Thoughts: “When Cardinals Appear”

March 5, 2017 / Donna Robinson Photography / Leave a comment

We haven’t had much of a winter here in Atlanta. Some weeks the weather did manage to dip down into some very cold temps, but they were soon followed by mild, warm days. I think I only pulled out my heavy coat once. We even packed away the heavy comforter weeks ago as the cold winter nights have pretty much been non existent this year…….. and I’m ok with that!

But, somehow despite the warmer temps, Mother Nature still seems to own the timing for the emergence of Spring. It just doesn’t happen until she says it’s time. But, what she will do is give us little signs……a little bit of greenery on a brittle tree limb and tiny hints of color……..and then there are the birds!

As I peered around the corner the corner of our balcony towards the east side of the cemetery I spotted my favorite bird singing, calling to his mate. It was the Cardinal. I love this little guy…..he’s somewhat shy and tends to fly away just about the time I’m able to get my camera set up. But, today, he just sat there off in the distance, balancing himself on a thin, narrow branch…..singing to his heart’s content.

They say that when a Cardinal appears a loved one who has passed is visiting…..an angel watching over us. Perhaps, this is why he didn’t move and just sat there as I snapped away……finding comfort and peace in his cheerful, loving song.

“May you come to find comfort in and remember cardinals appear when angels are near.

So go now, sit outside and drink your tea.

Keep a look out for the little red bird — It is there, your loved one will be.” –Victoria McGovern (credit Our Wander Life )

Thoughts: Looking Back to Look Forward

January 1, 2017January 1, 2017 / Donna Robinson Photography / 2 Comments

As we were ringing in 2017, my husband and I found ourselves doing what we enjoy the most, watching concert music videos. Our choice for the evening……”The History of the Eagles.” If you haven’t seen this, it’s one of the best rock documentaries out there. With interview clips of each of the band members, it is a well produced history of how they came to be.

But, the one interview that has always stood out to us both is with Joe Walsh and a quote he has about life and being with The Eagles: “You know, there’s a philosopher who says, “As you live your life, it appears to be anarchy and chaos, and random events, non-related events, smashing into each other and causing this situation or that situation, and then, this happens, and it’s overwhelming, and it just looks like what in the world is going on. And later, when you look back at it, it looks like a finely crafted novel. But at the time, it don’t.”

And so, as I look back on 2016 and the “random, non-related events smashing into each other,” I’m humbled by the experiences that came together throughout the year and grateful for my husband, our family, our friends and acquaintances who were part of those events. While the 2016 chapter is closed, done, and finished I embrace 2017 for it’s new beginnings, for it’s hopes of health, prosperity and new “random, non-related events” to come.

Thank you for being a part of my photography/blog journey. My hope to you in the coming year is that through my blogs you find inspiration to do whatever it is you want to do and be as your finely crafted novel evolves.

“Life is a journey, not a destination……….You are the artist, paint what you will.”

A Few of My Favorite 2016 Post Photos

Moss Covered Trees – Flash

IMG_2466 St Ann's Catholic Church Janice Janik_edited-1

Awakenings – Sunrise, East Beach, Gould’s Inlet

Yellow Daisy Floating in Bird Bath

“Contemplation” Settings: TV 1/6400 seco; AV: f/4; ISO 400; Exp.0; Focal Length 58mm

“Big Sur” Settings: TV: 1/1000 sec; AV f/16; ISO 400; Exp 0; Focal Length 47mm

Buckhead, Atlanta Sunrise Settings: AV f/9; TV 1/1600 sec; ISO 400; Focal Length 102mm

Giving Thanks Over The Desert Rose

November 27, 2016January 1, 2017 / Donna Robinson Photography / 10 Comments

I have many fond memories of my childhood. And, like most everyone else some are good and some are not so good. But, one of my favorite memories (which my sisters would also agree) is not of one particular event, but rather of multiple events centered around our mother’s dishes. These were the dishes that brought us together as a family every day at dinner time; these were the dishes where we chatted about the events of the day; these were the dishes that remind us of home, family and of her.

“Desert Rose by Franciscan” was the name of the pattern. With four (4) pink and white embossed flowers circling each plate, they were connected by their leaves and stems eloquently forming scalloped edges. The dish set came with everything you can imagine….there were dinner plates, salad plates, dessert plates, cups and saucers and the list goes on. There were even salt and pepper shakers in the shape of unopened blooms.

We don’t know what happened to her dish set. It’s almost as if when she passed away the dishes disappeared as well.

