I didn’t have a clear view of the sunrise when I went to Bear Island, but a few weeks prior I had scouted out Sunrise Park (now called the Melton Peter Demetre Park) to see what it could offer. From here, the sun actually rises and sets out of frame, but my biggest takeaway didn’t concern the sunrise itself.
Bear Island is a hot spot for bird photographers not only because of the variety of species but also for the aerial displays the birds put on. Particularly early in the morning, they were quite eager to spread their wings and even tangle with other birds.
The human eye is a wonderful marvel: it can render an entire vista with the same sharpness as focusing on an object hundreds of feet away. What seems close to the eye could be portrayed as a speck to a camera sensor, and the ability of the eye to perceive light and dark and the contrast between them is also unmatched by any camera sensor currently available. In one short morning of birding, I learned of my weaknesses as a bird photographer and those of my photographic equipment. It’s no wonder birders crave longer and longer lenses: even though birds only 30 feet in the air are easily seen by our eyes, to a 200 mm lens they’re still much too far away to fill the frame!
This must be how bankruptcy via hobby is born.
Less than two hours away from Charleston is the port city of Savannah, GA. In my two years here, I still hadn’t managed to make to Savannah until a Meetup event brought me to the neighboring state. I learned quickly that I can’t ride a bike while taking pictures with a dSLR, so I settled for photos of the Bonaventure Cemetery — visited by the likes of John Muir and the cast of the film, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.”
During a bout of spring cleaning, I placed my scale mode 963D next to a scale model U4000 on my bookshelf, positioning it only in a feigned loading position but otherwise not paying much attention to the arrangement on the shelf or what else was on the shelf. When I looked more carefully at the placement, however, I realized that it captured nearly every interest or hobby I have.
I grew up outside of Chicago, where a “bad winter storm” typically meant at least a foot of snow followed by temperatures in the teens. Unless some heavy stuff is expected, in other words, nothing shuts down. In much of the South, even a forecast of 1/4″ of ice or 1″ of snow prompts school and business shutdowns. I scoffed at this initially, until I realized what it meant after the precipitation had finished.
Since my first attempt, I have twice wanted to wake up for a Botany Bay sunrise. Both times, I was too tired to wipe the sleep from my eyes; the will to wake up for the magic of sunrise apparently lessens with age. Not wanting to lose a third time, I set my mind to making the hourlong trip. Judging from the colors in the sky, it seemed the results wouldn’t be so different from those of the first shoot: like last time, it began with a muted blue-grey sky; turbulent Atlantic waves; a dash of yellow and orange on the horizon; and the grim, stoic trees that withstand this ebb and flow 365 days a year.
In some senses, I dreaded going on my second business trip because I knew I’d work at least three twelve hour days — no easier fare than my work life in Charleston. However, at the end of the trip, I knew I’d be able to visit friends in Italy — the same friends whom I had met in Paris in 2011. This time, the destination was Florence, and rather than rush the trip like I did in 2011 (three full days in the city), I decided I could do better: I’d halve the time and be touristing in Florence for less than 36 hours.
My vacation timing has been curious this year. I have averaged visiting Seattle once a year for the past five years, but with multiple projects consuming all my holiday weekends, I didn’t manage to head back to my favorite mountain this year. Instead, two weddings were timed miraculously to piggyback to two business trips I’ve had. The last wedding was in Singapore; this one was in Chicago.
The wedding was awesome. The last wedding of a university classmate I had attended was already a couple of years ago, so seeing so many friends back in one place was really special; it was a great time catching up with friends whom I hadn’t seen in years. Odd reality, working: it’s so easy to make friends in college. Once out, both keeping in touch with distant friends and finding the right situations to make new ones comes at a price.
After my extremely brief stay in Chicago I continued on to Germany, where I spent the next seven days working at my lead plant in the Allgäu. Like the last time I was there, I had incredible weather. I experienced the same this time: abundant sunshine, balmy temperatures (highs in the low 70s), and color sunrises every morning.
The difference was that this time, even before I left for Europe I knew I wanted to fly back.
En me brossant les dents 
