Two Years

It's been two years since my move out west.

I'd be lying if I said it has been all peachy
but I can say that
I've been there, and done that...

and that's a pretty good start.

The Hills are Alive

The hills are alive with the sound of music

With songs they have sung for a thousand years

The hills fill my heart with the sound of music

My heart wants to sing every song it hears

My heart wants to beat like the wings of the birds that rise from the lake to the trees

My heart wants to sigh like the chime that flies from a church on a breeze

To laugh like a brook as it trips and falls over stones on its way

To sing through the night like a lark who is learning to prey

I go to the hills when my heart is lonely

I know I will hear what I've heard before

My heart will be blessed with the sound of music

And I'll sing once more.

~ 'The Hills are Alive' - The Sound of Music

Orca Photo Shoot

My photography skills were very much humbled during my latest experience with nature.

When you go on a whale watching trip, you dream of capturing that perfect shot but let's be realistic. The chances of that happening are slim, especially when you aren't familiar with the behaviour of wild whales. So best to leave the photography to the experts and just enjoy the show being performed before your very own eyes.

Easier said than done!
Especially for someone like me who enjoys takes tonnes of photographs.
Yes, I admit that what I don't get in quality, I compensate for with quantity.

Yes, it was a struggle turning the camera off after numerous failed attempts of capturing these magnificent beasts coming up for air but I eventually did and enjoyed every minute of my brilliantly sunny afternoon off the coast of San Juan Island .

But I did manage to get at least one somewhat decent shot of a killer whale...

but at least I didn't miss the orca breaching in the distance or the one that swam right under our boat.

I'd love to go out on the water and watch them every day so it's no surprise that I can't wait to do it again!

Yosemite National Park Time Lapse Video

This video of Yosemite National Park is simply spectacular!

Great work Sheldon Neill and Colin Delehanty.

Mossy Savannah

After enjoying the sunny beach at Tybee Island,

it was back into town to savour the sights of historic Savannah, Georgia. Being the weekend before St. Patrick's Day, the locals were prepping for a week-long party and one of the first signs of these festivities was the greening of the city's water fountains,

including the city's most famous fountain in Forsyth Park.

Savannah prides itself on maintaining its heritage with its countless historic buildings so you can easily spend an afternoon strolling its streets, admiring the architecture, and taking in the unique atmosphere brought about by the Spanish Moss drooping from the massive trees lining its avenues.

The boardwalk alongside the cobblestoned River Street provides a view of the Savannah River and the remnants of the industrial complexes that once graced the riverbank. While this view is a bit unsightly, the major attractions of River Street are the shops and restaurants that promise sweet treats, tasty seafood, and cheesy souvenirs for the tourists milling about.

The river walk is also where you can buy palm roses from one of the many artisans eager to make a sale.

While walking around, the sight of blooming flowers grabbed my attention. After what seemed like a long and cold winter, it was nice to finally enjoy the warm sunshine while being surrounded by colourful flowers perfuming the air around me.

So is Savannah worth driving the four hours from Atlanta?

That's a tough one... but I'll say that it probably isn't, especially considering the two relatively close calls to major accidents I had on the highway. That's not to say that Savannah's historic district isn't nice. On the contrary, it's a nice town for a romantic walk about the town or a picnic with your special someone in one of its many squares but if you're on your own or don't want to take the time to appreciate historic Americana, you'll probably be better off spending your time elsewhere. That being said, I don't regret the long drive as I got an advanced glimpse of spring and now I can say that I've stood underneath the mossy trees of Savannah, Georgia.

Cherry Blossoms in Georgia

Rated as one of the top ten cherry blossom festivals in the world by BudgetTravel, Macon Georgia's International Cherry Blossom Festival's claim to fame is its celebration of its 300,000 flowering Yoshino cherry trees in the "Cherry Blossom Capital of the World." Although I was a week early, I decided to see if I could witness an early welcome to spring in Macon.

"You're a week early, honey" said the friendly lady at the Visitor Center.

"You won't be seeing many cherry blossoms today," warned the other.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the luxury of extending my visit to Georgia for another week so despite the warnings, they handed me a trail map of the cherry blossom route and I was on my way.

Perhaps my imagination got the better of me but I was envisioning walking through massive parks lined with cherry trees ready to flower in a few days' time, and maybe such a park exists in Macon, but I was not made aware of it so I followed the course set out on the trail map, by driving through the streets of Macon. Not exactly what I had in mind, but you have to accept it for what it is.

 

The start of this flowered landscape began in 1952 after Macon realtor William A. Fickling Sr. began handing out cuttings from his backyard cherry tree to local friends and neighbors. This would explain why the cherry bloom trail winds its way through several residential communities through the city. While the streets were bare today, I can only imagine the traffic once the cherry blossoms are in full bloom during the festival.

So while Macon may in fact be the cherry blossom capital of the world, the blossoms are probably only an excuse to celebrate the start of spring with neighbours and friends during the pinkest party on Earth. Good on them because any celebration is a good celebration.

Mardi Gras in Vegas

Because what happens in Vegas...

stays in Vegas!

Porter Mountain

After conquering the Adirondack's Cascade Mountain, it was off to tackle Porter Mountain.  But before starting the ascent, the trail headed downhill through muddy, slippery, and rocky terrain.  It was definitely a bit challenging

but after making our way through the mud,

we eventually started hiking uphill again and found ourselves at the peak where we were greeted once again by an amazing view of the fall colors in the Adirondacks.

Here's a 360 degree view from Porter Mountain...

So there it is, Porter Mountain, the second Adirondack High Peak of the day. Now it was time to head back to our Lake Placid lodge and relax!

Cascade Mountain

After passing the car inspection at the Canada-USA border the day before, we woke up fairly early Saturday morning to get a head start on the expected masses hiking up Cascade Mountain in Adirondack Park in New York State.

The area was hit with heavy rains earlier in the week but luckily for us, the rain stopped and sunshine was in the forecast.  Still early and misty, we started our trek up the mountain.

 It was quite the view when we reached the chilly and windy peak...

But the clouds quickly lifted...

and the view was spectacular!

After taking in the view atop my first Adirondack High Peak, it was time to head back down from the bald peak and make our way to Porter Mountain.