Pacific Northwest – Jolene's Life in Focus

Every Town has its Ghosts

May 9, 2017September 7, 2017Posted in Pacific Northwest, Travel, Western WashingtonTagged Fort Worden, Ghosts, Manresa Castle, Nikon, Nikon D800, Pacific Northwest, photography, Point Wilson Lighthouse, Port Townsend, travel1 Comment

Ghosts are good for business, and Port Townsend, Washington has its fair share of stories. Manresa Castle is haunted by a heartbroken woman, whose love never returned from the Great War, and a Jesuit priest. A Lady in White wanders the grounds of Point Wilson Lighthouse and is, allegedly, a bit of a snoop; she is forever rummaging through drawers of the keeper’s quarters. Fort Worden has its orbs and Man in Blue. I imagine if you started inquiring, every building downtown would have some sort of strange occurrence or shadowy figure. Sensitive people claim to “feel” their energy.

Whether the stories are true or not, they add an element of mystery and adventure to a trip, and this is one of the reasons I love visiting Port Townsend. I only ever feel “haunted” when I’m in the town’s antique stores, though. There’s something about being surrounded by the wares of a thousand departed souls that really gets to me. Maybe one of these days when I’m wandering around with my camera, I’ll catch something other than a landscape.

Here are a few shots from my last weekend trip. Anything look out of the ordinary to you?

Point Wilson Lighthouse and Grounds

Fort Worden

Port Townsend

I spent most of my time at Point Wilson and Fort Worden, so I didn’t have many shots of town. What did fascinate me was the Tarot card reader who is parked along the main street. Her boots are just visible beyond the door.

_DSC2200 — Back on Whidbey Island and safe from ghosts!

Woodinville Lavender

July 14, 2014October 20, 2014Posted in Pacific NorthwestTagged D7000, Lavender, Lavender fields, Nikon, Pacific Northwest, photography, u-pick lavender, Woodinville Lavender17 Comments

When planning your winery tour of Woodinville this summer, add Woodinville Lavender farm to the itinerary. The fields are in full bloom and worth a stroll. My friend Sarah and I stopped by yesterday, and despite the scorching temperatures, we had fun clipping a couple small bundles of lavender.

The Rembrandt Tulip

April 17, 2013March 27, 2017Posted in Pacific Northwest, tulipsTagged 35mm, D7000, depth of field, Flowers, Nikon, rembrandt tulip, RoozenGaarde, skagit valley tulip festival, tulip2 Comments

The painterly quality of a shallow depth of field can turn a simple photo into a canvas – appropriate, considering tulips have long been popular with artists, and some varieties have even been named after them.

The Rembrandt Tulip, featured here, was popular in Holland during the tulip frenzy of the 1600’s, even though the Dutch painter is not actually known for painting flowers.

RoozenGaarde

April 12, 2013March 27, 2017Posted in Pacific Northwest, tulipsTagged 35mm, Mount Vernon Washington, Nikon, Nikon D7000, photography, purple tulip, RoozenGaarde, skagit valley tulip festival, tulip fields, tulips9 Comments

The tulips are here! Every spring, for a few short weeks, the Skagit Valley glows with miles and miles of blossoming fields. My friend Sarah and I visited the RoozenGaarde fields last night for some photos. I’m in the middle of sifting through a couple hundred and plan to post more this weekend as well as provide some information on the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.

A quick note to photographers who may visit these fields: If you are a professional, or intend to post your photos to a website or display your work in some way, you are required to download and sign a consent form . You will need to take it to the Washington Bulb Company office, which is a short walk from the main RoozenGaarde 3-acre garden.

The Shaw Invasion

March 5, 2013March 27, 2017Posted in Pacific NorthwestTagged DPchallenge, friends, friendship, happy, laughter, photography, Shaw Island, truth is stranger than fiction1 Comment

Shaw is a careless dot in the middle of the San Juan Islands. On a map, it kind of looks like a cowboy boot with a broken spur. In my heart, it looks like my friends laughing behind an old cabin, drunk off of Jam Jar wine.

In November 2010, on a day full of strange fiction coming to life, we gathered gold maple leaves the size of a giant’s hand into bouquets. We ordained Emily a minister and pretended to marry each other with Eskimo kisses on the mossy ground behind the cabin. (The boys hit golf balls around in the front, oblivious to our silliness.) Afterwards, the brides jumped into a rusted, orange hollowed-out Charger with a cardboard “just married” sign in tow.

The ceremony concluded with this photograph and a reception of spiked hot chocolate and more Jam Jar wine, enjoyed around a snapping fire.

The mainland is full of responsibility – jobs, bills, irksome social media we can’t seem to live without. But on Shaw, nothing exists but the moment and the limits of our imaginations and friendships.

Weekly Writing Challenge: Truth is Stranger than Fiction; Post II

The Long Ride Home

August 22, 2012March 27, 2017Posted in Pacific NorthwestTagged black and white photography, children, Nikon, Nikon D90, photography, The Long Ride Home3 Comments

I went to Leavenworth, Washington on a camping trip with some friends in July. Not a huge fan of camping, I toughed it out for a few days before deciding to leave early – but that meant hitching a ride back with friends who had….gulp…children. Kids terrify me. They’re too honest, ask too many questions, and bounce around too much. So, I had to weigh the options – one more night with a back-ache and using a communal shower or get jostled around by young kids on a three-hour drive over the mountains so I could sleep in my own bed?

I chose the latter. And I survived! Actually, this sweet little girl entertained us with stories and took an interest in my camera before passing out in her car seat. I meant to email her dad all of the photos and blog about it but completely forgot until I happened to look through my files yesterday. These are a couple of the shots I really liked from that long ride home.