Susquehanna State Park

We recently spent the afternoon walking around Susquehanna State Park on a random Sunday.  It was a spontaneous decision to go there and it was such a great day!  I love being outdoors and the weather was perfect.  Sometimes it is easy to forget that you don't need to spend money to go do something fun.  Especially when it's enjoying God's beautiful creations outside!

Here are a couple of photos I took that day:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

fields of gold

not too long ago my mom called me to tell me i should go photograph this local field of sunflowers before the crop was dried up. for a handful of years, i've been meaning to get out to photograph the sunflower fields that are around here....but then i would always forget and miss my chance.  so the next morning, breandan agreed to go with me on the mission.  i grabbed my camera bag and we were on our way.  i was aware that many other people have this same idea to take photos there and since it was a weekend, it certainly was crowded.  i could understand though, why so many people wanted to pull over and capture this sea of yellow. 

i've always had a fondness for sunflowers so while standing in the middle of this field i sort of took a moment and took in what was surrounding me.  it was pretty magnificent.  taking the time to admire the beauty that God created.  even now, typing this, as i sit outside in the country surrounded by a corn field, trampled by turtles playing, my dog laying in the sunshine and the wind blowing in my hair.  how can you not be thankful?  i'm so blessed..thank you, God!

one of the things i struggle with when sharing my photos, is trying to narrow down which ones to share!  a lot of them can look similar at first glance but to me they all look different.  i am not going to post them all though, so here goes.  i hope you enjoy them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful! Now go out, look around you, and appreciate the beauty of nature!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weekend at the beach? Yes, please.

I realize that the 2+ month hiatus of not blogging is out of hand. 
I haven't done nearly enough taking of photos in the last few months, so I will be getting back to it most definitely.  I still have wedding and baby photos to blog.  I will get there. 
It has most definitely been a summer of changes, and for the better! 

So with all the chaos that has ensued (in a good way), I decided to take a second and share a photo I took probably 7 or 8 years ago.  This photo wasn't edited at all and I believe I shot it with some type of Kodak point and shoot.  It was taken in Ocean City, MD at Fish Tales. 

I figured it was a nice image to share for a few reasons. 
One, I will be going back to OC for a long weekend soon - thank you God!, and two, it's such a peaceful scene. 

Who doesn't love a sunset?  Take time to stop and appreciate the beauty of nature that surrounds us all every single day!

Stay tuned.  I'm getting back into my photo groove, so look out.

you need to give me more texture

Well well well. 
Blogging has taken a backseat and shame on me.  I have said this before, but just this week while I was on Pinterest I came across a 30 day photo challenge so I repinned it.  I will be doing this in the very near future.  I figure it will help me get back into my groove.  It's important to keep up with your passion and not let the busy daily life get in the way!  So I'll be doing just that. 

As an aside, for those of you who don't know what Pinterest is, I'll lay it out for you:
It's basically crack for women in the form of a website.  I mean, it's not just for women, but there aren't a ton of dudes on there.  Anyway, I've been so overloaded with ideas from cooking to clothing to crafts.  It's just very overwhelming.  It's also annoying because there are a million outfit suggestions that make my brain go, OHMYGOD go shopping right now and it doesn't even matter how much you spend because girl, you are gonna look GOOD and you're worth it.

Yeah.  Thanks Pinterest.

Back to business.
My eye is often drawn to things that a lot of people are like, really?  You're taking a picture of that?  Yes.  Yes I am.  I never claimed to be normal.  What is normal though, really?  Everyone has their own definition.  So yup.  I photograph branches and shit.  Or trash.  Yes, when I took the black and white 35mm course at my local college I did in fact, photograph trash.  It was the strangest thing.  I was with my stepdad on the NCR trail , we were biking and I was on the lookout for something grand to photograph to take back to class.  We pulled off at a crossroad and I made him go back and forth so I could get the "panning" shot of him on his bike.  Just behind where I stood, there in the middle of the woods, was a huge gathering of trash.  Mostly bottles.  It was as though someone brought a truckbed full of their glass recycling and just decided to leave it all right there.  I have the photo somewhere in my storage space.  I called it "Teenage Wasteland".  This would all be a lot more relevant to you if you could actually see the photo but since I'm typing this from my laptop and don't have a scanner at the moment you get no scan.  Sorry!  You will just have to picture it on your own.

