Nate and Shaina

I'm blessed enough to have an older brother in my life, one who let me hang out with all his senior friends when I was just a wee freshman in high school. He didn't realize how much it would drive him crazy. :)

However, this connection of events led me to meet Dirks, who introduced me and initiated me into "the family;" a group of guys that I love pretty much beyond reason. And well, this weekend one of them got married. Shaina is everything I would hope for in a sister. She is sweet, funny, beautiful, intelligent, and poised even in the face of disaster. She also did the worm in her wedding dress. Enough said! They are awesome! I could not be happier to have been a witness on their wedding day. I love you both! Congratulations Nate and Shaina!

Breathing Room

I'm growing! There is a lion out there that may laugh a little at that, but for the rest of you, I'm talking about business! Haha, Lord. It's an incredible thing, and I feel so blessed in so many ways. I have my first real gallery show next week, and even though it's in a group show I'm still excited about it. My "art" art is completely different and I haven't really shown any of it to anyone in a long time. Beyond that, I've got 3 critiques for class in the next week, 2 shoots for the magazine this weekend, and then a wedding on Sunday. Yikes!

I skipped class today and took for myself out for some much needed breathing room. It was a gorgeous day, a swift breeze on the prairie gave the fresh water just enough chop to make it textured. The banks were covered with gators (they get over 20ft long at Payne's) sunning themselves. I rounded a corner and found a Mama and 4 babies curled up close to the embankment.. There is no other place that consistently fills me with such awe and peace. The air was perfumed with blooms upon blooms of wild flowers that spotted the trails with lavender, coral and yellow. Monarchs were sipping up the nectar and a few let me get within inches of their beautiful wings. Today made me ache for some new lenses.. soon though. Soon.

I ran into an extremely nice bird watcher who let me peak through his telescope, and also an impossibly talented wildlife photographer who was using a 600mm lens. Just to give you non-photo types an idea, that's a lens that is almost half as tall as I am!!! They told me about some super secret local haunts that they go to that I'll hopefully have time to check out when things die down a little. I spotted some eagles chasing ducks, 2 of the wild horses from a distance, about 14 boar, an abundance of swallows, ibis and egret, and more gators than I can count.




I feel so blessed to live in Florida. What a state, what a beautiful state of mind. Today is the day.

Austin

Today I would like to make a confession. I am a coffee addict. Bolder is better! Black is best! French pressed beans, in my cup. In my belly! I'm all about it! The sad part about this post is that my very dear friend Austin is moving away at the end of the week, on to bigger and better things, like TX and the Air Force. Today was the last day I got to see him, so as I was indulging in a fat cup of Pikes Peak I was also snapping away. I am undeniably proud of him and know he's going to be successful at whatever he decides to do, but I would be a liar if I said I wasn't going to miss him quite a lot. Besides being an incredible musician he's a super strong Christian and just an amazing person all around. Keep in touch, you. I'll be writing!

Kevin and Kara

It takes a very special kind of couple to have a Halloween wedding. It takes strong team work and planning and going to every Target within a 50 mile radius to pull off all the details. It takes an amazing love to make a union successful. Kevin and Kara are all of those things and so, so much more. When you are surrounded by a powerful love it affects you in a powerful way. Their sense of humor and contagious smiles made it pretty hard not to laugh. Kevin! Keep the Freddy Krueger fingers away from the children and invite me to your house for Halloween next year! Also give me the number of that skeleton, he's a pretty great pianist and a really great dancer. Did I mention that they are just extremely beautiful people, inside and out? They are, friends and family included. Thank you for letting me document your day, and congratulations!!!