Every year we spend a week or so in the mountains of north Georgia. This year we are spending four of them  in a new place and four nights where we were last year. Here's what things looked like this morning in Young Harris.  (phone cam)

 For Halloween...a goblin's tree at Yellow Bluff Fort SP

 Fairy-tale Logic

Fairy tales are full of impossible tasks:
Gather the chin hairs of a man-eating goat,
Or cross a sulphuric lake in a leaky boat,
Select the prince from a row of identical masks,
Tiptoe up to a dragon where it basks
And snatch its bone; count dust specks, mote by mote,
Or learn the phone directory by rote.
Always it’s impossible what someone asks—
You have to fight magic with magic. You have to believe
That you have something impossible up your sleeve,
The language of snakes, perhaps, an invisible cloak,
An army of ants at your beck, or a lethal joke,
The will to do whatever must be done:
Marry a monster. Hand over your firstborn son.

— A.E. Stallings

 

 These two images are far more important to me than they seem.  They're from a second roll of film I exposed at Dutton Island Preserve. The first roll had some really interesting images, but when I developed it later that day, the film was blank except for some extremely faint traces of the subjects I had photographed.  I had no idea what had happened...I was sure I had done everything the way I always do,  The second roll of film was still in the camera with only two exposures, so I set up some test shots for the rest of the roll and quickly developed it.  I checked everything twice and to my enormous relief, the film was perfect.  There were eight test shots, and these two images.  Whew!!!   

 

 This is from a long time ago at Croton Point Park in New York.  I just came across it and wanted to post it here.

 I have crossed this bridge countless times, but never seen it from below. I recently found out there is a park underneath which is where these views were taken. 

 

 

 Sometimes it's more interesting to look at the beach itself rather than the ocean it borders. As the tide ebbs and rises, patterns form as can be seen here. The ripples are fascinating caused, I believe, by the small back and forth motion of the sea as it recedes. Then, there's what appears to me to be oil stains from nearby ships entering and leaving the port of Jacksonville, Florida. 

I decided to return to Little Talbot Island SP again today, but from a different direction. I wanted the long walk I had to take to get to where these photographs were taken, but the schlep was even more worthwhile because of the gorgeous cloudscapes. 

 Little Talbot Island SP has had very limited motor vehicle access since last week's storm's high winds and exceptionally high tides. However, it's okay to walk to the south end that's nearly two milcs away. But, that's what I did today and made these photographs. I was surprised at how much had been eroded. 

 I decided to photograph a part of the beach area I don't usually access. I was careful to not disturb the dunes, but the rippled sand was fair game as it WAS the beach!  The driftwood was there too!

Over the past several days the weather has gradually improved, the wind has abated, and I was able to be at Little Talbot Island SP today at low tide. Here are three photographs I made today, September 29th.

After a week of storm influenced weather and very high tides, both abated a good deal today.  Rather than visit the ocean again, though, I visited the nearby marsh where the cloud show was too appealing to resist. Here's the evidence!

The weather at Little Talbot Island SP was much nicer than two days ago, but the tide was again preternaturally high. Apparently there was some significant beach erosion which also damaged the access paths so much of the park was still closed and may well be for a while yet. This time there was one bather wading into the surf close to the shore not taking a chance getting caught in a rip tide. Today's images were made in the same place as on my last visit. 

 

 

Today, the surf was the highest I've ever seen it since moving here seven years ago. The wind was fierce and nearly toppled me several times laden as I was with my camera, tripod and backpack. The weather has been odd for several days because of the tropical storm in the Gulf, and it's forecast to be similar tomorrow. Here are some photographs from Little Talbot Island SP that had extensive closures due to the extremely high tide. 

 

 

 

It actually feels a bit autumnal albeit a Floridian autumn which is rarely crisp. Due to a distant tropical storm the skies were overcast and somewhat gloomy, but that's perfect for certain photographic moods. Sadly, when I got home from this camera adventure I heard the news that Justice Ginsburg had died. Few have done as much in behalf of women and minorities as she. The gloomy light was particularly  appropriate for my sadness at her loss.  

 

 Bleak is beautiful!  Today wasn't likely to be a photogenic one, but that's only if you expect a deep blue sky that renders a rich gray in monochrome, and puffy white clouds. I like the mood of these. 

 

Marineland beach is more interesting as the tide comes in than Washinton Oaks beach where the coquina rocks are farther away from the water. Today was just about perfect!  (MF Film)

 One more from yesterday.

 Back to Washington Oaks SP again today!  The clouds alone were worth the trip. Here are three from the day.

 In the perpetual quest for fresh subjects, I hiked a long way on the sand at Washington Oaks SP where there are extensive coquina rocks.  I'm also a sucker for snow fences or, in Florida, dune fences!

Back to Little Talbot Island SP again. A great sky that led to some rain a little bit after these were taken. I was lucky!