Fresh Air - Hanging Rock, NC

This past week was a little rougher than I would have liked. It's funny how thoughts, memories, and the presence if mind to see time passing me by, can somehow form a big knot inside. There is nothing like hiking to the top of a big rock, looking out over the rolling hills and treetops, and just breathing in some fresh air to loosen it all.



Time doesn't move too fast to pass this little guy up. Along our hike, Shanti and I would pause - partly to realize how badly out of shape we - , but more so to discover often overlooked living beings such as this one.





Some picturesque subjects have nothing to do with legs or arms. Shanti thinks tiny vines like this are straight out of folklore.




Part of the hike included this eroded wall that was jutting into the underside of the "hanging" part of the rock. I couldn't believe how much defacing was on the wall.



This small salamander made a brief appearance. I didn't have much time to set up the camera with my preferences. This was the only shot I got before he scurried back under a rock.


I can't take credit for this photo, but I can take credit for posing. :) Yep, if you look closely, yours truly decided to do a little rock climbing for a "Kodak Moment." Shanti took this photo with a screw-on .49x fisheye adapter mounted on a Sigma 30-70mm f/2.8-4 lens. The optics are nearly as sharp as I would like them to be, but the difference between a cheap lens and true fisheye is about $400.

I have many more pictures from this day hike. Many of them were taken with my vintage Yashica MAT 24G TLR and a newly acquired Nikon FG manual camera. Once the film is processed and prints made I'll be sure to scan and post them here.

Take care all. Get out wherever you are and get some fresh air. It will do you a lot of good.