Looking Forward

Looking forward to my April (2012) vacation, that is.  Hopefully nothing unforeseen will occur to prevent this trip.  My first vacation of the year, and by then, I am going to need some time off or else I might end up going postal at work (just kidding, really I am, but by then I really will need a break from the 4AM – 4PM daily grind).

Anyway, this is not a lesson-type post or a detailed travelogue-type post, but rather a just-because-I-want-to-post-some-photos post.  So, here are a few photos taken between 2005 and 2010 showing you some of the places I plan on heading this April, if all goes according to plan:  Seattle, Skagit Valley to see the tulip fields, Mt. Rainier, and my sister and brother-in-law’s home to celebrate both my birthday and my bro-in-law’s.

On a side note, a number of these photos were taken with my then-trusty Nikon D70 (my very first digital SLR).  I loved that camera!  And, although I am now a pleased and proud Canon full-frame owner, I will readily tell people that I think Nikon made the best first digital SLRs.  Canon sucked in the beginning.  In addition to my D70, I bought the Canon digital Rebel (6mp), which was touted as the first reasonably-priced digital SLR (and it was, compared to Nikon’s digital SLRs).  However, in a side-by-side comparison, the D70 bested the Canon, both in camera body and kit lens.  So I ended up selling the Canon and bought a Nikon lens.  Although that was just 5 years ago, I have gone through a series of digital cameras, including the Nikon D40, Nikon D40X, Canon 5D, and my current Canon 5D Mark II bodies.

And yes, for those of you thinking it, I’m digging through archives yet again.  I’ve shown most of my more recent photos and haven’t gotten out very much for any new photography (although Feb 10-12, I will drive down to Port Aransas to visit some friends and do a little bird photography).  I think my archived photos are awfully nice, and there’s nothing like going back through the Raw files for a fresh re-edit.

Sea-Tac Aiport – one of my favorite airports (admittedly, I haven’t been through too very many airports, but still, I like this one).  This is a part of the huge long, wide, floor-to-ceiling window in the main portion of the terminal, where all the food/shopping is located.  Note the little airplane flying away.

Puget Sound, a Washington State ferry, and the Olympic Mountains

Washington state ferry “Tacoma” heading toward Bainbridge Island

View from the Seattle waterfront looking out toward Bainbridge Island

Harbor Island, Elliott Bay, and the Public Market at sunset – photo taken from the patio of the Inn At The Market

Inside Pike Place Market

When I lived in Seattle, I shopped at the fruit and veggie stalls in Pike Place Market alot – I loved cooking with chanterelles

There is nothing like fresh salmon – I won’t order it in Texas, though, because they just don’t know how to  cook it like they do in Seattle (IMO)

Ristras in the Market

I used to buy fresh flowers from the Market quite often, because I worked downtown and it was easy to stop off, buy a bouquet, and take it with me on the bus home

Seattle has all sorts of public art

The funky structures at Gasworks Park, on the north shore of Lake Union  (which is where I took that top photo looking toward the Seattle skyline)

Skagit Valley tulips early on an April morning

Heading toward the Sunrise entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park

On the path to The Mountain

The view near Emmons Vista

Looking back down from whence I came – to the distance on the left is Mt. Adams, and on the right is Mt. St. Helens.  Far down below is the Paradise Inn.

Up, up, up the path

Lone viewer looking over Nisqually Glacier

A room with a view

Waterfall and river of ice

Mt. Rainier and Nisqually Glacier (at the Paradise area of the park)

Sunrise at Paradise (sunrise in Paradise)

Becky and The Mountain