YAY for Pumpkin Patch!

I finally got to go to the pumpkin patch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We were originally supposed to go yesterday but of course, it was raining and snowing the whole day!  It's not even November yet!  While DC and most Maryland areas didn't get any snow accumulation, on our drive to Homestead Farms, we saw some places that did...and even though it's kind of cold for October, I must admit that it was really pretty :)


Imagine my disappointment that we couldn't go two Saturdays in a row!  But luckily, it was a beautiful day today and after talking about it for weeks , we got our pumpkin!





The cow's name is Elmo.


The birds were too cute, so I cropped it for you to have a better look!

After very careful selection, we were down to two candidates!

And Mr. Pumpkin on the left won!


All right, so many things to update...

All these photos were taken with a 85mm 1.4D that I rented because I wanted to test the lens.  Loveeeeeeeee.

We are going to South Africa in 17 days!

We had a Thanksgiving dinner last night, pictures to come.  I cooked and brined my first turkey!

We are going to carve our pumpkin now.  Good night!!!


I am sorry, I went missing again...

I know that last time I had said I wouldn't go MIA again and promised to be more discipline...but obviously, it didn't quite work out...so I am sorry!

I really have no idea where time has been going except it just feels like it's moving super fast, there is a ton of things to do, and I haven't been able to process everything! Very quick recap though:  California was awesome (i.e. spent time with family and friends AND ate a ton of food, ICM survived!)!

I had a great time photographing...it was so awesome to have a change of scenery from DC :)  Here are some photos from the beach (I love you, Pacific Ocean), lunch at the San Pedro Seafood Market




We got to experience the crazy fog that set in all of a sudden while we were at Venice Beach!




Oh yeah, and I am SO HAPPY to report that I finally had Ricky's Fish Tacos! I want one now.


Ying Ying took us to the Bowers Museum to see a really interesting exhibit which featured Terra Cotta soldiers and items from the different Chinese dynasties.  I wish we had more time but go check it out!

Lastly, here's a small glimpse on what I ate while I was home :)


GOOD NIGHT!!!

Going to California for a few days!

Just wanted to say good bye before I left for a few days to visit my family and friends in California! I am hoping for good weather in LA!

Very sleepy, so just a few thoughts:
-Our DC weather has been crazy. We finally got a gorgeous few days this weekend but it was 80 degrees on Sunday! Where is my cool, crisp autumn weather?
-50/50 great movie!
-I am waiting for peak fall, so I can go check out fall foliage!
-This time I am spending 4ish 5 days in California and I'm going to try to photograph more!! Food food food!
-Oh yeah, we are going to South Africa for 3 weeks in 1.5 months!!!! YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYYA

While we had super sunshine on Sunday, I really wanted to catch some fall foliage but my walk around the neighborhood wasn't too fruitful. Not to mention the harsh lighting!  The colors are definitely turning though. Very excited.



Good night.

Watching the Last Man Standing - Tim Allen is in it and so far so good!!! Reminds me of the good times of Tim the tool man Taylor!!!

Cider donuts and complaints about the U.S.

SO. Donuts or my complaints first?
Hmm..I usually like good news first. Let's talk about donuts then!!
Yesterday was the Takoma Park Street Festival and even though it was COLD (40ish degrees), drizzling, and gloomy, I was excited to visit the festival!  I went determined to get a limeade fizz because the one I got last year was so good.  After a loop around the festival wishing I had another jacket, I decided I couldn't get a cold drink.  (Summer, it really is good bye. Autumn, where are you?  Winter, you are WAY early!).  Sure I was disappointed that I was without my fizzy drink but that was when I came upon Mac's Donuts.  I was mesmerized with the little machine that flips donuts on its own!!! A stick-o-donut and a hot apple cider after, ICM and I were happy campers.  Both items were served pipping hot and they were deliciouis.  Donuts and powdered sugar, you really can't go wrong. 

The cool machine! Sorry, not the greatest photo.

 
Why does this photo look so drab? Because the weather WAS drab...Thank you for cheering me up in this crap weather, Mac Donuts.

Our stick-o-donuts :)


***
Alright, after a happy note, let's talk about my disappointment-of-the-day.

This is how I feel about the U.S. today...not so great.

