Category Archives: Photography

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Virginia’s Eastern Shore

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The day dawned and brought with it a hint of sun, a welcome change from the previous 3 days.

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My plan was to travel over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel to the Eastern Shore of Virginia.  Tucked between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, the Eastern shore is “defined by two elements: the fertile land and the water”.

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I looked forward to going over the 17.6 mile Bay Bridge Tunnel and was happy to find that it had a visitors center and pier midway across the bay.  Well you know me … I just had to stop and walk all the way out to the end of the pier before heading on my way.

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It fascinates me that cars travelthrough a tunnel under the water in the break between the two rock edges.

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Once back on the road, and knowing that I’d have much more time to explore the Eastern Shore the next day, I pushed on up to Bethany Beach, Delaware.  After a short but wonderful visit with dear friends, I set out to explore a bit.  On a borrowed bike, I hit a pretty bikeway which ultimately led me to the Indian River Inlet Bridge.

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The view of the ocean and the Delaware Seashore State Park was beautiful.

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Every bike ride should end with a cold beer, at least in my opinion, and I found that, and fish tacos, at Hammerheads Dockside. It was just the fuel I needed for the ride back over the bridge.  After that, it was a quick visit to the beach and time to settle in for the evening.

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The next morning, I was up early for the drive back down the Eastern Shore.  I stopped in Cape Charles, a town founded in 1884 as the southern terminus of the New York, Philidelphia, and Norfolk Railroad.  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this train town also boasts a water tower that looks like a lighthouse.

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I found my way down to the bay and within minutes, I was out of my shoes, had rolled up my pants, and was enjoying the feel of the sand and the water.

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The next stop was the Eastern Shore Wildlife Refuge.  “Located at the tip of the Delmarva Peninsula, this area is one of the most important avian migration funnels in North America. Each fall, like colorful clockwork, the refuge is the scene of a spectacular drama as millions of songbirds and monarch butterflies and thousands of raptors converge on their voyage south”.

In addition to photography, the refuge offers the visitor opportunities for fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing, and education.

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I wish I’d had a kayak with me this day!

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All to0 soon, it was time to start the trip back home to the mountains.  While disappointed to leave the water and marine life, it was time to get home to prepare for my first post-wreck bike trip.

Next Up:  Kentucky

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Gwynn’s Island

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Gwynn’s Island is an island located in the Chesapeake Bay on Virginia’s Middle Peninsula.  Just drive over this drawbridge and you are there.

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Hopefully, you’ve seen my post Fresh From the Bay.  This small community lives and loves the marine life.  I’ve included this photo (credit the Gwynn’s Island Museum) because it offers such a great view of the island.

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The Chesapeake Bay is a fragile economy and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the largest conservation organization dedicated solely to saving the Chesapeake Bay, has a mission to reduce pollution, improve fisheries, and to protect and restore natural resources such as wetlands, forests, and underwater grasses.

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Before heading off to the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and to Delaware, I wanted to share a few more images from 3 lovely days on this Island.

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I hope you’ll find time to visit the Middle Peninsula someday … it really is worth the trip!

(You may be wondering why some of these images are watermarked and others are not … just a little Lightroom trouble today)

Next Up:  The Eastern Shore and Delaware

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Pier Love

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If you’re like me, and I know many of you are, you come home from your travels with almost too many photos to look through, process, save or delete. How can it be that a simple 4 day trip to the Middle Peninsula of Virginia could yield over 400 photos?

Perhaps I should just PUT THE CAMERA DOWN.

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  Since that will never happen, it was time to get to work!  In reviewing the photos from my time on the Middle Peninsula of Virginia, it was clear that one object garnered much of my attention.

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What was it about this pier that kept catching my eye?

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Was it the obvious presence of it?

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Or it’s ability to stand quietly in the background?

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Was it more striking against the colors of a cloudy sunrise?

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Or did conversion to black and white bring out the beauty?

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Perhaps it’s attraction was stronger after a storm?

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Or maybe because it held memories of a lovely evening with friends?

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Whatever the reason, I came home with too many pier photos to count.  I’ve picked the best of the lot and shared them with you here.  And if you’re still with me after viewing the first 12, I’ll hope you can handle just one more.

