The Challenge ~ WideAngle Wednesday!

"Give Me One Chance"

My crazy dog. Friends will be able to attest to just how crazy she can be, it's the border collie part of her that is unable to focus for too long on one thing, including sitting for a portrait. Rally is getting older, and I have so very few great images of her that showcase her personality. I'm attempting to remedy this. It's my new personal challenge. My mission. It's driving me nuts.

You're looking at the intense food driven part of her right now. THAT would be the Black Lab in the mix. I am not ashamed to say that I'm holding aloft a dog treat camera right. It's the only reason she's sitting long enough for me to get this shot. I'm lucky I managed to shoot fast enough in the window light to get her eyes in focus with my prime 50mm, the fastest lens I have right now.

I want to use my flash at some point when I photograph her, but I may have to settle for early sun coming in the window instead of late day, and harass one of the kids into holding a reflector to better light the other side of her face... everything about my flash gets swallowed up in her silky black coat, and I am still working on how best to light her. If I can get the shot I see in my head before Friday, I'll share, I promise. The reason I'd love to get some great light on her is mainly so that I can get the best DOF as well. Her nose in focus would be more suitable for this type of portrait. And that obviously didn't happen here.

On a completely unrelated topic, if my husband tunes in to the blog today I'd like to wish him a very Happy Birthday. I'd have a portrait of him up, but he too is hard to peg down for a photo the minute a camera comes out, and I've yet to find an effective treat to hold up camera right to distract him. Although he's informed me a homemade apple pie would do the trick if I were desperate. Right.

Guess I need to go warm the oven up....

Thanks for the ramble! Have a good one gang!

B&W Beauty ~ Floral Friday!

"Simple Grace"

Well, I did promise Floral Friday here at the blog and deviated from the Doors Open theme. But thought I'd stay with my theme of B&W that I kept with also through the week. I'll be curious to see what your thoughts on this are. When I thought about the perfect flower to convert into mono tones, orchids came to mind... unique shapes, great veins of texture, and a bit of a compositional challenge when you lack a macro lens to fill the frame with.

The Platinum fx filter in Corel is lovely to work with, or at least, it's become one of my personal faves. When you take it into the curves function in PSPx3, you can fine tune every tone, every shadow, every highlight with a nice depth that is a little less stark than a classic B&W option. Perfect for floral shots. But that's just me. Every artist has their own approach. In a separate layer I added a bit of subtle texture, and with an eraser tool erased most of the clean background revealing the canvas effect underneath, leaving the flowers for sharpness. I merged the layers when I decided I had achieved the right opacity. Otherwise, the background was too bright for the image.

I shot this in my kitchen actually. I was playing with window light, a cheap white sheet stretched across the window acting as a diffuser, and my telephoto to get in close to the orchid in the foreground, blowing out the backdrop slightly and using a larger aperture so that I could get a much shallower depth of field artistically.

Enjoy today's image folks, and thanks for the ramble! Have a fabulous weekend and please remember to click on the Circle of Moms badge on the right hand side of my blog page if you've been enjoying my photographs! Thanks everyone who has already voted!

Give 'Em the Gears ~ Mono Monday

"Lift Bridge Unlocked"

(1/30 sec.@ F/8, ISO 400, 34mm fl, 18-55mm kit zoom, handheld, late overcast light)

Not the usual view of our local lift bridge I'll admit. But it is indeed a photo of a lift bridge. Everyone that has a camera takes pictures of this awesome example of structural ingenuity and hydraulics and pulleys. And it's hard to do, for the Burlington Bay Lift Bridge straddles the waterway from the lake to the bay and is sandwiched between narrow beaches and a busy and massive causeway for all the highway traffic arching up and over. Not an easy subject to photograph at times.

To avoid needing a ultra wide lens, or magical light, this time I photographed it much closer while out on a walk. I liked the jumble of shapes and lines. And I liked being able to zoom in and get the nuts and bolts of this giant but with the wide zoom so that I could include the network of girders and beams.

What I really want is permission one day to climb up into it. There's a series of platforms and narrow stairs that ascend towards the innards of the bridge. Call me crazy, but I'd love to shoot the bridge from way up inside. Anybody that knows somebody, that knows somebody, that knows the guy that can do that? You sure?

Well anyways, there's my post for Monochromatic Monday. As you recover from all your Easter feasting this weekend past, think about all the cool subjects in your area that you can dissect with a closer POV. That's my challenge over the next while for myself, as mentioned in a post last week. Let me know how you do, we can post your images here!

