Review of Refrigerator Liners

Refrigerator liners can organize the space and help to keep your refrigerator neat and clean.

I used to dread the job of cleaning my refrigerator.  Forgotten spills would become sticky and hard to clean. Then I read about organizing with refrigerator liners and my job became much easier.

Features of DII Refrigerator Liners

• Ultra-absorbent
• Reversible
• Cut to Fit any Size Shelf or Drawer
• Quick-Drying
• Machine Washable
• Shape Retaining

Above photo shows the patterned side of the liner.  Photo below shows reverse side which is a checked pattern.

What I Like about These Liners

I hated to clean my refrigerator.  It seems like I never saw the spills till after they were sticky and hard to remove.  Now when I see a spilled area on the liner I can just remove the liner and throw it in the wash machine.  No more scrubbing and rubbing and I always have a clean refrigerator.

The liners in the produce drawers are great too.  The liners have a cushy  feel and provide a soft place for fruits and vegetables.

The set I purchased had 6 12x24 liners which I cut to fit my refrigerator.  They ended up fitting all my shelves and drawers.

 

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Review of Historic Stonington Lighthouse and Museum

Stonington Connecticut is a delightful small town built around Stonington harbor.  We visited there on a beautiful July afternoon and parked in the lot along the harbor.  I then walked back up the hill to photograph the historic stone lighthouse.

History of Stonington Lighthouse

Stonington lighthouse was built in 1840.  It is a wonderfully preserved example of a mid-19th century lighthouse. The tower sits on a hill just up from the harbor and is 35 feet tall.  It was used for navigation until 1889, when it was replaced by another navigational aid out in the harbor.  The lighthouse is now used as a museum that explores the life and history of Stonington's seafaring people.  

Visiting the Inside of the Lighthouse

The museum is open seasonally and when you tour the museum you may also climb the 29 steps up the tower.  I climbed the steps and enjoyed taking photos in the museum and around the lighthouse grounds.

The brochure I was given when touring the lighthouse states that the seaside village of Stonington has been the " home to farmers, and fishermen, sailors and sea captains, explorers and entrepreneurs for more than 360 years."

Walking the Lighthouse Grounds- Views from the Back

Zazzle Products from my Photos

Historic Stonington Lighthouse Tote Bag
by lighthouseenthusiast

Historic Stonington Lighthouse Notebook
by lighthouseenthusiast

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Review of Lighthouses Seen from Avery Point

On a July visit to Connecticut, we made a stop at the Avery Point campus of the University of Connecticut (UCONN) to photograph the lighthouse that I had heard was located at the edge of the campus.  We were pleasantly surprised to find a beautiful campus that along with the lighthouse had some beautiful sculptures.  Just offshore of the campus we had a wonderful surprise when I located two additional lighthouses.  On this page I will share my photographs of all three lighthouses and some of the sculptures I saw while walking along the paths on the campus.

Avery Point Lighthouse

Avery Point is the last lighthouse built in the state as an official navigational aid.  It was completed in 1943 but was not lit until a year later because of concerns about a possible Nazi attack during WWII.

As I strolled along the paths of the university I could see the lighthouse in the distance.  It is a distinctive beige brick tower and is a beautiful icon overlooking the water.

New London Harbor Light

Across the water from the campus I noted what I thought might be a lighthouse.  When I put on my longer lens, I was delighted to find this stately structure, which I found out was the New London Harbor Light.

In reading a brochure on lighthouse cruises, I found out that this is the oldest lighthouse in Connecticut. It was said to help to guide colonial privateers who sought shelter up the Thames River during the American Revolution.

New London Ledge Lighthouse

In the water, not too far off shore from the campus, I spotted a third lighthouse.  This lighthouse has some rather unique architectural features.  I read that it is a French Second Empire structure that is architecturally unique for a lighthouse.  It is also reported to be haunted by a former keeper.

There were lots of sailboats in the harbor and I was able to capture one just before it passed the lighthouse.

Other Interesting Features on the Avery  Point Campus of UCONN

Here are some of the photos I took of a building and a few of the many sculptures on the grounds.

Zazzle Products from my Photos

I enjoy sharing my photos on products made at

Zazzle.  Here are a couple you might like.

Avery Point Light Two-Tone Coffee Mug
by lighthouseenthusiast

Avery Point Light Magnet
by lighthouseenthusiast

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Review of Nobska Lighthouse and Sharing Photography with Children

On a recent July morning I was able to visit this historic lighthouse on Cape Cod and share my love of lighthouse photography with my granddaughters.

