Renewing The Journey - Part 2

This week's exercise for Renewing The Journey involved returning to a familiar place or subject and taking at least fifty pictures.

There are places that I repeatedly visit with my camera. Some because I find quiet and solace there, some for their beauty, and some to capture it in different seasons. Different seasons was the reason I found myself at the Pugh's Old Mill. The mill is a historic re-creation of an 1880's water-powered grist mill. It was used in the opening scenes of the classic movie "Gone With The Wind" which was released in 1939. I've always wanted to take pictures of the mill in the snow, but icy, snowy streets have prevented me going. This latest snowfall was followed by warm days. While snow was still on the ground, the streets quickly cleared. This was my chance to capture the mill in winter. Although a lot of the snow was melted at the mill, there was enough left to show it's winter.

Returning to a familiar place is an opportunity to look at things differently; to find different perspectives. It's a chance to explore, to see something you haven't seen before. When you return to a familiar place, the time of day you're there is different creating different light and shadows. The sky is a different color in each season. This time the light, the sky, and the water were perfect for a good reflection. As I took this picture, I knew it would be my favorite. I am fascinated with reflections. I saw several reflections and took several pictures, but this one remained my favorite. 

The bare trees created beautiful shadows on the side of the mill. I found the mill to have a lonely feeling in winter without the leaves on the trees and the beautiful garden flowers of spring. The mill in spring makes me think of romance. The mill in winter makes me think of a cold, harsh living.

Going to a familiar place can never be as exciting as seeing it the first time. I remember the first time I took my camera to the Old Mill. I took hundreds of pictures. This time there were far less to cull through.

I have always enjoyed returning to a place with my camera. To me it's like visiting an old friend you haven't seen in a while. The person is familiar and the place is familiar, but there is growth, changes, and things not seen before. I feel the same way about parting, too. I'm never quite ready to leave an old friend and I'm never quite ready to leave a place I enjoy.

I added a couple of pictures of the mill so you could see the differences in spring and summer. Now, I only need to get there in the fall.