Sweeter, Richer, Louder

Close friends contribute to our personal growth. They also contribute to our personal pleasure, making the music sound sweeter, the wine taste richer, the laughter ring louder because they are there. 
~ Judith Viorst

So now that the chilly month of November is here, I figure it's a good time to reintroduce the balmier days of summer. Mostly, I happen to have a lot more photos from the period of time when I suspended my blog and so I'm going to inflict some of them upon you from time to time. This is one of those times.


A familiar site from the past. A foggy morning in May with the sun just beginning to peek over the hill and a graceful bird on the wing.






And here's the same spot at the end of a different day.






Later in the summer, this is the view from one of the bridges in Peterborough. On this August evening, friends and I were about to head over to a free Kruger Brothers concert in the park. Their amazing banjo and guitar strings weave classical music with bluegrass and folk. I had seen them perform with Steve Martin on Letterman a while back and was looking forward to this evening's performance - minus the wild and crazy guy. The forecast called for a likely rain shower and we were equipped with raincoats and umbrellas. You can see that although it was still dry, the clouds were beginning to form.






It was difficult to take the imminent rain seriously when sun and clouds painted the sky such a friendly shade of pink. The music hadn't begun yet, and neither had the rain. Oh, but both of them did - at around the same time.






I didn't take any photos of the rain because I was trying to keep my camera and myself tucked under the umbrella because it didn't just rain - it POURED! The downpour started early on during the music and only let up a bit before the Kruger Brothers were done. Most of the people who sat around so casually during the pink sunset were long gone. A diminished number of us sat it out and enjoyed the show immensely, in spite of the wet weather. These guys managed to stay dry on stage and neither their spirits nor ours were dampened. The show was fantastic.






A couple of weeks later, I joined the same friends at a different park for a different show - the folk festival. I was tired and didn't stay for very long but enjoyed the music and the people-watching while it lasted. It wasn't any more crowded than this but I still had a hard time finding Carol Anne and Michael. They were somewhere on that hill. And I still can't find them in this picture. It's not them - it's me!






I did find them eventually - seated not too far from this cutie.






This pooch was hyper-focused on his person - waiting to get the signal which would allow him to grab the frisbee.






The view toward the stage was lively. Music was good. Kids were happy. The weather was dry!






The sun bathed the hill with gold as it began its descent.






In between performances, folks chatted, daydreamed or read. Some went off in search of food. Many just enjoyed the last rays of sunlight.






A quick photo on my way out.

More (perhaps even more current) photos coming up soonish.