The Traveling Widower

Tag: travel

Default category for all travel related posts.

  • I Always Wanted To Be A Painter

    A man painting a landscape of an arch rock formation on an easel outdoors, smiling as he holds a paintbrush.
    I have that shirt! Who is this guy anyway?

    May 3rd, 2026

    This post should actually be titled “A Final Post On Moab”, or maybe “I Promise I’ll Improve” since I’m still flailing around with Adobe Lightroom. I’ve made some improvements to my computer setup, and now have a 8TB hard drive for storing photo images, and I’m using that as the permanent source for Adobe processing. As my father-in-law used to say, I’m getting organized. I’ve moved all the files from my travels to this drive, and have begun the process of filtering through them using LIghtroom, starting with the Arches/Astrophotography trip. 

    Adobe products have always been feature rich but very complex, and Lightroom Classic follows that path. It’s a wonderful product but it does rely on first understanding how to use the application, and having some artistic/creative capabilities for creating images that others might enjoy. Well, once upon a time (high school), I had artistic aspirations, which quickly faded after a few art classes. I have a creative streak, but it never quite made the brain-to-canvas transfer. I sadly switched my career goals to journalism/creative writing – that lasted for one semester in undergraduate school. My first semester English professor did not appreciate my warped sense of humor. Hmmm…I’m off track again. Where was I?

    Unfortunately, photography requires some of the same creative skills which I seem to be lacking in, both in basic composition, and as I’ve now discovered, in post processing. But, I’m giving it a go anyway. I really enjoy this as my hobby, and can whittle away hours messing around with Adobe. And best of all, you don’t have to clean up paint brushes afterwards.

    So, here’s what I’ve got from my post-processing of the Milky Way and starry night shots from Arches. I’ve posted a few of these before. I’ve also added a few lightly curated landscape shots as well.

    Landscape/Daylight

    A desert landscape featuring red rock formations, sparse vegetation, and a sandy ground under a blue sky with fluffy clouds.
    A towering rock formation under a clear blue sky with scattered clouds.

    Milky Way

    Night sky with the Milky Way visible above unique rock formations, illuminated by red light.
    A night sky filled with stars and the Milky Way over rugged rock formations and desert landscape.
    A starry night sky featuring the Milky Way, above rocky formations and a faint horizon glow.

    Stars

    A nighttime landscape featuring two large rock formations under a star-filled sky with numerous stars and faint celestial objects.
    A night sky filled with stars above a rocky landscape, featuring illuminated rock formations and greenery in the foreground.
    Night landscape featuring towering rock formations illuminated under a starry sky.
    Silhouette of a rock arch against a starry night sky with clouds.
    A dark night sky filled with stars above a large, illuminated rock formation.
    Starry night sky over rock formations with clouds illuminated by moonlight.

  • In Memory Of

    A photograph of the author’s wife, sitting at a table on a boat deck in Maui, smiling at the camera with a serene ocean background and a clear blue sky.

    April 27th, 2026

    I try to pretty much stick to photography and travel related topics in this blog, but once in a while, the widower part of me needs to post something about my wife. This is one of those times.

    Today is the second anniversary of her passing. This coming May 20th will be the third anniversary of the day her brain tumor made it’s presence known, the start of the 11 month nightmare of Glioblastoma. I can’t really say that I’m handling either of these days any better than the first time around.

    Jan was my soul mate, my partner in everything, our lives were totally intertwined. Traveling is my escape from grieving her loss – the joy in my life is now limited to the amazing things I see through the lens of my cameras, and the pleasure I get of sharing my travel experiences through the strange stories I write in this blog.

    Last year, I escaped to the coast to photograph hummingbirds, and had a martini or two that evening at a nice hotel. This year, I am alcohol free by my physician’s orders. so I’ll have a NA beer at home, but pour a lightly dirty vodka martini for Jan.

    If you were a friend of Jan’s, think of her smile and her laugh, and give her a toast with your favorite drink. She’d appreciate that. I would too.

    Peace be with you.

    The author and his wife taking a selfie outdoors with a clear blue sky in the background.
    A woman sitting at an outdoor table, holding a glass of white wine, smiling and resting her chin on her hand. In the background, there are wooden barrels and a rustic building.
    A woman in a blue apron holds a large kitchen knife, smiling playfully in a cooking class setting with other participants in the background.
    A woman sitting on a bench at a tennis court, holding a tennis racket and smiling. In the background, there are multiple tennis courts with green fences and palm trees.
    A woman with short blonde hair smiling and resting her chin on her hands, seated in a cozy restaurant with framed artworks on the walls.