"To The Headland"

Adding a bit of texture to the image gives more of a two dimensional feel to the picture, more like an "art look" than just a glossy photo. Brian heading for the headland nonetheless.

"yesterday"

 

Well this picture was taken yesterday during a paddle out of Conception Harbour. Playing with a bit of stauration today. I always find the colors from saturating an image intense and overkill of course but interesting. Hope Brian and Pete don't mind being saturated.

"Topo Conception Harbour"

We paddled about 20km heading NE out of conception Harbour. There was a light wind which made for a little slop but manageable. As we passed Bacon's Point if we had headed due North to Collier's Point then made the turn due West we could have looked straight across to Turk's Head and Bull's Cove and saw the 100 ft'er (Iceberg) just outside Turk's Gut. We did not make the Collier's Headland and turned back and had lunch in Gaster's Bay area.

"Lobster Pots"

 
I love the look of lobster pots on a dock as it reminds me so much of my childhood. My neighbor use to lobster and there was always excitement at the beginning and end of the season with pots coming and going and being repaired. My brother and his son lobster in Nova Scotia. It is great being around home during that season as lobster is ever plentiful. Hoepfully when we get home in July for the Stan Roger's festival there'll be some left over. This is Pete and Brian passing by the wharf leaving Conception Harbour.

"I Love This Country!!!!"

Paddling near shore reminded me of a saying my mother had when she new my brothers were in from fishing, "home is the sailor, home from the sea", it always stuck in my head. A safe paddle today.

"Tidy Town-Brigus"

 
I like leaving early to paddle because I get to check out the communities I paddle in and maybe meet some of the characters that live there and collect some local information before I set out. Today I met a few people in this cozy town and it is a very beautiful spot to live. In 2002 it won Tidy Town of the year in the province of NL and if you visit you will understand why. Some property for sale too. Too bad there wasn't Nuclear Medicine there or near by.

"Saturday Outing"

I paddled with Brian and Pete today out around Conception Harbour. There was one berg grounded near shore and a 100 footer lurking near but obscure. You could see it from Conception Bay South and when you drove over to locate it on the north side we did find that it was lurking behind a cliff that if you drove down Marysvale Road you could see a chunk of it. Hope you got to see it Alex. We put in a ways away from the big one and satisfied our days paddle with a quick lunch break and a berg-paddle-by. It is challenging trying to shoot a picture of Brian and Pete, they are like Malcolm.......constantly in motion. It was not a planned paddle as I ran into Brian when he too was scouting for that big berg, we were on land at this point. Hooked up and put in by way of Conception Harbour.

"A Light Rain"

 
Well this shot may bring new meaning to the term "A light rain" outside. Looking into St.John's harbour it is actually raining light.........at least to the camera's eye. The Camera is seeing the flash's refletion of light from the falling rain drops outside. So indeed it is raining light! I hear it is sunny in Nova Scotia though.

"Trapped"

 
Trapped in the entrance and the exit to Quidi Vidi Gut this diminishing Iceberg is in the throws of decay. It is laboring in this small area where kayakers and fishing boats come and go to the Bay outside. It has share rock cliffs on either side. The Iceberg was bobbing up and down to the confused waters rushing in from the bay and the clapotis rebounding back out to sea it was kind of sad in some strange way.....like it was dying or something.......perhaps it is time to die when you are 10,000 years old.

"Covering Rocks"

The Gut at Tors Cove was active with waves of all sizes it was interesting watching them form as they washed thru the isthmus that slowed their progress. It was like I could pick the degree of difficulty as the wave formed closer to the other side gave the beginning wave which was big frothing and full of energy and as they swiftly passed thru the isthmus they gradually diminished in size so in the middle of the isthmus they were about half as big as the original and by the time they got thru the rocks they would have diminished in size considerably, but the neat thing was is that you could chose ones that would break or ones that would not depending on where in the isthmus you were. The bonus of course to all this is that the Icebergs were your backdrop.

