Photography by Dana Rasmussen

Back to the blog...

2010-07-23T21:48:00.001-04:00

I've let the blog have a little breathing room over the summer - yes, that's another way of saying I haven't made any entries - Facebook is too easy, convenient, and quick, and my blog just can't run as fast - Should I keep going? I'm sure I can come up with a few more excuses!

Anyway...To catch you up, I've been busy doing commercial photography and a lot of horse related activities - I'm helping Karen develop some new products for Dressage Naturally , and look forward to their introduction in the next few months. Stay tuned D,N fans...

I also had the wonderful opportunity to meet several leading experts in the field of relationships at the Smart Marriages Conference in Orlando. I was assisting Buster O'Connor on a documentary project for Driver's Ed for Love - We filmed interviews with John Gray (Author of 'Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus', and many other books,) and several other experts on the subject of relationships. It was fascinating to listen to people who have spent their careers studying relationships share their insights on where we are and where we are going in the area of interpersonal relations.

For fun, I've been busy doing studio work with the band Cinnamon Hill . We are in the middle of recording our first CD, and it has been super fun, with a few bouts of studio hell thrown in just to keep everyone on their toes - By studio hell, I mean when you're trying to play your best and you're just not getting the part right and you have to play it over and over and over and over and there's a little bit of stress when you're on the line like that... but you keep at it until you come out the other side and have a great sound to show for all the hard work.... We're at the early mix down stage with a few songs and I'm really excited with how good they sound....good times... Look for an early fall release, or maybe just in time for Christmas....that's right, I said it... only 154 shopping days left before Christmas....

Moving into August and September, I'll do my best not to melt in the heat....and add a few more entries to my blog....cheers!

Coffs Harbour, Macksville and back home

2010-05-29T13:49:00.001-04:00

May 28th - Three weeks back in the states and no blog entries? Yes, that busy! I’m in Conyers Georgia and have a big wedding tomorrow at a lovely estate in the country. Have a little time tonight to post my last (lost) entry from OZ - I started it and never finished - I could write so much but really have had no time and it will be a few more weeks before I am out of the weeds with editing and such....so...

the following was written on our last night in OZ...

So that’s it? My 5 weeks in Australia are over? How did that happen so fast? Can I get an extension?

Yes...all these thoughts are running through my mind right now - I’m in our motel room in Sydney relaxing after a long day of teaching and travel, mentally preparing for the long flight home tomorrow. What movies will I watch? How many movies can one watch during a 15 hour flight? Ugh... Let me change the subject before I get tired of flying, especially since I’m not even on the plane yet.

The last few weeks have been a blur - hard work and not much time between clinics - the last clinic was in Macksville, about an hour south of a lovely city called Coffs Harbour - Coffs is the closest ‘large enough’ airport to Macksville - we flew in last Wednesday and rented a little car and drove south along the Pacific Highway. (Down the wrong side of the road still - I’m finally getting sorta used to that ‘stay left’ thing - still weird when you make a right - you have to cross traffic and it is backward in a way that makes you kinda lose your sense of where cars are supposed to be with respect to what you are doing, but we lived so all is well)

The Pacific Highway is a two way highway that occasionally turns into two lane pairs when you come to larger towns, but mostly it winds through lovely rolling hills and coastal rain forests. Several small towns are tucked off the highway - places like Tooramina, Urung, Valla,...

Just north of our destination (Macksville) is a town called Nambucca Heads (rhymes with Nam-trucka, but use a ‘b’) We stopped there on the way down and it was right at sunset - we walked out onto this nice jetty at the confluence of the Nambucca River and the sea. Off in the distance you can see several coastal mountain ranges and ‘heads’, large rock or hill formations that are right on the ocean - usually between the heads there are beautiful beaches and this particular area of Australia is gorgeous - The sun was going down but the last few clouds were going a really nice color of pink. (side note - have I found any places here that I didn’t think were gorgeous?....nope.)

As we walked out onto the jetty, we discovered that the huge rocks were a public place for people to make art. Drawings and paintings and mosaics were all over the rocks - There were plenty of messages that were just words, like “traveling in Australia 2008, or religious messages or ‘I was here’ type messages, but there were other much more elaborate paintings and even some very elaborate mosaics that people had put a lot of time into - some were really beautiful and it was neat to see. One of my faves is pictured here. Pretty much sums it up for me...

We made it to Macksville after dark and found our little motel, the Mandarin - nice small motel with big rooms. And free internet. First place in OZ to give that away. Actually one of my only complaints with the entire country is the lack of included internet with motel rooms or free internet hot spots. Internet has gotten to be such an integral part of work and staying connected with important things in ones life that it’s weird to go somewhere and not have it available 24/7. Maybe that’s a sign I need to be less of a slave to my internet habit!

After the first day of teaching, we explored the area a little more and found a fantastic small town called Scott’s Head. More ‘heads’ and beaches and coastal rainforests in close proximity to the ocean. Beautiful. Found a piece of sea glass the minute we walked out on the beach, something I will treasure because I had a personal request from a VIP in my life (Mom) to bring back a piece of sea glass if I could find one while here.

We managed to explore the same area the next morning - Climbed up onto the top of a head that looked out over the Pacific - beautiful! We also made time to explore the coastal rainorest on another day - Drove up and up on the coastal rainforest road - rough and remote, wild and diverse - Lowland tropical plants gave way to higher climate trees and flora - primitive bridges and creek crossings in several areas - our little rental car made it just fine, but the land rovers we kept passing were probably saying something like ‘tourists!’ We made it to the top of a lookout before heading back to teach class (remember this is all before 9 a.m....) So glad we were able to make these little side trips, but they really whet my appetite to make a return with more time for exploring...someday!

The clinics went fantastic, all of them - I would take photographs and Karen would teach - her combination of theory and riding and demos kept everyone challenged and the changes the riders were able to make over a five day period were amazing. It was so neat to see the same progression from clinic to clinic - learning to be clear with your horse and learning how to do this makes a huge difference in the way rider and horse interact. Karen is so good at working on problem areas and helping riders learn ways to correct and change them - she truly has a gift in this department (and she didn’t even pay me to say that...:))

At the end of each clinic, it felt like we were saying goodbye to family members, as everyone gets to know one another after going through the class and being in close proximity for five days. I feel like I have fifty new friends - that’s more than I have in the states! (except for the facebook technicality of having lots of ‘friends’, but that doesn’t count...) surely I kid a bit but the point is, I feel like I have made friends all over Australia - everyone was just so nice and glad to accommodate us wherever we went. It was the trip of a lifetime, and I’m setting my mind to figure out how to have another.

