4:13PM

The fact that there is nothing that I can do about the weather coming our way does not make me feel any better. Regardless of the weather, I still need to be able to get to work. Seriously, I can not afford not to be there.

Usually I'm a bit comforted by the fact that J. has a 4WD truck that can get us most anywhere in inclement weather. This week however said truck is not working (at least not consistently). Which leaves me on my own transportation-wise, and that fact has me more stressed than usual.

Over-reacting, I know. Willing myself to stop it, though some times it seeps through.

I am sure that everything will be fine, and that what ever driving I have to do in the upcoming weather will be a fun, safe adventure. At least that's what I'm telling myself. ; )

polaroid PIC 1000 ...

A polaroid of my family circa 1980

Check out these two articles about the Polaroid PIC 1000. One of the articles, in part, states "Polaroid will offer a completely redesigned, modern version of the Polaroid OneStep camera .... The new classic PIC 1000 camera and instant color film will be available at national retailers in 2010." Looks like Polaroid film is making a come back! At least a small one.

Though the advent and availability of digital cameras has seemingly wiped away any allure that Polaroid's "instant" cameras once held. I am still rooting for them. I hope that people snap them up and relish the modern version of this classic camera!

saturday drive ...

Saturday drive — 02.20.2010

This couple, in their adorable little convertible, cruised along the road in front of me yesterday. Though the photo is not the greatest technically, the lack of sharp focus and glare from the windshield of my car are bothersome, I still really like it. It makes me smile. : )

fun giveaway ...

I wanted to pass the word about a super cute epicurean apron giveaway at Redhead Recipes. If you have a chance, take a look — and you might as well browse around at the recipes while you're there. The photos will probably make you hungry. : )

thinking about it ...

I haven't written, or posted photos, here in a long time. Every so often I come back and look around at the ol' blog and think about posting something, but that's all it amounts to — thinking about it.

This blog never really had a point of view or a regular readership for that matter, but I enjoyed it. I don't know if I'll ever get back to regularly posting here, but I just thought I'd let you (all 2 of you) know that I am thinking about it.

: )

long time no sea

It's been quite a while since I've paid any attention to this blog. Mostly I've just been busy living life day to day. I hadn't intended to neglect it for this long, but time gets away and life keeps moving. In any case, I had the opportunity to be at Alki Beach for a little while a few weeks ago. This is what I saw. : )

the sky above puget sound — 01.30.2009

contemplation — 01.30.2009

watchmen — 01.30.2009

surfing the wind — 01.30.2009

in stark contrast

tulip ~ 05.16.08

tulips in the breeze ~ 05.16.08

"The most noteworthy thing about gardeners is that they are always optimistic, always enterprising, and never satisfied. They always look forward to doing something better than they have ever done before." ~Vita Sackville-West

I almost didn't go through these photos, the compact flash card has been staring at me from the desk for days. I just didn't have a good vibe about the shoot that afternoon — just wasn't all that happy with the work I thought was there. Turns out I'm fairly jazzed about these images. : )

in the heat of the moment

11:15PM
Should I have offered help? Should I have asked some questions? These are the thoughts running through my mind as a result of two kids (14-16 yrs. old) who opened our gate, and ran through and around our yard.

A hot day resulted in open windows tonight, which is how I heard the gate. Since we weren't expecting anyone (and it was after 9:30PM), I thought it was the orange kitty jumping over the fence. A few minutes later I hear one boy say to the other, "let's go" and then run down the side of our house. I looked out the front window and saw that the gate was open (I know it had been closed because I had been outside an hour before checking the mail). I closed the gate and then ran through the house to the back and looked out the window, one of them saw me and started to run back to the front yard. I ran to the front and turned on the light, when he got there I said, "what are you doing? get the f*** out of our yard!" And he did, leaving the gate open behind him - of course. As he ran, I yelled behind him something about seeing his face and he'd better stay "the f***" out of our yard - blah, blah.

Meanwhile, when I was in the back (looking out the window) Jeff wanted to know what was wrong. I told him and he ran out the back door and yelled something in that direction. I don't know what he yelled because I was too busy yelling to hear him yelling.

In hindsight, I wonder what they were up to. Was it innocent? Were they just hiding from friends? Playing a game? Or were they running from trouble? Could it have been trouble they caused, or danger trouble? If it were danger trouble wouldn't he have asked for help? He didn't say a word, he just looked surprised, ran out through the gate and then East down the sidewalk. His friend met up with him in the yard next door and one said to the other, "let's get out of here" (oddly, in a calm tone of voice).

Anyway, I reacted in a surprising (to me) way. I didn't think before reacting. I was angry that they had been in our yard. I suspected that they had been standing in our yard, looking through our window - invading our privacy and possibly stealing items from our property in the back. That's a big issue and I won't tolerate that kind of situation. Still, after the fact, I felt bad that I had yelled at them (I mean, what if they were in need of help?), and used bad language to boot. SIGH. {rolling my eyes}

evidence

vines ~ 11.02.07

vines ~ 11.02.07

"Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives." -- Charles William Dement

I remember my dreams fairly regularly, so it's a common thing for me. But last night the dream was more literal than most. It was almost as if I were awake, it just didn't seem like a dream. I was frustrated, every turn left me looking at a dead end. One after another, after another. I kept waking up, turning over and returning to my frustration. It's odd and interesting, because I was dreaming about trouble I've been having with creating a website. I'm not a web designer (nor do I play one on TV). What I know about web designing could fit in the palm of my hand. Still, there I was tossing and turning - dreaming about it. Which left me feeling a bit insane.

spur of the moment

spur of the moment flowers ~ 10.31.07

On my way to shoot photos of ghosts & goblins this evening, I saw these flowers on a bush. Thought they were pretty, and not a sign of Fall in Fall.

lost in translation?

