.jpg){kind=small}
Camera Clubs and Driving
About one month ago I met an elderly man as I was taking photographs of wild swans and eagles at a nearby waterfowl sanctuary. He had his own camera, and so of course we got go talking about photography. He mentioned casually that there is a photography club that meets twice a month on mondays, in the town of Comox (the town next to one where I live). I'd been hoping to find a club, and just about given up! I missed the last meeting because of work, but tonight I plan to go for the first time.
I'm excited. I hope to learn more about this artform that I've fallen head over heels in love with. But ... there are a few difficulties....
The most pressing problem, and the one that is leading to other problems, is the fact that I don't have a car. Well actually I don't even have a liscense. So I must take the bus into Comox. That isn't a problem - my concern is whether the bus takes me anywhere near the church where the photography club meets. I plan to get off the bus at the Comox mall, with enough time to spare that I can bumble through the town until I, hopefully, bump into the church. It's a style I've employed all my life in trying to find my way around, so I'm quite practiced at it.
I had been hoping our beautiful unseasonably sunny weather would last. I'd planned to take my camera along and get some great shots of the marina as I wandered through the town, but wouldn't you know it, it's rainy and cold. Still, I might bring my camera along. Rainy day photographs look nice too. On the other hand, I might leave the camera at home since I really don't know how this day will play out. Which brings me to another problem resulting from not having a car....
I just checked the bus schedule, and there will be no busses after seven pm, which is when the meeting begins, so there isn't even the option of leaving the meeting a little early to catch a late bus. Once I get to Comox, I will be a little bit stranded. I'm hoping there will be someone at the meeting who lives near me and can give me a ride. If not, I will have to walk home in the dark (and possibly rain). It would take me several hours. I will come prepared. I will bring comfortable shoes. I don't know what sort of areas I might have to walk through, but in case there are vast, unlit farmlands, I should have a flashlight. I will have to buy one today before the meeting. Just typing out this paragraph has decided me to leave my camera at home this time. I will get my marina photographs on some sunny afternoon when I can take a return bus back home again.
...then again, imagine if I happen to see an owl or something in the dark? My camera has a night vision option....
I'm used to walking everywhere. If I end up doing that tonight it won't be very awful, as long as it's not pouring rain. I think I will bring a little snack to eat along the way ... speaking of food, I just thought of a little restaurant there in Comox, where a person can have a very good meal for as little as ten dollars. (if my memory serves me right). Maybe I will treat myself, I've never in my life eaten alone at a restaurant other than McDonalds, which hardly counts.
In writing this entry, I was reminded of my driving lessons this past summer. It was quite strange actually, taking lessons from x in the midst of our breakup. They were done during lulls between explosions. Incredibly, we were able to get along quite well during these lessons, even with all the tension. I'm quite impressed with myself actually. Here I'd never driven in my life, and now, at the age of 41, I got behind the wheel of a classic car belonging to the tempermental man I was in the process of leaving, with full knowledge that I would pay dearly in more ways than one, if I did any damage to his vehicle. I was able to drive on the highway among light traffic, and to drive down a steep, winding mountain road with a sheer drop off on one side. I was able to drive at night too.
My most thrilling accomplishment was the night I drove completely alone in the car, following x who was driving a truck he'd bought that afternoon. It was my first time driving without him in the car with me. I was nervous as hell. I had hoped he would get one of his new girlfriends to do the job with him, (in typical thoughtless fashion, he began the search for my replacement the second I convinced him I was serious about leaving). Unfortunately he wasn't able to get any of them to do the job, so I was recrouted, much to my trepidation.
We drove out to Comox together in the car, to pick up the truck, then I got in the car and followed him home. We'd timed it so that it would be after dark, with much less traffic. Still, there was some on the roads. At one point I was in the lead of a fairly long train. I didn't let that scare me into speeding up. I knew I must aim for a happy medium - not too fast, not too slow. I didn't want to have an accident, and I didn't want to draw attention from any police who might stop me and discover I didn't even have a liscence.
I kept up a running commentary to myself the whole time, reminding myself to put on my blinkers, and to slow before taking a turn, and to not ride the brakes, and to relax, and to squint my eyes ever so slightly during those times when I must drive between an oncoming car, and a pedestrian on the sidewalk. I discovered this as a way to avoid swerving to one side or the other. Much of the time, x was well ahead of me, which added to my nervousness, as I didn't want another car to ease in between us. I would step on the gas a little to catch up, then gradually fall behind again. I managed to keep my head during some scary moments. There was a steep, gradually curving hill where all the oncoming traffic beamed their headlights full into my face. It was a challenge to not try to swerve out of the brightness and end up in the ditch. Or worse, miscalculate the steady curve in the road, and turn right into the oncoming cars. I was relieved when that stretch was behind me.
The last leg of the journey had an area of four lane highway passing through a small village, that was nearly empty of cars at that hour. Here x eased into the lane beside me and slowed enough that we were driving side by side. I glanced over and gave a quick wave, thinking he was proudly wanting to watch me drive, but he didn't acknowledge me. I found out after that he'd been interested in looking at the car from behind, to gloat over how great it looked on the road blah blah blah. Anyway I was proud of myself, I didn't need him to be proud of me.