G’day!

Illabo, Young and on to Macksville

2010-05-05T09:18:00.000-04:00

Work or blog, work or blog...

Hard to keep up the posts between all the work involved with the clinics! We had a great clinic in Young and the time passed all too quickly. Met lots of great people and enjoyed the town - lots of colorful history there, maybe more on that later, but this has to be a quick post - it's late and we have to be up early to start the next clinic in the morning.

After Young we went to Illabo and stayed with Fiona and Rob for a day before heading up to the Macksville clinic. Had a nice walkabout and a sunset Tuesday, then sleep and on to Wagga Wagga to fly to Sydney on the way to Coffs Harbor today. Lots of miles we are covering!

Wanted to post a few pics and then get some rest, so here is a rainbow - Apparently they are following us around because we see one almost every day...

Here we are on top of a small mountain - we climbed up late in the day and hurried to get to the top before it got too dark - My first real walk in the woods here - main danger was meat ants. Yep. Ants that eat meat. That's right. Keep moving Yankee...

G'day!

Dana's picks from the Melbourne Clinic

2010-04-28T06:47:00.003-04:00

Had a little time this evening to go over the images from the Melbourne clinic - These really caught my eye... If you want to see LOTS of horse imagery from the Melbourne clinic and the Gold coast clinic, see my smugmug page at the following link: http://danarasmussen.smugmug.com/

Enjoy!

End of the day rainbow

One gorgeous tree on the property - I revisited it several times throughout the clinic

This barn was on the way to the clinic from the town we were staying in. Functional high art.

Love the attitude of the horse here.

Each evening on the drive back to town we came to the main road and the sky was doing something incredible...

Several times through the day the sky went from blue to gray...

Took a walk down the farm road at lunch.

Had a little stormy weather, but it didn't disrupt the clinic at all. Phew!

Melbourne, Bolinda, Dookie, and Rutherglen....also Howlong?

2010-04-26T08:37:00.001-04:00

Just finished up five days in the Bolinda/Lancefiled/Riddels Creek area about an hour north of Melbourne - Drove up to Rutherglen tonight on our eventual way to a clinic in Young on the 29th. First, yes, there is a town named Dookie, and I was reminded not only of the Green Day album of the same name, bit of all the other things that fall into the category of Dookie. Gotta love that name! The next town over from where we are tonight is called Howlong. I wonder too.

The clinic in Bolinda went fantastic - such an enthusiastic group and all of them made such progress with their horses. It is really fun to watch the difference in the riders and horses from Day 1 to day 5 of these clinics. It's such an intensive schedule you really get to know all the participants and that is an added bonus - Everyone we've met here so far (with the exception of a certifiable lady walking/yelling/screaming down the street in Sydney) has just been great - I feel like I've made many new friends who seem much more like old friends - Great people!

It's going into fall here, and the leaves are changing colors and the temperature is dropping. So strange to have my body thinking it is spring but experiencing wintry (for Florida, that is) weather.

The skies here have really been amazing - every day was different, and even from hour to hour the weather could change drastically - It was chilly this morning, but the day turned out to be a glorious fall like day - there was a circular rainbow around the sun for most of the day, and that was really cool. I saw a perfect rainbow, gorgeous storm clouds, perfect puffy clouds, frontal storm type clouds and other variations on those themes over the last few days - how cool is that? I'll tell you. Cool. Very cool.

During the clinic, we stayed in Lancefield, a cute little town about 15 minutes from the clinic site in Bolinda. The drive from Bolinda to Lancefield was gorgeous - a two lane country road through rolling hills, lined with mature juniper and pine trees, some beech and eucalyptus (gum tree) too. If it isn't obvious yet, I am quite taken by the landscapes here. I could have spent a week driving around photographing most every field and tree I saw.

As we left the area this evening to drive north, it was more of the same - it is a wine growing region and there are valleys, hills, streams and sheep pastures as far as the eye can see. I was sitting in the back seat constantly thinking, "stop! There's another picture perfect postcard image I could make - let me jump out for just a few minutes. I won't be long." This went on until it was too dark to see... Did I mention it is beautiful here?

We have a relax and recuperate day tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to exploring the area a little after we sleep in a bit! All for now, g'day!

More photos from Cairns...

2010-04-21T01:03:00.006-04:00

Yesterday we had one of those adventure days where you just go and go until you can't go anymore, then you go a little more - totally worth it!

Started off with a helicopter ride out over the great barrier reef - Our Pilot Gus was awesome - (of course I'm saying that because we lived) It was a first for both of us, so we didn't know what to expect, but it is like being in a fish bowl that flies - incredible views in all directions and it almost feels like you are suspended in the air with nothing under you (except a big motor, of course...)

The reef runs 1300 miles along the northeastern coast of Australia and is much farther offshore than the reef in the Florida keys - it starts about 15 miles out and goes as far as 50-75 miles away from the coast - There are lots of ways to access the reef - boat, boat, or helicopter. Or a really long swim across dangerous waters. For me, I like flying in a helicopter...it’s my new favorite way to see things.

After our flight, we hopped into a very small rental car (the guy at the rental place kept asking us how tall we were as we filled out the papers - by the time we were supposed to get the car, he had us wondering just how small the car was - he had a good laugh when it turned out to be a normally sized very small car...We walked in hunched over when we returned the car, saying our backs were out from having to bend over the whole time...he liked the joke...)

So, driving in Australia is just the same as in the states, except completely backwards. Stay to the left. And try not to forget! I let Karen drive, as I am not adjusting to the backwards thing as easily. She did great ( I’m glad to be here to say!)

We went south along a coastal valley, between mountains, through sugar cane fields that completely filled the valley for our entire journey 120 kilometers to the south. It is fall here, and the cane is tall and very green, so the drive was beautiful. They have a small rail system set up to harvest the cane - the rails go unused 11 months out of the year, but when it is harvest time, very small trains are all over the place, crossing the major highway with huge loads of cane. There are no crossing gates or guards, so it might get interesting looking out for all the mini trains at harvest time....

We passed several banana plantations, and the bunches of bananas are in bags to protect them from cockatoos. I can’t believe they have to cover every bunch of bananas to keep the birds off. Super labor intensive. Think I won’t start one of those type gardens. We also saw papayas being grown in large groves - the trees are full of ripening papaya right now, and they look like a large art installation. Beautiful countryside.

