There's a mark on my hand, put there by the land.
There's a mark on the land, put there by my hand.
- Great Lake Swimmers

It's been nearly six months since I updated this. Much has happened in that time.
My Darcy was buried under a cedar tree on the farm, and while I don't think about it as much anymore, his absence can still make my heart ache every now and then.

I started a new job.

I started a new relationship.

I ended a job that wasn't worth the stress and time that I poured into it.

I ended a relationship that wasn't meant to be -- something that deep down I knew all along, but disregarded for a number of reasons I'm still trying to understand.

Two new job opportunities, one a photography contract and one a book editing contract (for which I will also be doing photography), presented themselves and somehow, I got them both. I am grateful.

The cycles of farm life continue, and I continue to be caught up in the daily workings of the gritty and simplistic ways of country living. Spring births, summer work, autumn deaths, autumn work, and soon the quiet, mundane "get me through" winter days and winter work. And repeat.

And, I met a guy. Technically we met a year ago, and somehow we both knew eventually we would get together. And not to be too optimistic or romantic, but...it's going very well. He is a journalist. He is wonderful and he makes me feel wonderful, and we are wonderful together.

Lately I've been taking fewer photos for my own personal pleasure, but the times that I do get out and shoot horses I fall in love with them all over again. One day, I hope I can make the combination of camera and horses part of my living.

But really. Enough about me. What about you?

Today Darcy was euthanized, after 48 hours of fighting a spinal chord injury. I am broken inside. He was my bright spot, my best boy. He was three days shy of his fourth birthday. Rest in peace, my darling. There will never, ever be another like you.

I don't think I've ever posted my personal website on here, but now that I've spent a few weeks overhauling it, I thought I would.

My website -> [link]

Suggestions, comments, welcome!

Also, for those who have requested prints from me in the past. Honestly, I don't like dA's print setup, and I am unwilling to pay for a prints account -- mainly because the prints I sell are event-related, and I don't have mass-upload options on here. But I have set up with smugmug, so anyone who is interested in buying prints of photos you have seen on here can visit me there:

Buy prints -> [link]

I'm continuing to add to what is already there, but if you have any specific photos you'd like to be put up for sale, please let me know!

That is all.

Today is my last day of school.

It's been a great two years at the college. I've learned much. I've met some amazing people and made friends that I hope to keep forever. I've found and captured images that have shaped and changed my portfolio and my vision for the better, and I hope I continue to do so. It's a little sad...me and change don't always get along...but at the end of this chapter of my life, I feel content and fairly confident about the future.

And, I have a job lined up! I am very fortunate -- this is a rough time to be entering the newspaper world, with the state of the economy. I'll be working for a small weekly paper as a reporter/photographer, five stories per week. It's not the Globe and Mail or the Toronto Star -- but honestly, I don't know if I would want those jobs. I'm a small-town sort of girl anyways, so this little paper is perfect.

My internship is all set as well -- three weeks at another weekly under the same editor. I've been freelancing for this paper for the past several months, and it's a nice place with nice people.

So. 'Bye Loyalist photojournalism. Despite all the griping and groaning and late assignments and some painful lessons...I'm gonna miss you.

School is on again, after a refreshing three-week break over Christmas. During that time I went home to the family farm and fell back into the comforting rhythm of morning and evening chores, playing with my much-missed dogs, visiting with my grandpa, who is the newest addition to our household...and simply unwinding after much busyness. My sis and I went bareback riding through the snowy woods, me on Casey and she on an ever-widening pregnant Chloe -- who has surprisingly mellowed in her pregnancy. She seems quite content and less diva-ish than usual, hehehe.

Casey is his usual spunky self and had fun making trails through the bush -- he loves to explore, which is cute. There's something comforting in being with the horse who's been part of your life for seven years...we've been through so much together. We've got a lot of respect for each other, I think -- and trust.

So now I'm back in the city. And it's darn cold outside. Supposed to be -32 Celsius in a few days.

On one particularly cold day I went out to photograph a feature assignment. It was given to us at 9am and we had to hand it in at 1pm that day. I pulled out onto one of the city's piers, got out of my car, and realized as the door slammed shut that I had just locked my keys in. O_O Waited 1.5 hours for the CAA guy to come and use that handy thing to break into my car. But in the meantime, I got some cool photos of a tugboat in the frozen bay, and I won a bag of groceries from my class for bringing back the best photo for the day...so it worked out in the end.