Category: go with the flow

adventure, Camping, fun, go with the flow, leap of faith, learning, life goes on, perseverance, photography, road trip, travel

Day 1 from The Pastures…

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Getting the camper set up was not the cinchy part of this adventure. Contrary to what I had imagined. My cousin says that it’s because everything is new. The canvas will relax, she says. I hope she is right. And to level this thing on the lot there are wood blocks under the leveling jacks, plus this thing is the ‘extreme sports model’ so it has extra big tires too. All of this means that in order to put the awning out a ladder will have to be involved. And at least one tall cousin. My do-it-myself motto is out the window already.

But the birds were chirping this morning, and I love breathing cold air while I sleep, under nice warm covers of course. And sleep I did. There was a group out there watching the Bruins game last night and I thought I’d listen, but I have no clue what the score was. The coffee tastes pretty good this morning, my first morning as a camper….sun set from my doorway last night…

'scene' along the way, friends, fun, go with the flow, perseverance, photography, solitude, technology

Deadly photos…

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Just so you know, no forensic dummies were harmed in the making of these photos.  But there is a new, to me at least, photo group in my area, and it’s led by a forensic photographer.  This makes for interesting conversations because as she describes setting your camera a certain way she talks about how that setting would apply to her work;  photographing blood spatter, or bullet wounds, or, gulp, the body.  So when we went to a cemetery to shoot pictures and she asked if we wanted to recreate a crime scene  I couldn’t help myself, I asked which one of us was going to be ‘the body’.  But she said, “No, I have a head.”, and we all looked around at each other.  LOL.  My new van hasn’t been completely empty since I loaded it up and headed north, but what she carries around in her car is a heck of a lot more interesting, or possibly alarming, than what I carry with me  It was a very interesting lesson, but my reaction was that it would be a tedious process to take the zillion photos and do it in such a manner that you haven’t distorted anything.  If taken properly the photographs should allow investigators to recreate a crime scene very accurately.  This gal created a specialty of forensic photography at Syracuse University because she saw a need, after realizing that in the past most of these forensic specialists were handed a camera and expected to take the pictures with no training at all.  On the job training, I guess.03-23-2019cemeteryLydia

At any rate, these photos have nothing at all to do with me.  It was just a setting with lots of light and shadows, and friends to spend time with.  A great opportunity to take the HDR photos that I love with the new camera and lens that I opted for the other day.  It was only a matter of time.  These particular friends are a bad influence on me…03-23-2019cemetaryfeature03-23-2019cemetery203-23-2019onthecross03-23-2019obelisk03-23-2019holytrunk03-23-2019Flowerygrave03-23-201903-23-2019cemeteryfeatureJust a little bird in a far off tree, checking out the new lens.  I’m a happy camper!

friends, go with the flow, moments, nesting, perseverance, photography, simple things, sky, sunset, weather

Shivering in Florida…

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The weather wasn’t cooperating for the owl photo shoot a friend and I had planned for yesterday morning.  We did get to see the owls, but we are going back tomorrow.  And the sunset looked dubious, but it was the last Tuesday night for the sunset from the rooftop of the Clearwater library so we went in spite of the ominous skies.  And from the first moment we were there we were so glad we went.  In spite of the fact that the wind was relentless, making you very glad you had your tripod.  And with temperatures in the 50s we were freezing.  Not Cape Cod freezing, but cold, very cold.  But those rays of sun streaming through the clouds were an amazing sight.  Worth the chill.  This was the last of the shoots from the rooftop for this season because the sunset will be too late once we change the clocks this weekend.  Glad I made it.03-05-19library2

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a second look, family, finding my way, friends, go with the flow, growing old, home, home improvements, life goes on, nesting, perseverance, photography, road trip, sunrise, travel, weather

