Haystack Mountain

My wife, god love her, as I do, isn’t an outdoors person. I am. ATVs, hiking, walking in the woods, going off and finding abandon houses, tramping along the railroad bed. But, I did get her to climb Haystack Mountain! Whooot!

The hike up was great, the sun was nice, and a few good pictures were had!

We often forget what is just in our back yard, and the gorgeous world that is around us, every single day. Cotton Candy Clouds on a Bed of Blue….

A few of these might make it up onto our wall one day. Was a great, short stint up rocky terrain.

A Little Drive

Abandoned, overgrown houses and barns always make me think of what would the world look like if people began dying off, or an EMP hit, or some plague struck us down. (Not a zombie thing!). Half eaten meals on a table, VCR tape still jutting from a VCR, a coat draped over a now overturned kitchen chair. Trees and brush sprouting through the basement floors, edging up the stairs and into the 2^nd story of the house. So I decided to go venture out and find a few of these places and just “look around”. I’ve been feeling very lackluster about writing lately, but passionate about taking photos, maybe I could get one to spark the other into gear.

There is a sadness in places like this and a story. Why was the house left like that? Why is all their “stuff” still here. Of the odd things you see while traveling, that make no sense in the realm of the world. The WTF things.

Or the beauty that hides in the areas, the wild grass, the wayward trees, the hidden treasures in the overgrown brush that tangle your feet.

We did come across a car from yesteryear. To which my nephew, Rhys asked “Can we take the steering wheel!” What a guy!

Those places, those once-homes to humans or animals, are relics frozen in time with dust and cobwebs. Snapshots into time that has just transpired, the blink of an eye if you think of the age of this rock we live on.

Sunflower Field

 

nuff said

August Jaunt

We barely have been able to afford life, much less a vacation.  But due to the fact that I’m now a travelling PTA and making a few bucks here and there, we can actually learn to enjoy life! 

Sometimes  

We headed to Machias, and then to Roque’s Beach.  Secluded, quiet, and gorgeous. 

We did some searching for seaglass, and just took in the fresh air. 

Then we headed over to Machais Falls.  Walked around, enjoyed the sights, and then over to Quoddy Lighthouse.

Totally different tapestry here, rocks and not sand, but equally as beautiful. 

We decided to keep the world simple, we grabbed sandwiches, and headed back to Roque Beach for dinner on the beach and watch the sunset. 

Sometimes it is the simple moments in life that make life worth it and memorable. 

Lille Island and Cemetery

I’ve fiddled around with my new camera and have gotten used to it enough that I’m more comfortable with it.  Last night, after the deluge of rain we got, I knew the river would take on that sweet calm.  I hoped for some nice light.  Jules was getting ready for bed and I changed into jeans and hopped onto the 4 wheeler and jetted off to the Island in Lille.

My newest lens isn’t as good as my old one (270 vs 300) but I do like it, a little more stable and I find that on the zoom it does just as good a job as my old one.

I think I have said this before – photographs are 2D while what we see, in life, is 3D.  The lens, camera, whatever – only captures a faction of what the human eye can see.  This is where settings and lighting and even post processing can come in.

I get lazy sometimes and just slap it into auto and take pictures, dealing with everything else in post.  That’s when you are shooting on the fly and don’t have the time to fiddle with the camera.

The water is super high this year so makes for a mirror like reflection.  Now, about that whole 2D vs 3D thing.  I don’t have anything over the top expensive to do post, its this program called PhotoImpact.  I like it, mainly because I got PI in 1996 and have stuck with it (I got PI 2 and its now up to 13).  I’ve tried lightroom and stuff, but the plug ins and apps drive me bonkers!  I’m not a professional, I am a girl who sees this through the lens of a camera differently.

The thing about sunsets and sunrises, they don’t last forever.  Zoom in, zoom out, snap shots.  If a blog post is 30 pictures, I’ve taken about 90.  Same shot, different settings.

The light near the river was fading so back on the 4 wheeler and jetting off to the church.  I was hoping to catch the last of the fledgling light and I did.  After a quick “hi, how are you doing” to the owner of the Church, I zoomed down and snagged a few photos.

1 – taking pictures at night means being stung by mosquitos

2 – those sucks are mean

3 – I’m by no means a great picture taking, at least, I don’t think so.  I see things differently, I’ve been told, so I’m always on the lookout for that.  Last night while moving around in the cemetery, I saw the cast reflection of the fading light on a few headstones.

I do like the way they came out.

Until next time!

Quinn

There is a long story behind this kitten.

It’s mom, now named after my wife, Julia hung out at our house for a few months.  Jules fed it but wasn’t petting her.  I get home in May and on 1st time seeing her, picked her up and she was simply sweet.  She was a muted grey color and cute. 

We had no idea she had KITTENS. 

Long story short, we captured her and brought her to PAWS in Fort Kent, the next day, someone delivered her kittens to PAWS.  Reunited. 

My wife then started in on “Oh it would be nice to have a kitten.”  Our current two, Remy and Sage are both 8 this year.  I said “No,no, no no no no no.”

ALL THE WHILE!  I’m in contact with PAWS trying to adopt this little split faced muted calico! 

Yes, I’m devious but romantic at heart!

Finally, on Friday before picking up the new kitten, I sat down and confessed to Jules. She called me evil while smiling and laughing.  I am evilly romantic is my problem.  Typically!  Jules picks out our animals, this time was my turn!  That lil munchin with the devious lil half and half face was mine!  I was naming her Quinn after Harley Quinn of Batman lure (Harley Quinn has this duel ponytail thing going on, one is one color, one the other, split – so the split faced look was perfect.  Also, she looked mischievous and, well, Harley Quinn IS a super villain)

She sleeps BETWEEN us in bed, or on Julia’s pillow.  When Jules goes to work she thinks its playtime and wakes me up.  Sage and Remy are warming up, but slowly.  That is our new addition to the Super Hero Family (Storm after the XMan, Remy after Xman Remy Lebeau, Sage after the Xman)  I finally went DC and even villainess!  Imagine that.

I couldn’t picture my wife calling a cat Ollie or Black Canary, of The Flash…… 

New Camera

So I finally gave in and got a new camera.  To most people, that’s not a big thing, for me – its HUGE.

1st, which one do you get?  2nd, how much do I pay?  3rd, what features do I want?

I never have been one to make big purchases, but I put aside a few bucks every week and started researching.  It came down between the T5, the T5i, and the SL1 (all Canons as I’ve a great 18-270 lens). 

I settled on the T5i, mostly for the sensor review.  I ordered it from Abe’s of Maine, out of New Jersey (I don’t ask questions!).  I got an email from the company and I had to call them, I found out that the battery life with the normal battery sucks, so I tagged on a purchase of a super sized battery. 

My 1st round of taking pictures was a nice sunset along the tracks.

Getting use to a new camera is always a curve.  How it feels, the settings, where the buttons are.  Thankfully, most cameras are standard, but there is ALWAYS different things you can do.  I’ve still got a few kinks to work out!