The photos I'm leaving here today are from last year, I'd say early spring time.  Ironically these were also taken on a biking/running trail but not the same one as Teenage Wasteland. 

I love nature.  Thank you God.  I appreciate it daily.

As for the entry title, it's from a Catherine Wheel song called Texture and it's fabulous.  Go listen to it. 

Butternut squash and a couple sunsets

I didn't take many photos on Thanksgiving, but I did get one of food.  Stuffing, butternut squash, turkey.  Foreground to background.  This was at my mom's house.  She makes this great butternut squash dish with dried cranberries, baby spinach and sauteed onions.  I'm not sure what else is in there, but it's good and that's what you see in this image.





After Thanksgiving, we had a couple very similar sunsets two days in a row.  The first one was on Black Friday.  This was in a library parking lot.  That small black spot is an airplane....



The next sunset was the day after.  Friends Thanksgiving (otherwise known as Friendsgiving) was underway and someone pointed out the pink sky.  Obviously I grabbed the camera:

When I see a pink sunset, I always think of Tori Amos' album Under the Pink which happens to be my favorite.  I'll be seeing her live in one week so maybe Mother Nature is telling me to listen to that album in preparation for the show.   Now, if I can get the Nikon into that show, I would be ecstatic.  I guess in a week's time, I'll know.

Drive in drive out

I used to just drive around all the time and have fun getting lost seeing whatever came across my path.  This was before I was so into photography, but I have a lot of neat memories from some of those drives.  One time I was with an old friend, Adam.  I think it was 1997 or 1998.  We were just cruising around listening to probably either 311 or Pearl Jam.  We ended up somewhere in Pennsylvania.  It was in the summer time.  We'd been driving for awhile and out of nowhere on this country road, we had to stop because there was a river that had overflown up onto the road.  It was literally impassable.  We got out for a minute to just look it over and then thought....hmm, well I guess we aren't going that way anymore!

I could never understand how people don't like driving around on a nice day, windows open, music up.  Man, that's heaven.

So tonight I was on my way someplace and stopped to take a few shots of the sunset.  I'm glad I have my camera with me all the time now.  You never know what you might see and think, "damn I wish I had my camera".  Not that this is by any means an A+ sunset photo, but it struck me so..I stopped to take it. 

I'm reminded that I should just drive around with no purpose a little more often.  If anyone ever wants to join me, I have a stellar music collection to be played in the car.

From the window

Taken from my living room window the other day.  The tiny dot at the top of the power line photo is an airplane passing by.  I always wonder where people are traveling to and from when I see planes in the sky.

This is Halloween weekend and the weather forecast has snow in it for tomorrow.  Really, Maryland?  How about let's keep that at a halt for now?  The fall colored leaves are still on the trees.  It's not time yet for the white stuff by any stretch of the imagination.  I didn't really want to be cold in my awesome 80's aerobic instructor costume but I'll manage.

Neil Young would probably approve

This past Sunday I paid a visit to my parent's house.  They live out in the country where there are barns, livestock, and lots of corn fields everywhere.  You can hear a lot out because the sound really travels.  Here's a good example of what I mean......while outside in their driveway getting something out of the car, I could not only hear faint music from the house all the way across the field - I could identify the musician AND the song.

Ryan Adams - World War 24.  (good song by the way)

Since the sun was starting to set I said to my mom, "I have to go photograph.  I'll be back."  With that, I grabbed my camera and disappeared into the corn field.  I had forgotten how much I miss being out in the country and how many wonderful things there are to look at through the lens. 

Once the moon appeared I thought, huh...Harvest Moon.  So that's what I called this photo. 

Happy October, people.  Carve a pumpkin or something.

Choose your own adventure

Remember those books when you were little?  The books where you can decide what you want to happen next and the character takes a different path?  Well, real life is actually like that.  Except things don't always turn out the way we expect them to even when we think we know what's going to happen down that path we've chosen.

Shit happens.