We stopped at a few waterfalls along the way to our real destination which I’ll get to momentarily. the Boulders in Babinda and Josephine falls a little farther down the road were both lovely spots in the rainforest. They have a few signs like ‘don’t touch this or that plant, and don’t swim here or there, but mostly it is assumed you won’t go off running through the rainforest, as the flora and fauna are quite inhospitable in places. One vine is called the ‘wait a while vine’ - I think that means something like this...You think it hurts now? Wait a while...!

We ended up at a magical place called Paronella Park in late afternoon, just in time for the tour - It was built by a Spanish man who was way before his time in many ways - It functioned as a sort of theme park starting in the 1930‘s. Located next to a sizeable waterfall, he installed a generator to provide his park with electricity, many years before the nearby town had power. He built two eccentric looking castles - not huge, but gorgeous works of art. He landscaped the gardens and grounds with tropical trees and plants, and provided a ballroom with a stage for shows and movies. He also installed what was most likely the first disco ball in Australia in the 1940’s, predating the 1970‘s American disco craze by at least 3 decades...

We took a night tour a few hours later (so I could do some photography, thanks Karen...) What an amazing spot - I wanted to stay for several more hours as it was a photographer’s wonderland, but I’m happy with the images I made while there.

There’s a lot more history to Paronella Park - if you’re interested, go google...

We’re off to Melbourne this evening and we teach again starting tomorrow, so our adventure in Cairns is coming to an end, but it has been a fantastic side trip.

Ok, so I talk too much, but I’m sitting in an airport waiting for a plane.

And it is a long wait.

Enjoy the photos!

Cairns, Queensland

2010-04-20T23:15:00.002-04:00

In Cairns now, North Queensland - tropical, lush, humid, wet, rainy, palm trees, tropical plants, rain forests, barrier reefs - nice town from what we’ve seen so far. Wanted to see the barrier reef but it looks like the weather isn’t going to cooperate today - fortunately there are lots of other fun things to do in the area so we will pack in a full day tomorrow doing things other than dodging box jellyfish and great white sharks....

We took a gondola ride today up over a National Heritage Rainforest site - it was beautiful - super lush and green - birds, butterflies, huge tree ferns and waterfalls along the way made it a wonderful experience. The cable runs 7 kilometers to a cute little town called Karanda - touristy, but there were several stores with really nice aboriginal art - some of it is just beautiful - it’s also good to see the artists can make a decent living from their artwork...

Here's my found art shot of the day - glue from a sign that had been removed...

After Sydney, I was quite fit from all the walking, but I think I’ve gained a few kilos (yes, kilos) since then from all of the great food we’ve been eating. Think I need a restaurant intervention...

More tomorrow...

Gold Coast and Brisbane Area

2010-04-17T17:12:00.000-04:00

It's been a whirlwind five days in Gold Coast - so busy I haven't even had time to write about what we've been up to, so I'll try and fill in the blanks from the last several days...yes, we leave for Cairns (1600km north) tomorrow after the clinic ends, so onward with our itinerary!

Upon our arrival to Brisbane, we were picked up by Irma who drove us to her place north of Brisbane - She has a lovely home and made us a great dinner which we shared with a few other people, Fiona (who helped arrange all the clinics in Oz) and Silka (who was one of the attendees at the clinic here.) Saw lots of photos of Irma and her husband Neville's cattle station (huge ranch) which was located several hundred kilometers west of Brisbane...Made a mental note to visit if the chance arises in the future...

Next day we woke up to a gorgeous view - the house was in the middle of their property on a hill and there were open pastures all around - She has kangaroos and koalas on her property, but we did not see any - we were warned the night before about the cane toads, who have become a major nuisance in Australia - Handling (and especially licking them) is not recommended, as they secrete toxins through their skin or glands or somewhere...) Originally imported to eat cane (sugar cane) beetles, the toads refused to eat a single beetle, but flourished on the continent regardless - peril at every corner apparently, but we managed to stay safe so far, so phew...

Speaking of peril, ask Karen to tell you about her spider story!

We made our way to Gold Coast where the actual clinic is being held - It was a shock to come into a city that looks a lot like Miami Beach - huge skyscrapers on the beach, super touristy, super posh, and trendy. We have a room on the 26th floor of one of the high rises, and drive ten minutes every morning to a nice horse facility - We are told that this area of Queensland has the highest concentration of horses in Australia - hard to believe amongst the skyscrapers and all. We look at the beach every morning when the sun rises, and keep meaning to walk on it, but we are too tired! Yes, we are working that hard... Tomorrow morning we promised ourselves we will take a morning walk at 6 a.m.. Who needs sleep anyway!

Ten ladies are attending the clinic, and it has been a great time getting to know them and their horses. It's been fun photographing them and watching them make positive changes in their riding skills - At the end of each day, I come back to our room, download images, edit, tweak, and post the images to my smugmug site. Makes for along day, but how lucky am I to be working here! Everyone at the clinic is super enthusiastic about Karen being here and we are daily asked "when are you coming back?" Our answer for now is... ask Karen...I'm ready!

The birds here are something else - super colorful, loud, big, exotic, and fun to watch and listen to - There are a few Kookaburras who show up every morning and they make the coolest noise - think of the Tarzan tv show monkey noises - that is the kookaburra's call. Too cool. Just learned they are a type of Kingfisher - you learn something new every day!

Have enjoyed the people everywhere in Oz. We were treated to a lovely dinner this evening by Eliza and Kelly, two of the clinic participants - It was fun to visit with clinic attendees outside of the daily classes. Eliza has been a fantastic help - she has been our wheels while here, picking us up in the morning and taking us back to our hotel every night - It's so nice to have the driving taken care of, as the whole wrong side of the road driving thing is still confounding to me...

Ok, so late, so many good things to say, so little time! Will try to catch up at our next stop in Cairns - we visit the great barrier reef and rain forest there, so we are looking forward to it!

Awesome!

2010-04-12T20:11:00.001-04:00

Last day in Sydney today - We're having a morning cappuccino and croissant at the Tropicana cafe as we have the last several mornings - we come here for the free internet (and the incredible food and coffee...great excuse, huh?) It's a few blocks up a hill from our room and has been a nice morning ritual.

