Category Archives: Photography

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Life

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As you view these images, I am off to see my parents for some Mother’s Day / Father’s Day celebrating.

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Following that, I’ll participate in a Saturday Board Meeting for the Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners.

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Then I’ll get to spend the evening with a long time friend and fellow photographer.

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And hopefully, all of that work and play will be followed by a belated birthday celebration with my sister.

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These images were taken during an evening with friends last week.  Life, and all it’s gifts and challenges, has prevented this group of women from gathering lately.  On Friday, we finally got to sit around the fire, enjoy delicious food and drink, and the company of folks who know you well and love you despite your, shall we call them, less attractive, traits.

Enjoy the weekend, everyone!  I’ll catch up with you when I get back.

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Riding on International Female Ride Day

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In it’s 10th year, International Female Ride Day (IFRD) is a one-day, globally synchronized ride exclusively for women motorcyclists.

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Having found out about IFRD too late to organize a group ride, I was none the less determined to get on the bike.  Okay, let’s be honest.  I was determined to get on the bike even if it wasn’t International Female Ride Day.

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I met Dave and Michael, two of my favorite biker buds who I’ve written about before, at 11 on Saturday morning.

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We flirted with rain all day but stayed dry, and thankfully so, as the roads we took were full of fun curves and twists.

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We stopped at Big Walker Lookout, a 100 ft observation tower on top of Big Walker Mountain.

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Built in 1947, the tower offers great views of mountain peaks in 5 surrounding states.

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 It costs $6 to climb to the top, and while I’ve made the climb in the past, today we enjoyed the views from the bottom.

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In addition to the observation tower, there’s a General Store, a swinging bridge, and this collection of old license plates.

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At one point during the day, we got caught at a railroad crossing.  This building caught my attention and I literally ran back, huffing and puffing in my helmet and boots, to take a photo while waiting for the train to pass.  I managed to take a quick shot, but had no time to gather any history, as the crossing bars started to rise signaling that it was time to ride on.

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My friend Karen gave me an action camera, similar to a Go Pro, and I cannot wait to start using it.  If I’d been riding alone, I would have stopped far too often for photos.  Since Dave and Michael like to keep on riding, the action camera will allow for some fun shots and video without having to stop so often.

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As always, we finished the ride with a cold beer, a great meal, and the chance to make a new Gravatar.

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I’ve already marked my calendar for the 2017 International Female Ride Day, and if I get my act together, I’ll try to organize a ride.  Until then, here’s a bit more information about IFRD.

The guiding principles of IFRD are:

  1. Freedom – women are encouraged to participate and enjoy the day in any manner they choose.  Just Ride!
  2. Brandless – the event is not to be taken over by any one motorcycle, manufacturer brand, product, or country.  The idea is to UNITE not exclude
  3. One Fixed Date – IFRD occurs on the first Saturday of May every year.
  4. Open Good Will – to not impose on any rider, group, or club’s charity purpose.

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Around Radford

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Saturday dawned with a list of errands that needed running, and despite the expectation of rain, I decided to ride the bike.  It should surprise no one that I also made sure to find time to shoot some of the local scene.

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I wish I could give you a little back story about this courtyard and the wall that surrounds it, but I have no history.  The plan is to go to Facebook and see if some of the Radford locals can help me out.  Many is the time that I have tried to capture a photo to reflect the wall’s uniqueness, and many times I have deleted those images.  Not today!

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It was quite overcast, but clouds always make for intriguing images.

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The post processing here reflects the historic trestle over the New River, and a monochrome image will be posted on Monochromia sometime in the next few weeks.

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In order to get these images, I had to stop the bike and walk over the bridge.  Thankfully, this fencing only briefly obscures the view.

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Some friends have purchased, and while still running the business, are renovating this 50 yr old Pizza House.

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A quick stop at a friend’s home yielded these Rhododendron images.  Such a gorgeous bud and bloom!

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Every item on the To Do List was checked off, and I enjoyed a cool, slightly drizzly ride.

Satisfaction indeed!

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Symbiotic

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I’ve always been told that Peonies and Ants have a symbiotic relationship, but a little research revealed that not all believe this to be true.

What say you, my gardening friends?

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We’re Still Waiting …

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I was walking through the dining room one day last week, and was struck by the morning sun streaming through the window, and the shadows that were created.

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I’m also struck by the fact that while women achieved the Right to Vote via the 19th Amendment in 1920, we are still not protected by the Constitution.  We’re still waiting …

ERA: Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.

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Surprise!

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Illness visited my house last week, and because of that, I was not paying attention to the weather report._MG_1536-2

 Okay, let’s be honest, I never pay attention to the weather report.

Needless to say, I was surprised when I opened the curtains Saturday morning to see snow on the ground.

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We’ve all seen Daffodils push up through the snow, but I’m pretty sure my Redbud Tree had not seen the white stuff before.

Between spring snow and upcoming travel, my bike will remain quietly on the carport for another week.  Sigh …

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Monochromia Struttin’

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If you haven’t visited yet, you are missing out on some incredible Black & White Photography by some very talented photographers.

Be sure to visit Monochromia soon.

LB's avatarMonochromia

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Another image from a morning walk on Siesta Beach

To see this handsome fellow in color, visit this post on Life on the Bike

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Art & Whimsy

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On our last full day of fun in Sarasota, we were able to take another long walk on the beach,

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followed by opportunities to explore some of the downtown architecture, Farmer’s Market, restaurants, and street activity.

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We also visited the Marietta Museum of Art & Whimsy, where “part of the mission is to collect and preserve work of artistic and whimsical importance.  Our collection is bright and colorful.  The artwork will lift your spirits and, hopefully, inspire creative expression”.  It was a bright, sunny day, and these images do not do justice to the colorful, metal works.

Take my word for it, our spirits were definitely lifted!

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Before I knew it, the time had come to fly home.  What an incredible 3 days! I’m grateful to have friends who value this tradition as much as I do!

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Thanks for coming along with me on the adventure!

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Monochromia Sea Star

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My contribution to Monochromia this week

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I’d never seen a live Starfish before.  What a neat find during a morning walk on Siesta Beach.

A little Starfish research offered the following info:

Starfish come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, but they all resemble a star.  They have spines covering their upper surface and a soft underside.  Starfish are not actually fish. They do not have gills, scales, or fins.  They have tiny tube feet to help them move along.

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