i(n)sight

Obviously, I have too much time on my hands at the moment. I think it's a cool pic nonetheless.

colorado

Below are a few pictures which I enjoy from my recent trip out to Colorado. I miss the immensity of nature and the feeling of magnificence that I get hiking is such an amazing surrounding; I think this is why I love the West so much and am longing to return permanently to it in the next few years.

The mountains from our bedroom window the morning we were leaving to come back to the east coast (hard to leave).

Waterfall on the ascent to the Mohawk lakes outside of Breckenridge, CO.

Waterfall during a hike to an unnamed alpine lake, hike was the McCullough Gulch trail. Quite a nice hike and highly recommended; also outside Breckenridge.

Sunset on Vail Mt. the last night of our trip. The peak mid-left is Mt. of The Holy Cross.

mixing bowl

Just a few different things. First, I thought I'd share my first every successful panorama. It's of Manasatash Lake in the Wenatchee National Forest. We hiked out there this past Sunday. Very beautiful.
Also, I've been listening to a lot of WILCO & live solo Jeff Tweedy lately. If you haven't checked out WILCO's album "Summerteeth" you should go buy it. It's well work your time. "She's A Jar" & "Shot In The Arm" are two album highlights. I'll leave you with the lyrics from "She's A Jar":

She's a jar
With a heavy lid
My pop quiz kid
A sleepy kisser
A pretty war
With feelings hid
She begs me not to miss her

She says forever
To light a fuse
We could use
A handful of wheel
And a day off
And a bruised road
However, you might feel
Tonight is real

When I forget how to talk, I sing
Won't you please
Bring that flash to shine
And turn my eyes red
Unless they close
When you click
And my face gets sick
Stuck, like a question unposed

Just climb aboard
The tracks of a train's arm
In my fragile family tree
And watch me floating inches above
The people underneath

Please beware the quiet front yard
I warned you
Before there were water skies
I warned you not to drive
Dry your eyes, you poor devil

Are there really ones like these?
The ones I dream
Float like leaves
And freeze to spread skeleton wings
I passed through before I knew you

I believe it's just because
Daddy's payday is not enough
Oh I believe it's all because
Daddy's payday is not enough

Just climb aboard
The tracks of a train's arm
In my fragile family tree

And watch me floating inches above
The people underneath

She's a jar
With a heavy lid
My pop quiz kid
A sleepy kisser
A pretty war
With feelings hid

You know she begs me
Not to hit her

birth

06.20.1975 - Happy Birthday too me.

skie

As, I continue to dabble in photography I find that, other than taking picture's of my daughter, I greatly enjoy trying to frame trees & clouds in new & interesting compositions. So, tonight is a post solely dedicated to the sky & all it's wonders.
The first 3 pictures are taken here in the Kittitas Valley in Washington State. The 4th & 5th pictures are from Wyoming last year on our migration out West from the East Coast. The remaining pictures are from various points in the Shenandoah Valley back in Virginia. Hope you enjoy.

natura

Yesterday, I was able to "check out" of civilization for a few hours and go on a 9 mile hike in the surrounding woods of the Kittitas valley. I love being out in nature, I feel the closest to God when I am totally alone surrounded by his creation. The raw nature that I find in the untamed hills surrounding our home also quenches my need for adventure. I'm never sure if I'll step on a rattlesnake, be stalked by a mountain lion, or maybe surprise a sleeping elk or deer.......perhaps a slumbering bear!?! As I meander back down the trail, in the gray twilight of the night, my spirit was calm and quiet, ready to start a new week.
The top two pic's are of Mt. Stuart in the Cascade mountain range. The next one is of Mt. Rainer as the sun was beginning to set to her right. The last one is a random picture of a lone tree on a hill. I'm growing a strong affinity to lone trees. Not sure where to go with that thought. Anyway, have a good week.

unnamed

This is just a post with no real theme, perhaps a photographic cyclothymic trip. So enjoy, or don't, I guess it depends on where you're at on the swing of things.

photoxpressions 07 - blue period

As winter crept into the valley of Whispering Pines, it has swept away the color and left us with shades of whites & blues. We've seen two snowstorms, one day without power, and numerous little dusting's of snow since Thanksgiving. I've also had the pleasure of experiencing freezing fog, something of an oddity, which lives here in the valley during winter mornings and livens up my morning commutes to the office.
Rae says that the valley reminds her of Narnia under the White Witch's rule. I am reminiscence of Picasso during his "Blue Period", which has inspired these pictures and this post. All pic's shot with "cyanotype color setting" on the trusty Nikon.

photoxpressions 06 - fatherhood

Daily it sinks in, the magnitude of responsibility that has been endowed upon Rae & I with this new gift. As I hold my child in my two hands, totally dependent on her parents, I am able to gain a small glimpse through Christ's eyes, to mankind's true relationship with God. It also amazes me that, at two in the morning, I can feel such extreme emotions; fatigue, love, frustration, anxiety - all at the same time as I try to quiet and console my daughter.

photoxpressions 05 - WA living

Greetings from Whispering Pines. Just a lazy Sunday afternoon here as I look out at the intermittent rain showers rolling in from the north. I was planning to go hiking this afternoon but 35-40 mph wind gusts and a temperature of 37 degrees kept me inside. Yeah, I'm a pansy like that. Instead, I decided to browse through some pictures from our first 3 months here in Washington, which is what prompted this post. The first 2 pictures are from Manastash Ridge a few weeks ago. The blue sky with the cool clouds is from our weekend trip to Spokane, WA earlier this month. The fence post pic is from an unnamed trail, on the opposing, north side of the Kittitas valley. Second to last is a shot of the original Starbuck's in Seattle at Pike Place Market. And lastly is the pooch, Lance, lazily sunning in our living room here at Whispering Pines.
Have a good week. If you have a second check this out, a great concert that Rae & I have been absorbing this past week.

photoxpressions 04 - mt. rainier nat. park

Just some pic's from our past two excursions to Mt. Rainier National Park. Rae & I were recently tipped off, that, during August the snow-line on the mountain recedes back enough for the alpine meadows to have a glorious burst of color as the wildflower's bloom in late Summer. The snow melt also creates the lightest blue ponds in the recesses of the valley's which reflect Mt. Rainier majestically.


The next item is an attempt at trick videography which I may have failed miserably at. This was a small trickle next to a waterfall that I thought would appear to flow across the screen if recorded sideways......not sure if I captured it but I figured I'd at least see what others thought of it:

photoxpressions 03

I figure if my back is still sore then I have just cause to make other's suffer through a few more pic's from the move. Now I promise to move on to other topics.