Quarterly Look Back

Quarterly Look Back - 1st Quarter 2024 /  by Todd Henson

Looking back at the first quarter of 2024

And so began 2024. And having begun it’s already well underway, so much so it’s already time for a look back at the 1st quarter. In some ways it’s been a slow quarter, but I’m hopeful there’s still a little something below you might find interesting. But please read on and let me know whether or not that’s true.

Photography

We didn’t make it out for quite as many photographic walks this quarter as we have for some so most of the photos I posted were either from the very beginning of the year or new creations using photos captured in previous years (mostly last year, I believe). I had a short bout of inspiration which led to a small series of posts about a fictional trip to Fairyland and all the wonders I discovered in the land of the Fae. I really enjoyed that brief departure from my usual fare, though whether or not I continue it will depend on whether I can find similar inspiration. Time will tell. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this look back at the posts from this quarter.

Best of the Year

Best Photos of 2023: My Favorites of the Year

Field Notes Update

Mining Bee in its Nest

Inverted Worlds

A Bend in the Road

The Gateway to Fairyland

Playground of the Fae

The Well of Segais

Mostly Photos

Overcast Blues on Aquia Creek

Hunting Blind Sunrise on the Potomac River

Nature’s Ornaments

Trip Report

Opening Neabsco Creek Boardwalk New Year’s Day 2024

Mason Neck Great Marsh in Snow

A Return to Great Marsh Looking for Tundra Swans

Martinsburg Roundhouse and Bunker Hill Train Shows in West Virginia - 2023

Reading

This felt like a very good quarter for reading. I read what may be the best book I’ve ever read (To Kill a Mockingbird) and didn’t read anything that came anywhere close to being the worst. I sampled works originally written in five different languages (English, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Polish). I included a range of genres including photography, philosophy, classics, science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, mystery, and an interesting graphic novel. About 60% of what I read I actually listened to as audiobooks, with 20% being ebooks and the remaining 20% old-school paper (still my favorite). It feels like a nice balance and I’m happy with it.

The books I consumed this quarter (paper, ebook, and audio).

Here’s the full list of books: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree, Abandoned Virginia: The Forgotten Commonwealth by Joel Handwerk, The Glass Box by J. Michael Straczynski, The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness by Epictetus & Sharon Lebell, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa, The Tea Master and the Detective (Universe of Xuya) by Aliette de Bodard, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Hokusai: A Graphic Biography by Guiseppe Latanza & Francesco Matteuzzi, The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell, The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie, The Tower of Swallows (Witcher 4) by Andrzej Sapkowski, Island Witch by Amanda Jayatissa, and This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone.

And of those, my favorites were:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

One of the best books I’ve ever read. A classic I wish I’d read much sooner, preferably while still in school. As well as a very compelling story, it is a lesson in history and of humanity, of where we’ve been, where we’ve come, where we still have to go. Full of so many important life lessons. A book well worth reading, and of reading again.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

This is one of those little slice of life gems. About a girl who feels lost in life, who can’t see where it all should go, and ends up living with her uncle for a time at the Morisaki Bookshop. This stay will change both their lives. A touching and beautiful story and I very much look forward to reading the next book, appropriately titled More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop.

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

A fantasy novel unlike most I’ve read. This one was intentionally much smaller in scale, more personal, less about world-changing events and more about those that affect the life of one person, or of a small group. A touching story for fans of Dungeons & Dragons who wonder how the story continues after the adventure has ended.

The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell

I’ve long seen Cornwell’s books in bookstores, online, and in various other forums and have wanted to try them. But he writes so many series I wasn’t sure where to start. Somehow I ended up choosing the series that begins with The Last Kingdom and is a bit of historical fiction from the period in England’s history when it was made up of multiple kingdoms and was invaded by the Danes / Vikings. I loved Cornwell’s style of writing, and I loved the narrator for the audiobook. I very much look forward to my next Cornwell book.

