Back on the hamster wheel

Metaphorically speaking, of course. I have been busy with work and photography assignments for most of my waking hours it seems for the past couple of weeks, so I have not had the time or inclination to keep up with my exercise routine. No more excuses though, so one of my non-negotiables today was to hit the pool. It just seems to require more and more effort to keep that metabolism humming along as the years go by. I took Logan to the park earlier too, but it was so hot that even he couldn't muster much more than an apathetic stroll and a brief wallow in the shallows of the lake.

Today we celebrated Pam's birthday

Got a lot done earlier on, then finished up the day with friends celebrating Pams last 40-something birthday. We're still trying to figure out why she got so many cards with hot young guys on the front... Anyway we had a lot of fun. Thanks Kristin for hosting.

Angel Oak, Johns Island

Nothing much to say for myself today, but here's a pic taken yesterday of the historic Angel Oak tree, over 65 feet high and approximately 1500 years old. Pretty awesome.

Memorial Day

Today was great - a bonus day for some rest & relaxation. Thank you to all the American heroes who have made it possible for us to rest and relax in peace and freedom. This is a picture of the Ashley River bridge taken from the Ashley River earlier this evening.

Busy Saturday

Saturday was a little hectic with two weddings on my schedule. One was a "working wedding" at 2.30pm and then I just had enough time for a quick shower and change before Melissa and Dylan's wedding at 6.30pm. Here's a shot from the earlier wedding.

Uninspired

I know I was going to try and take a photo-per-day (the whole purpose of this blog) but lately things have conspired to dampen my enthusiasm for the project. Let me whine just a little - my favorite camera is broken and who knows how long it will be before Nikon gets it fixed and returned - and hopefully it will be fixed when they send it back. Then the weather has been most uncooperative. Just when the pool was getting warm and the airconditioners were really getting cranked up, some weird cold front swept across the southeast and seemed to stall over Charleston for a week, with high winds and temperatures that sent us all scampering back to our jacket closets. This was what our favorite walking park looked like the other day. Normally this is a nice wide sandy beach.

A good place for a wedding

Today I met Leigh and Josh at lunchtime and we headed down to Poplar Grove for them to look at The Boathouse as a possible venue for their reception. They liked it so much they may also have the wedding there. The wedding train has left the station ......

Camera Malfunction Bummer

My camera malfunctioned at an event last week, so I've been using my older, backup Nikon but it doesn't do as good a job, which is frustrating to say the least. I have a wedding to shoot this weekend so I have made plans to borrow another camera for that day, since it is just too scary to take on such an important event with only one camera, a wing and a prayer. So Nikon - please turn that piece of electronic equipment around in record time and get it back to me stat. This is another image from my time on Edisto Island over the weekend. It was taken inside the Farmer's Market on Hwy 174.

Congratulations Chelsea

After church today, Leigh, Matt, Josh and Chambers came over for sandwiches before scattering for their various activities. I headed out to Johns Island for Chelsea's bridal shower which was a predictably lively affair. Here is Chelsea with some of her friends.

Saturday on Edisto Island

Today was Edisto Island Open Land Trust's annual "Back to Nature Day." I volunteered to document all their activities, so I left home at 5.45 to be on the island by first light. We were lucky that the weather held, since storms were forecast for the afternoon, but although it was hot and a little buggy, everyone had a pretty good time. This was a bird-watching group.

TGIF

Friday - the end of another week. It's been two weeks since I've been back at work and I'm struggling to find my stride. I guess vacations can make one feel restless, and sometimes it takes awhile to settle back into the real life routine. After work, Leigh, Josh and I went downtown and took their official "engagement photos". Here is one of them.

And we're into Summer

Another change of season. Suddenly it's Summer, and guess what - my downstairs airconditioner (the compressor - apparently the guts of the thing) is totally done, finished, kaput. And GM are cutting hundreds of dealerships all over the country, and soon we will have a socialized health care system - just some milemarkers of the times. Leigh and Josh will be getting married at the end of this year, and then who knows... I just might finally get to Alaska for awhile. This image is another taken at Sunrise Park, aka Logan's Park.

Prom time - must be nearly Summer

Had fun today just doing my thing mostly. Took Logan for a run in the park, spent time by the pool, swam laps at the Wellness Center and then later photographed Jessica and Geo all dressed up for their prom this evening. I figured one photo didn't do them justice, and besides we had too much fun with this, so there are three pics.

Back to Work

OK - forget about vacations for awhile, it's back to work with a vengeance. There's lots going on and with the economy being what it is right now, I'm grateful for that. We're building a new lab in preparation for a lot of new work we are expecting soon, and part of the preparation involves installing all kinds of air handling and venting equipment on the roof. Because of the target location, the crane operators had to add an extension to their boom so that when extended, it almost seemed to reach into the clouds. Not a scenic photo op, but quite interesting and worth documenting.

The Returning

Funny how often it is that the moments that matter happen around the dinner table. Here we are on the other half of the world, and we're gathered at the table - in this case lunchtime on Sunday, after church. We toasted Leigh & Josh's engagement with Mimosas, and Mum please note that Matt is wearing his 2010 FIFA t-shirt and it fits perfectly!