But, something strange and wonderful happened this year……..The dishes found their way back into our family. Well, not exactly the dishes, but a set just like them. As my husband and I were wandering through Tuesday Morning, I stumbled upon a knock-off set, took a picture and sent it to my sister. Within about 10 minutes she sent me a photo from an e-bay email link she had just received of an authentic set of the dishes. After about 20 minutes of texting back and forth with our other sister, we realized that it was the 40th anniversary of her passing. Perhaps our mother was speaking to us through the dishes?

Fast forward to Thanksgiving……Dad’s favorite holiday a time of the year he especially enjoys having the family together. Our typical get togethers are “buffet style, sit where you can find a seat kind of meals” leaving everyone scattered throughout different rooms. And so, this year my sisters and I decided to make Thanksgiving extra special by transforming the living room into a dining room in order to seat everyone at one table. Not a small feat to do, but we did it (thanks to the help of my husband)……..everyone had a seat at the table. And, at every place setting was “Desert Rose.”

With Dad seated at the head of the table and his grandchildren and great grandchildren intently listening to his every word, he proudly told the story of how the dishes came back into our lives. And then, just like the original dishes, they became the dishes we said grace over; they became the dishes we chatted over and caught up with each other about all that is happening in our lives; they became the dishes that now meant family, home and reminded us of our mother and “Giving Thanks over the Desert Rose.”

Thoughts: “Leaving SSI Casa de Playa”

October 21, 2016August 20, 2022 / Donna Robinson Photography / 4 Comments

The very first blog I wrote was about our new adventures at SSI Casa de Playa. So, it’s only fitting that today, the day we closed on the sale of our beloved beach getaway, I share with you some parting thoughts and memories from this particular chapter in our journey of life:

My first impression of St. Simons Island is still the same. It is a wonderful, quaint place to relax and forget the day-to-day stresses of life. Whether coming over the causeway or driving beneath the canopy of the Live Oak Trees draped in Spanish Moss you will slow down…..you will breathe in….you will exhale….you will relax.
Spanish Moss drapes the overhanging trees of Old Demere Rd.

2. The island is filled with so much beauty…..in my view it truly is the crown jewel of the The Golden Isles of Georgia

Awakenings – Sunrise, East Beach, Gould’s Inlet

Georgia Brown Eagle Settings: AVf/40; TV 1/100; ISO 800; 400mm

Car Carrier Passing the Village Pier

Sunset Over the Sidney LanierBridge

Gould’s Inlet SSI

Walk on the beach at low tide

Bird in Flight

SSI Lighthouse

3. I’m still humbled by the experience of our little island home. As I mentioned in my first post, we were excited, cautious and humbled about this journey. My husband and I did what we do best at SSI Casa de Playa……like an artist with a blank canvas, we carefully and artfully transformed it, leaving pieces of ourselves behind. In a sense it is our way of showing gratitude for being able to experience such a wonderful place.

4. And, lastly…….We will return. Indeed, this passage is bittersweet. But, the friends we met and the memories we made will keep drawing us back to this special place by the sea. Of course, we can’t leave this beautiful place without mentioning our dear friends, Meg and Bart without whom we would have never discovered all of the beauty, the history and the warmth this island has to offer. “Life is a journey, not a destination…you are the artist paint what you will.”

As I close out this post I thought it only appropriate to share with you an excerpt from a poem “The Marshes of Glynn” which was written by Sidney Lanier (2/3/1842 – 9/7/1881):

“As the marsh-hen secretly builds on the watery sod,
Behold I will build me a nest on the greatness of God:
I will fly in the greatness of God as the marsh-hen flies
In the freedom that fills all the space ‘twixt the marsh and the skies:
By so many roots as the marsh-grass sends in the sod
I will heartily lay me a-hold on the greatness of God:
Oh, like to the greatness of God is the greatness within
The range of the marshes, the liberal marshes of Glynn.
And the sea lends large, as the marsh: lo, out of his plenty the sea
Pours fast: full soon the time of the flood-tide must be.”

IMG_7234 092616 Sidney Lanier Bridge copyrigh

Sidney Lanier Bridge, Golden Isles Georgia

Thoughts: “Drunk Drivers Don’t Scare Me Anymore”

May 30, 2016December 23, 2016 / Donna Robinson Photography / 6 Comments

Hold your horses! Before anyone goes off the deep end on me and M.A.D.D. pops a vein….. hear me out. By no means am I condoning driving under the influence, I’m just saying, statistically “smart phones” have made us stupid and “drunk drivers don’t scare me anymore.”

