Life is a Beach / My Mother's New Voyage
To begin, it's a very quiet house around here right now. Ryan and my mother have hit the road bound for North Dakota. One of the last things Ryan was able to do in town before he had to leave was visit the Oregon Coast to get a few photos and video for a college project he's working on. We went on his last full day in town, yesterday. iturtle came along too, and between the three of us, we had four cameras: A high-definition video camera, a widescreen video camera and two high-definition point-and-shoot digital cameras. We spent a couple hours on some deserted coastline away from buildings and the usual touristy beaches snagging all manner of photography. Our widescreen video camera gave us rather disappointing results whereas the digital still cameras took our breath away. Here's an incredible shot that makes the Oregon Coast look more like Hawaii:
Yep. It was a pretty good day. Got some really stunning video, too, of the mist rolling over the sand coming in off the ocean. Had perfect weather too, which is unheard of for that portion of the coast. Even got a group shot of us before we left:
Ryan's on the left, Bryan is in the middle and that's me on the right in the stupid Dr. Pepper T-shirt. And just what the hell am I doing with my hands? Why are my arms way out? Hah!
Anyway, all good things must come to an end, and my brother's month-long "vacation" away from college has come to an end. Today, him and my mom began the 1,500-mile drive back to Fargo, North Dakota. My mother has been battling with anxiety for years now, and hasn't been able to bring herself to making the voyage back to Fargo since her mother died more than a decade ago. North Dakota is a hub of sorts for my extended family- A lot of them still live out there on the prairie heartlands, so for my mother, going back there is important. It's just been tough for her to battle her anxiety and so for her to actually be going on this trip is an incredible breakthrough. Once in Fargo, she'll spend a week with her father before returning to Oregon via plane (Also a major breakthrough). The road trip should take at least one more day. As of the moment I write this, they've made it as far as Missoula, Montana, before stopping for the night.
With Val having moved out, Ryan and my mother gone, and my father working during the day, it sure has become quiet and empty around here! Even the pets have seemed to calm down. For the first time in an insanely long time, I'm the only one around during the day. For the first time since living at college four years ago, I'm enjoying the simple pleasures (And liberties) of being the only one around. I'd forgotten how nice it is to just have the place all to myself!
Yep. It was a pretty good day. Got some really stunning video, too, of the mist rolling over the sand coming in off the ocean. Had perfect weather too, which is unheard of for that portion of the coast. Even got a group shot of us before we left:
Ryan's on the left, Bryan is in the middle and that's me on the right in the stupid Dr. Pepper T-shirt. And just what the hell am I doing with my hands? Why are my arms way out? Hah!
Anyway, all good things must come to an end, and my brother's month-long "vacation" away from college has come to an end. Today, him and my mom began the 1,500-mile drive back to Fargo, North Dakota. My mother has been battling with anxiety for years now, and hasn't been able to bring herself to making the voyage back to Fargo since her mother died more than a decade ago. North Dakota is a hub of sorts for my extended family- A lot of them still live out there on the prairie heartlands, so for my mother, going back there is important. It's just been tough for her to battle her anxiety and so for her to actually be going on this trip is an incredible breakthrough. Once in Fargo, she'll spend a week with her father before returning to Oregon via plane (Also a major breakthrough). The road trip should take at least one more day. As of the moment I write this, they've made it as far as Missoula, Montana, before stopping for the night.
With Val having moved out, Ryan and my mother gone, and my father working during the day, it sure has become quiet and empty around here! Even the pets have seemed to calm down. For the first time in an insanely long time, I'm the only one around during the day. For the first time since living at college four years ago, I'm enjoying the simple pleasures (And liberties) of being the only one around. I'd forgotten how nice it is to just have the place all to myself!