You kids get outta my yard!

I have become the grouchy old lady that is always yelling at kids to get out of her yard. Not that I actually have kids that come in my yard- being that I live in a 55 and over community. But when we went out to the beach the other evening to watch the sunset, there were kids everywhere. I had forgotten that this was Easter break for many families and oodles were visiting the island on vacation. So I set my tripod up in an area where there were no people, and waited for the sun to begin to set. And wouldn't you know it, a family decides to gather on the water's edge right in front of where I was set up.


It's a big beach and plenty of room, so no problem... I picked my tripod up and walked a ways up the beach to another area where there was no one around. I found a spot right behind a small dune with sea oats waving in the breeze and a clear view of where the sun would set. I'll be damned, but two couples came strolling down the beach and decided to stand right in front of my view of where the sun would set. The two guys had their shirts off and huge bellies hanging over their shorts- not what I had in mind for my sunset photos. Now I was becoming seriously irritated!

But I didn't say a word and once again, I picked up my tripod and went searching for a clear view, another area with no people and for the third time set up and waited for the sunset. No sooner did I get set up and my tripod level, and here came another family headed right for the water edge directly in front of me. As I stood watching them, wondering if they would move on, it occurred to me that under the right circumstances I was capable of murder.


Hoping the fourth move would be the last, I moved yet again. I found another small dune with sea oats, set my tripod up behind it and prepared to take some sunset shots. The sun was getting ready to set and I had a clear view...
And here came a couple with 5 wild kids running and shrieking- sweet jezzuz, does no one use birth control anymore?!? One kid jumped right up on top of the dune where I was set up (never mind the signs all over saying it is a criminal offense to disturb the dunes and sea oats) and her mother said: "Oh goody! Let that lady take some pictures of you!" That is when I wanted to scream- "You kids get outta my yard!". But I didn't. I grit my teeth and told the woman I was actually set up to take photos of the sunset. She seemed surprised I wasn't just waiting for her and her horde of kids to arrive so I could photograph them. Lucky for me, something else caught the kids eyes and down the beach they ran, out of my view of the sunset.

And after all my problems with the tourists and finding an unobstructed view of the sunset, I ended up with one so-so photo. For some reason, all my photos had a big red reflection circle. I don't know if I had my settings screwed up or what was going on. Perhaps my camera was as irritated as I was with the tourists.

Peace-

Linda