Yesterday was just incredible - Paula and Graeme of Ribbleton Warmbloods took us for a drive north of Sydney to Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park - Along the way we made several stops to eat and sightsee - the mountain roads reminded me a bit of curvy two lane roads in western North Carolina, but with eucalyptus trees and sandstone boulders. Gorgeous drive on a glorious day - couldn't have been more beautiful, and it was great to get out of the city to see the nearby countryside. There is much water along the route and so many beautiful overlooks and public places to enjoy the scenery.

We had a light snack at a little waterside cafe before heading up to an amazing overlook of Barrenjoey headland, where we saw some sort of large (3 feet long) dragon lizard thing...

Ventured further inland to have a nice lunch at Pie in the Sky cafe, a meat pie specialty place up in the mountains - All sorts of meat in a pastry crust, and they put gravy on the french fries and peas I had on the side. And I thought only southerners put gravy on everything...

We had a visit to Ribbleton farms to feed the horses before heading back to Sydney for dinner and it was a lovely place - beautiful grounds and horses -

To top off the day, we made our way back to town about dusk and had dinner on the north side of Sydney Harbor, overlooking the bridge and Opera House - I felt like I was living in a postcard.The view was lovely and Paulette and Graeme were just wonderful hosts for the day, so it was a very special time indeed.

We fly up to Brisbane this afternoon for the next leg of our adventure.

Enjoy the images!

Pie in the Sky!

Luna Park, North Side of Harbor Bridge

Our fantastic hosts, Graeme and Paulette

Sunday there, Monday here...

2010-04-11T19:34:00.002-04:00

Nice day yesterday, went to the Art Museum of New South Wales - saw some awesome Aboriginal art as well as many other great pieces of art from the last several hundred years - a beautiful museum and exhibits. One of my favorites was the final art projects for high school seniors - super creative and well thought out works - Knocked my socks off...

Also visited the maritime museum (I am such a tourist all of a sudden...) learned a lot about Australia's history I had forgotten about - fascinating and I have no patience to tell you about all that...Aussies love their sailing and one section of the museum was dedicated to sailboat racing - my favorite covered the annual beer can regatta held up in Darwin - People make boats out of beer cans and have a 'regatta' - (Aussies predate the Red Bull flugtag by several decades, but a similar idea. good stuff...)

While at the museum, we were visited by these gorgeous little lorakeets - we saw some at the park the other day and were amazed at their color (and vocal prowess...loud!) These little guys were everybody's best friend as long as the food held out...

We ended up at world famous Bondi Beach at sunset and watched the surfers and beautiful people from a restaurant overlooking the beach. Fish and chips are an aussie staple, so we enjoyed some as the sun went down. See photo...

All for now - are off to see a National Park today with a local Warmblood breeder - looking forward to another lovely day...

Sydney...wow!

2010-04-10T19:26:00.005-04:00

Have spent the last two days all over Sydney, at least the parts we could see in two days. We started at the Opera House on Friday and took the tour - what an amazing structure and story. We then wandered over in the Botanical gardens which are huge and absolutely gorgeous - we were harassed by a large flock of cockatoos - they are loud and obnoxious and comical at the same time. I'm glad they don't live near my bedroom window.

Later in our exploration of the gardens, we heard another noise up in the trees - we looked up to find hundreds of fruit bats hanging upside down. They look like small dogs with vampire wings (not mentioning any small dogs by name, mind you) and are harmless but quite freaky when they are flying nearby - they show up as a large shadowy figure approaching in your peripheral vision - yikes! No vampire bat bites to report at this time...

We then proceeded to climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge (with help of course...) It was an amazing climb - we went up at dusk and reached the summit of the bridge at twilight - looking out over the city and the Opera House was absolutely spectacular. The bridge is almost 400 feet above the water at that point and what an adrenaline rush to be up there! Good times.

I've posted a few of my quick picks here for all to see - the only shot I missed was the one on top of the bridge - they don't let you take cameras up there for safety reasons - I was kinda bummed at first until I was on the climb and realized you don't need to be fumbling with a camera on the climb - too dangerous....

anyway, my hour of internet cafe is about to run out, so I will post images and be back later...

quick captions - Koala, duh...at wildlife experience or something like that, next to Sydney Aquarium
Darling Harbor at dusk, dinner at a fine Thai restaurant...
Botanical Gardens, downtown Sydney
View from atop our Motel at Rushcutter's Bay
Sydney Harbor Bridge - look closely and you can see people climbing up and down the top spans of the bridge - Been there!

Landed in Oz

2010-04-08T18:33:00.015-04:00

What day is it? Friday? Thursday in Florida, Friday in Sydney. Ok. 15 hours ahead here. Ok. Jet lag? Not bad, except I wake up at 1 in the morning and am ready to stay up. Toilets, yes, they flush backwards..not the handle, but the water. Goes counterclockwise. What does it do on the equator? More interesting things to worry about I am sure...

It is a long plane flight here. But you chase the darkness and it says dark for 83 hours or something like that so you think you need to sleep on the plane so you do, and eventually you think you should be landing soon, and then it is only another 5 or so hours 'til you land, so all is well.

Sydney is beautiful. A lovely city and very friendly people - Had a little exploring yesterday, but today we start in earnest, capped off by an evening climb on the Sydney bridge, right at dusk. Was getting my camera gear all ready for some amazing photography until someone told me they don't let you take anything up with you (something about cars and such below being at risk from fumbly fingered photographers. Or car keys falling out of pockets, etc.) so I will have to describe that instead of showing with photographs.. Drat!

Anyway, staying at a lovely place next to a park and enjoying life in Sydney for the next few days - we fly up to the Brisbane area early next week to begin our work here, so will be sure to soak in the funtime while I can. Photos to follow when I have some time this evening or tomorrow morning.

G'day!

My Facebook ate my Blogspot

2010-02-18T21:39:00.002-05:00

I've been spending my computer time on facebook and my blog has gotten lonely! Here's a quick catch up on Dana Rasmussen Photography...

What's happening? I'm very busy preparing for a 5 week trip to Australia! I'll be doing lots of horse photography and some sightseeing too. Sydney, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Cairns, and Macksville are all on the itinerary, plus a few other tiny towns I haven't even heard of. Most of my energy has been in that direction, as lots of details must be handled before I go - I've also got a few weddings to photograph right before I leave and right after I get back - Things are stacking up quickly as April 6th approaches - much to do!

