Wednesday had commenced in such a congenial mood, but weather here can change in minutes.
By the time we returned to Greenwich after my appointment, the sky looked positively menacing although precipitation consisted merely of a few splatters on the windshield.
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Instead of proceeding home we were obliged to stop at Hannaford’s to pick up a prescription that was finally available, at the last possible moment. I have yet to discover a stress-free method of obtaining a simple refill.
Just to extend the torture to the bitter end, we came up against the pharmacy’s tardy lunch window.
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Luckily we only had to wait 15 minutes.
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After which we headed back to Cambridge.
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On the way, we thoroughly enjoyed the dramatic lighting effects.
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This had the appearance of a dangerous storm.
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But it was all bark and no bite.
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We sailed past home and on into the village.
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From every angle another sight.
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Above an old abandoned house, still-naked trees appeared to rage.
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Main Street, Cambridge.
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Wretched yellow signs!
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In the Fall, this tree is quite spectacular.
It’s not bad in Spring, either.
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It was very quiet in the village.
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Not because of threatening weather.
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Sometimes, they roll the sidewalks up.
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Our destination, the post office.
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As Grant went for mail, I got out for a better look.
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What better backdrop for a birch?
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This spectacle was too good to miss.
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So we meandered.
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The sky growing ever darker.
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The images are certainly not perfect…
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Just a sample of what we saw.
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It’s what digital photography has made possible.
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Different views of the same subject.
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I often wonder what my father would have thought of this technology.
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In his day, every shot had to be considered and carefully framed.
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When with Dad as he took photographs, my mother and I spent hours waiting for the light to come right which it sometimes never did.
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He spent days waiting for the film to be processed.
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When 1-hour processing became possible, Dad was like a kid on Christmas Day.
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Yet none of those quickly printed images will survive the way his old black and white photos have.
Printed in Phnom Penh in 1957, they are still in perfect condition.
King Norodom Suramit and Queen Sisowath Kossamak
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Following Wednesday’s great temper tantrum, the weather blew itself out and put back on its brave face.
Thank you, Carolyn, for your lovely images of your village! Here, weather is unpredictable too!
Joanna
Well, the sky was certainly not happy was it?
It’s magical at this time of year. You can almost see the leaves growing as you watch!
By American standards, Cambridge looks ‘oldy-worldy’, and attractive. Why do you have to go to the Post Office for mail? Don’t they deliver it to your house over there?
It is absolutely pouring with rain as I type this, and the sky is dark grey at 09:30. England!
Best wishes, Pete.
Most of the homes in the village are old fashioned. You get the feeling that this was once a fairly well-to-do part of the world. Periodically we see activity around some of the abandoned homes and hope they will be rescued, in one case a whole new roof was installed, but then I suppose funds ran dry and the homes continue to sit looking sad. Picking our mail up at the post office is no big inconvenience. We could have a box out on the state route but then it would be exposed to the elements and possible theft. It’s other things that disturb me including the power lines you mentioned. I force myself to see past them but they are such an eyesore, like a bruise on a beautiful face.
Wow, with that dark sky and looming clouds, I really thought you guys were going to ride into a storm! This was the case with us last Monday when the mother of all hail storms broke loose, followed by torrential rain … quite the spectacle! What a beautiful photo from 1957 – and it’s amazing that it still looks so good after all these years!