At the gym today, while I intended on reading about Leonardo DiCapprio, I came across an article about migrant workers and illegal immigrants who are hired to pick blueberries in Maine and I couldn't stop reading.  The article told a more personal story about a father and his two sons...at the same time, it did a great job providing facts about the industry and migrant workers. I especially liked this article because it pointed out an irony of a town that attracts tourism for its blueberry festival as well as uses blueberry as its own identiy.  YET the migrant workers who make this happen are often alienated and treated as second class.  The article also pointed out the fact that these migrant factors did not steal jobs, they picked up jobs that were abandoned by whites.  Most, if not all fruit picking in the United States is dependent on migrant workers, 50% of which are illegal immigrants.  These people contribute greatly to the U.S.'s economy but we give them no way to obtain legal citizenship. Reading the article reminded me of how unfair this all is and how horrible some people are!!!  The next time you eat fruit, think about who picked it and what you are doing to them.  If the country thinks that these people should have no rights in the United States, then we need to stop exploiting them by paying them next to nothing!!!  If you are not voicing your concerns, you are also condoning this behavior.  And if you don't think anything of it and do nothing about it, you are sort of like a slave driver.  In a lot of ways, people who are anti-immigration are like slave drivers because they are exploiting people who have no where to go and are doing this to meet bare living requirements.  Where is the god damn humanity??? 


Need to find my rhythm again...

This coming week is going to be all about finding my rhythm again.  The last two weeks felt chaotic and out of my control.  Being sick meant I hardly cooked, hardly exercised, and hardly photographed...shame on me.  I swear I was getting better at Kettle Bell too!   It's time to get back into things.

So it's been a while since I last visited Sidebar and on Friday, a bunch of people went and we had a good time.  I remember mentioning the fact that their service slowed down a lot with one person doing both bartending, waiting, and serving...but on Friday, they had 2 wait staff and service was dramatically better.  Good for them and that made us happy customers.  By the way, they've really changed up their drinks and food menu and I found a new drink I like but in my book, nothing beats the sloe gin fizz and thank goodness they're still willing to make it :)

I'm not sure when I'll get sick of photographing Sidebar...it'll probably be after you're sick of seeing these photos. 






Looking forward to heading to the Takoma Park Street Festival in an hour or so...but for now, back to reading "Plate to Pixel" - great book so far!!!  

Bye Bye.


I have an excuse...I've been sick..

Hello!!  Sorry I have been MIA!!! Unlike other times where I was just lazy and not disciplined, this time I have a valid excuse! I swear.  I don't get sick often (knock on wood) but this cold really sucked.  I was fatigued, snotty, headachy, and sadly, SLOW!  I hope you don't get it!  I'm happy to report that I am feeling much better and almost back to normal.

As a sickie, these were some of the insightful thoughts that crossed my mind and I wanted to share them with you...
  1. I didn't think I could love sleep more...but I did/do. 
  2. I love lemon/lime with honey.  YUM.
  3. I love porridge. YUM YUM YUM.
  4. Next time ICM gets sick, I am going to have to stay away for self-preservation sake. HA!  At the very least, I'll make sure to leave a big pot of porridge and an ample supply of tea and lemons.
HAHA

Alright, sharing a few more photos from H Street.  Hopefully more material soon.  The weather really hasn't been cooperative or inspiring.



Below:  This was where I got my bbq that was photographed in the last H street post.  DELICIOUS.  The line was the longest at the whole festival and it was worth every minute I stood there!


I love corn!!!  What I had:  Corn with chili butter. 
This past corn season was good here but corn in Ohio was really the best. 
One reason to love the mid-west :)


So blown out/overexposed...but somehow, the photo works for me...

Sorry for those who can't stand the sight of porky's head!  On the right = roast pork lollipop!

Yeah, I'm a dork...couldn't resist taking a photo in that cool little mirror.


Have a good rest of the weekend!!!  And up those vitamins!


Po Chi Fung is a Ventura County based Photographer specializing in children portraits in studio, professional headshots, and branding and documentary photography for businesses. Po Chi Fung Photography is located in Ventura, California and serves Ventura County, Santa Barbara County, and Los Angeles County - Ventura, Ojai, Santa Barbara, Montecito, Santa Monica, Thousand Oaks, Oxnard, Pasadena, San Marino, and other surrounding areas.