Walking with Purpose

THE team - Jan, Ebe & Brandy

This post is technically a week overdue, as I am reporting on an event from LAST Saturday, but just roll with me here and we will get back on track.

Elizabeth and Brandy have been doing the Alzheimer's Walk for at least 6, maybe 7 years in honor and memory of Ebe's Mom.  I joined up about 4 years ago in support of the cause; right after David's Dad passed away from the same disease.

My boy...the perfect mascot!

The event is held at Huntington Beach and is typically always a BEAUTIFUL day along the beach.  Ebe has had a team each year, some years with more people than others and, for 3 of the years, we had a mascot...my boy Freddy!  We decided to forgo the mascot and the larger team this year, so it was an intimate group of Ebe, Brandy and me.  We still managed to raise a good chunk of money as a team and of course we had an enjoyable time.  A little misty-eyed at a couple points, remembering Lucille, Lin and Freddy, but it was nice to think about and honor them all.

I appreciate having the opportunity to share the love of those near and dear to me through thought and action combined - I am indeed thankful to be blessed with so much purpose in my life!

Flora

Ah, the joys of a great subject and capable camera

It may not be known to all that I made an investment in a fancier camera before I left on my pilgrimage to Turkey, Greece & Rome.  It intimidated the heck out of me before I left for the trip, but thanks to some good tutorials from Craig and the subsequent trial and error use of the camera, I have quickly come to appreciate the benefits and joys of using a larger, more complicated camera.

The flowers you see here, for example.  My old camera would not have been able to capture as much detail and color without potentially blurring everything.  In fact, this is but one of at least 6 or 7 pictures that I took on a walk up the Coit Tower stairs in San Francisco a few weeks ago.  There are houses along the steep stairway, most adorned with some really nice gardens, all in a fantastic mid-autumn bloom.  California - especially San Francisco - can be rather spectacular in early October.

My capturing of the SF flora is but a small percentage of what Ebe photos on a weekly basis, but I am indeed rather pleased with the results, more a function of a great camera than a great photographer, but I will take it any way that I can get it!