I'm so excited to have some new shots to share for Weekend Reflections. We took a recent mini vacation to Rockport Texas and I was able to capture some fun shots from the balcony of our rental condo. I'm still getting used to this camera but I was fairly happy with the results. I did discover that it does not care much for low light. Guess I'll have to leave those shots to hubby and his "fancy pants" camera lol. Make sure to visit James at Newtown Area Photo to see some really beautiful, creative reflection photographs.
Sunrise reflections from our balcony (click to enlarge to see the reflections better)
Resident blue heron who came to feed every morning. Their camo is so good that you can see him better in the reflection than on land!
Pretty palms, gazebo and clouds
Hubby's version of a Corona ad
Thanks for stopping by. Don't forget to visit James and see some beautiful photography!
(Note: If you want the full effect, scroll to the bottom and play the theme music while reading)
Lori at Family Trees May Contain Nuts has challenged us to write about our favorite movie. I am a confessed movie addict. But I'll admit that I prefer older movies to most of what is out right now. Among my favorites are Gaslight, Vertigo, The African Queen, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Graduate, Rear Window... well, you get the picture. But my favorite movie, the one that I watch over and over again, is To Kill a Mockingbird. It is my favorite book and usually I am disappointed in movie adaptations. But to my mind, this was perfectly done. From the casting to Bernstein's score to the cinematography, this movie truly captured the essence of Harper Lee's novel. The sense of place is so beautifully conveyed. I swear you can feel the still, thick heat and taste the dust from the roads. There are so many wonderful scenes in this movie. From Scout rolling down the street in the old tire, to Atticus defending his client from a lynch mob in front of the jail, to Scout finally meeting Boo Radley. Her simple "Hey Boo", has got to be one of the greatest lines ever spoken. But the scene that sends chills down my spine every time I see (or read) it is the scene when Atticus is leaving the courtroom after the verdict. Scout is told "Jean Louise, Jean Louise, stand - your father is passing" as the entire balcony rises to show respect and gratitude for Atticus. I cry every time I see that scene. Isn't that the vision that we all want to have of our fathers? To know that they will stand for what is good and right when it would be so much easier to stand silent in the face of injustice?
Image compliments of google images
The major plot line concerns the trial of Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. Atticus is appointed to defend him at trial, and the majority of the movie shows the ways that this affects his family. But I've always felt that the main character in To Kill Mockingbird is the town of Maycomb, Alabama itself. The townspeople are the same group of people that you know from your own town, seen through the eyes of Atticus' children, Jem age 10 and Jean Louise, better known as Scout, age 6. And Maycomb has it's own version of the bogeyman, Arthur Radley, known as "Boo" to the children. Boo is reputed to be crazy, a monster who stabbed his own father with a pair of scissors, someone to be terrified of. But Jem and Scout are naturally curious about this strange man, sneaking up and trying to see in the house to get a glimpse of him. At one point, Boo leaves them little gifts hidden in a knothole of a tree. When his father discovers this, he cements over the hole. The children finally get to meet Boo at the end of a long and terrifying night, when he saves them from the father of the woman who falsely accused Tom of raping her.
Image courtesy of google images (Robert Duval in one of his first movie roles)
Ultimately, To Kill A Mockingbird is my favorite movie because it takes me back to my own childhood. It makes me remember the wonder and awe of being a child, when the simplest things were often the best. And it makes me laugh when I remember the people and places that scared the tar out of me. As we get older we realize that people are not always what they appear to be, for good or bad. And many times the people that we fear because they are "different" are often the best people around us. This movie reminds me that sometimes the most ordinary things in our lives are really the most extraordinary.
I think Scout sums it up best in one of her last narrative lines in the movie:
"Neighbors bring food with death, and flowers with sickness, and little things in between. Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a knife, and our lives."
If you've not seen this adaptation of Harper Lee's seminal novel, run, don't walk to your nearest video store and rent it. Or better yet, buy the anniversary edition. It is full of neat extras and wonderful liner notes. And if you've never heard the soundtrack, give that a spin as well. Bernstein was a true genius in conveying place and mood through his music. His score is brilliant, invoking the sense of wonder and magic that is a child's world.
Wednesday, time once again for Outdoor Wednesday so graciously hosted each week by Susan at A Southern Daydreamer. Be sure to visit Susan's beautiful blog and see what gorgeous outdoor photos everyone is sharing this week. We just got back from 4 wonderful, relaxing days in Rockport Texas. My last post was about the great Film Festival and Reception that we attended. These pictures show some of the other things we saw while on our (too) short vacation.
Don't forget to click to enlarge any of the pictures. The bird photos in particular look much better when enlarged.
This was the sunrise view from our balcony. Dreamy isn't it?
This beautiful blue heron came by every morning for breakfast! He had a veritable buffet off of the boat slip each morning.
On Friday we took the short ferry ride to Port Aransas. Cait caught this pelican watching over the bay as we passed.
Port Aransas coming into view. The ferry ride takes about 3 minutes, but during high season you can wait up to 2 hours to board!
I was so excited to see these white pelicans! This was the first time we had visited in the fall. I had no idea that they even came to this part of the gulf. Sorry about the picture quality, I only had my little point and shoot with me when I saw them. And I had to clamber over a seawall and construction site to get the shot, with Cait yelling at me in the background "Mom, you're going to end up in the bay!!"
This is a shot of the Fulton Mansion. This gorgeous home overlooks the bay and is now a museum. We have never been here during the open tour times. Maybe next visit!
Isn't the detail of the tile work and around the windows gorgeous?
I love this shot of the mansion as the sun was setting. Doesn't it remind you of the Eagles "Hotel California" album cover?
Windswept oak on the mansion lawn.
I just love the stately palms on the mansion property. Can you imagine waking to this view every morning?
Sunset view from our balcony. I love this shot, it makes me think of a ghost ship!
Time to say goodbye to Rockport, until our next visit!
I hope you enjoyed our mini vacation as much as we did. Make sure to visit Susan and see all the beautiful outdoor photos this week!
I'm so excited to have some new shots to share for Weekend Reflections. We took a recent mini vacation to Rockport Texas and I was able to capture some fun shots from the balcony of our rental condo. I'm still getting used to this camera but I was fairly happy with the results. I did discover that it does not care much for low light. Guess I'll have to leave those shots to hubby and his "fancy pants" camera lol. Make sure to visit James at Newtown Area Photo to see some really beautiful, creative reflection photographs. 
Pretty palms, gazebo and clouds
Hubby's version of a Corona ad
