North Carolina

This weekend, Michael, Scarlett, and I stayed in a cabin in the mountains of western North Carolina. As all vacations go, the time we spent there was not long enough, but we had a wonderful couple of days walking along the Cane River, hiking up Mt. Mitchell, and relaxing in the hot tub on the porch of our cabin.

The view of the Blue Ridge Mountains after a hike up Mt. Mitchell

The cute town of Burnsville where we stayed.

The farm at the beautiful place we stayed.

Scarlett's first meeting with the horses!

This is her "I'll show them whose boss" stance.

You should have heard her mean bark!

Her obsession with the horses continues as she watches them from our front porch...

The big kids try out the zipline for the little kids!

Playin' by the river

The view from my hammock

A waterfall we found along side HWY 19

Happy Easter!

This is the day that the Lord has made! Let us be glad and rejoice in it! What a beautiful day today! It was a wonderful Easter Day, perfect for hunting eggs and walking around looking at the glorious dogwoods...and taking pictures of them of course!

On your mark...get set...go!!!!

Le Fleur

Drowning

It's April Fool's Day, but I don't feel very foolish! In fact, the only feeling that comes to mind is an overwelming sense of "drowning." Yes, I feel like I am drowning.
Drowning in monotony...boredom...stress...annoyance...confusion...must I go on? I hate to complain because I know I have a good life, especially when so many people around the world are truly struggling, but I just have to vent. I am so sick of feeling like I am drowning in a sea of "have to's" and "need to's." I always feel like there is something I have to do to get by, to make the money, to simply live. I don't feel like there's much going on in my life that is filled with "want to's" because there is no time, no money, no vacation. I feel like I used to have dreams, passion, and desire. I didn't think I would get two degrees, travel around the world, and then end up sitting in an office for ten freaking hours a day...but I have to and I need to because it's what it takes to get by right now. Every week it is the same ol game... Sunday I dread Monday because it is my last day of the weekend. Monday I dread Tuesday because it is my Monday, and I hate every other day until Saturday when I get all the personal things I need to get done again before dreading Monday comes around. I live a solid cycle of dread...WOW how life can change when the real world kicks in!

I guess you can say that this vicous cycle of dread is slowly creeping its way into my soul, but I thank God for giving me foresight because I am doing my best to fight it off. That's where my photography is coming into play. The more I take photos, the more I begin to realize there is still a small ounce of passion lurking somewhere inside of me. I've been missing my old friend for some time I must say! I hope photography becomes a true passion for me and offers me a way to escape the ebb and flow of my drowning body, yet I must be careful not to be too consumed with wanting more from my photography than what it can give. I have a habit of being too ambitious with my young work and becoming frustrated when my photos don't turn out as I wanted them too. I must learn to see photography as an art and as a way to escape rather than as a means to an end. When I begin to see it that way, maybe I will rise from the water!