It's Elementary

Lil sis and I went for a hike today. I don't know if New Hope Mills is a local thing or not- they make pancake mix- but we went there to have an adventure. She's always a good sport...

The mill wasn't open yet, otherwise the wheel would have been turning. It's the oldest waterwheel still running in the local area, if not the state. We were a couple days too early!

I find that I'm drawn to the elements- particularly water. It also explains my pyromaniacal tendencies! We hiked down to the streambed and I managed to get my shoes wet...

The ground was all shale- brittle, flaky, and I think really pretty.

It looks like I'm standing IN the stream for this shot, which I really like. We created a semi- dry (remember the shoes?) path through some shallow water to get to a small "falls".

Isn't she the cutest thing in the whole world? She put her hood up so the bugs wouldn't get in her ears!

This was the very top level of the little falls... not so much water coming over, but in the sunlight it was very pretty. Worth the soggy sneaker.

I loved seeing the old millstones outside the main millhouse. It gave me a sense of history. Of course, I had to explain what they were and how they work to my lil sis. Sheesh... do kids learn anything in school these days??

We ended up at the lake nearby... I'm so drawn to the water. It was a perfect day to be out.

Toy

I bought a new camera.

Did I need it? The best answer would be no. But on this whole other level, YES. It's a Kodak Z650 with 6.1 megapixels and a 10x zoom. I have been drooling over it for months. Thanks to the federal government giving me back the money I earned, I was able to buy it and the huge package of stuff it came with on eBay, including, but not limited to a 1 GB memory card, a standard tripod, a tabletop tripod, a telephoto lens (2x), a wide angle lens, three filters and a flash card reader. I got it yesterday and was in heaven.

These are my first tries with the new toy. I've been using the UV filter just to protect the lens, and supposedly it helps with color saturation yadda yadda. Maybe someone who knows more about cameras can tell me if that's true.

My new camera is inspiring me to exercise! I want to go for a hike at one of the nearby falls to take pictures... who wants to come?

Hobby

I know I've mentioned it before... my scrapbook hobby.

I am addicted. Almost more addicted than to photography.

I've been doing this for over 10 years and I finally got my first paying gig. My cousin has handed over all her wedding photos and memorabilia and said, "Have at it". She originally intended to do it herself but then a couple kids came along and there goes all her free time. Meanwhile, she's without a wedding album. So... she has seen my scrapbooks and her style fits my style and away we go!

These are just a few of the beginning pages. The top two are the rehearsal dinner and all the individual shots around the edges are hinged so she can label who they are underneath. The blank squares are for her to "journal" aka label what's happening or her memories at the time to those of you who are not acquainted with scrapbooking terms.

These are not my fanciest or most creative work.... but they are my newest project and represent my style pretty well. I like the look to be very clean, simple, and well put-together. I think the little details make a page stand out. And my cousin loves them, so woo hoo for me!

Thank you to all of you who have had kind words regarding my friend and his mother. I appreciate them and I've passed along prayers and kind wishes to him. You don't realize the impact you have on a stranger. Thank you.

Preparation

Three days ago, I got an email from one of my best friends. I haven't seen him in two years, but that's because he chooses to live in strange and exotic locales, like Anchorage and Waikiki. Not so close to my home town.

The email... His mother was just diagnosed with inoperable liver cancer. Inoperable.... that word sounds so final. I finally got to talk to him today. Given the time difference between here and Hawaii, we don't talk often. Or at least not as often as I'd like. He and his partner have made the decision to come back home, to move back to the city closest to his family, and to settle there. Not the circumstances in which they wanted to be coming back... but he's trying to frame it positively, they are coming here to be near family.... not to wait for his mom to die.

Mortality is a funny thing. We're never ready for death. We're never prepared for suffering. This woman... she holds her family together. She didn't know she was sick. She wasn't feeling right and did the right thing, went to the doctor and BAM! Here you go, ma'am, you're dying.

Let the people you love know you love them. Unless you have a crystal ball (and if you do, I'll rent it from you for a lil bit, k?), we never know what's coming.

Doorway 2

Per Mr. Riley's suggestion, I removed the grey box from the original photo (there was also a small package sitting on the step in front of the door, in the right bottom corner of the doorway- photo shopped that out before posting before) and experimented with bringing it in closer...

The picture with more lawn looks more forlorn, less accessible to me... the close up is more inviting.

What do you think?

Doorway

I couldn't stop myself. I was in a city I had never visited before, walking down the street, and here was this fantastic door. It didn't belong in the city. It belonged in some long forgotten forest, where there are still woodcutters and wicked witches.

Perhaps I've been reading too many children's stories lately.

It spoke to me, though... and I love the little window above the door.... the ivy climbing up the walls and onto the roof...

I couldn't see the rest of the house... just the entrance. But for a minute, there was magic.

OH

So I'm leaving Ohio tomorrow... with a slightly heavy heart. I knew there was a possibility I would feel this way... and of course, I do. I keep saying, "It's okay"... and it is... but.

When will the timing be right? When will my stars align? Dunno. It was good. Real good.

I hope to be back with more pictures soon. It's been an ugly time of year- everything all brown and grey. But the weather seems to be promising spring... one can only hope!