterns, fireworks...on his search to find friends. In the end, he finds the friends it was seeking. The special end of the book is when it is open, it flashes the greenish-yellow lights just like the real thing.

It is amazing that my story of the firefly video took a twist. I lost a video, but gained a life story in the end. A story of how a friend cared enough to find that special thing to turn a tragedy into a happy ending. An ending knowing that my mom is still with me, guiding me and lighting my way through life.

(Thank you Teresa, you give me courage)

©2010 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

A SILENT SENTINEL

Gettysburg, Lipsmack Studio
At Eternal Peace - Codori Farm - Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Just a short walk from the Eternal Peace Monument at Gettysburg sits this silent sentinel, seemingly still aimed at the Codori Farm, the scene of the historic Pickett's Charge. The military park is unlike anything I have ever seen. It is still farms and large open fields, untouched by the town around it. You can still imagine what it was like back in 1863.


This solemn ground is where more than 50,000 soldiers died in the war between the states. Hard to believe that more than 175,000 men fought the bloodiest battle of the Civil War in the first three days of July, 1863. People from town watched from the hills as these men fought for their states.

Gettysburg is still reverent to the men who gave their lives here, if not somewhat a little eery. It seems to be frozen in time as the numerous monuments watch over the battlefield.

©2010 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

A Peaceful Place

Isabella 1861 - St. James Episcopal Cemetery -Lancaster, Pennsylvania

One of our discoveries while stopping in Lancaster, PA, this cemetery is tucked neatly behind the St. James Episcopal church in downtown Lancaster. Graves date back to the 1700's. The church was founded in 1744. It is quite different to find a cemetery in such an urban location and date back so far, but yet it was still a peaceful, relaxing place to be.

Unknown - 1798: Aged 4 months 16 Days





©2010 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

A Piss Chunk by Any Other Name

Watermelon - Fruitstand, Nowata, Oklahoma

Be careful what you say, there will always be a kid around to repeat it. Chris' nickname for a watermelon (for obvious reasons) is "piss chunk". He happened to say this around our nephew when was young (He is now 30). So the next most inappropriate time, Stephen yelled to Chris "Hey, look they got piss chunks!"

Needless to say, Chris is proud of that moment.

©2010 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

Well Traveled Fruit

Fruit Stand - Nowata, Oklahoma

Chris loves peaches. Well, he loves any kind of fruit, but especially peaches. We stopped at this roadside fruitstand and purchased some of the peaches on our way to Kansas. Ironically, they were Georgia peaches, bought in Oklahoma, eaten in Kansas by two Texans.

©2010 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

McKinney in Bloom

Tulip Tree - The Chapel at Chestnut Square, McKinney, Texas

I decided to take advantage of a gorgeous spring day and take a walk near downtown McKinney. I Googled this tree, and it seems to go by many names: Japanese Magnolia, Saucer Magnolia, Tulip Tree, Orchid Tree. Whatever it is, it is really beautiful in the Spring. In the background is a historic church that was moved to Chestnut Square. The church was originally Foote Baptist Church and was located just off Virginia Pwy., where Stonebridge Ranch is today....I live very close to its original location. Early posts you will also find a photo of this church in the snow.



Mom and POPcorn - , McKinney, Texas

I enjoyed walking around downtown and came across Mom and POPcorn and its nostalgic candies. Love those Bit-O-Honeys. Reminds me of being a kid and how exciting it was when winter was over and Summer was insight!

©2010 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

John and Judy Gay Library Now Open

John and Judy Gay Library - McKinney, Texas

The newest library is now open in McKinney. I am proud to have taken this photo for the Judy Gay. She was one of my high school teachers, and her sister Joan Coleman was one of my elementary teachers. They were both wonderful teachers and I thank them for giving me such great guidance! I had the privilege of working with their daughter at the City of McKinney for a few years as well. (Reminds of me McKinney was a small town and everyone knew each other.)

Congratulations to all for such a beautiful library.

©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

Peaceful Moon

The Promise - Adriatica, McKinney

This 16-foot tall, 100-ton stone carving of a dove with an olive branch is being hand carved by artisans in Adriatica in McKinney. The Croatian inspired village is just around the corner from where I live. It is like an escape to the Mediterranean without ever leaving home. When finished, it will be the centerpiece of a 50-foot diameter fountain.

©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

Back to Yosemite

Merced River and Half Dome - Yosemite Valley

Yosemite Meadow


©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

Did you BART?

