road runner

If I wasn't such a snob, I'd probably be a long haul trucker or bus driver for a living. I love driving. Not through town, where traffic backs up and you have to manipulate the streets like a chess board (although that, too, has a certain appeal) - I mean the open road. The long drive. The eternal ribbon of asphalt that never ceases to beckon.

Occasionally, my job requires me to go out of town for the day. Not far - generally within the bounds (or not far past) of the Okanagan. Yesterday, it was Osoyoos, a little town about an hour and a half south of Kelowna. I was covering the opening of the Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre, an eco-cultural centre that will preserve and promote the Okanagan native heritage and culture. A feel-good story, I could hit the road knowing there wouldn't be victims or suspects or anything unpleasant waiting for me at the other end.

The weather, when I embarked, was overcast, with light rain. I stopped at the Starbucks next to my house before officially launching out, to enhance the feel-good aura of it all with a grande latte. After zigging and zagging my way down Harvey Ave. (and after a brief pause before the bridge as I waited for the span to come down - stinking sail boats!) it was free sailing - up and over Westbank, past Peachland, circumnavigating one side of Okanagan Lake to Summerland and Penticton. Then through Penticton (where the weather took a turn for the better), and into the deserty terrain of Okanagan Falls, Oliver and Osoyoos.

It was a good drive. Along the way, I listened to Sheila Rogers interview Margaret Trudeau on the CBC (who noted that everyone should find at least one moment of exquisite beauty every day - I was living mine, I decided right then), contemplated how happy I am to be married to a man who's just plain amazing on so many levels, and felt overwhelmed by all the green that's still around in June. Usually by this time, the landscape is a much less stimulating brown, with highlights of yellow, as everything that's not irrigated or watered manually (the hillside) withers from the heat and dies.

I was almost sorry to arrive at my destination. Given an unlimited supply of fuel, an absence of bills to pay and the right sort of company (say, that amazing husband I mentioned) I could have just kept going. There's always more to see - another corner to round, another road to cross. As soon as I find a way to make money from doing this (that doesn't involve air brakes, 18 wheels or passengers), I think I could become one for the road.

Until then, I'll just wait for my next assignment away.

a picture's worth a thousand words

We got a new camera last week. It's a Cannon EOS Digital Rebel XT. It's several leaps up from my former piece, an Olympus Camedia C-750 Ultra Zoom.

The Olympus served me for the past 2.5 years, capturing moments for eVent Magazine, the Daily Courier and The Province in that time. It had a 10x zoom on it which means I could capture a fly on the wall from the other side of the house, and it took great pictures outside. However, inside shots were always a challenge, and its limited 400 ISO meant it was uncooperative in low or fluorescent light - especially if one person was wearing something white.

The new acquisition is an SLR (that means you can change the lens), and it has a much more reasonable 1600 ISO, and continuous shooting so I can just hold the button down and snap-snap-snap, no opportunity will be missed. My other camera couldn't do this, and it was after a failed attempt to get a shot of a (alleged) kidnapper entering court a couple of weeks ago, that I knew I needed to upgrade.

That was my reason. My excuse, however, came from weeks of securing the batteries with packing tape, after my battery lid broke during a fall.

So I've been trying to get familiar with this new little tool - but the more I read up the more daunted I feel. It's got so much capability, it feels right now like I'll never learn it all! I took it out yesterday for the first time, on a walk to Bear Creek Canyon on the Westside, to play around with some of the settings. The results are not bad - although I can't wait to start playing with some of the built in filters and other cool features.

Here's a sample of what I took, with notes:

Liam holding a jumping cactus. Taken in portrait mode, which means the front-most object is clear and the background blurred. I've always wanted to do this!





An action shot of Avery and Liam racing up some stairs. A little blur, to enhance the sense of action, would be good - I'll have to work on that.







A pine needle burst taken on micro setting, which essentially works the same as portrait but more extreme.

Rob took this one, of the river, using a slow shutter speed to blur the water. He was quite impressed with what it could do.

things that make you go hmmm

I saw this sign on the groundfloor of the Vernon Court House. It pretty much speaks for itself.

thought of the day

I was at an all-women's gym this morning, taking pictures, when I noticed, again, something that occured to me several years ago. When women work out a lot (men, too, no doubt, but it's not as distracting), they get this hard look on their face. Their skin gets tight and their lips get all thin and harsh looking and they get these strong lines around the mouth. Not wrinkles, lines. Tight looking lines. Think Madonna, or Maria Shriver. I hate that.

How's that for a 'Lorianity?'