Graduation

chris frey June 21, 2021

June, 2021

On to the next chapter Hudson.

The Summer Day

Who made the world?

Who made the swan, and the black bear?

Who made the grasshopper?

This grasshopper, I mean--the one who has flung herself out of the grass,

the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,

who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down --who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.

Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.

Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.

I don't know exactly what a prayer is.

I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel in the grass,

how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields which is what I have been doing all day.

Tell me, what else should I have done?

Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

With your one wild and precious life?

Mary Oliver

Beer and BBQ

chris frey May 24, 2021

May, 2021

Spent a long weekend in Charleston checking out all of the local breweries and BBQ that the town had to offer. There were a lot of offerings.

red plaid Christmas

chris frey January 1, 2021

December, 2020

Vermont

chris frey July 23, 2020

June, 2020

Call this, the pandemic road trip.

“Study the path of others to make your way easier and more abundant. Lean toward the whispers of your own heart, discover the universal truth, and follow its dictates… Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and the enticement of revenge. Release all bitterness. Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome evil is already won. Choose confrontation wisely, but when it is your time don’t be afraid to stand up, speak up, and speak out against injustice. And if you follow your truth down the road to peace and the affirmation of love, if you shine like a beacon for all to see, then the poetry of all the great dreamers and philosophers is yours to manifest in a nation, a world community, and a beloved community that is finally at peace with itself.”

— John Lewis

chris frey July 16, 2020

Two months ago, my fiancé and her partner took a bold leap and opened up their doors. Unsure what to expect, they were treated with overwhelming support and love and have quickly made a home for themselves in Manasquan. I am incredibly grateful to be able to be along for the ride and am even more grateful that they have given me the opportunity to display my photos on their walls.

I have always loved taking pictures and yet I never even thought about sharing my art with the world. That is, until Christine came along and gave me the push that I needed. Having my photos hanging on a wall for people to see is incredibly satisfying. My deepest Thank You to Christine and Kelly for giving me the opportunity to share my art in such an incredible place. You guys are the best.

Please stop in for a coffee, say hello and have a look at some of my photos while you are there.

Batch. coffee, cafe, and juice 99 Main Street, Manasquan, NJ

chris frey May 25, 2020

This past Thursday my girlfriend and her friend opened up a coffee shop on Main Street in Manasquan called Batch. They have had a dream for a while to do this and have been working on it long before Covid-19 came to town and changed most of their plans. For them to be able to keep their dream alive and to keep moving forward despite all of the uncertainty, shows me how tough and determined these two girls are.

They created a warm, welcoming place to hang out and enjoy a coffee or tea.

They have an incredible selection of coffee drinks, juices, shakes, “sparklers” and homemade baked items. They also have a variety of healthy salads and wraps.

Hand made coffee sack backpacks for sale.

If you ever find yourself near Manasquan and are looking for the coolest place in town to get a coffee and meet some new friends, make sure to stop by Batch. They are located at 99 Main Street in Manasquan, NJ.

chris frey April 23, 2020

Ram Dass // If you want to change the world, don’t emanate fear, emanate love

chris frey April 19, 2020

The air wasn’t really cleaner; those images were fake. The hospitals weren’t really a war zone; those stories were hyperbole. The numbers were not that high; the press is lying. You didn’t see people in masks standing in the rain risking their lives to vote. Not in America. You didn’t see the leader of the free world push an unproven miracle drug like a late-night infomercial salesman. That was a crisis update. You didn’t see homeless people dead on the street. You didn’t see inequality. You didn’t see indifference. You didn’t see utter failure of leadership and systems.

Prepare for the ultimate gaslighting. From, Julio Vincent Gambuto

The news lately is making people very anxious. Maybe you need some different news.

What is going to happen to football season?

bodega cats to help Hayden kill some time.

This Big Little Lies playlist on Spotify is on heavy rotation.

Incredible photos of traffic lights at night, by Lucas Zimmerman.

“The resistance to the unpleasant situation is the root of suffering.”
— Ram Dass

chris frey April 8, 2020

Emily Dickinson // Beauty is not caused, it is.

