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Posts tagged ‘photography’

Aug 2

15 Comments

Crabbing With Dad

I spent last week at my parent’s river house, and it was just the vacation I needed!

While I was there, I got to go crabbing with my dad, who started out by crabbing off of his dock.  What I learned from that is there are crabs right there at the dock.  Well, I wasn’t planning on swimming in that water anyway!  At some point, he started placing his pots out in the river, but last week was the first opportunity I had to see them.

We went out twice a day to work the crab pots, and something interesting happened every time.  I saw a school of fish jumping out of the water, this way and that, trying to evade the hungry jaws of some bigger fish.  I saw large male crabs cradling little females (doublers), protecting them at molting time and securing mating rights.  I saw plenty of jellyfish, birds dive-bombing for their dinner, and a crab swimming on the surface of waters that were forty feet deep.

My dad is just a natural teacher, so he pretty much talks you through whatever he’s doing.  Crabbing technique, boating lessons, history, crab anatomy, bay ecology…there’s plenty to teach about, out there on the water.  I learned some things, too.  I learned that driving a boat is way different from driving a car.  For one thing, when you turn a car off, it usually stops moving.  I learned that eels are really slimy.  And they can get out of that bucket if they really want to.  I learned that dead jellyfish can still sting you, that lighthouses out in the middle of the bay don’t have indoor plumbing, and if your eyes tell you those waves look rough, then they are.  Only more so.

Some things I already knew; I just needed reminding.  Like what a joy it is to spend quality time with your family.  Family and friendship are blessings that not every one of us has.  It doesn’t do to take them for granted.

♥

I made a little video of my dad working his crab pots.  Vegetarians, beware: the crabs in this video all got cooked!

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Items of Interest:

Weekends at The Rivah

River Vacation

Blue Crabs – Fish Facts

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Jul 27

24 Comments

River Vacation (or How I Almost Died)

I’ve been spending my vacation at the river house!  The first few days was just my dad and me, before some other family came in.  On my second day, we heard there were huge waves out on the bay, and we decided to “just go see” after checking the crab pots.  We were in the wrong boat, but the temptation was too strong.  

As soon as we got a little ways into the inlet, we could see the waves just rolling at the entrance.  Surf was up!  But we went a little further…you know, just to see.  As we got closer to the end, it became apparent that this was a fool’s mission.  But we had gone too far and there was no way to safely turn the boat around.

Looking out at that rocking water, I was torn between really wanting to experience the adventure of being out among them, and really not wanting to get wet.  In any case, I had no choice, and we had to go through.  So that’s what we did.

I’ll admit that I was a little scared.  It wasn’t so much that I feared for my life; I never thought we were in any real danger of death.  I was more afraid that we’d be really, really inconvenienced.  It’s just so much nicer to be sitting on a boat than it is to be thrown off a boat.  And also, I didn’t want my camera to fall in.

There were a couple of times when I thought the boat could conceivably be rolled, and my dad had to maneuver just right to turn the boat at the safest time.  After that, he just chose a wave and surfed it back into the inlet.

Even though we were probably in no more danger than that of being sea sick, I still reserve the right to refer to it as “the day I almost died”.  I don’t have a lot of excitement in my life, so I take what I can get.  Also, that sounds so much more interesting than “the day I almost got wet”.

I’m working on a crabbing video for next week, but in the meantime, here are a few pictures:

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Jul 18

12 Comments

what she wanted

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because this is what she wanted
she would will it into truth

this is what she wanted

on a summer’s day, he’d knelt down
on a summer’s day
he had begged, he had nearly begged
and she said yes

she said yes
this is what she wanted

such a good man, steady and true
such a good man
he would give, he would give all he had
and he loved her

he loved her
this is what she wanted

because this is what she wanted
she would will it into truth

that this is what she wanted

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♦

Jul 5

4 Comments

Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and Aquarium Video


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In May, I posted about a visit to the Baltimore Aquarium.  Part of the fun of that trip was just being in Baltimore, and I have to say that the Inner Harbor made as much of an impression on me as the aquarium.  We had parked several blocks away, and as we made our way to the aquarium, it felt like walking the sidewalks of any larger city.  But when we reached the Inner Harbor, I was struck with a different feeling.  And it was something closer to wonder.

To begin with, it was like stepping into a different world.  We cut through some kind of mall to get to the harbor, and when we entered the building, we were leaving a city.  The sky was hemmed in by tall buildings, everything was the dull color of grey cement, there was noise and traffic.  But when we opened the doors to the other side, all was light and open and colorful.  The sun was shining on our faces, we were met with an expanse of sky and water, and it was just…nice.  It made me happy.  The Inner Harbor is a tourist attraction, so there was a great deal of activity, a lot to look at.  I think a big part of my happy reaction was based on that; it’s just exciting to be in a lively place when you’re already in the market to be pleased.

The next thing that caught my attention were the military ships docked in the harbor, and I was overwhelmed by a sense of the history they represent.  There is a big military presence where I live, so much so that I don’t give it much thought anymore.  Quantico Marine Base is just north of Fredericksburg, I pass by A. P. Hill (an Army fort) every day on my way to work, and it’s not at all unusual to encounter people in uniform.  But seeing the ships here piqued my curiosity, and reminded me how rich in history my little area of the USA really is.  I found out that The Inner Harbor houses four historic vessels (and a lighthouse) that were turned into museums, so you can tour all those ships.  I’m thinking about going back to do that – but in cooler weather!   

The U.S.S. Torsk! This submarine is docked just outside of the aquarium, and is nicknamed “Last Survivor of Pearl Harbor”. It served in the Navy for 24 years. I want to go in that sub!

If I get to tour the Torsk, I’ll let you know all about it!  Whether you’re interested or not.  In the meantime, here is a little video from our aquarium visit.  Be warned that I am not a very good videographer!  But if nothing else, at least you can enjoy the music by Enya.

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Items of Interest:

A visit to the Baltimore Aquarium

The Historic Ships of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor

National Aquarium in Baltimore

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