Tell me a Story: March 2014:

Tell me a Story is a group of photographers who blog about a single day in the month.  This month I have chose to do my post on the first day of our arrival in Las Vegas.

Having never been to Las Vegas this was a novel experience.  But added to that I got to meet up with my brother whom I have not seen in a year.  Family time is good, since we are all scattered across the continents.  We are in the US, my brother and his family in South Africa, Richard's family in Australia. Having quality time together is limited and far between.  So when he said he was going to be in Las Vegas for a week we decided to fly there.

We arrived at about 1pm and once we connected up with my brother and dumped our bags we hit the streets of Las Vegas.  It felt like I was back in Disneyland - one new building after another.  So walk with me down Las Vegas strip for a short while.

While I am not an M&M chocolate fan, I do love their colorful characters  

On researching the strip New York New York was one of the places to go to and see and to photograph.  Why because of this amazing roller coaster that goes right through the building. And it does do that, but I could barely get a glimpse of it going through let alone take a photograph of it.  That aside New York, New York was one of my favorite places to go into.  It had character, and the eatery area was fun.  Little shops with indoor "outdoor" seating where you could sit and watch the hustle and bustle of life.  And life was abundant.  

No surprise, strange characters and  less than dressed folk.  The sign "Dress for Less" in the background seems aptly suited for this pic.  I went with the expectation that I might see these kind of sights, but more at night.  I was surprised how much I saw in the day time.  It was disturbing to be harassed every 15 steps by someone handing out a "girlie club" cards, and to see the street littered with dropped cards.  Something very sad about the whole scenario.  

Paris was another of my favorite places.  I have been to France and stared at the Eiffel Tower and this is a pretty good replica.  At night this was also a sight to see - all lit up on the strip. The hotel itself have very similar walkways to New York New York, with the Parisian feel of narrow streets, and bakeries and fresh smells.  I loved meandering down the "streets" inside Paris.  

I have stood and looked at the Arc de Triumph in Paris, and watched many Tour de France cycle races where the final stopping point is just beyond the Arc.  Interestingly I have never seen Gordon Ramsay's picture on it.  However, one thing that was very familiar was the traffic situation.  The Arc was chaotic and Vegas streets were as well. I also noticed I got photo bombed by a minion.  

This sight fascinated me.  This person kind of stood/crouched in this strange position for an endless amount of time.  I kept looking for the see through seating.  Not sure how it was done but it was pretty darn good.  

The building in the background was fascinating.  It is deliberately built leaning in different directions.  It messes with you mind a little.  Pretty cool to look at though.

And of course, for all the Harley Davidson fans there is a bike exploding out the wall.  Bikes are displayed outside and occasionally you will hear the deep roar of an engine starting.

We were outside New York New York as the sun began to set and what a great place to be in front of the Statue of Liberty.  

My favorite time of the day is when the sun is starting to set and the colors streak across the sky, making interesting patterns.

Soon the sun has set and the lights are on and there is a whole new look and new vibe to the Las Vegas Strip.  Bright, colorful, glitzy and worth stopping and taking a photograph.

The roller coaster still ran and looped through the curves and people screamed and Richard offered me money to go on there with him.  No way am I going on that thing.  Once on a roller coaster was enough. I loved the sight of all the hotels standing out, brightly lit.  It made me want to walk all the way back down the street again.  But the feet are weary and the day has been long and I am ready to head back to the hotel.

By passing Excalibur and promising myself that I would walk through the hotel the next morning, we headed back across the bridge, to the MGM Grand where we were staying. 

This is just a small view of the many many photo's I took.  Perhaps I will do another blog to cover a few more photo's of the Bellagio, Venetian, Mirage and a few others.

My mother always said to me

Just remember not everything that glitters is gold.

Vegas felt a little like that.  

I hope you have enjoyed the one day from the Tell me a Story photo group. Don't forget to take a look at what Renee / Everyday Beautiful Photography  has for you this month.