Movies & Anime

Films I watched this quarter.

I’ve been trying to scale back a bit on the number of movies I watch, opting to increase my reading or other activities, but I did still watch and enjoy a number of films.

I gave the movie Looper (2012) a try, starring Bruce Willis. It’s a futuristic film about time travel and its consequences. It was ok, though not great.

I also tried 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016), with John Goodman and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. I had low expectations going in but ended up really enjoying the film, in which a woman is in a car accident and when she wakes finds herself locked in a windowless room. Things are not what they seem.

Somehow I missed an Arnold Schwarzenegger film from 2000, so when I realized this I had to check out The 6th Day. It’s exactly what one would expect from a sci-fi thriller about cloning with Arnold in it, and I enjoyed it because of that.

Though I’d heard mixed reviews of it, I decided to pick up a copy of Prometheus (2012) from a store closing, and I’m glad I did. I ended up really enjoying it and want to go back and rewatch the Alien movies. It’s not a perfect movie by any stretch, but a solid and enjoyable sci-fi story in the Alien universe.

Finally, the highlight of the movies I watched this quarter was a rewatch of the entire extended edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), and The Return of the King (2003). These are absolute masterpieces in so many ways. They are probably my favorite book-to-movie translations/interpretations. They contain some great acting, fantastic set design and costuming with so much detail. The music and soundtrack is incredible, emotional, and impactful. And the sheer scope is stunning. These are some of my favorite movies and are based on my favorite books.

And I’ve continued watching the anime series, Planetes, about folks who clean up orbital debris.

Music

Below is a sampling of some of the music I’ve listened to this quarter. There is more, but I try very hard (sometimes unsuccessfully) to keep this to a small number of songs. Most of these are from artists I’ve mentioned here in previous quarters.

SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]:XAI - Dark Aria <LV2>

I love everything musical Sawano Hiroyuki is involved in, and he is not new to this blog. In fact, this is the 3rd time I’m sharing one of his songs. He’s a Japanese composer and pianist and works with many different artists, often creating music for anime, shows and movies. This one evokes a lot of emotion for me.

Joe Hisaishi - Summer

I first heard this song in the movie Kikujiro many years ago and it became a strong influence on my enjoyment of the film and always creates nostalgia and desire for a rewatch, though when I do rewatch I find my feelings are not as strong about the film, that is until time has passed and I once again listen to this song, and all the magic returns of a summer trip for a young boy and an old man, about bonding, and learning about oneself, and meeting and making many friends along the way. I absolutely love this song. And do parts of it remind anyone else of the theme song for the show Cheers?

Rodrigo y Gabriela - Finding Myself Leads Me to You

Another song that’s full of emotion for me. I was first introduced to this fantastic guitar duo and their instrumental music by Joseph Smith and I’ve been a fan ever since with this being the 3rd time I’ve shared one of their songs on this blog. I love the buildup of this one and the mix of electric and acoustic guitars. And what a great title for the song. Click here if you want to check out or purchase their music from bandcamp (I’m not affiliated with or sponsored by them, but it is where I purchase their music).

Feuerschwanz - Highlander

And finally for a bit of fun let’s check out a song inspired by a favorite movie of mine from 1986, Highlander, written and performed by the German medieval metal band, Feuerschwanz. As with two other groups above, this is the 3rd time I’ve shared a Feuerschwanz song on the blog. And for those who haven’t seen the film, check it out some time. In addition to being a great movie it also has a fantastic soundtrack written and performed by Queen. And you can check out and purchase music by Feuerschwanz at bandcamp.

 

Life

How should I sum up this quarter? I suppose one way is to say it’s felt like an average sort of quarter. I can’t think of anything major that stood out or happened, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I have felt tired and less than inspired after getting home from work, but that’s nothing new and in the grand scheme of things isn’t such a big deal. I haven’t been out hiking quite as often as I’d like but that’s also not unusual during the colder months of winter. Now that spring is here I have confidence I’ll find more motivation to get out and hike and photograph and share some of those moments with you.

