Dinner and Dolphins on the Outer Banks

Dinner on the beach

This past weekend I got a phone call from George Marion,  a sweet man who was planning to celebrate his 13th anniversary with a dinner on the beach. He wanted to have a Profressional Photographer there to document the evening in pictures and create a one of a kind album for him to give his wife Anita, the love of his life! Whether it would really be able to take place was the big question all weekend.  The weather report was calling for a 30% chance of thunderstorms, and since we had been having nightly thunderstorms it seemed likely that the night would be a washout. But Monday morning he called me and said it was on. “God won’t let it rain,” he said. He was right, not only did it not rain, it was a beautiful evening, cooler temperatures than a normal August evening, perfectly comfortable tempertures for a couple in tuxedo and evening gown. The Hilton Garden Inn set up a linen covered table on the beach next to the Kitty Hawk Pier. David, their private waiter, brought them each of the courses of their meal and saw to their every need. Then in the middle of dinner,  I saw Anita point out to sea. Unbelievably, as if on cue by George, there was a pod of dolphins. There were probably about 12. or perhaps 13 of them. They were making their way northward. Then suddenly one of the dolphins leapt into the air, and I captured it on film (so to speak, I use digital), then a moment later two dolphins leapt into the air in opposite directions from each other, back to back. And, yes, I captured that too. It was MAGICAL!  George and Anita were celebrating their 13th Wedding Anniversary, but 13 did not turn out to be an unlucky number for them.

Click on an image below to see a larger picture.

In honor of the Summer Solstice on the Outer Banks!

I decided to celebrate the first day of summer by photographing some of the flowers and plants in my yard. We moved into this property 6 years ago this summer and in the beginning it was bare ground. No trees, grass, shrubs of any knid in the area that was cleared to build the home and install the septic system. We have come a long way, but as all gardeners know, you are never DONE landscaping and gardening your yard. As things grow, and overgrow, decisions are made to move the plant to a different location or to simply prune it. Sometimes plants that I have high hopes for fail wither by simply dying from the excessive heat we have here. This year I built a potting bench (by myself) and I am doing a better job staying on top of my garden chores.

But today it was all about the camera and the plants, I hope you enjoy!

2008 NILMDTS Fund Drive

 
With the Month of October being recognized as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, The Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation holds its Annual Fund Drive for six weeks starting in mid-September and ending in October. 
 
President Ronald Reagan enacted Proclamation 5890 in October of 1988 to recognize that each year, approximately a million pregnancies in the United States alone end in miscarriage, stillbirth, or the death of a newborn child.  Reagan stated, “A national observance offers us the opportunity to increase our understanding of the great tragedy involved in the deaths of unborn or newborn babies.  It also enables us to consider how, as individuals and communities, we can meet the needs of bereaved parents and family members… “  To read the full Proclamation signed by Reagan, CLICK HERE.
 
If you are in a place to make even a small contribution to NILMDTS, please know that doing so will continue to allow the organization to provide improved resources, training, communication, and other tools necessary in support of our amazing contingent of professional photographers who provide the gift of free remembrance portraiture to families in need.
 
Our next project we are working on is an online, interactive webinar version of our Formal NILMDTS Training taught by Co-Founder Sandy Puc’ allowing anyone in any country with access to a computer to complete the course online.  Donations help make programs like this a reality! 
Your Donations Support the Organization in Many Ways -

* By supporting the continued education of our volunteer photographers
* By allowing us to further our outreach to hospitals and hospices across the world
* By offsetting the costs associated with outreach efforts including Formal NILMDTS Traingin Seminars
* By supporting the Family Forum which creates a productive and supportive haven for healing
* By supporting the Photographers’ Forum which provides a helpful environment for our member photographers to express their feelings and receive advice on the various issues that they face in this noble work
* By supporting the day to day operations of our Headquarters Offices