GFM - People

Reactions:

Some GFM surprises: Cory! - He talks!; tv - He's young!; Annsan - She's good!; Doug - He's funny!; Cesar - He's a sweetie! I had never noticed Cory talking much on list, but he talks. I thought tv with his umpteen assistants and his ironic, world-weary jokes was a guy in his forties. The truth is, he said some assistants had only lasted a month or less, so he's gone through a lot rapidly. And Annsan has never said how good she is or showed many photos on the list -- I was blown away. Doug acts like a country hick, but he's a museum curator and an incurable volunteer (including helping organize the Nature Photography weekend). He also tells funny stories. And, Cesar, I knew he did tortured things with fake/real animal skins and cameras, so I was thinking, weird -- wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley. But he turned out to be a real sweetie and very friendly.

However, many were as I imagined them -- Graywolf, frank, Tanya, etc. If not in looks, in personality (of course, the ones I named I had seen photos of). Or I had no clear concept of them to begin with and got my picture of them nicely filled in. So I really enjoyed meeting everyone. And there's also something to be said for Southern hospitality and politeness -- which I not only encountered from Bill Owens and his wife, Phyllis, but all over Boone, where I stayed in a motel.

But I had to leave early Friday night due to a chili repeat and missed some fun. I also couldn't get back to the GFM Sunday morning because I was too tired after a late night of speed-ticket-getting (barreling, er, driving back to my motel from GFM, after trying to squeeze in as much socializing as I could since I had missed so much already). That night was made even later when I had to return to the mountain to get the purse I accidentally left behind (which I discovered was missing when the cop wanted to see my license -- oops!). I also had to leave on Sunday morning earlier than most, in order to fly out to visit another Internet friend in St. Louis on the way back to California.

Actually, privately I've been calling it the "Trip from Hell" considering everything that went wrong, the additional unexpected expenses I incurred, and how often I was physically uncomfortable (getting stuck trying to get out of the back seat of Graywolf's SUV, long flights with modern-day planes that are too crowded and cramped for a tall person, etc., etc.). The one redeeming feature was meeting so many nice people. There was surprisingly little friction (considering some past hot and heavy discussions on list) and it was a very pleasant, and even a heart warming, gathering.

But, even though most of it is funny in retrospect, no, after due consideration, I don't think I will do it again. :-)

Note: I've added some silly captions to these photographs. I hope the participants take them in good humor.


Bill Owens resting after a hard day (or was it a hard night?) of bird dogging PDMLers.


Frank fulfilling expectations by wearing the bunny ears. But there was no fluffy tail. :-(


Cesar laughing at my offer of $200 for his Optio-S. ("But I need to stay in Pentaxian
good graces and you really should upgrade to 4 mp. You know you should.")


Tom Reese contemplating his mirror lens. (Wonder if he used it for the eagle?)

second page      third page

GFM Nature Photos