Thanks very much for reading this far. I appreciate the time you share with me throughout each quarter. I hope this next quarter is a good one for you and I hope you have some goals to work towards. For myself, I’ll work on creating motivation even if I don’t naturally feel it. I’ll work on getting up and getting out. I’ll work on more quickly putting work behind me when home and developing a positive and productive outlook that lets me create during my free time. And I’ll work on creating images and words worthy of your time.

Thank you for reading and for your support, and have a great 2nd quarter of 2024!

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Quarterly Look Back - 4th Quarter 2023 /  by Todd Henson

Looking back at the fourth quarter of 2023

The last quarter of the year is coming to a close, and with it all of 2023. So though this is a quarterly look back, being the last of the year it’s also a chance to reflect on the entire year. It’s been a tough one both for personal reasons and because of the various stressors of work. But there’ve also been some very good times, moments to appreciate the beauty of the world, of family and of friends. So try to remember that despite the difficulty any moment may entail, there’s almost always something positive we can pull from it, and there will almost assuredly be more enjoyable moments yet to come.

And with those thoughts, I hope you enjoy this little look back at the final quarter of 2023.

Photography

Overall I’ve been happy with what I’ve created, though being who I am, I’m always thinking I could have done more, been more diligent, strove to see more creatively, etc. I don’t beat myself up about it, but I use it as a way to keep striving, to keep improving. One specific area I’d like to improve is upkeep of both my website and online store. Looking back I realize I posted very few photos to my store this year. And my website and blog have had the exact same look for many, many years, with exactly the same photos in the galleries. I’d very much like to take the time to freshen things up a bit, perhaps try some new themes, but at least post new photos to the galleries and store. This is a goal for 2024.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this look back at the posts I published in the final quarter of 2023. And please keep coming back to the blog, as I still have a post with my favorite books and films in 2023 planned before the year ends, and I’ll share my favorite photos of 2023 very early next year.

Field Notes Updates

Adolescent Eastern Box Turtle

Snowy Urola Moth

Approaching a Gray Treefrog in November in Northern Virginia

Holidays

Happy Halloween 2023

Let’s Talk Nature

Mid-November Oak Leaves

Mostly Photos

Summer Reflections Redux

A Brief Stop at Seven Bends in Autumn

Autumn in Prince William Forest Park

Story Behind the Image

A Visitor to the Wild Potato Vine

Trip Report

Martinsburg Train Station, West Virginia - April 2023

Variations on a Theme

Greens and Browns Along the Ground

Reading

This is another quarter where the majority of my reading was in the form of listening to audiobooks. I do prefer sitting down with an old fashioned paper book but there are times I just don’t manage to do that as often as I’d like, and in those times I find its much easier to listen to an audiobook.

Interestingly, this was also the first time in what I believe to be decades that I checked out and read a book from the local library instead of purchasing it (Daring to Look). I certainly don’t expect to stop buying books anytime soon, but I’d like to continue visiting the library from time to time. 

The books I consumed this quarter (paper, ebook, and audio).

Here’s the full list of books: The Girl Beneath the Sea (Undersea Investigation Unit #1) by Andrew Mayne (2020), Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (2020), The September House by Carissa Orlando (2023), The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty (1971), The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling by Lawrence Block (1979), Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman (2022), Edges (Inverted Frontier #1) by Linda Nagata (2019), Silver (Inverted Frontier #2) by Linda Nagata (2019), The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie (1931), Reminiscences of a Stock Operator by Edwin Lefèvre (1923), Daring to Look: Dorothea Lange’s Photographs and Reports from the Field by Anne Whiston Spirn (2008), Baptism by Fire (Witcher #3) by Andrzej Sapkowski (1996).

And of those, my favorites were:

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Piranesi was a delightful little piece of magic. It felt like a mysterious and elusive story, very different from others I’ve read, and I’m not quite certain how to describe it.

