For the last few days I've been writing about my adventure to get to the nearby lake. This was a struggle given the strange environments that Google Maps sent me through, a series of random places and the empty spaces within the abandoned and the overgrown. A scary but quite fun trip that allowed me to discover some new places I had no idea existed in the first place. Upon finally arriving at the lake, it was a struggle to escape a sudden storm that swept in, with the loudest thunder I've ever heard above my head. I spent about an hour in a nearby cafe for shelter, ensuring I didn't get electrocuted to death given how strong of a storm this was, and how natural of an environment this was too. One person would continue to swim in the lake, which caught me by surprise. But once the weather cleared up a bit, I finished my coffee and headed out back to the lake to fly my drone, and it was a wonderful time there! The sky cleared up, a lot of the wind disappeared, and the colours in the area were truly beautiful. To add to this, it was the most natural space I've been in since I arrived in Georgia, excluding the train ride on the way here. It was a bit quiet by the time I went there, given many had left, and the weather had decreased the general population even more. Though people came and went as they drove to the area.
Around evening, people would come and jog, they'd take walks with their families, walk their dogs, or even go fishing in the lake. Though a lot of the more entertainment side of things seemed a bit empty. The bar was pretty much dead, and most outdoor seating areas were relatively thin in people. Which makes sense given nobody wants to be sitting out under the rain or a storm. It made the area even more peaceful. No loud music, no loud people. And a more natural setting that could be appreciated. The birds in the water. The waves moving with the gentle breeze.
I spent quite a bit of time at the lake, initially just experimenting and flying the drone over the water, keeping an eye on the still grey clouds and somewhat stronger winds above that would sweep in from time to time. I was cautious enough to not fall for the assumption that all was well finally, and fly the drone deeper over the lake. I knew my luck. I knew my chances. And I was not to be making that mistake. Not here. So I kept the drone hovering at a safer distance, not letting it stray too far into the lake. The views were beautiful though, and the smell of fresh pine trees left such a sweet smell in the air that it was incredibly comforting. To add, the ground was still wet and that heat had not yet replaced the cooler air. After shooting a bit around the beach side of the lake, I decided to walk around it, to which I realised how large this lake actually was. It took about an hour in total to walk around, and I didn't stop to take photographs again until I reached the halfway point. It was nice not having that fear of bothering people with the drone here. Nobody seemed to care. Some noticed it and took interest, especially some kids to which I don't blame them. I heard the Russian word for "drone" shouted a few times by an excited child up ahead. It sounds much like the English word. Though a bit more of an 'a' at the end of the word. I even had police walk by me at one point while I held the drone in my hands, half expecting them to be there for me to tell me I couldn't fly it.
They instead just gave me that typical annoying police look: a stern stare into the soul. Not there to protect or to serve anyone but the government and their elite pals. Something quite clear about police in this part of the world: they are generally more scum. Puppets that are more than happy to cause some harm rather than invoke safety. I can't say I have any respect for them. Nor does one really feel safe in their presence. But hey, they ignored me despite the stronger look. So a few moments later I found a new spot and set things up again, for one final flight in the area.
The landscape varied as it was the end of Tbilisi. It resulted in a road that went into a nearby town-like area that I will photograph a bit more tomorrow. Though there's nothing really else there beyond it. Just the mountains which go on and on. I quite like these areas, it does feel more like the edge of the world, and sometimes I have that curiosity as to what is beyond those mountains, wanting to start walking and going on as far as I can go to see what I stumble into. I find I spent a lot of time pretty much doing just this on Google Maps. Venturing into the unknown areas beyond the city and looking around, inspecting each unique structure that appears on the map in the middle of nowhere, really expecting to find something. To which I take some notes and then feel an impulse to go to one day for further inspection. I quite like this idea, to really go where so few others do. To see what's beyond the comfort of the city and the towns, even beyond the villages. To go where roads don't really continue. And the drone helps with this sometimes, allowing me to fly over the areas that would otherwise stop me in my path. I have often praised the drone for being something I never get bored of, for allowing me to see more of the world from perspectives I could never dream of. It definitely is the best purchase I've made, to the point in which I actually want to get another, a much bigger one with more power and also better battery life. To increase that creative potential.
But that would also require much more hard work, to continue to get out there and explore and find new things to shoot. In hopes of finally catching a few sales on those adventures. It makes things a lot more exciting to know that these adventures could result in something that actually pays and increases the types of adventures to be had. Allowing me to earn and fund them beyond. I'd love to be in that position of being able to go anywhere and capture anything and know it's building something worthy of all that time, all while being something I thoroughly enjoy the process of.
Well, those are the shots of the lake. A great time, and a lot of new areas for me to shoot as a result of going there. I'm excited to return tomorrow and spend the day there a bit more. Hopefully without sudden storms of more worrying paths to get there.