Glacier National Park

I have always wanted to go to Glacier.  On each road trip the past few years, it was just far enough North that I was unable to visit.  After leaving Spokane, I headed to visit a photographer friend (more on her in the next post) and took a day trip to the park.

The day I went to visit, it rained the entire time.  That's the risk you take when you take a trip somewhere, you never know what weather to expect once you are there.  It didn't ruin my day or diminish the experience.  The park itself is quiet magical.  The roads were being worked on so I waited to pass on a one lane road on the side of a cliff in the rain which was interesting, to say the least.

I headed into the park and went as far as Logan Pass.  The views were amazing and I am sure even better on a clear day.  I love being in nature.  I don't do so well with crowds, however.  The parks are for all to enjoy but when I wait in my car for an hour to go a mile, I feel like I am in the city.

After a few photographs, I was on my way.  I would love to spend more time at this magical park and I hope to do that some day.  As with all of our National Parks, it is one not to miss.

Leaving Spokane

I haven't blogged for a while and I am sorry for the delay, for those of you who read this blog.  I have not taken my computer out for some time and I have been in places where I haven't had the reception to do so.

I have been lucky enough to stay in Spokane for several days and my friend Cat calls it my "Northwest Basecamp."  Max and I really enjoyed the company of Cat and her friends.  During my stay, I was able to participate in many activities including going to the lake, concerts at the gas station, walking in the park, going on a merry-go-round, a trip to Idaho, eating a shrimp boil, herding cows at a working ranch, and many more fun things that I wouldn't have had the opportunity to participate in if I didn't make the trip.

I especially enjoyed my time with my dear friend.  Sometimes we get so caught up in doing our daily activities and responsibilities that spending quality face time with friends ends up towards the bottom of the list.  As much as we can connect online with email and facebook, those things won't get you closer to the people you love as much as sitting in the same room for a chat will.  I am lucky I had the opportunity to take the time to slow down a bit to catch up on each others lives.

After my short trip to Long Beach to attend the roller derby and catch up in my home town, I flew back to Spokane to stay another night and plan a few days ahead.  Max had a great time playing with her dog, Bella and I had such a wonderful time with Cat's friends.  Thank you to all of you who made me feel like part of the group.

As with all good bye's, this was a sad one but I know I will be back.  Now it's time for Max and I to get on the road and head East.  I will talk about our adventure in the next few days of blogs.  Thank you for reading and for being a part of it with us! Also, a big thank you to the WSU design team and Danna Snow for allowing me to come in and photograph you!

A Visit Home And The Long Beach Roller Derby Take 2

Last weekend I flew home to get some love from my friends and attend some local Long Beach events.  In June, I went to my first Long Beach roller derby to take a few photographs at the event and was lucky enough to be asked by "Z" to display and sell some of those photos at their LBRD booth at the event.  I was honored to be a part of this special night.

I wrote about my first bout HERE, and the second one didn't disappoint.  Thank you to photographer and Derby coach, Lindsey Karnopp for including my images at the roller derby booth for sale. If you haven't been to a roller derby, I suggest that you go to one in your area.  It's sure to please.

It was nice to go home and visit friends after being on the road.  Max and the car stayed in Spokane while I traveled for a few days in Long Beach.  I made the rounds to visit as many people as I could and am fortunate that they made the time to see me.

It was a nice break to be back in my home base but now it's time to head back on the road.  Max and I look forward to the adventure the next few months.  For more pictures from the Roller Derby, click HERE.

Home Is Where Your Heart Is

I love seeing how people live across this country.  There are so many beautiful places to visit and you can tell by the locals that they love it there.  My home is in Southern California but it doesn't mean that I will be there forever.  I enjoy seeing the sights of this country and sometimes I imagine myself living in some towns I've come across.  I think it's why so many people enjoy looking through travel magazines.  How many times have you been on vacation only to think to yourself, "I want to live here!" Then you get home and you are happy to be just where you are.

What makes us live where we are toady?  Is it the weather, the people, or is it just because we don't know what it's like anywhere else.  Picking up your life and moving is one of the most stressful things you can do, but I think change is always a good thing.  You will learn something new, see new sights and meet people that have a common bond of loving the area you are in.

