The camping weekend provided a great opportunity for me to mess around with the 10 zillion camera settings the Canon SX20 is capable of.

I still don’t like the look of the camera flash 95% of the time, but sometimes it’s necessary. Otherwise my photos are too dark and blurry, and I have to put so much work into editing them.

I suppose the goal is to become a decent enough photographer that I won’t have to do any editing after I take the photo. That would be wonderful!

It’s a slow progression. I’m overly critical, but at least when I look at photos I took a couple of years ago, I can tell there’s some improvement.

Progress, not perfection, as the old familiar saying goes.

The following photos were all taken by the Boy the second day that we camped, in the morning before I woke up:

Speaking of slow progression, I’m happy to say I’m finally achieving the goals I set for myself back on August 1st, which were…
1. More movement!
2. Less sugar!
3. Find a job!
4. Trim down Internet consumption

They kind of all go together. More movement = less desire to eat garbage = less time on the computer = more desire to be social = increased interest in going back to my “real” job = submitting a job application (finally).

Ironically, my lack of interest in the Internet happened at the exact time I kicked off “Glitter for All”, which happened right after this camping trip.

Spending time in nature made me truly happy, and in comparison, spending hours on the Internet makes me…kind of tense.

It’s all about finding a balance.

Our current project of re-arranging the house is helping my state of mind. Now the computer is tucked away in the Creativity Room, instead of placed prominently on the kitchen table. Last night we ate dinner at the kitchen table like grown-ups. No movies on. No books, no magazines, no distractions. Just us and some stir fry.

It was really nice.

Yesterday morning Corinne called me in a panic–she had gotten off on the wrong bus stop and was freaked out that she would be late for her first day of school.

I would have checked bus routes for her online, but my power suddenly went out, due to the stormy weather. We had a good laugh over the absurdity of the situation.

By the time the power came back on, Corinne had found the bus stop she was looking for.

I’m looking forward to hearing about her first week of school.

Mmmm…I can almost smell the pine, looking at these photos.

Our little tent, viewed from above.

Stay tuned for the final installment of the September camping photos: The Mystery of the Giant Fish!