My Nephew's Private Beach - Albermarle NC

My Nephew Andrew took me off road to see this private beach
located on the Albermarle Sound.  This is his quiet place, and I could
definitely see why.  All you could hear while we were there was the
quiet lapping of the sound onto the beach.  So serene and beautiful.
Thank you Andrew!



Magnolia - one has a little friend!

First photo class tonight!

My first photography class is tonight over at the Sawtooth Center for Visual Art!  I am SO excited and I can't wait to ask the questions that have been stumping me over the last few months.  I wonder if I'll get the chance to ask the questions or if it will be all overview tonight.  I wonder if I'm too beginner for the class or, maybe I'm too advanced?  Oh well, I can't wait.  So exciting. 

July Tomatoes

Now that's a tomata!  My neighbors gave me plants and this is the result, Lunch is just around the corner!  This baby is about 6" wide, beautiful!  Can't wait for that sweet slicer to get ripe.  It's so big I'll have several lunches from one piece of fruit...  lightly toasted french bread, mayo with a delicate sprinkle of salt and pepper, slice of white American cheese and one slice of this baby and I'm in heaven!  Big smile and yummmmm.

Cat Stalker!

Here is a shot of my beautiful cat Shady.  He's a loving handful!  As usual I was working in my garden and he was on the deck stalking me and groping out for my hair!!  He usually gets a handfull of when I don't see him and scares me to death, which, by the way, I think is his goal!!  It's like someone from the dark beyond reaching out and grabbing you!  (He's a great joy to me though!)

OMG

Lucky I've got my friends, because, I'm getting overwhelmed with all the info, what is photoshop, lightroom, did I buy the wrong camera.  I should've gone with something with more pixels.  I can't wait to start this class, I feel like I'm just scratching the surface of the creativity that awaits me.  Class starts next Monday.  It will be so great to get involved with learning exactly  how my camera works so I can take the shots that I am itching to take.  The more I learn the more I realize I need to learn.  Photo organizing alone can take many many hours.  I need another computer, I need lightroom, I need photoshop!  Workshops would be great also!  wow, I'm exhausted!

A vision

I am sitting at my desk at home in my jammies with coffee in hand, editing photos-that was my vision-I look up and I'm smiling.  This sight came into my mind and I immediately got that warm feeling deep down which spread itself into my smile!  Wow, it's been so long since I've been excited about something that I realize that I have forgotten how to get excited.  "Do I smile?  Do I jump up and down? Do I yell out?"  Questions like this are going through my mind.  Wierd, why am I asking myself how to express excitement?  You go through every day thinking yeah I'm excited about this, I'm glad about that.  But you're really not all that excited.  I realized I had forgotten, I felt sad for a minute and then I realized that this was it, I felt excited again!  I needed to grab on!  It was small, but maybe if I keep holding it, I'll be excited some more and feel like myself again.  "This is it", I think to myself, "my opportunity to gain back my joy and find my passion for life".  The passion I had when I was 25 and single and living in Virginia Beach going crazy excited about every little thing, my hair, the beach, the sun, you name it and every guy that came along too!!  That adrenaline pumping, blood racing, every cell alive feeling has alluded me for a while now.  It's there though deep down, just waiting to emerge again and take a new form, a creative form.  I am so grateful to have had a glimpse today into what the future holds for me, into what I thought was lost to me. My cup runneth over.

This mornings walk nextdoor

 This morning I went for a walk with the camera, headed over next door.  Took a few shots.  I thought the light would be a bit dim, but they came out crisp and clear!!  Beautiful!

My cat Boo Boo following me down the path.

Shady posing for the camera as usual, full of himself!

Patience patience, I have none

I am really interested in taking some cool shots, like of ducks taking off from the pond and lightening and shots in dim light, kids in action.  But, I am frustrated trying to learn about my camera, Nikon D3100.  I am supposed to be able to control apeture and shutter speed manually, but I must be doing something wrong because half the time it will not let me take the shot when I think I've got it right.  I am going to have to take a class.  They are offering one at the Sawtooth Center and I will start it in a few weeks.  In the meantime, I've started a few photo books, one for my nephew and one for my neighbor.  I used the costco photo website to start with, but mid book for my nephew I found the Mixbook website, which is really nice and has lots more items to create with.  I like it.  Thus far I've got about 9 to 10 hours into my neighbor Mary Ann's, I'll post a link once I finish it, but I'm loving this so far.  So much fun and I love putting this together for her.  You can change backgrounds, add stickers and just about any border, reasonably priced as well.   That's all for now, hope to post the "Mary Ann" Book soon!

Peace

These shots were taken at land in the mountains, the peacefulness there is undescribable.  Maybe it's the constant of the trickling water.  Maybe its the coolness of the leaves you can feel when the slightest breeze blows through.  The silence even has a comfort to it, a warmth.  The air is crisp and clean and makes you want to breath deep.  Breath it all in.  And take a nap!