Thanks for the ramble, have a good one folks!

5 Things I've Learned ~ Mono Mondays!

"Where Even the Rocks Grow" - Eramosa Karst

(1/50 sec.@ F/8, ISO 160, 18mm fl, kit zoom, mono pod, overcast light, pattern metering)

Having to do a B&W every week has really helped me realize what tips and principles I've needed to apply to each ramble I go on. So I thought I'd share what I've learned over the last couple years with all of you. Ready? Here's five things everyone needs to remember if they want to make better B&W images... beginner or not.

1) When at all possible, refrain from allowing the camera itself to convert your color photo into a monochromatic one on the spot. If you haven't figured it out yet, your camera's auto settings are good for one thing, generalizing every scenario you give it. Including your B&W's. Your camera comes with software, basic perhaps but better than the actual camera, to put on your computer... somewhere in that small program is a way for you to convert the image yourself, controlling your contrast, brightness, etc... so that you get a B&W that pops. The version your own camera gives you will generally be flat and with a minimum range of tones.

2) Lighting is STILL important. You can't just ignore your exposure or settings because you won't be looking at it in color. On the contrary, now you need to pay desperate attention to the light. The quality of shadow and highlights is always key to begin with. Don't relax that simply because it's B&W. Subjects and shape alone can't carry the bulk of the image, as folks tend to let a color image do. Worried you may not get the light just right? Shooting in Raw is key for me. It allows me to edit and tweak areas that need some help later on without destroying the initial quality of the file.

3) Refrain from "image salvaging". I'm referring to those that constantly go through their weaker images left over from a shoot and decide to try them all out as B&W's when they don't work in color. I know I've done it, I'm not too proud to say. Instead, train yourself to look at a new composition and see it's color and monochromatic possibilities before you take the shot. B&W conversion shouldn't be a last ditch effort to save a shot. This is something I've emphasized to myself every time I explore a new subject. And it pays off. I knew taking the image above that I was going to love it as a B&W.

4) Remember Tone, Form, and Texture. Great range of tones comes from sizing up your light, weather conditions, subject, and knowing then how to get a good exposure of your scene or subject. Again, you may have to be brave and get out of those auto modes. Tones are important, and can be tweaked further in editing. It comes down to this... your blacks should be black, your whites nice and white, and a wide variety of greys in between.

Form should be taking the starring role in your composition. Too often people snap a photo of a scene they like without knowing why exactly they like it. B&W makes you aware of what one thing is anchoring the scene, grounding it. It is what needs to grab your attention, since color won't.

Texture becomes a way to enhance and ensure your image has detail and definitive light. Texture isn't popping? You need better light, lower in the sky, or coming from the side so as to highlight all the details that make up an engaging B&W,

5) Lastly, B&W can be useful for subject studies. Scenery or weather/lighting conditions not ideal? Sky looks flat and cloudless? Go tight. Close framing of unusual natural elements, story telling shots of a single subject on the street, wild perspectives of close architectural elements... could give you the best shot of the day.

Black and White. More versatile than you thought. And these are just the tip of the iceberg... but these really are second nature for me, so I thought I'd share. Any other key tips you can't live without when it comes to B&W? Leave them in the comments section! Thanks for the ramble... and have a good one.

Inner Sanctum ~ Mono Monday!

"Holy Presence Waiting"

Time to dip into the older files once again. Was inspired to convert an image I took over a year ago into an old fashioned B&W with one of my newer Nik Efex plug-ins. The trick I find with special filters and plug-ins is to know when it suits your photographs. I try to ensure that if I'm going to take a photograph in a certain direction or give it a certain tone, that the conversion or effect is is fairly cohesive with the subject matter and the style you shot it in.

This church is remarkably restored, and sits in the hub of the city. All the wood detailing glistens, the stained glass sings in the sunlight, and you feel like you've taken a step back in time. So when I started to think about doing this shot taken from it's balcony(with the terrifyingly squeaky floor boards that make you wonder if it'll hold together long enough to get a shot) I went through my arsenal of B&W filters and effects to find the one the represents this image the best. This is a retro platinum effect, and after I applied it, I thought "jeez, it looks like an old postcard from the 20's"

I also like it in B&W because the lines and space are really emphasized. Very suitable for an ornate space waiting to be filled with His presence by the Sunday seekers about to enter.

