Return

We arrived back from California late last night around midnight. After a good sleep, I spent the day catching up on the newspaper (and, again, sleep) and looking at all the photos I took. Now, I'm ready to blog again.

Friday and Sunday were mostly spent in the car. It takes about 12 hours to get from our house to the Fresno, California area where the wedding was held. Friday morning, we caught up with my grandparents and aunts for breakfast while still in Oregon, and then hit the road again for the long drive south. I-5 south of Eugene is full of very pretty scenery. We were surrounded by fog after leaving at 5 AM, and later in the morning we drove through pretty hills and mountains. I took a small nap and woke up just in time to see Mount Shasta in California. It's pretty impressive. Shasta Lake is amazing too. After that, California offers an increasing amount of farmland. It gets flat and dry, and that's not a pretty sight for an Oregon boy used to trees and mountains.

We made many stops on the way down for bathroom breaks and new bottles of water. We finally made it to our hotel just after 5 PM. After settling in, we headed out to the wedding site for a pre-wedding barbeque. My uncle, the bride's father, knows his way around a grill better than most, so we were treated to great-tasting meat. I took quite a few beautiful sunset pictures, as well as photos of the wedding setup. I'll probably post some later this week.

After a good night's rest, we woke up and hit the Denny's next door to the hotel for breakfast. Going out places makes me realize how large our family really is. There were 12 of us in all, and there were even some family members still at home! I ordered a grand slam with pancakes, double-order of bacon and a biscuit. The portions were small enough that I finished it all. After a trip to Wal-Mart and some freshening up at the hotel, we headed out to the wedding site with a big day still ahead of us.

The wedding day was one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, moments in my photography career. You won't get to see them, but I took many great photos. The best were taken during the pre-wedding photo session you see at most weddings. The professional photographer did all the hard work of posing and directing. All I had to do was snap photos, get the right settings on my camera, and try to stay out of the way. I am very proud of the photos I took.

The wedding setup at the groom's parents' house had a large tent in the big front yard, with tables set up for the dinner (and for shade in the very hot weather). There was a small bar set up to the side. Beyond that, the groom's parents have a pond with a land bridge in between. On the other side were a few rows of white chairs and a wooden arch where the ceremony was held. I worked hard to find a good vantage point for photos, finally settling on the middle of the aisle. I had to kneel to avoid being in anyone's view. My leg was sore, but the photos were worth it. I didn't miss the kiss! After a few more photos by the professional, we went to the tent to relax and enjoy ourselves. There was a catered dinner featuring prime rib, and the usual toast, cake-cutting, dancing and such. We stayed very late, well past 10 PM. It was very enjoyable for all. I even danced a bit!

After another good night's sleep, it was time to hit the road. First, we stopped back at the wedding site for a third time for a breakfast and gift-opening. After saying a long goodbye to the bride, groom and others, we finally hit the road. Or we did, until my grandfather wanted to stop for ice cream. I made a huge mistake by ordering (and drinking) a medium hot fudge milkshake. A half-hour later, I wasn't feeling too great. We got me cooled off and made a fast stop so I could, well, get better, and then I slept.

The drive back up to Oregon was long. The scenery in very northern California was beautiful - many golden-green hills, with the sun hitting them just right. I must have missed it on the way down. It was nice to return home. I had a nice, cold drink and went to bed! It was a good trip, I must say. The wedding was awesome and worth all the hours in the car. I'm very happy for my cousin and I'm glad I was able to be there for her. I'm also glad that I've captured memories on my camera for my family to enjoy for many years in the future.