Blue Ridge blog

Release

Weird as it may seem, this was the very first shot I took of the dandelion and the only almost successful one. It seemed so simple with the first shot; I plucked the dandelion at the base, poked it into a stick of a small tree, used my SB-800 in off-camera remote mode and waited for a gusty breeze. That's all. I took many shots while folks passing in Valle Crucis park wondered what the heck I was doing. I like this shot. My only criticism of it is I wish there had been a couple of fluffy out-of-focus clouds in the background and that the released seeds weren't blurred so much. I reckon they were in a hurry to depart the mothership. Frankly, I blame my Nikon D70. It ain't up to rapid fire required for this particular task. Oh well.

On the family side:
Both my girls are in pre-AP-exam mode. How to I recognize the signs? Easy. Both are voluntarily cleaning their rooms. Talk about activity avoidance. My eldest did say today that this upcoming week would be the worst one of her life with the stress of 3 APs and one AP project due, but she is looking forward to life afterward. I resisted the tempatation of telling her all about college exams.

You gotta go see This photo (scroll down to bottom) which offers a whole new meaning to the question, 'Who's your daddy?'
Oh but wait. The daddy stories get better. Imagine hearing this:
"Honey, our baby just fell into the septic tank"
I shared both of the image and story with my daughters who immediately empathized with each of the toddlers. And I offer a personal thanks to my own father who I am sure struggled to resist similiar temptations...

Turning a new leaf...

After a recent freeze the trees in our area had to quickly change their course of direction and hold off on spring just a while longer. Yesterday the spring recommenced. Officially though the spring isn't here until the leaves are big enough on the trees lining my driveway to disrupt the satellite radio service in my Jeep.

I promised myself I would turn a new leaf this Saturday and would only pick up my camera once... to take photos of a Lacrosse game. Instead of giving my Nikon attention, I will have a hot and heavy date with my husband as we pressure wash the deck and home... Some new direction, huh?

Ttv Barn

Oh my. I spent all afternoon shooting spring with all my cameras. Still playing with the Ttv. This shot of the barn behind Dutch Creek Trails was taken with both my Nikon and a Yashica which sports a funky viewfinder.
Gotta run. Gonna go to the Special Olympics which is perhaps one of my favorite events to cover. Much more later. But first here is a shout out to Betty who made me feel special today. Thanks.

The South Fork of the New River in Boone, NC

This is my current favorite view from Brookshire Park in Boone. I stole a few minutes from work late yesterday afternoon to whirl the track with my camera keeping me company. I've noticed the leaves that a couple of weeks ago that were so ready to paint the town green have shown a bit more restraint the second time spring makes it mountain debut.

Earth Day 2007--Appalachian Style, of course...

I enjoyed watching Ted and Barney get in touch with the earth yesterday as they plowed a field behind the Mast Store yesterday. But frankly, my own call to the wild today was oh so much more satisfying.
I was compelled by the forces of nature to go for a run/hike. I was not alone. In fact, like ants to a Parkway picnic, all of humanity in the tri-state region received the same inner calling as me: "Be outside-Go to any vacant spot to be found on the Blue Ridge Parkway between mile marker 290 and 305."
I listened to the voices and heeded them, as did everyone else.

I chose to run at mile marker 295 or there abouts the 2.3 mile path circling Price Lake as it felt like the right thing to do. As I climbed the trail I scurried around tree roots as my toes skipped rocks. Every once in a while a birch tree would be close enough for me to wrap an arm around it so I could catapult myself onto a switchback. As I focused on the path the rhododendron shadows offered me a 5 fingered wave as if to say, 'Remember us? We have also unfurled ourselves, released finally from last week's late winter grip."
I passed beaver fallen trees and maneuvered around storm-downed branches while my own limbs stretched in revival. Towards the end of my run I crossed a sunny purple patch a violets, bending their petals in my wake as if in a personal shout out: "See, you are in a renaissance, just like us. Welcome Back to planet Earth."

Quick and dirty info on individual Blue Ridge Parkway Milemarkers may be found Here.

Bloggers at Appalachian Roots Revival

While waiting in line to enter the Appalachian Roots Revivial I saw my first butterfly of the season. I noticed the butterfly first then saw the car in front of me had a license plate which read 'Ashvegas.' What are the odds it would be the blogger Ashvegas ? All it takes is checking out the dude as he talks to the parking attendant and then walk up to him in the Will Call line and ask if he Ashvegas. He was way cool with the encounter. Wish I had not been working because I really would have loved to set down a blanket, pull out a beer and talk. Such is my working life...snippets here, snippets there.

Ditto with these folks...
Meet Delane's cousin Mark and his lovely wife Susan. As I walked by their blanket today cute Susan was so polite in approaching me. "Excuse me. Are you..umm, do you have a blog called "Blue Ridge?" I talked to them for a few minutes and again, I hated having to move on.

So instead of spending time with these bloggers on a Saturday evening, I am editing hundreds of photos...
I so hope y'all enjoyed the concert. Hope it happens again next year. It is on my must-do-again list. The music was fantastic.

What is my favorite radio station? It is WNCW and you too can listen to your Appalachian roots online anytime you want.

P.S. Gnumoon was there as well. I'm sure she'll have photos as well...

Ttv Mast Store and Ttv Harley..

I have grass stained knees and that's a good thing. It means I've been outside shooting and the weather is warm enough for me to exchange my wintertime uniform of jeans and hoodie for that of my springtime extravagant white t-shirt and running shorts. Last week sometime, Kathleen Connally of Durham township posted a photo on her blog of a daffodil shot through the viewfinder(Ttv) of an old camera. At first I thought it was just Kathleen creating her usual groovy photos and I didn't want to copy her style. But then as I was looking over the works of another fantastic photographer, Bonnie, I saw she had a whole flickr set of Ttv photos. It was then I thought to myself, whoa, I can finally make use of some of the old cameras I have in my collection. I certainly don't have the process down pat, but am thrilled to be using my Spartus Full-Vue and Brownie Reflex cameras. Ttv is a well known craze and even though I am late, I'm still jumping on board...
Now y'all 'scuse me. I need to go scrub my knees and dress for my daughter's final performance with the Appalachian Symphony Orchestra. They are playing Stravinsky's 'Firebird.'

**Update**
The Spartus Full-Vue camera was my dad's a VERY LONG TIME AGO. And Dad, Harley sends her love.
**Update#2**
Oh LOOK! photographer Ron of Dujour does Ttv as well. I'm late to the party.

Little Happy Moments

Indulge me for a moment while I post this photo of my Eldest (the blonde) warming up with her teammates before a track conference meet yesterday.

"We even grieve in Hi-Def," he said.

I am out and about taking photos but I pause just a moment to share with you a phrase I tripped upon at Lenslinger's in which the TV Photog described the over saturated coverage of media on the Virginia Tech campus and the resulting pyschological phenomenom of 24 hour grieving from afar.

"This is, afterall, America in the year 2007. We even grieve in Hi-Def."

Go read the entire post here .
I have mixed emotions about the coverage but I do love it when someone coins a new phrase.