Home Sweet Home…

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For someone who spent most of her life preoccupying herself with thoughts of the dream house she may or may not have one day, I have to wonder how it is that I’m so pleased to call this little place home.  While I’ve been freezing up here, and yes, I’m up north again, I found myself wanting to get back there to my little place and fix it up.  I can’t tell you how many hours I spent ‘fixing up’ my house over the years.  It doesn’t matter which house because I wallpapered and painted, sewed window treatments, and took down wallpaper and redecorated, all of them.  It was my stress relief when there were worries with the business, or the angst of surviving my teenagers.  (Turns out that I needn’t have worried, but there were no guarantees.). And over those years houses became mansions.  Not my house, but the new houses I’d see being built were palaces that I couldn’t imagine living in.  Or calling home.  When the kids came home from school to one of those houses was there a mom in there greeting them with fresh baked cookies?  They were anything but cosy.  So I guess the answer seems like it should be no, I never got my dream home.  But if that’s what you think then you’d be wrong, because that dream house in my mind kept evolving with time, and for this exact moment, at this exact time of my life, this really is my dream house.  Not too big, not to small, it’s just right.  Call me Goldilocks…02-23-19senatemanor102-23-19senatemanor2Not my view unfortunately, but just down the street.  And I thought a sunrise picture yesterday would be just the thing to finish this posting, but the sun wasn’t cooperating.  Neither were the bluebirds that are nesting in the little birdhouses across the street, but I’m leaving today, heading their way…02-23-19senatemanor3

'scene' along the way, a second look, adventure, boats, finding my way, fun, go with the flow, natural wonders, old dogs new tricks, perseverance, photography, road trip, sky, travel, unintended images, weather

It comes naturally…

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I’m talking about the color in these photos.  The temps in the 50s, be still my heart, and the beautiful blue skies were what got me out for photos yesterday.  I didn’t realize that the water would be even more blue, and that it would look almost unnatural, it was that intense.  When I left the house I had a plan, but first I asked Siri to direct me to the nearest gas station before my day took a wrong turn altogether.  I was annoyed that she had me backtracking, I’m pretty sure that the gas station I intended to go to was only a smidge further than where she took me.  And the gas would have been a lot cheaper where I had intended to go, but I digress.  Her route took me to 6A, and I passed a sign directing me left for the Sandwich Marina, and there went my plan for the day.  Photography is fun in a group, but really, for me it’s  mostly a solitary pursuit, and that makes me happy when I fail to stick to a plan.  No messing up someone else’s plan.  For the most part I kind of like the no witnesses thing…02-04-19boats02-04-19coastguard02-04-19noboats02-04-19sagamore02-04-19sagamorecloseIt took a while for me to realize that there weren’t going to be a lot of boats around in the winter, so boats bobbing in the harbor wasn’t going to happen.  But there were a few at the Sandwich Marina.  And a Coast Guard boat sounded a horn before zooming out into the canal to do something important I’m sure.  But I just couldn’t get over the intensity of the blue color of the water.  And just one day later everything was a gray as it could be with the clouds and the fog.  I should be happy, it’s always new and different photo ops to get you out there day after day.

'scene' along the way, a second look, finding my way, friends, go with the flow, life goes on, moments, old dogs new tricks, photography, road trip, sunrise, sunset, travel

That camping bug…

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It seems the camping bug has hit a lot more people than I would have thought.  That it’s been a daydream of mine for a very long time made me an odd ball, or so I thought.  But ever since I bought my little camper, actually not so little, and fessed up on Facebook, I’ve heard from a lot of people on the subject.  I was surprised to discover that lots of them had campers of their own.  There was much enthusiasm. I’ve had offers of advice, of being co-campers, and of places to go.  And yesterday there was a box on the stoop with this assortment of camper accessories for me, from my daughter who thinks a mother/daughter trip is in order.  How cute is that?  And just when it dawned on me that I have a new little house to decorate.  I love a project…

It seems to me that I’m homesick for wherever I’m not.  Florida is beautiful, and with the camper I’ll be exploring more of those warm winter locations, provided I get my snowbird seasons figured out.  But with so many places to see, people to meet, and sunsets to enjoy, the road is calling me…01-25-19theopenroad01-25-19vistas01-25-19racepointsunset