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!
One of the highlights of our recent trip was spending a night in the longest continuously operating hotel in Washington State, The Shelburne Hotel. After a few difficult days and missed connections, this place waited for us like a refuge.
It was our third time visiting and my first time staying in the most haunted room. You can read about our earlier experiences here:
An overturned truck on the freeway delayed our arrival, and we checked in 20 minutes before the small bar closed. I had been hoping to write in the bar drinking a cocktail called the Bee’s Knees, but instead only scribbled a few poetry lines on a napkin while drinking the renamed cocktail, The Bee Sting. How perfectly fitting for this trip.
The house has two attic bedrooms, both said to be haunted by a spirit named Nina. After our encounter in Room 6, we had been looking forward to what might happen in Room 5. However, after all the stuff the trip had thrown at us, we both felt pretty emotionally drained and just wanted to sleep before making the 10 hour drive home the next day.
The little nook my daughter was going to sleep in had a door in it (photo below) looking way too much like a Coraline door, so we ended up sleeping together in the main bed and blocking that door with the extra pillows.
The room, like most the house, has an old feeling and is filled with quirky things. I put white noise on my phone and collapsed almost immediately, too tired to really take it all in. Around 2 a.m. I woke because my white noise stopped. I looked around the room and saw nothing, but I heard what could only be described as a low moan. It wasn’t coming from my daughter, and I tried to tell my brain it was something outside…maybe a truck? It got louder.
“I can’t do it tonight,” I said out loud to the room. “I’m too sad and tired.”
The sound instantly stopped and the white noise turned back on. I went right back to sleep. It was probably a dream, but I like to think Nina was taking pity on me. The next morning I took a bath in the clawfoot bathtub and took a few photos outside in the beautiful garden.
This is the last photos from our trip, but I have some beach and camping photos coming your way in the next few days. Let me know if you have a favorite photo among these and have a fantastic weekend.
“And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.”—Rainer Maria Rilke
It’s been a season of reading books, doing puzzles, snuggling under blankets, and savoring the warmth of my home. Big goals and plans are on the horizon, but right now I’m moving slowly and feeling fully into where I am at this moment.
Thank you to everyone who has read my blog this year despite my sporadic and inconsistent pattern. It’s been a year of tremendous highs and lows. I am mourning loss and also feeling incredibly blessed for new people who have come into my life.
May your New Year’s Eve and all next year swirl with beauty, love, peace, and hope.
I’m glad you are here.
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As always, photos were taken by me with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW.
Darkness swallows the city. I drive for hours looking for the moon until I find it beside the courthouse at the top of the hill. It’s lit for the Fourth of July, a beacon of patriotic light.
“I’m going to live there someday,” I used to say. An entire childhood spent dreaming of a place that wasn’t at all what I thought it was.
I park near an antique shop and stare at the oddities inside. Cars streak by below. The moon blends into the city lights as a warm breeze dances around a patch of thorns.
“Does time ever feel like it’s not moving normally? Like it’s all out of whack?”—Maddy, I Saw the TV Glow
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The sixth full moon of the year arrived the day after the summer solstice. I set out fairly late and felt uninspired by the view until I drove to Auburn and found my favorite building. These aren’t very “strawberry moon,” but I like them anyway. Let me know if you have a favorite.
These photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW.
“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”—Patrick Rothfuss
This week my assignment for the 52 photo challenge was to think in threes. I had technical challenges and ended up getting sick, but I did manage to get a few images. The first shots are from the Vietnam Memorial in the Sacramento State Capitol Park. The second is from my daughter’s G.I.R.L.S. Rock Sacramento show on Saturday at Harlow’s.
I’ve not been sick in years and I’m feeling quite rundown. I’ll be resting while it’s over 100 degrees again today and hoping this cold passes quickly. Let me know if you have a favorite image and have a great week.
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Bonus images (not threes):
Photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW
If you want to join the 52 Photo Challenge, you can find all the information at nicolesy.com
“Nobody, of the hundreds of people that had visited the Fair, knew that a grey spider had played the most important part of all.”—E.B. White
I was a 4-H kid. I started out showing guinea pigs when I was about 12 and slowly moved up to horses. The culmination of my year was always the Sacramento County Fair.
This week we attended the final hours of the fair to cheer on my daughter’s friend who had entered a flower arrangement in the youth exhibit. While the animals were almost all gone, it was still great fun to wander the fair with my camera. I hope these images spark a bit of joy or memory for you today. Let me know if you have a favorite and have a great rest of your week.
#1#2#3#4#5#6#7#8#9#10#11#12#13#14#15#16#17I’m the girl in the center with my champion guinea pig (he had fancy pedigree papers!) Clearly, this was the era of big hair and even bigger hoops.Me on my horse Rocket sometime in the early 90s.
Bridgette Tales 