I do love Southern California for the weather and for the people I know here.  However, there are so many other places I've visited that I love as well.  I look forward to my continued journey and seeing other parts of the country and the people who live there. Why do you live where you live?

People I've Come Across On My Travels

I love interesting people.  On my travels, I come across a lot of them and sometimes I am lucky enough to be able to take their photograph.  If we start chatting, I always ask if it's ok to take their picture and they usually always agree.  Sometimes they are reluctant but they say ok after a while.

On this particular day on deer lake in Washington, I spotted a few nuns relaxing on a pier while I was enjoying the day with some friends on a boat.  I wanted to get close to them so we drove around to the dock and as we passed by, I asked them if it was ok to take their photograph and they all smiled and said yes.

In Ohio, I walked by a street fair and came across this gentleman showing his car in a show and chatted with him as he allowed me to take his photograph in front of his car. Of course there is the "Muffin Man" I met in Klamath, California when he offered me his handmade fresh baked muffin to taste, an artist on the streets of Venice and Airstream workers in Jackson Center, Ohio. All of whom I stumbled upon on my travels the past few months.

Most people I come across on the road are friendly and are just like you and I.  I am always attracted to people who have a look that you don't see everyday and  usually those are the people I want to approach and strike up a conversation with.

If you've followed me for a while, you've seen that most of the shots I took a year ago are of landscapes I've come across in the states I've visited.  I still love the beauty of our country but my eye is getting picky and I find it harder and harder to capture things that interest me.  The good news is that I usually have a camera on hand to get a shot of whatever I find interesting along the way and I look forward to sharing that with you.

Women's Work

I have always been fascinated with the roll women play in professions that have historically been male domindated positions.  Even more than the fact thaty are taking on a roll that has been defined by gender in this culture, I want to know why they decided on this line of work and what their life is like outside of their profession.

As you know, I am on the road with my dog Max, a tent and my camera.  A personal project of mine is meeting these amazing women.  As I spend months on the road, I would love the opportunity to spend time with them side by side to capture not only them in photographs on the job, but living their everyday life to get a glimpse of who they are and to ultimately publish a book about their lives.

I started this journey over a month ago and have been photographing women I meet on the road who have career positions that have historically belonged to men.  I would also like to meet women who do inspiring work and spend their lives living out their passion.  That would include artists, visionaries, musicians, and the like.

I think these women are a great example for girls to see and learn first hand that there is nothing they can't do.  That just because they are a girl doesn't mean they have to follow a path that society or the history books say that it's meant for a girl to take simply because of their gender.  I am thankful to the trailblazers that wrote and those who approved title 9. Once approved, I was able to participate on a Women's basketball team in college.

It also starts at home.  I was lucky enough to have parents that kept me busy in activities and sports and who didn't blink an eye when I wanted to try out for the football team in junior high even though I would have been the only girl.

All of the women I have met so far didn't pay attention to any rules to say they couldn't do what they do because of their gender.  Thank you to all of these amazing women who took the time to talk to me about what they do and for setting an example to younger generations looking to do the same.

A Day At The Lake And Art Fair In Coeur d'Alene Idaho

I've been hanging out in Eastern Washington State for a while and for the weekend I ventured with my friend Cat to Idaho to spend the day in Coeur d'Alene and attend the art festival they had over the weekend.

The city was jam packed with vendors and artists that stretched from the downtown area, through the parks and to the lake.  We browsed the artwork at each vendor and strolled along the grounds throughout the day.  The weather was beautiful and people were out to enjoy the day.  It was pretty crowded wherever we went and at one point, I wandered off to watch the kids on the pier playing and enjoying the day.

Usually I like to wander to people and things that seem interesting to me.  It's a good thing Cat knows this. She didn't have a problem with me darting in different directions to snap photographs of people and places that caught my eye.  I sat down by the pier for a while to capture kids having a good time, I took photographs of vendors that I found interesting and captured some of the activities going on at the time.

I love art and being in nature.  The festival had the best of both worlds.  I plan to spend a little more time here before I head out and I look forward to showing you more of what the area has to offer.  I love to photograph people in their element.  For more images of people in their habitat, click HERE.