Something's got to give

Tal and I arrived here this past Sunday morning on this much anticipated second part of our 2006 summer vacation. The only glitch has turned into something of a blessing. My computer’s wireless mechanism (how’s that for technical?) has somehow become disabled and I cannot with ease use the internet. Chickie and Pat have made a cable available at their desk and I can check e-mail while standing with the computer perched on a shelf. I’m not exactly inconspicuous! I am so grateful that the Harristhals are beyond accommodating, but, well, there is blessing in this turn of events.

I’ve checked e-mail and done only the follow up I’ve had to do. Otherwise, the computer is quiet and I’m on vacation! And, when the computer has been in use, it’s been as I’ve figured out how to catalog photographs in Adobe’s Photoshop Elements. Talk about a feeling of accomplishment! And, gone by the boards for these first five days at Shining Falls has been the web log. I have NO illusions that anyone has missed me, but, frankly, I’ve missed the writing.

Again – as during our time here this past June, we’re focused on the weather. For most part it’s been unsettled. We arrived on Sunday to balmy temperatures, but late in the day a cold front moved through with dramatic lightening and thunder. For the last two days the wind’s been up, mostly from the southeast which punishes our little bay and makes parking the boat at the Cabin Four dock a little tricky. We’ve also had a couple days of mostly rain and until today the temperatures have been such that morning and evening fires in the stoves have felt wonderful. Imagine that, a fire for warmth at midday on August 23rd! Tal and I don’t fish in the worst of it, but we have the luxury of time, our stay of nine days about double that of most guests.

For my part, I’m much like the weather – unsettled. The forced quiet, the long hours for both extra sleep and bouts of pondering and, as I said, being for most part “computerless” is all for the good. In my life something’s just got to give.

Monday morning fishing

After my recent rant about deciding to follow some creative leanings and not allowing my whole life be bound up with the have-to-dos, the very next thing I did was -- well, not creative, but I wasn't work either. Tal and I rose early Monday morning and went fishing!

When we arrived at the Derrick pond, it was almost light. I had the camera with me and was set up and poised for a dramatic sunrise. The light continued to change, the sky's color intensified a bit, and then ...

And then, everything went gray with amazing speed. What you see here is a before and an after, a photo taken shortly following our arrival at the pond and one shot as we departed.

But, this was a fishing trip with photography on the side, not the other way around. While the dawn got off to a fast start and fizzled, the fishing got off to a terribly slow start, but it improved dramatically.

Quite dramatically. While Tal outfished me hands down, that's one of my fish he's displaying for the camera.

No, we didn't have fish and grits for breakfast. We dined at the local Huddle House, reveling in our fish stories -- the new ones and the old ones.