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Stoke Stomp 2011

Posted in Photography with tags , on September 12, 2011 by Paul Tombleson

Reflecting back on the Parade

One of the few events I try to attend each year is the Stokes Stomp on the banks of the Dan River. The weather is warm and clear but not hot so the candy that is thrown from the floats doesn’t turn into mush if left on the ground.

Fist full of candy

The spoils

As it is the 9/11 weekend there are lots of Fire trucks in the parade and they continually sound off presenting a cacophony of sound all along the two-mile route to Moritock Park.

The highlight of the day for me however, is the entertainment preformed on the main stage by the ‘Intellectually Disabled’ group. WOW what entertainers and WOW what talent. The professionals that came on later could learn from this group of amateurs.

They brought a level of enthusiasm that is infectious and engaging. And also having an Elvis impersonator in the group complete with an assistant to wipe the sweat off “the King” was brilliant. Once Elvis left the building he was replaced by the “Blues Brothers” that continued to rock the stage and draw the crowd to sing along and dance. This group of talented folks brought the “stomp” to Stokes County.

The performance is closed out with a rousing flag waving song to honor the 9/11 tenth anniversary. What was also striking here was all veterans and first responders were invited down to the front of the stage area to be honored and the crowd spontaneously lined up to shake the hands of these local hero’s… say what you like about country folk but they have a sense of community in perspective… God bless em.

Click on any image to make them bigger

Its just Rock and Roll

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Winds of Change

Posted in Photography with tags , on May 13, 2011 by Paul Tombleson

I had set my self up to get in some shooting both in the water and out, but now all that seems dashed. The weather has turned nasty with very strong winds and rain pounding the island relentlessly. The good part is I get the third part of the tropical rhythm section to play regularly… that being the rain on the tin roof and yes it is wonderful but not all day and night however!

Harbor Lights

There are a few respites in the weather and it is during one of these Trevor and I go down to the harbor area for a late afternoon shoot. Trev has the new Nikon D7000 with a Tamron 18-270 lens. A great combination and I can see what all the hoopla is about with this camera. It has a few nice features including the HD video, duel SD cards, U1 and U2 programmable switchable mode and excellent low light capability for the price. What little I got to play with it I really liked… lucky bugger Trev!

With this short window of opportunity we make the most of this windy but sometimes-sunny end of day before heading to Ravis Indian restaurant for dinner. So for 40 minutes we are in bliss exploring the boats and dockside while watching the sun play hide and go seek with the clouds and our potential shots. But this just adds to the fun and while we are off in our own directions we end up taking many similar shots.

High and Dry

The weather continues like this for the rest of my stay so these are the only images I have of the final week. Not to worry, I’m here to catch up with family and that I did.

Neighbor Saying Goodbye

One highlight worth a mention is my appearance on the “Whatever Treva” radio show as a special quest. It was fun to be on the radio again (as many of you know I was a minor radio personality in the San Francisco Bay area back in the mid 1980’s) and the banter and laughs with big brother Trevor was a highlight indeed.

So now it is off to the airport and the intolerable wait to get through security. I don’t wish to criticize the extra precautions taken with all the heightened tensions after the successful Navy Seal team 6 mission… I think I will leave it there as I love Rarotonga… but to say I was disappointed with the process is an understatement.

28 hours later I’m back in North Carolina where when I left the trees were bare… now they are green and the cries of hungry baby birds in their nests fill my back yard. Summer is just days away.

The Fleet is in... Hide the Women and Children!

I trust you enjoyed your free trip down under albeit through my lens? Until next time, thanks for coming along.

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Mystery Visitor

Posted in Photography with tags , , on May 12, 2011 by Paul Tombleson

Another Sunset, Rarotonga

I often hear from non-natives on the Cook Islands that the locals here are… well let’s say, pretty laid back. And while I don’t pretend to subscribe to this train of thought, I do know that lying in bed listening to the surf on the reef and the sizzle of water on the sandy shore I also feel pretty laid back. The scent of Jasmine and Frangipani (Plumeria) that wafts through the window on the occasional gust of air doesn’t stimulate me to action either. No, the most action I see this day from my balcony is a local fisherman launching his throw net into a breezy sunset. Maybe these folks are on to something?

Throw net Fisherman at Sunset

The days are taken up with visiting family and having the occasional lunch with my dad. These are simple affairs and are followed by the usual “cup of tea” which I dutifully make for my “old man”.

It’s Thursday and the buzz on the island is the big Royal Wedding. It comes on TV live at midnight. However at 11.30pm I find its time for bed. They will have to get married without me I decide. Judging by the repeat TV coverage the next day they didn’t need my blessings or me watching to successfully “jump the broom”.

