Blessings on this Day of Thanksgiving

It's Thanksgiving, and I have a lot for which to be thankful.

It was a different kind of Thanksgiving for us today.  We didn't end up at a more usual family dinner.  We just took it easy today.  A nice change was helping out at the soup kitchen (Loaves and Fishes) sponsored at First Saints Community Church this morning.  The church helped out over 50 folks today with a meal and some groceries.  It was good, but I would admit I need to learn how to be more social.  Everyone was so busy serving, that there wasn't a good chance to sit down and share a meal with our neighbors.  It's something to think about.

You all have come to know that outdoor photography has become a staple of this blog.  Today is no different, with perhaps one significant detail.  It's not the subject of the photos.  We returned to a very familiar setting - the Patuxent River shoreline.  The detail is in the equipment I now have.  A new camera and lens!

I am the proud new owner of a Canon Digital SLR with an accompanying zoom lens.  Today was a trial run.  I am so excited about the new possiblities.  I learned today about the low f stop capability of my new lens.  For those not big into photography, the very low stop setting allows the most light in, and at the same time has a much smaller range of focus.  For example, when you look at many of the photos below, you'll notice there is a very small area that is in sharp focus, with the rest of the photo becoming "blurry."  This new lens allows me a very small focus area, and I need to learn how to best use the capability!  You, of course, don't have to set a low f stop, but that's what I largely played with today.

So here are a few of the shots that turned out okay.

 The photos on the left of the grasses on the shore, is a really small section cropped from a larger photo. I liked the few larger stalks standing up in the frame.  The sun was behind the dune grasses and they sparkled beautifully.


Deb never lets me get a shot of her, so I had to take what I could from a shot when I was laying on the ground.  She's really not defying gravity!

I liked the little wave crashing to the shore, followed by the chaos of the impact in the next shot.

 The driftwood was an experiment with the small f stop.  The second shot has a very strange feel to it.

 The pic of the red leaves was one of the first taken when we got to the beach house.   I was amused by the other two sights captured - the seaweed growing on the branch.  The bright green stood out boldly against nearly everything else on the beach.  Then there is the tangle of branches with the very washed out black and whites.

 We came home and had a great, though nontraditional, meal of Filet Mignon, steamed asparagus, sweet potatoes and garlic bread.  All while watching an episode of Lie to Me.  Sara Smith is cooking our pumpkin pie while I type.  A great night all around.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone,
Brian

Myrtle Point Park

Deb and I went to Myrtle Point today.  It's a county park not too far from home.  The 192 acres is a mostly wooded tract of land on the western side of Patuxent River, just north of the Thomas Johnson Bridge (Rt. 4.) We enjoyed walking several trails that wander through the property.

 Besides seeing a huge number of downed trees, there were some sparrows and cardinals flitting about.  Most of the photos, however, are of the flora.



My first reasonable shot was of this fern.  The sunlight just brought it to life.  There were lots of pine trees in the park, with lots of pine cones.



















As we continued along there was a really interesting tree, that just looked like it shattered.


The photo below of the cut trunk grabbed my attention too; the huge crack in it tells a story of torment - doesn't it?




 












 You need to watch your step along the shore of the river.  The trail is atop a sharp dropping cliff of soil which is a good 15 feet above the water.  As the sign noted, there could be falling trees and soil!  Tread lightly!

I liked the luminescent nature of the leaf hanging in the sun, and the dark background set it off nicely.






 The last shot before leaving for the day, was of a run down barn.  It's clearly not been in use for a considerable length of time.  It's overgrown with vines, and there's weeds from the fence all the way to the structure.  It looked rather sad.  I think just getting rid of the weeds, vines and debris would make it look a world better - even if the barn itself didn't get any attention.

Well, that was today's venture.  It's a nice park to walk your dogs (must be on a leash.), or just to have a nice stroll through a forest.


Get out and enjoy.  Adventure doesn't have to be far from home.



Blessings,

Brian

Another day with doctors - so make the most of it!

I had a 10:30 appointment in DC today to check in with my Heamatologist.  It usually makes for a long day.  I allowed plenty of time for a lesurely drive.  I left at 7:10 or so, with a couple quick stops before heading out of town.  I needed some gas, cash and a drive-thru breakfast.  I was all set and left California by 7:30.  No worries.

That is until the first slow-down for an accident.  No problem, plenty of time.  I got through Waldorf reasonably well. Then I saw this ahead of me:

Not so nice, but it crept along fairly steady.  I drove to Washington Reagan National Airport.  I pick up the Metro there since I'm not a fan of driving in the city.  Before the Blue Line metro came, I took a pic of the water draining off the roof of the station.  There were many of these relatively small diameter tubes that were trickling water. The train showed up in a few minutes.   In the end the timing turned out fine, but with not much leeway after all.  Arrived at GW right at 10:15!

The appointment went well.  My anemia seems to be stable and the doctor thinks I'm doing remarkably well - all things considered.  (But that's enough of that part of the story for now.)

So, I made the best of the rest of the afternoon.  A quick stop into Whole Foods for a couple things we needed and  then off to find some lunch.  I passed up on ROTI - a great mediteranean eatery, for a trip to the Pentagon City Mall where I settled for a Great Steak.  Quite good.  I took some time to stroll all the levels of the mall and took some photos:

The first thing that stood out was the huge banner in the atrium.  It's about shaving; I kid you not.  In the banner the split photo is the "before" the good shave represented by the middle photo.  Of course the shave is enhanced by the suit and tie and better haircut too.  The split photo shows a very baggy eyed slob.  There is even a store there to cater to your very closest shave - no kidding!

