Random Connections – Page 35 – A collection of photography and exploration focusing on Upstate South Carolina and beyond.

Kayaking on Bellingham Bay

September 18, 2017 Tom 3 Comments

It’s been over a month since I’ve had a boat in the water and things just didn’t seem…right. On the trek across country I had two kayaks on top of the car and we crossed many bodies of water that looked ripe for paddling. However, the rest of my paddling gear was in a shipping box making its own way across country. Plus, we had two cats with us and were on a time crunch, so stopping to paddle wasn’t an option. Finally everything aligned – the paddling gear had arrived, the weather was good, tides were favorable, and we weren’t having major appliances or septic systems installed. It was time to paddle.

Journaling vs Blogging

September 16, 2017September 16, 2017 Tom 1 Comment

Miscellaneous

I think I’ve come to a crossroads with this blog. At one time I used it sort of as a personal journal, with shorter, more frequent posts. My posts still contain a good bit of day-to-day life, but now it seems to be more of a showcase for my ideas, with curated photography and considerably more research. I’d like to return to journaling, but given what this blog has become, I’m not sure this is the venue.

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Settling In, Part 2

September 15, 2017October 4, 2017 Tom 1 Comment

Miscellaneous, Travel, Washington Sabbatical

Life on our island is still an odd dichotomy of frenzy and relaxation. It’s incredibly peaceful, but we still have so much to do. Similar to the stages of grief, there seem to be stages of settling in. We hit the tourist stage while Glynda was here, and seem to be in the midst of the “dealing with stuff” stage. I’m ready to get to the “normal life on the island” stage, whenever that might come.

Skagit Farmers Markets and Locally Sourced Foods

September 11, 2017October 4, 2017 Tom 1 Comment

Travel, Washington Sabbatical

It’s harvest time in Skagit Valley. That means fresh fruits and vegetables everywhere, picked right from the fields we have to drive through to get to the island. It seems most of our visits to the area have been in August just as things are coming into season, so I’ve always been impressed with the bounty. This past week we made the most of it.

Settling In, Sort Of

September 8, 2017October 4, 2017 Tom 1 Comment

Miscellaneous, Washington Sabbatical

It’s raining. That shouldn’t come as a surprise seeing as this is the Pacific Northwest. However, they have had an unusually dry summer and this is the first rain in weeks. Given the chaotic nature of the past week, it’s been a good opportunity to catch up on writing.

From Greenville to Samish Island in Four Minutes, Fifty Seconds

September 3, 2017October 4, 2017 Tom 2 Comments

Photography, Travel, Washington Sabbatical

Our drive from Greenville to Samish Island seemed like a whirlwind. We were constantly on the go. However, I found a way to make the 3,186 mile drive go by even quicker.

Ellensburg to Samish Island

September 1, 2017 Tom 1 Comment

Travel

Even thought we all got a good night’s sleep, it wasn’t without some problems. All of us suffered from the smoke from the forest fires. Glynda had problems with her eyes, I had a headache and sniffles, Laura was coughing, and we all had sinus problems. It was time to get out of here and complete this migration.

Bozeman to Ellensburg

September 1, 2017October 4, 2017 Tom No Comments

Travel, Washington Sabbatical

The constant traveling is starting to take its toll. We are all worn out, especially after yesterday’s whirlwind trip through Yellowstone. Today would be another long push, but it would get us very close to our final goal. We would be traveling from Bozeman, Montana to Ellensburg, Washington.

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Yellowstone

August 31, 2017October 4, 2017 Tom 3 Comments

Travel, Washington Sabbatical

Today was the one day we had planned to not travel any further west. We had allowed one day to explore Yellowstone National Park. Only one day in Yellowstone is blasphemy, but it’s what we had. We made the most of it. Even though we didn’t make any progress on our western migration, we still covered about as many miles as any other day so far.

Rapid City to Bozeman

August 29, 2017October 4, 2017 Tom 2 Comments

Travel, Washington Sabbatical

Day four – the cats seem less terrified and more on the verge of mutiny. We’ll have to watch that. The day started with cool weather and good bagels and coffee, and ended in heat. In between we passed through some of the most lonely, stark landscape imaginable.

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