north_star_

Tue, 23 May 2006 04:56:01 GMT

A little blood

Wed, 17 May 2006 02:27:41 GMT

Did I lose my temper? Punch something or someone?

No. These are the marks of a beginner sculler. I hope to get my hand positioning better next time (but I think I will cut my fingernails just in case). But even if it means bloody knuckles every time I go out, I won't stop. I love going out and playing with the seals!

I tried another session of torturing my cat. I would love to capture her character. Mostly I get the back of her head or her butt running away. Although the light isn't right, this is my best shot so far.

Where in the world am I?

Sun, 14 May 2006 05:31:02 GMT

Ponderings

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 03:15:52 GMT

Why is it that my sanity increases tenfold when I leave the country for a week or longer? ok, it probably isn't leaving the country in particular (although it is nice to be far enough away to not have any reminders of our current political landscape). I always seem to have too many things running through my head at home. My only thought when I was taking this picture is 'Do scorpions really live in the dead branches on a palm? If so, why?'

vacaciones

Tue, 18 Apr 2006 03:49:41 GMT

I just got home from a week in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. My skin is still warm and I can still taste fresh salsa and tacos de camaron. I can count on one hand the number of times I have swam in warm ocean water. The best part is that I stayed with a friend who treated us to the charms of Mexico every day. This palm is in the center of her house.

We bought fish straight off the boat and grilled it for dinner.

Our last night...

Does anybody need any water?

Sat, 04 Feb 2006 21:38:13 GMT

Ever felt like you have been wet for more than a month? There was one day some time ago where we didn't have rain for a whole day. The ground almost dried up. Unfortunately this poor plant has been sitting in water all winter. We are desperately watching the five day forecast...there is a semblance of a sun next week. I suspect if it does not stop raining by then, the whole city will go mad.

Baseball anyone?

Or soccer?

And yet, the water is still so beautiful.

That time of year

Thu, 29 Dec 2005 03:32:31 GMT

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND BEST WISHES FOR THE NEW YEAR!

I am pretty low key this time of year. I watch Miracle on 34th street (new and old versions), listen to Barbara Streisand's Christmas album, bake some pies-This year I watched the Polar Express with friends (thought the animation was quite well done)-and try to stay away from the craziness of shoppers and stressed out people. That wraps up my holiday cheer.

You see...I don't wait to spend special time with my friends and family. I try to do that as much as I can throughout the year. I don't make new years resolutions because if I want to make a change, why don't I just make the change now instead of needing a "brand new year" as incentive? I admit it is usually a convenient time to spend some prolonged time with special ones or to have a whopper party. We used to all be off work or school so we could come together. But I find that is changing. Businesses are seeking advantage by continuing service through the holidays. Since I began working for the legislature, I do a good deal of work during the holidays because we start with a bang the second monday in January. All fine with me.

I do want to take the coming of a new year as a reminder to wish all my friends good tidings. I hope the days ahead make your dreams reality.

Winter sun

Tue, 13 Dec 2005 08:06:23 GMT

Busy Rest Stop

Mon, 12 Dec 2005 06:22:31 GMT

Winter Contemplation

Mon, 28 Nov 2005 01:38:56 GMT

I have decided someone needs to design roads so that there are safe places to pull over for photography. Maybe those erratic drivers I am always complaining about are really photographers. It seems almost worth the risk some days and it takes willpower to convince myself that the photo isn't worth getting out of my car in the middle of traffic where there is no proper place to pull over.

I just finished watching a movie that reminded me to live in the present, not the future and not in the past. I have this stupid habit of analyzing the past or waiting for something in the future. So here is to enjoying the moment!

Crows

Mon, 31 Oct 2005 06:11:28 GMT

I enjoyed the symmetry of this shot. I asked the crow on the right to scoot over to the right a few inches to perfect the symmetry but crows aren't known for obeying. Honestly I hate crows. I have no idea why I feel deeply enough to use the word "hate". Maybe because they seem to drive out all other bird species. I enjoy diversty. Too many things in this world are becoming the same.

Sun, 09 Oct 2005 04:04:09 GMT

These little Chihuahuas make me smile every time I see them. They belong to a friend of mine. Tiny dogs with big character. Just adorable. When the long haired brown Chihuahua wags her tail, her whole body swings back and forth.

Boston Angels

Thu, 06 Oct 2005 08:06:51 GMT

The stairs to Harvard's Widener Library have a well beaten path to the door.

Boston Eights

Tue, 04 Oct 2005 06:38:03 GMT

Boston, Clam Chowder, Harvard, Red Sox, Crew, and the list goes on. Boston just leaped up to one of my top three favorite cities in the U.S. I had a wonderful week there. I spent more than half a day along the Charles River, watching scullers and rowers. I couldn't get enough. The university teams were out practicing - they have wakeless launches!?! Pretty cool invention. It is beautiful to watch 8 people working in unison, skimming the water. You can really notice the difference when the whole crew boat is working as one. Someday...I might get that good.