If you did not see the blog on the Valley of Fire which is 40 minutes out of Vegas click here

If you are interested in seeing more of my photography take a look at my facebook page or my Flickr Page

Google Blogger: All my photo's have disappeared

Just a quick note to anyone reading my blog.  It seems that when I deleted a photo in google+ all my images in google blogger disappeared. This is for about 40 posts, and may will take an age to get back.  So bear with me as I try to fix this mess.

Change potentially needs to happen and this may well get me out my comfort zone.

30 Minutes in the Life: March 2014: Leaving Las Vegas

In the life of a photographer, whose art is created in tiny fractions of a second, thirty minutes is a sustained thought.  Thirty, minutes, the length of a child's ballet class, a quick sauce's simmer; a commute, is long enough to witness change and short enough to be over before you know it.  We offer you here our monthly results of thirty minutes of watching and waiting and recording, of rendering permanent those fractions of a second that slip past in the time it takes to watch a television show.  Thirty minutes in the life ~ Sara Kelly

There is something about being a foreigner in a country that never gets easy, and that is not having family around.  It's tough.  My sibling lives in South Africa, Richard's siblings live in Australia.  It is not an easy visiting option either.  So when my brother contacted me and said he was going to be in Las Vegas for a conference and would I be interested in coming through, my answer was absolutely yes.  Family time makes me feel good, and you get to appreciate it so much more when you know it could be another year or two before you see them again.  

So we flew to Las Vegas.....

And, yes the strip was a novelty the first day. The first night it was pretty exciting with all the lights shining.  But novelty soon wears off and the soul is calling for what fills it.  Leaving Las Vegas is just what we did.  

By coincidence I happened to start chatting to a Kiwi  while photographing the fountains at Bellagio Hotel.  If one knows anything about rugby, then you know that there is a friendly rivalry between the Springboks (South Africans) and the Kiwi's (New Zealanders).  Enough said, he was a very informative chap and as we chatted we indicated that we planned to head out to Red Rock in the morning. He made an alternative suggestion to do Valley of Fire - in his words it was "Red Rock on steroids".

So we packed up the car and headed out once again.  The drive was about 40 minutes from Las Vegas and the cost to enter was on a trust system and a minimal amount (based on what everything else costs in Las Vegas).  The property is a National Natural Landmark and extends for approximately 42 000 acres.  

The eco-system is made up or red sandstone as well as limestone, shale and conglomerates.  There is plenty to see and the property is well marked.  Only downside I would say is that there is only a small shop on the site and if you have not had breakfast thinking you would have it there, you are going to be hungry for the next 5 hours.  Take food and water!

We had limited time in the park (due to the fact that the rental car had to be back by 2pm) and so we opted to do one hike through the White Domes.  

What is really nice, is that the 30 minutes in the life weekly theme is "Nature" and I get to be guest judge.  So walk with me as I journey through what I though was some of the most stunning scenery I have been through in a long time, and bear with me, I had a hard time culling photo's.

The start seemed simple enough.  A small hill, some soft sand, and an incredible view ahead.

A little bit about me - I am known to trip over a pebble.  The eye feet coordination is not that great, although I am going to defend myself and say that it is a lot better since I switched out to multifocal contact lens. I can actually see what my feet are standing on.  Suffice to say I was given a strong warning before going on vacation - no fractured arms, no torn ligaments.  I love my office - I had a rough 4 years and they were amazing.  

The land is stark.  Little grows.  Tufts of grass here and there.  Dried out trees dotted in places. This is rock territory.  Hills and hills of multi-layered, multicolored rock.

When the Kiwi told us that this was Red Rock on steroids I could fully understand. I have seen red rock in Colorado, and I loved it, but this was different.  Not only was it red rock, it was white rock, yellow rock, orange rock and purple rock.  It was the color palette in large.

The hike took around 90 minutes in total.  Standing at the top, all I know is I am going down. Don't slip.... Don't break anything, and if you have to break something don't let it be the camera....oops - don't let the office read this either.  

