Hello to all you "chatAlaska" bloggers. I have been away from the blogging for a while, sorry, but I'll try to fill you in on whats been doing here in Massachusetts. I recently started working at Michaels.Inc (a craft and supply store) in the Framing Dept. for a steady cash flow. The Photography Business is still being pushed. The R.I. project is done and has been delivered to the client, Sodexo, a French Managment Company. They liked the work very much and I have landed another job for them doing portraitures for their managers. I also did some physical training so I could go on the hike I tried last year, where I dropped my camera in the stream. The infomaus Falling Waters Trail hike. The hike assends Mt. Haystack from 1400' to the summit of 4927', crosses along 3 miles of the Appliatian Trail over Mt. Liberty, then to Mt.Lafayette at 5240'. Once there you decend back to base camp. The whole route is 9 miles and is quite rugged. The weather was supposed to be partly cloudy, and it was lloking good as I started the trek, but turned for the worst, f cousres it would! Well, when I reached the summit of Mt. Haystack, I was in the Alpine zone, there was frost on the pine trees as I assended. It was blowing 40 mpg gust a sleet snow mix, that stung when hi in the face. Ok, now it is 27 degress, I'm 3.9 miles from the base and I am soaked in sweat, carrying 41 Ibs of gear, a cammera, 2 lens, extra batteries, food, and cloth, and of course saftey equipment should I get lost. Now what. I was prepared. I striped down and changed my t-shirt, henley, added a jacket, cap and mittens. Now, I was glad I brought them! The crossing over to Mt.Lafayette was 3.1 miles and in sleet and snow, I could, see on either side of the Mountains...a total loss as photography was concerned. In retropect, I wish I had taken some images of the trail. So all in all, I made it back down, as if you could tell by my writing all this now. It was a great trip. There is a small funny story here too. While treking across the Franconia Notch Trail, (Mt. Haystack summit to Mt. Lafayett summit), I was feeling the pain. More like exhaustion, but we were going along at a good clip, and it was a point where I was told that we were about a 1/2 hour away from Mt. Lafayette. I demanded that we stop so I could rest and eat something, so we got behind this group of rocks and stopped. My partner was getting cold after 15 min so we took off again. Now remember that we ar 30 min out from Mt. Lafayette and my legs ate toasted by now. So when we come around from those rocks, there was the sign post that we were already there. Boy was I a happy guy! So thats my story and I'm sticking to it. I hope to post again soon, if not, feel free to drop me a line. Sincerely, your friend, Scott Dowd

Well, not really a cruise to nowhere.

Peg and I will be leaving shortly for a short 1 week cruise out of Miami out to the great blue ocean. Hopefuuly setting sail for the Eastern Caribbian islands for some R&R. While is is here vacation, since Alaska was mine, I will not be lugging any of my camera gear along...this is ok since the camera like the lens before it is out for repair.

But not to fret my image mongering co-bloggers, I will be using Pegs P&S Canon fit in your pocket and go wondering where the unexpecting may lurk. So I will bring you all back some suprising stuff back...hopefully proving that it is not the camera the takes the perfect picture, yet yours truely, the mistro of pixels. you gess it...digital no film.

Alass laddies, until our ship comes in, bon voyage!

P.S. Peggy took this picture in St. Maartin a couple years ago.