Think about it…..how many times have you been driving down the road, and had to go around another driver just because they were going 20 miles under the speed limit and they were on the phone talking……oblivious to everything else going on around them? Or, the thousands of times you were sitting behind someone at a traffic light and noticed their head down in their laps, the light turns green and they just sit there……….typing away on their e-mails while cars behind them honk away until the light turns red again and they are still sitting there?!?

But, these aren’t the drivers that really hurt anyone. It’s the ones who drive down a two-lane road, swerving and crossing the center line with their heads down in their laps…….again! At least drunk drivers try a little harder to be safe about their driving. Seriously, they keep both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road.

I’m not saying I’m perfect, but when you research the facts it’s pretty startling and scary. Here are just a few that were eye openers: (source: Stoptextsstopwrecks.org)

Texting While Driving Causes:

1. 1,600,000 accidents per year – National Safety Council
2. 330,000 injuries per year – Harvard Center for Risk Analysis Study
3. 11 teen deaths EVERY DAY – Ins. Institute for Hwy Safety Fatality Facts
4. Nearly 25% of ALL car accidents

Texting While Driving Is:

1. About 6 times more likely to cause an accident than driving intoxicated
2. The same as driving after 4 beers – National Hwy Transportation Safety Admin.
3. The number one driving distraction reported by teen drivers

Texting While Driving:

1. Makes you 23X more likely to crash – National Hwy Transportation Safety Admin.
2. Is the same as driving blind for 5 seconds at a time – VA. Tech Transportation Institute
3. Takes place by 800,000 drivers at any given time across the country
4. Slows your brake reaction speed by 18% – HumanFactors & Ergonomics Society
5. Leads to a 400% increase with eyes off the road

Think about it……for years it has been pounded into our heads that drunk driving is the number one cause of death on the roads. But, I’m not convinced this is the case anymore especially when you know that every car you pass on the road has at least one (1) cell phone (if not more depending on the number of passengers). And, this is why “drunk drivers don’t scare me anymore.”

Maybe it’s time to start a new movement …….how about “D.A.D.” (Disconnect And Drive)? Or, “P.D.A.D.” (Phones Down And Drive)? With summer officially kicking off, I urge you to think twice before reading or answering that text when you drive……..is it really worth the risk?

NOTE: This post was written by my husband, Michael. It’s something he is very passionate about and he asked me to help get his message across through my blog.

Thoughts – “Awaken”

April 10, 2016December 23, 2016 / Donna Robinson Photography / 2 Comments

For as many sunrise photos I have taken from our balcony in Atlanta, but for some reason the sunrises over the ocean inspire me the most.

It could be the effort it takes to pull myself out of bed on our weekend-cations and (although short) the drive to the other side of the island which make the sunrises more meaningful.

Or, it could be the promise of adventures planned for the day…….

Most likely, though it’s the simple pleasure of watching Mother Nature “Awaken.”

Thoughts – “Get in! Sit Down! Shut Up! Hold On!”

March 13, 2016December 23, 2016 / Donna Robinson Photography / 2 Comments

She was a basket case when we found her. A piece of gray fiberglass, loosely mounted on a car frame. Parts and pieces were stacked throughout the garage. We were assured by the seller (a retired airline mechanic) that everything was there……..as he handed us the plastic Rubbermaid container with mirrors, dials and other miscellaneous parts and pieces.

Her engine, came from a 1993 Ford Mustang donor car. All of the paperwork was there including the dusty instruction manual from the kit car manufacturer (who by the way was no longer in business).

But, my husband had a dream and a vision. A dream that was formed from the influence of his brother who would take him out to the drag strip every weekend. A vision formed from his dream car, a 1969 Camaro Z28, black with gold racing stripes down the middle. And so, as he loaded her into the car hauler another journey began.

It was a labor of love……….and patience. Looking back our expectation was that in a few months we would be zooming around town in our sporty convertible. We soon learned otherwise. Car restorers are artists and you don’t rush them. And so, the process began.

Three (3) years later we finally brought her home after winning a “Top 10 Best of Show.” We had a blast and enjoyed all of the looks we would get. It was amazing to watch kids hanging out of their car windows, snapping photos as we zoomed by. Once, we even had a woman stop us in the grocery store parking lot and ask if she could have her picture taken next to the car!

She was sleek and fast! Our motto (taken from a Toby Keith song) became “get in, sit down, shut up and hold on!”

We made some great memories with her and even managed to fulfill a dream of taking her on a road trip to SSI……a special celebration for my husband’s birthday.

But, as all good chapters in our journey of life must come to an end, we said “goodbye” to her last weekend. It was bittersweet watching my husband run through the car controls and settings with her new owner. But, he had fulfilled his dream, had his fun and was ready to move on.

