by Jim Bellomo | Jun 29, 2025 | Uncategorized
My regular readers might remember that we have not traveled since our visit to see my brother and Jamie in California for a week last December. Since then, I have gone through radiation treatment for prostate cancer (the prognosis is good), we got a dog (whom we love dearly), and I have taken 178 days of photos (as of this writing).
Now! It’s finally here! It’s time to REALLY travel again!
And we are going somewhere we have never been before—Africa.
On Wednesday of this week, we will get up very early (we leave for the airport at 3:30 am) to catch a United Airlines flight from Seattle to Newark (I know…but we had the tickets months before Newark had any problems). And then, after about a five-hour layover, we board a 15-hour nonstop flight from Newark to Cape Town, South Africa. The rest of the trip looks like the map you see above.
First up is four nights in Cape Town. I know the map has a little three on it, but we are going in a day early. After Cape Town, we fly north to Kasane in Botswana, and then we take a cruise.
Sounds strange to say that we are taking a cruise in the middle of Southern Africa, but our entire trip is planned, coordinated and carried out by AmaWaterways—a European river cruise company. So, in the middle of this trip, we get a four-night river cruise on the Chobe River that is the border between Botswana and Namibia.
After our four nights on the Chobe, we will drive about 90 minutes on a “luxury motor coach” to Victoria Falls on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. We will spend two nights there, which will include a train ride (with dinner and drinks) across the falls, a boat ride at the bottom of the falls (with drinks and appetizers), and finally (yes, I actually booked it) a helicopter ride above the falls.
The next morning, we are off on another flight to Johannesburg (back in South Africa), where we will spend two nights. During the second day, we will tour one of the townships north of the city. That should be very interesting.
We finish up the trip with three nights at the Tintswalo Lodge in Kruger National Park, where we hope to see even more of Africa’s diverse wildlife. After our time there, we board a plane to fly back to Johannesburg, change planes and fly home. Everyone who has done this trip tells us it will be “the trip of a lifetime!” I just want it to be the equal of our current “trip of a lifetime,” to the Galapagos. I think it will measure up.
My first post from the trip should go live on Wednesday, either from SeaTac before we depart or from Newark while we layover before our 15-hour plane ride down to Cape Town. See you then.
I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself. —Nelson Mandela
by Jim Bellomo | Jun 22, 2025 | 365
Here they are, photos from the third week of June. I really liked the ones I got this week, especially the deer, the robin and the cows. It was an action-packed week, especially if you throw in the Keeley action shot. Good practice for Africa…less than two weeks to go.
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My other passion, besides photography, is cooking, which I truly love. Over the years, I’ve realized that this is how I express my affection for friends and relatives. I enjoy cooking for those I care about… or even like. Tomorrow, we’re having friends over, meaning I spent some of today preparing and will spend a lot of tomorrow cooking, and I LOVE IT! These books are just a few of the cookbooks I own; I got rid of many more when we moved three years ago. I kept the ones I really love, even though I hardly ever use them. Most of my best recipes (even the ones that came out of these books) are on my iPad in an app called Paprika, maybe the best app I own.
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I took an afternoon walk on a trail next to the Snoqualmie River in Duvall, a small town just east of where we live on Redmond Ridge.
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It was a sunny, dusty day, but I captured some good greenery shots before they turn brown later this summer.
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The robin and cow shots are just me practicing my wildlife skills for Africa. Two weeks from tomorrow…we fly!
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A quick shot I took today with my phone while my son and I attended a Seattle Mariners game. My kids and I have been going to Mariners games since the early 1990s. My son and I aim to catch at least one game each year. This year we’ve already been to two. It’s one of the ways I’ve bonded with both my kids. It’s been a while since I’ve gone to a game with my daughter, but that was her gift to me for Father’s Day, so we will be going (with Joel and the grandkids) in August. If you don’t live in Seattle, T-Mobile Park is gorgeous. It’s a great place to watch a game, and today we had really good seats.
