Summer

The Beach Is Perfect: Crowds Are Gone Home

/ Donna George / 2 Comments

beach, shoreline, sea oats

perfection


dreams


The beach is perfect: Crowds are gone home. Now it’s my time to explore.

Breathe

ocean

relaxation


This could be me


Summer still lives here for another month or so. Then for me, the walking season begins.  

Dogs aren’t allowed on the beaches during tourist season so soon my dogs can enjoy the beach again.

walking and more walking


Pure
Summer never ends for sea-lovers. It just simply changes seasons.

Happy Trails                                                                                   Donna George

12 Smart Ways To Welcome The Dog Days Of Summer

/ Donna George / Leave a comment
First day of summer

Hello Summer 2016

It’s finally here, the first day of summer 2016. No matter where you live or where you go there is no escaping the heat. If you’re heading to the beach to kickoff summer its essential to stay hydrated for endurance. No need to waste a fun, play day with hinderances that could be avoided with a little preparation.

Summer is all about lazy pool days, spending time under the sizzling hot sun and having fun at the beach. Just find a spot with water and stay cool…

 

Beach, Ocean, NC beach pier,

Beach

While finding a place to get outside and enjoy the sunshine is a natural part of summer, maintaining a healthy fluid balance is necessary for proper hydration.

As the temps outside continue to rise, so will the need to increase fluids in your body. Feeling thirsty is usually an indication you are already dehydrated and have lost 1 percent of your body fluids. Fatigue feelings and cardiovascular issues can happen with only 2 percent loss of fluids. So use the heat as your inspiration to indulge on delicious fruits and introduce yourself to the gigantic, growing world of water options. 

Lemon water during the day and the sparkling at night works for me. Give the orange sparkling a try if you’re looking for a new flavor, its delicious! Go ahead and drink up…

12 Smart Ways To Welcome The Dog Days Of Summer

  1. Keep a small cooler filled with ice and delicious beverages in your vehicle religiously. It takes just a second to get ready and it can save your life, literally. When you’re running late or caught in traffic, but have no time to stop and get a beverage, you’ll be ready 🙂
  2. Get in the habit of wearing a good sunscreen daily. Protect your beautiful face.
  3. Hydrating food like yummy watermelon, cantaloupes, cucumber, peaches, apples, pineapples, lemons, and berries have a high water content and are loaded with nutrients that go to work for us. All of these fruits are made up of vitamins like A and C and are packed with antioxidants
  4. Save exercising for early mornings or late evening. Nothing can drive your body into a heat stroke like exercising during mid-day on a hot summer day. The hot summer dog days can put a monkey on your back that can keep you sick for days. No fun in that! Ditch the treadmill, but wait for the coolest part of the day.
  5. Get those indoor fans up and working to help circulate the air. Cleaning the blades can do wonders for your allergies and help to keep you cool.
  6. Keep your body hydrated with fluids. If you’re bored with plain water change it up to sparkling or flavored. There are so many options in the supermarket, just try something new. The #1 option is coconut water. Its full of electrolytes and great for your skin.
  7. Take advantage of the fresh produce and fruits at the local farmers markets.
  8. Drive into a gorgeous sunset. Its more satisfying than watching from a pier.
  9. Attend an outdoor activity like a lawn cinematique, a festival or a music event to make the mental connection to summer.
  10. Make a tie-dye tee shirt in bright colors.
  11. Create a summer music playlist.
  12. Buy yourself a big, beautiful new beach towel.

Red apple in the sand at the beach

 

Keep an open mind, experience new things and enjoy the summer!

Happy trails
Donna George

 

What Will You Remember About The Summer Of 2015?

/ Donna George / 6 Comments

What will you remember about the Summer of 2015?  The crazy shark attacks, the exceptionally hot temperatures or just spending time with friends and family.

Seagulls in flight

Seagulls in flight

The summer season is officially over.  The tourists are gone home,  the kids are back in school and summer vacations are over.  But the summer still lives on for many of us who reside on the coast. I prefer to think of Summer in three seasons:

Season 1: Perfect weather, lots of beach parking and dogs at play on the beach.
Season 2: Fun festivities everywhere, vacations, water sports, and hot sun.
Season 3: Tourists are gone, parking availability, and more room on the beach.

Summer memories should be savored, so I take tons of pictures. Memories slip away, but the photographs last forever. I’ve learned how to use some of the gadgets on my Nikon this summer like shooting in manual modes, and learning to develop raw images. I’m getting better, but definitely have some work to do. How do you think I’m doing?

Fortunately, I live on a beautiful coast where photographers are plentiful. And with a little occasional help from my friends, like a local photographer Phil Mancuso, (who by the way captures spectacular sunsets and nature photographs), it’s a little easier. Through his help, I’ve been able to recover goof-ups (like accidentally erasing my files). In addition to local photographers, making friends with the photographers through the blogosphere world has allowed me to learn a few new tricks along the way.

Photojournalism and photography is fun, and rewarding. Especially on those long dark days of Winter when you just need to be reminded of good times and Summer fun.

The camera lens becomes an integral part of your own personal, subjective experience and allows you to view the world in a unique, distinctive way from everyone else. With the camera, the world is similar to a buffet waiting to be devoured behind your camera lens. Your fun job is being the one who sees the object potential, choose the right angle and reveals a story. A story perception only you can build, unfold and remember.

Sometimes photos will reflect a state of mind, happiness, loneliness or just a mood, and other times a photo is just the simple reality of the content in the photo, nothing more nothing less. You are the author of your photos and it’s your story.

A creative writer, and traveling photographer Nihar Pradhan shared this…

“Lines and light both are vital to photography, though the light is visible, but the invisible lines matter”

I don’t always remember the exact day of the Summer I take a picture, but I will remember the events surrounding it. It’s like a melody you hear on the radio that sounds like a memory of a real life Saturday night. Photos conjure up strong memories to cherish forever. How many times have you heard the most beloved item in a home other than a person or a pet are the photo albums? Or seen loved ones that are separated desperately hanging onto a picture? And rightfully so, they’re little pieces of our existence, excerpts from our journey in life.

The most valuable advice I would give someone new to photography would be… 
Take the time to label, date and tag your photos as you go.

Invest the time to learn how to organize your photo apps on your computer making retrieval easy. Getting control of my photo folders and itemizing information made sharing my pictures with friends simple, and blogging 90% easier. Trust me on this one and opt for the easy way:) Don’t give up and remember there is no right or wrong photo; only a photo, and a better photo. So Snap Away…

Here are some of my Summer 2015 photographs.

Wrightsville Beach Bridge
Sitting seagull
Seagulls on the ferry
Resting place
Paddle board

Did Labor Day end the Summer season for you?  How will you remember the Summer of 2015 long after the sun steps back? Share your tips on photojournaling or your favorite Summer memories.

Happy trails,
Donna George