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Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Special A to Z Participant - Lynda R. Young

Today’s Special Challenge Participant is the awesome Lynda R. Young! I met Lynda during the first Challenge and she never ceases to amaze me. Lynda embodies a generous and sweet spirit in more ways than one. Her writing tips are the best and she makes you think. (Thus reading her blog first thing in the morning sometimes makes my brain hurt!) But for the Challenge, she did something a little different with her blog…


You’re a writer – what made you decide to feature your photos for the Challenge?

Last year my A-Z theme was writing tips. It was super fun, but after two and a half years of blogging, it's quite a challenge to come up with new tips for 26 days straight. So this year I wanted to share a little more of who Lynda R. Young is and a big part of me is my artistic side. If I'm not writing, then I'm doing something creative.

Which photo was your favorite and why?

The dwarf pigface about to bloom is my favourite. The lighting was perfect for the shot and the colours are vibrant. I even managed to get it in focus.

Tell us more about your spelunking adventures.

Spelunking is off-the-beaten-track cave exploring which requires rope, a hard hat, and an adventurous spirit. Because I'm so little I could get into some pretty tight squeezes. The dirtier I got, the more fun I had. One time on a trip to Ireland I went cave exploring with some friends. We had a single torch (flashlight) between the three of us and we didn't have any safety gear. Unable to see the other side of an underground river, I jumped across and split my head open on a stalactite. I ended up getting two stitches and a cool scar. So much fun.

You had some great ocean shots – do you live near the ocean?

I live 10 minutes drive from Cronulla Beach, Sydney. The funny thing is, none of the shots I included in the challenge were from Cronulla. When I'm travelling, if I'm near an ocean I'll always make a point of checking out the view. I love the many moods of the ocean and the huge variety of different colours it has to offer.

What the heck is a Kookaburra?

The kookaburra is a native Australian bird with a distinctive call that sounds like a laugh. It always makes me feel happy when I hear it.

With all of the water shots, have you ever dropped your camera in water?

No, thank goodness. I'm a little paranoid about it so I always keep a firm hold of the camera. However, I learned the hard way to always carry around extra batteries. The one and only time I visited the amazing site of Pompeii, my camera battery died. I lost so many incredible photo opportunities there. Makes me a sad panda.

Which is more beautiful – the ocean or the desert?

That's a difficult one to answer. They both have their own unique beauty. However, after travelling for three days on the back of a camel across an Indian desert, I wasn't able to fully appreciate the beauty of the desert through the haze of heat, thirst, and a need for a good long shower.

Have you ever found the end of the rainbow?

I wish I could answer yes to that question. I'm still searching…


Thanks, Lynda!

Co-host Ninja Captain Alex is the author of CassaStar and CassaFire and his blog can be found HERE

68 comments:

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thank you so much for having me. It's a thrill and an honor to be here. Thanks too to Alex for coming up with such great questions.

Unknown said...

How lucky you are to have this gift. You take beautiful photos. I adore the sea, it's changing all the time and you can see that from your photos. I'd never heard of spelunking! (I'd heard of a kookaburra though)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Thanks for doing the interview, Lynda!

Theresa Milstein said...

Alex, nice seeing Lynda here!

Lynda, your blog was one of my favorites to visit during A to Z. Hope you find the end of the rainbow.

By the way, my son went through a phase where he kept saying Kookaburra because it was so entertaining to him.

shelly said...

This was a fun post, Lydia.

Hugs,
Shelly

Old Kitty said...

Spelunking! Now that's a word that should be changed! LOL!!! Why on earth is this activity called spelunking!?!? LOL!

Yay for amazing Lynda!! Thanks Cap'n Alex! Hope we all find what's at the end of our rainbows! Take care
x

Peaches Ledwidge said...

Alex, I didn't follow Lynda's blog during to A-Z challenge, so thanks for highlighting her photography talent.

writing and living by Richard P Hughes said...

I've enjoyed photography as well, at one point being a professional photography, running my own business. But it was part-time, and writing tugged at me more.

Ciara said...

I LOVE Spelunking!! So much fun!! I even spent the night in a cave once. It was awesome.
I enjoyed your pictures during the A-Z challenge.

Anonymous said...

Spelunking is just a fun word to say! Spelunking. Glad to hear you have such a positive attitude about that scar. I've collected a few over the years. Just not from spelunking.

Maryannwrites said...

Great interview and incredible pictures. Lynda, you are the first person I've met who put scar and fun in the same sentence. LOL

Loree Huebner said...

