May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face…
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
**All photos taken at Shirley Plantation in Charles City, Virginia and Colonial Williamsburg.
Historical tidbit I learned at Shirley Plantation: Did you know that it wasn’t uncommon for portrait painters (and their entire family) to move in with their subjects?
Real Portrait Painters of the Thirteen Colonies. Would you watch that reality show?
I imagine the experience hastened the invention of photography. 🙂
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Coleen Patrick 
The hats made me feel sunny. Lovely photos. I agree it likely did speed up the invention of photography. And, what a fun reality show or a book idea!
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There had to be at least some drama, right? 🙂 Thanks, Stacy.
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Oh, how lovely! I love the photos and the blessing. Thanks for sharing. All good things to you too and Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 🙂
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Thanks, Susanna! Hope you have a great week.
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You going to all these interesting places is fab for your photography. Thanks for sharing and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
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Thanks, Catherine! I have to thank my hub for the detour to the plantation. Originally we planned to drive the interstate to Williamsburg, but he suggested the scenic route.
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What a lovely photographic and textual blessing!
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Thanks Joanna! We’ve always had this Irish blessing up somewhere in our house. 🙂
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Your pictures are always so beautiful Coleen! I’m surprised anyone had portraits made under those circumstances, haha. I did a presentation on Diego Velazquez in college, I knew he lived in the royal court but thought maybe it was special treatment because he was the portrait painter of the King.
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Oh the stories he could’ve told, right?? 🙂 Thanks, Amanda.
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LOL I would totally watch “The Real Portrait Painters!” Can’t stand many reality shows, but I do like the historical reenactment ones. Given how little sun we’ve had for months, your photos are especially inviting!
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Thanks, Jennette! I’m a big fan of (way too much) reality TV. I like historical reenactment ones too. One of my faves was a series done on PBS, The Frontier House. 🙂
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Beautiful Coleen!
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Thank you, Pat. 🙂
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And may I be in heaven a minute before the devil knows I’m gone.
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Now how did I let that part of the blessing get by?!? 🙂
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I guess it’s a good thing no one wants to paint me.
I love your photos. I’m branching out into the world of advanced picture-taking next week when I’m at Disneyland. I’ve read my entire owner’s manual for my camera and I intend to try some new settings just for fun. Hopefully I’ll get some worth blogging about. I usually just use the auto setting and let the camera decide, but not any more. Next week, I’m in charge.
I love the Irish blessing, too.
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
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What? You don’t want a brooding (perhaps) creative type moving into your home? 🙂
I hope you have a FANTASTIC time in Disney. Enjoy!!! I look forward to seeing what you capture. Happy birthday, Patricia.
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I already have a brooding creative type in my house. I don’t need another thank you. I usually refer to him as husband.
Patricia
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I bet that made for some strange bedfellows back in the day!
Perfect photos that fit the message of your blog.
Happy St Patrick’s Day you lovely lass!
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All I’m missing is a picture of the strange bedfellows. 🙂 Thank you, Phil!
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Wishing you a happy St. Patrick’s Day. My father’s side came from Ireland. Love the blessing.
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Thanks, Patricia!
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How very civilised, having the painter’s family move in…At least, that way, artists were supported! I’d totally watch that reality show 😉
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Oh. That was me, in case you wondered. Forgot, sorry…
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You’re right, the artist is supported! Although I imagine the arrangement happens because it’s convenient to the (wealthy) subject. I wonder how comfortable the accommodations were…? 🙂 Thanks, Alarna.
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I actually love that song…and you captured it so well with your photos.
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Thank you, Kitt!!
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Fabulous photos, Colleen!
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Thanks, Ted!!
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You know, that show would totally work. What a interesting cause for conflict, eh? Oh yes, I can see that would be a good way to spur the era of photography. lol. Great pics this week Coleen. Very cheerful. I hope you enjoy the rest of your week. Have a healthy one! 🙂
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Nothing like the need for a little privacy spurring invention! 🙂
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Beautiful post and photos! I feel like it would have been fun to host a portrait painter and his family, although ideas like that are often much nicer in theory than in reality. 🙂
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Yes fun, until you walk in on them in the outhouse. Or worse, something to do with the chamber pots!! 🙂
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I did not know that — eek. I love Colonial Williamsburg, it is one of my favorite childhood vacations I ever took. I want to bring my kids there one day. I have never been to Shirley Plantation, but I’m going to look into it. 🙂
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I live about an hour from Colonial Williamsburg. Something new every time. There’s actually several plantations to visit on the same highway as Shirley. 🙂
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Funny, I remember reading because last Sunday my sister in law were talking about their visit to Williamsburg as kid and Shirley Plantation came up – it was a funny story that I didn’t quite get, but I digress. It seems as if I am to live and dwell in the past this year, so I might as well be late to the party. Lovely photos. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and spring is here! Bring it on.
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Yay for the shining sun!!!
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Those pictures are full of so much character! Love them all, but the hats really made me smile =)
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The hats are simple but colorful, right? 🙂
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I love the brick colonial building — I would definitely like to shoot something there. I mean, shoot a film, of course, like a music video or something — not bring back animals I had hunted for cleaning or flensing or whatever hunters do. Either that, or I would open a micro-brewery there, if I drank beer. Ah, the paths not taken.
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I’m with you in regards to the hunting part (and everything that comes after that). I don’t think I’d have been much good at that!
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