Photographed any remarkable architecture lately, from the inside?

Thanks for the ramble folks, and have a good one!

Any Opportunity ~ Mono Monday!

"BayFront Thaws"

(1/80sec. @ F/8, 23mm fl, ISO 160, 18-55mm kit lens, late evening light)

Ever feel driven? Have all consuming thoughts? Can't shake the urge?

Just can't help yourself?

That's me and photography. Next to serving God, and caring for my family, photography pretty much finds a way into everything I do or say. Just ask some of my closest friends. I eat, sleep, and breath it. I'm always looking for any opportunity to shoot. My eyes always scouting for fresh possible subjects every where I go. Watching the weather. Biding my time. Rearranging my day in order to include it (and sometimes that of my family, heh heh). Those who know me well understand that it just comes naturally.

The images today came from an opportunity to shoot with another local photographer whom I mentioned in my post last week. And it was an opportunity to photograph the sunset. And it was an opportunity to use the nice light to stretch my B&W skills once more. Low laying light is the optimal lighting for emphasizing texture, contrast, and shadow.

Hamilton's BayFront Park proved to be a good place for all of that.

"Spring Approaches the Bay"

(1/125 sec.@ F/8, ISO 100, 18mm fl, 18-55 kit lens, late evening light)

It was a wondrous evening. The light took it's time, the sun gently setting down onto the horizon. All the while, we wandered the park, finding ways to use the light. Being inspired. Making mental notes on where to return to... next time. There's always a return visit. Always.

Can't help it.

Thanks for letting me ramble. Have a good one folks! 

Anchors Away ~ Mono Monday

"The Haida Under Hamilton Skies"

(1/640 sec.@ F/3.5, ISO 200, 18mm fl, Nikon D40, 18-55mm kit lens, bright morning light)

It's March Break for the kids this week, so I won't be posting any long elaborate ramblings for the next few days as I hope to be out with my family more. Nor will I be editing very much, since that still requires me to hover around the computer. I was looking back through some older files looking for the odd image I may want to share, and came upon the photo above.

I took this a couple years ago now, with my Nikon D40. My first DSLR ever and I still have it. It's my emergency back-up in case something were to happen to my regular camera the D80. I loved that camera!

In the warmer months this is a great spot to take the family, down at the bay front. This is the HMCS Haida and it has resided majestically in Hamilton's waters since 2003. They give tours and demos in the summer, and little kids and most men stand, necks craned looking up at her decks with more than a little awe. She is the last remaining Tribal Class Destroyer of 27 built for the Royal Canadian Navy, and the Royal Navy and I chose this view of her since it makes it very clear how massive she is to stand beside.

And what is it about battleships and destroyers and ships in general that suddenly turns men into instant sailors? Stand near the Haida long enough and you can hear every man within a hundred yards spouting off stats and random sea faring facts to their families or unsuspecting tourists, making it sound as if they've sailed her themselves. When in fact the closest they've gotten is in their grandfather's dingy to go fishing. Seriously.

Well, I find it amusing anyways!

So enjoy your march break folks, see some local sights with your kids, try to impress them with your knowledge... and then when your 6 year old corrects you, take them for pizza and hope they forget about it.

Have a good one!

Double Take ~ Wide Angle Wednesday!

"Where the Stairway Ends"

Converging lines and vanishing points. Ever think about them? I do. All the time. I'll say it again - all the time! In fact, it's often to the exclusion of all else. It's just the way the creative side of my brain works. I see lines in the everyday scenes around me before I notice anything else. So forgive me if it seems to be a strongly recurring theme on the blog. Couldn't help it if I tried, or did I say that already?

Repetition is the theme if you haven't noticed by now. Go get a coffee and then come back... better? Still seeing double? That's because the only thing better than one set of really great lines that tantalize the eye in a photo, are two. Both the images from today's post were pretty nice images on their own... after all, any kind of lines that run completely through an image and become the actual subject are pretty interesting. But, every once in a blue moon I get an image that begs for more, that asks to defy reason even. These images can be tremendously fun to work on. You're almost creating an alternate reality. Almost. So stop with the "twilight zone" track.