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Took Keeley to the dog park today. She had a great time, and it gave me a chance to practice my action photography. I think she is happiest when I throw a ball for her. One thing we have learned is that we have to limit how many times we throw the ball. With her hip dysplasia, if we throw the ball more than that, she can barely walk the next day. As it is, she is panting beyond belief after only ten throws.
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The two teens and a fawn.
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The two teens
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This is mom.
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You may notice that there are five deer: a mother lying down, two teenagers (the ones with antlers—probably born last year), and two fawns—probably born this year.
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On Fridays, I drive into downtown Redmond to grocery shop. I visit our local supermarket (QFC), Trader Joe’s, and on some days, PCC (our local food co-op). This morning, I drove by a large grassy area that I pass every time I head downtown. Today, I looked over and saw seven deer just standing there, eating grass. Unfortunately, there was no place to pull over, so I had to pass on photographing them. Ninety minutes later, as I was headed home, I was amazed to see that they were still there, still eating grass. Now, with very little traffic, I was able to pull off the road, get out, and shoot to my heart’s content. That’s why you get five photos today.
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Yesterday, another person doing a 365 in the group that started with me back in January mentioned that he had taken his granddaughter to the Strawberry Festival in their Colorado city. Unfortunately, he said there were no strawberries. Well, maybe that’s because they are all here. This year, we have had the most amazing strawberries: sweet, dark, and juicy. The young lady who has sold them to me for the last three weeks at our Saturday Market told me that this varietal is a darker and sweeter strawberry, but they don’t last as long as the less sweet ones. I told her it was fine if they didn’t last as long because we always eat them in no time at all.
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While out for a walk today with Keeley, we reached a wooden walkway over the final section of a lake that I have shared photos of previously. It was a beautiful day with a lovely sky. We had rain all day yesterday and this morning, but by the time we walked, it began to clear up. Later, it warmed up for a while, which made us both feel hot as we walked on the streets. Fortunately, I had brought water with me for her. I must say I took this with my phone using Apple’s version of Camera RAW, and I am NOT happy with the quality. It has become clear that Apple’s RAW is not meant for everything. That’s why I shoot with my Nikon—for better control over my photos.
I was born in Hoboken. I am an American. Photography is my passion. The search for Truth my obsession. —Alfred Stieglitz
by Jim Bellomo | Jun 15, 2025 | 365
With photo 165 today, I am 200 days away from the end of this 365 program. 165 photos is a good milestone, and so far, I am happy with some of the pics I have taken. Others not so much. This week, I must say I’ve taken some great forest shots. I think the first one I took last Monday, of the skateboarder in the forest, is my favorite photo-wise. However, my amazing grandson being promoted to high school is my sentimental favorite.
Don’t forget: if you click on the first shot, you can scroll through using your arrow keys or by swiping. Additionally, while viewing the individual photos, click the small ‘i’ at the bottom of the page to read the full caption and view my photographic metadata.
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It’s not often that you see a skateboarder riding through the forest, but that’s what I witnessed today. He was kind enough to provide me with a focal point for my shot. I had come to this location to capture the various shades of light in the forest, and he just happened to come along.
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I went out for a short photo walk today. I found this gorgeous tree that was completely pink a week ago. Now, it’s just a patch. I saw some other things, but I will return another day when I need something different. I’m just glad I live in such a beautiful and scenic place like Trilogy at Redmond Ridge.
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Today was a special day that feels like it arrived far too soon. Fourteen years ago this month, I had a four-month-old grandson, and today he graduated from middle school and will be a freshman in high school next fall. I am incredibly close to Mason—we bonded when he was just a toddler and I took care of him—and I have to admit I shed a tear and got a little choked up when this almost-as-tall-as-me young man, who is now my nearly adult grandson, led his class into the promotion ceremony. Words truly cannot describe how proud I am of him and how much I love him.
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Around 3:45 this afternoon, I heard a robin going crazy singing. So, I grabbed my camera and went outside. I took a few photos of him perched on top of our neighbor’s roof. I told Kathleen that I didn’t think I had gotten a decent photo from the bunch I had taken. Then, I captured a bunch of Keeleys and thought I would share a weekly Keeley today. However, when I tried to transfer them to my Mac, I loved the whole silhouette idea. I hope you do too.
