Springtime is fleeting

By the time the allium begin to bloom, it usually means that summer is close at hand. That means bugs: mosquitoes, biting flies, gnats, and by June, we start getting deer flies and horseflies. Today, I dosed myself liberally with the bug dope early in the morning. Got started in the garden just about the time it started to warm up. Went back out again after noon with Nancy. Went out again, just before the sun set... just so I could capture a few late afternoon images of our alliums.

I also took a few photos of our container gardening in process. So far, spinach and peas are doing quite well. My guess is that they would be even happier with a good rainfall each week, but we haven't seen significant rain since March. Might be another dry summer. There is something so comforting about harvesting your dinner by the handful (and not having to stoop to pick it!). I can't wait until the cilantro is up and ready to nibble!

Whitney and Rodolfo's Wedding

Whitney and Rodolfo were married yesterday in the perfect springtime wedding. I am honored to have been asked to photograph such a remarkable couple on their first steps as husband and wife. There are masses of photographs to look through, edit and present to the couple before I can post more on the blog and FB. I can't wait to show off the amazing images of everyone dancing at the reception! It was an extraordinary celebration of two families, two cultures, two generations, all coming together in a beautiful experience.

Cayuga Lake Seido Karate's grand opening

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to be allowed to photograph the grand opening classes and ceremony of the new dojo in Lansing for Cayuga Lake Seido Karate. The dojo has been more than ten years in the making. Starting out in a small room in their home, Kyoshi Robin and Kyoshi Gail had a dream that someday they would have a dojo to call their own. The new dojo was filled with smiling faces, visiting Jun Shihans, Kyoshis, Senseis... and on Saturday (images to come!) Kaicho Nakamura and Nidaime Nakamura came from Honbu in NYC to celebrate!

Last of the Crocus

Tonight the rain came down in gigantic waves.
Like thunder buckets meant to wash winter off the roads.
Gauzy crepe paper petals didn't stand a chance.
Even the peepers are silent now.
Drowned out by the incessant thrumming rain.
Tomorrow the sun will come out
and with it, the first hungry mosquitoes of the season.

Sharing in the Brightness of Spring

Spring is painfully brief in my neck of the woods. By the time it is warm enough for the blooms to pop, the weather plays hard to get; vascilating between snow and sun, rain and wind... and then, only then, do the lovely flowers of spring POP. All too often they are flattened by snow, pelted by ice, or eroded by rain. This year has been fair, if not kind. The past few days have been windy to the extreme which often presages a massive change in the weather. We have had snow, rain, sun and grey, sometimes all in the same day. 

I watch the daffodils for the sign that the weather has turned. When they stop swaying in the wind, and stand tall above all the other plants beginning to push up from the cold soil, that's when the warm southern winds blow mellow all through the night. Most northerners are thrilled when those warm humid winds come up from the south... but not me. I relish these last few fickle days of spring. I love the changeability of this time of year. I love being surprised when I go outside, thinking it might be 60 degrees, only to find it isn't even close to 40, but the sunshine screams SPRING! 

Mid-April Report on the When and If

The transom on the When and If is coming together, bit by bit. The inner layer of the outer planking on the hull has begun. You can see those planks underneath Cody's feet in the left side of the image above. If you look to the right side, you can see a head popping up through the opening where the next layer of planking will be going this coming week. Each of these planks are hand fitted, tapered and scarfed to fit exactly. And on this schooner, there are two layers of planking that overlap on the hull. More images of that to come soon!

This is what the deck looks like facing the bow from midship. The plywood covers over the gaps where there is nothing to walk on! As soon as the new teak is finished being milled down in PA, the re-decking will begin.

This is what supports the decking. Pretty wild to see the underside of it all. As the repairs continue, and these areas are covered again, it is incredible to think about what it looked like during the "excavation" process. Seeing the bare bones of this schooner laid open illustrates how many layers come together to integrate into this amazing sailing vessel. So complex and still so incredibly strong!

Kumite at Cayuga Lake Seido Karate

Last night I had the chance to photograph the Cayuga Lake Seido Karate dojo as they practiced kumite. Having never seen kumite before, I was incredibly excited.

From wikipedia: Kumite (組手) literally translated means "grappling hands" and is one of the three main sections of karate training, along with kata andkihon. Kumite is the part of karate in which a person trains against an adversary, using the techniques learned from the kihon and kata.

Kumite can be used to develop a particular technique or a skill (e.g. effectively judging and adjusting one's distance from one's opponent) or it can be done in competition.

Watching these students going through these sparring techniques was fantastic! Incredibly fast and grueling! The thing that really surprised me was how difficult it was to catch the action. They were moving faster than the hockey games I used to photograph way back when. Amazing!

Yup, that's my kiddo, getting tagged right smack in the middle of her chest. Bear in mind, that is not a full force kick from the black belt sempai, but rather a quick tap to her chest protector. She certainly felt it, but it wasn't enough of a kick to knock her end over end.

The simplest way I can understand kumite is to think of it like incredibly fast tag. You are trying to score points by just barely touching your opponent in key areas, while trying to block them from doing the same to you. It is so intense!