Only in Bucks County: Fading Light in Newtown and Yardley

 

Did I mention that I hate this heat?

I wrote a post about that this time last year, and... NOTHING'S CHANGED. 

The only time I enjoy being outside has been in the early evening and at night.

Back in my Wedding photographer/Bar Mitzvah photographer days, I preferred taking portraits of people around 7:30-8:00 pm because of the lighting. No one looks bad in 8:00 pm summer light!

I'd never considered landscape photography as the day light fades, but I've been outside taking photos at twilight all summer and I'm so pleased with the way they look!

They capture the feeling of the end of a long summer day.

Low light can be challenging, especially without a tripod, but I am enjoying the challenge.

The photos below are completely unedited, and I think I've done a great job capturing the remaining light.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The fading light is us, and we are, for a moment so brief, ... beautiful."

Gary Shteyngart, Super Sad True Love Story

 

Only in Bucks County: Nor'wester Readers

I'm happy to announce that I'm going to be volunteering my Twitter skills to another Bucks County Non Profit!

I really enjoyed helping to bring attention to Reuseyourshoes via Twitter, and I have a ton of fun being on The United Way of Bucks County's Twitter Corps, so I decided that no matter how busy I am, I'd always like to donate my time and skills to a local cause. I am pleased to tell you that the organization I've chosen is called Nor'wester Readers.

I was first introduced to this organization in 2011 when I was asked to photograph one of their events by Northampton Patch.

I was re-introduced this past Spring, when I took Cody to their  Annual Dog Walk and Family Fair.
It was an extremely well organized, family friendly event. That evening, I sent my photos to Founder Wendi Huttner, and... well.... you already know what happened from there.
After a few meetings with Wendi and Co-Director Deborah Glessner, I hopped on board to set up an account and become their voice on Twitter. I am still learning about the program, which is not just about kids reading to dogs; Nor'wester Readers is a well-thought-out and well-researched Canine Assisted Learning Program. 

Their goal is to provide certified therapy dogs to work with area teachers to build and support student motivation; and to improve student self esteem, confidence, and focus.
 

My goal is to bring awareness to this wonderful organization and its need for more registered therapy dogs. (There is literally a waiting list of teachers in Bucks County - especially Pennsbury School District and Bensalem Township - who have requested a dog for their classroom)
 

To begin to understand more about the program, I joined Debbie at the Northampton Free Library this week to see some of the dogs in action!

 

 

Dogs make great listeners.

 

 

  

 A lot of the books the kids read to the dogs were ABOUT dogs.
                                (Dogs love this!)

 

                                    

                                       "97 Ways To Make a Dog Smile"
 

                                              Smilin'

 

 

 

 "Harry"

 

                                   

 

 

How Can You Help???

Nor'wester Readers needs more owners/handlers and their dogs to visit classrooms on a regular basis!
If you want to volunteer for a really worthwhile cause and own a great dog,
 or if you have a friend who has a great dog, all we ask is that you spread the word!

Here is a link on how to get your dog tested to become a Certified Therapy Dog:
http://www.norwesterreaders.org/therapy-dog-testing.html

When was the last time YOU curled up with a good book...
...and a good dog?

 

Please follow us on Twitter @NorwesterReader