A bridge spanning the River Arno in Florence at dusk.  Florence, Italy 2  

This wine cellar Cantina is in the basement of my husband's cousin in Italy.  He is a collector of wine and all things eccentric.  The lighting was extremely low, and I guessed at how to shoot it.  This was taken at f/3.5, ISO 200, with a 10.0s shutter speed.  It sort of reminds me of a seek-n-find photo.  Can you find the tambourine, angel, jack-o-lantern, ice bucket, mannequin, bommerang, soccer ball, ghost, box of baby wipes, ice bucket, dancing Santa, and the water pitcher???  Made you look at my picture, didn't I!!

(It's been forever since I've posted to this site, but have been lurking and enjoying everyone's great photography and tips.  Please critique and thanks for looking!)  

This has nothing to do with architecture, but I thought it was interesting.  We had a heart surgeon visit our third grade classroom this week as part of a unit on the human body.  He brought with him this human heart for the kids to explore.  For obvious reasons, I have cropped out anything that might identify the kids, but the original picture is a great shot of the doctor teaching and two very interested kids learning.  This particular heart had two artificial valves in it, so we got to see what they look like and how they operate.  

This is the part of my job as the school's bookkeeper that I really love -- I am the official "unofficial" photographer of events such as this that happen in the classroom.  

Some photos from our junior high field trip to Chicago last May:  The Sears Tower is quite impressive!  The view of the Chicago skyline from the top of the Sears Tower is an unbelievable 360 degree view of the sprawling city and the Chicago River below.  I liked the way the light reflected on this building.  This church is in the heart of the city and is quite breathtaking against the backdrop of the night sky.   Here is another view of the church with a garden of tulips.  On the way back to Ohio, we visited the campus of Notre Dame to tour the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.  Beautiful!

And more of Montreal:  A building in downtown and a windmill on Lac St. Louie in the village of Pointe Claire.

I thought I'd share a few of my photos of Montreal.   Mount Royal sits on the edge of the city's center and is the mountain for which the city was named.  A trip to the top of the mountain provides a stunning view of the city below.  The many flowers and gardens are a pleasant backdrop for the skyline.  This building at the top of the mountain offers an interesting perspective of the skyline through its many transom windows and doorways.  

Here is another view of the skyline that has been heavily Photoshopped -- just playing around, trying my hand at different effects.  Not sure what I was trying to achieve here.

I think I've had enough of winter.  Ours in Ohio has been filled with grey and dreary days.  Can't even enjoy the beauty of a snowfall -- there has been none.  So now I long for blue water, puffy white clouds and anything with a little bit of color!

These photos are from St. Thomas.   It is gorgeous there!  The water is such a vivid blue.  I think I would like to live here surrounded by ocean with these in my front yard.  I would live among the interesting creatures and walk along a craggy coastline.  And at the end of the day, I would enjoy the setting sun.  

(Photo credit for the lizard goes to my son, who also shares my love for photography.)

I have been visiting Photographica for the past several weeks and must say that I have enjoyed looking at everyone's photos.  And now it is time for me to join in the fun!  My debut submission is of a quaint little Garden I found in the alleyways of Old Montreal.  This garden was located among a group of open-air shops, and was truly a treasure to find on a beautiful summer day in the old city.