Chatham Part 2

One of the best places to grab a bite in Chatham is the fish pier. The fried scallop plate (and everything else) is amazingly fresh and delicious. The view isn't bad either:




There are often seals in the water off the pier. We were lucky enough to catch one up close.


I was somewhat surprised at the shape of its head...


My focus isn't that great here but I wanted to share anyway... it's not everyday that you get this close to a seal doing the backfloat!


This was a drive by shooting (don't worry, I was not the one driving):


And what is a Chatham post without a bunny?

Posting large pictures in Blogger

As is evident from my last entry, I FINALLY figured out how to post large pictures! I had been having problems with picture quality on my previous attempts and was getting really frustrated. Since this took me several weeks to figure out, I thought I'd share my solution.

Here's what I WAS doing (don't do this!) -

After editing, I would upload a full-size jpeg file to Flickr and paste the HTML code into my blog. Then, I'd resize the photo to 810 pixels by editing the width within the code. This method degraded the quality of my photos significantly.

Here's what works -

1. After editing, resize your pictures in Photoshop to exactly the size you need for your blog. Mine are typically 810 pixels wide but it depends on what template you are using. In Photoshop, go under the Image menu, then to "Image Size" and a dialogue box will pop up. You will need to check the "resample image" box, then you can adjust the pixels to whatever is needed. If you adjust the width, the height will automatically adjust to preserve your aspect ratio (and vice versa). The ppi does not affect quality (for blogging purposes) as long as it is 72ppi or greater. Most people's computer screens are 72ppi.

2. Save and upload the photos to Flickr (or another photo-hosting service).

3. Get the html code for your photo from Flickr and paste it directly into your blog posts. The code can be found when you click the "all sizes" button above above any picture in Flickr and choose "original size".

That's it!

Chatham Part 1

I took two extra long weekends in July and went to my parents' new condo on the Cape. Here she is:


They are still very much in the process of fixing it up. The first weekend I was there, my dad was installing an air conditioner. Before you think that we are weak and spoiled, you should know that the A/C was actually for our little doggie, Bijou, so that he can stay cool while we are away during the day (he will be the subject of a future post). Anyway here is my dad, being handy... using a saw blade with no handle:


I am more than a little obsessed with my Canon EF 50mm f/1.8. It creates some delicious flower bokeh.


I love how this one looks like a watercolor painting.


We were in agreement that Skaket beach is one of the best places on the Cape to catch the sunset.










My mom and I treated ourselves to some Gouda from the Chatham Cheese Company. It was heavenly...


And because we are such classy ladies... we paired it with a nice bottle of Arbor Mist. Haha.


To end this post on a cute note... here is a bunny. Chatham is strangely overrun with them.

3rd of July festivities

Hough's Neck is a pretty fantastic place to be on the 3rd of July. There are block parties, bonfires and fireworks all within a few minutes walk of our house.

This is the "before pic" of what will later become the bonfire:






I tried to capture some patriotic details around the neighborhood:



Yes, I pulled over at the cemetery because I thought the flags would make pretty bokeh. Unfortunately (or fortunately!), my friends called to be picked up from the T station just as I was getting started. Oh well...

We barbecued and played bag toss all evening. I got Marc this fancy custom set as a graduation gift:



Marc has a slight obsession with picking the weeds out of our new lawn. Good luck with that hunny!





Finally the fireworks! We could see the Weymouth fireworks from across the bay and the bonfire was blazing on Edgewater beach:


I read up a little on taking pictures of fireworks but it didn't help much. This next picture is what you get with a handheld 30 second shutter speed (haha). Next year, I will most definitely be using a tripod (nerd alert!).


I finally started getting some decent pictures when the amateur fireworks began going off over my head:

Marc's graduation party

On Fridays and Saturdays during the summer, fresh lobsters are available at the dock near our house. We picked up a cooler-full and had a lobster boil to celebrate Marc's graduation. We need to do this more often!





The graduate:


These cuties belong to one of Marc's coworkers:










No gathering is complete without flip cup...

Baby bird

I was coming up our steps one day and I spied this little guy (or gal) in the bush next to our porch. I ran in to get my camera and luckily he stayed put until I came back out.