We are on our way to Wendy and Jeff's wedding on Little Palm Island. This wedding is a little different. we won't be driving, we are sailing there!
Little Palm Island (http://www.littlepalmisland.com/) is just a little east of Key West. The only way to get to the island is by boat. We decided to take our own. Actually we have been planning this for a while and have been very excited, it's the first big trip on Carpe Vita.
The first night we stayed in Miami. It is one of the most beautiful views of a city. The hard part, when we got there to anchor. it was raining so hard we couldn't see! So we just motored real slow into the anchorage watching out the front, the radar and gps. About 20 minutes after that, it stopped and we began to look for a good place to anchor. We tried about 8 times with no success to find a place where the anchor would hold.
Then we hit another boat! But it wasn't my fault. it was under water! We came to a sudden stop and the bow of the boat surfaced!
We finally found good holding and had a wonderful view of the city for the evening.
The next day was very windy and the seas were supposed to be a little rough, so we stayed on the inside down Biscayne bay. This was our first great sail on the boat and we were thrilled with the performance of the boat. In 18-20 knot winds were were consistently over 8 knots. See the GPS proof in the picture.
We anchored just north of "Cow Pens". They got this name from when the Indians used to heard the Manatee (Sea Cows) through a narrow area in the reef. They did use the meat in their diet.
The starboard engine was having a little vibration the day before so I thought it might be air in the fuel line so I decided to see if I could bleed it. It didn't work and now we couldn't get the engine started. We decided to continue on south to Marathon on one engine and work on it there in case we needed help or parts.
It was a little stressfull. It was still very windy which is bad if we got into a difficult situation with only one engine. Going through the tight 7 Mile Bridge was very scary, but we made it and went into Marathon where we fixed the engine the next day.
The big worry is Tropical Storm Noel that is hopefully going out to sea.
We have a couple days until we have to be in Little Palm Island so we decided to take a mooring ball in Boot Key Harbor. It is probably one of the largest live aboard communities in the world. No wonder at $18 per night. We are there now and we are supposed to get 40 knot winds tonight. We feel very safe here and we are glad we aren't anchored some place.
Yesterday we went to Key Fisheries to get their world famous "Lobster Reuben". Sounds strange but it is great! We discovered it on a previous trip and have been treating alot of people back in Pittsburgh, everyone loves it.
We are fortunate to be able to work here on the boat. I am working on bills and albums right now and the atmosphere is great. We have had to occasionally turn off the wind generators when the winds get high because they sound like the are going to explode!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Eryn and Ryan's Wedding October 20, 07
Eryn and Ryan's wedding was in Tiltonville Ohio along the Ohio river. This is a very quaint town with history and a very close community. Which means, of course Eryn and Ryan had alot of friends and family, which also means a very large wedding! I think there were also more than 8 young children and couple people with families on the way.
The weather could not have been more perfect. The light was a photographers dream. We went to a nearby golf course for pics. The wedding party was one of the most polite and fun groups I have ever worked with, I could have photographed them all day. But, these these were party people too, so it was off to a great reception. The food was great, which included a Pasta bar.
The weather could not have been more perfect. The light was a photographers dream. We went to a nearby golf course for pics. The wedding party was one of the most polite and fun groups I have ever worked with, I could have photographed them all day. But, these these were party people too, so it was off to a great reception. The food was great, which included a Pasta bar.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Great news!
As many of you know, I have been working on an album design that I would like to sell to photographers and artists for over two years. Well, it finally happened. Kambara,(http://www.kambara.com/) is going to sell my first album design in next years catalog.
I cannot tell you how happy I am. I was almost beginning to think I was crazy. For a long time I have loved the concept of a printable album on fine art paper that is self assembled.
I have had Kambara make a couple custom prototypes for Marty and my wedding album and Tiffany and Plaxico Burress. Our album has the Kambara metal Eclipse cover that will be an option.
Unfortunately, I had to send our album back for a product shoot for the catalog, so we are out of a wedding album and a sample to show my clients.
I am not a huge fan of many of the albums I have seen on the market and I just think the feel and look of archival fine art paper is superior to other types.
I am also very happy to be associated with Kambara. They are an industry leader in innovation and quality.
I hope to be doing more designs for next years catalog. many of my ideas have come from my clients, so don't hesitate to make suggestions.
I cannot tell you how happy I am. I was almost beginning to think I was crazy. For a long time I have loved the concept of a printable album on fine art paper that is self assembled.
I have had Kambara make a couple custom prototypes for Marty and my wedding album and Tiffany and Plaxico Burress. Our album has the Kambara metal Eclipse cover that will be an option.
Unfortunately, I had to send our album back for a product shoot for the catalog, so we are out of a wedding album and a sample to show my clients.
I am not a huge fan of many of the albums I have seen on the market and I just think the feel and look of archival fine art paper is superior to other types.
I am also very happy to be associated with Kambara. They are an industry leader in innovation and quality.
I hope to be doing more designs for next years catalog. many of my ideas have come from my clients, so don't hesitate to make suggestions.
Tara and Tim's Wedding Oct. 13 2007
Tara and Tim came from Brooklyn to get married in Tara's home town Pittsburgh. They started with the ceremony at the First Lutheren on Grant st. We didn't have alot of time before the Reception at the Westin, but we got alot of great shots on one of the Yellow bridges. The light could not have been more perfect. This is another one of those times when I didn't want to stop shooting and go to the reception.
