Showing posts with label historic buildings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label historic buildings. Show all posts

Sunday, September 2, 2018

Small Town Adventure - Bowling Green, Ohio


On a recent Friday morning, my husband called and said, "I have to be in Bowling Green, Ohio for a meeting Monday morning, do you want to come along?" Since his meeting was at 8:30 and Bowling Green is a good 3-1/2 hours from our house, he was planning to leave Sunday afternoon and stay overnight.

While he is asking me this question, I am lying on the couch on a bag of ice. I had tweaked a muscle in my back the day before, causing the whole right side of my body to feel like a pulled taut bungee cord. You would think my immediate answer would be, "I can't." But having been through this predicament before, generally a whole lot of ice and ibuprofen takes care of the problem in a couple of days. Since nothing was required of me but getting into the car on Sunday, I told him I would decide one way or the other Sunday morning.


Sunday morning while not perfect, I could sit with minimal discomfort. Googling Bowling Green, Ohio, an image search revealed: old buildings, a quaint-looking downtown, and some nature parks. Plenty to keep me busy on Monday.


At three o'clock Sunday afternoon, I climbed into the car, cranked the heated seat to high, and stretched out the best I could. Almost four hours later, we arrived at our hotel.

At dinner that night with one of my husband's coworkers and his wife, I posed the question - where would be some good places to go photograph? This can be a risky question to ask non-photographers. Chris suggested the Historical Center and Museum which was two stop signs down the road from our hotel. As soon as he said old buildings and cemetery, I knew that his suggestion could be taken seriously.


Shortly after eight o'clock Monday morning, I checked out of the hotel (Glen had already left with another colleague) and drove two stop signs down the road, crossed a country highway and found the Wood County Historical Center. Formerly, the Wood County Infirmary, i.e. county poor house. I was in heaven.



The Wood County Infirmary operated from 1869-1971. After 102 years of operation the Infirmary closed. It reopened in 1975 as a Museum. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.


The Infirmary Cemetery is the final resting place of over 400 Wood County residents. Not everybody buried here lived in the Infirmary. Residents too poor to afford burial in a public cemetery were also buried here. The county paid for a simple pine box and grave marker noted with a number. They do have records of who is buried here, but none that indict which number belongs to which name.


Two parks that I also visited while in Bowling Green were: Wintergarden Park and Simpson Garden Community Center. Both beautiful parks, but it was too hot and too sunny for any good photos. I am hoping to be invited back to Bowling Green so I can explore further.

Sunday, August 19, 2018

A Weekend in Gary, Indiana


Mercy Hospital
My husband and I spent last weekend in Gary, Indiana. Now if you are from the mid-west you are probably thinking, what the heck were you doing there? The only things in Gary are danger and abandoned buildings. But if you know me at all, you will also know that I am okay with a little bit of danger and a whole lot of abandoned buildings. 


Photo Credit: Glen Huizenga - City United Methodist Church

We were in Gary (during the day) for a two day photography workshop with Rad Drew and Sally Meyer Wolf, called Abandoned Gary. 

Photo Credit: Rad Drew - Group photo minus two.

There were fourteen of us seekers of decay. Most of us hailed from the mid-west, but a couple arrived via plane. This photo was taken at the last destination on the second day. We were a motley crew by then: so hot, so sweaty and so dirty. But there were still hugs all around as we parted ways. I can't imagine spending two days wandering derelict buildings with any other group. 

City United Methodist Church

This is the second workshop Glen and I have done with Rad. Last summer we did a one day workshop at Conner Prairie near Indianapolis on Mobile Photography. You can read that post here if you are interested.

Photo Credit: Glen Huizenga - City United Methodist Church

The Abandoned Gary workshop started on Friday night with a meet and greet dinner. Glen and I enjoyed a date day first, so we trickled our way down to Indiana by way of a few wineries in southern Michigan, and a late lunch at a favorite restaurant - The Stray Dog. We checked into our hotel in Merrillville, had a quick soak in the hot tub, and rested before going to the restaurant.


We spent the bulk of Saturday morning here at City United Methodist Church. Built in 1925 for $800,000. It was closed in October of 1975. You can see the destruction that abandonment will do. 

City United Methodist Church

The other place that intrigued me on Saturday was Mercy Hospital. A whole hospital completely abandoned. 

Mercy Hospital

Nothing left except for peeling paint, trash and dripping water. The dripping water can sound a little creepy when you are on a floor by yourself. 


