Sometimes Skies Do This And Seas Do That

So, it's monsooning ridiculously hard in Maryland, tonight - might even change to snow before it's over. Normally, I head straight for my Keys or St. Thomas pics or some such warming images. Tonight, for some reason, I'm into the doom and gloom and howling wind. The sun is supposedly coming back tomorrow, anyway. The skies and seas in this post were photographed from the balcony of our favorite motel in Kill Devil Hills, NC in 2007.

See spray? I know - so do I!

Cormorants on the wing. It was really, really dark.

Then this happened. Serious coastal rain.

Gull. Yup.

Pelicans!

Wait - is that a patch of blue?

Just enough of a break to allow for a nice sunset over the Albemarle Sound.

The following morning's sunrise wasn't perfect, but I included it here because of the sheer novelty of having been awake to shoot it. Mornings are not my thing.

But this is. Early sunshine on a churning Atlantic. Looks like something else entirely.

Back soon! :)

Of Gathering Gulls And Stormy Skies - OBX '07 Continues

Okay. Where were we? Ah yes - making our way back up the Outer Banks of North Carolina in October of 2007. We had just missed the 3:00 ferry from Cedar Island to Ocracoke, and had almost three hours to kill before the next one. There's nothing but a ferry terminal at this end of Cedar Island, so this turned out to be the most peaceful respite on the whole trip.

Keep an eye on the big seagull. It's happy hour on the sandbar and he's the host.

You have to get there early to get a good spot on the bar of sand.

"Okay guys - do what I do..."

"Free sand crab appetizers until 6:00! Woohoo!"

I like ripples. Sue me.

Looking across the harbor from our room at the Anchorage Inn: Ocracoke Lighthouse.

It had stormed ferociously the night before, and the system still lingered not far offshore as we drove NC Route 12 from town to the next ferry at the north end of Ocracoke.

Serious weather.

So, [Maris] and I are not fans of gloomy weather, and we had to talk ourselves into stopping again to shoot lighthouses under threatening skies. I'm glad we did. This kind of weather is one of the major reasons lighthouses were built. This is Hatteras Light, stoic against the gathering darkness.

And here's Bodie Island Light, being rained on - hard.

Thanks for stopping by. There's still more to come, including a recently-completed excursion to the Gulf Coast.

(Cape) Lookout! Here Comes Happy Place Number Five!

Our October 2007 excursion to the edge of North Carolina continues. We checked out of the cutest motel room ever in Topsail Beach, not quite sure of what to do next. We had already photographed all the lighthouses in the state. Our shots of Cape Lookout were dark and dreary, however, and leaving Topsail we were greeted by the above sky. Back to the tiny town with the hit-or-miss "ferry" service, and back to Cape Lookout went we.

On the island, in the shadow of Cape Lookout Lighthouse - same sky!

Awwww yeeeah...

A token shot from the old 35mm. Still gets the job done.

On Cape Lookout, all roads lead to the lighthouse. Not really. This one does, though.

View from the beach. Those black and white diamonds are significant, by the way. They are aligned north-south and east-west, as a navigational aid. Cool, non?

Dead trees, for Mom. I like 'em, too. They're like odd candelabras.

Cupola! It's WAY up there, too. Like 160 feet up there.

Despite making my poor old Cavalier run 85mph on the two-lane roads through the swamplands that made up the last 20 miles to the ferry, we missed the 3:00 boat to Ocracoke Island by about 60 seconds. First in line for the 6:00, here she sits, cooling off and waiting patiently. The extra three hours turned out to be a welcome break, and riding the ferry in the dark as thunderstorms flashed in the distance across the sound was amazing.

Two Tales Of Cape Lookout: Tale #1 - Clouds

It's not super easy to get to Cape Lookout in October, when you're trying to shoot all of North Carolina's lighthouses in less than a week. The so-called ferry services take turns operating, so you have to ask around to find out whose day it is, and the crossing can be rough. But we did it - twice. The second time was made necessary by the thick overcast of our first visit. I'll post those shots later, and you'll agree it was well worth the second trip. Above is the view from the pier.

Fluffy-looking pines and the awesome black and white tower. Those diamonds are aligned north-south and east-west, as a navigational aid.

Lizards! Still a pain to try to shoot, and as cute as ever.

'Sup?

Okay, sometimes clouds are cool.

Big. Large. Grande.

Flora on the island. This is one of the few plants that wasn't 100% thorns and stickers.

Seagull pacing the ferry as we continued south.

Crazy bird. "Look, if you don't have and potato chips, get off my boat, apes."

[Maris] and Joe fly as shadows skimming the waves en route to their next adventure...

Thanks for visiting!

Dragged Kicking And Screaming Into The Digital Age

I'm back! Here's sampling of my work with the digital format. In late 2006, I took my hard-earned little bonus from my excellent boss and picked up a shiny new 10-megapixel Nikon D-80 digital SLR. I had resisted as long as I could, but after seeing the results I got with the Kodak digital "starter" camera I'd received as a gift a couple of years prior (2.0 megapixels - responsible for the 2004 shot of Portland Head Lighthouse, above), I knew it was time. I'm *STILL* learning, by the way...

First train photographed with the D-80 - MARC's mid-afternoon westbound at Metropolitan Grove Road in Gaithersburg, MD.

En route from Maryland to Ohio for Thanksgiving 2006, we took a quick spin around the Cumberland area. I took one photo. This is a westbound empty coal train waiting for the signal at Mexico tower, and a single unit that thinks it can sneak out of the yard if it keeps its headlight off and goes really, really slowly.

In general, zoos kind of bum me out, but these prairie dogs at Washington's National Zoo in June 2007 seemed pretty contented.

The red panda would probably have preferred a nice, thick forest in which to hide and sleep, but no. This enclosure with a half-dozen good sleeping trees will have to suffice. I try to keep in mind that many of these animals in US zoos are not just here for show; they're here in an attempt to make more of their respective species.

The site of the fake moon landing, shot with my new zoom at 450mm in September 2007.

Moth! Washington Grove, MD - September 2007. I was pushing it with the zoom, not quite far enough from my subject. Note to Santa - I need a Macro lens!

In October 2007, we took the first real photo excursion for which digital was our primary format - North Carolina's Outer, Middle and Lower Banks. This is a perfect replica of the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse, Roanoke Island.

It was a bit of a challenge to find which little boat service was operating on which day, but we persevered and made two trips to Point Lookout to shoot its spectacular tower. This one's from the sunny day.

Always dramatically curving off into the sun, is the future.

Come with me...