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This is another shot from Millbrook Village. I loved the weathered and worn look of this place. The light was harsh but I think the deep shadows created by the harsh light added to the mysterious mood of this shot. I probably should have posted it for Halloween, but just hadn't thought to. I've been a bit distracted the past couple of weeks. There's just so much going on right now...It's a busy, busy time!

I'm still waiting for Rob to get home. I still don't have an exact date or time when he will arrive and it's making me crazy! I half expect him to just show up and every time the doorbell or phone rings I get all excited. I just wish he would get here, but on the other hand if he doesn't get here for a few days he might be here for Thanksgiving this year, the first time in 3 years that he would be here for Thanksgiving. He's never missed Christmas with us since he went into the service, but always Thanksgiving. He doesn't like Turkey dinner but I will gladly cook something he loves instead! Ukrainian Easter is his favorite "food" Holiday so maybe I will have that for him.

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This is a shot taken as we were leaving Uchee Creek campgrounds where the cabin we stayed in during our visit to Ft. Benning GA was located. The campgrounds is part of the base and is actually located in Alabama. Ft. Benning is both in Alabama and Georgia.

During our visit there was often a thin veil and sometimes a thick veil of smoke shrouding the area. My son said it was because they were doing controlled burns in order to cut down on the chance of wildfires later on as the warmer dryer weather approaches.

This particular morning we were treated to some mist mingling with the smoke over the marsh. Unfortunately it was the morning we were leaving to come home. This was actually shot from the parking area of the camp store. I grabbed this shot while Mark dropped off the key to the cabin. I had no time for a tripod, or to look for the best vantage point, and could only take a few quick snaps before jumping back into the car for the 19 hour ride home.

The rest of this post is really long, even by my standards, so bless you if you read it all the way through. It covers the details of our visit with Rob. Much of what is written here was also on my other photoblog, with slight editing.

The visit was wonderful and the boys fell into a routine of being brothers within minutes. I got lots of snapshots of them together, but not much in the way of photos that I will post. I never did get to do the family portrait I had wanted to get, but oh well. The boys didn't want to pose and Rob was being his usual when it came to the camera. He hates having his picture taken so suffice it to say the snapshots of them playing cards and just hanging out are good enough.

The first night there we spent in a local hotel. The remainder of the visit was spent in a pretty nice little cabin at the campgrounds that is located right on the base. The cabin had both heat and central air, a kitchenette and large bathroom, a master bedroom and bunk beds in the living area for the boys. You have to be military or military family to use the cabins.

The only problem, which wasn't really a problem, and was actually kind of cool, was that the airfield was just the other side of the campgrounds which made it interesting since we were often in the flight path of some very large, very loud military aircraft. The Airborne jump school is on Ft. Benning. The planes came so low that the shadow covered the cabin and when you looked out the window it appeared as though they were almost skimming the pine trees. Fortunately it wasn't constant and only occurred a couple of times at night and early morning when we were sleeping.

I wasn't able to take many pictures on the base for obvious security reasons and I didn't even try since I was unsure of where it was ok and where it wasn't. I figured better safe than sorry and limit it to the places I knew would be ok like the campgrounds. Even so, I didn't take that many photos. I was really too busy running here and there getting things taken care of.

A lot of the photos I took were on the dull side. It was somewhat overcast and the entire area was shrouded in a thin veil of smoke much of the time that we were there. They were doing controlled burns all around in Georgia and Alabama, which was actually where the campsites were. Ft. Benning is in GA and AL.

We didn't have time to explore much outside of Ft. Benning either. The only thing we really saw were tons of shopping. Strip malls with chain stores and restaurants were everywhere. I've never seen so much shopping outside of the cities in one place in my life. It was big box store and discount store heaven.

There were more restaurants than I can count all of which were along the lines of the chains like Applebees, Chilis, Ruby Tuesdays, Outback and others that are found down south. My stomach is paying the price for it all. It was hard to find "healthy selections" at these restaurants and we only BBQ'd at the cabin a few times.

The visit ended much too soon and was emotionally draining when it was time to drop Rob off at his apartment for the last time. He had to run up and get me some papers for me to take home so that I could look after his affairs while he's gone. After he gave me the papers, we said our heartbreaking, tear filled goodbyes and had a silent ride back to the cabin which is nearly a 30 minute ride.

When we got back to the cabin I took the packet of papers to file them away with all the other papers I had. I opened the packet and in with the assorted pages was Rob's Will. At that point my heart tore in two and I lost what little composure I had left. I couldn't stop crying and it still brings on the tears to think about it. I had refused to think about that possibility but that document haunts me now and has forced me to think about the previously unthinkable.

