Penning Photography Daily

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I’m writing this early on the morning of the infamous “Black Friday” – the day after U.S. Thanksgiving Day. So called, “Black Friday” for it being the day that retailers begin to see profits for the calendar year (Black ink was used for profits, red for losses). There are all kinds of special retail sales which are good for only this day, and many are only good for the earliest of shopping hours, such as 5:30-10 a.m. I did the early shopping once and won’t go through that again.

That’s not what this post is supposed to be about, but then, I am writing this rather late in my day and my abilities to stick to a single subject are hampered by my need to go to bed!

Family is what it’s about. Thanksgiving is a time for me to give thanks for all I have. My family tops the list of that which is precious to me. As you can see, there’s a few of us in one area, the Mid-West of America. This photo represents seven households: My brother Dennis and his wife Kieran and their daughter Alyssa; My sister Trish; My niece Katherine, her husband Chris and their two sons, Charlie and Lewis (They hosted the hoard of us); My niece Sarah and her daughter Mary and son Andrew; my Niece Carrie, her husband Terry and their newborn daughter Charlotte; My niece Michele, her husband John and their daughter Caroline, their sons Jack and Reagan; and my bride Karen and our son Chris.

What fun we had.

Thank you Chris and Katherine for opening your home and hearts for us.

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My sister Trish had a Karmann-Ghia VW convertible which my Dad loaned her as her first car. She started teaching at St. Agnes Elementary School as a Kindergarten teacher in the 1970s. She’s still there.

The school was sold and is now the site of a parking ramp.

The new school is now celebrating 25 years at it’s new location.

The Karmann-Ghia? It’s whereabouts are unknown. Last seen, it had been sold to a nurse who used to work for my Dad (an OB-GYN surgeon). It was a pretty blue sporty thing.

My sister’s a pretty great teacher. A jewel beyond price for any child in her care.

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Huge.

When I saw this, I had to try to get the whole flavor of the tree by taking a set of photos for a panoramic view. It’s gargantuan.

Full of “Spanish moss” which isn’t Spanish nor moss. It’s an air-feeding plant which is not parasitic (does not harm the plant).

The branches are so long that they dip down to the ground.

For perspective, look at the bench on the right.

Amazing.

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Life is short.

Enjoy the beauty of every moment.

Some are more beautiful than others.

This one was thrilling.

Our last day at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, before returning home.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Wasn’t that nice?

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Karen’s capture of a bird on the beach at sunrise of the last day of our Myrtle Beach trip.

We’re back home!

I’m grateful for the safe trip home, and the delightful time with my Karen. Near perfect, I’d say.

Restorative for both of us and us together.

Really though, two weeks would be better.

A goal worth attaining.

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One of my favorite Pink Floyd songs is “Learning to Fly.” David Gilmour, the lead guitarist and primary vocalist in later years, as well as Nick Mason, the drummer, both are pilots (initially terrified of flying but overcame their fears). The song is all about flying.

When I saw this tonight as I was searching for a photo for today (driving 9 hours home from Knoxville, TN and didn’t take any), I thought of the phrase, Into the distance…. because of the sense of infinity here. The song lyrics came instantly thereafter. Here’s the first verse and the chorus:

Into the distance, a ribbon of black
Stretched to the point of no turning back
A flight of fancy on a windswept field
Standing alone my senses reeled
A fatal attraction is holding me fast,
How can I escape this irresistible grasp?

Can’t keep my eyes from the circling sky
Tongue-tied and twisted just an earthbound misfit, I

Have you ever felt that you are a misfit in your job, or group or any situation, and long for the feeling of belonging which is a part of the experience of being in the right place, doing the right thing, at the right time? The last line of the chorus say much to me: Tongue-tied and twisted, just an earthbound misfit, I. Sometimes I feel that way, longing to be able to capture images better in my photographs.

I feel that I’m on a grand journey of discovery here, learning to see all around me with new eyes. As I struggle to grab the daily photo to share here, I’m feeling new talent, latent for so long, learning to fly.

Nothing is quite like the exquisite feeling of wonder at seeing the photo which takes my breath away after I’ve grabbed it. I’ve had the feeling more lately. I’m pushing myself and enjoying the results.

I hope you are too.

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As we were boating around the creek which winds through Brookgreen Garden, we spied this queue of turtles clinging to a tree. They climb out of the cool waters to warm up in the sun.

The foundation that owns the 9 plantations which comprise Brookgreen Garden, have allowed all the rice fields to return to nature. The rice plantation owners had their thousands of slaves clear-cut all natural forest, removed all the stumps and built up land for the fields of rice. These lands still bear the marks of hundreds of years of rice growing via flooding. Since around 1930, these fields have been gradually returning to a natural state. Fascinating history here.

How can I make a difference? Every day, with every one I meet. We all need a bit of warmth. Even the land.