My trip to New Jersey was coming to a close when I realized I had a good half-a-day of free time to fill. A friend from the project I was on suggested Princeton. It was only 45 miles away. Armed with GPS – I headed down the New Jersey Turnpike.. (or maybe it was the Garden State Highway..) Not important.. I think I mention it as I am from a land where the highways/freeways don’t have names, just numbers.
My impression from my visit is that the town is 75% University, 15% shops.. and then old homes divided into apartments. I guess you could say.. its a college town.
Can you say Gothic? The grounds felt as old as time. Everything seemed tower over me. The on-campus dorms… made of old bricks.. really old.. no two the same… Humongous ancient trees. No leaves. And one really odd statue of two men.. one on his knees. the other with a knife. I stared at it for some time.. but could not sort out its message. It seemed ‘undone’
I write this post as my plane is about to begin its descent. From my window I see evergreens, my Cascades, my Olympics.. my beloved I-5.
I have many thoughts but little to say about my second day in DC. In fact, I’ll be brief
I want to see DC in the Spring.. it’s on my list now.
The first several images are of the White House ( boring!) Some shots from the Jefferson Memorial.. Then.. Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is something you must see to see. I took a few images with my camera.. and a million with my eyes… and countless impressions on my heart. Moving. Seriously moving.
be well
Not an idealic day or time of year to visit DC.. but when opportunity knocks…..
I drove into this crazy city in the dark on dry streets. I woke the next morning to a couple inches of snow. The snow seemed to keep most of the tourists and local residence indoors for the early morning hours. I love to walk a city that’s still mostly asleep.
I saw a sign on the side of a van near the Capitol Building today.. it said.. “One Life. Live it!” Mighty powerful words. So I am here in DC.. to see it with my own eyes – to capture images - and make the experience part of my life. I’m living it!
DC is a beautiful city even under gray sunless skies. I love the oak and eucalyptus lined streets – It’s a very well planned layout. In a word: Grand.. like Rome is grand.. Immense with an over abundance of neo-classical buildings. Combined with the vast open spaces of the Mall and the beauty of the war memorials - The city is a monument to man and to the spirit of this country. I am proud to be an American but this visit has not made me ‘more proud’ but instead I come away with a deeper sense of the price of things. I am not as proud as I am grateful.
I would love to see it in the Spring!
These are images from day one of two. Featured are the war memorials.
The smell of the greasepaint, the roar of the crowd …..the socks, the inspired name puns, the tattered fish nets, tatoos all wrapped in blurring colors, and fierce competition. I love the spectacle and experience that is roller derby.
This is MY rollerderby. It was a gift to myself. I made it up in my mind that I HAD to shoot it… I was overly busy as it was but I made myself make time for it. I started shooting last year and went into it hoping that my lack of experience and understanding of the sport itself would help me come away with images that were unique. Uniquely me.
When I shoot roller derby… I try to shoot what I don’t see, catch something that I’m not trying to catch.. if that makes any sense. I go directly in the opposite direction that seems to be “the way”. I am just trying to capture something different in a sport that is well photographed.
This is my 5th bout. There are times when I feel I “shot it” – or that I am getting the same shots.. but when I go to develop, when I pull my children close, sort them out, study and then develop them.. I always see something new.
I hope you see it that way too
Years ago my Mom started a tradition of getting as much family as possible together sometime after Thanksgiving and before Christmas.. we dubbed it – ThanksMas.. clever. I know 
This year was especially festive. Keira- now 3 – was the epitome of a Christmas kid.
Oh to be 3 at Christmas!… it’s a perfect storm of developing wonder – fueled by sugar, colors, bright twinkly lights…
Can you photograph ‘wonder’ ?
I wonder…. 
Merry ThanksMas!
