Ramblings of a photographer

On Friday night, I picked up my grandmother and my down syndrome cousin, and went on a "date". We went to Wendy's (high class, I know :D). After our fine dining experience, we went to a play, performed by none other than SMASH, the troupe that I have performed with for years. I love SMASH!!! (and I'm hoping to have a younger sibling interested in Shakespeare and drama so I can be the transport lady and get back into it :D) Anyway, they put on an amazing performance of "Much Ado About Nothing", in which I laughed, cried, and was in musical heaven :)  Just before the show, it had started snowing, a pretty, fluffy, wonderland sort of snow. After the show, though, there were between 4-6 inches of snow on the ground. Thick, heavy, wet snow. And it was still snowing. Did I mention that I had our smallest, least snow-safe vehicle that night? Anyway, I said reluctant goodbyes to my amazing friends, and headed home. On the way, (driving at about 15mph), I started noticing , not the danger of the snow, but the beauty. When we got near the city of Augusta, the lights reflected off of the clouds, creating a magical atmosphere of pinks and purples. Normally, I'm not a fan of city lights- they make it difficult to see the stars. But in this case, they were absolutely perfect. And by magical, I really do mean magical. Here's the part where the photographer rambling comes in.

As I gaped at the beauty of God's creation all around me (of course with my main focus on the road...I can't believe you would doubt that :P) , I realized that I should take a picture. And then I realized that the camera I've been learning to take everywhere with me wasn't with me. I'd made a snap judgement, and rather than carry a bulky camera bag when I knew I wouldn't have time for taking pictures, I took my little purse. At this point, I may or may not have had a moment of major self-loathing. Also at this time (mind you, I was on the highway now....a whopping 45 mph) I may or may not have seriously considered how much trouble I'd be in (with the police and my very cautious grandmother  in the front seat) if I stopped right there on the highway and took a picture with my very non-smart phone. I decided against it. And I may or may not have been beating myself up for a few days about not having my camera with me. (side note- after a 2 hour drive over what would normally take 45 minutes, I did make it home safely that night)

^^^ the breakwater is a man-made structure that is 7/8 mile long. It is made of large rocks, and at the end, there is a lighthouse. (Also at the end, there are large enough gaps in the rocks that you can crawl between them....amazing acoustics :)

BUT- I'm taking an adult ed photography class, and our assignment for the week was to take 2 seascapes, 2 landscapes, and 1 portrait. Today, I took off for the coast, all by myself ( a rare treat!). I walked down the breakwater, and snapped lots of pictures...it felt wonderful. I'm a bit Anne-of-green-gables-ish when it comes to the ocean...and especially the breakwater. It's one of my favorite places. Ever. So, I think I'm pretty much over the no-camera guilt, and I even have a few decent pictures to post. It's amazing what a long walk, the sea breeze, and a long, contemplative talk with God will do for you!