Out and About

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We're making progress on the house, not as quickly as we'd like, but we've decided we don't want to hurt ourselves either, so slow and steady will be the motto, like little tortoises.

One thing I realized that had me kind of bummed . . . When we were on the road, I never went anywhere without my camera. Photography is a true passion of mine. I like the way it makes me look at things in a different way.

Since we've been here, I've often been going out without my camera, running errands, shopping, trips to the thrift stores to deliver goods, just the regular stuff. I figured I was just running out for a moment, so why bring the camera? But then I almost always see something that makes me wish I had one of my cameras with me.

So I've decided that no matter what, I'm taking a camera with me. It's a promise I'm making to myself.

Today, we took twelve boxes of books down to the local used book store in Santa Cruz. On the way, we made a quick stop at Roaring Camp. It's a local narrow gauge railroad that we've enjoyed in the past and we're thinking we might avail ourselves of their Christmas Train. Of course, being a Monday in the dead of winter, they were closed. But since I had my camera with me, I took a few shots of the their barn, where they keep the spare train parts.

This is an old rusted car,
I was pretty impressed with the colors
once I looked closely at this photo.

Then there's all those odds

and ends.

Roaring Camp
is right next to Henry Cowell State Park,
where the leaves are showing their colors.

Very rich and yummy,
what hues they show.

This one isn't quite so colorful,
but there's something about this shape.

These next shots
are actually of a tree
we planted here at the house
some thirty years ago.
Not a great shot,
but look at the movement and color.

It's a Japanese Maple,
and the color never fails to amaze me.

This shot just appeals to me,
I think it's something
about the composition?

Then there are the individual leaves.
So brilliant,
yet almost completely transparent.

After we finished our business,
the sun was just going down,
so we decided to
amble down West Cliff Drive.

I have several vintage silhouette pictures.
You know, the old ones
that are hand cut and so intricate.
This shot reminds me of those.

We both can hardly wait
to be on the road again,
but if we had unlimited funds
and could afford this . . .

It's right on the cliffs
overlooking the sea,
with this view.

It seems I'm much happier
when I take pictures all day long,
so that's the new plan.