Hamel's Alley

The World in Color

The world is a colorful place. Color brings emotions from the fiery reds of a brilliant sky to the moody deep blues of an untouched lake and the gentle yellows of a fresh spring flower. I love to capture color throughout my travels. I seem to gravitate more towards blue and green, my favorite colors that remind me of being outside, surrounded by the beauty of nature.

Red

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Minnesota Flowers

The Vivid Colors of Summer

Summer has arrived in Minnesota! Well, at least in my book. Today is the last day of school and the kids will be off for three whole months. Vivid memories of summer fun during my childhood captivate my soul as do the gorgeous, vivid colors of summer flowers.

Walking barefoot across the silky green grass. Eating popsicles on a balmy hot and humid day. Watching the sunset well past nine o’clock over one of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes. Barbecuing bratwursts, burgers and corn for friends and family. Enjoying a gooey s’more surrounded by a mosquito-infested campfire on a cloudless night. All these delightful things I get too look forward! The adventure and feeling of being a child again all come back to me at the onset of summer.

Just in time for school break, the weather has suddenly improved and has finally stopped raining, leaving behind sensational, vividly-colored early summer flowers. The peonies, day lilies and irises are all in brilliant bloom, making my heart sing. It is a lovely time of year! A time of adventure, fun, and being alive. Let’s embrace it!

Minnesota Flowers Minnesota Flowers Minnesota Flowers

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On the Way to the #SolarSisterSummit

It always amazes me how incredibly fast time goes. It felt like just yesterday when I signed up to join Solar Sister in a quest to climb Mount Kilimanjaro this July in honor of their five-year anniversary of providing light, hope, and opportunity to over 1,000+ Solar Sister Entrepreneurs across Sub-Saharan Africa. Now there are only six weeks left until I am on the way to Tanzania and I have much training and fundraising left to do.

I must admit that I am already tired out with all the training and it is only the tip of the iceberg. The hike will be 50 miles and almost 20,000 feet so I have much work to do. I have been trying to exercise every day and increase my miles on foot. I’ve walked three lakes, hiked regional and state parks, run up hills and have also been biking. I’m tired but whenever I get drained I realize that I am on my way to achieving my goal both physically and financially.

Lake Harriet, Minneapolis MN

On my way around one of many urban lakes in Minneapolis.

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Photoblog: Forces of Nature

“On earth there is no heaven, but there are pieces of it” – Jules Renard

I find so much peace and joy in the beauty of nature. I love to be outdoors more than anything and oftentimes I am struck by the sheer force of nature to create such an amazing planet. It frightens me that we aren’t acting faster to stop climate change. I wonder what will remain of this amazing world for the generations to come. For my grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Will there be any glaciers remaining? Will the world be so green and spectacular? Or will it slowly disappear before our greedy eyes despite the fact that we can do something to stop it? It is our call.

This is what we have at stake. One of the most amazing places in the universe. Our planet.

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better”. – Albert Einstein

Somewhere in Iceland…

Iceland landscape thirdeyemom

Clouds in Patagonia…..

Patagonia

Sunset on Lake Harriet near my home in Minneapolis…

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Jacmel, Haiti

The Fishing Boats of Jacmel

For some reason, I am absolutely fascinated with old fishing boats. Their peeling paint and worn down appearance make me so curious to learn their history. Who made them? Who owns them? What are they used for? All questions I would love to know but usually don’t find out due to language barriers when traveling.

When I was in Jacmel, on the southern coast of Haiti in February as part of my visit with Heart of Haiti (#Bloggers4Haiti), our hotel was located right on the sea with stunning views of the Caribbean. I noticed a collection of old fishing boats below on the beach and decided to walk down and explore.

The view from above on the verandah was so inviting it was hard to leave our hotel. But curiosity got the best of me. I’m an explorer at heart not one to sit on the beach.

Jacmel, Haiti

Jacmel, Haiti

Jacmel, Haiti

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Condoriri Valley, Bolivia

Leaving the Andes

Saying goodbye to a trip is always hard. Over four months later I am still writing about Bolivia and today is the very last post. Life has been so busy that it all feels sometimes like a blur. That is what has been so rewarding about having this blog. It has been a way to remember special moments in time and relive that experience through pictures and words.

As we left the Condoriri Valley after two wonderful successful hikes, I felt a sense of pride. I made it and wasn’t so sure I would given a hip injury that had kept me from running. But I did make it and I felt great, physically and mentally. Even more important is I made it with my dad.

Condoriri Valley, Bolivia

Packing up our gear

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Macy's Flower Show Minneapolis MN 2015

Macy’s Flower Show: An Explosion of “Art in Bloom”

“Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature”. – Gerard De Nerval

Every year, Macy’s Department Store rewards the public by putting on an incredible flower show at its five flagship stores in the United States. It is the highlight of my month because Macy’s Annual Flower Show falls at the end of March, right before spring break when everyone in Minneapolis is just plain sick and tired of our long, barren, colorless winter.

What makes this event even more wonderful is that it is free and the theme changes every year. This year, the theme is “Art in Bloom” and with the help of local florist Bachman’s, the show features thousands of eye-popping, gorgeous flowers juxtaposed with various movements of the arts resulting in a “horticultural art gallery” of color and fragrance.