Happy Birthday baby girl. I love you.

chris frey April 5, 2020

practicing social distancing in the woods. photo credit - Hayden Frey

My weekly quality time with my kids has been going on a long hike in Allaire State Park. I have been going to work and they have been quarantined, so aside from Face Time dinners, this is how we get to see each other.

I read this article about cleaning up your phone and making it work for you. The whole idea is to make the main screen be a source of useful tools and not a way to jump into social media and get lost in a giant time suck. I tried this out, and it really works for me.

On the benefits of walking and having a happy brain.

A full body kettlebell workout for you to do while you are at home on lock down.

A big reason that I became obsessed with tracking my daily steps.

chris frey April 2, 2020

Cheryl Strayed // Trust the truest thing.

Beaches in Pt. Pleasant, Bay Head and Mantaloking close today to help prevent the spread of the virus. Hopefully will be able catch more of these sunrises in the very near future.

Stay safe.

chris frey March 31, 2020

These times can take their toll sometimes and I know you feel the same way too
It gets so hard to keep between the ditches
When the roads wind the way they do.

chris frey February 15, 2020

My Goddaughter goes to the University of Colorado. I took a trip out to visit her this past fall and I can’t wait to go back.

chris frey February 14, 2020

Tell me again

How this story ends

Walks on the beach

And nights on the couch

Building a life

Making a home

Show me that smile

That lights up a room

Trust me with all

Of your hopes and your fears

I’ll hold your heart

Tight in my hands

Tell me again

How this story ends

Football and BBQ

chris frey January 6, 2020

Over the Christmas break, my son and I took a road trip to watch LSU play Oklahoma in the SEC Championship game in Atlanta. Every good road trip involves some BBQ and we stopped for dinner in Lexington, NC at the Lexington BBQ. North Carolina is famous for pork BBQ and The Lexington BBQ is known Nationwide for it’s food. “Known by the locals as the “Honeymonk” or “The Monk,” Lexington Barbecue was established in 1962 by Wayne Monk. Since its establishment, the white building on the hill has grown from a small cafe to a nationally known barbecue restaurant.

Our success is due to believing in quality customer service and staying with the true barbecue cooking tradition, meaning cooking with wood, not gas. We only cook pork shoulders and we only cook it over oak or hickory coals. We cook fresh everyday. We believe that true barbecue has different flavors and different cuts.” The place was very small and homey and the food was great. The slaw was red and something that I have never seen before. Apparently, it is a thing.

We found a BBQ place right at Olympic park that was in walking distance to the hotel. Twin Smokers BBQ. Their moto is Eat BBQ, drink bourbon. Done and done.

Then there was the game. The stadium was the coolest place I have ever been. It also felt like a home game for LSU which was nice.

We all know how this ends. Geux Tigers.

chris frey November 14, 2019

Cornell,

Hot spiced cider,

Apple Festival.

#sixwordstory

chris frey October 29, 2019

One more fiery sunrise from last week. This one is also part of my dawn collection and is for sale.

chris frey October 27, 2019

The sky was bursting with color on Thursday morning and I was able to make both of these abstracts just before sunrise while the sky was on fire. I added both of these images to my dawn collection and they are available as prints. I can do these in Acrylic, or metal in basically any size, or on a handmade 16x24 wood frame.

Contact me if you are interested.

Happy Sunday.

chris frey October 23, 2019

This blurry abstract was taken at Half Moon Bay, California, during a trip that I was lucky enough to go on with my daughter.

We mount and seal photograph on a 12x18 handmade wooden frame. $80.00. Drop me a line if you are interested.

chris frey October 21, 2019

Guess what? I am kind of excited to announce that I have prints for sale! I have a variety of prints on handmade, wood frames in both 16x24, and 12x18 sizes that are going up for sale in the next week. I am also going to be selling a variety of images printed on metal. I am working on having a store right here on my web site, but for now all of these prints will be available and listed on my instagram. So head over there and follow me for details.