It is so hard to believe that we are approaching the end of the year.  July to August, I slept, watched movies and read.  Two months gone just lying on the bed.  Then it was back to work, but not back to life. Progress post surgery has been slow.  While I tried some short walks they have really been short.  Today I decided to attempt what I thought would be a complete walk.  It took me an hour of going slowly and stopping and taking photo’s and limping along.  So that is my disclaimer, some of my images go over 30 minutes.

So limp along with me.  The place I opted to go is probably not my favorite.  The walk is dark and lonely, there is no wildlife, just trees and the odd dragonfly, but this was what I was up to and it was an achievement for me.  So here are my images from my dark lonely walk.

Into the dark and lonely woods I go. Bobcat have been seen in here and there is traces of that fact, but over all it is me alone with the elements.

I took three lens with me – my zoom lens (70-300mm), my composer pro with the twist optic, and the composer pro that I just bought for my daughter with the sweet 50 optic. This image is taken with the twist optic.

In the midst of a swampy area were these 3 beautiful flowers

The narrow depth of field is a favorite of mine and I enjoy finding leaves on the boardwalk railing and getting down close to them.

This little fern felt like a mighty warrior to me.

These berries were probably the most color I saw on the walk.

Spanish Moss was prominent on the walk and here it is framed by the twist effect.

Again getting down low I loved the pop of color on the boardwalk railing

The walk is dark and so it lends to really moody looking images. I loved the way this fern was unfolding.

This dead leaf was directly in front of a open fern. I liked the effect of the background.

There were so many dead ferns along the walkway and I felt that this one had a lot of character.

Another narrow depth of field using the Lensbaby Composer Pro with the sweet 50 optic.

Ferns with the beautiful light behind again using the Lensbaby Composer Pro with the sweet 50 optic.

While the old ferns are dying new life is happening and this little fern is ready to take on the world, or at least the walkway.

Dead leaves and beautiful backgrounds. This image was taken with the Lensbaby Composer Pro and the sweet 50 optic.

Another dead fern this time taken with the Lensbaby Composer Pro and twist optic

This is perhaps my favorite, using the narrow depth of field that I so love, and coupling it with the Lensbaby Composer Pro and twist optic. I loved that the leaf is sharp and the effects are spiraled.

I am at the end of the walk. I am tired, my limp is probably more pronounced, my foot is sore, but this little leaf reminds me that progress is like a creeper, you keep at it until you reach the end. The end is not anytime soon, but hopefully there is an end in sight.

Thank you for joining me for this month’s 30 Minutes in Life.    This is a circle blog.  Please take time to visit my friend and fellow blogger Stacey Markel  / Maryland and see what she has for you this month. Keep following the circle to see what the other photographers have shared this month. Don’t forget to leave a little love on their pages.

30 Minutes changed their name to Journey to an Artist.  If you want to know more about Journey to an Artist head over to their Facebook page, or to the blog page.  There is new and exciting happenings going on with the group Journey to an Artist that you are sure to want to check it out.

You can also find me on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram and Google+

I am not sure where this month has gone, but 30 Minutes in the Life is live again.  This month I actually got out and took photo’s.  For the past 3 months ever since I had foot surgery, Richard has wanted to go off road bicycle riding.  I have not felt up to going anywhere, but he could have gone.  I think he really wants me to get out.  Problem is I really don’t feel like getting out.  So last weekend I suggested that if he wanted to go I would be happy to do so.  The state park is about 1 hour from where we live and so we left around 8am so that he would be able to cycle in the slightly cooler weather.  The park is pretty big, and while I would like to say I walked around, I really drove to places and  walked short distances.

When it came to editing I think the images I wanted to push myself outside of my comfort zone and go dark.  I experimented with burning edges and vignettes.

Possibly this is a reflection of what my mood has been this week.  Tuesday evening was the highlight with me having a major meltdown, that resulted in tears and a pity party for one. Just being real here.

Part of it is all about expectations.  I expect, and others expect me to be able to do more than I really can do.  I am back at work, and moving around so I should be able to do what I was doing before.  However, the frustration for me is that I can’t.  I am dealing with daily swelling.  I am learning to walk differently. My foot hurts, my heel hurts even more, and I am the only one that knows that.  No one else can feel the pain or what I am going through.  I wish I could wave a wand and make it better, but the realization is that this is a slow, slow journey and I have to deal with it the best way I can.

So here are my dark, moody images for the month of October.

I love the lensbaby effect and this was taken with the composer pro and the sweet 50 optic. I bought this for Amy and decided to test it out myself to make sure everything was in working order.

I had to laugh. I had stopped at the side of the road to take this image, and a man and his wife road up in there golf cart vehicle. He asked me what did I see. When I told him trees, he looked at me blankly. Then he said to me, there is a gate post over there. For him it was trees, for me it was light and dark.

There is a definite sign of autumn with winter just around the corner. Leaves are turning and some are dying. I personally am looking forward to the cooler winter months.

In amongst the grass were weeds. Weeds on their own are not something to get excited about, but close up this little weed looks quite regal to me.

This lizard was on a fallen branch. He kept puffing out his orange flap at me and finally settled into this position while keeping his beady eye on me.

