Two weeks is a glorious amount of time to recapture the joys of everyday life. If you read my previous blog entry you’re familiar with my ways to capture the wonder of vacation during our annual stay at the beach. Here’s my new report from this year’s fun.

The classic sunglass shot of my daughter Miranda is a “must have” to show the passage of time and for my Miranda calendar. She puts so much attitude into the shot  which started as a spontaneous photo but has become an informed pose, so much so that I look forward to her newest take on a classic.

Here is this years’ shot—along with a strong alternative. Which one says “I am so cool on the beach with my Dad?”

The alternative - where you can see me taking her picture in the glasses.

We made it to the beach 13 out of 14 days—and here’s the ticket shot—the collection of all the day-pass tickets to get to Heart’s Desire beach. Please don’t worry, they don’t block my view. (I appreciated the comment  in my previous blog from someone who considers them to be a safety hazard, but they don’t distract from driving and they do add a physical reality to the evolution of our two week vacation.

A new approach was to document our dinners in more detail One of our culinary experiments was ribs. Lots of ribs. And slightly different ways to prepare, cook and serve ribs. We started with two racks and they were such a big hit that we graduated to six racks on the last Saturday night dinner. And boy, did they go fast.

I hadn’t thought about shooting the food in years past, but it’s such a big part of what we do on vacation that I thought it worthy of capturing—and I will journal about the food when I make my vacation book. Expect some recipes and grilling tips, especially how to do “no fault” oysters over the coals.

Another new (for me) idea was to document ME as part of the landscape. I got this idea from Deb Harkins, our design lead at Shutterfly. She has a totally great shot of her toes in the sand from her Russian River vacation and I liked the sense of locating myself in a place I love. This shot is just my hand reaching for the sky, but the clarity of the detail and the light spill take me back to how I feel when I have nothing in front of me but blue sky.

Part of what makes the time we spend each year here so special are the friends we invite to stay and play. Miranda has her “gal pals” up and they help turn the weeks into a long play date. You can see how much the girls enjoy each other’s company—and it makes Miranda so happy. And, they grow bigger and bolder each year. Don’t neglect the ability to watch time pass when you look back at years of vacations.

If you’ve seen my Inverness books you know that canoe trips are a highlight. Each year the kids get stronger and can almost manage the paddle across the bay by themselves.

We originally picked the last two weeks of August to take our vacation so that we could celebrate my wife Sarah’s birthday. This year was another great party, with a homemade cake of ultra chocolate. And like last year, I took non-flash pictures (lit by candlelight) to capture the warmth and intimacy that a flash does not permit. Just use a tripod and ask everyone to stay still.

Another new adventure this year, sure to be repeated, was a dawn balloon ride. It was serene and exciting and blended adventure with surprise.

Finally, I did both a “first day” and “last day” shot of my favorite place to relax. This image is from the final morning of our stay. I went to the beach by myself this day as everyone else but Sarah and Miranda had gone home. It was foggy at first, giving the beach a mystical appearance. But by late morning the sun was shining and everything was good.

Let me know how you plan and create the story of your time away from the pressures of the day-to-day. For me it’s a time I celebrate each year—because that celebration needs to last 12 more months.