I do awake however about 2am Friday morning and are inexplicably drawn to the balcony… the fog of sleep makes me slow to register that a light is coming straight at me from the Northern horizon. Funny, I think airplanes usually head east or west to land depending on the wind. This light is getting brighter and keeps coming straight ahead. This is no plane I decide as it radiates silently overhead and out of my scrutiny. What was it? I’m not sure but it was real, bright and a little unnerving, as I stand alone in the dark.

Lone Fisherman at Sunset

The next day I pick up the local paper and the headline reads “Mystery Visitor” Local fishermen report seeing a bright light and describe it as “Awesome and Scary”… “It was like a big ball of fire with sparks coming from the tail”. A meteorite, space junk burning up, UFO who knows? Again I don’t know what it was, but another quote from the newspaper sticks with me… “I will show wonders in the heavens…” Joel chapter 2 verse 3… hmmm, my kind of light show.

Shy Coconut Grab at Sunset

The days blend into each other with each  sunset as unique as snowflakes.

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End of the Rainbow

Posted in Photography with tags , on May 11, 2011 by Paul Tombleson

The Neighbors

Flying out of Auckland to Rarotonga I had the window seat on a full flight. Beside me is my brother Trevor or as he is known locally “Whatever Treva” from his popular radio show of mostly classic 60’s-70’s music on Sunday afternoons’.

The flight goes quickly as Treva catches me up on events from the Earthquake damage in Christchurch to family events and goings on. But the real treat was the 2 lbs of spiced fried curd he brought along to supplement our Hindu ordered meals. Needless to say the curd won!

Treva reveals in detail that on his resent trip to Christchurch, which he describes the damage as worst that anyone can imagine… he was in the bathroom at his daughter’s house when an aftershock struck shaking him to his core. “That’s some movement you had their Trev”, I say!

Locals enjoying the Cool Sea Breeze

Landing in Rarotonga the heat and humidity hit you as you disembark onto the tarmac for the brief walk into the new customs and immigration hall. At this point let me say it is never a dull moment with Treva and going through customs is no exception. The good news is the extra slabs of curd Treva brought with him made it through without a hitch… without going into further details as my blog doesn’t have enough room for the rest of his story, needless to say it is an adventure and was the hot topic of conversation in my family for days. “The best laid plans of mice and men,” brother.

Its great to catch up with my sister and her family and of course with my dad who turns 87 in July and I note has slowed just slightly since last I saw him. For one to be as sprightly as he is even at 70 would be a blessing for sure! Although, I note he is a little more forthright now with his opinions than I remember… Go dad, you earned it!

End of the Rainbow... Rarotonga

I’m staying at a private bungalow owned by a friend of Trev’s a couple of hundred yards down the coast from his place and right on the shore line. The sound of crashing surf on the reef is pleasantly thunderous and supplemented by the syncopated lapping of waves on the coral beach below my balcony. All I need now is a rainstorm to fall on the bungalows tin roof  to round out a tropical rhythm section.

I awake to a rainbow as I open the sliding balcony doors on my first morning here.  An unexpected breakfast to feed my soul and make me ponder…

Saying Good Bye

Posted in Photography with tags on May 5, 2011 by Paul Tombleson

Tourist's in Paradise

The worst part about travel is saying goodbye to the places and people who have touched your life… The “Land of the Long White Cloud” and her people are no exception. While Kiwis may talk funny to some they talk a universal language of fun, adventure, and good spirits all rolled into one. A special place is New Zealand in a special part of the world. While it’s only been a week it really feels longer in the sense of everything we did. My blog covers only a fraction of our activities mostly due to time and not being a wordsmith.

While New Zealand has progressed and changed in many ways since I left 1974 the echoes of a time past remain true and clear and therefore the mood and feel of this place remain the same. A place with a little something for everyone, a place you can be yourself, a place I can see why many say is home…

It’s a slow drive from the Whangaparaoa Peninsula via Mission bay for lunch to the airport. Crossing the Harbor Bridge I get one last look at the City of Sails as Auckland is referred to sitting gracefully on the Waitamata Harbor.

We met up with my brother at the airport who will be travelling to Rarotonga with me. While it is hard to say farewell to New Zealand it is even harder to say adieu to my fellow traveler Janette who flies back to Sydney. Thank you Janette for putting up with me and my excited pace. You were the special secret ingredient that made New Zealand a true feast for the eyes, ears, soul and my heart…

New Zealand the Flower of our Heart's

Miss ya Kiwi land, you are the flower of my journey down under… well so far anyhow, look out Rarotonga here I come!

p.s I have been asked about the music we listened too on our journey through New Zealand it is “Chillout station (Part 5)-WEB”  It was great driving music and will always be NZ to me… It may not work for you

Chillout Station 5

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