"Winter Willow"

It may surprise you, but my least favorite weather to shoot in are the clear days, when there isn’t a cloud in the sky. I prefer turbulent skies, overcast skies, fog or even rain because they all add drama, mood and interest to an image. Honestly though, there really aren’t any bad weather days for photography but the lighting conditions do dictate what type of photography I’m looking for. I love shooting in foggy conditions; that’s my favorite. Fog not only helps to define the subject by separating the foreground from the background but it (importantly), fog adds a peaceful and a serene stillness to it too; like this photo. I’m touring my way towards southern US in my RV now and after only three days, I’ve had to changed my travels twice …oh well :-) . The weather hasn’t exactly cooperated but I am getting a few great shots and making some valued memories along the way. Not one to get frazzled by (most) last minute changes, I embrace what I can’t change. That said, choosing which way to go, when you don’t know where to go, is sometimes just a matter of flipping a coin! I once met a lady who was traveling solo, around the world and I asked her, “How do you decide where to go?”. She answered with, “There’s no right or wrong, left or right”. Gosh, isn’t that the truth! Whether they are travel plans or life plans; life is in the memories we create, and those we leave behind. If you see the negative, you’re going to feel the negative, if you see the beauty, you’re going to feel the beauty. Believe in possibilities. Photo captured near Yakima, Washington.

"Wind Power"

Travel and photography go hand in hand but together with curiosity, the opportunities to expand one’s knowledge is endless. That said, my curious mind led me to google "wind turbines"; this is what I learned. *Be sure to Note #2! :-) 1. The towers are +/- 328 feet tall. 2. The average length of the blades are 260 feet but some are over 300 feet and weighs 11.3 tons(!). Oh my gosh, they are enormous! I passed one once, that was being transported on a freeway. The front of the blade sat on a transport truck trailer while the back of the blade sat on a trailer that totally detached from the transport truck. It basically just followed behind. It was quite the site to see! 3. The tallest turbine is in Hawaii. It’s 20 stories high and its blades are the length of a football field (!). 4. A single commercial turbine can power over 600 homes, while a small backyard turbine could power your home. 5. Some blades are more aerodynamically so they spin faster. 6. When the wind dies down, it can take hours for the blades to stop rotating. 7. They will automatically shut down (to prevent damage) if the winds are greater than 55mph (89km) 8. Optimal wind speed is 30-50mph (50-80km). 9. Large wind turbines spin at the rate of 180mph (260km). 10. Some don’t spin because they’re under maintenance. 11. They generally last 20 years. 12. The first wind turbines where windmills which were used to grind wheat and pump water. 13. Palm Springs has the oldest wind turbine farm.