I've been having fun in the studio doing oddball macro and old objects photography (which can be seen on my facebook page if you're interested). I'm looking forward to creating lots of new images over the next several months during my travels. There's also a new website is in the works - my old one is way overdue for a makeover...

Keep checking here during April and early May for posts from the great OZ tour 2010...

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T14:00:00.000-05:00

Blue Moon over Prairie, 12/30/09....

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-17T23:20:00.000-05:00

I wanted to take the time to wish all of you (all 6.8 billion of you) a heartfelt message of love and peace this holiday season. The message this card conveys is simple - Love one another. Such a simple and powerful act will change the world for the better. Be a rebel in your own time. Rise above the pettiness, hatred, and fear and love one another.

Radley and Ansley portrait session

2009-11-18T21:25:00.000-05:00

Had a great portrait session on Tuesday afternoon with these two adorable children - Ansley is four now, and she visited me 3 years ago to have her baby portraits made - her younger brother Radley Jr. was ready for his baby portrait so they came to the studio for a session. Radley was a ball of energy and we captured some great photos of him just being super cute - Ansley wasn't going to be upstaged, so she joined in the fun too - she loves flowers, so we went out in the yard and made her a little bouquet for her to take home and pose with. Good times... here's a few of my favorites...

St Marks Monarch migration

2009-10-28T00:16:00.001-04:00

Late October and the Monarchs are making their yearly pilgrimage to Mexico - They converge on bushes in the St Marks NWR and it's quite the spectacle - lots of people come to see lots of butterflies...Was a lovely day and I was able to get few nice images...

Canoe ride - come along!

2009-10-05T23:29:00.016-04:00

Joshua Tree National Park

2009-09-19T00:13:00.003-04:00

On a recent trip to San Diego, we were able to get away for a day and visit Joshua Tree National Park... for about 7 hours.... (I'm already planning a longer stay next time) The high desert is hot and very dry this time of year, but still beautiful and colorful once your eyes adjust to the total lack of green that an east coaster like myself is used to seeing. The reds, browns, and greens of the desert flora make for a gorgeous palette... enjoy!

Big Sky

2009-08-31T22:58:00.003-04:00

Paynes Prairie soooo rocks... I cross the prairie on a regular basis, and it is always such a high point (ok, I have no life, but still...) to come out of the lush foliage on south 441 and drop onto the two miles of flat open space that naturally delineates the south side of Gainesville. I've seen meteor showers, shuttle launches, lotus blooms, horses, palm trees, alligators, sandhill cranes, approaching storms, rainbows, and more, simply by stopping my car at the 441 prairie overlook. Venture over to the north rim, Bolen Bluff trail, or the state park for even more access to this special place...On Sunday I was enjoying these clouds when this cyclist went by - I hope he was enjoying the scenery as much as I was....

social networking meltdown

2009-08-31T22:55:00.002-04:00

Is it just me, or is this whole social networking thing running amok? I wanted to twitter about my blog, but I got so busy playing games on facebook I forgot to post to my blog, then it was too late to twitter about it, and fish or cut bait...fish or cut bait...

Carlos is back!

2009-08-25T11:01:00.005-04:00

Carlos surfaces once again - Lucky for us, he's all about accessorizing...He wanted to wear his Doggles for the first shot - they keep the tall grass out of his eyes while he's chasing down dog treats.... He needed an update for his modeling portfolio, so we made this nice headshot for his lady friends. In case Hollywood is interested, he's been practicing his best Rin-Tin-Tin.... maybe he's getting in shape for a year end photo shoot...hmmm... Run Carlos, run!

Alien Crop Circles in Reddick, Fl.

2009-08-16T23:11:00.005-04:00

August Newsletter

2009-08-12T12:00:00.004-04:00

See what's going on at Dana Rasmussen Photography - Click here to check the new news letter

Dressage Naturally - Riding in Harmony #5 DVD cover shoot

2009-07-28T23:25:00.005-04:00

The ever fabulous Karen Rohlf (Author and world renowned horse trainer) called me to photograph a new cover image for the 5th DVD in her natural horsemanship training series 'Riding in Harmony'. Her horse Ovation was in fine form and we made lots of images of the two of them riding at Temenos Fields. Here's the cover shot and a few other faves...Learn more about Karen Rohlf here : http://www.dressagenaturally.net/

Monarch wing detail

2009-07-15T17:26:00.003-04:00

Plant milkweed in your yard! Soon, Monarch butterflies will appear and you'll have these lovely creatures flying about in large numbers....beautiful! This one had recently emerged from it's chrysalis and was drying its wings. It may be hard to see here, but the wing detail is amazing. Enjoy!

Tomatoes!

2009-07-08T23:18:00.002-04:00

They just keep showing up...

Tippi Hedren dreams...

2009-06-24T11:03:00.002-04:00

A little humor for all the Hitchcock fans out there...

Christina and Eric

2009-06-14T23:03:00.006-04:00

Christina and Eric had a wonderful wedding at Hammock Dunes on May 24th. Great people, a beautiful location, and cooperative weather all came together to make this day extraordinary. View the wedding slideshow here. Totally worth it....Enjoy!

Sunset in the Florida Keys

2009-06-14T22:57:00.004-04:00

I was in the Florida Keys for several days last week and had a wonderful time - Lots of snorkeling, a little fishing, a side trip to Key West, and did I mention a LOT of sun? Good times...Sunset over Duck Key was gorgeous on Tuesday - check it out!

Artist's Palette

2009-06-14T18:07:00.003-04:00

Driving down Highway 441 a week or so ago, I stopped to watch an artist painting a landscape -it was that magic time right before the sun sets and the clouds were turning all kinds of crazy colors (see my next post too!) I liked his painting, but was even more impressed with his one of a kind palette - an old set of jalousie windows have been recycled into a multi layered palette - very cool and colorful - here's my take...

Joy!

2009-06-03T22:38:00.002-04:00

Just finished a wedding in Ponte Vedra this weekend, and this boy was running by me - my camera was set for inside photography, but he was outside, and you're supposed to make all kinds of adjustments to your camera to get the shot, but there is often no time in these moments, so you shoot anyway and see what happens - this one happened to work out great! the overexposure caused this ethereal image of the kid we'd all like to remember being...

Dog!

2009-06-03T16:26:00.004-04:00

I was photographing a newborn a few months back and this little guy was quite the sideshow during the shoot - I couldn't help but snap a few frames and this one really caught my eye. Move over Carlos!