Mercy Hospital

We were suppose to be on the buddy system, except every time I looked around for my buddy husband, he seemed to be MIA. That's because he was busy climbing up on the roof. 

Photo Credit: Glen Huizenga - Mercy Hospital

This is my favorite shot of Glen's for the day. So I guess the climb up to the roof was worth it, and he did bring me up there eventually. 



We ended the day with beauty of a different sort. Sunset over Lake Michigan in Michigan City.


I'll be back with Day Two and my favorite place from the workshop...


Sunday, March 18, 2018

Pour Some Sugar On


This may be the one and only time you see me say I was hoping for snow this week. Especially, since it is March and everybody is ready to be done with winter, including me. But last week found me doing a run and gun through a favorite historic homestead and walking park, looking for my daily 365 photograph.  I had about an half hour to kill before I had to pick up Findley, so I thought I would do a quick walk through of the house and barn areas. That is when I saw the metal sap collection buckets. It had snowed with snow squall force that morning and the maple trees and buckets had a heavy blanket of white on them.


I grabbed my daily shot, but knew I wanted to come back when I had more time and my tripod. I also wanted to continue practicing my Compelling Frame photography course lessons.


I have become quite attached to my tripod. I know most of you photographers are saying, "But I hate carrying my tripod, I want to be free to move around." There is certainly truth to that, but I have learned that I also want to be free to slow down and improve my game. A tripod makes me slow down, and honestly my "vision" is so much better when I use it.


Monday morning I got my wish. It wasn't a heavy blanket of white, but it was enough to give a thin coating to the layers of fallen maple leaves, and provide the backdrop I needed for my adventure.


I grew up surrounded by maple trees. When my dad retired he decided to tap those trees and begin making maple syrup. As if his beekeeping hobby, and tenacity for cutting wood for his wood stove weren't enough to keep him busy already. He built his own sugar shack, and would be out there at all hours of the day and night boiling down that sap.


On the average it takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup. Interesting article on maple syrup making here. The average sap collection period can last anywhere from four to six weeks. There were abundant years and there were lean years, but as my dad approached his 70's, I think he had had enough of the lean years. He sold the equipment, and turned the Sugar Shack into another storage shed.


During January and our Whole 30 adventure, we had to give up ALL sugar. It is amazing when you start reading labels on the food at the grocery store how many items have sugar. Here we are mid-March and I still read labels. Now, if I purchase items with sugar, I try to make sure it is either organic cane sugar, or more preferably natural sugars like honey and maple syrup. Locally sourced natural sugars are the best, since my dad still keeps his bees I get my honey from him, and I buy my maple syrup at the farmers market.


I spent a satisfyingly slow hour photographing sap buckets, snowy trees, and the sugar shack. Before I returned to my car to warm up my frozen feet, I made a little detour down a snow covered wooden walkway.

My initial run and gun turned into a substantial exploration.  I throughly enjoy having my creative/adventure days early in the week.

In Other News...



My friend Cathy H. made a comment on my blog last week that resonated so deeply with me, "Sometimes I feel just holding the camera and pushing the shutter button brings me more joy than seeing the photo I took!"  I held that sentence in my heart this week. All it really takes is that first press to get rolling again, the results are not the important part. 

I returned to filming this past week, squeezing in moments when I could. Working on something a little outside my comfort zone, it won't be perfect the first time, but the learning and improving is in the doing.

The kitchen flooring has been ordered. We have found pendant lights for above the peninsula, and they have been ordered. Next step is to contact the electrician to install. More painting ahead this week, coating everything in lovely, neutral Alabaster.


I finished listening to A Gentleman in Moscow this week. I love listening to books while I am in the car and when walking. It is amazing how much you can listen to just running errands around town. I give the book 4-1/2 stars.

Sunday, October 22, 2017

Bucket List - Greenfield Village

Photo Credit: Glen Huizenga

This may be the first and only time a sheep leads off a blog post, at least until we finally go to Ireland or I take the future grandchildren to a petting farm. And the best part, this isn't even my photograph. This was taken by my husband last weekend while we were on a date weekend.


We have been keeping up the date days that I gave Glen for Christmas last year: twelve date days - one per month, vacation days required. Unfortunately we missed one in August, due to his being away for a full week for work. So to make up for it we did a date weekend.


Greenfield Village in Dearborn, MI has been on my bucket list forever and I can finally cross it off. In keeping with true Sarah fashion, I did very little research ahead of time. Just enough to know where it was in Dearborn and book us into a hotel within a five minute drive. My tag line on my blog isn't "Striving to find balance between intention and discovery" for no reason. I knew that Greenfield Village was vast, it was created by Henry Ford (Ford Motor Company) in 1929, so it was old, and that there would be plenty of stuff to photograph. I didn't need anything else.


