A woman deep in thought while doing laundry in Porto, Portugal. I stare at this image while my own load of laundry finishes whirring in the machine, ready to hang up and dry.
Laundry day… same but different.

Saturday, August 18, 2018: Caldas de Reiss to Cruces Inn, Escravitude, Spain|26 K
We bid farewell to the Lotus Palace (Does the name sound like it should be located in Asia?) at 5:25 a.m. hoping to put in a longer day thus reducing the distance tomorrow as we enter Santiago de Compostela. The past few days have been alongside the freeway N-550 so it is assuring to know we are not lost if we occasionally hear the busy traffic.
It’s always fun to visit with young people as we walk and Randy enjoys learning and sharing special handshakes, such as “The Squid,” with some of the young men we meet. Laughter is also shared along with the handshake.
We cross the bridge and enter the city of Padron which is the legendary starting point of St. James’ ministry in Spain and also the subsequent return of his mortal remains following his martyrdom in Jerusalem. We spend some time exploring the church and find it well worth the stop.
Challenge of the day is finding our destination of Cruces Inn (a new albergue) located past Padron and Escravitude, but asking directions and the prominent signs posted here and there lead us right to the door.
We locate the friendly owner in his office, check in to our lower bunks and explore the grounds. Cute, clean albergue rooms with storage units, bathroom/showers in two locations and a storage shed used for pilgrim overflow. Apparently, no kitchen so delicious food is ordered and delivered from town, while beer and wine is always on hand. Highly recommend Albergue Cruces Inn. Plus, we are promised coffee and breakfast in the morning ~ double hooray!!
These days of hiking have flown by… Santiago tomorrow!!
The class of 2018 is cruising down the home stretch and ready to complete their final lap. Be proud of your glory days as they represent a time in your life that can never be repeated. You are probably in peak physical condition due to the rigors of training along with youthful resilience, and have shared bonding experiences with teammates you have probably known and played alongside since elementary school. When this time comes to an end you may feel an unusual combination of accomplishment and sadness.
Are we really saying farewell to the glory days? You couldn’t forget these experiences and memories if you tried. Rather, it’s a time to say to yourself, Wow, wasn’t that incredible?
To quote football coach, Lou Holtz: The answer to three questions will determine your success or failure:
1 – Can people trust me to do my best?
2 – Am I committed to the task in hand?
3 – Do I care about other people and show it?
If the answers to all three questions are yes, there is no way you can fail.
So, be thankful for the experiences, apply the lessons learned and make sure to find a way to make the future even better than the past.
It takes a little bit of crazy to ride those bulls!
Image captured during the 2017 Gary Rodeo located on the west edge of Gary, South Dakota.
Can’t back up enough to catch the entire image? Photomerge is your friend.
Line up the left side – click – hold level and move right with at least 25 per cent overlap – click.
In Photoshop CC 2017: file – automate – photomerge – browse and select your images – check blend images together – I also checked perspective and content aware fill transparent areas – click O.K.
This gave me the background images. I then used select – select and mask to bring in the foreground subject.
Finished it off with Topaz edits and some lightning using Photoshop brushes I found free (Brusheezy!?).
BOOM!! GO LANCERS!
Short video of our hiking adventures along the north shore of Lake Superior.
Yep…Randy experienced yoga along the beautiful shores of Lake Superior, kind of sort of.
Available light photography is a perfect way to capture many portraits, but sunset is not a time to utilize this option. Without flash you either have a silhouette or muddy skin tones along with a blown out sky. Solution? Add a flash to bring out the details. On this portrait I used a Canon speed light 580ex2 flash off camera, a cybersyc flash trigger along with a Canon 580 ex2 with a Gary Fong diffuser on camera for a little fill.
ISO 100/ F8 aperture at 1/250th shutter to maintain detail and color in the sky.
Nostalgia was the theme of the day for me on August 15, 2017. For 26 years I drove this route from early August until the end of May as I prepared and taught a new group of students each year at Grant-Deuel School located in Revillo, South Dakota.
Cheer, cheer for GDHS!
Wake up the echoes cheering their best,
Send the loyal cheers on high,
Shake down the thunder from the sky,
What though the odds be great or small,
The blue and white will win over all,
While our loyal sons are marching forward to victory, Fight!
Blessed be the memory…
Together is a beautiful place to be.