BART platform - San Francisco, CA


My Sunday experience in San Francisco was to board my first train and head to meet my friend Cary in Alameda. I had no idea what to expect, but the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) was very simple to use. I boarded the train in San Francisco and was whisked under the bay toward Oakland.



LA visitor - BART train


My fellow BART passengers - West Oakland, CA

On my train travel, two young men from LA sat across from me loaded up with their luggage. Good...I am not the only tourist on the train who doesn't know where the hell they are going. I could tell, they were trying to figure the system out themselves. One stood up and I started taking a few photos of him (with his permission of course). All his tatoos and LA skater look just added to the adventure.


Fruitvale BART Station

Finally, I reached Fruitvale Station where Cary was waiting for me. The artwork in the station was very colorfully painted tiles. It was Sunday, so not very many people in the station. The station itself was very artsy on the outside. I would love to go back.

So, I guess if you want to ask, I would answer, "Yes, I BARTed.

©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

(Hot) Chocolate Anyone?

Ghirardelli Square - San Francisco Bay

While waiting for the cable car back to my hotel, I stood looking at Ghirardelli Square and a beautiful sunset at Fisherman's Wharf. It gets quite chilly at this time of the evening in San Francisco, so I suggest getting a cup of hot chocolate for your wait. I am sure they could scrounge up some at the famous chocolatier. (Oh, and just before boarding the cable car, the guy behind told me that the place right across from the trolley stop was where they invented the Irish coffee. Now he tells me.)



Fisherman's Wharf - San Francisco, Ca

©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

A NATIONAL PARK ICON

El Capitan - Yosemite National Park

The icon of Yosemite stands as a shear face of gray granite. I wish I had more time to study and photograph it, but I only had minutes outside the van to get my shots. It is amazing to see it in real life after staring at it in Ansel Adam calendars and books I have collected over the years. I got there and stood awe struck, almost forgetting to take the photograph. Well, I did get a couple, but it was only a teaser of what I need to go back and really photograph.



Yosemite Valley - Yosemite National Park (El Capitan, Half Dome, Bridal Veil Falls)

©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

How does your garden grow

Dwarf Abelia (Rose Creek) - McKinney Green Gardens

I was out shooting photos for the Annual Report yesterday, and I thought this was kind of cool flower. The tiny cluster of flowers are only about 2" in diameter.

If you haven't visited the McKinney Green Gardens at Gabe Nesbitt Community Park, you should do so. It is a small eco-friendly garden planted by the city. There are six different landscapes, including a butterfly garden. (I had to hound some poor little butterfly yesterday to get a shot of him working his way through the Mexican Marigolds).

©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

THINGS ARE LOOKING UP

Yosemite Tree Moss - Yosemite National Park

I just thought the moss on this tree trunk and the canopy was kind of cool. I got to playing with it in photoshop and came up with this. The texture of the bark is so thick and rustic, it was begging for a photo. As you can tell, I spend a lot of time looking upward.

©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.

Flashback in Alameda

One of my main reasons for traveling to San Francisco was to see my very talented and life-long friend, Cary, who had spent the summer in the Bay Area doing summer musicals. He was the vocal director of Alameda Civic Light Opera's (ACLO) production of Hair at the Kofman Auditorium. The 60s musical was brought back to the Bay area where the hippie movement had started, and it seemed to be the perfect place to see it for my first time. The performance was top notch, and was a perfect nightcap to my wonderful weekend.


Curtain Call Frenzy - Alameda Civic Light Opera's "Hair"

Kofman Auditorium - Alameda, California

It is unbelievable that Kofman Auditorium, built in 1926, is a high school auditorium. It is unlike any that I have seen. I was taken with the architecture and lights. I kept studying the ceiling and the artistic lights and carvings surrounding me. Todd, one of my newer friends grew up here, and this was his high school and said that it had recently been renovated and brought up to earthquake code. The years had taken its toll and it was deemed unsafe for students to use. But seeing what they had brought back to life was beautiful.

The whole island is this way. Victorian homes line the street, the downtown is full of art deco architecture. New buildings are built to blend seemlessly with historic buildings.

During my stay, a rare summer thunderstorm had come up. That evening, the streets of Alameda reflected the neon lights of local restaurants. Across from Linquini's was Ole's Waffle Shop and the bright neon's caught my eye, as everyone said their evening farewells.


Ole's Waffle Shop - Alameda, California



Farewell between old and new friends - Cast and crew of Hair, Alameda, California

Thanks to Cary, Todd and the cast of Hair for making my mini vacation such a wonderful and memorable trip.


©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.