All individual images taken with my Canon 40D, using 100-400L zoom with a 1.4x multiplier (effective zoom 864mm), ISO 200, f/8-f/10. Color adjusted in LightRoom, cropped and layered in PhotoShop CS3.

'Nuff said.

If you don't know, Elderhostel provides educational travel experiences for folks over 55. Paula & I got to go even though we didn't meet the age requirement because her employer makes most of their portfolio open to employees, and encourages them to take advantage of the program experience as often as possible. Pretty neat benny, even if we were the youngest in the group of 47 participants.

Anyway, we spent the week learning about the Victorian Era, Victorian architecture, the history of Cape May, and of course Charles Dickens and good ole' Scrooge. The program was really well put together, and we all had a great time learning from the instructors, volunteers and period characters that presented to us over the 4 1/2-day program.

Paula and I also found a lot of time to get about the town and see the sights, usually with my new camera in tow. In fact, I took over 700 shots of the houses all dolled up for Christmas, the lighthouse and surrounding wildlife, and the Cape May Show House. In the middle of the week, we got an unexpected (and rare) snow storm, which provided a particularly special opportunity for photos - the snow providing that natural icing over everything that adds that special something to Christmas photos.

I've collected some of the best captures of the week into a photo album (click on the picture below to see it)

These were all shot using my new 10-megapixel Canon 40D with a variety of lenses, and then cataloged and processed using Adobe Lightroom 1.3 and Photoshop CS3. The slide show itself is also created in Lightroom (using the customized Flash module), and I'm hosting it on my chezburke.com site. I'm moving most of my photos off of Google's Picasaweb, so if you'd like reprints of any of these, drop me a line and we can work out the arrangements.

I hope that you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. And in the inimitable words of Tiny Tim:

God bless us, every one!

I love it.

Here's an album of some of my favorites that I'm using as wallpaper on my laptop.

Enjoy!

Here's a collection of photos I took at Abby & Jeff's shower, using my new 40D. It was the first real photo shoot day, and I was the photographer and  the DJ for the day.

We set up everything outside at Wallace's Grove (on Silver Lake in Hollis, NH) because it was just so dang hot (in the high 90's at midday).

The afternoon started out great, with around 100 people arriving to socialize, listen to music, and drink. Unfortunately Matt's beer tap failed us, so we had to make do with cans of Bud Light until one of the guests ran over to a buddy's house for another tap.

Then the thunderclouds moved in, and it was pretty ominous. We hastened up the lobster dinner a bit, stuffed all the electronics inside the hall, and scarfed down the lobsters - all just before the skies opened up and the whole place was encompassed in a deluge.

Inside, while it poured, we had desert, the traditional Greek Metaxa toast, and then the guests of honor opened their booty, er...gifts. And man was it hot and HUMID inside - but that didn't stop this crowd from dancin'.

Thanks to all that showed up and for dealing with the rains. A good time was had by all, and I'm sure we'll have even MORE fun at the wedding in October. See you all there!

We did a grand-prix style challenge, with 3 10-lap qualifying races, followed by a 20 lap winner-take-all race. I was pretty pooped by the 40th lap of the day, and since I was dragging home the end of the pack (and getting the blue-with-yellow-stripe flag just about every time I passed the marshall), I pulled off and snapped the final few laps.

For the record, Chris took first place (leveraging all those police-academy driving skills).

And I was dead last.

Clare B. Howard was known to most of those that knew him as "Bud," but everyone in the family just called him "Unc." Not "Uncle Bud," because the specificity was unnecessary. He was just "Unc" - the one and only.

He will be missed by everyone who knew him, and the hole he left behind in this world will never, ever be filled. His impact was simply that significant.

I won't eulogize Unc here, though...that's already been done. Instead, this blog entry will serve as the collection of his memory:

• His obituary, and the guest book, on the Lowell Sun web site
• The photo album we created

If you'd like to add something, send it to me. And feel free to leave a comment below. Although Unc never had a PC, I'm sure he'll figure out how to read this. He was an engineer, after all...

And finally, his daughter (my wife) presented the following eulogy at his Mercy Meal, and I feel it simply must be shared with everyone who knew Unc.

"unc"

He was the most honorable, caring, hard working unselfish, loving man I ever knew. And he was a true gentleman. He was an engineer, smart, witty and corny….. I wish I had a dime for every limerick he recited…we’d all be rich. He was a historian, he loved to debate about politics, especially with is brother and he was a walking encyclopedia. We would often ask how the heck do you know that? He as a story teller and sometimes a flirt, with those dancing eyes…he wasn’t too sick to notice how cute one of his nurses was! He was devoutly religious and his church, and the friends he made there, meant the world to him and so did his ritual of communion with my Uncle Jim.

When we, all of his chosen children, needed Unc because were hurt or in trouble, needed to talk or just plain needed a hug he was always there. He forged a special bond with each of us that we’ll carry in our hearts forever.

My brother meant the world to him. They had this incredible father son relationship. My Aunt told the story about the first time she left unc alone with Philip and the diapers and let’s just say that Unc ended up hosing Philip off in the shower. It went from there to Philip getting older and coming home saying Unc we need to make a deal…..Unc would say okay Phil how much is it going to cost me and out would come his wallet. He told me in these past few weeks how proud he way of you and the man that you have become. Your ability to run your own business balanced with the ability to be genuine, loving and affectionate. He thought the sun rose on your son – he brought him so much joy and laughter, as did all of our children.

It’s true what they say about fathers and daughters. I asked my loving husband why does this hurt so much and he said it’s because Auntie was your guiding light and Unc is your rock. I’m proud to say he was my Dad in every sense of the word and that he love me unconditionally…what a gift that is.

Before he died we had a talk and I told him how much I loved him and that he was my rock and that I didn’t know how I’d manage without him. He told me that it’s funny how the world changes and that at this time in his life I was his rock and that I should be there as a rock for our next generation so I think he passed the torch to each of us.

Well it got me to thinking about what’s important in this life:

• It’s being there for each other
• It’s admiring each others strengths
• It’s forgiving each others weaknesses
• It’s not worrying about the small stuff
• It’s sharing the joys and the sorrows
• It’s laughing, crying and being there for each other
• It’s loving each other unconditionally because no one knows what tomorrow may bring

So I challenge all of us in this next generation to be the guiding lights and rocks for each other and our children for I know that we could give him no better gift than to live the legacy he has left us with. I’m smart enough to know that he was a rock for all of us and that we were all his rock, his foundation his joy. We will miss him but we will all carry him in our hearts.

One last thing. Teena’s daughter pointed out last night that when you looked around at all the pictures, all you saw was Unc’s smile. In every picture, no matter who he was with, where he was, or when it was – that same big grin. And those twinkling eyes.

I think that’s exactly how our “Unc” wants us all to remember him.
 
Smilin’