Thursday, January 06, 2011

World Wide Web(bed)


Do my ankles look fat?
Trenton, ON, November 2010

I thought I'd wrap up our look at the year's favorite pics* with one I grabbed in the parking lot of a newly-opened service centre along Canada's largest highway, the 401.

I was driving home alone after a not-particularly-happy few days in the old hometown, and I found myself stopping more often than I usually do. Part of it was physical fatigue: I hadn't gotten a whole lot of sleep while I was away. But the other part of it was a somewhat psychological need to savor the journey a bit more, to slow the trip down and remember the places I was passing through. When I'm feeling somewhat melancholy, I derive comfort from connecting with places, and being on the road alone gave me the rare opportunity to do just that.

This anonymous seagull happened to cross my path as I stood near my car debating whether I had enough snacks with me for the next leg of the journey. Logic tells me I've taken more pictures of seagulls than any person has a right to. But logic doesn't always sit in the front seat when I pick up a camera. Sometimes, logic has no place at all in the composition process.

Your turn: Where's this bird going?

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*Last-minute submissions for Thematic Photographic favorite-photos-of-2010 are still being accepted here. Thank you all for making this theme such a vibrant and memorable one. New theme, wet, launches tonight at 7:00 Eastern.

10 comments:

Kalei's Best Friend said...

he's coming to Calif. to check out our crazy weather and maybe hook up w/a black geese (that we have a lot of).

Tabor said...

He's debating whether he must make that long journey without some of your snacks! No sharing? I like the idea of savoring the places we pass through in our busy lives.

Dawn said...

Leaving all this snow we have in Canada.

Love that picture!!!!!

Jonathan said...

Due to the recent bird deaths in Arkansas, Louisianna and Sweden, I suspect he's just being cautious.

kenju said...

I think he's trying hard to get off that pavement. It must be hard on his feet.

Changes in the wind said...

Hi there, thanks for stopping in and leaving a comment..I think the bird will go just where he pleases.

The Gearheads said...

He is probably flying to Salt Lake City to get in on the Mormon Cricket feast (see wikipedia "miracle of the gulls").

You are not alone in the gull picture category, I think you and Max of It's the Journey could start a seagull art museum.
-Mr

21 Wits said...

he needs more snacks too....this is one of the happiest and most awesome photos of any sea gull I've seen...you can just feel each of his smooth steps...one by one!

Ankita Sarkar said...

Home. He wants to get to his laptop and share the shot he just took with his tiny camera. It fits perfectly with next week's Thematic. The guy in a car with a camera doesn't even know how much muddy water is splashed on his rear wheels.
And he'll ask people if his ankles look fat. Lord knows how he'll feel when he finds out that Carmi of all people has asked it for him. That too with a picture. In a Thematic. New Year special Thematic. Poor seagull.
And then realization will dawn on him. That looked like Carmi's car. And the incredibly fatigued doddering photographer did look a little bit like Carmi.

Rebecca said...

heading to the pond done the street herd they got some new neighbors