The image up top was from a world wide photo walk. The set of stairs was interesting to me but tucked into a tight area of buildings. It became impossible for me to find a composition I was happy with. The ideal wasn't possible. I walked away frustrated at the time because what I was envisioning seemed impossible. I figured I get home and delete the shot completely. But after converting the initial composition into Corel's Platinum B&W filter, the lines I loved popped a bit more. And I immediately thought of my art influences... specifically M.C.Escher, whose most famous works are true mind benders and cannot be viewed casually or you miss the genius infused within each piece.

The beauty of digital darkroom and programs like Photoshop and PSPx2, is you can play without committing to a result. So I started to play in a kaleidoscope feature, rotating mirror tools, and lens distortions. Rotating mirror, a feature that allows you to find the compositional center of an subject and not just divide the actual image in half like some editing tools, won out. I suddenly had the stairway to nowhere. For someone fairly new to photography at the time my response was "cool!"

The image below is now the result of someone who automatically sees interesting vanishing points and lines within a composition, makes them the subject, and knows instinctively that when I get it home it'll get the mirror treatment. Do I use it to the exclusion of all else. No. Do I use it to create things totally unrelatable to you the viewer? I hope not. The image below simply looks like the people in the market were walking along a mirrored ramp way to the stalls below. But in fact, this shot had major space on the left where the ramp drops away. I knew when I took the shot that the lines covering the right side of the shot were engaging. I essentially knew I'd mirror this shot. It has an impact the original never had because of it. Especially since there were people moving into and out of the frame, the sense of the moving crowd is increased for effect as well. And I get a kick out of the one gentleman staring at me out of the crowd.

"Market Reflections"

I think I may challenge myself next week to find some cool mirrors to photograph. Without the extra editing to aid the shot. Just to see what can be done right in the camera. Wanna try along with me? I'd love to see your shots folks! We can feature them here for you too! But it'll mean you'll be seeing double again... and I'd hate to give you a complex.

Thanks for letting my ramble on, in my own quirky way! Get out there and find those cool lines all around you begging to be photographed... and have a super day all!

Classic Downtown ~ Mono Monday!

"Lazy Days in the Core"

(1/1sec @ F/11, ISO 100, 23mm fl, 18-55mm kit lens, tripod, remote shutter, ND filter)

Growing up in the same city for your whole life means some things become icons, spots that you just know will always be recognizable, no matter how much the rest of the city changes. At the very heart of Hamilton's downtown core is Gore Park. It's one of those timeless icons for me. It splits the city's core right down the middle, buildings and businesses jammed up against either side. But in the center, this wonderful fountain, drawing young and old into the park all summer long. Gives you something to look at while trapped in rush hour traffic.

It's a bit contrary looking at times. On one hand you have the recently restored historical fountain, the city's pride and joy, and the flower beds and trees surrounding it, giving the illusion of quaint city park space. On the other, just beyond the fountain are the zillions of city bus stops, blaring traffic, and benches with sleeping drunks. Depending on how long you wind up sitting in traffic depends on which part of the view you really see.

I had to photograph Gore Park for a past job. The image above was the result of frequenting the park over the course of the summer and learning which days were the best to capture the classic nature of the city space. I discovered Sundays late in the afternoon were the best. Folks were out finishing up shopping, letting their kids dip hands in the cool fountain spray, and even seniors sat reading in the shade. Capture it all in Black n' White to boot, and you suddenly have an image that seems, well... timeless.

These are the types of scenes I find very easy to capture in black n' white. There are interesting shapes, lots of contrast, and a phenomenal sky is not necessarily a must. For this image, I had my tripod and remote shutter release so that I could use a longer exposure so as to blur and soften the water spouting up in the fountain, as opposed to it's spray looking frozen. The neutral density filter helped keep reflected light and the sky from becoming impossibly bright. Also, a women walking through the park is also in motion off to the right as she leaves the composition, due to this slow exposure. She creates some interest. As I saw this scene I couldn't wait to convert it into a monochromatic image. I can think back to Gore Park when I was young and it was slightly cleaner and less chaotic than now... and it looks exactly like this!

Mono images. They can reflect a very classic look to any type of photo. Portraits, landscapes, candids, architecture. Have you tried it yet?

Have a great Monday folks, thanks for letting me ramble!

Icy Formations ~ Mono Monday!

"Her Icy Face"  ~ Tiffany Falls, Hamilton, On

(1/2sec @ F/14, ISO 100, 28mm fl, 18-55mm Nikkor kit lens, tripod, pattern metering, ND filter)

I'd like to make a confession here on Mono Monday. Some will shake their heads when they read this, some will understand completely. But I feel I must be honest. So here goes.

