Summary

The web page content is a personal blog post by Barb Dalton, featuring her A-Z photography challenge with the letter "H", showcasing various themes such as hydrangeas, home, hotel, handwriting, her daughter Hannah, and Havana, accompanied by her own photographs and stories.

Abstract

Barb Dalton shares her A-Z photography challenge focusing on the letter "H". She begins with her love for hydrangeas, reminiscing about her childhood and sharing photos of the flowers she encountered. She then discusses the concept of "home," highlighting four places she has considered home throughout her life. Barb also shares photos of a historic hotel in New Zealand, comparing a picture taken by her father in 1968 to one she took in 2017. She then explores the art of handwriting, contrasting a cursive letter from her grandfather to her mother with a whiteboard entry from one of her nursing classes. Barb also shares pictures of her daughter Hannah, expressing her pride in her firstborn's achievements. Lastly, she recounts her visit to Havana, Cuba, and shares a photo of a government building adorned with ironwork.

Bullet points

Barb Dalton presents her A-Z photography challenge with the letter "H".
She shares her love for hydrangeas and their significance in her life.
Barb discusses the concept of "home" and shares photos of four places she has considered home.
She compares a historic hotel photo taken by her father in 1968 to one she took in 2017.
Barb explores the art of handwriting, contrasting a cursive letter from her grandfather to her mother with a whiteboard entry from one of her nursing classes.
She shares pictures of her daughter Hannah and expresses pride in her achievements.
Barb recounts her visit to Havana, Cuba, and shares a photo of a government building adorned with ironwork.

THE A-Z PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE

Hello H!

Hydrangea at the Atwater market © Barb Dalton

Here I am, putting my ‘H’ story together a few weeks later than anticipated. It’s been in my drafts, but like the 60 other stories, they get scrolled and forgotten. How horrific!

As a keen lover of nature, I always head to my flower shots first when thinking of photos to use for the alphabet challenge. I grew up with a driveway lined with pink and blue hydrangeas, so I always reflect on my childhood whenever I see this particular bloom.

My lead photo was taken at the market a couple of years ago. The following shot was taken last weekend as I walked to the market. The hydrangeas were a welcome splash of colour on the otherwise drab footpath.

H is for Home

I’ve not been one to schlep from one place to another. I lived in the same house for 18 years growing up, and it was only when I moved away for my nursing career that the packing and unpacking began.

Even then, I can still count on one hand places that I deemed ‘home.’ It’s not any old place; it’s somewhere where you feel settled, grounded and comfortable for an extended period. Here are the four places I consider home during my lifetime.

My childhood home in Invercargill, New Zealand
The first home that I co-owned in Auckland, New Zealand
My first Canadian home
My current home

They’re all different in their architecture and memories, but the one stable feature is a homely feeling for all four places.

Four Homes: clockwise from top left: The house I grew up in, my place in Auckland, my apartment building and my first home in Canada. I took all of the pictures over the years.

H is for Hotel

I’m fortunate to have two photos of this grand old hotel in the middle of nowhere on the mountainous route between Queenstown and Wanaka, New Zealand.

The first pic was taken by my Dad around 1968, when I was a mere 2 years old. My sister, brother and I are standing in front of my Dad’s parents and my mum. The car was our old Hillman Hunter! I can still remember the license plate AA1616. How is that possible when I couldn’t even recite my kids' phone numbers today?

The second pic I took in 2017. I’ve no idea who those kids are in the photo, but I suspect I was standing waiting for them to move, and they never did…

H is for Handwriting

I seem to be taking on a comparative theme here, although this wasn’t my original intention. These two pics are also from the past and the present; an old cursive letter from my grandad to my mum versus a whiteboard entry for one of my nursing classes. The lesson on immunity was a couple of years before Covid by the way.

Gone are the days when we send handwritten letters on a frequent basis, primarily because of the speed and ease of emails and text messages. They even stopped teaching cursive in schools here in Canada, although Ontario is reintroducing it next year. I am so happy to see some reversal back to the old days.

H is for Hannah

My wonderful firstborn! Although I hardly see her now that she and her partner, Steven, have moved to Paris, she is always in my heart and thoughts. They have some pretty amazing things in the pipeline that I will share in another story, so their first year in Paris has been extremely beneficial to their fashion design careers.

Here are pictures of the two of us: when she was just a toddler and one from my trip to Paris in March.

Older image was taken by my ex ( It is a scan from a negative); the Parisian shot is a selfie!

H is for Havana

My girlfriend and I spent a day in the capital of Cuba when we were visiting for a rest and relaxation break in 2014. We booked a personal tour guide to drive the hour there and back and show us around for the day. It was the best $75 I ever spent.

I’ve already written about our visit to Fusterlandia, but the mojito at Hemmingway’s bar and wandering the colourful and busy streets were also highlights.

The ironwork on the outside of a governmental building is an impressive reminder of who rules this country. (Castro died 2 years later in 2016)

The Government building in the Plaza de la Revolucion, Havana, Cuba © Barb Dalton

H is for Heron

Since moving to Canada, the heron has become my favourite bird because of their grace, beauty and stealthfulness. There are several of them riverside and at my local park, and I’m always fascinated watching them as they patiently wait for their prey.

Standing in an inch of water, their beady eyes are focused on what lies beneath the surface. Their long necks, sharp beaks and lightning reflexes are a death sentence for small fish.

A heron at Angrignon Park. © Barb Dalton

Thanks to JoAnn Ryan and her publication In Living Colour for this alphabet challenge. I’ve noticed that there haven’t been so many posts lately, so I’m tagging some writers who started ahead of me hoping they persist with their stories.

Allisonn Church, L Burton, Taimen, Carol Labuzzetta, Vanessa Brown, Jenny Lim, Rhonda Carrier, Dr. Preeti Singh, Anne Bonfert, Julia A. Keirns, Gauri Sirur, Christine Morris Ph.D.