SSI Day 2

Today I lazed around a bit in the morning and then did P90x and ate some lunch. By that time, unfortunately, bad storms came in and it continued to rain on and off for most of the afternoon. I was disappointed that I couldn't ride my bike more so I went to the mini gym they have here... and found out that 90% of the equipment doesn't work. Cool. haha. So I did the elliptical for awhile and listened to my book on tape and left.

I made a yummy little pizza for dinner and headed out with my camera in my car. I wanted to bike, but it was getting dark and I couldn't tell if it was going to rain or not so I drove to be safe.

I drove to East Beach at the Coast Guard station, probably the most popular area to go on the beach. I thought I was going to take pictures by the water, but as I drove over the marsh and the bridge I used to go crabbing on with my gramps and saw the beautiful, stormy sky, I decided to walk over there instead.









as I was on the bridge taking pictures a man and his daughter came up. we chatted a little bit and it turns out that they were from San Fransisco (actually now I can't remember but it was San something), and he had grown up coming here every summer and his grandmother also owned a condo in the same place my gran owns one, which is pretty coincidental. we shared an understanding of how special the island is and how it's more home to us and our family than our actual homes are.

his daughter was adorable. I asked if I could take her picture. I showed her the picture and said "aw look, you look so pretty!". Then for some reason she told me she wanted me to "show your mama the picture". It was so odd.. she was old enough to know what she was saying and when I asked "my mama?" she repeated it and said yes. I just told her I would. I can't help thinking it was one of those moments where something's going on that adults don't quite understand or perceive but kids do or something. Idk. But it stuck in my mind. Why would she want me to show my mama the picture of her? I actually hadn't even mentioned my mom in that conversation. I don't know what to think. It feels like one of those moments though.



Then I drove home and biked to the pier to catch what was left of sunset. The sky was very stormy and the clouds were really strange and interesting. I wish I had my camera with me, but I didn't bring it since I was afraid it would rain. I saw some people playing music on the side of the pier but didn't pay attention. On my way back out, I decided last minute to stay and listen.

It's unusual for people to play music at the pier, at least in my experience. Very occasionally there will be someone playing a harmonica or something, but it's brief and they didn't come to the pier for that purpose.

This was a bunch of guys and maybe a couple girls-- it was hard to tell who was a part of it and who was sitting close and singing along-- singing and playing instruments.

It was absolutely beautiful. There was a decent crowd gathering and the sky was foreboding and it was so spirited and done with so much joy and passion and the people around me sang quietly in some parts. I didn't recognize the songs but they were beautiful. I looked up a couple lyrics and found out it was Christian praise music. I'm not super religious, but I appreciate the religion I grew up in and I believe in a god or some sort of something. I've also seen over and over how beautiful faith can be in people. So I feel spiritual often times. I know a lot of the photographer community does not believe in a religion and finds it uncomfortable, so I worry that my audience won't be able to relate... but sometimes there is nothing more beautiful than people joining together to make music with the purest love of it vibrating around them, with kindness and openness washing over everyone. I wanted to cry it was so beautiful. It felt so magic tonight.



I wished they had a cd or something that I could buy, or that I knew if they were an actual band or if they were just playing. I want to hear them again. I hope they play again.

I felt my mom all around this evening.