Down By The Seashore

Ask anyone who knows me well and they'll tell you my favorite place to be is at the seashore. The sound of the waves hitting land, the unmistakable smell of the sea, Mother Nature's lovely treasures scattered here and there... the beach is my happiest place on the planet. A few weeks ago Asher and I spent a couple days with our dearest friends on a mini-vacation just north of Bellingham in Birch Bay. Between capturing shots of the kids frolicking in the sand & surf, my eyes were tuned to the textures of the flora and fauna of the shore. I love it when I find a face in nature where there really isn't one. The scowling underbelly of this dead crab was just waiting to be photographed!As soon as I rolled out of bed (the last one, as usual) I was beckoned to the window to see the bald eagle who was perched on a post at the beach across the street. I don't (yet!) have a telephoto lens, so I grabbed my girlfriend's camera and headed out in my pajamas to see how close I could get to this beautiful creature.He let me snap off several shots before I pushed my luck and got too close. I don't mind, I love this shot of his wings in flight!
Later in the day, we ventured north to explore the area around Semiahmoo. I've lived here nearly 17 years and had never been there, so this was the perfect time to check it out. I'm so glad we did because we found so many rusty, sea-weathered gems to turn my lens on! The above shot of this old wooden boat is my favorite of the two day adventure. What a find! I love the juxtaposition of life attaching itself to something old, battered & lifeless, as with the case of these barnacles on this rusted & seemingly useless bolt, or the grasses & weeds growing from these beat up pilings. Everywhere I ventured I found rusty cables, locks & chains. They made me want a macro lens as much as the eagle made me want a telephoto!

The Willows Inn, Part 2!

In a previous post I shared some photos I took a couple months ago as part of a barter agreement with the owner of The Willows Inn on Lummi Island. This past weekend I got to enjoy the fruits of my labor when I treated my dear friend Stephanie to a trip to the island for some time at the beach and a fabulous dinner. It was a beautiful day and we were so happy to soak in the sun's rays on the deck while sharing a fabulous bottle of Eyrie Vineyards pinot gris. Our dishes were so beautifully served that I couldn't help taking a couple pictures before we dug in. Two words sum up these photos: "mouth watering!"
The restaurant was closed on the day of my initial visit, so I didn't get any shots of the dining room with the table settings in place. On Saturday, the light in the dining room was perfect and our reservations were early enough in the evening that I was able to sneak around and snap some shots before any diners arrived!
That's my friend Steph, sending a well deserved toast to the chef and staff at The Willows : )I keep finding myself saying "I don't remember the last time I had such a great meal!" but then I realized... my last great meal was the last time I ate at The Willows : )I simply cannot tell you, in words or pictures, how delicious the food is. You really must treat yourself!

The Joys of Being Your Own Boss

In the past few years I have learned the joys of self employment far outweigh the pains... sleeping late, working in my pajamas and pouring a glass of wine before sitting down to my desk... the value of these things does not go lost on me! But having the freedom to take a couple days away from the computer to join Asher and his class on a school field trip without having to ask *anyone* for the day off- now that is priceless.

Last week I spent two days with Asher's six grade class at the Bellingham School District's Environmental Learning Center and I had an absolute blast! A couple days of fresh forest air, running on trails and exploring the natural world with my kid and his classmates was completely restorative. Of course I brought my camera along to document the kids' experiences as well as the flora & fauna of the forest. My eyes were wide open for two days straight with so many amazing species to document! I thought I'd share some of the natural wonders I saw with you...

Over the course of the two days we learned all about the biodiversity of the forest... how to identify different kinds of ferns and rocks, which plants are edible and how to tell by its macroinvertebrates whether or not a stream's water is clean among many other fascinating lessons. Our group's final activity of the two day adventure was the infamous "mud walk." We'd been hearing kids in other groups talk about it since lunch time on the first day and were very anxious for our turn in the big pit of mud. We started the activity by losing our shoes & socks, donning blind folds and lining up single file, arms on each others' shoulders to guide each other over the trail. The purpose of the activity was to show us how reliant upon our vision we humans are by forcing us to use our other senses as guides. I found it very curious how much more it hurts to step on a rock or stub your toe on a root when you can't anticipate doing so by seeing it first! Our final destination was a 12 inch deep mud pit through which we took turns wading... even me! I've not walked barefoot in the mud since I was Asher's age and found the experience surprisingly satisfying : ) That's Asher, encouraging his classmate on his turn through the infamous mud pit!Mmmmm I never thought I'd include mud between my toes as one of the joys of being your own boss : )

The Judges Have Spoken...

and the winners of the 2008 Essence of Bellingham Photo Contest have been announced! I'm excited that nine of ten of the photos I entered received notice this year, but I am even more excited that the Gardenview Montessori kindergarteners' photos did so well. Yep, this will *definitely* be an annual project for me and the kids : )

See my previous blog entries about this project below!