Spent last weekend on a fun field trip with the MWCC to the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum for a night of light painting and ghost hunting. I wound up getting interested in the paranormal side of the trip and spent some time listening to the stories of our great guide Greg. I did not take many photographs and my light painting skills are super week at best, but I did manage to capture a shot that peaked my interest.

The two white streaks in this image were not caused by a flash light. They look very different in nature and color. You can see an example of the color of light made by a flash light down in the window, where a couple of the photographers in our group were light painting a scene.

When I got home, I started thinking about how I was going to explain some of the things that I saw while I was on my trip. There are not many people who actually believe in ghosts. But then I started thinking, if you believe in God or a God, then you believe in spirits. You just need to keep an open mind.

Cheers

This outcrop looks out over one of the upper falls in White Oak Canyon. I had picked this place as my destination for the afternoon. I knew it would be a good place to sit and reflect on life and sort things out. As I walked that afternoon I had aspirations of going all the way up to skyline drive, but that faded quickly as the steep switch backs reminded me of just what a difficult hike this is. I used to be able to scamper up this trail, but not anymore. Today I was just happy to make it this far. Making it this far in life seems to be on my mind as well.

It is amazing how we can take things for granted and forget about the importance of each moment as time marches forward. Some times I tend to think that the future is going to resolve the unfinished business that I have. The pictures that I want to take, the places that I want to see, the people that I want to meet, the person that I want to be - I keep seeing them in the future and not in the now. I wonder if I will ever make it. Seems like time has been speeding up lately and its time to take a step back, look around and appreciate what I have and who I love and finally be able to see the forest for the trees.

Cheers.

I spent Sunday lost in my thoughts while hiking White Oak Canyon. The temps were warm for this time of year and the change in altitude just about kicked my butt. I have a good friend who is about to take on the challenge of his life and I could not stop thinking about the difficult walk he is about to take.

When my kids were young, they would be sick with a fever or some other illness and I often prayed that I could take on their pain and thereby heal them from their sickness. I really felt that it made a difference.

So I am thinking about my friend and I am hoping that it can make a difference. I really believe in the power of prayer and hope and the healing powers that they hold. Everybody has got to hold on to hope, it is the last thing that's holding me. Thinking about you Cowboy.

Cheers.

This morning I headed down to the river to see what the sunrise would be like. There was not much going on in terms of clouds, but the sky was gorgeous. I started to wade out to find better angles on the sunrise and then I spotted this guy. My A.D.D. kicked in and I soon found my self focused on the shoreline.

He was up with the sun looking for some breakfast, very busy with the task at hand. A very enjoyable moment turned into an "oh well" when I looked back over my shoulder to see the sun had already crested and I was twenty feet away from a wide angle lens. No worries, I was happy just watching this guy catch his breakfast as the sun floated up into the sky.

Cheers.