BINGO Culture

Throughout my travels, I've come across several churches, halls, meeting areas and old buildings with a  sign outside that announces the night and time of Bingo each week.  I've always wanted to stop in and take a peek and I finally did in central Maine at a hall I've driven by a few times.

I am hooked.  I didn't play but sat and observed the people.  This is serious business.  Bingo has a culture all its own and there are unspoken rules and a silent etiquette to follow.  The moment I stepped foot in the hall, it was obvious that I was new to the scene.  I didn't have anything but a camera which was a big hint.  Most players have bags with markers, trinkets, cards, good luck charms, playing cards, photographs, candy and the like.

One thing about the players is that they come early and they come prepared.  One woman I spoke to said that you need to come ready to play so you can set up your personal space and have enough room for your cards.  Several players would have up to twenty cards laid out at a time to play in the same game.

For me, that sounds like a lot of thinking.

I would be happy with just one card to be responsible for.  The more cards I have, the more likely I would miss checking off a number and miss my chance to raise my hand for the jackpot.

I am not one to take pictures of people who don't want their photograph taken.  Everyone in the hall knew I had a camera and that I was taking photographs. Only one person told me they didn't want to be photographed and I respected that.  They were all very welcoming to me answering all sorts of questions on the game and detailing their method of play.  Even though they were friendly to me, I knew that their mind was focused on the game at hand.

I plan on visiting more bingo halls on my travels to dig deeper into this culture. I look forward to capturing images of the different personalities across each state in this game.  Perhaps maybe someday I will sit down to play one card.

"Dogs Dogs Dogs" Juried Photography Exhibit At 1650 Gallery To Benefit Dogs Without Borders

As you know, I am a big animal lover and I especially love dogs.  I can't imagine my life without one.

I am thrilled to find out that my photograph, "Bella" and "Dog Beach"were selected to participate in the juried photography exhibit at the 1650 Gallery.  Their "Dogs Dogs Dogs" show will be held at their gallery in Los Angeles on October 23rd from 7pm to 11pm.  All proceeds will go to the non profit group, Dogs without Borders.

Dogs without Borders is a 501(c) non-profit dog rescue that is dedicated to saving homeless & abandoned dogs from high-kill shelters in the Los Angeles area and to find them permanent and loving homes.

Because of organizations like Dogs Without Borders, I was able to find my dog, Max.

I went to my local farmers market in Long Beach, California over a year ago in June and there he was looking at me from a cage with other rescue animals.  It was a lot like this picture of him with a stick. He was saved on his last day at a shelter from the amazing group, Hearts for Hounds.  I scooped him up and about a week later, we were on the road.

In addition to "Bella," two other photographs were chosen to participate in their online Annex gallery; "Stick Max" and "Dixie."

I am excited to be next to some amazing work.  I am especially excited to find out that my friend, Sarah Ause is also in the show.  She is the official photographer for the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.  I have always loved her work and made the trip to meet her when I was on the road last year.  The post of meeting here can be viewed HERE.

If you are in the Los Angeles area and love dogs, this show is one not to miss for a good cause!

Taking Max, "Trailie" and "Rusty" Out For A Spin On The Province Lands Trail

I bought Max a trailer for my cruiser long ago in anticipation of using it on this trip.  I had one nice day in PTown so I thought it would be the perfect time to take it out for a spin.  I wasn't sure how Max would like it but he did great!  He just sat in the trailer and let the breeze hit is face through the screen window.

 I rode on the bike path in Provincetown near the beaches.  I took the trail starting at Herring Cove and rode to the visitors center and then to Race point.

Having just one gear on the cruiser proved to be a bit tricky at times going up the hills.  I would stand up as much as I could and pedal but some of the time I would have to jump off and walk the bike up the hill.  I didn't care, it was a beautiful day!

We had a great time on the bike ride.  Once we arrived at Race Point, Max and I took a stroll on the beach and we relaxed for a while before heading back.  Cape Cod has some of the most beautiful bicycle trails.  If you take a trip to the area, be sure to bring your bike and head out on the Province Lands Trail.

I think Max is happy with his new trailer.  Much more comfortable than the bike basket he was in last year - Shown Below.

Provincetown, MA

I love Provincetown.  I fell in love with the area when I was lucky enough to spend the month of September here last year.  I briefly visited the town in the summer but I think the fall is the best time of year to be here.  The crowds are thinner, the air is crisp and the town is just the same as it always is...diverse and quaint.

