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Blog Tour: Partial Failure

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What a whirlwind week it has been, one filled with many big and small things!

The biggest and most important thing was undergoing my 15th procedure since the wreck and to finally have my smile restored!  I’ve not devoted much blog space to the events of the past 9 months, and the only reason I’m doing so today is because this important event kept me from fulfilling an obligation that I committed myself to.

I’d been asked by 3 different bloggers to participate in a Blog Tour. I appreciated the invitations but knowing that I was a bit over extended and had a big case pending, I initially declined. Eventually I did agree to participate because it seemed fun, and a nice way to meet other bloggers.

The rules are simple.  The invited participant composes a one-time post. 4 questions are answered and then 4 other bloggers are invited to create a post, answering those same questions.

I dutifully made a calendar note to create a post, but then … I forgot to invite others to participate!

I must apologize to Emilio for only partially fulfilling my role as participant.  Please check out his post about the Virtual Blog Tour.

 And since we’re talking Tours, why don’t you visit a Displaced Beachbum.  She’s traveled the world and is currently touring Scotland.

Jo the Tart Queen is another blogger whose posts share delicious sounding recipes and beautiful photos from her travels.

So … the Answers to the 4 Questions in brief:

What am I currently working on?  I’m continuing my growth as an amateur photographer and am so happy to have been included as one of the photographers in a new B&W Photography Blog called Monochromia.  Please visit the blog and check out the great work of the participating photographers.

LaurieFlower (1 of 1)

How does my work differ from others of its genre? I have no specific goal other than to improve and no specific subject other than what draws and attracts my eye.  I do like to travel as much as I can and many of my posts are about the things I see from the road … short, local trips and longer, more adventurous ones.

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Why do I write/create what I do?  Simply put: It’s all about the joy, the fun, and the opportunity to be creative in a life filled with work and structure.

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How does your writing/creating process work?  Oh gosh … let’s see.  Something draws my attention. I pull over, crawl around on the ground, climb a ladder, fence, or bed of the truck, or slide down a riverbank, and shoot and shoot and shoot.  Once I get home, I just pray that something worked!  I do edit but not extensively.

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Thanks Emilio for inviting me to be a part of this tour!

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No Deer Here!

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So, why is it that my dentist can grow fields of Day Lillies, yet not one bud makes it to flower in my yard?

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No kidding! The deer have eaten Every. Single. Solitary. Bud.

In 15 years, I’ve only seen ONE bud make it to bloom.

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Yet on Friday, I pulled into my dentist’s office parking lot, and all I saw were thousands of lillies.  Seriously! Thousands!

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Absolutely gorgeous!

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Makes the whole process of dental work easier 🙂

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Light and Shadow

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Have you visited Monochromia yet? Check it out and you’ll see some of your favorite bloggers posting some incredible B&W images!

LB's avatarMonochromia

LaurieFlower (1 of 1)

My WordPress journey began as a chronicle of my life and travels on the bike.  The bigger, planned trips, and the smaller, more spontaneous ones.  As I ride along, I never know when something is going to catch my eye, and inspire me to pull over.

Sometimes I work hard to capture what I see and sometimes I get lucky and the first shot just works.  Other than conversion to B&W, this image is exactly as it was when it came out of the camera.

Let me know what you think and come visit me sometime at Life on The Bike.

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After the Storm

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Once the thunder, lightning, wind, and rain are gone, there is a calmness on the lake that lures me back outside.  Within minutes, my feet are in the water and the camera is in my hand.

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I loved the larger view of this image because of the movement, color, and designs on the water, but I just had to crop the photo a bit so the raindrops floating along in the curve of this leaf were more visible.

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300 Miles for A Cold One

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The text came in on Saturday night. “Meeting at 9am for a ride to Devils Backbone Brewery.  It’ll be an all dayer”

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It was indeed an all dayer, with enough stops along the way to see the big perspective …

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… and the small.

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While the ride is the reason, this day’s destination was pretty great.

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Devils Backbone Brewery, established in 2008, is an award winning craft brewpub in Virginia.  There’s nothing like pulling up, all hot and dusty, knowing that inside awaits a cold beer and a delicious plate of Fish and Chips.

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Quite simply, a wonderful day … on and off the bike!

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If you’re in the area, be sure to stop in.  Joe, that means you, too! It’s well worth the visit.

