It's all about TIME

I don't want to complain to you, but I must tell you.  I have had the last three days off of work.  These were beautiful fall days with lots of sunshine and a nice breeze.  They were perfect for, well, anything other than what I was doing.
My sinuses have been giving me a bit of trouble lately, and ever since the repair man came to fix our oil furnace I have had a debilitating headache.  Possibly the worst headache I have ever had, and it didn't quit for over 3 days.  I gotta say I get depressed when I can't be outside on a gorgeous day.  When I am stuck inside(or just limited to what I can do) I feel like I am wasting my most valuable resource... Time.
I find it funny how much we as humans waste time.  More time is not guaranteed, nor is it ever able to be replenished, yet, we waste it like crazy.  Whether we are watching mindless tv, looking at facebook(biggest time killer ever), or just being lazy... we waste TONS of time.  Even right now as I write this, I am essentially killing time.  I don't have anywhere to be so I sat down and edited some photos from this morning.
Editing photos becomes cruising the web, reading news.... killing time.

In Edward Abbey's 'Desert Solitaire', he talks about a place where the days are long, and time seems to creep and last forever, just as it should be.
I couldn't agree more, it's hard to find that anywhere but the desert but I think it's still worthwhile to look.

Time is an enemy in life.  work deadlines, sales quotas, retirement funds, savings accounts, all things that take up multiple resources including time.  I think it's important for all of us to find time to escape time.  For me, photography gives me a sense of that peace.  Like today, for example.  I knew exactly when the sun was going to rise, I showed up early and set up different compositions, took some test exposures, adjusted my polarizer, and waited for the sun to rise.   I start shooting like crazy, hurrying from one composition to the next... and just like that, the sun was up, and the shooting was over.  But I didn't just walk back to the car and leave, the moment just after the sun comes up out of the clouds is my favorite.  It's when I turn the camera off, put the lens cap on, move the tripod off to the side, and just watch and feel the warmth.  For a moment there, I really stopped caring about the time, and that right there is a little slice of heaven.

Fall color near Fox Hunter's Paradise on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Cool Colors, Cooler Car...

It ain't easy being me...  I mean... I get to go on little photo outings in probably the coolest car ever.  It has Air Conditioning, working defrosters, freshly changed wipers blades, no cup holders(who has time?) and a sweet sexy bra that covers up a ding in the front.... you guessed it(as you have probably noticed me driving around in my sweet ride).... its a 1997(almost antique!) Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 4dr v6!  This baby has got slick new Walmart tires keeping her tied to the road as I race through sweet curves and dodge little roadside animals at high speeds(sometimes even over 40mph).

But I think the best part about it is that there is no center console.  This means two very important things.  1. If you find yourself driving to Wisconsin or Montana or Virginia or Utah, and feeling tired, you can tip the seat back, point your legs to the passenger floor board and take a super comfy nap.  2.  If you are with your girlfriend coming back from some ritzy high classed date, Applebee's, for example, you can move the armrest up and she can sit in the middle right next to you.... and with the optional tape deck/mp3 adapter cord, you can play your favorite romance Metallica tunes while you cruise....  Yep...   I'd say life is good:)



It's like the sun follows this car anywhere:)



Wide shot of Rocky Knob taken from on top of the Oldsmobile @ 24mm



A 50mm perspective of some nice rays this morning.