#pegair

[tobyharrimanphotography]

Alaska continues to blow my mind. Taken a few weeks ago while flying around with the amazing team at @vspeed.us over the Alaska Range and the Kichatna Spires. #alaska #viewak #natgeotravel #pegair (at Alaska) https://www.instagram.com/p/CNYkeV3FxN_/?igshid=78hn08897jnu

[norhimorovine]

The Young Skywatcher

Norhi was recently returned from a trip to Limsa Lominsa. She’d unhitched Crystal from the cart and had begun unloading the wares she’d bought. She looks up as Zuki comes out with the twins on his heels, and Vhene in a sling. While Dis seemed mostly his usual self, he kept watching his sister more than usual. It was Lhissa who seemed surprisingly downhearted, given that she was often as bright and positive as her older sister. Norhi kissed her husband’s cheek and then eyed her little sister. “What’s with her?” she whispered to Zuki.

Zu shrugged as he answered, “Dis said kids in the neighborhood were… rude.”

Norhi mused on this and nodded, turning back to unloading the cart. Zuki took a box inside, leaving the twins to help Norhi. After a moment, Norhi turned and tugged Lhissa into a hug. “You’re more wilted than an under-watered basil starter, little sister mine.”

Lhissa sighed and clung to her older sister. Dis frowned and finally spoke up, “Derk and Kamber said that stories were stupid. And not true. And that people only had to listen to the seedseers when it mattered.”

Norhi blinked up at this. “Derk and Kamber? The elezen boys three doors down from Mama? Ms. Pegaire’s boys?”

Dis nodded. “Yeah. They were mean about it too. Laughing at Lhis and telling her she was dumb for listening to your stories.”

Norhi hummed at this. “Interesting. I know for a fact that a few of my stories came from their own mother.”

Lhis blinked and looked up at Norhi. “Her too? I thought all your stories were from miqo’te tribes!”

Norhi laughed and tugged her sister over to the nearby bench, wrapping an arm around Dis as they passed him. She sat, pulling the twins to sit on either side of her. “Most of my stories do. But the elezen have good stories too. If anything, the Gridanian tales are very matter of fact. Usually very useful. Like… the ones I learned about listening to your elders. There were a lot of those, in fact.”

Lhis leaned into Norhi’s side. “Tell us one?” she asked, her voice smaller than normal.

Norhi smiled softly and kissed the top of her sister’s head. “Of course. Tomorrow, when you two go back to Mama’s, take some cookies over to Ms. Pegaire and ask her for a story or two. Tell her I said that you’ve been listening to me spin yarns.”

Dis nodded quickly. “We will!”

Norhi grinned and hugged both of them. “Good! Now… Let’s see… Ah! The Young Skywatcher!”

Now, in each village, there is a skywatcher. They’re important members of a village, watching for storms or out of season weather. They’re good folk who try to take care of their homes. Course, one doesn’t just decide to be a skywatcher. Like any other craft, one learns from an elder, becoming their apprentice.

Now in this one village, a young man had become the apprentice skywatcher. He seemed to have a knack for it and thought he was doing well. He’d predicted a few storms, getting the hour and minute down perfectly. Saved a few farms for it. A lightning storm had swung up and he’d warned the Wailers, who watched for fires, managing to cut one off before it got too close to a nearby barn. And when a windstorm came swinging up, he got word sent out and several folks were able to lock down their tools and windows, before things blew off.

The praise he’d received for his efforts puffed him up a little. And when the elder skywatcher sat him down for his next lesson, he only half listened. He nodded through the lecture, doodled on his notes. The summer heat was coming. But it was the forest, there hadn’t been a drought in ages. He figured it was a useless lesson, but didn’t scoff at the elder skywatcher. After all, the man had served for so long, he deserved at least the respect for his job well done.

When the summer started, the elder skywatcher chose to leave the village in his apprentice’s care, taking a a couple moons to go to see his daughter in the next village. The apprentice gladly took on the job. He predicted winds, and heat. He’d found it odd that he wasn’t seeing any signs for rain. But he was seeing more and more signs for heat. He shrugged it off though. It was summer after all.

After sennight and a half with no rain, the farmers started coming to him during his shifts. When will we get rain? Why is it so dry? And the apprentice worked to calm them. He was certain the rains would come soon. Just be patient.  It wouldn’t take long.

Another sennight passed and still the apprentice could see no signs of rain coming. The farmers were muttering. The other villagers were worried. Was it a drought? Why hadn’t the skywatcher predicted this? The young man was so worried, he turned back to his notes, trying to find what the signs for drought were. But all he found were little doodles of trophies and squirrels.

