Tag Archives: travel

Struggle past and present

The run-down streets portray struggle, while the earth can feel the pulse of a proud ancestry.

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Blended image by Joyce Meyer

HDR image of a neighborhood street in Playa del Carmen, Mexico blended with an image of a costumed Mayan gentleman taken at the Chichen Itza archeological site. Blended image layer transformed to appear to be part of the earth. Click on image for a larger viewing window.

 

 

All you need is love…

~ The Beatles

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Blended photography by Joyce Meyer

The couple captured in this image appear so passionate for one another and oblivious to the world around them. Photo was taken  in Salamanca, Spain with a little point and shoot camera.  Nothing fancy.  Blended in Photoshop CS5 with prairie grasses captured against the summer sun.

Yep… all you need is love.

Life can be harsh…

Life can be harsh for the disabled begging on the church steps of the Cathedral de San Gervasio in Valladolid, Mexico. This is the real deal and not a scam as the locals also give money to these individuals according to Mark Moxon’s Travel Writing.

2015Mexico-1080754blend4eIn turn, life can be harsh for the working class protecting their modest stucco homes and belongings with broken glass ledges in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

By the grace of God…

Beauty…

Kind eyes that have seen sorrow, joy and struggle with skin wrinkled by time and the sun.  Wisdom, courage ,  a long heritage  of civilization unique to the rest of the world.

Beauty…

Photography by Joyce Meyer
Mayan Woman

 

A Recipe for Escape

Escape…
In the deepest, darkest days of Minnesota winter, I feel the need to escape. It is often not practical to escape in the physical sense, but an escape inside the mind is possible anytime.

When you think about it, the sky is the limit whether reading a compelling novel, historical account of days gone by or fulfilling  love of travel with reading and exploring travel blogs.  Mix it together and winter isn’t so bad.

Below are some links to explore:

University of Minnesota Alumni Reading List

We Made it Through Winter   Memoir of Mr. O’Meara’s 9th year – 1906 – in the timber-logging town of Cloquet, Minnesota.

Minnesota Writers On the Map

Best Travel Blogs and Websites

Fashion and history buff?  Try FashionBackwards for a unique , quirky and historical take on fashion trends.

Read about the  Deadly Children’s Blizzard of 1887-1888

Does yoga sound appealing?  Try Yoga For Beginners at DoYogaWith Me.com

Netflix has some interesting documentaries involving cultures around the world, thought-provoking topics and history.  I especially enjoyed Living On One Dollar a Day, an inspiring film of life in Guatemala.

Cuba has been in the news lately with a lifting of travel restrictions and Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, also on Netflix,  shows us life inside of Cuba, as well as delicious food choices.

Combine an interesting program with the treadmill or exercise bike and you have a double delightful day.

Yes… the sky is the limit.  Now, excuse me while I dream of faraway lands and exotic places.

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Blend by Joyce Meyer

 

A lifetime ahead of you…

 

I start uploading this image and gaze upon the flyer notifying me of my 40th year high school class reunion.  Where did the years go?

  • I was in pretty good physical shape in high school, but now parts of me jiggle when I walk.
  • In high school, when I appeared to have confidence I was probably faking it.  Now I just admit it when I’m lacking.
  • While I’m not attending a formal “school,” I still enjoy learning and growing in experiences and knowledge.  It’s just that now when I learn something new, it takes longer and something old has to go.
  • As a senior in high school, I thought it would be an eternity until I would be old, like 30-year-old people.  And now here I sit at 58 and it doesn’t feel old at all. (Today, anyway)
  • Now I realize my parent were much smarter and “in tune” with the world than I ever gave them credit for at age 17.
  • In high school I was afraid of the end of the world, which I attribute to growing up with the Cold War and Vietnam Conflict featured every night on the one channel that came in clearly.  American body count and Viet Cong body count were the leading statistics. Guess the last domino didn’t fall, after all, since we are still a democratic society.
  • But, I really would like to visit Vietnam now…

The last year of high school… a-h-h-h-h…

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Photo by Joyce Meyer

…and a lifetime ahead of you.

 

 

 

 

Meyer’s Rec in South Shore, SD

In May we did some photography in the small, NE South Dakota town of South Shore and stumbled upon Meyer’s Rec…a small town bar on a typical Friday night.  Looks like my kind of “down to earth” establishment and we were fortunate to find some friendly models to brighten up the exterior.  Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to investigate the interior or get to know our new friends.

I am intrigued by “off the  beaten path” types of places  with their interesting  characters and have often wondered if this could lead to a photographic project with written commentary and/or poetry.  Hmmm…?

I think my crystal ball shows a motorcycle ride to Meyer’s Rec to check out the inside.  The name is kind of catchy, too, don’t you think?

Fun on a Friday Night!
Fun on a Friday Night!

(Click on image for a larger view)