Val...and water

I made a new friend the other day...which is way cool considering I wasn't even in the market for a friend or considering acquiring a friend or thinking, "Huh, it's been a long time since I made a friend."

I made this new friend through knowing an old friend, which I guess makes the new friend a friend of a friend, only that's what she was and now she's a first generation friend. We've promoted each other from friend of a friend to simply friend.

Anyway, this new friend, whom I'll call Val since that's her name, is a mommy and a photographer and a mid-west workin' girl, much like me, only she lives in Chicago, which is pretty cool. Our mutual friend, Chris, showed some of my work on-line to Val when Val was visiting her in Estes Park, Colorado, and Val found me on Facebook and sent me a lovely message. It was so lovely that I replied (I wish I could say promptly, but I can't keep up with Facebook too much) and instantly friended her. She sent me her Flickr link and I got to see that she has a beautiful eye and that her muse appears to be her daughter, much as my muse is Zoe. We've sent a few messages back and forth now, and I feel like I've known her for a long time. Perhaps because she has the same wicked sense of humor as Chris and I so love and appreciate that. Or perhaps because she taught me the word, "boffo," having just learned it herself.

Bear with me...I really am getting to the point of this post.

Val also shared with me the link to the blog she shares with her former sister-in-law, whom I'll call Holly since that's her name. Holly lives in California* and is a mommy and a photographer (and a professional one, to boot). On their blog, each week, one of them chooses a topic and they each shoot and post various interpretations. It's a pretty damn cool concept, and forces one to really look for subject matter in everyday life. I'll post a link here once I get around to asking Val if she minds. I hope she doesn't, as these two women are insanely talented and how cool would it be to link to their blog from mine?

Their current topic is water. In editing images tonight, I found two taken this week that fit the subject. And so I'm participating vicariously in their little photographic joyride.

We have bottled water delivered every week to work. Cases and cases and cases of it. Whole rivers full, it seems. Normally they sit there in their dusty plastic packaging and wait to be yanked out and distributed around the spa. This week, though, someone pulled a bunch out and stacked them neatly on top. The laws of physics took over and bounced enough light around the dingy storeroom to light these things seemingly from inside. I walked past them three times today before caving and grabbing the camera. There's probably a much better way to interpret them, but I was after all on work time, and since I'm not paid to make artsy-fartsy photographs, I kind of just had to snap and run.

Technicallly this shot doesn't contain water, but merely the reflections of it on the underside of a bridge. Feel free to belt out "Under the Bridge" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers while viewing. Zoe would approve, having developed a fine appreciation for the Chili Peppers thanks to her mother.

*I've impressed myself by being able to mention three states - Illinois, Colorado and California - all in one post. Geographer Stef will be so happy. And, even though I've grown up with technology, I still think it's cool as shit to easily make a new friend who lives in another state.

P.S. Happy birthday, Mama! I hope you had a wonderful day.