Richard had a bit of fun with Barry climbing down the rock pathway.  This particular point, I have to confess felt a little man made.  Nice neat steps to get us down the roughest part.  But it did not go far and just after that point was a nice stretch of shale.

We're about a third of the way down the climb and the views are just breathtaking.  For a while you just have to stop and breathe it all in and just be in awe of creation.  The various sites I read date this area back 150 million years and to prehistoric tribes named Anasazi, who were thought to be farmers.  We are heading down to the markers below - in fact that is the first sign of any form of direction.

In the bigger scheme of things we are so small, and Richard clearly shows just how small he is in comparison to the rock face.  Note the layers to different colored rock next to him. Just fascinating.

Of course the two men, are way ahead of me simply because I keep stopping to take photographs and they are now tired of waiting for me.  

Finally I reach the bottom, and turn around and look at where I have just come from. Wow!! And Yay!! I made it down without breaking anything. How majestic are these rocks.  I feel like I could have spent more hours exploring them.  

Once we reach the bottom of the hike, we discovered we had to walk up a gully between the rocks.   Mmm didn't we just pass a sign that said "Beware of flash floods"  Thank goodness it is a beautiful sunny day.  Oh well, this is Richard and he takes me into some strange places. And I love every minute of it...after the fact.  

I happened to look up and discovered this tree up top of the rocks and loved the visual I was seeing.  Life in amongst the rocks stretching up to the sky.  Feels kind of like it made it.  

The gully took us through the rock face and it was pretty interesting to see how the area change.  The rocks were closer together.  There was lots of tiny stones on the floor bed.    

Barry felt like I should have at least one photograph of myself on this vacations, so here is yours truly hiking through the Valley of Fire. Of course, I had to climb up on a rock for him to take the photo.  Eye's feet guys. 

The gully suddenly narrowed and you find yourself walking through a passage of high walls. Not quite knowing where you are going while thinking, it is a beautiful day, no flash floods happening today.  

And then comes the tough part.....the ascent.  Oh yes, we got down and now we have to go all the way back up again.  And as we climb the rocks are once again changing color and we find ourselves moving from the red rock, to more of a golden yellow rock as you can see in the distance.  Little did I realize that this ascent would be brief and we would go down again before we would go up.  

Beautiful changing colors.  I cannot help but be impressed.  The scenery is stunning and I am not able to do the full justice it deserves.  Perhaps one day we will find our way back to the Valley of Fire.  And if not there, then I am aiming for Sedona, in Arizona, because I have seen some spectacular photo's of multi-layer, multicolored rock.  

There is so much more, but for my 30 minutes, this is where I leave off.  I am reminded that when we go into these places we should leave them better than what we found them.  And so today, Barry left a little bit of zen behind.  

I hope you enjoyed my 30 minutes of hiking through the White Domes, in the Valley of Fire, near Overton, Nevada.  There is a stillness in there that speaks to my soul.  That leaves me with a sense of peace.  This is more than just a pile of rocks, this is creation at it's finest.  

“Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing.”  ~ Barry Finlay, Kilimanjaro and Beyond

Don't forget to follow the circle and see what Paige Everson: Sweet Magnolia Photography, NY has for you.

Project 10 Challenge: Alone: Feb/Mar 2014

Most people who know me automatically assume that I am a social person.  In many ways I am.  I love to gather people together, I love having friends around, I love connecting via events and I love having my family and their friends at home.  

However, there is another side of me that I find emerging so much more as the years go by. In the hustle and bustle and busyness of work, home, volunteering, and photography, I find myself craving and coveting alone time.  I love to be quiet. I love to do my own thing.  To take a book and settle into the sofa and just read.

This particular morning I worked from home, and I like to take my coffee and breakfast and head out on the deck and just enjoy the early morning quiet time.

