Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I guess I have managed to wait until I actually got to pumpkin pies and turkey to post again.

A late halloween

Boo! This might have been the highest-altitude pumpkin in Seattle.
While I saw this on Halloween, now I'm thinking about Thanksgiving. I'm really looking forward to cooking some turkey and pumpkin pie.

Enthusiasm and Restraint

Fall Leaves

A beautiful day in Green Lake.

A Slow Lamp

As some of my yoga instructors have said - you are exactly where and how you are supposed to be, and everything is unfolding as it should. Or something like that - it's like having patience and faith but also realizing that you are already perfect.

Fall at Green Lake

The days are getting shorter (dark by 6:30 - 7 already) and the trees are turning color. We've had some gorgeous sunny days this last week.

Sunny Day in Fall

Fall days are here, and they are looking gorgeous!

Between a Rock and a Watery Place

Ancient rock, big old lake.
(Old Black Rocks on the shore of Lake Superior).

Magical Kingdom

The lighting was fabulous. The feel, though, was definitely a contrast to the preview of this game, where at one point there was a giant plunger trying to pull Mickey's heart from his chest (at least, that's what it looked like).

Downtown Sunset

Not in the desert anymore! Very much cooler and wetter.

Desert Sunset

Imagine yourself surrounded by warm, dry air, holding still for a moment, just watching the sun go down.

Golden Grass

Golden grass, yellow sunshine
surrounded by blue sky
Run! Spin! Look! Smell!

Wildflowers and Mountains, Final 5 & 6

Above the treeline the flowers are smaller.

Wildflowers and Mountains, 3 and 4

Two more where the colors are better in the originals. I like the path in the first one, but all the cool purple flowers overlap with the most complicated part of the background. The mountains, with the rich red color (coming from iron on the exposed rocks), are nice in the second.

Wildflowers and Mountains, Take 2

So this was another attempt at wildflowers in the foreground and mountains in the background. The compression on picassa has made some of the colors a little odd, but this showed me how much easier it was to get an impressive sense of 'flowers' if the flowers were really dense. Which meant that they had to be yellow rather than purple because the yellow flowers were just much thicker.

A Hike in the Mountains

I was trying to get a picture of the wildflowers in the foreground, with a sense of the mountain-scape in the background. I don't think I've quite succeeded. I'll put up more attempts in the next couple of days (trying to get back into the habit).

Imogene Pass

The shed is for a cell phone tower.

Ladybirds up a stem

Swarms of ladybirds were everywhere, climbing up any vertical surface.

A calm dawn

Floating

These were from the previous evening - also not very good weather, but not actively raining.
Very beautiful though.

Incoming Pretty Pink Threat

Very pretty, but not exactly what you want to see when you go observing.

Log and Beach and Rainclouds

Lots of travel = no photos for a while => have an extra.

Retracing my steps

A few weeks ago, I had a work trip to Vancouver. It was a meeting to prepare for another (big) meeting I went to last week. This was the first time I'd been back for about three years. The last time had been to sell the boat I had lived on for about four years in False Creek. That previous trip had also marked a time of many changes in my life, some of which were good, some of which were not so good, and overall (looking at it now) a time of lots of stress.



Things are more settled for me now, and I feel, much more positive. I was a little worried what I would think and feel, being back in Van. But, it turns out, both the city and I have changed just enough where it was really nice to visit, appreciate those changes, and feel good. I had a lot of really good times in Vancouver when I did live there, and this trip let me enjoy those as well. Kind of starts making you feel like a grownup, you know?



I apologize to the friends I should have visited when I was there a few weeks ago, but didn't (if you're reading this). There are many excuses, between working the whole time and not being sure about how to reach you guys ... but now I think there will likely be a 'next time' sometime soon and if I could look you up then, that's be pretty cool.

Window View

Slice of life or view out of the window or view of what's on my windowsill, however you want to look at it.

A Rose

Dandelion and Daisies

Dandelion in the grass
Puff of wind
Disperses!

Have a Happy Day!

Jackson would like to wish everyone a happy day with walks and bones.

Canoe away?

Mockingbird Books

I think this top one is what I would usually post, but I also like the photo below as well .. it's more active rather than the nice gentle sunset tower above. The backstory of this pretty old church is that now it's a children's book store (at least in the lower level), so I like how the crossing sign looks like .. children, come here and read books in a story-like atmosphere and cool looking place.

Window Pattern

Around this time of year, these windows light up from the sunset like this and look so warm and still. The building is quiet because most people have gone home, and it's just rather peaceful.

Painting

Thought I'd better share some love :)

Also thought I'd try something different .. I'm re-reading my first photography book (and, actually, my only one) for some inspiration and while this isn't mentioned anywhere in that book, I thought it might be fun. It's harder than I thought to line yourself up with the field of view or where you've previously painted (especially switching to a different flashlight), but, yes, it was entertaining.

Vacation?

I was reading today about someone's trip to Japan, and thought that it sounded really cool. This is usually my reaction to other people's trips .. and also, that I should really go travel more. Wouldn't it be cool to see the cherry trees in Japan?

The funny thing is, I don't know if I actually really feel like I *need* to travel right now .. there are so many things to do (ride the ferries, picnic in the park, work on the boat, sail on the boat!) and see (the mountains, the San Juan's, the museums and restaurants in town!) right around here, which I never seem to have time for anyway.

On the other hand, I really think I would like to go to some lightly populated island and swing in a hammock on the beach for a week, with a book and a beer. Maybe that's the kind of travel I'd be into right now :)

[or two weeks cruising in the sailboat. that would rule. but requires more prep work.]

Blue Glass

From the Green Glass Company.

Tulips!

(and remnants of daffodils in the background - they're mostly done, although some bunches are still going strong).

Tree, Graffiti'd

Seriously? Still a pretty nice looking tree though.

Sit. Drink. Eat.

Dark Skies And Wine

I've just come back from a mini-vacation, at Cave B Inn for the weekend and their spring wine release. It was wonderful. More photos later!

Plane flight ahead.

Sigh. And I'm so unprepared.

A Peek

Psst - a peek inside my apartment.