Every year on my birthday, I write a poem. This year, I decided to pair those words with a series of self-portraits. I’m so grateful for this space and for everyone who stops by to read. If any of these words or images resonate with you, please let me know—I’d love to hear from you. I’m so glad you’re here.
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She turned to the sunlight
And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbor:
“Winter is dead.”
—A.A. Milne, When We Were Very Young
Yesterday, I returned to Coyote Pond to see if it might be a good place to take senior portraits (yes, yes it is). My first visit was during a rainstorm, and I took some of my favorite pictures of birds. This time, the sun was shining brightly and the entire morning felt like magic.
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Last week I mentioned my friend Anna asked me to join her in the #100DayProject and I figured it was time for an update. I’ve managed to take photos every day and share them with a group of five of us doing it together. It helps having that extra accountability and I love seeing what they are all creating.
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“You need to let the little things that would ordinarily bore you suddenly thrill you.”—Andy Warhol
Yesterday, I took my macro lens into the backyard in search of color and texture. Despite how it looked when I took the photo, I’m still not getting the crispness I want. So, I pivoted and edited these to make them look more abstract, focusing on one detail. The story behind these photos is the emerging of spring, and how my yard is shifting. I’m curious what you think and if you have a favorite.
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I went to the Folsom Farmers Market last weekend with my wonderful nephew, Wyatt, who will be turning seven in a few weeks. As his parents sold their beautiful crafts, we wandered around, and I worked on my photography. I think my image quality is improving as I get quicker at adjusting my settings and learn more about the exposure triangle, but it’s slow going. I want to get better much faster than I am, but that’s true of so many things in my life right now.
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Despite a hard week, I rose early yesterday, faced the rain, and spent two hours in a nearby park capturing bird photos. Creeping through the grass without a sound, tucking my camera into my rain jacket for safekeeping during downpours, and focusing only on the birdsong offered unexpected joy. It’s comforting watching the world through a lens, away from anything but the sounds of nature.
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The news right now is horrific. I watched the video of the second person killed by ICE agents, gunned down on a street in broad daylight, and my heart broke into a million tiny pieces. Again. A powerful sense of mourning for America has overcome me, more than I ever thought possible. I’m terribly sad and angry.
I’ve been struggling with some health stuff and things feel very hard. I’m still working on various projects, but in small doses. I did get to meet one of my fellow bloggers in person recently, which was amazing. I also continue to sell a few books a week and reviews are still coming in (thank you!)
While I’m focusing mostly on health right now, I did recently visit the historic Sacramento City Cemetery on a bright fall morning and take these photos. I hope you enjoy them and please let me know if you have a favorite.
As always, thank you for sticking around here. It means the world to me.
A few weeks ago, I went camping with family. Our campsite was surrounded by large bushes which attracted birds, we spent an afternoon at the beach, and I hiked up some big sand dunes.
Although these might be some of my favorite photos, it’s hard not to beat myself up because I’m not writing. I made an attempt at working on my middle-grade novel recently, and it was rubbish. And although I’ve sold over 100 books, more than I thought I would, I can’t seem to get people to review it. My mind tells me it’s because people don’t like the book, which is fine, but the small hopeful part of me is a bit sad. But you know what? Two local bookstores carry my book and I’ve been selling about three copies a month in store, from people just browsing and liking it. That needs to be celebrated. As I’ve always told my kids—comparison is the thief of joy.
So, let me brush this all off and say, I’m not writing currently, but I’ll be back at it soon. In the meantime, enjoy all these photos. And as always, let me know if you have a favorite. Have a wonderful day!
Bonus photos:
This will be the eighth time I’m sharing photos with you of Dillon Beach, a place I’m lucky enough to visit several times a year. It’s crazy how each visit is a little different. This visit we saw thousands of tiny crabs, met a lot of really sweet dogs, and shared the early mornings with fishermen and surfers.
These photos are for Heidi, as she showed me again how magical this place really is, and for Sephera, for always being my exploring buddy on the beach.
Hope you all enjoy these and let me know if you have a favorite.
Bridgette Tales 