Sitting there this particular morning, I realized very quickly that although I am alone, in the sense that I am by myself, I really am never alone.  Nature has a way of keeping you company. And if you know anything about me, nature is a very big part of my life and I love to photograph nature.  

So join me as I head out onto my deck for my "alone" time.  My view from my seat is of the Florida Everglades.  This is one of my favorite spots on a cool day or when the sun is setting. There is so much nature outside our back door.

My chair on the deck is comfortable and I am able to just relax and chill out and be at peace with  my life, my soul and everything that is so busy around me.  

And suddenly I am not alone....my first visitor is creation at it's meekest.  The mourning dove is waiting for me to feed the ducks.

My next guest is a routine occurrence morning and night.  The mallard will head up the bank and wait near the top of the grass for me to bring it's food out.  When I walk out on the grass it scurries off to the water and slips onto it and swims away from me.  As soon as I put the birds seed down and walk away to go and sit down it will swim back.  Some days we just have one, other days there can be as many as 12...and then we have a few disgruntled ducks.

This particular morning I had put peanuts out for the squirrel.  I think she is feeding and I wanted to make sure she had nourishment.  Next thing I know I have a blue jay looking at the peanuts.

And then quickly it snatches one and flies off.

 It did not take too long for the squirrel to realize that the Blue Jay was stealing its peanuts and quickly made a dash for them.  By this time I figured the Blue Jay had stolen enough peanuts and put the rest in the squirrel box. 

She's a quick mover.  Grabbing her single peanut and then getting out the box before the Blue Jay starts looking at her peanuts again.

She will sit on the edge of her box and nibble away at the shell until she gets to the peanut and then she will gobble it quickly before heading back into the box to get another.

While the squirrel is protecting and eating her nuts, along comes an Ibis and it is after the duck seed. Seems like a lot of stealing going on this morning. This is a new occurrence.  The Ibis will walk out onto the dock, and eat the seed that has fallen between the slats.

Finally if I walk out onto the bank and look down the canal, there is a bald headed eagle pair nesting in the trees.  They come back every year to mate, lay eggs and raise chicks.  My zoom is not high enough to get up close to them but if you look at the top of the tree on the left the mate is sitting up there.  

I hope you enjoyed my "alone" time.  I am by myself but I am not alone.  Nature has a way of keeping me company.  

Remember next time you are alone, to stop and listen to what creation has to say to you.  

“The earth has music for those who listen.” 

~ George Santayana

Tell Me a Story: February 2014

I recently went to the Renaissance Fair.  What an amazing adventure.  Color abounds. Characteristic folks are all over the place.  If you did not read my previous blog, click here to read all about it.  As I mentioned in the previous blog I felt like I had entered the world of the "Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer. The characters felt like they were right out of the tales, and the authenticity of the period displayed was so good. Typically when you go to a fair the merchants are just that, merchants, but at this event they are all dressed in costume making it feel like a real historical event.  Even though I did not, I almost feel like it should be compulsory for one to dress up to attend this event. For this blog join me as I continue to venture through the fairgrounds meeting and learning about new people.  I chose to uses faces that intrigued me.

"Ats for sale, ats for sale.  Come up and choose your at.".  

Tiny hats perched on the tip of your head, all custome made with beautiful feathers, and lace and ribbon.  Don't forget to stop on by and choose a "at". This lady caught my attention initially because of the wings on her back but the more I look at her I am captured by her sweet face and the gentleness that her posture shows.  

“Whatever you are physically...male or female, strong or weak, ill or healthy--all those things matter less than what your heart contains. If you have the soul of a warrior, you are a warrior. All those other things, they are the glass that contains the lamp, but you are the light inside.” 

~ Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Angel

This made me thing of a lady warrior in the days gone.  To name a few 1236- 1272 CE - Eleanor of Provence, 1295-1374 CE- Joanna of Flanders, 1312-1369 CE - Agnes Randolph, 1378-? CE Agnes Hotot Dudley.  I love the punkish look that the Mohawk gives, and the shaved sides of her head.  She is comfortable in her body and strides along without looking left or right. It is that confidence that caught my attention and it appears the attention of the elf.