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You may have seen this before.  It’s my favorite and as a amateur photographer, one that I am quite proud of.

Thanks for hanging in there with me as I present this photographic study of a Middle Peninsula pier.

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Home!

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Hello from the very rainy Commonwealth of Virginia!

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I’m back from vacation, during which I saw very little sun, but had a wonderful time!  Luckily, I only rode in about 6 hours of rain, 2 of which were the final hours before arriving home.  If you were to visit me right now, you would see drying bike gear everywhere!

I’m anxious to catch up with your blogs and plan to visit within the next 24 hours!  And of course, soon I’ll be sharing photos and notes from my travels.  I’ll hope that some of our rain pushes west in order to provide relief to the draught stricken!

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Purple Rain

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Despite the rain on the Middle Peninsula last week, each morning I woke to the sounds of the Chesapeake Bay and the beauty of nature.  As you read this post, which I wrote and scheduled before I hit the road, I’ll be riding through southeastern Kentucky.

Cross your fingers and hope that it’s not raining where I am, and I’ll hope the same for you (unless you are in draught conditions, of course!)

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Fresh from the Bay

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The first half of my vacation is over but the memories of the Middle Peninsula on the Chesapeake Bay, the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and the beaches of Delaware keep me smiling.  There is much I want to share with you but since I leave for Kentucky in the morning, I thought I would share just a few photos from our fresh crab and tuna steak shopping trip.

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Aren’t the colors of those crabs vibrant?  These photos are unedited; the color is true.

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The fisherman working that day, saw my camera and offered to let me walk out onto this fairly rickety dock.  From that vantage point I was able to photograph some of the surrounding docks.

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The weather those first three days was what some might consider less than “beachy”, but for me and my friends, it did not matter.

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We were happy just to be together and to explore the culture, marine life, and food that the Middle Peninsula of Virginia offers.

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What an incredible place!

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More photos from the coastline of Virginia and Delaware after I get back from my time on the bike!  Next stop … Kentucky!

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Vacation!

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You all understand the thrill of vacation.  The planning and preparation are over and the travel is about to begin!  I’ll be heading out to the Chesapeake Bay and then Bethany Beach, DE (by truck) and then back home to switch vehicles and head out on the bike to Kentucky.  Needless to say, I am excited!

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This photo is from my annual gathering with the GOAs.  We’ll be returning to this same island and I cannot wait to get to the Bay and bring out the camera.

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Gwynn Island is quite remote and I’m not even sure there is cell coverage. I do that know there is no internet, which means that I’ll be missing out on all of your gorgeous photos, captivating stories, and interesting updates.  Please let me know of any particularly important ones that I’ll miss while gone.

See ya soon!!

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Local Music

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The Waiting was over and the music began.  A fun mix of Blue Grass and Country.

The classic combination of fiddle,

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steel guitar,

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mandolin,

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and bass,

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combined with guitar and excellent vocals,

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 and the evening was made for great music.

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Southwest Virginia’s Crooked Road is “a place of beauty – a place of song” and all along Virginia’s Heritage Trail, musicians gather to play and celebrate the joy that is music.

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Waiting

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The local music scene in my neck of the woods is all about friends gathering to play in pizza houses, restaurants, and other small venues.  Musicians gather to raise funds for the local food pantry and animal shelters, but of course they also gather to spread the joy of the song.

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I arrived early to the performance space and was drawn to the site of the instruments … just waiting for the hands that will bring them to life.

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Above and Below

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A week or so ago, I was able to ride along the Blue Ridge Parkway with a couple friends.  It was a bright, summer day and clouds filled the sky.  What a joy it is to ride along that curvy parkway, feeling the wind and the sun, and to view this incredible scenery.

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We stopped at the Peaks of Otter Lodge for a short break and this time saw the clouds reflected in the water of the lake.

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Clouds above.  Clouds below.

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Thanks so much for stopping by today.  I’m very much looking forward to my vacation, which is coming up in just 6 days!

The Chesapeake Bay.  The Delaware Coast.   Kentucky.

Very different destinations and different modes of transportation.  There will be stories to tell and photos to share and I cannot wait. These past 9 months have not found me traveling much.  It is time to get back out there!

Be sure to visit Monochromia and check out some incredible B&W Photography!