We may not be able to control what happens in life, but we certainly can control how we react.  Attitude is everything.  Instead of "why me?", the question really should be "what wonderful things are in store for me?" because tough times are the stepping stones in our lives.  You could be reading this thinking, this chick is annoying.  Positivity blah blah blah, get over yourself.  But focusing on the negative (and I've said it before), only spreads more negativity.  Wouldn't you rather be thankful for what you do have instead of wishful for what you don't?  It's tough, but it can be done.  Let this blog entry be a reminder to myself to look back on during the hard days. 

You could be here one day and gone the next.  So live in the moment cause Forrest Gump was spot on.... 

Life is like a box of chocolates.  You never know what you're gonna get.

Plant. and I don't mean Robert.

I've been absent.  Oh the shame.  Been a little busy, but there's no room for excuses.  My goal was to do a daily photo so I will continue on with that goal.  I think the camera backpack needs to go with me everywhere.  Not sure why it doesn't already.  Probably because with the sweltering Summer heat in Maryland, inside a hot car is not where you want your camera equipment to reside.  It is cooling off now which is bittersweet for me since I do love the summer so much.  But we are swiftly on our way toward the Fall.  I'm not ready to put away my Summer clothes but I don't think Mother Nature cares about that.

Recently we had a serious amount of rain here.  Like, to the point where I wondered, is this Maryland or did I transport somewhere else via DeLorean and not realize it?  My outside potted plants were in love though.  You know, with the rain and all.  Not with me.  I tend to kill plants.  I was once given a cactus and it was dead less than two weeks after being in my care. 

Here's a shot I snapped after a storm one day last week.  I like raindrops.  and plants.  Although you wouldn't know it since I kill them all.  In the last couple months though, I seem to be doing ok.  Meaning, I have not killed any in that time.  Hopefully I didn't just jinx myself.  Fingers crossed.

I've got a clique but it's more like a family

The final blogging about the Pow Wow Festival.  Difficult to believe it has been almost a month already since I was in Florida taking these pictures.  Why is it that you plan things, daydream about how wonderful it will be, it comes and goes in a flash and you wonder.....where did the time go?  This is why I always plan to have things to look forward to!

I have 3 other shows coming up for which tickets have already been obtained.  One in late September, one in late October and one the first week of December.  Between those shows, my regular social calendar and the holidays, I'd say that the rest of this year is shaping up nicely.  That brings me to AFTER the holidays.  There's always that post holiday let down.  At least for me there is.  The buildup for Christmas with all the music, decorations, Christmas spirit, and the movies.  I am all about the Christmas movies and the holiday baked goods.  I LOVE to bake. 

But how could I have post holiday let down knowing that 311 day and the cruise will be coming up??  It just means I'm that much closer to those events.  I have been trying to decide which one I should go to.  My initial thought is obviously, hello...............BOTH.  But it all costs money and time off work.  We shall see.  It will work out one way or the other.  Things have a way of doing that.

With all that being said, below is the final series I have chosen from Pow Wow.  I had the most amazing time (as if you couldn't tell).  I met some cool people who I was able to connect with on Facebook and will perhaps encounter at future 311 events!  Most festivals probably result in the same fashion..meeting new people and maybe keeping in touch but I don't have anything to compare to since this was my first fest.  I think that overall though, 311 fans are just that great.  You can go to a show by yourself and leave with new friends.  That's why this entry has the title that it does which of course, is a 311 lyric.
 
Hopefully the next time I'm posting 311 images, they will involve Las Vegas and a cruise ship.

This little guy was at our campsite from day one

Ink

Ozomatli

The Riverspot

Moss

The Robot

Cool as the blue water all around

Rockstars

Rockin the flag

Hexum glow

From the VIP Lounge area

Water misting fans - the best thing to stand in front of in Florida's August heat

G.Love bassist

River spot launch complete with pool floatation device

Mid air

....and the finish

 

it's easy to do when you're up with Sexton

hands up

Nick

Tried to get one of these posters but they were all spoken for

Mandale

Cornhole

Champagne.  California on the brain.

I wanna make a mess

A rhythmatic genius

I call this one "The Hulk"

P-Nut in a Pow Wow hat

I wanna blow off stress

Just creatures for awhile

To all my friends, it's not the end....