House A is a 4,000+ square foot rambler tucked into the woods south of town, adjacent to a wildlife refuge upon which a herd of elk grazed blissfully under a cold winter sun. Just three years old, it was built with great attention to detail (a tub that fills from the ceiling?!?), and is bright, spacious, and perfect for entertaining, particularly if you have a lot of friends to entertain.

House B is just out of downtown Olympia, in a quiet westside neighborhood. In the back yard of a modest home is a cute little house that you could be forgiven for initially considering to be  a garden shed. It’s from a design by Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, and is built on a trailer chassis. So technically, yes, it’s a mobile home. While tiny, it has in common with House A a keen attention to detail, gracefully squeezing into it’s tiny footprint a kitchen, toilet, living space, closet, storage, and a sleeping loft, all illuminated by plentiful windows and two skylights.

Because it’s fun, because it may make you think about what you need to live and where you may fall on the continuum between extravagant and simple, and because I’ve yet to completely understand the universe’s lessons for me in this curious juxtaposition, I present without further comment images from the two homes.

Kitchen:

Bedroom:

Bathroom:

Interior:

Living:

First, the beauty of 16+ inches of snow:

Then, the fascinating hazard of freezing rain encasing twigs, leaves, cars, roads, even Buddha statues in a thick layer of ice:

That said, I’ve never been big on new year’s celebrations. It’s really just another day, marked by an arbitrary calendar system. And the new year won’t magically make anything newer than it was Dec. 31. Politicians will still blather, you’ll still have to pay taxes, and your to-do list won’t get any shorter overnight. Jan. 1 doesn’t have any more magic than June 7th or August 25th. Unless you’re doing something.

I’ve seen a fresh flurry of jobs come my way at the end of 2011, and I’m working to keep that flow going. In 2012 I have plans to become a better photographer, to tackle new challenges, to do things that make me uncomfortable, to make mistakes. And to learn and grow from it all.

I’ll post more about all that in months to come. For now, thanks for reading, commenting, and particularly for hiring me or buying my photos, if you’ve done so (and if not, why not?).

Above is the last photo I’ve taken in 2011, of the frost on my car this morning. Watch this space tomorrow and beyond for a vision of what the new year will look like. Happy new year!

Scott

Was taking some shots around the port of Olympia yesterday, and thought this one might make an interesting mini-planet. I’ve discussed the logistics of making these before, but if you’re curious let me know and I’ll go through it again. Below is the original, non-planetary image.

They’re large (5.5″ x 8.5″) and glossy and suitable for framing or for sending notes of love, regret, apology, or curiosity (the inside is blank). Most are images from the Olympia / South Puget Sound area and I’ll send you a set of all twelve cards with envelopes for just $20 including shipping (to USA destinations).

No, wait — there are 13 images. I just found one more pile of cards, of succulent veggies at the Olympia Farmers Market. You’ll get one of those, too, with no price increase. Here’s the bonus image:

Help me move these cards out so I can print more! Click below to order securely via PayPal. Thanks!

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Set of 13 Olympia-area photo greeting cards, $20 including shipping to USA* destinations.

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*If you live outside the USA and want a set of these cards, let me know and we’ll work something out.