Before another sun had passed, the village had cornered the apprentice at his post. They yelled and waved their fists, demanding answers. But then the elder skywatcher arrived. “Now now. Yelling at a boy who didn’t listen to his lessons won’t bring you any rain.”

The apprentice was surprised. “Master, I thought you would be gone another sennight!”

The elder skywatcher nodded. “I was. But I returned when I saw the signs of drought. And as I suspected, you did not listen to your last lesson. And the village is unprepared.”

The apprentice hung his head. “What do we do, Master?”

The elder smiled. He turned to the village headsman. “We drafted a plan for water rationing some time ago, in preparation for this day. It is time we enacted that plan. But given the late start, let’s give the farms what they should’ve received a few suns ago.”

The headsman nodded and turned to start pointing at the various members of the village, designating water carriers and how much should go to the farms. He started advising the merchants and artisans to work during the cooler hours. And that everyone stay inside during the worst of the heat.

The elder skywatcher turned back to his apprentice. “I will go over what we did to make this plan with you later. But for now, in penance, I expect you to carry water to the various farms. Please be certain to apologize properly to everyone while you’re doing this.”

The young man nodded and turned to do as he’d been told. Many of the farmers were displeased with him, but accepted his apology, only letting him free after they’ve bent his ear with their own lectures. They were going to have a poor harvest, but they’d survive. If only they’d been able to prepare when it started a moon ago.

And it was a poor harvest, come the beginning of autumn. But when the rains finally came, the boy knew how to predict a drought. And he made sure to listen to his lessons from then on.

Norhi sat back, watching her siblings give her very disappointed looks.

Dis scrunched his nose. “Well, no wonder Derk and Kamber hate stories, if all elezen stories are like that!”

Norhi laughed. “Not all of them. But a number. Like I said, they are a very matter of fact people.”

Lhissa mused and then nodded. “I bet Ms. Pegaire knows some good ones.”

Norhi nodded. “She does.

[tobyharrimanphotography]

Mount Huntington in the Alaska Range. Flying with @talkeetnaair a few years back. One of my favorite Alaskan Sightseeing Tours. @TravelAlaska #Alaska #Pegair #viewak (at Alaska) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ-kEIkl9Vd/?igshid=fnq7quensu8m

[tobyharrimanphotography]

Just across the Golden Gate Bridge outside San Francisco, is the beautiful Point Bonita Lighthouse. #shotoniphone #iphone12pro #sanfrancisco #flyspecialized #pegair (at Point Bonita Lighthouse) https://www.instagram.com/p/CG833iBJX-F/?igshid=epwl9vaw78uh

[tobyharrimanphotography]

Another iPhone 12 Pro shot from my flights over SF recently! This one from the Ocean Beach angle looking back over Sutro Baths, The Cliff House, VA Hospital and towards the Golden Gate Bridge. #shotoniphone #iphone12pro #sanfrancisco #flyspecialized #pegair (at San Francisco, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CG5_YTNFVi_/?igshid=1a0avq93ilvu

[tobyharrimanphotography]

A frozen wind blown lake, creating some of the coolest textures I’ve captured. #alaska #travelalaska #pegair #viewak (at Alaska) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJotS1qlPij/?igshid=1nlnh269xijj9

[tobyharrimanphotography]

The views over Tokositna Glacier. From one the many flights I have taken of the Alaska Range with @talkeetnaair over the years. #Alaska #ViewAK #PegAir #TravelAlaska (at Alaska) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKIrxcLF_Mv/?igshid=1htlmpyoipj5f

[tobyharrimanphotography]

