2025 March 21~ Savannah, GA

 A perfect day in Savannah, Georgia……blends history, charm, Southern hospitality…..and an abundance of WALKING! 

While our time in Savannah was limited, we wasted not a hot minute in returning to some of our favorite sights! Our first stop was River Street and City Market area, which included watching the cargo ships drift by at the John P. Rousakis Riverfront Plaza; iconic City Hall dome building in the North Historic district; Savannah Cotton Exchange; Georgia Queen Riverboat(Dinner Cruise); people watching; cobblestone streets by the Savannah River and more !

Our second stop ……South Historic District. We strolled through Forsyth Park to admire the iconic fountain, the moss-draped oak trees, and the blooming azaleas! Parking was easily available on the side streets near the historic homes(Included the Mercer-Williams House and the Armstrong Kessler Mansion.

Our third stop …..was the famous Bonaventure Cemetery….a must-see for its haunting beauty, history, and connection to the movie “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”

Advice for visiting Savannah:😂😂😂

1. Watch out for the “S” in Forsyth Park – It stands for Spanish moss, squirrels, and spirits. The moss is beautiful but full of bugs, the squirrels will judge your snack choices, and the ghosts? Well, they might just join you for a drink.

2. Speaking of drinks… Savannah has an open-container law, meaning you can walk around with alcohol. But be careful—after a few to-go cups, you might start giving historical tours of buildings you’ve never been in.

3. The cobblestones on River Street were designed by someone who hated ankles. Wear good shoes, and don’t try to impress anyone with fancy footwork. The ghosts don’t care.

4. Southern hospitality is real, but so is the humidity. People will call you “sweetheart,” but your hair might betray you in ways you never imagined.

5. If a local tells you a ghost story, believe them. And maybe don’t book the cheapest Airbnb in a 200-year-old house unless you enjoy flickering lights and unexplained noises.

6. The pralines are free samples for a reason. They know you’ll be back for a full bag. You won’t win this battle—just buy them.

7. Never challenge a local to a debate about the best fried chicken. It’s a trap. Just nod, agree, and enjoy every bite.

8. The fountains run green for St. Patrick’s Day. No, it’s not a plumbing issue. Yes, the entire city turns into a party. Pace yourself.

9. If you hear hooves, don’t panic—it’s just a carriage tour. But if the horse looks at you funny, it might be sizing you up for a past-life encounter.

10. Enjoy the slow pace. If you’re in a hurry, Savannah will politely remind you to sit your sweet self down and enjoy another glass of sweet tea.

Have fun in Savannah—just don’t trip on a cobblestone!

2025 March 13-14~ Blood Moon Total Lunar Eclipse

 

Experiencing a full Blood Moon during a total lunar eclipse is a breathtaking and almost eerie event. 

I was fortunate to be able to stand on my deck to view the entire eclipse in real-time. It was almost surreal. Below was the scheduled event with specific times, moon phases and eclipse developments.  

My first full moon capture took place at 10:38PM..... an hour before the 'Penumbral Eclipse' began.

By 11:30PM, the moon actually darkened! 

The Partial Eclipse began at 1:09AM. This photo was captured at 1:16AM ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

At 1:50AM (now Friday morning), March 14, the moon was showing slight signs of color change. Can you see just a tinge of orange that borders the moon's shadow?

The fun part of the evening/morning was communicating with my fellow photographer friends. I had plenty of caffeine and snacks to keep me alert.  By 4:00AM, though, I was 'toast' and knew that I had a 9:00 appointment that probably would not go well😁😁😁. 

Reader"s Digest gave a simple explanation of why the moon turns red! 

With the naked eye, you could see the Moon taking on a glowing, rusty-red/coppery orange shade. It was such a peaceful and humbling event...almost magical, almost like witnessing a celestial secret unfold. 

The total eclipse began at 2:26AM and reached maximum eclipse at 2:58AM. (the total eclipse ended at 3:31AM)..........100% worth staying awake to watch😉. 