Always love your photos, Lynda!

I love to take pictures...sometimes we capture something totally unique out of something ordinary.

Jo said...

I am not much of a photographer, leave that to hubby. Enjoyed yours though.

Never wanted to try spelunking always seemed much too dangerous to me, especially in the really deep caves, watched it on TV quite a bit. Have visited some caves in the States which were fascinating, but they are already explored and made safe for tourists.

Jo said...

Just Googled and it says spelunking was probably derived from the French word speleologie which is the scientific examination of caves.

LTM said...

LOVE this interview! How wonderful to get to know you better, Lynda! Your pictures are gorgeous. I especially like the one of the large rock formations in the ocean--#5 from the top.

But UGH! Spelunking??? Haven't you seen The Descent? Girl! That movie scared the pants off me--and you just added to it! :D

Thanks for sharing, and *waves* to Alex! :o)

T. Powell Coltrin said...

Hi, Alex.

Lynda, Love your photos!!! So true about the batteries. My dad is the spelunker in our family. Wish I were, but two things stop me: Don't like dark enclosed places or cave spiders. I thought of a third reason I can spelunk-caves make my hair curl violently. :)

Teresa

Leovi said...

Excellent interview. Spectacular photos of the ocean. Greetings.

Arlee Bird said...

Wonderful interview. My spelunking days are long gone. I stopped when they started using ropes and descending into caves. And I started having nightmares about being trapped in small spaces.


Lee
Tossing It Out

Suze said...

I loved reading this interview. For me in the last couple of years, I feel like I've watched Lynnie's online presence bloom into a classy mix of poise professionalism and increasing glimpses into the intriguing woman behind it all. Add to that, I have a special appreciation for the images of those tiny blooms -- she knows why.

You couldn't have featured a better blogger.

Nancy Thompson said...

Splitting your head open is fun? You truly are an adventurer!

Lynn Proctor said...

i so enjoyed this--i love to play around with photography---yours are lovely!

Anonymous said...

Great interview. I enjoy Lynda's photos and it was great following her A to Z posts.

Golden Eagle said...

It was wonderful to see your photography during the A-Z Challenge, Lynda! Gorgeous photographs here, too.

Great interview.

Sherry Ellis said...

Gorgeous photos! Spelunking sounds like fun. I'll have to try it someday.

Suzanne Furness said...

Lovely photos, especially like the shots of the ocean.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Glad everyone enjoyed the interview and got to see some of Lynda's amazing photos.
And thank you Stephen for the laugh!

nutschell said...

hopped over from Lynda's blog. How cool to have Alex interview Lynda! Love both these bloggers!

What a pleasant surprise to discover that Lynda also has a love for photography. :) I love taking pictures myself, but I dont think any of them are half as good as Lynda's shots. :)

Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com

Rek Sesh said...

Gorgeous photos...and spelnking sounds fun but I may have to shed a lot of weight to get through those tight spots.

Christine Rains said...

Fantastic post and absolutely beautiful shots. I wish I were more agile to go spelunking. I did a bit of caving in my younger days until the last time I got my hips wedged, flashlight went out, and was stuck for 20 minutes in a dark cave. I managed to finally wiggle out, but that was the last time I did any caving. Darn hippy hips!

Anonymous said...

I came over here from Alex's blog. Glad I did. These are beautiful photographs, Lynda! So glad you've never water logged your camera. I agree that ocean and desert both have their unique beauty. I grew up in the desert of Salt Lake City, Utah USA and have traveled through the other desert states, once with my brother that was particularly scary as we almost ran out of gas on a long VERY hot stretch of nothing but a two-lane highway and desert flowers. Yes, hazy heat, thirst, wanting a shower. I can relate to that!

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

Beautiful photos! Thank you, Alex, for having Lynda for your guest. I can relate to the battery situation. It has happened to me more than once. I carry extra AAs for the digital camera that uses them. My new Nikon Coolpix has a special battery that needs recharging. I ran out of charge in the Colorado mountains and was thankful to have the little Sony camera with me as well.

Sherri Lackey said...

Lynda, your pictures and adventures are inspiring! I'm going to tell my photographer daughter about how you never have dropped your camera in the water. We're planning a trip to the Oregon coast and she is paranoid about that. She wants to take photos when we go but she doesn't want her camera damaged by seawater. She's even considering buying a cheap digital camera for the trip!

M Pax said...

You take beautiful shots. Maybe I need to hang out with you to figure out how to use my new camera better. Neat that you had adventures to go with the photos.