Hammock Dunes Wedding Photography

2009-05-29T22:43:00.004-04:00

Christina and Eric tied the knot on Sunday May 24th at the Hammock Dunes Club in Palm Coast - For anyone who isn't living in a cave, you know it has rained for a week straight here in North Florida (seems like a month) and the Palm Coast area was particularly deluged - over 20" in a 5 day period, with more rain predicted to fall - So, what's a couple to do? Have the wedding outdoors anyway! I love the spirit of these two! Christina and Eric were blessed with an overcast but rain free day - I love this image of them! Look for a slideshow and more images on the blog shortly...

Sneaky Tomato #2

2009-05-14T09:56:00.004-04:00

Ah, spring gardens are in full production now, and fresh fruits and veggies are popping up everywhere - this little guy wandered into my kitchen last night, just in time for dinner. Of course we had an impromptu photo shoot right there on the kitchen counter - unfortunately for me, he sneaked off before I had time to throw him into the salad bowl....

Engagement Session at Kanapaha with Kimberly and Eric

2009-05-01T23:54:00.001-04:00

Kimberly and Eric are getting married this fall and wanted some special engagement photographs - They chose Kanapaha Botanical Gardens for the location of their shoot, and we made lots of great images of the two of them enjoying one another - the incredible green of spring really shows in these images, as does the chemistry these two have. I'm looking forward to the wedding this November!

Posh Pastry!

2009-05-01T23:09:00.000-04:00

I had the pleasure of meeting Kristy Peacock of Posh Pastry last weekend at Bay Laurel in Micanopy - She makes a gorgeous cake! There were also these delicious chocolate covered pretzels that everybody loved - Thanks for the great food, Kristy!

Horse and Rider Portraiture

2009-04-17T00:22:00.000-04:00

Ocala and the Gainesville area are such great venues for horse photography - I wanted to share this pair of photos from the 2009 HITS show.

Everglades

2009-04-16T21:15:00.000-04:00

I made a trip to the Everglades a few weeks back - I'm looking to create lots of new nature images for my portfolio - here's one I like - No, it's not photoshopped! - just a reflection with an impressionist feel. Enjoy...

St Simons Island Wedding Photography

2009-04-14T01:00:00.000-04:00

Julia and Greg were married February 7th on St Simons Island at Wesley United Methodist Church - What a gorgeous couple! The day and the ceremony were beautiful, and the reception at the King and Prince Resort was a blast. Here's a few images - see more in the slideshow, here

Sebring Ranch images

2009-04-14T00:48:00.000-04:00

Sebring Trip

2009-04-03T00:23:00.000-04:00

Just returned from a trip to the 61 Ranch in Sebring - Made a few really nice images while I wasn't rounding up cows or running from wild pigs... Well, I watched real cowboys round up the cows, and steered clear of the wild pigs that were nearby while I was trying to make a photo of this little guy hiding in a Blue Flag Iris. More images from the ranch are coming!

Horse

2009-03-23T12:32:00.000-04:00

Photography of horses in the Ocala area has kept me busy this spring - I had the pleasure of photographing Karen Rohlf's latest 6 day clinic at Temenos Fields in early March. Great weather, light, and participants made this clinic a wonderful learning experience for everyone. Check Karen Rohlf's website for more information on her seminars. Click here to see a slideshow of the participants working on their natural horsemanship techniques!

Florida's Eden Show at the Hippodrome

2009-03-21T22:25:00.000-04:00

My image 'Lotus #2' has been selected as the featured promotional image for the upcoming Florida's Eden art show 'Waterways' at the Hippodrome Theater this April 15th through May 10th. Hope to see you at the opening on Artwalk night, April 24th, from 7-10 p.m..

This Sale...

2009-03-13T23:43:00.000-04:00

Gas pump, somewhere in South Carolina - I loved the color and texture - and the fact that you could never spend more than $9.99 on gas with this pump.

Walkin' in the woods...

2009-03-01T22:36:00.000-05:00

and my fabulous daughter came across this little gem - a broken coconut shell, staring right up at her - I made the image and gave it a little mojo, but props to the J-star and her young art eyes.

Buddah's heart

2009-02-18T20:56:00.000-05:00

So I was having fun with the Valentine's day theme....

Yard Buddah got in on the action.

Jenny and Tripp

2009-02-16T14:56:00.001-05:00

Jenny and Tripp tied the knot on December 27th at Epworth by the Sea on St. Simons Island. The historic Lovely Lane Chapel is one of the most charming places to get hitched I can think of...Jenny and her bridesmaids broke into a fully harmonized version of "Goin' to the Chapel" as we were walking to the ceremony - and they could really sing! Wow, what a sweet moment to be a part of...The entire event was just a treat to photograph - A great day, beautiful location and lots of wonderful friends and family made this an especially memorable event.

Check the slideshow her e

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-16T12:41:00.003-05:00

The Studio is open!

2009-02-02T21:44:00.000-05:00

It's been quiet on the blog lately, but it's been a whirlwind of activity here at Photon Studio International - Weddings, travels, bricks, horses, studio openings...We'll get to all of that eventually, but the big news today is that my home studio is officially completed and ready to provide YOU with the most comfortable (and coolest!) place in town to have your portrait made - Check out the new digs...

Carlos

2008-12-05T14:27:00.001-05:00

Carlos is a very big dog in small dog's body.... Don't mess with him! Do have lots of treats ready. Watch the fingers! I kid - Carlos only took one of my fingers and I think it was a mistake. I think. I can still take photographs, so I'm good. We had a great time making these images - a natural dresser upper, Carlos accepted his task with excitement and vigor - the cheese helped too. When I pick up the camera now, he runs and gets a costume. Did I say he really likes cheese and will do anything for it? I think we'll be seeing more of Carlos in the future...

I walked on Fire!

2008-11-11T15:52:00.000-05:00

I swore I would never do it. I told all my friends I didn't need to walk on fire to prove anything. I've been burned before. Ovens, fireplaces, backyard bar-b-ques, exes, stoves, motorcycle mufflers, indian burns too...and then there was the time I was young and slightly intoxicated and fell asleep with my feet really close to the bonfire and my shoes melted....true story! well, it actually happened to my friend Erny - we puled him away from the fire before he was really hurt, but we had lots of laughs at his expense before that moment when his soles were beginning to liquefy...but I digress...