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These Boots …

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…represent so much of me.

Please checkout our new blog Monochromia.  If you love B&W images, this is the blog for you!

LB's avatarMonochromia

LaurieFour (1 of 1)
… were made for fighting wildland fires, and I wore them while battling the flames in Idaho over 30 years ago.  Now, they serve to protect me while riding the bike.  They’re just boots.  Worn, scarred, dusty, and bearing remnants of fire retardant still … but they are precious to me.

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The 4th

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You were expecting Fireworks? The Stars and Stripes?  Burgers and Potato Salad?  While I did enjoy all of the traditions of the 4th of July, for some reason, I wasn’t moved to photograph them.

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Instead, it was the simple things, on a clear, almost cloudless day, that drew my attention.

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It was a day of friendship, laughter, sunshine, and celebration.

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What a wonderful way to celebrate the 4th of July.

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Happy Summer Everyone!

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It’s All a Part of the Ride

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I hope you’ll visit Monochromia and see the B&W images for several wonderful photographers … and then there’s  mine, too!  🙂

LB's avatarMonochromia

Those of us who ride, love doing so on days when the sun is shining and the skies are clear,  no matter the temperature. Sometimes though, the day turns stormy, and we’re forced to pull over and wait out the rain. Once the clouds part, we’re on the road again, knowing that, in time, the wind will have us dry once again.

If you’ve visited Life on the Bike and Other Fab Things, you know that I love to seek new adventures while riding my motorcycle. In fact, the whole reason I started blogging was to be able to share my travels with family and friends who worried about me heading out on my own.  I’ve long been the one who uses photography to document the events in the lives of my friends and family, and it’s a natural fit to take the camera along with me on the…

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Living on the River

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You’ve heard me praise the New River in previous posts, and I’ve commented about how lucky I am to live just minutes from it.  Whether floating in a kayak or tube, or riding or sitting alongside, there’s nothing like a river to sooth the spirit.

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 Lately, I’ve been trying to imitate the work of some of the photographers that I follow.  If you’ve visited Ron Scubadiver‘s blog, you’ve seen his beautiful reflections.  Now, rest assured, I’m not comparing myself to him, but I thought of his work when I took these.

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Colorful reflections on the river are lovely, but the image might have more depth in Black & White.  If you are a lover of B&W, I welcome you to visit our new blog Monochromia.  The blog will feature images in B&W, and is the brainchild of  Joe at The Visual Chronicle, who says “We are a collaborative group of photographers, fanatics, artists and photo nuts”.

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Somehow I got to be a part of this talented group of individuals.  They are the pros; I’m, as you might guess, just along for the ride!!

Elina – Capturing Little Moments – http://capturinglittlemoments.wordpress.com
Robyn – Robyn Graham Photography – http://robyngrahamphotography.com
Patti – Nylon Daze – http://nylondaze.wordpress.com
Emilio – Photos By Emilio – http://emiliopasquale.wordpress.com
Joerg – The Things They Are In Pictures – http://joergthamer.wordpress.com
Joe – The Visual Chronicle – http://joeinfocus.wordpress.com
Meho – Le Mehograph – http://lemehograph.com (occasional posts)

Check out the blog and in the meantime for those of you in North America, Happy 4th and Canada Day (just a bit late).

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It’s a Mystery

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Sometimes all I need is a short ride to clear the brain and lift the spirits.  That’s surely no mystery.  The mystery comes at the end of this post.  Keep on scrolling down, my friends!

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I walk in the door, drop the purse, lunch bag, and lap top.  Grab the helmet, wallet, and camera, and hit the road.

I typically choose back roads for the scenery, the farms and barns, and the old houses.  Yesterday I also added a 20 minute run along a highway.  Ahhhh …. the famed wind in the face therapy.

So where’s the mystery?

I stopped to photograph this decrepit home at the intersection of two country roads.

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As I wandered around the house, I specifically thought of Mike from Mike’s Look at Life.   How would he portray this house?

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Mike has a skill with B&W that I do not have and he might have presented the image differently.  But I share it this way for a reason.  Look what is revealed when I put the image back into color.

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A bright shiny door knob and a new propane tank.  Hmmm … what do you think goes on in this old place?

(Be sure to check out Mike’s blog … for the photography AND for the comment section!)