Dream Tomorrow, Live Today, Cherish Yesterday

Memorial Weekend Thanks

Panasonic GM5K

I have just done another trip up America's west coast, in the Pacific Ocean. SF to Vancouver, BC. My fifth such trip over about 14 years.

On every trip there are a number of mariners that find themselves in either dicey, or perilous, situations. I'm always amazed how the Coast Guard calmly works with these frightened people and helps them to safety. Comforting to know they are there should I find myself in such a situation (and believe me, ANYTHING can happen out there).

I have written before that my dad was a `Coastie and in fact I was born at a Naval Air Station. Must explain my love of the sea?

Thank you to all our men and women in the services.

Memorial Day Thanks

Each Memorial Day I thank the active and veteran members of the armed forces. Having just toured this very submarine, USN Seawolf, I am even more impressed and appreciative. An amazing group of smart and dedicated sailors, who take their job so seriously it sort of boggles the mind.

As they should considering the power of their weaponry. But let me tell you, you have to be a special person to spend months at a time in this big steel tube underwater.

Thank you again to all our men and women in uniform.

 

St Patrick's Day

Is a little more fun after you have been to St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland.

Of Simple Times (on Christmas)

On our trip to Italy last Fall, we visited Tuscany, a must see for the first time tourist (my wife in this case). We quickly tired of the "Disneyland" that the heavily touristed cities have become (think Siena).

We were staying in a small town that isn't in any guidebooks, Torito di Siena. Evidently, no tourists think of visiting the old part of the city. But we did. And there we recaptured the charm and authenticity of Tuscany. A small hill town, walled like the others.

I made this image in the duomo (church) which is hundreds of years old and only about the size of the tourist desk of Siena's much more famous duomo. We sat and took in the special feeling the place gave us. Thought about the thousands of lives that have been through it. It was a completely genuine and peaceful place to collect our thoughts. Occasionally one of the town's elderly residents would shuffle by the open door.

And today I know that the town's residents will gather here as they have for centuries for their Christmas mass. With it's low birth rate, and what relatively few youth there are flocking to cities for the opportunities there, Italy is rapidly changing. I'm glad we got to see a window in to the real Italy as it has been for centuries.

Happy holidays to my friends everywhere.

The Best Part About Christmans

Having little ones around to share them with! (This is from a few, er, several, years ago!)

 

Right way to spend Labor Day weekend

Leica M9, 90mm F/2.8, f/4, 1/1500, iso 160

I'm sure this beauty has treated families to many holiday weekends. It would work for me! You?

Happy Birthday USA

Well, we are still a great country, even if we find ourselves in some very trying times. So Happy Birthday to USa!

Six years ago tonight I was at Seattle's Lake Union, for a big fireworks show. Little did I know that four years later I would be living here. Pretty amazing.

Memorial Day Tribute

I'd like to express my gratitude to the men and women that serve in our armed forces. Thank you for all you do. If I could have nine lives, I'd definitely spend one of them in the Navy. I shot this from my back porch recently when the John C. Stennis steamed by.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to everyone out there. Moms, daughters, sons and husbands, we can all celebrate what it is to be a mother. For those of you that still have your mother here on Earth, cherish her!

Today's image taken at the incomparable Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania, which I visited with my friend John Barclay. What a place!

A New Dawn

Sony NEX-7, 18-200mm, f/5.6, 1/640, iso 100

First day of 2013! 2012 was a great year for me photographically. Three big trips: Cuba, Scotland/Ireland, and NYC. I got to do a lot of street photography on these trips, which was a growing experience for me.

I defiitely realized that I'm no longer "into" regular landscape photography. For many years here on the blog I have mentioned that I don't do "stands of trees" fall color shots, for example. With landscape, I find that I want to find interesting details, and present them in a unique way, one that hasn't been seen before.

I selected this image because it's kind of straddling this philosophical fence. Ho hum, another sunrise, right? But for me, this back lit fog-cloud, raises this image up from a standard landscape shot. I also selected it because it was from one of my great trips, this being Ireland (thanks John and Dan).

Within a few minutes of this shot, I got another unique one, that ended up being published in a book about Ireland light. I'll share that one one of these days.

I met some great new people this past year, which is important to me. I had my share of struggles as well. Life. You know How It Is.

I saw an article the other day that said "forget new year's resolutions, pick one word." I like that thought. The word I selected is "health." I mentioned in my Thanksgiving post some of the health things I have been going through. Without getting into details, I'll just say I'm really on an upswing. So health applies to both my physical and mental side, and I believe that is going well, thankfully! I'm grateful to several people that have helped me in this department.

And I believe growing as a photographic artist is important to my health as well. Thankfully I have a great day job (financial health), that will keep me busy this year. I only have one big photography trip planned right now, but I'm sure I'll work some smaller trips in. And hopefully grow my photographic eye and my skills.

All the best to my friends and blog readers this coming year. Cheers to your health as well.

And... what is your "word?"