Sarah and Damon's Wedding Oct 6, 2007
Two weddings in a row is a little hard on the body but having fun clients like Taryn and Gareth and Sarah and Damon the next day keeps me, and the adrenalin going.
Sarah and Damon got married in West Mifflin. After the ceremony we went all over the South Hills at Lincoln Memorial and later near the Terminal Buildings in Pittsburgh. This was a large, crazy wedding party. They kept me laughing the whole time. The recption was at the Wendle Inn.
Sarah and Damon got married in West Mifflin. After the ceremony we went all over the South Hills at Lincoln Memorial and later near the Terminal Buildings in Pittsburgh. This was a large, crazy wedding party. They kept me laughing the whole time. The recption was at the Wendle Inn.
Taryn and Gareth's Wedding Oct.5 2007
October is such a "crap shoot" when it comes to weather in Pittsburgh. Taryn and Gareth decided to have a fall theme. Well, as we all know it was about 85 and there was almost no color other than green in the trees.
They had the wedding at Rolling Hills Country Club and inspite of the warm weather it was beautiful and everyone had fun even though there might have been a chuckel or two when the hot apple cyder came out.
it was a cute ceremony outside and Taryn and Gareth's son, Jonas was even cuter. Larry Goyda did the service did a great job as usual. They partied hard when they got inside.
They had the wedding at Rolling Hills Country Club and inspite of the warm weather it was beautiful and everyone had fun even though there might have been a chuckel or two when the hot apple cyder came out.
it was a cute ceremony outside and Taryn and Gareth's son, Jonas was even cuter. Larry Goyda did the service did a great job as usual. They partied hard when they got inside.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Rebecca and Nicholas's Wedding
Rebecca and Nicholas also met where they used to work. What was interesting here is that the company they worked for, Lexjet (http://www.lexjet.com/) is my main supplier of printers, papers and ink. They are a great company, I have been with them since 2001. Rebecca and Nicholas must have been great employees since about a dozen of thier former coworkers and bosses came to the wedding from all over the country.
This was a high energy wedding, they got married at St Paul in Oakland and the reception was at the History Center. We had a couple hours to drive around Pittsburgh and do shoots with the wedding party on the Molly's Trolley in four different places. I was tired after this one.
This was a high energy wedding, they got married at St Paul in Oakland and the reception was at the History Center. We had a couple hours to drive around Pittsburgh and do shoots with the wedding party on the Molly's Trolley in four different places. I was tired after this one.
Carpe Vita haul out and work
After Keenan and Scott's wedding, we flew immedately to Florida. I usually edit my weddings the next couple days but we had our tickets for Sunday. It was kind of a good thing, I was able to edit their wedding while on the boat which is always a great atmosphere for creativity.
A couple days later we took the boat to Cracker Boy marina in West Palm Beach. They are one of the few yards that can haul a boat as wide as ours. They turned out to be a great place to work with, which wasn't always true with some of the vendors that did some of the repairs.
The real chalenge with Craker Boy was trying to bring a 23.5' wide boat into a 25' with a raging tide and 17 knot winds. It wan't picture perfect but the great crew there helped us do it unscathed.
On the way up we had trouble charging in the port engine and over heating on the starbourd engine again. We concentrated on working on the Max props, the saildrives and the mechanical work I did most of that.
After we put the boat back in we had a wonderful trip south. We anchored in Boca bay for a night, then we sailed outside to Ft Lauderdale. It was supposed to be less than 2' seas but it ended up being about 5' and we hit a blinding rainstorm just before Port Everglades. We were surrounded by Freighters when we lost vision and the redar wasn't working since the batteries weren't charging again. But we followed the GPS in and kept a close watch and were fine.
We then stayed at Lake Sylvia for the first time. It was great, we slept on the tampoline watching the sky until another rainstorm came.
A couple days later we took the boat to Cracker Boy marina in West Palm Beach. They are one of the few yards that can haul a boat as wide as ours. They turned out to be a great place to work with, which wasn't always true with some of the vendors that did some of the repairs.
The real chalenge with Craker Boy was trying to bring a 23.5' wide boat into a 25' with a raging tide and 17 knot winds. It wan't picture perfect but the great crew there helped us do it unscathed.
On the way up we had trouble charging in the port engine and over heating on the starbourd engine again. We concentrated on working on the Max props, the saildrives and the mechanical work I did most of that.
After we put the boat back in we had a wonderful trip south. We anchored in Boca bay for a night, then we sailed outside to Ft Lauderdale. It was supposed to be less than 2' seas but it ended up being about 5' and we hit a blinding rainstorm just before Port Everglades. We were surrounded by Freighters when we lost vision and the redar wasn't working since the batteries weren't charging again. But we followed the GPS in and kept a close watch and were fine.
We then stayed at Lake Sylvia for the first time. It was great, we slept on the tampoline watching the sky until another rainstorm came.
Keenan and Scotts wedding
Keenan and Scott met "on the job" at Bert Hill architecture firm. Their reception was at the Edgewood Club. Keenan did a winter theme and she did most of the decorations. It looked like a major job, but it was fantastic. This was my first time at the Edgewood club and was very nice to work in especially on the side porch.
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