Category: United States

Sunday Serenity: Sound

Posted on by Annie

After five hours in the car, driving across the middle of Texas, the last sound I wanted to hear was traffic after I pulled into my campsite at Galveston Island State Park. So I walked away from the road and out onto the beach. Ah, the Gulf Coast is glorious, even when the sun is well-hidden behind the clouds. The waves are endless and they create a natural noise that drowns out everything else. These two old men passed me, the sounds of a lively conversation reaching me over the surf. I loved the image of them so much I…

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Black and White

Posted on by Annie

It’s kind of a bleak weather weekend for many people in the US: cold, snow, and more cold. It’s warmed up in Texas, hitting 50F as I walked around Canyon Lake today. The drowned trees (this is a Corps of Engineers dammed lake) fascinated me and so that’s what I had fun with today, both in the taking and in the post-processing. That old-school Minolta lens I’ve been using has a much smaller field than the wide-angle I’m used to, so learning to compose shots within its field of view has been an interesting set of lessons the last month…

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Tower Hill Gardens

Posted on by Annie

Seems that while parts of the US and Canada are going to be getting cooooold weather soon, I feel like I need help all those affected feel warmer with a throwback to a September outing with photos I haven’t published yet. Today’s feature, then, spotlights the Tower Hill Botanical Gardens, in Massachusetts. It was a lovely sunny day, and spending it with two old friends made it even better. We wandered around looking at exhibits and flowers, pointing out crazy colors and lovely peppers and wonderful arrangements. The fall crocuses were out (yes, some kinds of crocuses do bloom in…

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Sierra Foothills

Posted on by Annie

I’ve been spending the last few days in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. With the right light and some hiking, I’m amazed how beautiful this area is. Wandering around the campground in Sequoia National Park and found this watery shot after scooting down the rocky hillside. Literally on the side of the road for a different shot, and saw this as I got back in my car. It turned out to be the much better shot. And, well, you can’t mention being in Sequoia National Park without showing an actual Sequoia. The branches start at about 120 feet…

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Sunday Serenity: Desert Air

Posted on by Annie

The desert day starts with sunrise, cactus a shadow that turns real as the sun slowly creeps over the mountain range to the east of my campsite. It is a harsh place, the desert. Cactus rise, and cactus fall. But tiny miracles of green give hope. Life, indeed, finds its way here. As with any place, there is beauty if searched for, contentment when found. If you sing of beauty though alone in the heart of the desert, you will have an audience. Kahlil Gibran

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