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

For Halloween I decided to reread The Exorcist, but this time in audiobook form and read by the author. Not all authors make great narrators, but William Peter Blatty was excellent. He had just the right sort of voice to do this horror story justice.

Edges and Silver (Inverted Frontier) by Linda Nagata

Linda Nagata’s Inverted Frontier series is just the sort of science fiction story I enjoy, in the far future extrapolating what humanity might become, and all the various obstacles to survival they might encounter.

Movies & Anime

Favorite, or notable, films I watched this quarter.

As during the previous quarter, I watched far more movies than I typically do and too many to list here so I’ll stick to those that made the most impact on me.

There were a number of movies I enjoyed rewatching but really only for nostalgic reasons as they didn’t seem particularly good movies on a rewatch. I’m thinking about films I enjoyed as a kid, like Battle Beyond the Stars (1980), Space Raiders (1983), Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983), Ice Pirates (1984), Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977), and Damnation Alley (1977).

Then there were those I rewatched that I felt held up over time, movies I still really enjoyed this time around. These seemed more often movies I watched as a teen or later rather than as a kid, movies like The Terminator (1984), The Lost Boys (1987), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), and Evolution (2001).

There were also a number of movies that were new to me. I enjoyed the likes of Monsters (2010) and The Invisible (2007). I watched two quirky films by a favorite director, Luc Besson: The Family (2013) and The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec (2010).

And finally, my absolute favorite movie of the quarter was Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022). What a wild, crazy, insane ride full of completely mind-boggling nonsense, and yet with a plot line weaving through it all and messages that somehow managed to resonate with me. This is one I will very likely rewatch, probably multiple times.

Music

This quarter I discovered music by artists new to me, and also heard new music by artists I already know and love. For the most part, the music I’ve selected this quarter is on the lighter side, especially compared to some things I’ve shared in the past. But before we get to the lighter fare let’s try the following:

Two Steps From Hell - Impossible Live @ Wacken

I stumbled across this song and it became an instant favorite. Two Steps From Hell seems to have started less as a musical group and more a company that writes music for movie trailers, so it has that epic theatrical sound to it. They grew enough of a following that they release their music on albums and even go on tour, and to Wacken, of all places!

milet - Hey Song

And now for something a little lighter, a Japanese pop song by a musician I’ve mentioned here a couple times before, a song all about feeling good, smiling, just living your life and being happy about it. An example of the lyrics are “Your smile is the best thing in the world.” A simple line but I love it. You know those people in your life where just a single smile from them is enough to completely brighten your day? That’s what this song does for me.

Ichika Nito & Marty Friedman - Live at Takasaki City Theatre 23 July 2023

This is a trio of songs performed live by two guitarists whose work I’ve enjoyed for a while now. The two have very different styles and playing together have smoothly merged those styles in a wonderfully harmonious way. They play two of Ichika Nito’s compositions, Reflection and COLOURS, and end with such a beautiful arrangement of Pachelbel’s Canon, one of my all time favorite songs.

One Voice Children’s Choir - Warm

And finally, a beautiful song for the winter season. And a song of hope.

 

Life

This was another quarter greatly influenced by the death of my mother in early August. Sometimes while sitting and watching a movie I’ll find tears forming as my thoughts drift back to her. Other times I’ll smile at a happy memory that surfaces. I’ve walked through stores and thought, I should get this for mom, before snapping back to reality. The holidays are different now. Not bad, just different. I find it’s a slow process getting used to these differences. And work has been busy and stressful, as it sometimes can be, but I’m very thankful the majority of the stressful moments waited until after my mother passed, giving me a little time to recover.

One of the positive aspects of the quarter has been my continued weekly dinners with my family, now just the three of us. And my father and I have continued getting together as often as we can to either walk in the woods or sometimes drive across the state to visit people and places we enjoy.