Rain hitting the windshield, seems to shift the shape of the scene ~ 10.24.07

You can view a short video here. It was quite interesting (to me) at the time, not sure it translates all that well. Then again, I suppose it all depends on the perspective from which you choose to view it (or something like that).

vocabulary

paparazzo
plural paparazzi
Etymology: Italian, from Paparazzo, surname of such a photographer in the film La dolce vita (1959)
: a freelance photographer who aggressively pursues celebrities for the purpose of taking candid photographs

I found the etymology here quite interesting, but my real motivation is a bit of friendly enlightenment. It just gets old being referred to as paparazzi (insert a big SIGH here), particularly because it's rare that I find myself among a pack. Also because, to date, very few of the people I have photographed are famous (well, maybe for 15 minutes). And though I sometimes work on a freelance basis, I usually don't have to pursue subjects aggressively. ; ) Basically, I'm saying that the majority of photographers (press or otherwise) are not paparazzo.

beautiful

Rainy day view from the Sounder train along the Puget Sound ~ 09.30.07

The day was good, very good. We traveled by train from Everett to Seattle for the Mariner game. Section 148, row 13, seats 13-14 @ Safeco Field. A fun time, a good game - the Mariners won 4-2 against the Texas Rangers. It was their last of the season. We ate hamburgers and hot dogs, we had soda, strolled by the bullpen as JJ Putz was warming up and we cheered on the team. : )

The Sounder train rides the rail along the coast of the Puget Sound. At times it seems the train is riding on the water. Even on a cloudy, rainy day it was a beautiful view, just beautiful.

the first day of fall

Southwest view from the South Beach Trail ~ Discovery Park, Seattle ~ 09.23.07

West Point Lighthouse ~ Discovery Park, Seattle ~ 09.23.07

Plant life ~ Discovery Park, Seattle ~ 09.23.07

West Point Lighthouse ~ Discovery Park, Seattle ~ 09.23.07

Puget Sound ~ Discovery Park, Seattle ~ 09.23.07

Surf @ the beach ~ Discovery Park, Seattle ~ 09.23.07

Driftwood structure on the beach ~ Discovery Park, Seattle ~ 09.23.07

We hiked two miles, mostly down (a BIG) hill, to the lighthouse and two miles back to the car. Every minute, every effort was worth it. It was a beautiful day.

everywhere

Alki Beach 7:54PM ~ Seattle, WA ~ 09.08.07

Memories of my mom are everywhere I go, but here at Alki Beach especially. Because she was here, I am here. She's been gone a year today, yet hardly a moment from my mind.

“There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love.” ~ Washington Irving

roll with it

a bit of swelling to the right ~ 08.24.07

There are days when unexpected things happen and, generally, we roll with it. Today I literally rolled with it (and so did my ankle) when I stepped in a hidden hole (grass was covering it). A pop and a crack preceeded my fall, ouch. As I type, my foot is elevated on the back of the couch. Ice, compression, elevation and rest are on my agenda for this lovely Friday evening.

p.o.v.

I happened upon a documentary on PBS tonight. "P.O.V. : The Chances of the World Changing", is something to see. It's about writer turned conservationist, Richard Ogust, and his quest to save several hundred turtles from extinction. But there's something more to see here, this man puts himself out there -in the rawest of ways. His passion pours out of the very fiber of his being, more of us should be like him. If you have the opportunity to see it, this film is worth your time.

"I think the film is really about a man whose compassion is so enormous that it leads him into a strange phase of his life, where he's really struggling to figure out how to contain what he feels like he should do about this crisis that he's discovered." ~ Eric Daniel Metzgar (filmmaker, The Chances of the World Changing)

point of view

"Don't serve the time. Let the time serve you." ~Paris Hilton

This is remarkable. Anyone who has looked through my blog knows that I love quotes. Though I never imagined I would be collecting such a profound quote by Miss Hilton. She is, of course, referring to her time in jail. Though the words actually could relate to many circumstances, depending on the point of view - as always. Ebb and flow, clearly she's on a journey - like the rest of us.

journey

Mama & babies ~ Monroe, WA ~ 05.17.07

4PM today: I'm sitting in my car, waiting. A field of long grass and weeds in front of me, in a way it is beautiful. Out of the corner of my eye, I see something moving along the edge of the parking lot. A mother duck and her three babies waddling along in the long grass. Mama ducking her head, seemingly trying to make the group less visible. She was sneaking. The babies, heads bobbing, weren't following suit - just bobbing along behind her.

I grabbed my point & shoot digicam and followed them, but kept my distance. The mother seemed to be trying to loose me, so I didn't follow them long. I wanted to though. I wanted to follow them all evening, to find out where they were headed.

Still now, hours later, I wonder where they ended up. And if they crossed a nearby road safely. I can't think of any water near where they were, or in the direction they were going. I've managed to convince myself that they will be fine, but I still wonder where they were going and where they had been.

"There's harmony and inner peace to be found in following a moral compass that points in the same direction regardless of fashion or trend." ~Ted Koppel

mail call

Some days I let myself wonder as I step toward the mailbox, what might I find inside? Will there be a letter or card from someone that I love? Or might it be bills and catalogs? Yesterday, the post contained a special delivery.

A beautiful handmade journal, created by Marta ~ 04.23.07

Inside it holds a surprise on each page, quotes. I love quotes. This bounty was brought as part of a journal swap over at CAC. Thank you Marta for the truly lovely journal!


"Readers are plentiful. Thinkers are rare." ~Harriet Martineau