2020 sure isn’t letting up. California is now battling roughly 367 known fires. Today, I decided to drive down the coast and document what I could of the ‪#CZUAugustLightningComplex‬ fire. This fire is just north of Santa Cruz, is burning over 25,000 acres and growing with 0% containment so far. It was a day I won’t forgot. On the lucky and semi-exciting side of being a photographer, I got to document my buddy and pilot friend @Jakelounsbury who use to fly me around SF and now fights fires and his co pilot @rlenzer. On the not so lucky and not exciting side of things, knowing a friend probably lost his home in this very fire. That part was unsettling to say the least. I was standing here in absolute awe, with a group of locals who were just evacuated, watching their land and homes burn away in the distance. Everyone was in decent spirits, but you could tell deep down how everyone was really feeling. Something I could not relate to, but I could definitely see it in them. I started talking with a nice gentleman named Andy, who was a local Arborist and lived in the now burned valley for the past 12 years. He mentioned and pointed at his three trucks filled with everything he could grab. We sort of knew this fire was going to come at us eventually. So before I decided to leave the area and get out of everyone’s way, I offered to help him shuttle his trucks, as he seemed to be alone. One by one a few miles down the road we went so that he could at least get them parked further from this fire zone. I know I can’t stop the fire and save the day, but I also felt I didn’t just want to stand there and be that come and go tourist. I love this area and have explored this coast for the past 10 years as a photographer. Never have I seen it like this. I am praying for these fires to let up and of course 2020 to end. Pictured is a Blackhawk H-60A+ Helicopter with a Bambi Max Bucket. Shots taken on August 19, 2020 near Whitehorse Canyon north of Davenport and the Santa Cruz area. Photos by @tobyharriman. ‪#natgeo #pegair#CaliforniaFires‬ ‪#santacruzfire‬ #blackhawk #santacruz #fire #pescadero (at Pescadero, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEGjOFVl4HX/?igshid=163s5zosvcf2u

[tobyharrimanphotography]

Always missing a round at @tpchardingpark. Can’t wait to get back and play there soon. #sanfrancisco #pegair #pegagolf #FlySpecialized (at TPC Harding Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/COjSzULF2p1/?igshid=vnx6hqm9a979

[tobyharrimanphotography]

A 2016 🚁 aerial over Columbus Circle. #newyorkcity #manhattan #pegair #natgeotravel (at Columbus Circle) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-lY_b5F3G7/?igshid=5zymcuf30z6d

[tobyharrimanphotography]

I originally moved to San Francisco so I could attend the Academy of Art University. Mostly because they had NCAA Division II Golf and Art. A perfect match if you asked me back then. I ended up choosing art over golf at the time, as I figured it was a better career choice for me. But after 8+ years of barely any play and being full time in the photo/video industry and once COVID hit, I got re-hooked on the game. Not only from a playing perspective but from a creative perspective. I feel life is coming full circle and I hope I can find some more time to blend those two passions more. Living back in Alaska wont make that easy, but travel seems to be back in full swing again :D. This shot is taken via helicopter over the Presidio Golf Course, which was our colleges home course and mine for a bit. I love how many course options are within the Bay Area. #sanfrancisco #alwayssf #pegair #pegagolf #FlySpecialized (at San Francisco, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CNvMdAzpgFl/?igshid=rgfo85c9oze1

[tobyharrimanphotography]

You may or may not be sick of my helicopter shots by now. But if not, here are a few shots taken down in the Big Sur and Monterey area. What an incredible coastline to fly over. 🚁 with @specializedhelicopters. #FlySpecialized #Monterey #BigSur #PegAir (at Big Sur Coastline) https://www.instagram.com/p/CLc-zH_FD8h/?igshid=227v6iyxse0p

[tobyharrimanphotography]

These days I’ve been looking for any outlet to get outside. Many here probably know me more as a photographer. But deep down, golf was a huge passion of mine through college. However, I basically took the past 8+ years off minus playing a few times here and there. But lately, I’ve had the golf bug, thanks to some friends for getting me re inspired. And photographers and ambassadors for the sport like @hafe_life and @burningcartsociety. It’s really cool seeing how the game and old school traditions have been adapting to the times and becoming a more inclusive sport for everyone. I hope I can get back into this sport more often. Because I love aerial photography too. Golf courses like @torreypinesgolf make for some great photos. Taken Pre-Covid just after the @farmersinsopen. #aerial #pegair #pegasusaerials #torreypines (at Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCz-hwYFhDY/?igshid=1ihef3hh96obe

[tobyharrimanphotography]

Was pretty cool flying in the LA area after the mountains got a dusting of snow. Almost looks fake to me. #aerial #losangeles #dtla #pegair #natgeotravel (at San Francisco, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8ZpFKIlI16/?igshid=di9hygwzc79r

[tobyharrimanphotography]

From an amazing sunrise back in 2014. Via 🚁 #sanfrancisco #alwayssf #pegair (at San Francisco, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-gV51mFMLG/?igshid=938hjp5log5

[tobyharrimanphotography]

Golf 🏌🏻‍♂️and Helicopters 🚁. Two of my favorite things. Also fitting we got to fly over the amazing Spyglass Hill Holf Course the day before the @pga @attproam. 🚁 with @specializedhelicopters on their Doors-Off Photography Experience. #flyspecialized #monterey #pegair (at Spyglass Hill Golf Course) https://www.instagram.com/p/CLSYLFdl45S/?igshid=1mbc178ny1wx0