Welcome Committee

When we pulled into the parking lot at Bays Mountain Park we were greeted by one of the uncaged and not as well fed locals. It was pretty neat because he was standing there so calmly, even with these little kids taunting his from a nearby picnic table. I know the video is really rough but I thought it would be something new and different for you to enjoy.

There was also a Wolf habitat where we got to witness pups tearing apart one of our little parking lot buds. It smelled pretty gross so we didn't stick around for too terribly long but the mom was so pretty, I think her name was Kiva, if I remember correctly.

Splendor of the Sun...............

As I came across this photo during my initial sort I passed by it briefly but then felt like I should go back and take another look. Upon second glance as I stared at this picture I suddenly got this nagging feeling, I like it, but I don't like it. There are so many beautiful things I see about this picture but then there are problems with it that I don't like just the same. I like how if it weren't for the blue sky it would almost look as though it could have been taken at night, although it's the sun that twinkles through the trees, and just so happens to back-light the brilliant orange leaves all at once. I also like the path of sunlight dancing on the top of the water; had I exposed the photo trying to light up the tree trunk, the effect would have been completely different. I don't normally think about these things a whole lot but I've been reading this new book called "Understanding Exposure" and despite the fact that I've only read 1 chapter it has totally opened my eyes to this whole new world. I confess, I know very little about what I love when you consider the technical aspect of photography. The glue that holds it all together would be that I carry an intense passion to share and document this momentous time in my life. I do think that I can be a better photographer but only if I spent more time on those creative choices waiting to be discovered with every single shot.
I'm looking forward to my next chapter!

Bays Mountain Park

Before breakfast on Saturday we didn't even know where we wanted to go but by the time we were done paying for our breakfast I had spotted a brochure. Now this brochure is a part of that all too familiar display that has a variety of musings we locals tend to pass by. I am not one of those locals, respectfully. Every single weekend I can pick something different to do with no fear of overlapping our weekend outdoor activities. That's what I absolutely love about being here, there is an endless supply of wholesome entertainment that motivates me more than anything else. When asked what I want to do when the weekend rolls around I answer, "Something new!" and without fail we always seem to make it happen. Cody has taught me to be a little more flexible simply by example, when I say "Hey, let's go here!", he normally goes along with it...........and we always have a great time. This past weekend was no exception to that statement, we set out to Kingsport, TN which is about 1.5 hours away. What caught my eye was the fact that it was a nature preserve with animal habitats, hiking trails, nature center, and planetarium. After we leisurely strolled around the animal habitats and nature center we set off on the Lakeside Trail hike; which was a total of 2.3 miles around the lake. We both really enjoyed our hike although they all take way longer than they rightfully should with my constant stopping to snap photos. Cody used to be all about keeping a nice pace but now he must exercise sporadic periods of patience since he knows it makes me happy for him to do so without complaints :)
Read more about the park here: BAY MOUNTAIN PARK