It’s October today and it seems like the Southern storms that I have been documenting are not just relegated to summer as I formally deduced. Oh, no, it’s supposed to be stormy all week. This was taken over the weekend, thus the September moniker.  Being from Southern California I am really not used to the downpours. The other night the thunder sounded like a gun shot, it gave me goose bumps.  I thought it would be interesting to show you the storm rolling in.  The first shot is when the clouds start to close in on the blue sky, birds are nowhere to be seen, there’s a stillness to the air and it all feels a bit foreboding.  I love the second shot because even though the sky has been engulfed with storm clouds the sun’s rays are still beaming down from above (heavenly), then the sky rumbles and in a blink it’s a smoke + charcoal gray and the clouds release their raindrops in a torrent.  My studio looks out onto a pond and I love the sound of the rain heavy on the pond’s surface. I honestly didn’t do enough research into this cross country move to know that I would be in the eye of the storm 98% of the time. I am not sure how I feel about it; on one hand it’s novel, majestic and awe inspiring on the other it’s disconcerting, a little moody for my sunny disposition and I hate that my dogs fear for their lives (or at least act as if they do). I am in a word torn. What I am not torn about is starting Souvenir Foto School today!  I love to geek out and be in the company of other photo enthusiasts for a few weeks of my life. Food + Foto is always one of our favorite classes as it combines my love for pragmatic craft (what?), you know a hobby that has purpose–food is a great purposeful hobby.  No one around you will complain that you are making them a beautiful dinner.  It’s also nice to be connected to other like-minded individuals whilst I am living in the country and people are scarce. What’s not scarce is wildlife. I did see a turtle the other day walking on the road (we don’t have sidewalks). I made my husband pick it up and put it near water (away from cars and horses) and then went home to Google it.  It seems this turtle is indigenous to North Carolina and is not a turtle that needs/likes water. We went back to move the turtle to higher ground but the turtle had high-tailed it out of the way of danger, smart turtle. Live and learn.