Ouest has been taking almost as many pictures as I have as of late, but I have been terrible about getting them loaded on the computer and actually going through them. She’s been showing so much enthusiasm though that we finally sat down and began the process, showing her the steps to load them onto the hard drive, and then how to look through and edit them in Lightroom. She’d seen a black and white picture recently and had asked how she could get her camera to do that, thus the sea lions. The second picture from the beach is unedited, and I think perfectly composed. There’s tons more, but those will have to wait until I teach her how to create her own website to showcase them in.
We woke to a beautiful day at Humbug Mountain, had a nice drive down the coast a bit, and settled in at another state park overlooking the ocean.
California could really up its game a bit with regards to welcome signage.
Crossing the Oregon/California border is abrupt. Financially it’s sort of like going from Mexico City to London. In Oregon the state parks are all very nice and priced right around twenty bucks for a basic no-services site. In California a state park that isn’t equivalent in any real way, cost thirty-five. And then there’s the taxes on everything. It’s so easy as a visitor to Oregon to get lulled to sleep by the absence of sales taxes that coming into California you sort of feel like you’re being ripped off when your twenty dollar bill suddenly costs closer to twenty-two. But hey, I’ll gladly pay more for the simple freedom of being able to pump my own gas again. No more lines at the gas station! No more waiting around for a guy to pull the pump out of the bus five minutes after it finished filling! No more! I’m free at last.
I really have no idea how the pumpkin thing came about. Ouest saw it somewhere, and then noticed that they were starting to show up out front of grocery stores, and before we knew it we were carving a pumpkin in the middle of September. Ouest asked if we could enter it in a contest so we could win a prize. Then she accidentally knocked one of his teeth out. I didn’t mention that now we would surely lose.
Lowe and Ouest took off exploring in the woods today. It was a very quiet day, so even at their furthest away I could still hear them as if they were standing right next to the bus. Before they headed out I asked Ouest if she remembered what to do if they got lost. She didn’t—even though I’ve told her dozens of times.
So they were out in the woods, and I’m back at the bus listening to Ouest talk a mile a minute—Lowe listening intently while breaking every branch he can get his hands on.
Ouest: “Lowe. Lowe, you know what you do if you get lost? Huh? Stop. Don’t move. And yell Mama! Papa! Okay, Lowe?”
Lowe: “Okay, Da.”
Me: “Come and eat, guys!”
Ouest and Lowe: “Coming!”
(ten second pause)
Ouest: “Papa! Papa… we’re lost!”
I poke my head out from behind the tree and wave to them a hundred feet away.
Ouest: “Oops. Okay, Papa. I forgot.”
Lowe: “Me forgot too, Papa.”
She can be such a good big sister when the mood strikes.
Bedtime tonight, lights go out.
Ouest: “I love you, Papa. I love you, Mama. I love you, Lolo.”
Lowe: (being a smart-ass) “Me not love Da (Ouest) no more.”
Ouest: “Okay Lowe, me not love you no more either.”
(ten second pause)
Lowe: “Me love you, Da.”
Ouest: “I love you too, Lowe.”
10 Comments on “Jack-O-Lantern”
Quick question: When you got your full-frame camera did you also spring for a full-frame lens?
Yeah, we’ve got the Canon 24-105mm L series. Also a couple of our older lenses, the 15mm fisheye and the 50mm.
Awesome photography. Could you tell me please what type of camera is very useful and easy to use for the photographers (beginners) and if you know any online photography courses that could be helpful as for beginners? Again great work you have here.
That Ouest, she’s either darn lucky at capturing the beauty of her surroundings or she’s got a great eye. Either way, I love that you are fostering it at her young age. And..I can hardly wait for the nannies to give you crap for allowing your kids to get lost 🙂
GREAT PICS!! Yep CA sucks they have no money and are squeezing out of everything/ever one they can. But a great coastal run.
Wow! Two updates in a row… Her own website? Like to get in on that “how-to” myself
Soon the student will surpass the teacher. Something all parents secretly desire.
If you want a good location to take pics of the kids with redwoods, head to Stout Grove in Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park. It’s Just east of Crescent City, CA on Highway 199. The whole park is filled with old-growth redwoods.
Aw! You grab my heart. I like the pic of you carving the pumpkin, a rare glimpse! But there were so many good ones!
You never fail to touch my heart when you describe
in detail the adorable antics of your two children.