Teenagers Rock!

If you know me you may know I have a fascination with light. I can't ever go into a low light situation without taking at least one distorted, blurred, or smeared image of the lights around me. They're magical!

Not all adults are as amazed by these images as I am. However, I haven't met a teenager yet that wasn't willing to play along with me and the lights! The above image is from a little fish/shrimp shack we ate at during our trip. It had white lights all over the ceiling so I couldn't resist. Mary and I had this really great idea to take a picture of the kids in front of the lighthouse with a long exposure. I was sure I could get a trail of light as it traveled around the house. When we arrived we found to our dismay that is were three lights and there was no single light to follow. No matter what I did I couldn't get the effect I wanted.

All was not lost because all the kids were more than willing to go out to the shore at night and take some long exposure images. Thank goodness for the dads who of course carry flash lights...

This is an odd shot at the lighthouse.

Max

Amanda

Amanda's hair, ooo ahh

Emma

Look at Em's face in this one. Creeeepy...

Molly

Alix

Its very nice to have a limber person model for you.

All the kids! I think Max looks the happiest, and Alix is

ready to take off.

The three "little" girls. They were amazing models.

Manda has wings... Imagine the possibilities.

As we were walking back to the houses I snapped this

picture and looked at it. I said, "Oh man, we have to go back

and shoot some more with that flashlight!" Of course the

kids were all over that.

Alix's handiwork:

A little ying and yang

Amanda's Handiwork:

Molly's Handiwork:

Emma's Handiwork:

PS My Favorite.

Sending out a special thanks to all of you Simpsotek and McManus kids that were willing to hang out with me in the dark, humid, damp, and windy night to play with flash lights and a camera. You guys are cool. This post is for you! Enjoy!!

Sea Shells, Sea shells by the Seashore.

If you stay a week at the beach I think it goes without saying that you'll be playing in the sun and at the shore for numerous hours. Being out on the sand and swimming in the ocean was kind of like the staple of our trip. I loved the soft white sand of the Atlantic, not to mention the warm waters full of sea creatures. I can assure you sea creatures are good and bad. Being that there is a variety of different sharks in the waters we were always looking for something under the water. Jellys were everywhere but only one type actually stung with poison. Unfortunately, Amanda was stung by it. She was so brave and such a trooper.

Here is the sting. Its always a good idea to have vinegar

on hand because she had to wait for a trip to the store

before getting it on the sting. The poison traveled into

her arm pit. A little Benidryl and a long nap and she was

as good as new.

We saw stingrays, jellyfish, and pods of dolphins! One afternoon Steve saw a large shark and casually told the kids to get out of the ocean. Of course they all went back in later. After asking the locals about shark attacks we were told they just don't happen there. However, no fool would go in the water during "feeding time."

Here's the pier from the sand side.

The crew coming in for a break. This is when I found out

Amanda didn't want any pictures.

Miss Molly! Always willing to star in a photo.

The coolest dads ever.

This hole was worked on by several groups of kids. Here are

our kids during their hole digging/castle building shift.

Max. Quite a sweet young man, willing to dig a hole

with six year old Emma.

Emma, in the thick of it.

Molly...

The difficult part of a seven year age span is that the little one sometimes gets left out. Its just a fact that older kids get to do more things like surf in the ocean. Here is a typical moment where Emma has been left behind and she wasn't willing to take it lying down. For those of you who don't believe someone so cute can throw a tantrum twice her size, here it is on "film".

While Emma is flinging her mud let's take a look at everyone else. Girls were surfing, Dad's were boogie boarding, and they all took turns in the boat, even Emma.

And she's up! Molly on the board with a little help from

Amanda.

Nice job!

Chicks, just sayin'

Max, one of my favorite 16 year old boys. He pulled all

the girls around in the boat and never complained. He

just has this quiet disposition that makes you want to

sit down next to him and just be.

Max woking hard as the protector...

Still working hard.

10 footers... Sort of.

I thought that was a bird in the middle of this shot...

However, when I look closer, I see it is some sort of a

fin. Maybe a stingray? Probably a shark LOL just kidding.

Yay! Emma is happy again!

Favorite Shot.

I never would have seen Mr. Crabby with out Mary's keen

eyes for crab seeing.

I really like the sand there because it's so soft. Here I am

enjoying the beach. A bit burned, but warm and happy.