When we arrived it was a bit chilly and overcast, perfect weather and light in my mind. After a visit to the Firestone Farm area to get those shutter fingers warmed up, I saw that the steam-powered train was in the station. Since we had purchased orange wrist bands to ride all the attractions, we were off to ride the train.

Photo Credit: Glen Huizenga

I love trains, and this is were America fails in travel. With trains you can see the country, move at a decent rate of speed and the best part for someone with a less than stellar back, I can get up and move around. This train only went around the park, so no need to stretch my back, but still an awesome ride and great views.


Since we were sitting in the back of the open air rail car, I took the opportunity to do some train "street" photography. Seemed less risky with nobody sitting behind us.

Photo Credit: Glen Huizenga


So much old building love...


Favorite building. Edison's Menlo Park Machine Shop...


Those high ceilings, white walls, wood floors and lots and lots of tall windows. Don't you think this would be the perfect creative studio? Plenty of room for all my friends.

Photo Credit: Glen Huizenga

We spent five hours at Greenfield Village and took many photos between the two of us. It was a great date day. The second day we spent at the Henry Ford Museum and took the Rouge Factory tour where they make Ford F150 trucks, that took us about six hours to do both. So if you plan on visiting make sure you have a good day or two for it, depending on what you want to do.

Dearborn Michigan Restaurant Recommendations

I always try to give you a few restaurant recommendations when we travel, because we love local restaurants with good food and good service. Glen is always in charge of the research of them.


Miller's Bar - Don't let the outside deter you. Most unique bar we have ever visited - no menus, only serve hamburgers with or without cheese, fries and onion rings, condiments are on the table. Bottled beer, no mixed drinks. No plates, wax paper for your plate. No bill, on the honor system, you tell the cashier what you had. Great service! We would definitely go back, great burgers.


Ford's Garage - It must have been the weekend of the burger. Our second night we went to Ford's Garage, part of a chain, but still seemed fitting for where we were. Plan on waiting at least an hour. We got there shortly after five and got seated a little after six. The service was great! The burgers were large and messy and yummy (they do serve more than burgers). The fries were fabulous! Beer choices were pretty vast.

If you only have time for one place though, I would pick Miller's hands down, much more unique experience and we got seated right away there.

Sunday, October 8, 2017

Ghost Signs


My elementary school days were filled with riding my pony, reading in my treehouse, swimming in the neighbors' pool and playing in the woods. But once I hit middle school, and my dad had a life-changing accident with a table saw, there was no time for play. A lot of the household responsibility fell on me, including helping care for my younger brother.  Being a first-born, guilt and responsibility are attached to me like a heavy ball and chain. So taking a day and wandering in the city with my camera, which definitely falls into the category of play, is something that is extremely hard for me.


It is Monday morning, I should be at the grocery store wandering the aisles, trying to figure out what to feed myself and my family for the week. I should be loading the washing machine with the weekend's exercise clothes and Sunday best. I should be waiting for the grass to dry so I can fill the lawn mower with gas and walk behind it for two hours, listening to my book, and sweating through another set of exercise clothes.


But instead I am sitting at a little cafe table in the city, chai latte in front of me and camera beside me. It is the last week of ArtPrize. ArtPrize is an independently organized international art competition that takes place each fall, it is free and open to the public. This is the ninth year of this heavily visited art extravaganza. It has been a few years since I have attended, the years of my daughter being away at college and visits to her for her birthday seemed to take the place of ArtPrize. Last Friday though, my husband and I had a date day and we came to ArtPrize. With over a thousand entries, we didn't even come close to seeing it all.  My husband is out of town for a couple of days, with nobody needing me, the guilt and "shoulds" have been displaced until tomorrow.

ArtPrize is the justification to come back and play, but what I really came back for was to stalk this building with my camera.


At the top is the ugly glass exterior that was on the building, put on by some misguided souls in the name of modernization, probably in the 1970's. Underneath is the original and glorious brick. I was enthralled by this find on Friday, but didn't have the time or the right light to grab more than a few quick shots. Today, I am back in time for morning light. Fortified by my chai latte and gluten free bar, I walk the entire perimeter of the building, documenting every perfectly preserved ghost sign.



