A year ago I purchased a new digital camera. I needed it – not because I’m a travel writer and travel writers need pictures to go along with the stories but because someone or something hacked into my website and destroyed it. I needed pictures of me so my computer guru could build another site. He did a fabulous job so I put the camera away to collect dust.

I did pull out and use the Canon PowerShot A560 from time to time because I felt guilty about paying $170.00 (on sale) for something I used once – actually twice – I didn’t like the first lot of pictures of me. The guilt didn’t last long and I consoled myself with the fact that I’m not really a picture-taker.

I took the camera with me to California where it had a whole new resting-place. One day, just for something to do, I wandered around the beautiful campground in Hemet, California where I was parked for the month and clicked a picture here and a picture there, one around the swimming pool, another one of a palm tree looking from the ground up and one of a canary yellow Volkswagen with big eyes and a red tongue painted on the trunk.

I took the camera with me when I drove to Temecula to wander the town with my sister, who drove 35 miles north from Oceanside while I drove 35 miles south from Hemet so we could meet in the middle.

I snapped pictures of the Olive Oil store, of a metal bull in front of the Jerky Store and of flowers cradled in a old wheel barrel nesting by the side of the road on Main Street. I took enough pictures to go along with the story I planned on writing. When the story was done, I emailed the editor of the RV Times Magazine, who said “yes” to story and pictures.

“Do you have any pictures with RV’s (recreational vehicles) in them?” the editor asked.

I emailed a few of the pictures that I had taken in the campground. My story “Temecula, California” will be published in their November/December issue AND one of my pictures will be the COVER of the magazine. I’ll have that issue framed.

Tonight I start my digital camera classes. I really need to know what I did right!!!

Joei Carlton Hossack is the author of seven adventure-travel books, an entertaining and inspirational speaker and a Memoir and Travel Writing teacher. She contributes regularly to anthologies, magazines,and e-zines and her Letters to the Editor in the local newspapers have become legendary. (No money there but it keeps her blood pressure from exploding.) Her website is https://www.joeicarlton.com or she can be reached at JoeiCarlton – at – Hotmail.com or JoeiCarlton – at – yahoo.com.