La Conner, WA, from the Rainbow Bridge. A small town, located on the Swinomish Channel of the Skagit River, which looked to cater primarily to the arts & tourism.
If this photo looks a little fuzzy, it may be because at this point, my camera was just limping along. I can't remember if I mentioned this on my blog or not, but somewhere between Canada and Washington, my camera slid off a table, suffering hitherto unknown consequences. We had stopped for gas, and I had set my camera on our desk to go make us some sandwiches for lunch. I forgot about it until we drove off, went around a corner, and heard a loud thud. You can imagine how awful it was to THIS camera owner to realize what THAT sound meant!!!! Ouch and Oh NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At first, there was no obvious damage, and I was hugely relieved! But it gradually became clear that there was some damage, but the initial signs of it were weird. The scene through the viewfinder appeared miniaturized, with parts sometimes becoming distorted. It was hard to see what I was looking at and to know if it was in focus. But it still took the photos - and mostly they came out fine. So for the time being, I was able to put off that horrid thought of having to be camera-less, to have to send my camera body in for repairs... But after a few days, the show was over. I could no longer see through the viewfinder and so, in these bridge shots, I was pointing the camera and hoping for the best, using the LCD (after the fact) to see if I'd gotten anything at all.
On the waterfront in La Conner.
On a drive to the Anacortes ferry terminal, we had to stop by this enticing housing development - the San Juan Passage (http://www.sanjuanpassage.com/). I don't think Bill or I have ever really entertained the thought or desire to live in an area like this, but these homes were so cute and the location/view so splendid, we had to at least stop and investigate a little! Upon closer inspection, I would've wished for better construction quality, especially given the outrageously high price tags (typical, though, I understand for WA living!). But still cute buildings with neat design details and hard to beat views, if you like looking at that sort of thing, you know - islands and ocean!
Does looking at this make you feel sick? Well typing it made ME feel REAL sick!!!! (no, the camera's broken parts didn't make images come out like this - this was just me screwing around, "saying good-bye" to my electronic appendage) My camera finally gave up the ghost, making me give it up to the Canon repair facility in Irvine, CA. Those shots of La Conner from the bridge were the last shots my camera would allow. Something internal finally came loose from it moorings and blocked the viewfinder completely, and unlike the newer equipment these days, the viewfinder is the ONLY way of seeing what you are photographing (the LCD screen is only for reviewing images after they're taken). Fate called my bluff. With tons of padding and insurance and tracking promises, I mailed off my mechanical baby. While certainly minor compared to the potential ills of life, this was a big blow for yours truly. Taking photos was a huge part of my enjoyment of our travels - obviously! So, for a part of me, the trip was over the moment the camera broke...
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