Five Shots of… – Cindy Bruchman

2020s, Five Shots of..., photography, Virginia

5 Shots: Acclimating to Virginia

September 23, 2022September 23, 2022 Cindy Bruchman

We have lived in Bedford, Virginia for several months. Trying to set up a home, receive family, and begin a new job has me in a flurry, but I am happy we moved. Here are a few shots from the summer to last weekend to give you an idea of what’s up in my corner of the world.

Central Virginia has a plethora of vineyards to explore.

Ruby loves the grass — can’t do this in Arizona! The Peaks of Otter are part of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Parkway 10 minutes from home. Stay tuned for leafing shots. Fall has just begun.

winding roads with hills and endless creeks

Exploring the history–Appomattox Court House is forty-five minutes away.

Our backyard with new pionies and a Maple tree with cows in the back pasture.

Besides grass, trees, water, and the Blue Ridge Mountains, we moved to be around the new wave of grandchildren.

Smith Mountain Lake — Summer days on a pontoon boat. Awesome.

Now that I’ve settled into my new high school and feel a rhythm of routine, I hope I can resume blogging on a more regular basis.

adventure, Five Shots of..., five shots...., nature, photography

5 Shots: Kruger National Park, South Africa

July 17, 2022July 17, 2022 Cindy Bruchman

According to Google, the Kruger is 7,523 mi² and about the size of Israel, slightly smaller than Belgium, and about a third of the size of Ireland.

Baie Dankie (Buy a donkey=thank you) for our personal safari. Hosted by Hein, our Afrikaner son, and daughter Ronna, it will be unnecessary to visit a zoo anytime soon. No sightings of lions or rhinos, but plenty of other wild animals to ooh and aah over. Here are several shots of what we saw in the Kruger last week. Which one do you like best?

The extremely shy Wild Dog–Hein said this was a rare treat to see a pack of them.

We spent ten hours in the Kruger traversing many roads quite happy with all that we saw. It would take weeks to explore the whole area. Have you been?

Arizona, Five Shots of..., five shots...., nature, photography

5 Shots: Briar Patch Inn on Oak Creek

May 4, 2022May 4, 2022 Cindy Bruchman

My daughter wanted to celebrate us for an early Mother’s Day occasion. Since we are moving out of the area soon, she surprised me with a royal treat. She works as an innkeeper at a Sedona cabin resort. She was compted a free cabin which sits literally over Oak Creek, a raging river that flows from Flagstaff down through the Red Rock region.

Surrounded by the Red Rocks, Oak Creek entertains millions of tourists each year. The resort is private and utterly relaxing.

The cabin’s private balcony affords guests an intimate view.

Guests on the property gather for breakfast and conversation.

Our cabin had a fireplace on the patio. I worry and think too much, yes?

Vanessa’s gift included an outside, private massage next to Oak Creek. My masseuse, Michelle, worked out all the kinks caused by moving.

Leaning over the balcony, this was our view.

The twenty-four-hour escapade was just what I needed. Breakfast was served to us in a basket with muffins, oatmeal, fruit, egg quiche, and coffee. The resort is a bubble world of tranquility. It’s where you should stay if you dislike overtourism. https://briarpatchinn.com/

Vanessa and I are close. Strange we never thought to have a mini-holiday together. We vow to do this every year before Mother’s Day.