I can relate to this buoy line – for right now – I feel isolated from the life I have been so used to. I use walking in the wetlands to clear my head and do my thinking. I can’t do that right now, and I really really want to.

There are so few birds at this state park. But this little Mockingbird flew up to the trees and I love the way the branches framed it.

This tiny flower was taken with my macro lens. I love how the white pops out against the dark. What I really loved about the flower was all the frilly ends on the ends of the stamen

I have felt like this tree all week. There has been a feeling of dark all around, but there is light around me as well. I give thanks for those who have been a light this week, because for the first time in three months I really felt like I battled the dark.

I hope I have not depressed you but I am just keeping it real.  I have been really good up until now, and the week just got to me and the tipping point just sent me over the edge.  I am back up and I am doing things but as I write this I know that within a short while I am going to head to the bed and elevate and ice my foot.  I am grateful for the people in this group, and the friends I have in the different photography groups, and those that I work with who have encouraged me and strengthened me through this journey. I don’t say it enough but without Richard and his help, I probably would have melted long ago.

Thank you for joining me for this month’s 30 Minutes in Life.    This is a circle blog.  Please take time to visit my fellow blogger Sophie James | Bluebells on the Green Lifestyle Photography, Scotland and see what she has for you this month. Keep following the circle to see what the other photographers have shared this month. Don’t forget to leave a little love on their pages.

30 Minutes changed their name to Journey to an Artist.  If you want to know more about Journey to an Artist head over to their Facebook page, or to the blog page.  There is new and exciting happenings going on with the group Journey to an Artist that you are sure to want to check it out.

You can also find me on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram and Google+

I have spent the last 9 weeks in recovery and it still goes on.  I can drive but I cannot walk far.  I find I need to get my foot elevated pretty quickly.  I attempted to take some photo’s juggling the crutches yesterday and that just did not work.  So for this month I am just going to continue to share the Seattle Stories.  The Orcas Islands were amazing, on the ferry boat rides we saw such stunning scenery, and the town of Friday Harbor was quaint, pretty and welcoming.  Today we are on the road from the Orcas Islands, heading towards the German town of Leavensworth.  We are heading into the mountains and of course the snow.

The scenery was beautiful and I will confess that my blog was taken over a longer period than 30 minutes.

Driving along the highway it is really hard to capture the scenery. The countryside was beautiful.

Mountains – that’s where we are heading, although a bit deeper in.

We saw amazing scenery along the way and sometimes you just need to snap from the car.

On the road, alongside the train tracks.

Our first sighting of a close up of the mountains with snow. Yay…oh boy it’s going to be cold

We stopped at this tiny little side of the road coffee spot. So very quaint and unusual.

The view from behind the quaint little coffee stop. Majestic mountains.

There is a sense of excitement when a South Florida (African) girl gets to see snow. It’s been a while and it was a spectacular sight.

The road we traveled from the Orca Islands to Seattle meandered along the river. In some places it was flat and in others is was rocky and choppy.

We took a 2 minute freezing cold snow photo op at a ski lodge pull off

Richard doing his peace out thing. Has to be a hippie era child.

Ski lifts – the last time I went on the ski lifts in Denver, I got horribly sick and so I am avoiding these with a passion. Not that I would have any plans to ski. I have two left feet and end up with broken bones.

We came around a curve to this beautiful river scene and so I had to pose Richard in the photo.  We don’t take too many people pictures for some reason.

There were some beautiful rivers that we passed. The driver has one mission – get to our destination. The back seat driver, keeps telling him to stop

Another close up of the driver, Richard. One of my favorite people as I have to be honest, I would not want to drive on roads that may have snow or ice.

Sometimes the scenery was bleak and gray, hence the black and white image. The rushing rivers as a result of the snow.

Getting out in front of the camera is not my thing but sometimes you just have to do it to record that you were actually on vacation.

A beautiful lake and view alongside a shop, called The Alps, that we stopped at. Interesting store. It had about a hundred different varieties of taffy.

Barry and Enid at the shop stop.  Nothing beats spending time with family.  Given that we are spread out across the continents these times are a real treat.

I loved the stillness and peacefulness of this area.

Another stopping point was this bridge across the river. I wish I could have stopped at all the interesting places.

Last stop before heading into Leavensworth.  Look out for my blog on this tiny German town.

Thank you for joining me for this month’s 30 minutes.    This is a circle blog.  Please take time to visit my fellow blogger Hayley Hay photography / Lausanne, Switzerland and see what she has for you this month. Keep following the circle to see what the other photographers have shared this month. Don’t forget to leave a little love on their pages.

30 Minutes changed their name to Journey to an Artist.  If you want to know more about Journey to an Artist head over to their Facebook page, or to the blog page.  There is new and exciting happenings going on with the group Journey to an Artist that you are sure to want to check it out.

You can find the blogs to the Chihuly Gardens inside and out,  to Pike Street Market,  the Seattle Waterfront and Ferris Wheel, Bainbridge Island,  Seattle Library, Columbia Building and Chinatown, Seattle City Scenes , the ferry trip to Friday Harbor, Friday Harbor the town, and the ferry trip back to the mainland, by clicking on the highlighted names.

Keep a look out for more of the upcoming blogs, the town of Leavensworth and the Snoqualmie Falls.

You can also find me on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram and Google+