And of course, there’s the great interactions with all of you, though this quarter I’m still struggling to respond in a timely manner to all the comments you’re kind enough to leave on my blog. I very much appreciate hearing from you and I promise I’m working on getting back to personally responding to them. If I could focus enough to stop watching so many movies I’m sure I could become much more productive. 😄

I hope you’ve had both a good quarter and a good year, and that despite any hardships you’ve gone through that you’ve found moments of peace and reasons to stay positive. Thank you so much for all your support and for spending a little of your time with me. I wish you all the best in the coming year.

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Quarterly Look Back - 3rd Quarter 2023 /  by Todd Henson

Looking back at the third quarter of 2023

This has been, perhaps, the most difficult quarter of my life. Work has been busy and stressful, and I’ve lived through the death of my mother. This was a shock that completely upset everything and I continue to struggle to find a new balance. But being one of the lucky ones, life moves on, and we have the opportunity to continue learning to live.

Despite all the negative elements of the quarter, I was still fortunate to find enjoyment in many of the typical things I write about: photography, reading, watching movies and getting outside hiking, especially with my father. Below we take a look back at some of the things that brought, and continue to bring, joy to my life. I hope you find something that you, also, will enjoy.

Photography

Given all that happened this quarter, some of my posts were short and some used older photos as I didn’t get out photographing as often. But I’m happy to say some of the posts do have new photos from recent outings. So this quarter there’s a mix of old and new.

Field Notes Updates

Dogbane Leaf Beetle

The Invasive Spotted Lanternfly

Making Friends with an Emperor: Hackberry Emperor Butterfly

Mostly Photos

Through the Greenway

A Quiet Morning

A Few More Views from Mount Sugarloaf, Massachusetts

Wipe Your Mouth When You’re Finished Eating

A Trio of Koi

Summer Reflections

Remembrance

Memories of My Mother

Reviews

Book Finds - August 2023

Techniques

Painterly Kingfisher in Flight

Trip Report

Roadtrip from the Blue Ridge to Mount Jackson in the Rain

Reading

I struggled to find time to read this quarter, and when I did have time I was often not in a good frame of mind to put the effort and concentration into books. But I did listen to many audiobooks as I drove and sometimes at home. In fact, all but two of the books below were consumed as audiobooks.

The books I consumed this quarter (paper, ebook, and audio).

Here’s the full list of books: The Strain (The Strain #1) by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, Dark One: Forgotten by Brandon Sanderson and Dan Wells, The Fall (The Strain #2) by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, The Night Eternal (The Strain #3) by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson, Dorothea Lange: Grab a Hunk of Lightning by Elizabeth Partridge, Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie, The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams, Critical Role: The Tales of Exandria - The Bright Queen, Time of Contempt (Witcher) by Andrzej Sapkowski, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland.

And of those, my favorites were:

Dorothea Lange: Grab a Hunk of Lightning by Elizabeth Partridge

It feels as if it’s been a long while since I read a photography book, and perhaps that helped me get more enjoyment from this one about Dorothea Lange. Many of you may have seen some of her photographs as they have become iconic in their connection to moments in US history, with Migrant Mother being perhaps her most well known photo. This book was a companion to a PBS American Masters episode from 2014.

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

I thoroughly enjoyed this light-hearted and whimsical story, though it did feel weighed down by the extra baggage of Sanderson’s book-spanning Cosmere. I think I might have enjoyed it a bit more if it had been a standalone and a little more focused on the story, itself, with less of the universe-spanning world building, though I know that’s what many folks come to Sanderson for. All that aside, though, it was a great story.

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

It’s always great when a book about books really works, and for me this one did. It’s the story of a group of seemingly unconnected people and how their lives change when some of them find an anonymous reading list left in books at a local library. A beautiful story full of wonderful characters with lots of heart and referencing some interesting books, some of which I’ve already read and some of which I haven’t, though I do plan to.

Movies & Anime

The movies & anime I watched this quarter.

