One Stop Shopping

As frequent visitors to My Viewfinder 2 already know, I am always on the lookout for a good sign. Anything funny, quirky, odd, or unusual - I want a picture of it. I like old signs, and ones with mis-spellings are a particular treasure. And so I introduce my newest acquisition, the Drug & Gun billboard.

Drug & Gun Billboard, Cherokee County, NC  -  2014

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Is this a slice of life from one of America's inner cities? No, this beauty resides on U.S. 64 West, just a few miles outside Murphy, NC. The combination of the words "Drug & Gun" is an attention getter for sure, along with the bright yellow print, and a photo of a new Ruger SR1911 pistol. Who would have thought of combining a gun store with a pharmacy? I guess in northern Georgia where this store resides, being able to get your prescription and a box of .45 ACP in the same location meets a local need. The store owners are obviously hoping that their neighbors in nearby North Carolina will also see the wisdom in this one stop shopping opportunity!

The Modern Hiker

As with every other activity in today's world, hiking has become high-tech. Yesterday I went hiking with my friend, Shannon Blaylock, who has a GPS made for hikers. In the palm of his hand, he had an unbelievable wealth of information.

I've always been a map and compass man, but I have to admit that my friend's GPS gave us some interesting info. It had a topo map of the area we were hiking in (Shining Rock Wilderness Area), and all the hiking trails. We were scouting potential camping sites for future trips, and never got very far off the established trails, so getting lost was never a real danger. Still, knowing how far we had hiked (a little over 7 miles), our elevation at various points, and being able to bookmark spots that looked like good camp sites was helpful.

Where Are We?, Shinning Rock Wilderness Area, NC  -  2014

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In the photo above, Shannon is checking his GPS where Shining Creek meets the East Fork of the Pigeon River. There's a hole that looked to be about 5-6 feet deep here that would be a good spot for a summertime swim. With temps in the upper 30s, however, we passed on the swimming.

I don't know if I'm ready to go high tech and invest in a GPS yet, but it was intriguing to see some of what one can do. I've got a Silva Ranger compass that I bought when I was 18, and it has gotten me back to the truck for many years without having to worry if the batteries would run out. So, I think I may remain low tech for the present time.

Hope

Crocus, Buncombe County, NC  -  2014

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It's been a typical March in the southern Appalachian mountains so far: some days feel like spring, and others feel like we're still in the full grip of winter. On the warmer days spring fever starts to take hold, and then suddenly, a blast of winter returns. It can be very confusing sometimes. However, the crocus blooms have popped up, and that's a sure sign that spring is indeed on the way. Don't look at the thermometer, look at the crocus. There's hope in those little flowers.

I'm Drawing A Blank

Interesting, Asheville, NC  -  2014

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I should really invest in a little notebook to take with me when I'm out with my camera. Sometimes I see something that catches my eye and makes me want to photograph it, and then I move on without finding out what it was. Such is the case here. I have no idea what this is, so I have no idea what to call it, except interesting.

More From The Streets

Enjoying His Music, Asheville, NC  -  2014

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I Never Learned To Play

Washboard Player, Asheville, NC  -  2014

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One regret I have is that I never learned to play a musical instrument when I was younger. Yeah, I know, it's never too late to learn something new, but it's more of a time thing now. I saw this young woman playing a washboard as part of a quartet in Asheville last week, and I thought, "That's one instrument I think I could become competent on comparatively quickly." The only drawback is that if I got really good, at some point I'd want the band to let me cut loose with a solo. Can you solo on a washboard? Probably not.

Action Photography In Church

I've posted before about how any kind of action photography is a hit or miss proposition. What may look smooth and natural when viewed at regular speed can look awkward, or even funny, when viewed as a fraction of a second excerpt. While my pastor is not overly animated when he preaches, he does move around a bit, and photographing anyone when they are speaking requires scores of exposures to get something natural looking.

Pastor Alan Davis, Waynesville, NC  -  2014

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Last Sunday I made over 80 exposures to get this one that I really like. This is when a digital camera begins to pay for itself. This would have been prohibitively expensive for a hobbyist like me if I was using a film camera.

I shot this from the back of the church in the little room where the audio people work. No one can see or hear me shooting from there, so I'm not a distraction. Of course, that means shooting with my zoom lens racked out all the way, and ISO set at 3200. That's usually not a formula for the sharpest results, although this one came out OK.