What’s inside my head will probably never be right again.  I hear you, what makes me think it ever was!  But adjusting back to being in one place, O.C. lifestyle and acting at least somewhat normal is what I’ve been attempting since arriving several weeks ago.  I’m not ever going to let go of that Lei’d Back way of doing things. Each of us have a set of values, principles, standards and other important things that we use to get us through the day, weeks and life. What is important, required, and expected for me has certainly changed by my meandering life style where finding a scenic place for my morning walk, getting something good to eat and then finding another place to explore by bike, kayak or more often than not, walk in the afternoon.  Lots of stuff that’s important in a ‘normal” individual’s life got deemphasized. The hurry and hecticness disappeared. A slow relaxed pace has displaced it. I move often enough to assure variety, but this time I was doing it for five months, so it really became a way of life.  I don’t use the word trip or vacation; it was too long. It’s a life style change like a birds’ or animals’ migration. As their habitat changes, what they eat does too, and their daily habits and the way they accomplish them do too. Traveling I never miss a sunrise, here I’m still asleep; beans, grains, and vegetables make up most of my camping meals, here I take pleasure in Fager’s Deck Party Ribs, chicken & BBQ; here I rarely drive, but meandered 16,000 miles in my RV; a TV is part of my work space now, but absent in the RV; and here I go to the gym, my migratory activity is outdoors.
    Now, enjoying life is paramount in importance.  Of course I respect another person’s space and don’t infringe on them. There are lots of things that just don’t matter, when they used to. Perfect is not required, but can I get it to do what I want, that’s what I want, or at least good enough. Mellow, Lei’d back and being happy and feeling good plus being healthy are what’s important.  I hope my bubble doesn’t burst!  This sure collides with computers and all this digital stuff, which are required to accomplish my photography, resulting in many CompuDigi Wars.  All I want them to do is work. My computers should not be a limiting factor, a hindrance or a time consuming burden. They’re supposed to make my life easier and enhance my output. My computer guy (I.T. Technician) Scott Collins, 443-880-7346), is doing his best to get them whipped into shape. Computers are the hub of the wheel. My  filing cabinet, communication center, library of info, word processor (typewriter), and digital dark room for my photography. I don’t want my life cluttered or overloaded with blogging, friends, followers, text messages, Twitter, Xbox, iphone, webcam and that other stuff. I wonder what a blue toothed blackberried, tweeting, friendly, following gremlin (all compu/digi devices have them) may look like. No, thanks. The cell phone is a great convenience to be able to take a call on the beach or almost at anyplace in the country, but I don’t want it to take pictures, show a movie, send text messages, or play a radio station. All I want it to do is receive and make calls.  I couldn’t imagine viewing all that other stuff on that tiny little screen. E-mail on it, so I could get them in a myriad of places may have great utility too, but again the screen would be an irritant. Especially in the bright sunlight, where I can’t see it. That goes for the LCD screen on my great Canon digital cameras, too.  Incredible technology, but I can’t see the screen in bright light! I’m getting drawn into FaceBook by all the requests to be on “friend lists” and I hear Twitter is the new e-mail. Will they fade like other fads?  
    I’d rather stick to the time tested ways and things that I know work. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll embrace change and new stuff as soon as I know it’ll work better or as digital replaced film. Is digital better than film, I’m asked frequently. My answer is it doesn’t matter, film is disappearing and most of the support for it is already gone, so I/you have no choice but to adapt.  Rechargeable Lithium batteries are another great advancement, but lots of stuff like external flash (strobes) for my cameras still run on AA batteries.  Back in the ‘60s I had a flash that was rechargeable with an internal battery. What a great thing. What happened to that? I guess the marketing guys figured the profit wasn’t there and it disappeared.
    Oh! I guess I’m out of travel mode. All this whining and complaining is not very Lei’d back. Time to get a haircut, shave, and rejoin societal norms, but I’m still not wearing shoes, tying a tie, and I don’t like long pants. Sandals, T-shirt and shorts are my style and accepted anywhere in O.C.  Well, at least until I’m hired to photograph a wedding in a church; then I must knuckle under to a tie, etc. Oh, another nail in the coffin of meandering. I have customers, now! If you have an event you want photographed, planning a family photo on the beach or wedding, give me call at 410-289-7339 or send me an email at ocfotoguy@aol.com. Check out my webpage @ http://photosasyouwantthem.biz/. There are lots of travel pics @ http://picasaweb.google.com/o.c.fotoguy2009;  and my past articles are @ coconuttimes.com.
    Last Friday I’d had enough of adjusting and fighting with computers, so I decided to take a break to stock my refrig with fish from Susan’s Seafood in New Church, Va., where the fish for sale are so fresh they’re still moving in the ice and the price is right.  Then I went crabbing. A day in the sunshine amongst nature melded my meandering to being back on the eastern shore. Some people want to be president or have all those materialistic goals. I want to immerse myself in nature. The water was loaded and sometimes I caught four crabs on one line. Life is good and the crabs were scrumptious!