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The jewel of Redmond has to be Marymoor Park. It’s a county park that spans 640 acres with miles of trails, a river, a lake on its edge, as well as an off-leash dog park, summer concerts, a large number of ballfields, and one lonely windmill. So here’s a photo of that windmill with the Sammamish River in the foreground. By the way, after a week of summer weather, we have settled into what we here in the Puget Sound area call “June Gloom.”
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In my quest to get more out of shots taken with my iPhone 16, I decided to try Apple’s version of RAW. It works quite well with Photoshop’s Camera RAW plug-in, but you need to export it instead of simply dragging it out of Photos. Overall, I was able to work with it effectively.
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Some of the other photographers I’ve been doing this 365 with have hired models, and I recently watched a Kelby One class on travel photography that advocated hiring a model for certain types of shoots. Today, I needed a model, and fortunately, I have one living in my house. With a little encouragement, she sat in our shade garden and posed for me. Plus, she works cheap—about seven treats.
Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything. —Aaron Siskind
by Jim Bellomo | Jun 8, 2025 | 365
This week had its ups and downs, and for the first time, even though I remembered to TAKE a photo, I forgot to POST a photo. So, I did that this morning and then posted another one this afternoon.
Midweek, we went to Olympia, and I took some photos along the way, but the best photo I captured was this one. It makes me incredibly proud to have these two as my grandchildren. For the first time, they performed in a school band concert together. Our grandson was wonderful, standing by his little sister and helping her. He might even be part of the reason she was awarded the “Most Outstanding Fifth Grade Band Performer.” These two are THE BEST!
That’s my favorite photo of the week. If I have to pick one that I posted before, I would have to say the shot of Keeley. We have hired a dog trainer, and she is making progress toward becoming the perfect dog.
Don’t forget: if you click on the first shot, you can scroll through using your arrow keys or by swiping. Also, while you are looking at the individual photos, click the small i at the bottom of the page to read the full caption and see my photographic metadata.
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A very good friend, whom we have known for over 30 years, is moving into Trilogy, and we went over to her new place to pick up the keys. She asked me if I could take pictures so she would have a record of anything that was broken or needed fixing. I got out my real estate lens (10mm-20mm zoom) and took a lot of photos. I didn’t plan to include these in my 365 project, but I loved the symmetry of the kitchen with the world’s largest kitchen island.
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Looking for something to shoot, I spotted this owl that I got at the Redmond Saturday Market last Saturday. I sent a photo of it to Kathleen, and she really liked it, so it came home with us. It is currently keeping my basil company on the table on our deck. I like the bokeh I got as well.
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Your weekly Keeley has arrived early this week. I saw her just lying in our living room and snuck up on her while on my knees to get a cool facial shot. Words can’t describe how much we love our girl. Since last Saturday, when her new trainer came for the first time, she has improved tremendously.
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You will have to tell me.
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These shots are from Saltwater State Park, just outside of Des Moines (yes, we have a Des Moines in Washington too). I am posting three today because I don’t know which I like better: a ship or geese coming or geese going with a heron. You will have to tell me.
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Today we took a drive to our grandkids’ house. That’s where I am writing this. Tonight is their end-of-the-year band concert, and we are here to see our two favorite clarinetists play together for the first time. On our way down, we decided that since we had most of the day and they are still in school, we would take the coastal route for a while. We have never driven through some of these towns (Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park), and all along the way are some very nice state parks.
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We spent the night at the kids’ place in Olympia, which is sort of like living on a farm, if farms were places without animals or crops—kind of like a petting zoo, but with no pets. Their neighbors, however, are full-on farmers, including the folks raising those steers next door. You know the drill: today’s adorable steers are tomorrow’s tasty steaks. So, I guess what I’m saying is this is really just a photo of my future dinner!
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OK, I finally did it. I missed a day of posting a photo, but I did take one. I actually took about 10 at our Saturday Market. This one, showcasing all the incredible spring veggies and fruit that are already available to us, was the best of that bunch. I didn’t capture the strawberries, but they are some of the best we have ever tasted. Just amazing. Thanks, Mother Nature!