How can you still count yourself a knight, when you have forsaken every vow you ever swore?" 

Jaime reached for the flagon to refill his cup. "So many vows...they make you swear and swear. Defend the king. Obey the king. Keep his secrets. Do his bidding. Your life for his. But obey your father. Love your sister. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Respect the gods. Obey the laws. It's too much. No matter what you do, you're forsaking one vow or the other.” 

~ George R.R. Martin, A Clash of Kings

Knights in shining armor, okay so maybe there was no armor, but we could pretend.  There were horses, and jousting, and swords and kings and queens. Fare thee well my good knight? This knight looked like he had a secret.  There is something in his smile that suggests that this may be the case.  

 “If I take a tumble, I'll mae quite a splash, but at least I won't smash against the deck and make a mess. Still be dead, though.” 

~ L.A. Meyer, Bloody Jack:  Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship Boy

The Golden Age of Piracy spans from the 1650's to 1730's.  The Port Royal Buccaneers do a great depiction of those times with pirates, and wenches and stories of old. Firing of cannons, both little and large.  Great booms sound in the skys.  For all intents and purposes this pirate looked a bit scary, however, I was so drawn in to depth of his eyes.  

"Taken my fingers to the bone, I have"

Tavern wenches hung out and about the fair, many with the pirates, some in the pubs, or where the music was being played.  Typically the breasts pushed out of the tops with tight corsets pulling their stomachs in.

I took a series of photos of this woman - she laughed comfortably with the pirates and enjoyed the banter that went backwards and forwards.  

There is a haunting innocence in this woman's demeanor.  I loved the softness of her look.

What fun these ladies were.  They were hanging out around the pub, enjoying the music, time with the pirates, and a little bit of tavern fun.  

“Dragons and legends...It would have been difficult for any man not to want to fight beside a dragon.”
~ Patricia Briggs, Dragon Blood

Riding the sea dragon was poetry in motion.  From the time he pushed the dragon to start moving to and fro, I was spellbound.  When he climbed atop I held my breath.  When he stood on it's head as the dragon swayed backwards and forward, I closed my eyes.  And when he did a somersault to the ground I knew the time that I had just given up was worth every minute.  

“What did she say? Just what she ought, of course. A lady always does” 

~ Jane Austen, Emma

Sometimes I was not sure whether ladies were characters playing a part of visitors deciding to dress up.  These three ladies I believe were visitors to the event and not working characters.

The gentle sophistication of this woman caught my eye.  

Oh what firey hair.  I had to take this photo.  She was young and sweet, dressed in a simple maids outfit, she walked the fair with her friends, laughing and smiling. I know I was not the only person who stopped and asked her if they could take her photo.

Feathers and finery.  The Renaissance fair is exactly where you will find this. What fun and what confidence she has to walked around with all those feathers in her hair.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" according to Lady Ettie

This colorful character spends her time advising guests on etiquette and deportment.  While I never got the chance to interact with Lady Ettie, I did watch her lead the parade of characters with gusto and real enjoyment in her role. 

In Dublins fair City, where the girls are so pretty,

I once met a girl called sweet Molly Malone,

As she wheeled her whelbarrow, throught the streets broad and narrow,

Crying cockles and mussels Alive alive o

The gesture said "Do you want to take a photo?", my answer was "absolutely. and so he raised the fiddle to his chin, and gladly played me a tune.  Celtic musics is one of my favorites. It gets my feet a-tapping and reminds me of my family history and the generations which have gone before.  

I hope you have enjoyed another part of my time at the Renaissance Fair.  I thoroughly enjoyed the day, enjoyed interacting with the characters and I know I will definitely go back.  In fact I may even find myself back there for the Celtic Weekend.    Remember to look out for my final blog on the potter.  

Don't forget to follow the link and see what Melinda Sauvageau has for you this month.