caribbean cruise| march 2009

Our cruise docked in the ports of Grand Turk, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and Half Moon Cay, Bahamas. Caribbean islands are known for their idyllic beaches and cerulean waters, a reputation they keep well. San Juan, Puerto Rico, additionally offers quant, blue-brick streets reminiscent of Europe (no surprise, given their Spanish lineage), while St. Thomas was the snapshot of a northern European city relocated to a mountain island. (Again, little wonder here: The U.S. purchased it from the Danes in 1917.)

By the end of the trip, my family (along with the other 2,101 guests and 925 crew members) covered 2,020 nautical miles (2,323 miles).

Until next time, bon voyage!

a friday for tipper| march 6, 2009

I needed most of these photos for illustration of the children's book I'm writing. After all, A is for apple, and, well, D is for dig...or dirty. Take your pick. Some days you just have to let them be dogs. :)

chattanooga | feb. 19, 2009

A friend of my dad's wanted some black & white shots of Chattanooga for her husband's naked office walls. I seized the opportunity to be a tourist in a town I called a second home during my college years. I walked across the walking bridge (seemed fitting), admired the quaint corners of the Bluff View Art District, explored Fraizer Ave. a little, & even made my way via knock-off Ugg boots down to the Tivoli. I amused myself with thoughts of how those around me were naively unaware that I was almost as familiar with Chattanooga as its own residents--all evidence to the contrary (my camera necklace & perpetual "taking it all in" expression). Despite the frigid temperature & gale-force winds, I made it back to my car as a happy tourist with plenty of captured "memories" and (thankfully) all my appendages, numb as they might have been.