Tag Archives: photography

Ferry Riding in the Pacific Northwest

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I am waiting in line for the ferry. At least twice a week I can make this statement. This is what happens when one lives in the Northwest and wants to connect to the mainland or to other islands.

Maybe after living here long enough the ferry rides are no event but currently, well I just love the ferries. I like short rides. I like long rides. I love being in the front and once I was in the very back. I was the last vehicle on board.

Ferries are extensions of roads. When the schedule gets off, it affects a lot of people. Once I was on Vancouver Island in Canada and my ferry was canceled. I had to find a different route to get off the Island and get on another ferry to go to another island. It was messy but it worked. I understand after that event, ferries are essential for those who live on the many islands in Washington state and British Columbia.

Why am I waiting for a ferry? Where am I? Where am I going? Twice a week I travel from Whidbey Island to the mainland to see a sports medicine chiropractor. I have issues with my left Achilles and with his help, my heel is slowly improving.

One day my friends, Melissa and Will, and I took the ferry as walk-on’s to Port Townsend for the afternoon. We wandered, had lunch, and then returned late in the day. All that for $4.30. It felt like I was on a mini-vacation.

Friday Harbor, San Juan Island

A week ago I took the ferry on my longest ride yet. I went to San Juan Island for a week to visit Pat, a friend, and a fellow photographer. Pat has lived on this island for many years and I feel fortunate to have such a knowledgeable friend and guide. We talked and had fun and took pictures.

We traveled a lot on the island. We hiked to interesting and unusual places. One day we saw Orcas. Every late afternoon we would drive to this gravel road and wait for the foxes to come out. Yes, foxes. There are red foxes on this island and if one is fortunate you will get a chance to see them as they hunt in the fields and ditches. The first night we saw several, I really can’t remember what the count was.

After that first night, we decided to take our dinner and sit in the rig, on the dirt road and wait. There were never as many foxes as that first night. It didn’t seem to matter we were happy with what we saw.

This is the fun of being with another photographer. We share a common interest. Both of us got excited when we saw any moving thing. It didn’t matter how long we sat there and waited. When the next late afternoon would arrive we would look at each other and say “Foxes!”. And off we would go.

Mulkiteo Lighthouse

Now I am back on Whidbey Island and enjoying my short ferry rides to the mainland and back. I find the ferry rides add a bit of adventure and excitement to my day. I have to time my departure from the island to make it on time for my appointment. If I arrive on the mainland side early, I spend time exploring the port town of Mulkiteo. There is a beautiful lighthouse on the “Sound”

My time on Whidbey Island is winding down. I will be heading south at the end of October. I will miss my ferry rides. These are moments to relax, contemplate or read a book. I have learned patience and discovered a bit of joy in the wait.

Today I am grateful to have discovered island living and the fun of riding the ferries.

A view from the stern of the Ferry

Finding Lessons Everywhere

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This past summer I became involved in an online game for photographers called GuruShots. I have belonged to this site for a while, using it as a way to explore what photographers are doing and expanding my skills and knowledge. This past summer I decided to join a team and explore what this aspect of the game was about.

The team chooses a theme challenge and competes against another team. For example, the current theme is “24 Hours”. The challenges last from a few hours to a day. What do we win? Knowledge, points, and a progression up the board of the game.

I joined the Photography Friends team. I chose this team because of the team description.

“Our team objective is to share in the joy of photography and learn from each other in a friendly atmosphere. Although winning matches and advancing our team is great, it is not our primary goal. If this sounds good to you, please join us.”

I have been learning a lot. I have discovered photos that I had forgotten about and have been amazed at some of my work. I have also been making new friends from around the world.

“Freedom” was the theme of a challenge a few weeks back. The team chose it because it seemed to be an easy challenge to find photos that represented the theme. I began to think about what freedom meant. It would be easy to put up a photo of an eagle or the Flag. This is an international community and those photos lose their meaning once you embrace the world.

I entered photos and they did well. Do I think they represented the topic? No, not really.

These are the four photos. You can double click on them to enlarge them.


Freedom means more to me with each passing day, during this current state of affairs in this country. Freedom means that my voice is heard. When did this country stop respecting the freedom and respect of religious choice? Freedom means I can walk down the street and feel safe and secure. I may feel safe and secure, yet not everyone has that choice and that walk is not free to all.

