A Look Back And Forward

It’s customary to look back on the previous year, reflecting on all that occurred, while at the same time looking forward to the new year with hope and refreshed aspirations. And, this is the case with me as well. I’m sitting here, looking out the window on a seasonally crisp morning as my husband burns a bit of brush, thinking about the trip we undertook during the summer. It was phenomenal and it’s hard to believe we’ve been back longer than we were away already. I promised some of you readers some additional details on the trip so here they are. We traveled 16,458 miles, covered 21 states and 4 provinces. We were gone 93 days and in that time we got to experience things I had only ever read or dreamed about. I won’t say it was my “Bucket List” but I did get a chance to cross several thing off that list while admittedly adding several more to it. But did you know:

We used 1,460 gallons of gas. This figure may be a bit higher due to some places just giving us receipts without liter amounts printed on them. I also admit I could be off due to my conversion from liters to gallons.

The entire trip cost the equivalent of $1.00/mile. This is a strange statistic because it includes all our expenses, haircuts, beer, post cards, magnets, hotel rooms, wine, ferry fees and even movies.

We spent 63 nights on campgrounds or paid rooms which averaged $26.00 per night. And, we spent 29 nights at either WalMarts, friends or rest areas which saved us more than $750.00. That’s a cool statistic.

Our expenses for food totaled $2,083.81 which includes both groceries and eating out or if you prefer, it averaged $22.41 a day for two people. I think that’s pretty good, too!

I’m not sure what other information might amuse people so if you have any questions about routes, statistics, border crossings, admissions to parks or attractions, just let me know. I’m happy to help in any way I can. And while I took more than 8,000 photos, I can honestly say about 7,500 where of the “vacation” variety. Of the remaining 500, there are but a handful I would consider “saleable” . Oh, but those handful can still take my breath away. And even the snapshots take me back to that place and time. This was a trip of a lifetime. We may never travel this way again. Carl has stated he will never drive to Alaska again although he is the first to admit everyone should do it once. And with all of his grumbling, he’s already talking and planning for the next great adventure. I just have 29 more states to hit!

Crunch Time

I'm getting to that point in the year when I have to weigh my options and ask the question; is it best to restock "the shelves" and maintain a full inventory in all of the galleries or should I let my work "sell down" so that my inventory will be less during the leaner months that are sure to come after the first of the year? Each year I wrestle with this bookkeeping practice knowing that I can't sell what isn't there AND that the check book will look better if I don't spend any more money on material between now and those lean times I mentioned. Since each year is different in it's makeup, like children and their personalities who cry out to be treated as individuals, the decisions I make change with the times. The decision hasn't been made on this year, yet.

Last week, we received about 8 inches of snow, enough to make the ground white and give the trees a seasonal overcoat, but not enough for me to haul out my tripod for those beautiful wintry holiday images I've been needing to take. In fact, it snowed every day this week, just an inch or two here and there, enough so you had to clean off the car each morning or sweep the steps to keep the accumulation down. It's what I call a nuisance shower. And, there's a promise for more fluffy inches on Sunday or Monday. I don't usually pay too much attention to the weather forecast because it's just about the only job you can be wrong 70% of the time and still remain employed.

It's just that I need good travel weather on Monday because my printer has decided this is the time of year it will break down and the repair shop is 120 miles from my house. Does the timing for this event strike anyone else as being bad?

A Techie, I'm Not

The coolest thing happened a couple of days ago. I was in kind of a rush to get out the door and made a very quick post about when my readers might find me over the next couple of weeks. The post referred to the local Christmas tree farm in Bethlehem, NH and several other places both in NH and VT. What I wasn't prepared for was how truly remarkable technology can be. I received an e-mail from the photography editor of the very organization that I had mentioned in my previous post. She wrote how her computer had alerted her to my blog entry when I mentioned the state managed farm and wanted to know if I was interested in providing them with photos for their quarterly magazine. This is a great opportunity for me to showcase my work and more than 25,000 subscribers will have that magazine in their hands. But, my head hurts when I think of the kind of programs there are out there scanning the Internet for all kinds of information, entries in blogs, e-mails sent and received and so on. If there's a lesson to be learned here it's be careful! Be careful what you write, who you send to and where you allow your credit card information to be given out. Most of the time, this caution isn't necessary and knowledge gained from the Internet is a wonderful thing. Just remember, all I did was make a remark about a craft fair location and someone in Concord, NH was notified about my post. In the meantime, the holiday season is in full swing and I, totally in need of having my head examined, have just gone into a new cooperative venture in Lancaster, NH. The shop is called "Birds Of A Feather" and will feature the talents of local artisans. I'll pay a monthly rent and need to staff the store one day each month as I do in Lisbon and Campton, NH. May this store be as successful!!!

Blessings Of The Season

Today is Thanksgiving, a day when we should be reflecting on how fortunate we are and giving praise to the Lord for what we have been given. This is not a sermon and while I consider myself a person of belief, I have many faults which are not the purpose behind this post. So today, before I began to enjoy my buffet dinner prepared by Warner's Gallery in Wells River, Vt. with my husband and mother, instead of being sad because I was not able to be with my children or other members of my family, I thought about what makes this day special for me. I have my health, plenty to eat and the love of family and friends around me. I have been blessed with a talent that I use to allow people to view nature the way I've been able to experience it and I enjoy listening to people say how beautiful my images are. Of course, filled with self doubt the way I am, I look at the work of others and feel so inadequate. This day, I am thankful for my children and their health and the blessings of grandchildren is no small thing either. So, when you read this post, even long after Thanksgiving, please take a moment, close your eyes and give thanks for the things that you have. Try not to dwell on what you are lacking. My guess is your life is full and rich and you aren't even aware of it.