Fire is really hot. So are the coals. So, when Tony Robbins has a seminar that offers a walk across hot coals as a metaphor for being able to do anything in this life, you should run as fast as you can in the other direction. Right? (I know those of you in the fire curious category just want to watch, eh?) Everybody loves an accident, as long as it isn't happening to them, so you think to yourself, "I really want to see all of the complete idiots who are gong to walk across hot coals and be scarred (physically and mentally) for life."

So naturally, I went to Tony's seminar called "Unleash the Power Within" to witness lemming-like people being led across beds of hot coals - I imagined the sea of human suffering I would witness, and most definitely would never allow myself to participate in this most certain human disaster in the making. I was wondering how long the lines would be at the nearest emergency room - people with charred feet, moaning and pulling themselves across the pavement because they couldn't walk, their swaddled feet oozing all kinds of grossness, the smell of charred (dare I say bar-b-qued) feet...It is amazing how many VIVID images of fire related injuries the mind can conjure...

So there I am, in a room with 3500 other people, yelling and screaming like those possessed, caught up in the energy of people who believe "I CAN!" Saying "YES" to possibility, to positive change and growth, to life and to bettering the world we live in... being inspired to believe we can do anything we set our minds to, even walk across hot coals....

Wait. Did he say 1200 to 2000 degree coals?... Is everybody in this room insane? My palms get sweaty thinking about doing this. Are all of these people nuts? My toaster oven commands my complete respect, and it only gets 450 degrees. This is 3-5 times as hot? How can my skin possibly handle this heat? My rational brain was beginning to work properly again. For a minute, I lost my bearings and was beginning to think I was actually going to do this thing, but my mind is coming back now. Nobody is stupid enough to walk across hot coals and not expect their feet to be ruined, right?

And so went the mental gymnastics in my head. Freaking mental olympics I should say, and I was going for the gold medal....I can do anything, but do I really need to walk on hot coals? I believe in myself, but isn't this going to hurt?...Ok, I've made my point way too many times here... I was scared.

So there I am, learning to listen to my fears instead of running from them. Learning to get past fear by embracing it and dancing with it - the fire is just a metaphor for the things that hold you back and the things you are afraid of in this life - if you walk across 12oo degree coals, then you can do anything, and the promise of that - the idea that I can symbolically (and quite literally) confront my fears and conquer them - when that becomes a possibility - a sea change in my thinking occurred - Once you cross the fire, you get to do the victory dance...

You know the dance - the one football players do in the end zone - the one that "The Price is Right" contestants do when they are chosen to play the game - the dance you do when you win whatever game you are playing - the jumping up and down with your hands high in the air screaming like a maniac with happiness and joy dance - Maybe you haven't done this dance in a while, but I bet if you try it right now - that's right - right now - get up off your butt and jump up and down yelling "I did it!" No, really... Do it! Do it with verve, with excitement, with passion and joy. Your friends are staring at you wondering WTF? So what! Do it anyway! It feels really great. TRY IT!

Ok. Be honest. Did you really get up and jump up and down? Yes? You freaking rock! No? Are you the type who is waiting 'til the end of the story before thinking about whether you maybe want to possibly get up (and possibly be embarrassed) and do this silly thing? I understand. I used to be that person. No judgement here - I think you will be amazed at how good it feels to jump up and down for joy. This small act should be on everyone's list of healthy things to do - you'll feel great and love how simple it is to make yourself feel better almost instantly.

So, if you're still standing, you can sit down.

Where was I? Oh yes.

After several hours of mental preparation, (much of it involving my vivid imagination of what fire does to your skin) me and 3500 other seminar attendees walk outdoors toward the firewalker site. There are drums beating - It sounds like a tribal drum circle - you can smell the smoke. A large fire burns in the night, somewhere nearby. It is dark. Very dark . It's late. There's no moon. We are chanting "yes I can" as we walk toward 20 or so ten foot long firepits, where volunteers are emptying buckets of fresh hot coals. We line up and the drums get louder - the walk begins - There is a guide right there by the firepit who helps you prepare to walk - You change your mental state, look forward and up, think "cool moss, cool moss", and walk - deliberately and with purpose across the coals - just like that.

And then you get to do the dance!

Scream at the top of your lungs - jump up and down like a monkey - pretend you just won the lottery or a medal at the the olympics - it feels that great. And it takes a while to realize just how big a deal this is - it sinks in over a period of days, even weeks - I walked on fire. I can do anything I put my mind to. How cool is that?

Cool moss....

Mike and Cayce's Wedding

2008-08-24T21:52:00.000-04:00

July 12th, 2008 - Mike and Cayce - What a great couple! Mike is a super Gator fan - Apparently he hasn't missed a football game in the four years he's been at UF! Before the ceremony, the entire bridal party piled into a limousine and showed up at the stadium for some group shots - Now, in the middle of July, in the middle of the afternoon, in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, it can be sweltering to say the least - Guys in suits and girls in dresses and makeup -this could have been a fashion disaster if the 100 degree heat and 100% humidity held up - but! - We were blessed with a rain shower about an hour before we got to the stadium, and the temperature was actually really nice - we got some great shots of the group and Mike and Cayce too - We did a first viewing by century tower which was also lots of fun. The bride had forgotten her shoes, and had to run get them while the rest of the group drove around in the limo - normal wedding day stuff... Everything worked out fine, and we were able to make it to the ceremony with time to spare. The wedding was at First United Methodist Church, and the reception was at the Sweetwater Branch Inn.

The staff there always does a great job! The entire event was a great time. Best wishes to Mike and Cayce!

View a slideshow of this wedding here !

St. Simon's Lighthouse

2008-08-05T13:44:00.001-04:00

When in Rome...you know the saying.... when on St. Simon's Island, you have to visit the Lighthouse - I arrived on the island early for Chris and Lauren's wedding, (posted below) so I cruised the island a bit - Lots of history and beautiful places to see - the lighthouse was open for visitors, but I didn't have time for the tour - Maybe next time, as I want to take some photos from the top! Here's my shot of the lighthouse:

Chris and Lauren St. Simons Island 7/26/08

2008-08-05T12:47:00.000-04:00

On July 26th, Chris and Lauren tied the knot at the King and Prince Resort on St. Simons Island. The ceremony was held on the lawn overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. An approaching storm and the quickly fading light after the ceremony made for some beautiful images of Chris and Lauren.

As always, you can view the slideshow here: Chris and Lauren Here's a few images from the day...