Though I may have read less than usual, and less than I’d have liked, I ended up watching far more movies than I typically would. It takes less effort. I can just sit and watch, and sometimes I may drift and not get anything out of it, but other times it might keep me engaged and provide a short bit of relief and enjoyment, and in a couple rare and unexpected cases provided, perhaps, a bit of needed healing.

The full list of movies I watched: The Darkest Hour (2011), The Golden Compass (2007), Clash of the Titans (2010), I Kill Giants (2017), Crawl (2019), Prospect (2018), The Tunnel (2019), G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009), Terminator Genisys (2015), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013), Foolproof (2003), Inferno (2016), Occupation (2018), Rogue One (2016), and 4 episodes of the anime Planetes (2003).

Of those I watched, the movies that most stood out to me were the following:

I Kill Giants

A story about a troubled young girl in a troubled family who uses her imagination to help her cope with the harsh realities of life. She thinks there are giants that threaten her town and she’s the only one who can kill them and save the town. Thankfully, a new school councilor goes the extra mile to help this girl and we eventually learn what it was that sent her on this imaginative journey. A very touching story with an ending that hit me hard.

The Tunnel

This was a Norwegian movie about a disaster that happens in one of the many tunnels through the mountains around Christmas time when people are trying to get back home to celebrate with family. The movie was both about the disaster and what rescue workers did to try to save people, and also about a small family already grieving and attempting to move on with life. This one may have hit me harder because of my own recent experiences.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Can’t go wrong with the early Indiana Jones movies. I enjoyed returning to this classic from 1984, one I loved then and I loved again now.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

I loved the original Star Wars trilogy. Granted, I first watched it when very young when it first came to theaters, so much of my enjoyment is the great memories of something completely different from anything else I’d seen. But I’ve since rewatched it and still thoroughly enjoyed it. I found myself largely disappointed with the 2nd trilogy and to a great extent stopped watching new Star Wars content. But I kept hearing good things about Rogue One, so I finally gave it a try and I’m glad I did. It had much of the feel of the original trilogy, and though not a perfect movie, I found myself largely getting lost within it, as I did with the original movies.

Music

Music can be magical in its ability to evoke emotion, to move us in many different ways, and to help heal. And though I didn’t listen to or discover much new music this quarter, there is one song I want to share, one I’ve shared a different video of before. But of all I’ve shared this one is the most worthy of sharing again. And please, if you’ve heard of this group before but only know them for their harder heavy metal songs, consider giving this one a try. I know it stands out more for me now because of what I went through this quarter, but I think it’s an important message for all of us as we all go through these experiences. It’s important that we do hold on to memories, and that we try to make the most of the rest of our lives.

Disturbed - Hold on to Memories

 

Life

My mother was in the hospital (several hospitals, actually) almost the entire month of July and died in early August. Much of this quarter now feels like a blur. It was spent going back and forth between work and whichever hospital or facility my mother was in on that day. For much of that time I put my life on hold to visit and support my mother and my family. Thankfully, I still managed to regularly create posts for this blog though, of course, that wasn’t anywhere near my priority. Unfortunately I did have to put aside some of the other things I enjoy, like visiting and commenting on the blogs of friends, and responding to comments on this very blog. I regret not keeping up and I’ve been working to get back into the swing of things, to find that balance that lets me do those things. I’m so very thankful for everyone’s patience and for not completely abandoning me during my absence.

Life goes on. We slowly heal. We cherish memories of those who’ve gone before us. We strive to create new ones with those still around. Life can be difficult at times. It can seem hopeless and without purpose. But life can also be so very beautiful and so full of meaning, purpose and hope. I have always tried to keep a positive tone to my words on this blog, to seek out and share the beauty of the world, to provide a small refuge when it seems everything around us has become negative and hopeless. And I hope that despite the sometimes somber words I’ve shared this quarter that I’ve still managed to convey my positive and hopeful outlook, something I’ve not lost.

Life is beautiful. Cherish it!

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