More Boats

So I like taking photos of the fishing boats here in Dominica.  They fascinate me.  The fishermen here use these boats to go out and catch large fish like tuna and mahi mahi.  They will go out miles off shore and not think twice about how small the boat is.  I am not sure if it is bravery or stupidity but I give them credit for going out in them.  And a bonus, if they catch fish, there is really good fresh fish to buy!  Yum!

Different Views

I decided to go to the other end of the bay and take a photo.  Just wanted to different perspective today.  I don't get there much and it is nice to see other views.  The mountains are really nice in the background.  Hard to find a bad view from here.

How to Photograph Rain

So it started to rain at lunch time and did not stop for the afternoon.  And when I say rain, I mean a heavy steady rain all afternoon.  I was trying to get a photo of the rain and the clouds in the mountains as they come down the mountain to dump the rain.  I need to work on it some more and try again.  The large white area in this photo is the clouds that were hanging over the mountains - blocking the view of the mountains.  It is amazing when the clouds ge tso thick you can't see anything in front of you.

July 24th - Peace

A moment of peace with a moment of sitting by the sea.  Listen to the waves, see the beach disappear and reappear again and feel a sense of calm.  That is the way to spend part of the day.

July 23rd - Red Seaweed

We were in the south of the island for the weekend.  The beach was covered in red seaweed.  I have not seen anything like it before.  It made for an amazing contrast of colors - the beach had a blue tint to it, the trees seemed greener and the water seemed bluer.  It was a wonderful gift from mother nature to see.  it did make it difficult for the turtles to nest and the baby turtles to get to the sea - but there were some wonderful men who helped the baby turtles get to the sea.

July 22nd - Surprise Surprise

We decided to go away for the weekend.  Of course at 9pm I remembered I had not taken a photo yet for the day.  I went outside to see what I could do in the dark and immediately ran into these ginger lilies "glistening" in the dark.  There had been rainfall earlier and the drops had not dried yet.  The lamp was giving a nice glow on the flowers.  The coloring was so different than during the day I just had to give it a try and photograph them.  I like the sparkle that they have - that does not happen during the day.  It was a nice surprise and great ending for the day.

July 21st - Another Beautiful Sunset

Living on the west side of the island gives me many opportunities to see wonderful sunsets.  I am grateful I have not become bored by them.  Sunsets (and sunrises) are truly spectacular and an amazing event each day.  A quiet sunset sets the tone for the evening and a peaceful sunrise gives hope to the day. 

Tall Grasses

I saw some tall grasses the other day.  I went back today to take some photos.  I like tall grasses, the way they look with the sun going through them and then wind blowing them.  I will probably go back and take more.  It is fun when the grass is found and photos can be taken of them.

The Road Less Traveled

Today I went for a ride with a friend with the intent of taking photographs.  I had a great time.  We took one of the main northern routes but took our time and took a turn off the road that is not used.  Here was where it was quiet and not anyone else.  Living in Dominica feels like we have gone back in time and/or it is a place that is not traveled - which it is not as popular as other Caribbean islands.  This is great as places we found today aren't changed and show what life is like on an island.  This was a quiet undisturbed less traveled place that was peaceful.  A place less traveled that shows the quiet wonder of the life.

Another Dominica View

I have not tired of the varied views of Dominica.  Each seacoast view is unique and always changing.  The blues and greens continue to be brilliant no matter what side of the island you are on.  I am glad that I still appreciate the views and wonder at their brilliance.  It makes a great moment in the day to see these views and be able to capture the moment in a photo.

Sunday July 17th - Two Photos

Today there are two photos.  One is of this newborn calf.  We went for a walk on a trail and it was there with its mom.  It was just cute.  It was curious but wary.  Its mom seemed fine with us once she realized we weren't there to hurt either of them but that just made the calf stand there and look at us.  It was a fun way to start the walk.

The second photo is of this house we saw while walking in the woods.  I am impressed it is still standing.  When walking in the woods we run into these houses occasionally.  It makes you wonder if the person/people in the house actually own the land or are they squatting?  Will the house survive a hurricane (or even a tropical storm) and what is it like to live there?  It makes me wonder how little I truly need to have a good life?  How much stuff do I have that I don't really need?

Saturday July 16th - A Let's Try This Shot Photo

So I wanted a photo of the full moon coming up from behind the mountain.  The clouds had another plan.  They kept moving with the rising moon and blocking the moon.  So getting a shot of the full moon was an exercise in frustration.  I decided to take a shot of the light with the clouds.  This is what I ended up with with the help of some software.  It is a funky looking shot, not one that I had planned.  I need to try again next month.  Sometimes though when trying for one thing, another thing happens and it is OK since that is what was supposed to be to begin with. 

Friday July 15th - Happy Weekend

Happy Friday!  The sunsets here can be spectacular and you don't need a photo software program to play with the colors.  This sunset was a great way to end the week and get ready for the weekend.  It is just peaceful with lots of hope.