A little change

Thu, 15 Sep 2005 05:19:12 GMT

Time to pull myself out of whatever it is that has kept me from exploring with my camera and not attempting to expand my mind artistically. First step...becoming a red head.

Actually I am trying to get used to this. I needed a change. Not sure it really suits me. But it feels great to try something new. I'll give it time and see if it grows on me.

Bear Grass

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 06:00:15 GMT

I didn't have the best light for this shot but bear grass blooms once every 7 years, so I can't be too picky. The flower is larger than my fist. The base of the plant is a grass-like clump, which in its own right is very attractive. Then it shoots up this stem that looks like multiple grassy shoots intertwined. I like the idea of being subtly beautiful and then stunning once every 7 years.

This photo is from a hike I took a few weekends ago. Although I did go out this weekend, I kept my camera in the bag. I am loving exploring with my camera. But sometimes I find myself to wrapped up in the search for a good photograph instead of just letting life's flow sweep me through the day. My goal is to hone my photographic skills so that when the surprise moment happens, I can capture the soul of it with a photo. I have so much to learn but this last weekend was a good reminder to myself to have balance. (ok, if the mountain goats had come into close enough range, I would have gone for shot. But they were meandering along the side of a cliff, the kind I would have been frozen in fear.)

More beach shots

Wed, 13 Jul 2005 06:08:18 GMT

Trip to the beach

Sun, 10 Jul 2005 08:23:22 GMT

Nothing like spending a day on the beach taking pictures and reading about FDR. Bliss. 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Not too many people that you can't find solitude but still some interesting people watching. Have you ever observed people's faces when the look out to sea? What do you think about when you watch the waves crash in? For me, my conscious thoughts become quiet but I feel like my inner self becomes stronger. The external influences get carried out into the ocean.

And my first successful venture at a panorama. 13 photos seamed together. Unfortunately this is the largest size flickr will store but you still get the idea why the place I was driving through is called the Home of the Logger's Playday!

Sat, 09 Jul 2005 03:45:17 GMT

Summer in the Garden

Mon, 04 Jul 2005 20:10:10 GMT

Tomatos are coming! Tomatos are coming! ok. This green tomato won't turn red for quite a few weeks but I already taste it!

Other photos from the yard...

There has been this overwhelming hedge along my house that I have fought ever since I moved in. Twice a year, I would get out there with a hand saw and clippers to trim it back. But it was so tall. So this year, I got the ladder and trimmed as much as I could reach. It was ok except my neighbor's side was still twice as tall as me so it still made me feel closed in. So I arrive home from work one day to this. Cut down to about waist high. I shouldn't complain because I absolutely hated the hedge. But I am having trouble getting used to it. I feel so exposed. I'm sure if the hedge has feelings, it feels extremely exposed. I don't have to fight the thing anymore but was there a better way than just chainsawing it in half?

As you may have noticed in previous yard shots, I focus in very closely on the flower or plant. This is just one of the reasons why...nice lawn, eh? It is my sea of clover and dandelions. Hard to tell I have been working on it but I have spent many hours trying to conver it back to grass. Oh well. I wouldn't mind except the clover takes attention away from my lovely mallow flowers in the background.

Spray Park

Wed, 01 Jun 2005 06:10:48 GMT

A lovely day of hiking. Here are some highlights.

Last of the Washington D.C. Photos

Wed, 01 Jun 2005 05:20:31 GMT

I never got a great shot of the Capitol. So I played with the contrast on this picture and really liked the texture in the grass. There is so much construction around the buildings and memorials that the postcard shots are just impossible.

The new World War II Memorial...

It seems like an odd place to take a break from a busy work day...

Do you recognize this?...

Reminder of past ideals

Sat, 21 May 2005 03:42:32 GMT

If you ever make it to Washington D.C., don't miss the FDR memorial. I was moved to tears. If only our current President would take to heart just one of FDR's quotes that are engraved throughout the memorial.

"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little."

Little trees

Fri, 20 May 2005 06:39:03 GMT

Washington D.C.'s arboretum is a real treat. Here is just a sampling...

There were so many more bonsai trees - rooms full of these tiny replicas of all sorts of trees. On one hand, it just feels wrong to see these stunted trees. On the other hand, it fascinates me that they can look so like the full size version of the tree. These trees started long before I was born and will survive long after I am gone. The trees above are between 70-100 years old.

My aunt donated this bench in memory of my grandfather. It is a beautiful, peaceful space.

Mon, 09 May 2005 06:20:55 GMT

It is happening everywhere. The trees come down. The land is flattened. Cookie cutter houses are stacked next to each other with few windows and no yards. Small strips of land are designated as wet lands and wildlife is forced to find a new home. This one is a little more personal. Those houses sit where I spent a great deal of my childhood, where my cat roamed, where the coyotes would howl at night... 5 years ago, this photo would have captured a dense forest.