And so, as he unlatched the hitch and the new owner backed his pick-up to the car hauler, we closed the chapter of “The Cobra.”

Thoughts -“Whatever Happened to the Bicycle Bell?”

February 7, 2016December 23, 2016 / Donna Robinson Photography / Leave a comment

It seems that everytime we are out walking, all we hear is “ON YOUR LEFT! ON YOUR RIGHT!” being shouted at the top of a biker’s lungs like a marine drill sargent barking off orders. It’s terrifying……one moment you’re quietly walking down a path, taking in the sights when all of a sudden you’re hurled head first into the early stages of cardiac arrest by those three (3) words……”ON YOUR RIGHT!” I get it, you want us to know you’re coming and need to pass, but seriously……Whatever happened to the bicycle bell?

Whatever happened to that “brrrrrrng brrrrrrrng” of the bell? That gentle and friendly ring echoing softly as the rider approaches you. I know they still exist…….I’ve heard them a few times during our walks. I’ve heard the rider off in the distance giving their bell a few short taps, politely letting us know they are behind us……and……we wave “hello” because we still have our wits about us.

The bicycle bell has been around for over 100 years and has evolved just as the bicycle itself. So, it can’t be that much of an eyesore that it no longer has a place on the bike. We spend hundreds of dollars making sure we have the right clothes, the right shoes and the right helmet…….can’t we spend just a few more dollars for the enjoyment of the sound of the bell instead of yelling at the top of our lungs?

Besides, the bicycle bell can be a great way to add personality to your bike…….coming in all shapes, styles, colors and sizes.

Google Images

So, here’s to the bicycle bell……may it come back not only as a fashionable bike accessory, but a requirement for the safety of bikers (and all of us walkers).

google images

Post Script: While we’re talking about cycling, check out this new blogger Cycling Dutch Girl It’s a blog written by a woman traveling the world on a bicycle.

Thoughts – Anything is Possible

January 10, 2016December 23, 2016 / Donna Robinson Photography / 1 Comment

Here we are! The first week of 2016 behind us. We’ve made our resolutions and set our path forward to making this year different and better than in the past! Yep……..it’s going to be a great year!

As I began laying out my plans for taking this blog (and my photography) to the next level I knew anything was possible, I had to set goals with realistic and achievable milestones. But, I also knew that in order to grow and be successful, I had to stretch and challenge myself. Kind of like the little dog in this photo:

Anything is possible

Several years ago, my husband and I were out walking on a local trail and came across this little Yorkie trying to pick up a stick that was about 5 or 6 feet long. Carefully, try after try, he kept working to find that right spot on the stick that would give him balance. The sweet spot that he could grab hold of and carry the stick with ease, following his owner down the path.

Like this little dog, I’m working to find that “sweet spot” to achieve my goals. For my blog, specifically, I have laid out a monthly plan with re-occurring weekly themes (yikes…..there’s that stretch and challenge). Each theme a little different…..some easier to write about……others challenging and stretching myself.

I chose “Thoughts” to be a monthly theme and for this particular post I wanted to share my thoughts on “Anything is Possible.” I know I can be a better photographer and writer, but it will take work, patience and persistence. It will take me pushing myself past the excuses for not getting a post written or publishing new photos.

So, what are your “Thoughts?” What do you see as possible for yourself in 2016?!?

2015 – That’s a Wrap!!

December 31, 2015December 23, 2016 / Donna Robinson Photography / Leave a comment

I’ve been giving a lot of thought, lately, about a topic for my last blog of 2015. While I don’t want to spend too much time looking backwards, it has been an incredibly wonderful year, so why not share a few thoughts about my blogging journey:

Blogging has opened up a whole new world for me. Literally! I started this blog as an outlet to combine two (2) of my passions (photography and writing). Little did I know I would also find and enjoy other blogs from around the world! I love hearing about far away places and seeing the world through other’s eyes!
I really like blogging. It’s fun and has turned out to be everything I expected….both easy and hard (most times I have to put a lot of thought into my topics) and extremely rewarding. Seeing and reading comments on my blogs is an awesome feeling!
I want to do more blogging in 2016! More to come on this in the new year, so stay tuned. But, if you have some ideas for topics you’d like to see me cover please let me know!

Lastly, as 2015 comes to a close I also wanted to leave you with a few highlights of my personal favorite photos/memories to say “Thank you” to everyone who inspired me to begin this journey, my followers for continuing to believe in me and fellow bloggers for sharing your words/photos with the world.

“Life is a journey, not a destination………you are the artist, paint what you will!”