“Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t feel what you’re looking at, then you’re never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures.” — Don McCullin

Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.

Happy New Years!

Sunday, 12/31/2023: Posted photo — Catchup.

Waiting around for people to arrive at our house to do the traditional New Year’s Eve jig saw puzzle, I saw this container of catchup that we have been saving for some reason. I noticed Connecticut was different from the rest which led to this photo. Each one of the states has a different fact on it.

Monday, 01/01/2024: Posted photo — New Year’s Hike.

I have been hiking a local mountain every New Year’s morning for Sunrise with a group of friends over many years. This year marked the 10thyear that we hiked Mount Watatic. Mount Watatic is a smaller mountain than Mount Wachusett but has fewer people hiking on it. It is further away from populated areas. It is the northern terminus of the Midstate Trail.

We have had -25°F temperatures on the summit, 45°F temperatures on the summit, cloudy days, rainy days, and average 20-30°F temperatures. This year we had cloud cover in the ocean past Boston, so Boston was clear, but the sun was not to be seen.

Here is a photo of what we saw as the sunrise, Mount Wachusett from the summit, and our traditional group photo.

Tuesday, 01/02/2024: Posted photo — Yellow Yams.

Yellow yam is born by a perennial vine plant, which stretches up to 2 meters long. Yellow yams are like sweet potatoes; however, they are not an alternative for sweet potatoes. The main difference between the two tubers is that yams are large and have thicker skin, whereas sweet potatoes are relatively small and have a thin peel. Yellow yam, a tropical root veggie, is also alternatively known as “Jamaican Yellow Yam.” Jamaican yellow yam is traditionally consumed with Jamaican meals.

The grocery store in which I shop does have some interesting fruits and vegetables.

Wednesday, 01/03/2024: Posted photo — City Hall.

Today was my yearly physical. It is in the city of Gardner Massachusetts. The city hall is a block away from my doctor’s office. Town Hall first opened in 1860, the ground floor was inhabited by the First National and Gardner Savings banks, while another section housed the district court. On January 1, 1923, the Town of Gardner officially became the City of Gardner. City Hall was opened in January of 1940 when all city government offices were transferred to the new building.

Thursday, 01/04/2024: Posted photo — Bridge.

One of the trails on Mount Watatic goes by a body of water that was formed by a beaver dam. That beaver dam held the water back for many years. Over the last few years, the beaver dam started to breach. This bridge has been constructed to go over the new streams that are forming.

Friday, 01/05/2024: Post photo — Lines in Road.

Salt brine, typically sodium chloride, is sprayed onto the pavement before a storm (this is known as “pre-treating”). The town I live uses a liquid mixture of salt brine and an organic sugar carbohydrate. Applying the liquid mixture to the roads lessens the time it takes to activate the conventional rock salt making the cleaning of the roads more efficient.

We have a predicted 8 to 12 inches of snow falling into our area Saturday night into Sunday morning.

Saturday, 01/06/2024: Post photo — Epiphany.

Epiphany, celebrated on 6 January, marks the day when the Three Wise Men visited baby Jesus in Bethlehem. It’s a Christian holiday that honors this event and represents the revelation of Jesus Christ. This day is also called “Little or Old Christmas” and is the last day of the Christmas season.

That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.