I have lived in Canada my whole life. It's February. It's winter. And (taking a deep breath here...) I don't like it. Ah, there, I said it!!!! I know that out there in all the snow and ice are great photo ops but it requires putting on a thousand layers of clothing, tucking gear and batteries safely and warmly in any available crevice in said clothing, and wandering treacherous and slippery paths and locations with a tripod in one hand and a Timmie's coffee in the other. Often it's while my family tags along under the guise of sledding or only being out walking "for a sec". Ha, could only pull that one on them a handful of times before they got wise to me and started "disappearing" every time I suddenly hunted for snow pants in the back of the house.

Let's be honest, I'd much rather be out in the warmer weather, catching the tulip festival at the park, or driving back roads with the windows down and the tunes cranked looking for barns and farm gear to shoot. But having said all this, there is something to be said for winter photography. Despite all the extra work before I even get out to the car, despite the fact that every year pulling on the monster boots seems to wind me more and more, and despite the way my hubby looks at me when he realizes I need a walking buddy in -23 weather without the wind chill... despite all that, there's a treasure to be gleaned every time I head out to shoot. And it's this: YOU LEARN TO WORK FAST!

Shooting outdoors in the chilly Canadian weather (and yes, I'm aware there's chillier, don't get me wrong) forces you to work fast. Sum up a scene quickly, decide what's important to portray, to emphasize, and what to eliminate. Your composure skills are naturally honed when you know that the cold is eating at your battery, that your tripod adjust knobs are freezing in place, and that you've stopped feeling your feet. Your brain goes into adrenaline mode when you can hear your husbands teeth chattering from twenty feet away and you've only been on the trail for ten minutes. You realize you need to get those other angles NOW since once you get back in the car there's no way you're getting back out for that one forgotten shot. And you learn to think quickly about all the tools at your disposal. Filters are at the ready for the slow exposures of the trickling water still running through the icy rock face, the tripod doesn't leave your side, and your other lens is already waiting in your pocket for a very quick switch indeed while you have a plastic bag waiting for the other lens to defog in once your finished. And your settings! You learn to sum up the light real quick and no foolin' around in your menus, cause no matter how warm those gloves are, they're a pain to use when you have to push tiny buttons right?

See what I mean about working well but working quickly?

It's a good test of your natural skills... seeing how far you've come with your camera. Limited time means you have to harness all the things you should know without even really thinking them. You should try it. Just not with me. (little humor there... heh heh heh)

So all kidding aside... if you visit the cooler climates that require sled dogs and snow shoes, or simply live where you've shoveled another eight feet of snow out of your driveway for the fourth time (shovelers unite!) then make yourself get out there with the camera, give yourself twenty minutes to an hour to photograph, then go home to some winter stew and warm pj's and review how you did. You'll get a very clear picture of what you still need to remember, and what you excel at under pressure.

And how a frozen finger looks after you pry it off the shutter too fast...ouch.

Have a good Monday folks... and thanks for letting me ramble on! Tomorrow is our first Telephoto Tuesday! Hope to see ya then!

Mono Mondays!

"Wherever You GO"

(1/2 sec @ F/16, ISO 100, 27mm fl, 18-55mm Nikkor Wide Zoom, Pattern Metering)

Monochromatic images (aka B&W's) have always been one of my favorite types of photography. There's just something about the way line, shape, dimension and angles are accentuated when color can no longer distract from or fill up the space before the lens.  Possibilities abound with a B&W photograph. Maybe it's just me.

My first Mono Monday features a B&W I took last weekend at the Go Station downtown. If you click on the image you'll see in the larger version the slight ghost images of the public moving through the station to catch buses or trains. I ensured I could open up my aperture enough that a) I'd get the effect of a bit of movement, and b) I'd still get a clear view of the interior design elements of the building which I love without actual clusters of bodies frozen in motion to impede the comp. This is the scene you see as you first enter from the west entrance. The interior seems designed so that the eye travels the length of the station first and makes an impact. It has a very art deco feel, retro in it's styling, and this seemed to be the best way to portray it.

