giving thanks in the woods

Those are my friends -Theresa in the tire swing with Cheryl and Tracey getting the last of the kayaks out to go for one cold spin on the river. It is only 54 degrees F here, which is nippy for these parts of Florida! The wood stove had been set up in the Tiki Hut, Steven was wearing a flannel shirt and I had a fuzzy jacket on I don't believe I've worn since I left Connecticut! But the food was warm and there was lots of it along with talk & laughter. I think there must have been at least 40 50 of us there at Lucas Boatworks, friends and family enjoying the beautiful surroundings and each other's company. I am very blessed in more ways than one. Blessed for this family of friends right across the river and blessed for all of you here who are so supportive, many thanks.

I think because the light was low and also because there was movement in this photo and others, some of my photos (setting them myself - aperture priority) just did not work out. They were way too blurry. I resurrected this one with a filter, but need to go review notes from the photography class I took last year. It was funny, I could sometimes see in the viewfinder it was not going to work out as the screen looked too dark! It was only a little disappointing because it is really the first time this has happened during a couple of weeks of attempting manual settings. In fact, this happening has only prompted me that I need to learn some more, to go along with my playing and experimenting. It is a challenge, but one I'd like to learn.


The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson