nature photography | At Home with Tech

April 23, 2023

Photos from our Weekend Stranded on an Island

When you’re cut off from the world by a body of water, anything can happen. Here’s little more from our adventure on Rose Island…

Well, we weren’t exactly stranded. We intentionally decided to spend a couple of nights on Rose Island in Newport, Rhode Island. No, we weren’t exactly the keepers of the Rose Island Lighthouse, where we stayed along with another couple who were in the apartment above us. But we were on our own to handle any unforeseen circumstances.

We’re Going on an Adventure!
Sure, we were tethered to civilization via cell phone, but remember, we were on an island in the middle of the Narragansett Bay. That’s the vacation my family chose. Well, actually, it was my idea, based on a predisposition that our experience might contain a little adventure. (I guess that’s my inner Bilbo.)

I think my lighthouse fascination has developed over time from the movies I’ve seen that feature a lighthouse.

Those weren’t actually serene movies, were they?

False Alarm
So, when we were paid a little visit by a rescue boat from the Newport Fire Department, during breakfast on our first morning… should I have been entirely surprised?

Probably not. It’s actually the perfect plot set up for our own lighthouse movie, coming to a theater near you in 2026. (I’ve still got to write the script.)

For the record, even though the fire alarm had been tripped, everything was absolutely fine.
It was exciting to host this great team of Newport firefighters for thirty minutes. And our own hosts responded appropriately and generously to the situation.
Still, I would say this piece of our lighthouse vacation falls under the category of ‘unexpected adventure.’ Right?

Vacationing in a Lighthouse
After that, a more normal pace quickly resumed… well, 19th century normal. But that was always part of the plan.

And I’ve chronicled those details in my blog post from last week.

My headline remains… Staying in this lighthouse is a bucket-list trip. It was simply awesome.

Here are a few more photos that reflect the more serene parts of our experience living in a lighthouse and being so close to nature…

April 2, 2023

Hello Spring!

It’s my annual tradition to welcome springtime by walking through my neighborhood with camera in hand to witness all of the sprouting colors.

I looked out the window this morning. It was sunny, cool and blustery, but I knew it was finally time. So, I grabbed my Panasonic Lumix LX-10 camera and strolled around the neighborhood in search of spring. I didn’t have to look too hard. Nature is ramping up. The explosion is still to come, but we’re close.

I am so ready. So, let’s do this!

Here are my early spring 2023 photos…

October 30, 2022

Finding the Bright Spots Past Peak Foliage

If you’re late this year embarking on your weekend leaf-peeping excursion, all is not lost. Here’s how to modify your expectations and still find some of the color you seek.

Suddenly the brilliant colors of fall in New England are gone. It happens faster than you may think. Another year you’ve missed peak foliage? Another opportunity lost? Not necessarily.

My family and I went for a hike this past weekend in Collis P. Huntington State Park in Redding, Connecticut. As we entered the forest, it felt like I had time-traveled forward several weeks. Almost all of the leaves were already on the ground.

“What?! This is not how the trees looked driving in.”

I gripped my little Panasonic Lumix LX-10. I looked up and around. I felt like I had entirely missed this year’s fall season.

But then I looked down and peered closer. Fall wasn’t done yet. No, not by a long shot.

The colors were still all there. They just weren’t displayed en masse any longer. I simply had to bend a knee and tighten my focus.

So that’s what I did, and here’s some of what I saw.

Individual results may vary, but no matter what time of year you spend time in nature, satisfaction guaranteed.