Freedom means one thing to people with wealth. Freedom may have another meaning to someone homeless and on the streets or existing on a low-income wage.

The more I thought of this contest and the pictures I added the more I felt like I copped out. This was an opportunity for me to address freedom. It may have taken more effort to go out and find symbols of freedom to photograph. What would those symbols be? The freedom to protest. I believe I could have found a symbol of this today. Black Lives Matter. There would have been many opportunities to find symbols of religious freedom. A photograph of the word Voice would have been appropriate and meaningful.

What began as a simple contest evolved into much more as I began to contemplate what freedom really means to me, to this country, and to the world.

Today I would like to commit myself to help others experience freedom without fear. Today I am grateful to experience freedom in all its unique and usual forms. I also make a promise to myself not to cop out when a topic such as this surfaces again.

Safari

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Safari in Kenya, with Pangolin Photo Safaris, was a major adventure. It was thrilling and tiring. I traveled to the Masai Mara for five days and continued on to the Samburu Reserve in northern Kenya for three nights.

There were twelve people on the Masai Mara part of our trip and eight continued on to Sambura. They were all ages and from all parts of the world. Many of the attendees had traveled with Pangolin before. When guests return to the same company for new adventures, it says a lot about the company and the hosts and in this case our photography educators.

Gerhard “Guts” Swanepoel and Janine Krayer are the professional photographers and managers of the tour to both destinations. Guts is a co-founder of Pangolin Photo Safaris. Andreas Knausenberger, another well known wildlife photographer and organizer for the company,  joined the group for the Masai Mara portion of the trip. All three of the photographers were personable and worked hard to meet the guests needs.

Our Safari Vehicles

There were only four guests in each jeep and the photographers rotated jeeps each day. It was interesting to have different techniques introduced each day. The teaching styles of the teachers were different and complemented each other.

 We were awake before dawn, boarded our Safari vehicles and took off around sunrise. Animals and birds are much more active during that time of the day and later in the afternoon. We stayed out all day, stopping for breakfast and lunch out in the bush. As the sun was finally touching the horizon and dusk was settling in, our drivers would make a mad dash to get back to camp. In the Masai Mara they are not allowed to be out in the park after dark. Sumbara was similar. Dinner was at eight and then we made our way back to our tents so we could do it all again the next day. 

Learning techniques

This was a Photo Safari. Besides seeing animals (yes we did see many) I was learning to improve my nature photography skills. And here is what I have learned so far…I am such a raw beginner. It was a very humbling experience to be around so many good photographers that often spoke a language I did not understand. I am returning state side with new tricks in my pocket. I know I will not remember all the things I learned, yet, I will stumble through my learning curve, pick myself up and move forward with improved photography skills. Not only was I weary from a long day out in the reserves, but my brain was also overwhelmed with information. I found, by the evening, I was physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. 

Did I love being out in nature? You bet. Being in the “outback” is thriving for me. I love hearing the lion roar and the hyena laugh. The birds are amazing. Each morning I awoke to the wonderful sounds of exotic birds. The most marvelous sounding birds were often the plainest to observe. 

Our accommodations were top notch and the food was amazing. I have finally come to understand the term “Glamping”. At each camp there was a chef and his assistants. We were served three course meals. Everything I ate was tasty. I did not lose weight on Safari.

The rooms were canvas cabins at the Mara Bush Camp and beautiful hotel room-type accommodations at Saruni Samburu. The Saruni hotel was on top of a cliff and was eco-designed to fit into its environment. Our bathroom had a rock wall in the back of the bathroom. The shower was outside. It was warm and lovely, taking a shower with a gentle wind blowing.

wildebeests Great Migration

The animal activity was amazing. There was nothing missing from this adventure. I saw lions, many, many lions, cheetahs resting and on the hunt, a leopard in a tree with his kill nearby, hyenas, and so much more. And then there were the wildebeests. I was able to witness the river crossings of hundreds upon hundreds of wildebeests. They leaped and ran and swam. The zebras joined then at these river crossing events. Most made it yet some were pulled down for a crocodile’s dinner. The hippos would move out of the way during these crossings and observe. These were definitely worthy National Geographic moments.

Now I have returned state side and am beginning the drive west from New Jersey. Once again Miss Elsie the cat joins me. I have been on the road for about 6 days. I am planning to be back in the southwestern United States by the third week in October. Surgery is pending. I am glad I put this procedure off until fall. I had a wonderful time exploring the magic that is Africa.

A New Adventure in Art

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watercolor painting-The Morning Run

In 1991 I began a study of watercolor art. I loved painting and expanding my horizons in a new direction. It was a totally unexpected exploration. One day I mentioned to Jim, my husband, that it would be fun to take a few watercolor lessons from a mutual friend and dancer, Hannah. Jim bought me my first lessons. I continued to study with Hannah for a year. It took me to places within myself that I never expected to go. Jim, it appears was my muse.

watercolor painting-Exploring Summer

watercolor painting-An Evening Stroll

Although I think about my brushes often, and I carry them with me wherever I wander, since Jim’s death I have very rarely picked up my paint brushes.  I don’t know what makes me hesitate to pick them up. I wonder at times if it is grief or lost of interest or the fact that I know the first several attempts will be feeble at best. It may just have performance anxiety.

My artistic flare has turned to a new direction. I love to take photos. As with my watercolors my photos seem to be eclectic, although my main focus is on nature and those wild places I love to explore. Over the past five years, I have shared several in the posts on this blog.

 

With the encouragement of some of my professional photographer friends I have been putting together a website featuring my photos. I like the line of it. It is clean and simple and easy to navigate. It will be a changing site as I add more photos, delete others and explore how to improve the site and make it better. All the photos are for sale and I am willing to work with special requests.

 

Click on the link below and it will take you to my website

www.jarnoldarts.com

This is the official announcement of my new photographic website, going live. As with this blog, come and explore. The slideshow on the home page is slow to start, be patient and wait. It is worth it.

 

 

Share the site with your friends and family. Offer me your feedback and suggestions. I will consider wisely, all comments.

If you like what you see come back often and explore photography through an artist’s eye.

A Day at White Pocket-Final in a series of three

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White Pocket

There are moments in life, I believe, I will remember and carry forward with me for the rest of my life. Sometimes it is a chance meeting, Jim, or a wonderful movie or play. Often for me it has to do with nature. I love the outdoors. I love the wildness of it, the unpredictability of it. I have been known to stand in storms, watching the wildness of a very restless, big ocean with giant waves. Thunder-storms enthrall me. A perfect fall day, hiking through the woods can ease a restless soul.

When my friend and mentor, Mary and I arrived in Kanab, I was introduced to two good friends of Mary’s, Sky and Bobbie. They opened their driveways to us as well as their home. When camping there is nothing better than taking a nice, long warm shower. Bobbie and Sky were gracious and wonderful hosts. And–they gave me a day of their lives to visit White Pocket.

White Pocket

Mary and I have tried for reservations for “The Wave” several times. It is a place many want to visit for its natural beauty. They allow 20 people to hike in there a day. We were thwarted on each of our attempts to visit it. Sky suggested we visit White Pocket instead. He said that it is larger than the wave and just as beautiful, if not more so.

On a lovely fall morning I joined Mary, Sky and Bobbie for 4-wheel drive to White Pocket. The ride in was bumpy and definitely needed a high clearance vehicle to get to the formations. When I first walked into the area all I could say and think was “WOW”. It seems that this word applies to most of this back country journey into southern Utah, this fall.

A pocket is usually a small area of land, this one is approximately 1 square mile, that is markedly different than the surrounding area. White Pocket is a group of domes and ridges, white and gray being the dominant color. Doesn’t sound too interesting does it? But wait, Mixed in with the predominant color are yellows, reds, oranges and more and it is swirling. This area shows upheaval in geologic time.

Remember you can click on the photos to enlarge them.

For a photographer it is eye-candy, everywhere. Yep, you can take a lot of photos here. The formations are beautiful, amazing and just wow. We climbed up and down being careful of the fragile formations as we explored this area for approximately four hours. Sky was our faithful and great tour guide. I don’t believe we missed much.

Off to the side was a cave with petroglyphs. I love this stuff. I have for years been totally fascinated by the ancient ones of the southwestern United States. I love to sit and imagine what their lives were like many hundreds of years ago. And where did they go? Lots of theories and yet no one knows for sure.

