With no on-track activity scheduled today at Lime Rock, I took a side trip over to Mystic and made a visit to Mystic Seaport. I had originally planned on taking the train into New York City, but given the unpredictable weather, I didn't want to get trapped in the rain relying on train schedules to get back. Next time.

If you're unfamiliar with Mystic, it is home to the Mystic Aquarium and Mystic Seaport. What is fascinating about the seaport is it is an actual working museum. As you walk around, people are hard at work restoring the ships and boats using original working methods and techniques. It's an amazing place.

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While in Toronto this week, I managed a some time away from the track and took a little side trip to an area called Yorkville. Yorkville is comprised of two parallel one-way streets, Yorkville Avenue and Cumberland, located at Bloor W. off Avenue Road, in the city proper.

In the 60's, Yorkville was Toronto's equivalent to San Francisco's Haight Ashbury and Detroit's Plum Street. However, where Haight Ashbury cycled through generational changes and Detroit's Plum street ushered out the summer of love by becoming overrun with drugs, bikers and the 12th Street riots, Yorkville entered the mid 70's with a renaissance of upscale shops, restaurants and ultimately, high-end condominiums. It was an incredibly vibrant area and saw a huge real estate and economic boom.

I spent a lot of time there in the 70's and 80's… so I thought I'd go and see how the turn of the century had treated the area.

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Ok… not sure what the title means. I just thought perhaps if I came up with a rather deep or prolific sounding title, the ideas or thoughts would simply fall in line. Hey… it's a process… or not.

So, I am back in full swing with the racing season and that means I'm facing that old age creative challenge of staying fresh and relevant. It ain't easy.

I think one of the things photographers have to come to terms with is personal growth and how YOU perceive your own improvement. If you've been at it for a few years, improvements and growth can come in pretty small increments and likely not be that perceptible to others. Don't let that stop or discourage you from pushing. Keep tweaking what you do… and keep pushing the envelope trying new things.

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