As I wandered to the upper deck, the trusses caught my attention as did the arrangement of lunch tables below.  I just found them interesting

Then on the way home I stopped by Solomon's Island and captured a few birds - well on film anyway (digital.)  I think the first is a juvenile Laughing Gull and the other a juvenile Herring Gull - but I need you my friends to confirm!


I also saw a hawk of some kind in DC just before getting on 395, and an amazing number of Black Buzzards just off of Rt. 4 near the Equestrian Center.  Most of them were trying to dry their wings.  It was pretty cool to see and I went back to grab a photo, but here wasn't any really safe place to pull over.  Oh well.

I think that this day reminded me that life can be what you make of it.

Be curious. Look around. Be amazed a what you might find.


Till next time,

Brian

juvenile Laughing Gull?

juvenile Herring Gull ?

Work and Play

Today I went off in search of my Bald Eagle from a different vantage point.  No sighting today though.  But the scene unfolded from the one of the park/camping areas that sits above the marsh.  I was on an area that sat up about 10 feet above the water.  It's an abrupt drop, very nearly vertical with a wooden fence protecting the sightseer from dropping unintended to the small beach below.  I was standing there looking far off to the distant trees when I heard a rustling in the leaves that was really close.  As I listened closer, it sounded like it was right in front of me.

So, I leaned over the fence railing to see my new buddy.  You may recognize the former celebrity from Caddy Shack - the Gopher.  He's simply known as the Ground Hog down here in Southern Maryland, just trying to keep a low profile.

He scampered away then stopped and looked back..  Since his eye sight is pretty poor, I think he was just thinking.. "I know you're up there."  Then he ran on home.

As I looked up from watching my departing friend, I noticed the two boats in the top photo.  I was struck by the contrast as someone was working hard earning a living from the water's, while the other was hard at play in the sailboat.



So another quick adventure ends, and the search for beauty (and the beast?) continues.


Brian

A short walk on the shore of the Patuxent River

I took a short walk late in the afternoon today, thinking I may be able to get close to a tree a Bald Eagle has been roosting in lately.  As the sun was setting I made my way along the shoreline of the Patuxent River hoping to reach the tall pine.  It was going pretty well, until a fall of trees blocked the easy passage.

I trekked in toward the thin spit of land between the river and a small tidal marsh, treversing under trees and found some some connected stretches of sandy soil and sparse grasses.

 I found the cactus in the photo above in the middle of nowhere.  I found out later that it's a Prickly Pear cactus.  More amazing to me, is that it is a protected native plant to the Chesapeake Bay area.  How cool is that!

There were a ton of deer tracks. More like a boulevard of tracks really, though I spied none.

The mushrooms were my next find.  Not sure what type they are, but they blended nicely with the pine straw.

I did eventually reach the pine tree I sought.  I was within 15 yards if not closer, and looked up just in time to see my Bald Eagle for just a moment before he saw me.  I only had time to admire his grace while getting the camera to my eye.  Not a chance to see other than a "spec" in the photo.  So I'll have to try again.  I have to say it was well worth the short hike to see him so close.  It really made my day.

On the way back, as the sun was nearly gone for the day, I found a horseshoe crab shell upside down on the beach among the short grasses.  The fading light really made the scene drab, and somehow all the more appropriate given the haphazard resting position.


The last treasure was finding these tracks right along the water.  I'm not completely sure what critter took a stroll sometime ahead of me, but a friend thinks they look to belong to a raccoon.

The walk ends for now, but the trek to continually look for the beauty in the world continues.

Brian

You May Never Know

I need to get blood tests often and typically get to have a quick chat with the technician. It usually doesn't amount to much more than "small talk". That's not always the case though.

My veins are sometimes a little troublesome and I get to be poked a few times. The only benefit is that it gives more time to talk. One one occasion, I noticed a small tattoo on the Tech's forearm. It was an Asian character, but I didn't know what it meant. So I asked.

"It's a symbol for 'love.'“ A quick short story followed. It turns out her brother had committed suicide so she got her artwork. She quickly followed up her initial comment to me with her statement that "there's so much help out there, no family should have to go through this. It leaves such a mess."

I think the tattoo is wonderful. It's not just a remembrance. It's not just art. It's an invitation to hear her story and hear her mission.

This all happened many weeks ago, but came to mind after reading a friend's blog. Her post left me questioning how many times we make assumptions based on a persons "look". How likely am I to reach a conclusion based on that "look" without knowing anything more than there's a huge arm sleeve tattoo, or there was a nose piercing, or they wore "vintage" clothes? The list goes on. What impressions am I making as I view that exterior? "They're probably homeless." "Bet they don't have a job." "Probably on drugs." And depending on your own perspective can you only see the woman in the business suit as one of the elite without knowing more than she was dressed in typical business attire?

More importantly, how often does that first impression prevent us from stopping to interact? Are we curious enough to comment on a tattoo; and learn a story of heart ache, loss and recovery? Can we get past the nose piercing and learn of the heart for service? Can we get past the business suit and learn she started 'from the bottom'?

I hope and pray the answer is yes. You'll never know what hides under the shell - until you ask.