I got carried away with this one in the editing process........ 😁

If you missed the total lunar eclipse, you will have to wait until March 3, 2026 to see it again!  

Much was learned from my experience, and MUCH IS STILL TO BE LEARNED. I took a LOT of photos. Many of my camera settings were not ideal, but many were stellar! Some of my favorite peeps have shared their editing techniques as well as their camera settings. 

Do I need better equipment? NO..... 

Do I need more experience? YES!

I was able to take an iphone photo which was OK. 

The Moon really was this color!!!!!

GOOD NIGHT/GOOD MORNING MOON🌑🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘🌙🌚🌛🌜

PS........ The next 9 photos were taken by some of my favorite photography friends. Without their continued support and encouragement, I would not be where I am today🌜. We share a bond that far exceeds being a fellow photography enthusiast😁.......and that makes them pretty special in my life❣️❣️❣️! I'm fortunate to have many other photography friends who were unable to be a part of the Blood Moon Total Lunar Eclipse! We all have different cameras, an assortment of lens, unique editing processes, a love of photographing animals, plants, landscapes, macro, portraits, etc,.....but we all share with the world, what we see through our eyes! 

1. Carol Huffman

2. Steve Hammer

3. Peter Forister

4. Michael Kline

5. Glen Mitchell

6. Truc Nguyen Allen

7. John Singleton 

8. Mike Yates

9. Brian Wells 

Seeing the Blood Moon total lunar eclipse was a breathtaking sight! 

Until next time! 🌕🌕🌕

2025 Feb 27~Piano

Picture this: a small young maestro with the patience of a saint, trying to teach me to use the colored shapes on the iPad's YouTube channel, EASY PIANO TUTORIAL. 

Spoiler alert: I'm not exactly Beethoven🎶. Sure, I took piano lessons as a kid and had a 'go at' it in my early adult life, but this newfangled method had me scratching my head like a confused chicken. My grandson's exasperation was detected. I half expected him to place a "Do Not Disturb" sign on my forehead😂😂😂

The objective: to learn to play the TOP GUN ANTHEM............on my piano!(can you see my eyes roll to the back of my head as I struggle to pick up this new technique? I was BEFUDDLED. Click on video below to see WHY it confused me!😁 This was a #newtomeat76 experience!

 

It didn't take long to switch my MO and order the sheet music, download it, and print off a copy of TOP GUN..........ahhhhh much better! 

My grandson has big plans for our next visit together, and I can't wait. This particular piece is especially fond to him as he has fallen in love with the music in the original TOP GUN movie.( and I THINK he is expecting me to play "Great Balls of Fire" the way LTJG Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw did😉😁😂!   In the meantime, it seems as though I have a bucket load of practice to do! Wow, talk about doing hard things...playing the piano and laughing all at once. Relearning old things is not always easy. While I can still read the notes, I'm having issues with those repeat D.S. TO Coda symbols while keeping up with the beat of the music! 

I love the fact that my children enjoyed playing a musical instrument during their adolescent years. And now to see this appreciation for the arts passed on to my grands, is rewarding! What a fulfilling way to spend quality time!

What began in January, and continued in February, will be ongoing as we continue building our skills.

 Each time we get together, we are learning a duet! Boy does he catch on fast!

For me, sometimes I feel like I'm trying to pat my head and rub my belly while riding a unicycle😂😂😂. Each day that I practice, though, gets better and easier! As I sit at the piano, my fingers dancing across the keys, the notes seem to come alive, filling the air with a sweet, melodic symphony. 

OH THE POWER OF PASSION AND PERSEVERANCE!🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶

*** Studies show that time spent at the keyboard(or any musical instrument) improves mental health. People who make music experience less anxiety, loneliness and depression. It is linked to improved memory and the ability to solve complex tasks.....known as executive function. 

Next I'll add singing, as I play!😂😂😂😂😂