Deserts are always dry. Now that I live in one, I had to figure out how to moisturize from the inside. Seriously.

Miranda Hardy said...

Such wonderful shots! I love your adventurous side, too.

J.L. Campbell said...

Hey, Lynda,
It's cool to find out more about you. You're a lot more adventurous than I am for sure.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Susan, I hadn't heard of spelunking until I went to Uni and discovered the spelunking club. Best discovery ever!

Alex, thanks again for the interview. It was lots of fun.

Theresa, Kookaburra is an entertaining word! hehe And I hope I find that rainbow end too.

Shelly, thanks

Old Kitty, you know, I've not looked into the origin of the word. Now I want to! hahhaha

Peaches, it's easy to miss a few blogs in the challenge with so many taking part.

Richard, oh wow! My photography has never gone professional. It's just a fun hobby.

Ciara, aw, I've not spent a night in a cave! That would be soooo awesome!!

Stephen, scars are battle trophies. (Reminds me of that Jaws scene where they compared scars hehehe).

Maryann, hehe, I'm a bit strange like that ;)

Loree, that's exactly the joy I get out of photography--capturing that something special.

Tara Tyler said...

lovely interview! i loved your a to z photo adventure!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Jo, thanks for looking up the origin of the word spelunking. Good to know!

Leigh, actually I haven't seen Descent. Maybe that's a good thing ;)

Teresa, yeah I'm not a fan of cave spiders either, but they are usually only close to the surface. So the deeper I go, the better!

Leovi, thanks so much

Lee, I didn't get to abseil into a cave. I think that requires even more commitment.

Suze, you made me blush with the kind words you left in the comments. Thank you so much.

Nancy, I am true adventurer. Hear me roar (and when I say roar, I mean wince) heheh.

Lynn, Medeia, Golden, Suzanne, thanks so much.

Sherry, it's awesome fun, so I hope you do try it one day.

Nutschell, thanks so much. I only get a few good shots out of a gazillion fuzzy or crooked shots hehehe. Yay for digital photography!

Rek, there are a few mighty tight spots. I got caught in one and it took me a while to wriggle free.

Christine, your story gave me a giggle. I did something similar ;)

Ann, wonderful to see you here! Running out of gas in the middle of nowhere is a scary thing. Glad you got out ok.

Monti, yes! I also carry two cameras now for that reason hehhe. Well, technically the 2nd camera is my hubby's ;)

Sherri, being paranoid is good because paranoia keeps you alert.

Mary, if you ever come to Australia, I'm more than happy to share camera tips :)

Miranda, Joy, and Tara, thanks so much!

Anonymous said...

Love your answers... ohh kookaburras as so cute.. they always sing near my place before it's about to rain:)

Callie Leuck said...

Awesome! I used to know a song about a kookaburra.

erica m. chapman said...

Wow!! Spelunking? That is SO cool!! I remember the song we sung as kids about a Kookaburra sits in an old plum tree, or something. Very cool!

Great interview!!

T. Roger Thomas said...

Your cave diving experiences put mine to shame. I'm impressed.

Anonymous said...

Incredibly awesome photos, Lynda. They really evoke some lovely enotions.

I can see why you chose to feature them for the A-Z challenge. A great theme and very eye catching. A real talent.

J.C. Martin said...

Awesome interview! Photography? Spelunking? Wow Lynda, you are truly a woman of many talents!

Unknown said...

Great interview, loved looking through the pics again. Coming from Australia too, I have also travelled the coastline and the deserts of this great country. There are some amazing spots to photograph, as Lynda has shown.

Kittie Howard said...

What a great interview! Lynda, you're one talented and amazing gal. Loved your photos and travel experiences. I think you'd find beauty wherever you went.

Melissa said...

Great interview and some awesome photography. Alex and Linda, you both rock! :)

Tina said...

Linda, I really enjoyed this interview. I do feel like I know you a bit better! Lovely photos. I especially like the ocean shot - I'm a water lover who grew up on the Chesapeake Bay in MD, sailing, water skiing, visiting the Atlantic beaches. What you say about "mood" of the ocean is so true. It has a life of its own.
Spelunking? My second worst nightmare. The first is drowning, which does seem ironic with my love of water, but it's a recurring nightmare, what can I do.
However, I'm EXTREMELY claustrophobic, so you'll NEVER find me spelunking. I've done some tours of caves, they have awesome ones on the East Coast, and Cave of the Winds in South Dakota (or maybe Wyoming...we road trip a lot) was the best. Not too many narrow passages, and I was "escorting" my friends totally scared child which made me have to be the brave mommy figure and that helped a LOT. I do enjoy that moment when they turn of every light and you experience TOTAL darkness.
Alex- you do such a great job with these interviews. Thanks for another great one!
Tina @ Life is Good
Post A-Z Road trip!
Co-Host of the 2012 A-Z Challenge

Jarm Del Boccio said...

