My Corner of New Hanover
Daniel Boone Homestead
Posted by Russ Devan (New Hanover, United States) on 8 December 2008 in Landscape & Rural and Portfolio.
This house is the birthplace of Daniel Boone, the legendary American pioneer and frontiersman, who was born in the Oley Valley of Berks County, Pennsylvania in 1734, about 20 minutes drive from New Hanover. The house and grounds are maintained by the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission. Historians in period dress were inside many of the buildings on the grounds to answer visitor's questions. In order for the historians to stay warm, a wood fire was burning in the large walk-in fireplace of the main home. While I was there, one gentleman picked up a 200-year old flute and played a soft melody on it for the visitors.
This image was shot on Sunday evening during a cold snap that we have been experiencing. About an inch of snow had fallen the night before, a lot of which had melted away by mid-afternoon on Sunday. This was followed by temperatures dropping into the upper 20s during the day with heavy wind gusts with the wind chill in the teens. All I know is it was as cold as hell during my visit, which was just before sunset. Normally, I welcome winter and the cold temperatures and am an avid winter camper, but I don't do very well in high winds. Sunday evening was probably the closest I ever came to getting frost bite on my fingers, which first became numb then were very painful, even with gloves on. After it became too dark to shoot, I walked into the restroom at the Homestead's visitor center and put my hands first under the warm water from the faucet for about 10 minutes to thaw them out then held them in front of the heater vent inside my car. And this is ONLY early December. I think I'll ask Santa for a pair of heavier gloves for Christmas.
"The Master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence in whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both."
- Zen Buddhist Text
Suzanne from Huntington Bch, United States
The effort and freezing hands paid off very well and you have a perfectly exquisite image here.
8 Dec 2008 6:31am
Laurie from New Jersey, United States
This is beautiful Russ...my kind of place. It does look cold and that sky is gorgeous.
Yesterday was bitter cold...I was out in it last night and it was horrible! I'm not a huge fan of winter but can usually handle it with the right gear...but with that wind last night, it would not have mattered. This morning it is 19° (real temp), add the wind and I don't even want to know how cold it feels. I do not remember ever having it so cold this early.
8 Dec 2008 11:59am
Paco Díaz from Palma de Mallorca, Spain
It`s a good and illustrative document.
But it's also a beautiful photo, with an effective blurring and nice colors.
8 Dec 2008 12:22pm
Viewfinder from Bradenton, United States
Wow, your winter is setting in pretty early. Maybe global warming is taking a holiday, because it's been chilly to cold down here in Florida for at least a week or more. But not nearly as dramatic as your cold blasts (for which I am grateful). I like this shot; the sky background is really nice, and the way the old rail fences sort of pushes its way out of the foreground frame is a real attention-grabber.
8 Dec 2008 12:30pm
Mary from United States
Gorgeous, Russ. Beautiful light in the sky and I love these old stone houses. The rail fence is a perfect touch...You sure do go through a lot of trouble for you images sometimes....but they always come out lovely.
8 Dec 2008 1:48pm
@Mary: Thank you. I've found that many times the worst weather makes for the best photographs.
Monte Stevens from Fort Collins, United States
I like the contrast range on this image. You have good details in the shadows and yet details and color in the sky. Good composition.
I know I do not handle the cold as I get older. :) A couple of years ago I did some early morning frost shots, using my dads old aluminum tripod and froze my hands. I could hardly pinch the sternum buckle on my backpack they were so cold. Probably have had frost bite sometime in the past.
Want to let you know I enjoy reading your comments as well as viewing your images!
10 Dec 2008 1:00pm
Anita from West Nottingham, United States
This is a lovely image, Russ. I like the two fences, and the trees around the house, seeming to create a sense of security.
11 Dec 2008 2:52am
Magda from Vancouver, Canada
wow! Magnificent shot! The detail in the sky is fantastic!
14 Dec 2008 6:17pm
Nikon D200
2/5 seconds
F/11.0
ISO 100
22 mm