Monday, March 7, 2011

The Ethereal Gate


I love this photograph I took of our gate after one of the many ice storms we had this winter. It has such a haunting quality to it that it propels the imagination. The ice dripping from the scrolled iron bring forth a feeling of sadness. You can imagine it is the entrance to a long abandoned estate tears frozen at the entrance as it suffers from loss and loneliness. Or maybe it is the entrance into an enchanted frozen kingdom. Home to the ice fairies. Or it is the entrance to
a malevolent garden whose plants thrive on feeding off of the hope of those who enter through the gate causing the air to chill and freeze.

The reality is less romantic but still interesting......the original owners of our house bought this gate at an estate auction from a home in New England. According to them the gate is over 100 years old. I am not sure if that is true but it adds to the story much better than saying "Oh I bought that from the home improvement store five years ago". This is why I love vintage items as opposed to new items. Whether its something that once belonged to a member of my family or a complete stranger there is something to be said for owning a piece of someones story.


Hopefully spring with be here very soon but until then enjoy these photos from my ice and snow covered yard.

*****for those who do not know. If you click on these pics they will open in a new window where the photos enlarge and you can see more detail.************
















11 comments:

Samantha Sotto said...

STUNNING photos - so many stories waiting to be told! :D

Lesa said...

Don't mention ice! I know it is still officially winter but I'm blocking it out! ;o)

Oh, the gate is very mysterious! I'm imagining it as the gate of a fairytale/mythical creature santuary like in the Fablehaven series. Have you read it?

Love Love Love the little house with the red door! Too cute-- is it a playhouse? a reading getaway?

Have you considered linking up to any photo meme linky parties? There is one called Ruby Tuesday in which bloggers link up a red photo-- here is the url if you are interested: http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/2011/03/ruby-tuesday.html

Jennifer said...

Samantha - Thanks!

Lesa - Reading Getaway hmmmmm not a bad idea! The little house is actually our pool house/winter storage. My husband designed and built it last year. He painted it those colors because he knows his wife loves that Cape Cod New England look and ..... he loves his wife! He even put that adorable wrought iron mailbox next to it and painted it blue to match the shutters!
I have never read that series but I will definitely check it out. Thanks for the url link I will check it out.

Martha Z said...

A cold, white world but it is made brighter by the bright door and shutters on that little pool house. I think that I would try to repurpose it as a private get-a-way space.

Kerry Ann @Vinobaby's Voice said...

Beautiful! I can imagine the fairies dancing between the gate bars at twilight. I adore anything vintage as well. Each piece seems so much more significant when you can create a story about its provenance and the lives it may have touched.

And although your pictures are absolutely gorgeous to look at from afar, I am glad I am down in the far South where the sky is blue and the sun is shining!

Unknown said...

This is an excellent blog and the photos are wonderful.
Please stop over at my blog and say hi.
Maybe we could follow each other's blogs.
Mike Draper

Magical Mystical Teacher said...

Against the snow, that red door really stands out!


A RED-LESS DAY?

“Oh, my goodness, oh, my dear!
Don’t you think it’s very clear
That a red-less day’s a drag?”
Said Ms. Foxy Scarlet Hag.


© 2011 by Magical Mystical Teacher


Lazy Days

Shawn Lamb said...

The gate picture has a "Narina" type feel when Lucy first enters the world before meeting Tumnus.

Unknown said...

gorgeous photos.
you're a photographer, right?
:-)

fialka012 said...

Krásné...

Julie Flanders said...

Wow, your photos are beautiful!! Like Lesa, I especially love the little house with the red door, so charming!

 
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