This was a memorable day. It was one more highlight of a three week journey that had many. It was the final highlight for me. I enjoyed the company of the people I was with for this day. I believe that Bobbie and I would be friends if we lived closer. I enjoyed spending time with her in the formations talking of deep and wondrous things. These are my kind of people.

Sky

Bobbie & Cyo (not sure of the spelling)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All too soon we returned to Kanab. The ride back from White Pocket and the Vermillion Cliffs was a beautiful late afternoon ride. The photo-ops continued to occur. The conversation was fun. After spending one more delightful evening with Sky and Bobbie, Mary and I departed. She was heading north and west to Oregon and I was heading east to Durango.

The Drive back to Kanab

Departure was hard for me. I enjoyed the company of the people I traveled with as much as I did the awesomeness of the places I saw. It was hard to say goodby. Teachers come in all forms in my life. People come and go, sometimes for a brief moment and others stay much longer. I can’t thank Mary enough for being a good friend and mentor. Linda, the other travel companion at the beginning of this adventure hopefully will be a life long friend. I can’t thank these two women enough for including me in their adventures and lives. Hopefully we will travel together again. Chance meetings, Bobbie and Sky and Bob in Escalante make me feel so honored and special to have met them and even for an instant, shared their lives, feelings and laughter.

Mary, Linda, Janet

Today I am thankful for September, for the wide open expanses, for the quiet, peace and solitude of the back country.

Today I am thankful for friends.

Birding in Patagonia….Arizona

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Have you ever been to Patagonia??? Arizona??? I just returned from a week in southern Arizona visiting my friend Cat. Remember her…she was biking across the United States with her two dogs. She got as far as east of Tucson and had to change her goals once again.

Cat's home

Cat’s home

Cat’s doctors informed her that the “Bike across America” would need to go on an indefinite hold. She was without a home and wasn’t sure what to do. Cat fell in love with my small Roadtrek RV. Thinking that an RV would give her a home anywhere she wanted to be…she bought a 5th wheel (much bigger than mine) and moved in.

For the foreseeable future Cat is making Patagonia home. I decided that seeing her new RV was worth the drive and the visit. It was a great re-connection. When I arrived Dory the dog, came running out and up to the door of my RV and waited for it to magically open. She really likes me and my home on wheels. You might remember a previous post where I met up with Cat and the pups in Yuma.

What a fun 5 days that was. I have learned that people go to Patagonia to bird watch. I mean these are serious birders, folks. For a 5 day stretch I became a birder too, and, it was fun. There are a lot of birds there, of all kinds. We hiked the Nature Conservancy Reserve with  binoculars in hand. We went back to the Paton House, managed by the Audubon Society three times while I was there. For five days my binoculars were around my neck and my camera was close at hand.It was so relaxing and fun.

IMG_0759

Violet Crowned Humming Bird

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Gambles Quail


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IMG_0764

Yellow Rumped Warbler

When I was young I was in the 4-H. One of my projects was bird watching. I remember it as a time when I had a close connection to my mom, as she helped me with this project. I have never lost the interest in wild life. I have found that since Jim’s death, I have become interested in birds again. There is something soothing about watching birds. And…they  are such pretty colors. Being outside also is another bonus for me. It is a challenge to photograph them.

Cat & Janet at Paton's

Cat & Janet at Paton’s

Spending time  with Cat was also special. She and I mutually inspire each other. Our friendship is new so we are still learning about each other. I love our conversations. They are so easy and natural. Her sense of adventure exceeds mine, although I could be right behind her. She is an example of taking one day, one hour, one minute at a time and never, ever giving up. This is a reminder to me as I age, gracefully, I hope, to be willing to accept the changes that occur in life and if need be, change course. I don’t need to stop just change course.

Friendships are important. Each one is of such great value to me. I would have been very alone without my friends to support me and helping me to keep looking forward. Mostly I am happy they are more than willing to come along with me and have fun and explore our world. Each trip I take reminds me again of the value of good friends. And…I am thankful.

Cat & Janet

Cat & Janet

For those of you who are reading my blog you will notice something new. On the left side bar is now a button that says Go Fund Me. This is something new I have started at the suggestion of friends to help raise money for the Jim Fenningham Memorial Scholarship. This is a scholarship honoring my husband’s dedication to education. It is a quick and easy way to donate anything from $1 on up.