I normally don't like to take such an "eye level" approach to architectural compositions, but the guide belts and stands set up for ques of passengers were directly in front of the doors. So I forced myself to compose accordingly. I also tried shooting from the opposite side, but those booths were open for customers and would get cluttered with travellers. I may yet try that approach still. I also have a color version, slightly different to post later this week. I used my remote shutter release and tripod since my slow exposure would require the camera not to move at all, left my white balance on auto since I work in Raw files and can correct it in editing, and used pattern metering. I played with the length of the exposures till I had some form to the people passing through - too slow, and they disappeared moving through the shot, too fast and they were frozen in clumps. 1/2 a sec seemed to expose correctly at my aperture.

Monochromatic images. You'll find them here every Monday... a challenge to myself actually, to stay aware of those subjects and scenes that lend themselves to the balance of light and contrast, design and space, pattern and perspective. Thanks for letting me ramble on, and as always... have yourselves a good one folks.

Thankful for Ontario's Beauty

 " Autumn At Eels Lake"

1/125 sec @ F/5, ISO 160, 18mm fl, manual



Here in Canada it's Thanksgiving weekend already, so I thought I'd post images from my latest trip up to the Ottawa Valley area, where the color and beauty we explored for three days along all the old roads and highways was so inspirational. My husband and I loaded up the car with gear, snacks, coffee and tunes a couple weekends ago, and meandered our way 7hrs northeast up to where the Madawaska River finally meets with the Ottawa River... and along the way, we cruised back roads, boat launch trails, and even cemeteries. And everywhere we looked, there was a quiet wilderness begging to be captured.

Over the next few days I will be posting images that will give you a small taste of what it was like to explore this lovely and rural part of Ontario for a weekend, camera always in hand. And today I'll start with our first real stop, about halfway through our journey, at Eels Lake, up near the Kawarthas region.

 "Eels Lake Shoreline"

1/160 sec @ F/6.3, ISO 106, 18mm fl, manual



This particular area was shot quite close to the boat launch at Eels Lake. And if I have one tip for anyone out exploring this particular part of Ontario, up past the Kawarthas, Bancroft, all the way up to Renfrew or Ottawa itself along the smaller more scenic highways, it's this; some of the best and most rewarding "detours" you'll make along the way are anywhere along the road where you see a Boat Launch sign! These routes mean there are secluded and natural lakes ahead (secluded come autumn time anyways, lol) and you're sure to catch some pristine scenery in the lens. These roads are often remote enough that you may see deer, and other wildlife en route, and usually when you get to the end of the road there's a lovely place to stretch your legs or even picnic while you shoot. Of course, always make sure it is a public launch route, a private road can land you in trouble.



 "Rustic Eels Lake" B&W Conversion"

1/200 sec @ F/6.3, ISO 200, 18mm fl, manual

The above image I love because of all the textures that suddenly command your attention once converted to B&W. I often will take an image knowing that it's one I want to see in a monochromatic version, and this was one that I knew right away would suit perfectly. There will be more B&W images to follow in the next post, I'm excited to see what you think of them... the rocks and sediment along the shore were full of visual interest and character, and seemed to prove that we were treading on ground left quite in it's natural state... hard to find in the beaches and parks closer to my end of Ontario. The light was lovely and diffused due to fluffy clouds hanging low in the sky that day, so overall patterned metering was pretty much the norm as i shot, and all were handheld.



"Cove at Eels Lake Launch"

1/160 sec @ F/6.3, ISO 200, 18mm fl, Manual

Finally, the above image (a color version, landscape framing this time, as opposed to it's B&W partner) is a great example of how you can pull detail out of the sky AND the water below with the use of a circular polarizing filter. A polarizer cuts the light reflecting off the water, adding depth, and it deepens the sky, perfect for these low laying clouds. This was the perfect type of day to use my handy little filter, with the sun behind me late in the afternoon. I knelt low on the sand and made sure to compose so that the sky complimented the landscape, adding interest naturally.

This post pretty much exemplifies everything I love about landscape photography... adventuring into new territory, exploring the beauty available, and trying to capture it in such a way that the viewer is caught saying to themselves "oh, I need to GO there one day!" The wonder to be found a few hours from home inspires me, and makes me so thankful for things as simple as a humble little "boat launch" sign, for without it I never would have explored sweet little Eels Lake, or had images to hopefully inspire the rest of you to hop in the car with a loved one or pal one day, and just drive, to see what you can discover and become inspired by yourself!

Thanks for letting me ramble on! Have a great Thanksgiving one and all!

And feel free to leave a comment and tell me what you're thankful for lately :-)