8:16 PM

We went strawberry picking today.  It was my first time.  We went out to Pungo to a place called Henley's.  Memaw knows where the good berry picking is. We went a little late in the season, but luckily enough the berries were still plentiful.  I already knew they were delicious because Brandon picked some for me last week. The moment we turned onto the farm, I knew I'd want to come back.  I immediately loved everything about it.  I loved the smells and the way the dirt road made everything look smokey.  There were goats and chickens and ducks. It was just one of those places that made my soul smile.  I wanted to explore every inch of that property.  I wish we had the time.  







The strawberry picking was fun.  As with everything, Brando and I made it competitive.  He was losing by a long shot at first.  He was being way too picky.  He didn't allow any room for imperfections.  I, in typical Amber nature, could see past a bruise or two.  But then the chickens and ducks waddled into my row, and I got distracted. He won by half a pound, but by the time they were being weighed out, I didn't care.  There were cats. There were many, many cats.  And a barn.  Have you ever looked at a building or structure and just didn't want to leave?  You'll laugh at me when you see it.  But, honestly, my obsessesion with this barn is kind of one of my favorite things about me.  I see beauty in places others don't. Others would look at the barn and think "Gosh, what an eye sore." And I'm not saying this to be weird or different or artsy.  I genuinely mean it.  Brandon was probably so annoyed that I couldn't stop talking about this darn barn. It was perfect.  I can't wait to go back just so I can sit and stare.  Also, the colony of farm cats didn't hurt.  




Unfortunately, some of the cats that were on the farm were quite sick.  I heard a lot of wheezing, saw a lot of runny eyes, and felt a lot of skin and bones.  As an animal lover and veterinary professional, it was so hard for me to just walk away.  But, this is just the reality of farm cats.  I was pleased to see they all had their ears tipped.  This is done as a signal to let us know that they've been fixed.  So, the people who live on the farm are attempting to keep the populations down.  The colony was still pretty large, though. 




 All of these photos were taken with my iPhone 7 Plus.  I can't wait to head back there with my DSLR and lose track of time with my barn and my farm cats.


And here's my second post, 100 years later...

5:54 PM

Hey everyone,

I'm finally able to start posting.  Right after my first blog post, my computer decided to have a stroke and call it quits.  I had to wait a few months to replace it, and now, here we are!

We have been having some great weather here in Norfolk, VA.  Today was 80 degrees and gorgeous, so we spent it outside.  Brandon, Frankenstein, and I headed over to my mom's house to lay in the grass and hang out with Louis, my mom's Boston Terrier.  I finally had a minute to take a stab at taking some pictures.  It's been a long time, so I wasn't super successful, but I got a couple of nice shots.




It's no wonder why I used to think this backyard was magical.  Those purple flowers drip from every branch of that giant tree.  I was taught that it's called wisteria. The name itself sounds so romantic.  



The boys had a blast today.  They sometimes don't get along very well, but when they do, they love each other so much.  It's so cute to watch.


Louis is definitely better behaved than Frankie.  I can get 100 great shots of Louis before I get one of Frankie sitting still.  He is just constantly in motion. 


I definitely realized how much practice I need shooting.  I think for my birthday coming in June, I'll ask for a new camera.  The one I have is a Canon from 2009.  I suppose an upgrade would help. 

Finals are coming up, so it was nice to spend a day not worrying about school or work or anything other than relaxing.  It was a great day and I can't wait to have another just like it.

Until then, 
Ambs











11:47 AM

What's in a name logo? 

Leonardo Dicaprio in the 1996 version of Romeo and Juliet.  Kasey, my best friend, introduced me to the film.  If you haven't watched it, you need to.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a lover of all things dark and unusual. These same people are probably quite surprised by how beautiful and feminine my logo is.  Well, there is some significance behind it. 
I grew up in a really beautiful neighborhood.  I loved walking around by myself and exploring it any chance I got.  I lived there from birth, yet I always found something new to make the wheels in my brain start turning.  My favorite time to explore my neighborhood was after a huge storm.  I loved the smell of the rain.  I loved the way the street looked when all of the debris collected on the asphalt.  To this day, when I smell the rain, I can close my eyes and I am right back in that neighborhood, doe-eyed and daydreaming.  I was lucky, because even though I loved to wander off every now and then, one of my favorite parts of my neighborhood was my own backyard.  To me, it was gigantic.  It was about half an acre.  I didn't see that, though.  I saw another world, another dimension that needed to be explored. 
The most fascinating thing to me about my backyard was the huge tree that stood to the back left of it.  How could something be so big!?  Magic.  It was obviously magic. It was a magnolia tree.  The smell of the flowers was utterly intoxicating.  I always tried jarring up that smell, but it never lasted.  I always imagined that the wood nymphs and fairies who lived in the tree would come and steal the smell back while I was sleeping.  I didn't blame them. I would do it, too, if I were them.  
The Labyrinth was always a favorite of mine.  I hated that Hoggle was killing all of the fairies, even though they were horrible little creatures that bit people.

While on my little adventures, I vividly remember always using my hands as a sort of imaginary camera.  I found beauty in things that a lot of people probably wouldn't look at twice.  I didn't have a camera or any other fancy equipment, but I was already a photographer.  I had my two hands and my wild imagination and that's all I needed.  That little girl is who I try to channel every single day.

I hope you all will enjoy viewing my blog as much as I will enjoy creating it.  Picture posts will be starting soon. Thanks for reading.

XOXO,
Amber