Moving On

Happy Monday, everyone.  I hope you all had a lovely weekend.

Today, I have some big news to share.  I can hardly even believe it myself, but my husband and I will be leaving Wyoming to move back to Pittsburgh, PA, in a few short months. 

My insides feel twisty-turny even as I type this.  I have always known that Wyoming was not the last stop on our journey, but I really never thought we'd leave so soon.  It has been four years and counting.  The first two years were hard.  I missed my family and my friends, and I missed green trees and sushi and I missed my job.  But then we found a house - not just any house - my dream house.  And I fell in love with my small little town, and began to thrive as a photographer on my own.  I began to appreciate the mountains, and the vast open spaces, and the laid back Western lifestyle.  I didn't adopt it all, but I found a comfortable place to be myself in Wyoming, and I found happiness. 

But there are two people in every relationship, and when I found out that my husband was growing unhappy at his work, we both knew a change was in the air.  He supports me as I work for myself and do what I need to do - photography - to satisfy my soul.  So as much as I do love it here in Wyoming, there was but one solution - to go where my husband can be happy every day and satisfy his soul through work.  A wonderful opportunity will take us back to Pittsburgh, where he can do the work he loves, testing and user interface for robotics, without the relentless stress that management brings.  I know that may sound backwards to some, since a lot of people work toward management as a goal, but in this household, we work toward happiness and satisfaction. 

It will be a few months before we move, though already the to-do list is growing long and I am already aware of experiencing things for the last time out here.  Time is short, but I am going to make the most of it.

NEW IN SHOP: Winter Forest

Happy Friday, everyone!  I feel like a lot has happened in this short week.  Sometimes they slip by, but not this one.  I hope you have some fun plans for this weekend.  I am doing a bit of work on a brochure (I do graphic design to fund my photography habit) and I'll be looking through historic photos of Platte County on Saturday.  Getting a glimpse of the past is a really fun part of my job. 

Anyway, I wanted to let you know I added this print, "Winter Forest" to my Web site and my shop.  I took this in North Carolina in December, but it is looking this white here in Wyoming again today. 

Thunderbird Lodge

There is a lot of great vintage signage out west, and it really adds a lot of character where ever it is found.  This great sign for the Thunderbird Lodge is in Laramie, WY.  I wish it had been a nicer day - the sky is all grey - but I wanted to make sure I got a shot of it, regardless.

And Then It Was White

When I crossed through the pass on the way to Laramie, this is how everything looked.  It is about 3,000 feet higher here than the photos in the previous post, but I am always surprised when I emerge from the pass into snow when there was little to none for most of the trip.  The sky here was also bright blue in places amid the hazy grey clouds.

Highway 34

It was a warm day on Friday, and the snow was melting off right before my eyes as I drove from Wheatland to Laramie through the hills.

Deer Hunt

Last Friday I drove to Laramie and had a great time looking for wildlife.  There were so many young deer and does out grazing, enjoying the warm, sunny day just like I was.

Radiators

I'm trying to capture some of the beautiful details in my home that make it such a special place.  I started this morning, with the radiators.  Until we moved here, I hated radiators, but these are such a thing of beauty that they have changed my mind. 

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend.  I'm off to Laramie today to pick up some framing and hopefully get some photos of the great vintage signage that the town has to offer.  It is shaping up to be a gorgeous day, and I can't squander any of those, as few and far between as they are. 

FEATURED ON: New West

I forgot to mention that New West featured my photo "I Love You Still" on Monday.  Perfect for Valentine's Day, dont' you think?  If you live in the American West you should check out this site for information on many of the environment and economic issues facing the area, and great discussions on timely topics.

Birds in Branches

Yesterday was absolutely glorious.  In a winter where we have been getting negative temperatures frequently, a day in the 50s was a much-needed relief.  I was outside working the garden, and I was so enjoying the chatter of all the neighborhood birds that were also out and about.

Fuschia Lily

I loved the color of these lilies my husband brought home.  They are a purple-pink color that seems so unusual to me.  I hope you aren't feeling overloaded by flower shots here on the blog lately...clearly I need to get out of the house!



Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!  I made this collage this morning just for you, my dear readers.  Even if you are not a fan of this holiday, it is a great day to remind yourself that you are loved.  If you aren't in a relationship on this very day, it is good to remember that your family and friends love you, and that most of all, you should love yourself.  Most of us have things we'd like to change about ourselves or goals that we have yet to meet, but put all those things aside today and love who you have become to this point in your life.  The rest will come :)

Dandelion Wisps

Here is one last look at summer, though the colors in this dandelion image make me feel more winter than summer.  I hope you enjoyed this week's photographic respite from the cold - I sure needed it.  Have a great weekend, everyone! 

Momma Mocking Bird

To continue with our summer-in-the-middle-of-winter theme this week, here is a mocking bird that was about to swoop down and peck me since I was too close to her baby.  I am happy to report that I backed off before she attacked.

Passion Flower

Well, I think this week I'm going for broke.  It is STILL cold outside (-10 as I write) and I'm feeling sick of it.  So I think you'll be seeing summer images all week here on the blog.  I know I should go outside and take photos of the beautiful snow while it remains unspoiled, but I am not feeling terribly motivated.  Anyone want to give me a pep talk?

Butterfly

It is snowing like crazy here, so I am thinking more pretty, warm thoughts.  Hence, a summery butterfly shot.  I'm thinking warm thoughts for you, wherever you are!

Bird Bath

Good morning, everyone.  I hope you had a great weekend.  It has been a little grey around here, so I thought I'd share some pretty with you today.  The pretty purple flowers floating in this bird bath are making me think of warmer days.

Grand Teton's Peak

I was digging through some old files, trying to make way for some new images, when I came across a shot of Grand Teton I took a couple of years ago.  I liked the definition in the mountain, and the light, as well as the thin shroud of clouds near the peak.  What I didn't like, however, was the rest of the shot, but it had never occurred to me to crop it.  So here are two crops, and the original photo is below.  I'll need to try printing these out to see if there is enough clarity to offer them as prints - my first impression is that they are a bit soft.  Just looking at these has me itching to get back to the Tetons - they are so beautiful covered in snow. 

One More Book

I decided to also add a horizontal version of "Autumn Reading" to the "Book Love" collection.  I wanted to have an image that could be paired with the horizontal version of "Winter Reading."  Of course this is available in my shop and the entire collection is on my Web site.

New In Shop: Swamp Flower

I just wanted to let you know I have added one more thing to my shop, this botanical, "Swamp Flower."  I took this at the edge of the Cypress Gardens swamp.  I am not sure what it is, but I love how bold and delicate it is at the same time.

I had plans this week to shoot some more dry leaves and such on the red table on the front porch, but again it is -20 and below outside, and that porch isn't much warmer.  So, maybe I will get to that when it warms up, hopefully by the end of the week.  I hope you are staying warm wherever you are.

New In Shop: Book Love

Good morning, everyone!  I'm sorry I'm a little late in posting today, but I have a good excuse.  The power was out at my home when I woke up this morning, so I couldn't get on my computer.  Truth be told, it was all I could do to stay warm.  I heat my house with gas so my radiators were working, thank goodness, but I couldn't set my thermostat up from the 64 degrees it had been at when the power went off.  Since it was -25 degrees this morning, the house was pretty chilly.  In fact, the power has been on an hour now and the house is still struggling to warm up.  But it will soon, I'm sure.

I have some exciting news I'd like to share with you this morning.  You may remember these images I took of some of my beautiful books; they are among my favorites lately.  Well, they are finally available for sale in my shop.  I was nervous about asking the publisher permission to be able to sell these, but they were so kind and it is with their blessing that they are now available for purchase.

I will be shooting these books again when spring gets here, in hopes of adding both spring and summer images to the collection.  I am also working on several more book portraits like the first image, that will show some of the beautiful books in our personal library.  I have never put more thought into staged images than I am now doing, and it has been fun to really ponder how best to show the spirit of each volume.  I have some props to acquire, and then I'll be able to take the next one.  Wish me luck!  And stay warm!