Brief History of Nobska Lighthouse

When we arrived at this historic lighthouse on the southern point of Cape Cod in Falmouth we took a few minutes to read the signs and learn a bit about the history of the lighthouse.

The lighthouse is nestled between Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay with Martha's Vineyard spread right out in front of it.

From the early colonial days until the twentieth century the route from Nantucket and Vineyard Sounds provided the shortest route to bring passengers and goods from Cape Cod to all points south and west.  In the 1800's vessel traffic through this area was second only to that of the English Channel.  Because of this a need for a lighthouse to keep vessels safe was imperative.

Nobska light was first opened in 1826 as just a tower above a keepers house.  It was replaced in 1878 by the present 42 feet cast iron tower.  This tower sits 87 feet above sea level.  It flashes every 6 seconds and is visible for 17 miles.

Photographing the Lighthouse

The above is a photograph of my granddaughters, Kate and Emily in front of the lighthouse.  They both brought along their new cameras to learn about photographing the lighthouse with me.

The next two photos are ones that were taken by the girls.  The first, a close up shot of the lighthouse, was taken by Kate.  The second one was taken from across the street by Emily.

I too enjoyed the view from across the street from the lighthouse.  Here are two photos that I took looking back at the lighthouse.

Across from the Lighthouse

After looking at the lighthouse closeup we crossed the street and took a path that led down to the beach.  It was a fantastic view of the islands that lay just off the coast.  Here is a map that tells about what we saw.

It was very interesting to see the map and then look at the scene ahead of us.  We watched ferries leave from Cape Cod heading over toward Martha's Vineyard.  It was early morning when we arrived and the fog was rather heavy, but as the morning progressed the fog started to lift and we could see more of the islands.

Photographing with my Granddaughters

It was a wonderful experience sharing my love of photography and lighthouses  with Kate and Emily.  They listened carefully as I showed them how to look for interesting photos.  After they took a few of the lighthouse from different angles, their interest was more toward photographing the bees in the flowers.

Zazzle Products from our Photos

This keychain design was made from one of Emily's photos and the mug is from my photo.

Nobska Lighthouse Keychain
by mbgphoto

Path to Nobska Lighthouse Two-Tone Coffee Mug
by lighthouseenthusiast

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Photographic Review of Buffalo New York Lighthouse

I enjoy photographing lighthouses and on a recent July day we made a stop on our trip east to visit the beautiful lighthouse in Buffalo NY.  This lighthouse is located at the mouth of the Buffalo river at the north entrance to Buffalo harbor.

Brief History of Buffalo Lighthouse

In 1805 Congress designated the Village of Buffalo to be a port of entry into the United States.  It was determined that the port needed a lighthouse but because of the War of 1812 construction was put off.  In 1818 the first lighthouse was built in Buffalo.  As the city of Buffalo grew into a major port a new lighthouse was needed.  The current lighthouse was built in 1833 at a height of 68 feet. You can read more about the history of the lighthouse at the following link Main Buffalo Lighthouse .

Photographs from my Visit

I was hoping to get up close to the lighthouse and had read the instructions online with directions how to get there by walking alongside the coast guard station.  What they didn't say was that this path was only open on Friday, Saturday and Sundays and since it was Wednesday I had to find another way to view the lighthouse.  I got back in the car and drove down the road to the nearest park on the harbor.  I found a charming park with a beautiful rain garden, some delightful wind catchers and paths all along the harbor.  The wind catchers were on a hill and when I climbed the hill, I got a great view of the lighthouse.  I had a 210 mm lens with me and it worked great to zoom in on the lighthouse.  The following photos are of the lighthouse and the park.

                                                               

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Review of Attracting Birds to My Backyard

                                                    

Black-capped Chickadee

I have often been asked how I attract the large variety of birds to our backyard.  In the past  several years I have documented 31 different types of birds.  I believe that the wide variety of food that I put out for the birds helps to attract different types of birds.  These birds provide hours of entertainment for my husband and me.  In this post I will share with you the different types of bird food.

Mixed Variety Bird Seed

In several of my bird feeders, I use a mixed variety of bird seed. This type of mixture includes sunflower seeds along with other mixed seeds.  I have not found any one brand that seems to be better in attracting birds, so I usually buy whatever is on sale.  Here is the type that I purchased last.

                                                   

In the photos below you will see the variety of birds that enjoy the mixed bird seed that I keep in several different feeders in our backyard.

