Our trip to Solomon’s Castle was a success! Great eye and photo candy here. Plus tons of hilarious puns on the guided tour. Well they’re hilarious if you think puns are hilarious. That’s your call. Here is some photo goodness.

Here is Drew and my collective effort to take some photos at Siesta Key. The white sand beaches and blue green water were gorgeous, but Ida was whipping the wind and sand around pretty violently so we grabbed a few photos and stashed the camera right quick! Drew was fond of the one footed Seagull and took the two photos on the right. Notice the poor guy is missing his left foot!

During our travels in Florida we saw a lot of motorcyclists enjoying the warm weather and sunny skies. I’ve never ridden a motorcycle myself, but I have a handful of relatives with some beautiful Harley Davidsons and a penchant for the open road. In the parking lot of Solomon’s Castle I was admiring a lovely specimen of a bike when I saw a bell strapped between the fork (at least that’s what us non-motorized cyclists call it). It was small, delicate and spattered with a bit of rust. I couldn’t imagine why someone who sported a black and chrome behemoth bike, smacking of masculinity and devil-may-care attitude would attach something so wistful to the hulking vehicle.

So of course I googled it.

Before I’d finished typing “bell on m..”, google auto suggested the word motorcycle and took me to this page, where I read the following:

“It has been a tradition among some of us for a long time to attach a brass bell to our left swing arm, to remember our brothers and sisters who have gone down riding.

And maybe, just maybe, the next time a situation comes up; they will be there to help us…as long as we remember them by polishing the bell.”

I suppose the lesson I take with this little bell today is that maybe, just maybe, I should think before making judgment. Despite knowing many a motorcycle aficionado (my mother used to run with some Hells Angels type in her younger days) it’s hard to imagine these rugged, long haired, “others” may really be family-men, sons, mothers, doctors, or who knows what. They’re just like me and you, people who have loved and lost, looking for a little Angelic guidance along the way.

Drew and I are out in Florida for a week and it is splendid! We’re staying with Drew’s grandparents in Sarastoa and we’ve had a lovely few days relaxing, swimming, reading and eating great meals. Yesterday I finished my Scuba certification and today we’re going to visit Solomon’s Castle where Drew is getting a photo lesson. Tomorrow I’ll try to post some of his photos!

For you ladies still shopping I have good news. Anna Be’ Bridal is celebrating their 3 year anniversary as well as the grand opening of their AMAZING new shop. It’s gorgeous! Plus they’re giving away a $3,000.00 dress credit to one lucky lady! Head on over and have a look at their blog!

I love tagging along with families during their daily activities and turning them into photo shoots. It presents a lot of challenges, but it’s a great opportunity to capture real moments and kids being themselves. It’s also fun, because I get to go places like Denver Botanic Gardens or the zoo. A couple weeks ago I took my first trip to the Denver Aquarium. What a coooool place! It’s called an “Underwater Adventure” and there’s everything from a swamp with ducks and a flash flood to a jungle with a tiger surrounded by a piranha filled moat! Here are a few of my favorite pics of the day. More to come!

Kebi was referred to me when she bought her dress at Anna Be’ Bridal Boutique in Denver’s Highlands neighborhood and I couldn’t be more thrilled. She and Ian are the kind of people who just felt like friends when I met them. Maybe its because Ian and I unknowingly grew up in adjacent Pennsylvania towns, but it’s probably more that they’re just rad people. And I like rad people.

At our first meeting Kebi said to me that for her and Ian “the big decisions always came easy”. It wasn’t hard for the two of them, after meeting on the West Coast, to choose Denver Colorado as the place they would move and start their lives together. And it wasn’t hard to decide to get married, because they agree on the important things in life. So last weekend, many states later (Kebi is from Iowa and met Ian in Oregon, I’m from Pennsylvania, here via Boston) we met in Boulder for their awesome engagement session.

Guys, I can’t wait for your wedding in February! It’s going to be fabulous.

Here are a few images I found so far that I love:

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