To avoid thinking about Rob leaving I did most of the driving on the way back to NJ from GA. I probably should have split it more evenly with Mark since I think I really overdid it driving more that 13 of the 19 hours. But it was the only way I could keep my mind off things especially after Rob called us late afternoon when we were driving to let us know that he'd been bumped up yet again and was leaving in only hours. He was going to be boarding the plane before we even made it home.

I have actually spoken with Rob on line twice since arriving home, thank God!!! I know he is safe at least for now. He has sporadic internet connectivity, but we will take what we can get. Thank God he brought his laptop!!! I spoke with him Friday afternoon, and Saturday morning.

There is a bit of good news though. For those who may remember the ongoing saga of our leaking underground heating oil tank, the light is blaring at the end of that tunnel. We were told that the water samples all came back clean!!! That is really excellent news since it means that all that is left is one more sample in 3 months, which should come back clean. This means no well to monitor the water so we can start to put the property back together and repair all the damage done by the remediation. The homeowners insurance adjuster came out today to look at the property and see what repairs will need to be done, which includes our driveway, the curbing along the driveway, front steps, walkway, sidewalk, and repairing the landscaping. At least that nightmare is pretty much over. I'm sure the neighbors will be happy as well, since our property looked like hell for so long, a little over 1 year in fact. I will be so happy to have a real driveway again and no more mud, huge holes, and smelly piles of contaminated soil!!!

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Actually, I'm not 100% certain that this is an old mill. The fact that it's right on the water leads me to believe that it was. It is across the river from where this was shot and across the street from where this was shot.

I've been really swamped the last couple of weeks and this week in particular. Between concerts, the usual lessons, auditions, recitals, and music library stuff, admissions testing, and all sorts of other stuff. It's been tough to find time to do the photography for the photoblog. Hopefully, after this weekend things will calm down a little bit. (Yeah Right!!!)

Jon has a recital on Friday night where he will perform the Dancla 3rd Air Varie "Norma" on violin which is the same piece he will be playing at the Regional Orchestra Auditions on Saturday. He's ready! I think it will go well since he's well prepared and can play "like an angel singing" as his teacher put it a couple of weeks ago. He was also going to audition for viola as well, but just wasn't quite there with the audition piece for viola. He only started playing the viola last summer. Violas are in higher demand because fewer kids play them than violins so the advantage would be less competition for him. The auditions will be tough. There is a lot of truly amazing talent out there and some extremely accomplished young musicians who will all be vying for spots. Literally hundreds of kids turn out for this and it's not easy. Russell has participated in the past and it was a wonderful if not stressful experience, but the competition for bassoon is a bit less than for violin, simply because there aren't that many bassoonists out there, but the ones there are, are very good.

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I was challenged by Alice (My Life in Focus) to do a self-portrait, and I tried, I really did, but I'm a bit stressed and under the weather, probably from the stress. (Leaky oil tank remediation nightmare saga continues. Some of you may remember that and it's still ongoing...ugh...long story.) Anyway I've failed miserably getting a self-portrait that I'd be willing to post. I look hideous, with big dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep and stress. I want you all to think I'm a gorgeous vixen instead of the truth. ;-) I will try again tomorrow.

This was shot the same day as the previous one. I like barns very much and the way the light was hitting the tops of the silos appealed to me. I liked it best in black and white since the unusually green grass from the warm weather didn't feel right against the winter gray in the rest of the scene. If the grass had been the typical dull green/brown of winter it would have set off the weathered dull red of the barn nicely I think.

Winter is finally making an appearance. No snow yet but it is cold and is supposed to stay that way with maybe even an inch or two of snow in the next couple of days. I normally don't get excited about snow, but I am excited about it this time. That is, as long as it doesn't mess with the concert my kids have on Saturday, then I won't be happy.

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This was shot in the Great Swamp on the same day as this shot. The Great Swamp is just that, a swamp, so they built walkways that wind their way through the park so that people can explore many varieties of flora and fauna that abound there. It really is a beautiful and peaceful place.

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12/04/06 post: "Great Swamp-Berries in the Fall"

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This was shot a few weeks ago in the late afternoon near the Great Swamp. I spotted it behind a volunteer firehouse next to the tiny house in this shot. It's the kind of place I'd like to revisit when there is snow on the ground.

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11/30/06 post: "Wind Farm"

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A collaborative photoblog created and administered by:
Justin Gaynor

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