Nyjer Bird Seed

I have a finch feeder that I keep filled with Nyjer seed.  These seeds are small black seeds that don't fall through the small mesh of the feeder.  This feeder attracts many different birds, but it is particularly popular with finches.  In the photo below you will see Goldfinch enjoying the Nyjer seed.

The birds in this photo look like they have spotty or dirty looking feathers.  That is due to the fact that this photo was taken in early spring and they were still molting.

                                              

Suet Nuggets

This year I have started to put suet nuggets in a feeder.  This food has become very popular with woodpeckers.  Downy woodpeckers are frequent visitors of the nugget feeder.

I sometimes put whole peanuts in this feeder.  They last longer than the nuggets but I find it hard to tell when the feeder is empty because the empty peanut shells are left behind.  Here is a Red-bellied Woodpecker enjoying the peanuts.

                                                            

Suet Cakes

Another popular bird food is suet cakes.  I keep one hanging in my backyard feeding area year round.  They are frequented by a wide variety of birds.  In the photo below you see a Grosbeak that visited the suet cake this spring.

Hummingbird Feeder

Each spring I look forward to seeing my first Hummingbird of the year.  I hang out the feeder starting in early  April.  I make my own food for the feeder boiling 2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of sugar in my microwave.  After cooling the mixture I add it to the feeder.  It is important to change the mixture every week to ten days and more often in very hot weather.

Bird Bath

In addition to the various bird feeders I provide a bird bath on our back deck.  This gives the birds a place to get a drink and in the case of Robins to take a bath. This spring I looked out one day to see a whole group of Bluebirds lined up on the edge of the bird bath.

 I love to see the Robins splashing in the bird bath.

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Visit Missouri-Explore St Louis- Forest Park and the Jewel Box

One of my favorite places for photography in St. Louis is Forest Park.  On this page I will be reviewing some of my favorite sites to take photos.

A Bit of Forest Park History and Facts

Forest Park is a public park that covers 1,371 acres in the heart of St. Louis.  It was first opened in 1876.  The park hosted both the 1904 World's Fair and the 1904 Summer Olympics.  An annual balloon race starts in Forest Park and in the summer you can attend wonderful summer theatre at the Muny.

Here are just a few of the wonderful attractions that you can see at Forest Park.

•  St. Louis Zoo
•  Science Center
•  Art Museum
•  Boathouse
•  Missouri History Museum
•  Jewel Box 
•  World's Fair Pavilion

In addition you can walk or ride the many trails and paths and in the winter you can enjoy the ice skating rink.  

I have many fond memories of Forest Park as a child, as a young Mother bringing my children there and now as a place to bring my grandchildren.  It is also one of my favorite place to take photographs and I will share them with you on the rest of this post.

Jewel Box

The Jewel Box is located on 17 acres in the park and was first used as a greenhouse.  It has lovely plants, water features and fountains throughout the area and is a great place to take photos.  It is popular with visitors and the building can be reserved for weddings.  Around Christmas the inside of the building is full of poinsettias, which are quite beautiful.

I visited there with my photo club on a recent spring evening and took the photo above and the beautiful daisies that lines the sides of the pond.

Muny

The Muny is a wonderful outdoor amphitheater that holds 11,000 people.  1500 of the seats are free seats making the theatre accessible to people from all walks of life.  Each summer for the past 100 years the Muny has  held a variety of different live productions.  Some of my favorites over the years include: South Pacific, Oklahoma, The Jersey Boys, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, The Beach Boys, and The Wizard of Oz.  I have also enjoyed  taking my two oldest granddaughters to the Muny when they have visited during the summer months.

The first photo on this page and the ones below were taken at the entrance area to the Muny.

The Boathouse

The Boathouse in Forest Park is a favorite gathering place of visitors to the park.  It is located just across the way from the Muny and is especially a favorite place for theatre goers to have a meal before or after the show.  The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating.

By the dock is an area where you can rent paddleboats and kayaks to ride around in the great basin. This is a favorite of my granddaughters.
After our photo club outing we met at the outdoor area of the Boathouse to sit by the dock and discuss the photos we took.  Here are a couple of the photos that I took from the docks.

Postcards from Forest Park

Here are some postcards I have made from my photos.

Penguins at the Zoo Postcard
by mbgphoto

St. Louis Art Museum Postcard
by mbgphoto

Saint Louis Zoo Postcard
by mbgphoto

Missouri History Museum
by mbgphoto

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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