Author: Tom

A Hike along a Pleasant Ridge

Posted on By Tom 2 Comments on A Hike along a Pleasant Ridge
Photography, Rambling

Pleasant Ridge Park-41

It started with a turkey sandwich, and the need for a place to eat it. It was a weird day, in terms of exploration, but one that ultimately turned up some interesting discoveries, at least for me.

When I started out I only had two things in mind. First I wanted to get out of the house. With all of the rain and trying to put the house back together after Christmas, I wanted a bit of a break. I wanted to find an interesting place for photos. The second thing was that I was tired of eating out at lunch and wanted to save some money and calories. I’d made a lovely turkey sandwich and, despite it being rather chilly, I figured I could find an interesting place to eat it.

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What’s in Your Car?

Posted on By Tom 3 Comments on What’s in Your Car?
Gear
Overstuffed Car
Photo by Mark Bloom at Tales from the Trash

Every now and then I run across a “What’s in your bag?” post or discussion on various photography forums. I’ve seen it applied to other subjects such as fishing, or even just travel in general The question really boils down to, “What do you think are the essentials?”

It’s not an easy question to answer. You can’t really grab some checklist off of the Internet and expect it to work for you. Such a list evolves through experience, and as you add and subtract items that either gain or lose their usefulness.

My problem is that I have too many bags. I have several for photography-related gear. I’ve got two dry bags that are always packed with what I consider kayaking essentials. I also have a bag for audio recording gear. Sometimes I’ll mix and match content from these bags for a specific adventure. I have already made a list of some of what I consider to be essentials in general. Rather than look at what’s in a bag, I thought that today I’d consider what was in my car.

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First Light Paddle 2016

Posted on By Tom 1 Comment on First Light Paddle 2016
Family, Paddling, Photography, Travel

First Light Paddle-58

We have built up several New Years traditions over the years. If we’re at home, we have a fondue dinner on the Eve while watching the year roll in. The morning rings in with a breakfast casserole and mimosas. We watch the Rose Parade (per instructions from the Californian in the household) while taking down the Christmas tree, and have nachos while watching the Rose Bowl Game.

That’s a normal year. However, the past couple of years have been anything but normal. Last year I started the year by myself as Laura had to be with her mom. I took the opportunity to watch the sun rise from the highest point in South Carolina, Sassafras Mountain. This year I was in Florida for New Year for the first time ever. Since I had missed my usual Winter Solstice Sunrise paddle, I decided to do a First Light paddle.

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2016 RandomConnections Calendar

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Photography

It’s that time of year. Once again I’ve put together a calendar for family and friends featuring photographs from previous years. In 2015 I did LOTS of traveling, and these photographs reflect those adventures, from Ireland to the Florida Keys to spots all around South Carolina. In years past I’ve done a blog post describing … Read More “2016 RandomConnections Calendar” »

The Hype Awakens

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Entertainment

The Force Awakens Poster

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past six months, everyone knows that the latest movie in the Star Wars series opened last week. To say there was been hype would be a HUGE understatement. Coming out before Christmas, just about all of the stores were stocked with movie merchandise, and there were lots of advertising tie-ins.

The problem, of course, is that a movie might not live up to the hype. It could be as bad as, say, the Phantom Menace. Many fans were holding their breath, me being one of them. Despite the hype, bad things could happen.

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The Mills of the Pacolet River Basin – Part Two, Converse to Pacolet

Posted on By Tom 1 Comment on The Mills of the Pacolet River Basin – Part Two, Converse to Pacolet
Local, Photography, Rambling

Converse Mill

I’d been out and about, exploring a couple of historic mill locations. So far I’d spent most of my time at Glendale Shoals, but I was eager to see more. The rest of the day was spent exploring along the banks of the Pacolet river proper, through the mill villages of Converse, Clifton, and Pacolet.

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The Doctor in Dillards

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Local, Miscellaneous

I’ve got several singing gigs this holiday season, and my performance wardrobe was in dire need of an update. I had already gotten a new tuxedo, and now I was after a red sweater vest for the informal holiday gigs. That’s how I found myself in Dillards talking with one of the most fascinating people I’ve met in a long time.

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