Last week I was in Seattle – a long awaited trip far away from home. I hadn’t been to the west coast of the US since late 2019, and then I visited only a sliver of California. We had 9 whole days here in Seattle – yes! The first thing we did the day after we arrived was Pike Place Market!
check out all we didMy friend Kathy texted me last night and mentioned that there was a conjunction of the two planets happening – and so I stepped outside to try and get a shot. Not bad for no telescope!
I took a couple shots of the moon too while I was setup for it. Half moons are real beauts.

A little backyard astrophotography felt good for my soul. I dreamt about seeing the Milky Way again and hopefully one day experiencing the northern lights. Hope you’re having a good holiday season, however you get to spend it!
I had thought I’d formatted this SD Card with all the photos on it but I had just been absentminded and swapped out a clean one and forgotten. I love the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. It’s too bad that this year, when we bought year-long passes, we were able to enjoy so little of what the garden usually offers. In any case, the photos were a joy to take. Enjoy the gallery!
See the galleryOne of my goals this year, after all that’s happened, was to spend autumn just exploring Georgia State Parks to absorb the colors. I mean to do it every year, but previously we had so many options during the weekends that we wound up doing something else. Restaurants and larger friend gatherings were the biggest culprits – no longer an option for those being responsible during this pandemic. Hiking has been a self discovery. I find that a balance of physical exertion appropriate for my current body plus the opportunity to photograph and absorb natural beauty is the perfect combination.
Our trip to Vogel State Park took us on three trails – and all of them were spectacularly dressed for fall.
Lake Trahlyta Trail
Lake Trahlyta sits in a valley between a few peaks and its shores were lined with gorgeous color. There’s a single bright yellow maple on one side that really struck me with the way it framed the opposite shore. It’s an easy trail to walk – good for children and anyone with minor mobility issues. There’s also benches all around to simply sit and absorb the splendor.

Lake Trahlyta Waterfall Trail Offshoot
Right off the lake trail is a short set of steps to the waterfall. These falls are created by a manmade dam but they’re still pretty spectacular if you don’t mind their origin story.

Bear Hair Gap Trail
Walking up the gap trail leads to a lot of autumn scenery – especially if you stop and look closely! Crystal clear rainwater running over amber and rust colored leaves was an excellent repeat sight.
















The colors all over the changing trees kept me pausing over and over.

Finally you arrive at the peak and have this vantage point pretty much all to yourself. The lake you were just walking around looks so small, but the colors of the trees framing the lake still give it a grand feeling.



It’s an excellent hike, a total of just 6 miles or so, even with the meandering, and I recommend it! Definitely check it out on AllTrails and drop me a photo in the comments if you go!
Back in September, Jeremy and Chugs got me an awesome birthday gift! A Mavic Pro 2 – and since then I’ve been taking it on flights. I love the kind of drone flight that shows off the peaceful but interesting views from above. We went to Florida back in September – and I put my favorite shots from the trip together to some music.
Fall has arrived in Georgia, and I am taking my drone into the forests. Can’t wait to show off some of our beautiful, and honestly, underappreciated landscapes here!
The first weekend of October felt like the perfect time to start a habit of getting out and seeing some of Georgia’s pretty views. Bell Mountain was first to come to mind so we went up there with our friend Dasha and her sweet dog Leroy. But first we hiked Jackrabbit trail, which is a forested trail that’s just barely in North Carolina at the Georgia border, near Bell Mountain.
check out the trail photos!The same day we hit up the Pumpkin patch, we also hit up the sunflower field nearby. We had no plans to do this prior, but when we drove by it I knew I wanted to stop in. Look at all these gorgeous sunflowers!
See the gorgeous sunflowers!