sand between our toes

a break in the weather.

lovely wonderful much needed rain....BUT

it keeps us indoors & in our little cottage the 7 of us tend to bump into eachother!!

And not complaining but last week

 (did you see Pebble Beach Pro -Am on TV? Gorgeous! you know, the one where Bill Murray FINALLY won!)

We'd had lovely chilly nights and sunshine days....til last Tuesday.

Anyway, kids are out of school & I'm thrillllllled to have them home & a break from routine. Movies, making dinner, baking, games. Yes, but still.

SO today after church, we headed to the store to grab things for an impromptu picnic. Funny, kids asked for salad. And 1 asked for salami & bread. T & I had salami, olives, apple, formage di affinois & hummus.

The lagoon and Carmel Beach is currently flowing out to sea. It only happens after large amounts of rain because so many wells feed off water from Carmel River. BUT today it was racing out! No trickle here....just fierce water rushing to meet a demanding sea. Amazing. And I had to stay right on top of my kids....because my goodness you don't for a second not respect the pacific.

The fun was looking through all the debris washed out by storm. Lots and lots of huge tree parts. Enough to make forts/lean-to' s galore. The best part was watching the kids, especially Boston totally intrigued by throwing sticks into the rushing water & watching as it sailed out to sea. So often this action is followed by "No, don't throw the stick/rock/whatever. Not here though, it was perfectly wonderfully boy haven to throw & dig & play with all the sticks he could get his hands on! Wonderful.

I didn't take pictures of it today because I wanted to relax. And honestly, I am on high alert when my kids are that close to very active waves (this is not usually the case), that & sand is the archenemy of cameras. I didn't need the stress. I was there to un-stress.

Something about the ocean, it has a natural way of soothing my soul...I love it. 2 Sundays ago, we drove by the same beach & it was FULL of seagulls. Thousands.....

But when we went over to "the quiet water" as Boston called it

I pulled out the camera & loved the landscape...

the mouth of a long river driven by storms to flow out to sea

 Looks different on this side, but if you compare the above pictures, this spot is on far left side.

Kids dragged over "sea snakes": Long kelp that looked like Indiana's whip!

 Charming Red Winged Black Birds nesting in the reeds

 Beyond them is a favorite place in Carmel. Mission Ranch which has sheep grazing & looks out at hills & ocean.

 well, I just had to. Just because.

 Momma & her sweet Abbie

 Kids jumping. Daddy had the camera & doesn't know to change settings ;) blrrrrrrr

self. portraits.

Do you ever upload your camera

only to discover a few surprises? 

Like

I 

do.

turns out my kids like to take self portraits with our little camera. 

Here are a few beauties. 

 guess she's working on "her part". actors!

 something lovely, no clue why...

there were about 50 like this.

I don't even know what to say. Weird. Bad. Good grief.

blogs.

I've been in a writing slump.

Not because I couldn't think of things to write about...

Does that happen to you? You think of things all through the day to search-google-blog- find...

BUT

I've been struggling why and how I blog.

What exactly am I about.

OH that's a big question.....

And I think mostly because the world of blogs is just so darn GOOD!

I mean really, don't you stumble on a new one & think-

SHE is so good! Love love love this blog & then get lost into the world of some strangers inspiration for countless minutes of the day...

I do.

So, then I think why do I blog?

Well. Because I like to take pictures? I mean LOVE to take pictures? Random moments captured & archiving for my family my children to reflect someday on their childhood...

Because I like to write? Well, this is true but mostly I like to document. Does that make sense? I have always loved the idea of journaling. I 've done it many times through my life mostly the down time when it has helped me sort out what's troubling me. But I like the looking back...I seem to be so distracted all the time (care taking of this brood) that documenting it  means I have perspective.

Because I have ideas and I want to share em? True. But then that takes time...all you bloggers that prep, take pictures, edit them, upload and write the most amazing tutorials, seriously? I'm just bogged down by the process. And that gets filed away into the "maybe some day" file.

So, here is is.

I like that the world in which I live is all that much closer because we find like mindedness through just sharing our day. Or ideas. Or life.

Ultimately that's what blogging is...and that connection, sharing somehow enriches each of us simply because.

Because each of us has something to offer, to share, Thank God.

So, whatever it is that I have to share, this is why & where I will....

flash vs. no flash. it's no question.

great tips on some photography questions I get a LOT. 

what can I do to get better pictures. I found someone who agrees with me & here you go...

http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2010/12/snap-even-more-photography-tips/

just found it today from one of my favorites...The Lettered Cottage. 

even though I don't claim to know much, this really is helpful for anyone because most snappers (snappin cameras) just turn on the camera & take what they get. sometimes, its just about capturing that moment. all good! really.

BUT if your trying to get something you see, you NEEEEED to turn off that flash. None of us look better under flash. Truly, and if you notice in low light situations it just makes the person or thing in front look whited out, an everything behind it dark. No good. 

and then

there's the problem of keeping up with the flash. As in, your trying to get that birthday candle blowing out an its all happening so fast and the flash won't keep up so you have bright white-out, followed by dark dark white out again. No good. 

Turn off your flash, steady yourself and snap. No need to worry about it blasting the person out or camera not keeping up. 

The other plus is, it looks a whole lot more like what your actually looking at!

here's a quick (as in I just looked thru my photo library & grabbed these)

of the difference

 fine. BUT not what I was really looking at, or very birthday wishes time.

that's better, the candles have life, she is not blasted white out & when she moved in to blow, she also came more in focus. 

No flash. 

Amen.