I'm excited. I hope to learn more about this artform that I've fallen head over heels in love with. But ... there are a few difficulties....
The most pressing problem, and the one that is leading to other problems, is the fact that I don't have a car. Well actually I don't even have a liscense. So I must take the bus into Comox. That isn't a problem - my concern is whether the bus takes me anywhere near the church where the photography club meets. I plan to get off the bus at the Comox mall, with enough time to spare that I can bumble through the town until I, hopefully, bump into the church. It's a style I've employed all my life in trying to find my way around, so I'm quite practiced at it.
I had been hoping our beautiful unseasonably sunny weather would last. I'd planned to take my camera along and get some great shots of the marina as I wandered through the town, but wouldn't you know it, it's rainy and cold. Still, I might bring my camera along. Rainy day photographs look nice too. On the other hand, I might leave the camera at home since I really don't know how this day will play out. Which brings me to another problem resulting from not having a car....
I just checked the bus schedule, and there will be no busses after seven pm, which is when the meeting begins, so there isn't even the option of leaving the meeting a little early to catch a late bus. Once I get to Comox, I will be a little bit stranded. I'm hoping there will be someone at the meeting who lives near me and can give me a ride. If not, I will have to walk home in the dark (and possibly rain). It would take me several hours. I will come prepared. I will bring comfortable shoes. I don't know what sort of areas I might have to walk through, but in case there are vast, unlit farmlands, I should have a flashlight. I will have to buy one today before the meeting. Just typing out this paragraph has decided me to leave my camera at home this time. I will get my marina photographs on some sunny afternoon when I can take a return bus back home again.
...then again, imagine if I happen to see an owl or something in the dark? My camera has a night vision option....
I'm used to walking everywhere. If I end up doing that tonight it won't be very awful, as long as it's not pouring rain. I think I will bring a little snack to eat along the way ... speaking of food, I just thought of a little restaurant there in Comox, where a person can have a very good meal for as little as ten dollars. (if my memory serves me right). Maybe I will treat myself, I've never in my life eaten alone at a restaurant other than McDonalds, which hardly counts.
In writing this entry, I was reminded of my driving lessons this past summer. It was quite strange actually, taking lessons from x in the midst of our breakup. They were done during lulls between explosions. Incredibly, we were able to get along quite well during these lessons, even with all the tension. I'm quite impressed with myself actually. Here I'd never driven in my life, and now, at the age of 41, I got behind the wheel of a classic car belonging to the tempermental man I was in the process of leaving, with full knowledge that I would pay dearly in more ways than one, if I did any damage to his vehicle. I was able to drive on the highway among light traffic, and to drive down a steep, winding mountain road with a sheer drop off on one side. I was able to drive at night too.
My most thrilling accomplishment was the night I drove completely alone in the car, following x who was driving a truck he'd bought that afternoon. It was my first time driving without him in the car with me. I was nervous as hell. I had hoped he would get one of his new girlfriends to do the job with him, (in typical thoughtless fashion, he began the search for my replacement the second I convinced him I was serious about leaving). Unfortunately he wasn't able to get any of them to do the job, so I was recrouted, much to my trepidation.
We drove out to Comox together in the car, to pick up the truck, then I got in the car and followed him home. We'd timed it so that it would be after dark, with much less traffic. Still, there was some on the roads. At one point I was in the lead of a fairly long train. I didn't let that scare me into speeding up. I knew I must aim for a happy medium - not too fast, not too slow. I didn't want to have an accident, and I didn't want to draw attention from any police who might stop me and discover I didn't even have a liscence.
I kept up a running commentary to myself the whole time, reminding myself to put on my blinkers, and to slow before taking a turn, and to not ride the brakes, and to relax, and to squint my eyes ever so slightly during those times when I must drive between an oncoming car, and a pedestrian on the sidewalk. I discovered this as a way to avoid swerving to one side or the other. Much of the time, x was well ahead of me, which added to my nervousness, as I didn't want another car to ease in between us. I would step on the gas a little to catch up, then gradually fall behind again. I managed to keep my head during some scary moments. There was a steep, gradually curving hill where all the oncoming traffic beamed their headlights full into my face. It was a challenge to not try to swerve out of the brightness and end up in the ditch. Or worse, miscalculate the steady curve in the road, and turn right into the oncoming cars. I was relieved when that stretch was behind me.
The last leg of the journey had an area of four lane highway passing through a small village, that was nearly empty of cars at that hour. Here x eased into the lane beside me and slowed enough that we were driving side by side. I glanced over and gave a quick wave, thinking he was proudly wanting to watch me drive, but he didn't acknowledge me. I found out after that he'd been interested in looking at the car from behind, to gloat over how great it looked on the road blah blah blah. Anyway I was proud of myself, I didn't need him to be proud of me.
posted by Marian (Jolene) | 9:28 a.m.
2 Comments:
BE CAREFUL!!!
I accidently pressed the button to finish before I was done! Have you thought of getting a bike or moped until you get a car? - that might be a little safer than walking all that distance by yourself at night. If not, you might want to take some mace or something.
Ann
Post a Comment
<< Home