Buoyed by my stalking and capturing of treasures, I set off to find more art. I will revisit a few favorites from Friday, seek new favorites from the previously unseen, cast my vote for my favorite from the pool of top twenty, enjoy lunch in a rooftop restaurant, and eventually go home and mow the grass.

Old guilt is hard to shed, but I am slowly learning to play again.

Thursday, June 29, 2017

iPhoneography Workshop - Conner Prairie


I will travel to pursue my creative passions. A great example of that was our "vacation" to Massachusetts in May, the end goal being that I could attend a Creative Photography Conference put together by Hazel Meredith of Meredith Images.

In my previous blog post about the conference, I shared that I fell in love with iPhone Photography again thanks to the presentation and class taught by Michael and Susan Karchmer. In their presentation they highlighted some of their photographer friends' iPhone work, one of them being Rad Drew. Immediately, I felt a connection to Rad's work, both in subject matter and in processing choices. Back in the hotel room that night I looked up his website, and then...even better I saw that he lived near Indianapolis, IN and did occasional workshops in his area. Indianapolis is only a three and a half hour drive from my house. I thought for sure I would have to wait months to attend something, because that how things usually work for me, but to my great delight there was a half day workshop coming up at the end of June. I waited until we returned home from "vacation" before I sprung upon my husband that I thought we should go to that and do it together.

This past weekend was the iPhone Photography workshop at Conner Prairie Museum in Fishers, IN. Fishers seems to be an up and coming suburb just outside Indianapolis. Lots of new construction, and some great restaurants. I will have dining recommendations for you at the end of this post.

Before and After - Sarah Huizenga

Conner Prairie is an interactive history park, a vast display of 1800's life and buildings, perfect for this girl who is obsessed with old buildings, especially if they are white clapboard.

The workshop was from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30ish p.m. We had a good hour and a half of instruction time, then forty-five minutes to go out into the park to shoot, and then we came back together to share images and walk through post-processing of our images we shot.

Before and After - Sarah Huizenga

I am not new to iPhone photography or processing, but I know that there is always more to learn. I love how each instructor I have ever seen has their own personal favorites - camera apps. to shoot with and post-processing apps. What a passionate teacher does is get you excited about the things he/she uses. Rad is all the things I value in an instructor whether in-person or on-line: creative, personable, passionate and has a genuine willingness to share and help.

Before and After - Sarah Huizenga

I have had the Camera+ app forever, it was one of the first apps. I ever bought. I discarded it when I got the iPhone 6 and the native camera was so much better than the one on my iPhone 4s. But Rad made me fall in love with it again, especially after touching on the macro feature. The macro feature I needed to be able to take flower photos with my phone for my 30 Day flower project. The other favorite camera app that he had us use was vividHDR, I have never enjoyed HDR photos, until now.

While Michael and Suz spent most of our hour long class with an in-depth look at Snapseed, the second step app that almost every iPhone photographer uses, Rad walked us briefly through his workflow in that and then it was on to other creative apps: Touch Retouch (great for telephone wire removal and object removal), Front View for building straightening (for a building lover that is very needed), and my two new favorites Artista Oil and Image Blender.

Before and After - Glen Huizenga

My husband and I are very different shooters. He is not afraid to ask people if he can take their photo, must be the salesman in him, unafraid of rejection. I think he had a good time. You can check out his Instagram @glenhuizenga, I know he would love more followers.

Glen Huizenga

I don't think this will be the only time that Rad sees us. He offers lots of location workshops. The one I have my eye on is this one, hopefully next year!

Dining Recommendations
I always put Glen in charge of restaurant research when we are away, and he comes up with some fabulous experiences.

Nickel Plate Bar & Grill


Nickel Plate Bar & Grill
Highly recommend the Chicken tenders. Beer selections were average. Ample parking nearby.

Sun King Brewery


Our usual question for Siri - "Breweries nearby?" A six minute walk from our hotel to a strip mall led us to a tasting room for Sun King Brewery. I always have to defer to Glen when choosing a beer, not being much of a beer drinker. Sun King allows a couple free tastes to help you decide (very helpful to me). I do like a Sour Ale, and there were two fine choices on tap, plus I always get the fancier glass.

LouVino


Since our small plate experience in Stowbridge, MA we are on the lookout for similar experiences. Though Louvino's website recommended reservations, and we did not have them, we were seated right away at 6:30 p.m. with a fabulous spot on the patio. Even if you don't like Brussel Sprouts, I highly recommend them, to die for! We also had Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots, yum! and Lamb and Veal Meatballs, also yummy. Wine selection was vast.