Thursday July 14th - Pineapple

So I was looking around the house realizing I still needed a photo for the day.  I get really aggrevated with myself when I let the day go by without a photo.  I then saw the pineapple.  How many of us look closely at the pineapple?  What is its skin really like?  So a close up it was for me and my photo.  The bumps were interesting close up - not just the annoying skin you need to cut off.  There is an interesting pattern there.  The fresh pineapple here in Dominica are delicious.  I only started eating pineapple when I came here.  There is nothing like fresh fruit that has been allowed to ripen on the plant/tree/vine.  Delicious!

Baby Flowers

So I was walking around and saw these small flowers growing on the larger plant.  They are just waiting to drop off and start their own plant. 

The Guava's Are Growing

So it is time again for the guavas to start growing.  There are little yellow flowers all over the bushes.  The fruit grows up from under the flower.  Soon the fruit will grow and once yellow, they are ready to eat. 

Red Hibiscus

Just a photo of a red hibiscus.  Trying to figure out how to get the best shot of them.  I liked tje leftover raindrops on the flower.  Want to keep trying to get the best angle.

Sunday July 10th - The Price of the Toys

When growing up I was told jokingly - the difference between men and boys is the price of their toys.  When at the beach, I saw the larger boat tied at the dock.  I just had to put the smaller boat in front of it.  The smaller boat belongs to a 2 1/2 year old boy and the larger one belongs to a young man.  Both make their owners very happy.  The price of the toys.

Playing Around

I saw a pink hibiscus flower.  The only one on the bush.  It looked really pretty in the afternoon light.  I took a variety of photos.  I decided to play with the photo with some doftware.  t was fun to play and see what I could create with the software.  I need to play with the software more - I need the practice and hopefully can make the photos even better.

Friday July 8th - Coconut Bark

I am fascinated by the bark of coconut trees.  I am not sure why - maybe the texture.  These are one variety that is much smaller but the bark is still interesting.  They have an orange tint to them.  Makes life fun and unique.

Rain, Rain Go Away

Well the rainy season has finally arrived.  This is the second day in a row of puring rain with thunder and lightning.  The tropical wave that came through yesterday does not want to leave.  Oh well, makes for interesting times to take photos, trying to run out inbetween showers.  Have to have fun with the challenges.  :)

Pretty Flower

Walking to get some bread and saw these flowers.  It looked pretty to me.  I usually am not a fan of orange but I liked this.  These flowers can be found in the US but here they grow into bushes.  It is amazing how plants and flowers grow here.  It must be all the sun and rain that is available for them to just keep on growing.  It is great to see how the same plant grows in different places.

Tuesday July 5th - What Are You Doing Here?

On the beach, at the end of the day, the beach grabs come out to roam.  This guy was so surprised by us that he jumped out of his hole and started running as fast as he could.  I guess he was so surprised that we were there that he forgot he was safer in the hole.  The crab did eventually make it back to it's hole and we continued our walk on the beach.

Happy 4th of July

So it is the 4th of July and we are in Dominica.  That is fine with us but we do miss the fireworks.  The amazing thing that happened today was while in a local grocery store, I saw this sign.  So a store in Dominica posted the sign for all the US folks that live near by.  It makes me wonder how many living in the US know other countries founding days and would be willing to tell someone from another country have a great day on their version on independence day.  I think we should all start trying!

The Job is Done

These "berries" are part of a palm tree.  It starts as a small flower, then green berries and then the berries turn red.  The birds love the red berries.  This is the end after the birds have had their fill.  The branch has fallen and will fall off the tree.  The berries did their job.

Photo of a Shell

Just wanted a photo of a shell today.  Not much more than that on the choice today.  I like the shell and want to try to take photos of it to see wha tthe best angle for photographing it is.  This should be fun!!!

Friday July 1st - Happy Canada Day!!

Happy Canada Day!!!!

A Surprise Photo - But so Right

So I went off looking for a photo for today.  I took some photos at the government dock while hearing a cow moo.  I hadn't seen the cow but as I was leaving I found the cow.  As I looked out past the cow this is what I saw.  This is what Dominica is all about.  There are the palm trees and the hills in the background Cabrits National Park), the bay, the boats docked at the government dock and then the cow staked near all of it.  The cows are placed where there is grass.  It is just one of those great moments that needs to be appreciated.

Peace and Calm

The beach is somewhere that gives me peace and a sense of calm.  The water landing on the beach and spreading itself outward tehn retracting back in.  When I give myself the time, I am allowed the quiet.  And even if I am at the beach quickly (or with other people, kids), there is still a sence of well-being and happiness.  Find those places for yourself - wherever it may be.

Tuesday June 28th - Almond Tree

So I went out in search of an almond tree to take photos and show almondes hanging on the tree. All was well but i couldn't find many hanging almonds as many had fallen off the tree because it has been VERY windy here for the last few days.  So many almonds on the ground and a few in the trees.  The two yellow spots in the lower half of the photo are almonds.  I will have to go searching again.

