Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Thanksgiving

We were blessed this year to have the girls join us for a combination Thanksgiving/Chella's Birthday. Since everyone was pretty busy on the actual holiday, we had our own a few days later!  No ... we don't have Swine Flu, and No ... no one pulled Steve's finger. I was trying out a stock photo idea ... LOL.



Please note that Rochelle had a very special vegan tofu scramble while the rest of us oinked out on turkey, potatoes, stuffing and all the other traditional holiday foods.



I was able to get a few fun Christmas shots of the girls in front of the Christmas Tree. This year will be a magical Christmas ...



Ayana is a BIG fan of books! It's in the blood ...



Rochelle and her "almost vegan" birthday cake! Can you believe my baby is 20 years old?



In the spirit of a very merry Christmas, I hand painted our windows ...






I am thankful for my family, for our good health, for our warm and safe home. Cheers to you and yours!

Autumn Babies

Updates of the most beautiful little ones in the whole wide world of course ...



Ayana is just reaching the terrible two stage ... I personally think it's funny. Karmic paybacks, dontcha know!












Leavenworth Washington

Steve and spend a weekend in the Bavarian town of Leavenworth Washington at least once a year. It seems as though we manage to make it there around Octobrefest ... coincidence? I think not.  Is it the beer or the autumn foliage ... both are pretty spectacular!?!


Leavenworth, WA





The drive to Leavenworth is incredible, as is the surrounding area. These docile horses are rented out to tourists during the peak seasons and can be found by The Sleeping Lady Inn near Icicle Creek.







Further up Icicle Creek are hiking paths leading into some ruggedly beautiful landscape ...









The Bavarian charm of town is captured in their signage, home architecture and even their public transportation system! How cute is this trolley style bus?





One of our favorite valleys to drive through has some of the most amazing homesteads. I can't imagine who lives in these beautiful foothills but I'm willing to bet they're blood pressure beats the city folks!



This beautiful cabin is located in Plain, Washington. Probably one of the most picturesque little towns around. Very quiet, secluded and independent.


Here is a fine example of courteousness extended to the female sort ... this lovely tortoise decorated  toilet seat in the plywood bathroom stall is for patrons of the Wenatchee Airport (which is simply a stretch of grass)


Lake Wenatchee ... the wind was ripping across the water so fast and steady that it drew tears down my cheeks and numbed my fingers to the bone.


Driving through the pass on the way back home ... the hills are just barely dusted with the first snow of the season. Soon this will be covered in several feet of snow to the delight of the local winter sports enthusiasts.


Beautiful creeks and rivers are scattered throughout the region ... I trenched through the ditches and climbed through the rocks to get to this little brook. Tripod and slow exposure makes the water appear veiled and misty.



We made our way back home by way of Whidbey Island, crossed the Deception Pass Bridge and took the Keystone Ferry home.



Below is the RV Park at Keystone ... I watched a large sealion play in the surf while we waited for our ferry to come in. Pretty beautiful, isn't it?


Official Pilot

On October 22nd Steve passed his pilot's license test! Whoot Whoot! Our first flight together was two days later to beautiful Orcas Island for lunch. 


Point Wilson - Fort Worden, Port Townsend WA

It's a bit of a challenge to photograph at such a high speed through the concave windshield with constant vibrations. I'll figure it out with lots of practice!  LOTS and LOTS of practice!! It was very cool flying through the Whidbey Island airspace and having the fighter pilots fly UNDER us!  I believe I gasped and giggled at the same time ... is that a gisple?




Below is Deception Pass, Whidbey Island ...





Friday Harbor, Washington

The very same island we took the whale watching cruise to last month. By boat, car and plane I'm getting a blended perspective of the beautiful area I live in! I'm more thoroughly convinced there is no where in the world more beautiful than my home!


I did fairly well with the turbulance though Steve was kind in keeping everything mellow. I suppose he didn't want to have to break in the barf bags. It's a little different perspective in a wee plane vs. an airliner.

We landed at the Orcas Island Airport and walked the little trail into the quaint town. I believe it is less than a mile from the airstrip. I had a school friend that used to spend her summer vacations at Orcas ... now I know why.

Located in the San Juan Islands:
http://orcasislandchamber.com/map.php




The quaint little town offers eclectic shopping including an entire store just for the fairy princesses! Little handmade gauze tutus in bright bold colors with coordinating magic wands, ribbons and other frills. I know where I will be shopping for my grand daughters! There is also an assortment of nautical shops, massage therapists, adventure gear, herbalists, a wide variety of artistic galleries and even a fortune teller for those who are feeling lucky!

The buildings are beautiful and each very unique, from the picture perfect church on the water to the specialty coffee shoppe with Mr. and Mrs. Pumpkin on the grassy lawn. Steve and I ate at an unnamed restaurant at the suggestion of a trusted friend ... we wont be going back to THAT particular restaurant. It just wasn't our cup of tea. It's probably hard to find good help on a tiny little island. However, the adjacent bread shop is to DIE for and we bought a loaf of fresh garlic walnut focaccia and a brownie to share. Wow. Good stuff!


There appeared to be many other choices of restaurants that we are both eager to try ... next time. We have several other islands to explore first!



The skies turned dramatic as we headed back towards home. I didn't realize that up in the air going 190 mph that you really don't need windshield wipers ... the water just beads right off!

Yes Mom, that's 190 miles per hour. Sorry.




If you look down at the bottom of the above photograph, you'll see my little crocs ... I can't quite reach the rudder pedals ... which is GOOD (for now).  But I CAN reach a whole assortment of buttons, doohickeys and gadget controls ... including a seat warmer. Steve almost has me convinced that I will need to learn how to land the plane for that once in a lifetime emergency ...

And if you can't read what it says on the dash ...


Until next time!

Play Date with Cathy & Tim

Getting to hangout with other photographers is an absolutely rewarding experience! Tim and Cathy were constantly examining viewpoints and perspectives that I never even thought of. Many areas that I've passed right by without giving them a second look. They arrived early one morning in Port Townsend, cameras in hand, and they took me for a scenic tour of our little town.



This beautiful ivy laced building houses our local weekly newspaper, The Leader. We spent several minutes shuffling around, bending, stooping, craning ... all trying to get a unique perspective. With the way we were carrying on, we looked like papparazzi going after Brad Pitt in a tutu!



The autumn foliage was in it's full glory! I, fortunately, was carrying my 70-200mm lens which allowed for some spectacular bokeh in the higher branches of the trees.



I've always been drawn to reflections, whether it's in the water or a window, there always seems to be photographs within photographs. We walked the docks down at the marina and found many interesting subjects.





Although our natural wildlife seemed to be hiding during their visit, we still enjoyed the walk down the Larry Scott Trail. Both Cathy and Tim tormented me about the "so called eagles and deer" that I promised them. Fortunately, at the very end of their visit, we spotted a few deer lounging in a neighbor's yard. Next time they come over we plan to hike on Hurricane Ridge.