Folkerts / Backer Wedding

2008-07-28T20:28:00.000-04:00

Jennifer and Derek - what a cute couple! Their wedding was held on the lawn at the Jekyll Island Club on June 14th - I love photographing weddings at Jekyll Island! - The grounds are gorgeous, and the staff there always does a fantastic job. Clear skies and a nice breeze set the tone for this lovely event - Dustin the videographer did a great job, and Joel Rabe of Lethal Rhythms really got the crowd going at the reception. Check the slideshow from the event here : Jennifer and Derek

Hutchinson / Bowen Wedding

2008-06-26T21:32:00.000-04:00

Lauren and Chap were married on June 7th at the Crane Cottage, located on the grounds of the historic Jekyll Island Club. Jekyll Island can be warm in June, but we were blessed with lovely weather and gorgeous skies. A great crowd of people were there to celebrate the wedding - a few highlights (in addition to the wedding!) were the '55 chevy Chap's uncle brought for the bride and groom to leave the reception in, and the band Kingsized (http://www.kingsized.biz/) who rocked the reception along with the Dames Aflame Dancers - yikes! hot stuff.... Here's a slideshow of some of my faves from the day...

Lauren and Chap

And a few images if you don't have time for the slideshow...

Ol' 55

2008-06-11T17:12:00.000-04:00

Gotta love a fully restored, completely reworked, pristine as the day it rolled off the showroom floor 1955 chevy convertible - At the Hutchinson / Bowen Wedding this last weekend (see next post) Chap's uncle brought this SWEET ride to escort the newlyweds away from the reception - It was just sitting there looking soooo cool, I had to work the subject a little....

Alberto's an Acupuncturist now!

2008-06-04T23:48:00.000-04:00

My bud Alberto Galvan recently finished Acupuncture school and needed a headshot for his business materials... he came over to the studio this morning and we made this nice portrait.

Go Alberto!

Alta Systems

2008-06-04T10:33:00.000-04:00

June already?

June 4th to be exact... it always takes me a few days to flip the calendar page on my desktop...

How did the year get to be almost half over? I'm not asking you so much as reminding myself just how quickly the seasons and years pass.. but I digress....

Alta Systems Inc. recently acquired a new 6 color press, and asked several artists (including me!) to submit an image for a promotional piece titled "The Printed Journey". I created the following image with the help of art director Buster O'Connor and model Julia Holbrook. Also, thanks to Sarah for hair and makeup! What a team!

And another outtake I really like...

Silver River Run

2008-05-29T11:40:00.000-04:00

A former student of mine and I finally made good on our long standing "let's go take photos sometime" conversation ender. Sandy has a groovy little vintage Boston Whaler and he took me to the Silver River Run near Ocala, the river created by world famous Silver Springs - the river runs fast and deep, and is about as pristine as a place can be - the water is clear and cool, and home to lots of birds, fish, cypress trees and snakes - "How do I know about the snakes" you ask? Well, I'm glad you mentioned that...Ever the nature photographer, I jumped into the water in an area where the bottom wasn't so deep, and edged up to a huge cypress tree, as I was interested in the textures and shapes of the root system. I had a super wide angle lens on my camera, and the best way to get crazy perspective shots is to get right up next to your subject - so I'm in water waist deep, slogging along the mixed sand/mud bottom - I can't move very fast because of the tricky footing and brisk current, and I'm carrying a camera that isn't rated for water use(that means it's ruined if I fall in..). I'm in the "get the shot" mode, paying no attention to my surroundings other than where to put my feet and camera for the best shot... so right when I'm getting up close to the roots, composing what I thought was a really cool shot, I see motion out of the corner of my eye, and a very large snake is about a foot from my head! Very luck for me that it wasn't a water moccasin, or I'd be writing this post posthumously, or at least from the hospital...The VLS (very large snake for all you non-texters) was as afraid of me as I was of it, and I was fortunate that it wasn't too upset that I had interrupted it's sunbathing time... I live to tell another story...The rest of the trip was gorgeous. (and I stayed in the boat too)...It was sooo cool to be in a place that looks pretty much the same as it did many thousands of years ago. I was reminded of Native Americans and how connected they were to the rivers, lakes, and swamps of North Florida. This large expanse of undeveloped wilderness is truly worth the visit. Go sometime!

Bobby and Karin Engagement Session

2008-05-28T00:37:00.000-04:00

Bobby and Karin are getting married! They live in Orange Park, and have chosen to have their wedding at Steinhatchee Landing this fall. I had an open Sunday a few weeks ago, so they came to Gainesville to meet me and get acquainted with my services and style - We met at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens and had a great time getting to know one another - I always feel blessed when I am able to put camera shy people at ease and get great photographs of them. The bride and groom to be were glad to find a photographer that they felt relaxed with, and the images speak for themselves...

Coreopsis!

2008-05-26T21:44:00.000-04:00

So... if you're one of those "in touch with the seasons" types, you know that every month and every season has its own special wonders. The first of May brings the Coreopsis bloom to North Florida - Ordinarily average looking fields and roadsides explode with yellow flowers atop a sea of green stems...My friends the Whites (the ones from the Melrose/Hawthorne/Campville area) have been telling me about this field of flowers and that I HAVE to see when it blooms...turns out they were right! I arrived late afternoon, right as the light was going off...and saw this...

and this...

and when the clouds overhead turned orange in the final light of the day, the colors went crazy...

and the wind was blowing a sweet breeze...sometimes it feels like you are part of an impressionist painting...

and you keep on pressing the shutter as you smile...

Hey, did you know that Coreopsis is Florida's State Wildflower? Now you do!

Victor and Ashley

2008-05-25T00:36:00.000-04:00

Victor and Ashley were married on the 18th of May at the lovely Palencia Club in St. Augustine, Florida. One of my favorite images is of the bride getting ready - she had been straightening her gown front, and then just looked up at me with such confidence and grace - Click. How lucky I am to be present in people's lives on their wedding day!

And the flower girl...

Dig that dress!

and the lovely couple...

2008-05-24T23:47:00.001-04:00

Journey of a thousand miles begin with one step. Talk doesn't make rice. Yes, I'm talking about you. You know who you are. Enlightened. Aware. Sweating the small stuff, because it's all small stuff. Wait. Or something like that. It's time to throw all blog caution to the wind. Have a look see into the life and times of Dana. Well, at least some of my life and times... Some work, some play, and some things that just get my attention.