"Inside Out"

 
It was bound to happen sooner or later, I know, I know, who takes out a camera without a waterproof bag.......me! I find they steam up or fog up or whatever. As serendipity would have it, at the conference I attended last weekend I won the door prize which was a small digital camera, no where near what I payed for this one about 5 years back but more mega pixels. So as i air out this in the hope of instilling life (I doubt it) though it wasn't whetted long or didn't appear as it was at all except for one small part..........where you charge it! How do you spell I told you so? S T A N ! lol
Just thought I'd share with you what has been taking all these pictures all along, even though it may be his demise it is only fitting that he, "my camera" have a place on this blog which could not have been created without him. I will miss that camera............

paddle on!

"Bergs Thru The Rocks"

Well on the way back from the paddle I thought I'd stop and play in this little rock garden, seemed innocuous enough. This is a little isthmus between Fox Island on the right and shore on the left. I was here as tide was ebbing and the waves that were coming thru were ....well......developing. I wanted a shot of the Icebergs in the distance and was timing the waves coming thru and they just kept coming in nondescript patterns and shortly after I took the top picture I snapped the second and grabbed the paddle to pound thru the second picture. You can just see a bit of yellow and reflection at the bottom left hand corner of the wave picture, not much time to get the kayak fully in the shot. Needless to say I caught the wave that whetted my digital. So nice were the waves coming thru this area they call The Gut, that I was able to get a bit of wave surfing in. For the most part you can see them coming a ways off and be prepared to either pound thru or turn and surf. Quite exhilarating whatever route.

"Just Masive"

 
I'd say this was at least 15 stories high probably more but I did not stick around too long to debate that in my head as I thought it safer to paddle on and be happy with my pics. The water is 0 degrees so there was no need for provocation to become one with the ocean.

"Bergs In The Distance"

 
From land or from sea the Icebergs are worth capturing on film. Though I got some close shots today I feel I did not get "The Shot" yet. Tons of people taking pictures and boats popping up all over so the Icebergs are becoming quite an attraction to the curious. Some are walking away with berg chunks that have washed up on shore. May 4th, 208

"The Lion"

 
This Iceberg reminded me of a lion. It was one of about 12 Icebergs floating around the Witless Bay, Mobile,and Tors Cove area. They are about a km or so off shore. This one was probably the closest to shore other than one grounded right in front of Fox Island where I put-in at the plant there.

"A Gleamer"

 
Glistening in the sun some of the Icebergs were multitudes of colors from aqua greens to shades of blues. Most were 800m to a km or so apart. I put in at about 1030h and hit shore again at about 1340h. Did some playing in rock gardens etc.

"Dead Ahead"

 

Iceberg dead ahead as we finally got some sunny weather that permitted about 2hrs of observing these things from safe distances in my kayak on Sunday morning in Tors Cove and Mobile area of NL. May 4th, 2008. The sun was shining but there was lots of slop out in the bays so taking pictures was difficult and I may have salted my older digital which is now apart with the hopes of functioning when I put it back together. It has served me well on many kayaking journey. Got some cool shots today though.

"Drifter"

A float on a sea of cold wind and fog this lone drifter passes by Pouch Cove on its' wave past the Avalon Peninsula. It may make it to St. John's or it may calve, split or be eaten by fog, but the frozen entity will be released from it's 10,000 year slumber.

"And They Come"

Bergs with no names as they slither down the bay leaving only bergy depris, bits and pieces that have given way on route. As you see them you may feel compelled to identify them by name but they have none, at least none to those who watch. To Iceberg patrol they are identified by a number I am sure, such are many things that become plentiful and common. They are beautiful and a site to behold, like a drifting wonder of the world, constantly changing shape and color in the daily transitions from night to day and displaying all the light nuances in between. From Pouch Cove, Newfoundland.

"Stealth In The Twilight"

Although this Iceberg is floating near land and looks to be alone there are many others off in the distance lurking under the vails of oncoming night and fog that has been lingering for weeks. A small hike in Pouch Cove allowed for this shot of the apparant stealth of these monoliths as they float by. May 3rd, 2008.