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Today is hot—much hotter than usual for Redmond in early June. The current temperature is 83. I know for some of you reading this, that’s not too bad. But in the sun, it’s probably closer to 90, so when I saw these folks on their rafts, I just hoped for their sake that they had heavily invested in sunscreen. This is one of those times when I was surprised by the shot I got after looking at it through my viewfinder. But after cropping and denoising/sharpening/upscaling, I kind of like it.
I went into photography because it seemed like the perfect vehicle for commenting on the madness of today’s existence. —Robert Mapplethorpe
by Jim Bellomo | Jun 1, 2025 | 365
I can’t believe another month is done. That month has seen me start taking video, lots of flower pics and a weekly Keeley. I hope you have enjoyed the journey. This week was a little of everything but I have to say I think I like my photo of the two kids with the truck.
Don’t forget: if you click on the first shot, you can scroll through using your arrow keys or by swiping. Also, while you are looking at the individual photos, click the small i at the bottom of the page to read the full caption and see my photographic metadata.
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I took a frustrating drive into the Snoqualmie Valley today. This valley isn’t too far from my place; I can reach this old barn in about 15 minutes at most. However, it was frustrating because this barn is NOT what I wanted to shoot. I was looking for birds since I’m trying to practice taking photos of animals in preparation for Africa. That’s why I was specifically looking for birds. When I used to belong to the photography club here at Trilogy, it turned out they mostly took photos of nothing but birds. I do recall where they went to take them—it was a small lake that attracted many birds in this valley. Today, I finally found the lake, but I was darned if I could find a place to park. So, on my way home, I spotted this barn, and there you go.
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Sometimes when you take close-up photos, you discover details you’ve never seen before. This flower serves as a perfect example. To see the tiny lines covering the petals with the naked eye, I have to get incredibly close—almost touching it. However, if I focus my lens tightly, I can see them clearly. I’m glad I ventured out into the backyard tonight.
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Today I was out at my favorite hardware store located in a small town just east of us called Duvall. I love visiting Ace Hardware because, unlike Home Depot or Lowe’s, Ace still has staff who want to help you and are knowledgeable about hardware and gardening. I needed a couple more pieces for our drip irrigation system and a way to combat snails and slugs with a treatment that wouldn’t harm Keeley if she ingested it. We used to be able to use harsher products, and I could still do that in the front yard since she is never there without us, but not in the back. After I was finished at Ace, I headed down to the river that flows through the town and took some shots of people playing in the water. When I got home, this was the one I liked the most: the guy in front was trying to drive his big dump truck up from the river and was having a tough time. His friend, without being asked, grabbed the back of the truck, and they easily got it up the hill.
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When we had our yard landscaped last year, our designer didn’t realize how little sun parts of the front yard actually received. This year, we had three plants (all the same kind) that were mostly in shade. We couldn’t figure out why they weren’t growing, but there was still a tag on one of them, and when we checked, it said, “full sun,” yet all three of them were planted where they got about an hour of sun a day. So, I went out and got these three plants that are good in shade and thought I would create a little triptych of those three.
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Sorry, but I have more fauna today. We have some bushes in the backyard that had never bloomed before, and they are in full bloom right now. They are really tiny, but I used my macro lens, so they look pretty big. They are so delicate. One thing is for sure about our upcoming trip: I will know how to shoot flowers.
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This morning, I went to Redmond’s Saturday Market. It’s a wonderful place to visit with lots of farmers showcasing their freshest produce (I got some great strawberries and rhubarb, as well as purple asparagus) and crafters selling cool stuff (I brought home a glass owl for our garden). The Market tries to have live entertainment for most of its run from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, and I really felt sorry for this guy who must have pulled the short straw and ended up with the first shift in the morning. Granted, I arrived right when the Market opened, but this was just sad. To make things worse, he was pretty darn good.
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Here’s Keeley starring in my third video. This week, she’s attempting to perform her favorite trick, but as you will see, she is so excited that she jumps right to the end of the trick. It cracks us up every time. To watch the video, go to the 365 page in the menu above.
I believe in living with the camera, and not using the camera. —Dorothea Lange