Sunshine and Photography

On my recent writers' retreat, I was lucky enough to go walking with a friend who is an artist.
She noted how I was attracted to sunburst pictures.

And it's true. I'm frequently taking pictures with the sun shining through the trees or over the horizon.

I love the lines of light that peek through the forest. 

The lines of the fallen tree in this one caught my eye. 

More sunburst in the woods -- different day. 

My artist friend explained that what I  needed to do was take pictures of the sun shining on objects instead.

And she took a picture of me with the sun illuminating my face. 

So as I walked alone in the woods a few days later (see my previous  post) when I was sure that a bear wouldn't chase me down, I took some selfies of the sun lighting my face.

Here's my first selfie attempt. 

I like this one much better with the way the light shines on my eyes.

I'll continue to experiment with light and photography and hope that my pictures get better as I prepare for my move to France.

In the Woods With a Wolf

I'm still in denial about some difficulties that we've had this fall, so I'll write another happy post. This one includes pictures of Grace.
Grace is working a lot and auditioning for plays since finishing her role as Nancy in Oliver.
A photographer friend asked her to pose with a wolf as publicity both for the photographer, Candid Kama Photography, and for the wolf rescue place.
Grace convinced her boyfriend Jack and her friends Kyle and Rachel to pose with her. They all dressed up in Victorian clothes for the shoot.
I can't believe that Jack had a Victorian suit, including a top hat that flattens and pops up.

This is my favorite with Grace and the wolf in the woods. 

 And another one that I liked was this reflective picture. When I first saw it, I only saw the bottom and I wondered why they posted it upside down. Then I scrolled up and saw that the reflection was just incredibly clear.

So Grace is doing well, other than working too much.
And someday soon, I'll be ready to write about the challenges we've faced this fall.

Florida Sunrise

I'm on a short visit to my parents' house in Florida, and one of my favorite things is my first run. The scenery is so strikingly different from the my usual runs in Ohio.
When I woke up, late for me, at 6:41 a.m., I was surprised that the sun wasn't up yet. But I had to remind myself that during the summer, the sun is positioned in the north. I had time to get up and get dressed for a run as the sun rose.
I could hear the Sandhill Cranes calling out a warning and I looked around nervously for the big loud birds that travel in packs, but I didn't see any.
It's the time of  year in Florida when thunderstorms strike every day, usually in the afternoon, but the way the clouds were building up this morning, I wouldn't have been surprised to see a thunder storm brewing in the morning.

As I ran on around the lake, I saw that some fishermen had gotten a jump on me that morning as they were already casting while the sun rose behind the clouds.

I followed my run with a dip in the pool, which is again, something that I don't get at home.

Lovely to spend time with my parents and to soak in the beautiful scenery.