Monday June 27th - Ferns

So it seems I am on a nature kick, taking photos of flowers, plants, etc.  I am amazed by the leaves of ferns.  They look so tough but when looking closer there is a delicate element about them.  Always look more closely, you will be surprised by what you find.

Sunday June 26th - Another Pretty Flower

'Tis the season for flowers to bloom.... Watch them grow...

Saturday June 25th - Hard Work

Went to the beach and saw all these coconut tress planted.  There was a party on the beach and a local planted all of these for "atmosphere".  It looked great.  He worked hard, took time and it looked great!  He did a nice job.

Friday June 24th - Designs

In every day objects there are designs that we look over as the day goes on.  Nature especially gives us beautiful design.  Here is a shell and what nature as created.  Take time to look at nature and what she has created on her own.

Thursday June 23rd - Another Day of Driving

Here is another day of driving on the road here in Dominica.  The photo is blurry I am bummed) byt it shows the fun we can have here driving.  There are cows, goats, chickens, dogs in the road besides the vehicles on the road.

Wednesday June 22nd - Pretty Flowers

Sometimes it is nice to stop and check out the pretty flowers.  Take some time.....

Tuesday June 21st - READ!!!

On't forget to read!  Even two year old like to read and learn new things.  Two year olds have the right idea - read for a little while before going to bed.  It is relaxing and a nice way to settle down for sleep.  So don't forget to read for fun each day - it will make your day a little better. :)

Monday June 20th - Bouganvilla

Bouganvilla is a beautiful plant/bush here in the tropics.  This one is a pink variety.  This is a close up of one of the flowers. 

Sunday June 19th - Hugs

Make sure to get a hug a day!  These kids refridgerator letters say it all!

Saturday June 18th - Wind

There are all types of wind here in Dominica - trade winds, hurricane winds, tropical wave/storm winds and everyday winds.  It was windy this day at the beach.  The wind was creating little waves in the water.  When taking a photo from the water looking at the mountain, the waves looked much biger than they were.  It is a fun perspective to see.

Friday June 17th - Sunset Designs

Sunsets here are beautiful.  They are different each day with varying colors, cloud designs and inspirations.  This night it was the clouds that were lit up from the setting sun.

Thursday June 16th - Dominica House

Here is an example of a house in Dominica.  There are chickens and roosters running around.  They add fun to the area.  Here are two roosters and a hen in the front yard.

The Coastline

The coastline in Dominica is fun.  There are so many different view and each day it is new again.  Today I was in a different town and I looked out to the sea.  I walked past this tree many times before I saw the "whole picture".  I ignored the "dead tree" not noticing the color around it.  When I looked again, there is was.  A tree that had dropped its leaves (they will come back shortly), with these beautiful pink flowers growing around it and some old beat up wood that once was blue.  Once seeing the color I thought - how pretty and another view of the sea.

Tuesday June 14th - Desperation

First - I need to say I do really like this project.  It is getting me out and taking photos.  Some days are better than others and I hope that I am getting better as a photographer.

There are some days though that get by me and all of a sudden I realize I have gone through the entire day and not taken one photo.  This is how it was Tuesday night.  I took a photo of this plant.  It is actually a very interesting plant and I did not do it justice.  Sometimes the plant grows as you see it - tall and skinny.  But I have seen other plants be short and fat with lots of stems.  I am not sure what the diffrence is but it is fun to see the variety in which they grow.

View from the Water

Dominica has many stunning views.  One view I can not get enough of is from the water.  We were out swimming today and were able to get far out in the water.  I was able to get this photo of a local beach restaurant with the boat at the dock.  This is the view that visiting boats anchored in the bay would have of the island. 

It was fun to be that far out in the water and to look back and see land.  Here the water gets deep quick and so this was a rare and appreciated treat to be out this far.

Sunday June 12th - Funky Tree

We went to a Jazz concert in the afternoon and were leaving in the early evening.  It had already started getting dark and there were flood lights on to help people walk out in the dark.  This tree was lit up from the light.  Having the light on the tree really highlighted the branches and shape of the tree.

Land of Many Rivers...

Dominica is known as the island of 365 rivers - one for each day of the year.  This may seem like an exaggeration, but once here, you see lots of rivers.

The rivers here show mother nature at its best.  They are calm flowing waters until the rains come.  Once the rains come they are torrents of rushing water with trees, dirt, rocks and whatever else was in the waters way.  It truly is an example of how powerful water can be, and it is a beautiful sight to watch and only watch.

Life here in Dominica reminds us all the time the power of mother nature and what the land can give us.  It is a nice lesson to have in the busy world.

Friday June 10 - Have a Nice Day

This is a sign for a local restaurant.  I really like this sign and the saying.  I wonder how better the world would be if we wished each other a nice day when we saw each other (and really meant it!).

So go out and wish each other a nice day!