Despite my head cold, I could smell the flowers as I rode the escalator up to the eighth floor of Macy’s in downtown Minneapolis. I could take the elevator but I find riding the escalator up way more fun as each floor the smell of flowers escalates. I brought only my iPhone 6 along as I wanted to see how much the technology has changed from my old iPhone 4 camera to the 6. It was remarkable and I still cannot believe that these photos are real.

Take a peak for yourself and walk with me through Macy’s “Art in Bloom” where we will pass through Classical Art, Impressionism, Modern Art and Pop Culture Art. I am certain these photos will brighten your day!

Macy's Flower Show Minneapolis MN 2015

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Jacmel, Haiti

Fresh Fried Plantains on the Streets of Haiti

Last February, I was in Haiti as part of a #Bloggers4Haiti trip on behalf of Heart of Haiti, a “trade not aid program” developed by the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and Willa Shalit in partnership with Macy’s to promote sustainable income in the arts for Haitians. Our trip began in Port-au-Prince and took us to the southern coast to the lovely ocean side town of Jacmel which is known for its papier-mâché.

While touring the different papier-mâché studios, I looked outside the window and saw this woman. There she was seated alongside the street, making fresh friend plantains one of my most favorite treats! As my mouth started to water, I grabbed my camera to capture the process of making them street side. For less than a $1 we bought a bag to share and they were just as fresh and delicious as they looked.

Jacmel, Haiti

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Street Art in New York City

Finding Street Art along the Walls of New York City

I was on the plane Friday morning heading to New York City when I opened my email to see that the weekly photo challenge was walls. Instantly I knew how I was going to spend my free afternoon in the city. A photo walk.

I did a google search and discovered that New York City has a tremendous wealth of street art along its walls, buildings and store fronts. I love street art and knew that it would be a great way to spend the afternoon exploring some of the back alleys and streets in the heart of Little Italy and NoLlta in search of street art.

I took the subway to Spring Street and got off with a map in hand and a few written notes of where to explore. It was a chilly early spring day yet the sun was shining strong and the city was alive as usual with activity. I could tell it was going to be a great afternoon.

Spring Street Subway stop

Spring Street subway stop offers my first look at urban wall art.

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The Color Orange: Photos from Around the World

There is no blue without yellow and without orange. –Vincent Van Gogh

As the dog days of winter draw to a close and daylight savings comes this weekend, it is a reminder that soon our colorless white landscape will come to an end. There is nothing more I crave this time of year than color. Any color except brown, black or white which have been the main hues here for months.

When I saw that this week’s photo challenge involves color, I was thrilled. I’ve felt so incredibly deprived these last few months that it was fun to go through my photos and search for anything the color orange. While going through my photos, I realized that I have relatively few photos that feature exclusively orange and not many more that have orange as a predominant color. That surprised me given my blog currently has over 10,000 photos stored.

It made me realize I need to search for more orange next time I’m out exploring the world. For orange is a color that invigorates, enlivens and brightens up the day. Here is a gallery of some of my favorite orange hues. Hope you enjoy!

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Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina

The Hike to the Top is Worth the Reward

The mountains are calling and I must go. – John Muir

In my opinion, there is nothing better than a good long hike to the top of the world. Getting there is half the fun and once on top, there is nothing more rewarding than a spectacular view. I have loved to hike my entire life and here are some of my favorite rewards through my journeys.

The Annapurna Trek 

After ten days of hiking the world-famous Annapurna Trek, we arrived in gorgeous Pokhara, Nepal for a few days rest and enjoyment of the Diwali festival of lights. If only I had started my blog before this trip and understood the power of photography. Looking back my photos do not do Nepal justice as it is by far one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Pokhara, Nepal

Pokhara, Nepal

Bolivia

I still haven’t finished writing my posts on our four day visit to the sensational Condoriri Valley in the Bolivian Andes. I hope to work on that this month because the photos are tremendous and it is a very special place. The pain of sleeping in a tent at 15,000 feet in below freezing weather was worth the incredible, rewarding views.

Condoriri Vally Bolivia

Our last day: One last gorgeous look

The French Alps

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Carnival Port au Prince, Haiti 2015

The Women of Carnival

Last Sunday, I had the thrill of attending my first ever Carnival when I was in Haiti. It was a wild night like nothing I have ever experienced. Wall to wall people danced in the streets, while music blared and super-sized floats crept at a snail’s pace down the Champ de Mars in the heart of Port-au-Prince.

Thankfully we were able to get tickets to be in the Minister of Tourism’s stand or it most likely would not have been safe. Tragically the next night, one of the floats caught on fire spreading mass panic while 16 people got trampled to death and countless more were injured. It was more devastating news for a country still trying to rebuild after the near catastrophic earthquake five years ago.

It is even more tragic given the fact that Carnival is supposed to be a time of celebration and great joy. Even the protests over fuel prices (which almost canceled our trip) stopped the day before in honor of Carnival. Despite the numerous hardships most Haitians face, Carnival is a time to let go and have fun. To let the music mesmerize you and beauty of Carnival sweep you away.

Carnival Port au Prince, Haiti 2015

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