There's Something to Be Said for a Beautiful Camera

With no one around to talk me out of it, I've gone and bought the most beautiful camera I've ever had the pleasure of holding.

While I, of all people, know it is not the camera that makes a photographer, every now and again a new one kick starts me, especially when I've had healthy "mailbox money" checks of late. Add to that, our son Matthew, after watching the video I linked to in my last post, insisted I follow the 85 year old's advice to spend all my money, rather than let my kids do it for me. That, of course will never happen, mostly because I'm too frugal to go that route, and then too, our children, thank God, are making their way in this world beautifully. Monday night I met Dave and Michelle for happy hour at Santiago's, and although I was ready to pay my way, David would have none of it. Amazingly, they agreed to a photo as well.

So, because I've had an Olympus in the past, which I used so much the back screen coating wore away, I decided to go with Olympus again. Furthermore, I have several lenses from my Panasonic cameras that are interchangeable between the two systems. That said, I could not resist buying a new silver lens to complete the look!

The fellow at Colonial Photo & Hobby put the strap on, set the time, and the minute I was out of the store, I was shooting away. Not unlike when Bruce gave me my first digital camera for Christmas nearly nine years ago! I'm fairly confidant this is the only area of town that you will find a sign in this language.

Readers, more clever than myself, will know what it is--Vietnamese perhaps? Even in the parking lot I find something interesting....clouds reflected on our back windows.

I figured I need to point that out because it is such a silly thing to photograph!

On my drive home I looked for photo opportunities, stopping at Dickson Azalea gardens which is somewhat scenic. Walking down the steps to the ravine, what do you think I saw happening to my right? An owl flew into the tree overhead!!

Not great for all sorts of reasons, bright sunlight being one of them, but how about that for a surprise?

Once home, I searched the house and yard, the purpose of which is to get to know a new camera. Practice, practice, practice.

Lovely little basil leaves from a plant I purchased at Trader Joe's. Aside from the lens situation, one of my main criteria for a camera is how it feels in my hands. Going into the store, I first looked at the Olympus Micro Four Third cameras that were less expensive than the one I ultimately bought. Wanting to like them more, the grip was just not enough for my older shaky hands. Not seriously shaky by any means, but shaky enough that I'm no good taking photos on my phone, unlike my daughter-in-law Alissa who is a whiz kid with her phone. I need something to hold onto!

Sorry for another Baxter shot, but here he is again because he's the only living thing around these parts for most of the week!

You might notice how the groomer left those two little spouts just above his ears!

I'll be the first to admit that these last few weeks with B being gone from Monday morning until Thursday night have been lonely. I try to keep busy, but there's nothing like having someone else in the house to make life better. Then too, before he left Darden and was home for the better part of a year, I was accustomed to his absence. Now, not so much. Moreover, when I was even five years younger I would hop in the car and go places by myself without a thought. These days I find excuses not to do so, however, yesterday morning, waking at around 5 in the morning, I decided to stop making excuses and head to the beach. Specifically, my favorite, Playalinda, which, by the way, took me forever to get there due to construction on SR 50.

In any case, when I arrived it was just as beautiful as I'd remembered. No development whatsoever makes for a lovely experience.

So, if you want to take beach photographs without people, this is the place for you. On the other hand, just when I'm feeling lonely...

Shooting photographs at the seaside is not nearly as easy as one might think because the camera gets confused on what light it should expose for. As does this photographer!! The tide was way out as you can plainly see, so big swatches of light adjacent to big swatches of dark. The only solution in my experience is to take a bunch!

As I was driving the six plus miles onto Canaveral National Seashore, I saw this guy drying his wings. Generally I'm not much one for vultures, but this pose struck me as interesting.

You may have noticed the stick near my chair and if you are from Florida you know exactly what that represents. If not, it means there is a sea turtle's nest nearby, as in, real close. Some men came along after while who were removing some of the yellow sticks and replacing them with white.

Although they explained it to me, try as I might, I never really understood why they were changing them, but I did learn that on each stick a date is marked and approximately 60 days from that date, the eggs will hatch and the baby turtles will make their way out to sea. Asking them how they knew where the nests were, they told me that they come out at around 11 PM, staying throughout the night to watch the turtles lay their eggs. Our friends, the Whiteds, were on a beach near St. Augustine recently and saw the baby turtles hatching!! My sister Lisa would be all over that!

Just as the beach was nearly empty of people, the same held true for shore birds. Not nearly enough for my liking!

This one is pretty cute though...

Late August is a superb time to visit the Atlantic Ocean because the water temperature is just right, neither too cold, nor too hot. The waves, on the other hand, were pretty wimpy for the East coast, you would have thought I was swimming in the Gulf! There is talk about a storm out in the Atlantic, perhaps becoming a hurricane, so if that is the case, this shoreline will look quite a bit different in the next few days. Surfers will be out in droves!

In between writing paragraphs, I've made some blueberry muffins which I just ate and thought to myself, why don't I make more muffins? Delicious.

And now it is time to hit the road on my bicycle before the heat chases me indoors!

Indulging myself,

Gail

p.s. All photos on this blog are to tell a story, I keep the best stuff away from the web!!