To start, a note: all these are thumbnails, pointing to photos over twice their size (just click on them to visit my web site).
Fair warning: I'm not going to include a lot of comments about the trip. I just want to say that this is something I very much needed and I'm glad we made it, despite the universe's attempts to thwart us (I had to call Newburyport Whale Watch to ask them to wait for us, since we were delayed by traffic and construction).
After the other photos, I've got a couple comments, some personal, some political.
I haven't written much about the oil spill in the gulf. I can't. It's not that I have nothing to say about it. It's that it is so far beyond the scope of anything that makes sense to me that I am paralyzed by it. If you know me, you know that for me to be unable to talk about something is pretty serious. I go out on this boat and look out on the ocean, and think how completely beautiful it is, but also knowing how much work we, as a world, are putting into things that are destroying it.
We'll be doing another whale watch in September. We usually see huge numbers of Gannets and other pelagic birds on those September trips. I'm looking forward to that trip, but also wondering how many birds we normally see will actually make it this time. How many breeding grounds will have been destroyed by then? How many birds that should be fledgling in the bayous and basins this month will have a chance to make their migration so we can see them this Fall.
I'm numb to this. I'm off the deep end. And I fear for the future of our planet...
But even with all this, there is so much beauty out there, so I am just taking a moment of peace, of hope, of joy and sharing it with you all.
Just a couple more things before I wrap it up, entirely personal, and totally pandering, so feel free to skip to the end at this point :)
- I've completely redesigned my photos site. If you click on any of the images shown above, you'll see larger versions of the photos in the new site. This site is a fairly major redesign, so I'd love any feeedback anyone has.
- As some of you know, I lost my job in May. I'm okay with that, and actually enjoying the time off while I look for other work, but in the meantime, I've been taking time to seriously hone my web building skills as well as design a line of note cards based on my photography. If you're interested, feel free to check out the site and I'd love to hear whatever feedback you have on that as well.
- As far as web design goes, I'm particularly interested in feedback from people using iPod touch/iPhone, Android, Blackberry or other hand held browsers. I made a point of designing a different layout for those browsers (on both sites) and would especially appreciate any suggestions. I can only simulate so many environments from my MacBook Pro.
- Finally, that comment above about being out of work? I am looking for web design and database projects that can supplement my income. If you know anyone who's looking for a web developer, anyone who wants a special design for their site for mobile devices, or anyone who wants an online database of pretty much any sort developed, please feel free to send them my way.