Strasburg, Virginia

 Wow, a very big change has just occurred in the waning days of 2023! It was that change combined with all the associated pre-planning which caused me to endure a creative lock-up which resulted in several months with no posts. Now that I'm settled(ish), I'm hoping my curiosity returns and that I begin burning through camera batteries again.

So, "what happened?" you might ask. My wife and I relocated to Virginia from our Florida home of the past seven years. The decision was a long time coming and it centered solely on being nearer family. Our daughter and her family in particular, however, proximity to my wife's sister was also in the mix. Several years ago our daughter bought a home in Strasburg, Virginia and during the intervening time we made frequent visits to her small town. Those visits highlighted the charm of Strasburg and planted the seed of the idea of "walkability." Being able to walk neighborhoods, into the downtown area, to visit family, etc. After discussing this for nearly two years we bought a small home in Strasburg which is less than two blocks from our daughter's home. A two minute walk. And another two minutes into the beating heart of the downtown. 

A follower of this blog will note the frequent postings involving not only Strasburg but also the general area of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. It is a beautiful area and I am looking forwarding to capturing scenes that do not involve beaches in Florida. I'm thinking I will focus on the downtown areas of the many small towns which occupy the Valley. And with very close proximity to the Shenandoah National Forest and Skyline Drive (in the Blue Ridge Mountains), there is sure to be a smattering of landscape photography as well. A very exciting change of setting and I'm looking forward to sharing images of the area around my new home.

What I do miss is being able to shoot film. My developing paraphernalia is boxed and in storage for a few months while we settle in to the new home and neighborhood. Until then the Leica M10R will be in constant use, and that is a good thing!

A few images of the area where I am now living.