Here at The Christian Gift it’s a New Year’s tradition to post the first few lines of The Gate of the Year,
a beautiful poem written by Minnie Louise Haskins in 1908:
I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year,
“Give me a light that I may tread
safely into the unknown.”
And he replied,
“Go into the darkness
and put your hand into the hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light
and safer than a known way.”
Happy New Year
And so the 2011 chapter of photographing as many Christmas scenes as possible comes to a close (I first embarked on this project during the 2010 holiday season). My final shoot was last Thursday evening at the Boston Common.
This is the city of Boston’s official tree with the State House in the background.
My journey began in late November at Faneuil Hall in Boston. Next up was Nubble Lighthouse at York, Maine. Back in New Hampshire, I worked locally at nearby North Hampton, New Hampshire ~ followed by a 100+ mile drive up north to Hanover, New Hampshire and Dartmouth College.
After that, I spent a few days shooting in downtown Chicago.
Returning to New England, it was Kennebunkport and Ogunquit in Maine, and finally back to Boston.
Though I’d hoped also to make it to Newport, Rhode Island and New York City – I ran out of time. (Next year!)
So now that Christmas is behind us, it seems a good time to remember what the great Charles Dickens had to say about the spirit of the season:
I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.
Wishing you and yours a joyous Christmas!
Downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire is fortunate to have a beautiful landmark right at its center: the North Church. Its steeple can be seen from just about anywhere in town, and as you approach from Maine on Route 95 and cross the Piscataqua River Bridge entering New Hampshire, you can’t miss it as it soars above the surrounding buildings.
Lit at night, it’s even more beautiful.
Here’s a view of the North Church during the Christmas season.
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
