We're two sisters who are craft book publishers and found ourselves in the midst of an avocado grove. We bought this house where we planned to conduct our publishing business and in the deal got 4 acres of avocado trees thrown in. Now we're not only publishers but ranchers as well! This blog is all about avocados and anything else that strikes my fancy.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Sepia Saturday #185 Parapluies, Umbrellas & Bumbershoots



Whatever you want to call them, umbrellas are a necessary and functional tool in all our closets. But they're also colorful and arty and make for some nice photographs.

Here's a group of people from a tour we did in Ireland. It was a little wet that day as we viewed the Wicklow area.



That's me with the red umbrella.


While on a visit to the wine country in Northern California I encountered this little bus stop - it's not quite an umbrella - but it's there to keep you dry.
 


Here's my favorite kind of umbrella. The type that shelters you from the sun as you sit around a pretty pool having a glass of chardonnay. This was from the same trip to the wine country.



While traveling around the internet, I found these other umbrella photos which are quite fascinating.
This is a colorful canopy of umbrellas in the streets of Agueda, Portugal.



And this one is really amazing - cement figures dangling from umbrellas within an office building in Prague by Czech artist, Michal Trpak.



I'll end this umbrella blog with the trailer for one of my all time favorite movies - what else but the Umbrellas of Cherbourg. I'd suggest that you just view the first minute of this video, unless you really like watching two forlorn lovers singing into each others faces for about 5 minutes. But the music by Michel Legrand is beautiful you'll have to agree.
For other umbrella-related stories click here: Sepia Saturday.

23 comments:

  1. Thanks for the education in umbrella terminology - one never knows when one might have to use that sort of thing. Several of the stretchers in my current bargain bin effort are broken, and I really should get another.

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  2. The 2 art pieces are TERRIFIC - I love them! But I really hate having to mess with an umbrella, especially when I come inside and have to deal with a WET umbrella.

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    1. I hate just carrying one around. They're such a nuisance. But they make really nice art installations!

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  3. I love the hanging cement figures. Makes me want to pack up and go to Prague to see them. What creativity! You look great with your red umbrella. It's the perfect color for a rainy day.

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    1. I'd love to see the hanging umbrellas of Prague too. Let's go!

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  4. I like all of it but I like best the birds eye view of the umbrellas walking around on the brick street or were they cobblestones?

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    1. If they gave awards for film titles (and maybe they do) that one should have won. It was brilliant, wasn't it?

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  5. Ahhh... that would be my favorite umbrella too. I remember The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. It was an entry at the EU Film Festival here in Bangkok; wish I'd seen that. Nice music I agree. Those cement figures are quite interesting. I love that little bus stop. Just cute.

    Hazel

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  6. We were in the wine valleys of California a couple of weeks ago and there was a little rain. Everyone kept telling us how rare it was to get rain. Your excellent post undermines their story.

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    1. Next time you're in California, we'll have to have a west coast Sepia reunion.
      Nancy

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    2. Oh my Alan, you were so very close, I wish I'd known.

      That rain was indeed rare. Very rare. Freaked out everyone. We usually don't get rain after late April until October. Fog, yes. Rain, no. Let's hope it's all sunshine from now on or the crops will get ruined.

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  7. I wonder whether anyone has tried to think of "101 Uses For An Umbrella."

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    1. Hmmm. I can only think of 3 - keeps you dry, keeps the sun away and is helpful for hanging cement bodies.

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  8. What a great collection of photographs for this week's theme. Love the colourful Portuguesa image, but the Irish ones are so evocative of Celtic mists.

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    1. Yes, I really like that Irish photo with the mist, too.

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  9. I am not familiar with the movie, but recognized the music right away. Those are pieces are wonderful. I would like to see those hanging cement figures!

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    1. You'll have to see the movie someday. It's wonderful, but odd too since it's all singing throughout the whole movie.
      Nancy

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  10. There was a time when I would not have complained about looking in Catherine Deneuve's eyes for 5 minutes.
    I never knew what a bumbershoot is.
    We have a large orange garden umbrella just like the one in your picture - but unfortunately no pool to go with it.

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    1. Bob - I only learnt that word from watching The Aristocats with my daughters some years ago.

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  11. Great selection on the umbrella theme. Those figures are superb!

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  12. A very nice and colorful selection. I almost thought the pool was at a neighbors house. I had to take a real hard look to make sure it wasn't.

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  13. Fabulous concept,
    and yes, I agree:
    I also prefer those on a terrace with a glass of fine wine,
    though perhaps not a Chardonnay.
    I prefer Cahors or Shiraz mostly...
    That street view in Portugal is amazing,
    but I do have concerns about those concrete sculptures
    in Prague, hoping it's all secured tight up there...
    Legrand's music was a great finale!!!
    Merci!!
    :)~
    HUGZ

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  14. Lovely Images All.& The Prague One is inspiring & (somehow) Rather Moving....

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