Each part of Cape Cod has its own personality and I am drawn to ptown each year.  I love the rows of cottages as you approach the town and if you decide to drive through commercial street at 1 mile an hour, you will get a glimpse of what the town is about.

Once you are out of the car and mingling with the surroundings, you will get a sense of what I am drawn to.  You can stroll the street a mile and see some amazing works of art from locals and semi-locals.  You won't see a Starbucks or any other chain coffee or fast food restaurant which is a breath of fresh air.  Everyone in town is free to be who they are, when they feel like it.  It's not uncommon to see people expressing their love openly or seeing someone strolling down the street in leather pants with nothing else on in 50 degree weather.

My favorite place to eat for breakfast is at the Far land market.  I stop there at least once every other day to pick out some goodies and if you want an amazing breakfast at a low price, you better get there before 11:30a.m!

All of the beaches are beautiful and I have always been drawn to Race Point.  In fact, I took a photograph of the ranger station each day during my stay last year in September.  It never gets old.

I've always said that this is the perfect place to live if you are able to survive the winters.  Here is a small collection of some of the photographs I took while in Ptown with my camera phone.

America From My iPhone Camera - Featured on iphone Photography Website

It's hard to believe that I've taken over three thousand photographs on my iphone in the past few months.  Well, for me it's easy to believe since I tend to take pictures of everything I see that I find interesting.  I put together a short video of some of my favorite photographs taken with my iphone using my favorite hipstamatic app.  All of these photographs were uploaded as taken from my cell phone.

Thank you for watching and I hope you enjoy.




Very exciting news that the iphone photography website featured my video on their blog!  To see it listed, click HERE or go to www.iphonephotography.com

A Drive Along The Coast Of Maine

Did I mention that I love this state?  It was my last few days in town and I decided to make a trip up the coast.  Highway One is a beautiful drive and you can make it even more interesting if you veer off course and drive off on the smaller roads that take you to several of the little towns and tourist destinations in the state.  It's what I did when I came across Andy and his yard ship so you'll never know what you will find.

This drive took me to Boothbay harbor to walk around the area and be a tourist for a while.  I walked into a gallery and spoke with one of the artists in the gallery, John Vander.  He agreed for me to take his photograph while he told me about his current exhibit, "tourist season."  For more on this exhibit, click HERE.

After the brief stop, I continued back to the main highway and traveled North through Camden and saw many other quaint towns while observing clammers and fishermen until I hit the main destination, Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park.  It was one of the foggiest days I've ever seen so it wasn't the best day to visit if you wanted a clear view of the park.  It didn't matter to me, the park is beautiful.  Bar Harbor is another tourist destination and after traveling to Boothbay, I grew tired of the shops selling everything you can think of with the city name in the item.

I drove up the Northern California coast, Oregon Coast up until mid Washington.  This drive didn't disappoint.  The only advice I would give is to take your time.  Don't make it a day trip like I did.  Enjoy it and take at least a few days wandering around and seeing the sights in all their glory.

Portland Maine Mail Boat Ride And Tour

The last time I took a trip on a mail boat was years ago in Grenada.  I read an article about traveling this way and took the boat from Grenada to the islands of the Grenadines and up to St. Vincent.  The boats were old sailboats with duct tape holding the mast together and the rides weren't exactly the safest in the world.  When I heard that there was a mail boat in Portland, Maine I had to take a tour.

Instantly, it wasn't exactly like the trip I had before.  The boat was more of a ship and since it was a sunny day, it was packed with people.  Most of the people on board were tourists with a scattering of workers getting on from an island to go back home.

I love being on a boat.  At the beginning, I was excited to board and feel it move across the bay.  By the looks of it, it seemed many people were prepared for taking a three hour tour with snacks and drinks.  The captain and our tour guide was a woman which I found interesting.  What a fun job to drive a boat to different islands in Maine and being far enough away from tourists that you didn't have to talk to them.

It was the warmest and most beautiful day in Maine by far.  It felt like a hot summer day right in September.  It was a delight.  Throughout the stops, the boat delivered a trailer, mail packages, picked people up and dropped people off for three hours.

After the tour, I took a walk around downtown Portland.  This little city is a favorite by far.  It's so quaint with old brick roads, cute shops and interesting people scattered about.  If you've never been to Maine, I would recommend a visit.  I can almost guarantee that you will fall in love with the area.  I know I have.