I've enjoyed your photos throughout the challenge, Lynda, so it's nice to know the history behind the images. You are quite an adventurer!

Carol Kilgore said...

Love, love, love these photos :)

Love the ocean :)
Hate. Caves.
But I have a touch of claustrophobia, so that could explain why.

Victoria Lindstrom said...

What a wonderful blog post! It was great to learn more about Lynda - she's one of my favorite bloggers. The photos were awesome - thanks!

Unknown said...

I just loved your photos and your A-Z challenge. Can't wait to see what you have in store for us next year.

Unknown said...

I've always wanted to try spelunking. One day I'll give it a go :)

Michelle Wallace said...

This is such a fun post and Lynda seems to possess quite an adventurous spirit!
Great photos!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Glad everyone enjoyed getting to know Lynda better!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

tfwalsh, I so love the sound of kookaburras.

Callie, was the song about a kookaburra sitting in an old gum tree? ;)

Erica, close! the plum tree is a gum tree, an Aussie native.

Roger, cave exploring is so much fun!

Madeleine, thank you so much

JC, it's all just a lot of fun ;) Thanks

CM, you are so right. I want to travel again around Australia to capture more places. The contrasts in this country are amazing.

Kittie, Ha, I hadn't thought of it that way. Thanks.

Tina, isn't it fantastic how very dark the caves get when all lights are turned off. And yes, Spelunking truly tests a person's claustrophobic tendancies.

Jarm, I might seem adventurous, but I won't go bungee jumping... ever. ;)

Carol, yep, claustrophobia will do that.

Victoria and Clarissa, thanks

Jamie, don't leave it too late. Spelunking requires a certain amount of flexibility ;)

Michelle, thanks so much

Alex, thanks again for the great opportunity to revisit the challenge.

Callie Leuck said...

YES IT WAS. Kookaburra sits in an old gum tree. blah blah blah. I think it was a round song? I wonder if I learned it in Girl Scouts. We did a lot of those round songs and call-back hiking songs. It feels like it might have been part of the Girl Scout repertoire, along with that weird one about Tarzan falling in a frying pan. Which, looking back on it, was an especially weird song. And then there was one about the princess pat who lived in a tree and something about sailing across the seven seas with a rickabamboo...which I still have no idea what it is.

So you can see why I think the kookaburra song might have been part of this group!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Callie, I don't think blah, blah, blah was in the kookaburra song ;)
(sorry, couldn't help myself) But yes, it is a round song and yes I think I learned it in girl scouts as well!! hehehe. I'm not sure about those other songs though. They sound like my kind of weird.

Pat Tillett said...

Great photos Lynda! Another skill you've obviously mastered...

MAJK said...

Great interview! I enjoyed your photography! Looking forward to the next A to Z.

*~MAJK~*

Joy said...

Lynda, my favorite shot is the last one; the ocean with the huge rocks. so beautiful.

Misha Gerrick said...

Great questions!

I'd love to go spelunking one day, although I'd prefer to start with an experienced spelunker to guide me.
:-)

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

It's nice to meet you, Lynda. I was actually hopping over from IWSG to say hi. Your answers were insightful.

Denise Covey said...

Great seeing the lovely Lynda here. I love her photos. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words...

Missed Periods said...

I can't believe you split your head open on a stalactite. Ouch! The picture is gorgeous, though, so it was worth it. Just kidding.

Rachna Chhabria said...

Spelunking sounds fun, Lynda. On the next trip I will be with you :)

Your pictures are amazing. I have always envied the pictures on your blog.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Pat, I don't know about mastered, but thanks.

MAJK, so am I! Thanks

Joy, thanks so much. It was such an amazing place.

Misha, yep, that's a smart move to go with someone experienced first. That's what I did and it was brilliant (not the time I split open my head, lol).

Joylene, lovely to meet you too. Thanks.

Denise, if only we could write novels using pictures... ;)

Missed Periods, it was worth it!! :)

Rachna, thank you so much. You are welcome to come along any time.

Anonymous said...

Hi, Lynda! Great interview. Beautiful pictures.