the earth ink

Tremendous anticipation overwhelms the icy atmosphere for the arrival of the first flight in to Antarctic. After six months without a link to the 'living' world, the sun starts rising from total darkness and the tiny communities of McMurdo Station and Scott Base on Ross Island look forward to the first flight's arrival for a delivery of fresh fruits and vegetables and mail. The feeling of anticipation is coupled with apprehension. Members of the tight knit community become slightly anxious about the influx of new people who will inhabit the station - more than doubling the population that spent the winter on the Ice. The new people are orange in comparison to the winterover crew's pasty white sun-deprived skin. They are loud, healthy, excitable, and assume to know far more than the overworked, vitamin-D deficient folks who spent far more time in Antarctica than most people who arrive for the summer season. Waiting and watching in an articulated passenger Delta, three

There are heap of curious spectacles in the world, but none that I have found so turbulent and soothing at the same time as Kilauea's lava entry point into the ocean. Arriving near sundown, the sky and ocean reflected a blue evening hue with a mild golden glow from the sun over the Pacific's waves. In deep contrast to the calm of evening were dark jagged black sea cliffs bleeding deep orange, pink, yellow, and red magma from Kilauea. The evening was perfect for setting a long exposure and capturing the movement of the waves and steam against the island's growing cliffs. The lava that shows its face to the sea is 2000-4000 degrees Fahrenheit and creates steam clouds that roll back over the cliffs while the magma quickly cools and is washed away into the sea. Poke-a-Stick Lava Tours are an excellent way to be safely guided across private land that was once a neighborhood of homes; each house wiped out by one of a number of lava flows down the side of the island.

July Fourth in the United States is a celebration of the Country's independence and everything red, white, and blue. While most eyes focus up into the night sky to see the fireworks shows, there was a another reflective show in the fountain pool at Bellevue's Downtown Park. This photo was captured by focusing the camera's lens down on the water. A longer exposure captures the light squiggling through the gentle ripples on the water's surface and creates an illusion of a crazed firework explosion.

Hosting the 2010 Summer Olympics, Vancouver found the perfect place for the Olympic Torch to burn bright during the Games. The non-traditional torch burned hot and bright against the mountains in the backdrop. I arrived back home from some travels just on time for the Vancouver Winter Olympics. A good friend of mine and I went into the City for a fabulous day celebrating Canada and goodwill toward everyone. The streets were electric, the skies blue, the people red and white with Canadian pride, and smiles were a permanent fixture on nearly every face. The perfectly warm temperatures were great for wandering the vibrant city streets, but a little less than welcome for snow sport enthusiasts! The permanent Olympic torch is the crowning snapshot on a picture-perfect day in Vancouver.