Life and Photos

Snow

2010-02-11T09:06:00.000-08:00

It began before sunrise and has yet to let up. I think this is payback for calling an old friend who lives up north where it has been snowing for weeks and told her to move back home. I explained to her I weather would never be like what she was experiencing... Be careful what you say, things do come back to bite you. Yes by now you realize I am referring to the 3 inches of snow that have fallen so far with many more predicted before it stops. The sky is white, the snow is white and do to the recession there are few colorful flowers around to add any life to the landscape. Most schools were not closed so it is an eerie scene outside, snow everywhere, no cars driving around and no kids making snowmen. So with that I leave you with this photo of winter art created by mother nature.

The Eyes

2009-12-17T09:56:00.000-08:00

There is something about our eyes. They say so much without saying a word. This photo is one of my favorite photos I have taken with my phone so it will never be seen on a large scale but for viewing on the web it is perfect. The eyes in this photo are very expressive. They show love, sadness, excitement and most of the time joy. This particular photo shows a number of feelings , it seems to change with each time I view it.

Tower

2009-09-20T14:16:00.000-07:00

The Tower is something everyone who has ever attended the University of Texas knows about. It sits smack dab in the middle of what use to be the center of campus, with all of the growth I would guess it is more likely considered on the west side of campus. When I was a young student the tower and the Texas State capitol were visible from just about any part of Austin. Now with all of the growth you almost have to looke for the two buildings between the high rises. It was a very sad day when I realize I couldn't automatically see them with just a glance. I took the time to go out to what is now Barton Creek mall and photograph the two buildings from a distance before the downtown sky got crowded. So proud of my very novice accomplishment I opened up the camera to take out the film only to realize there was no film in the camera. I never got back out there before the construction took over.

I was walking across campus recently and looked up at the Tower as I usually do and notice some amazing light. Despite the pain in my feet from walking in heels I stopped and pulled out the point and shoot and captured this image. It isn't perfect but I like it and so I turned it into a thing of art. I don't think the fine detail will show up in this size image but trust me it looks like a painting in the full size image.

There is a rich and not always pretty history of this tower but we will just enjoy its beauty today.

The Obvious

2009-07-26T20:40:00.000-07:00

I have acquired my first cell phone with camera capabilites and today I captured an obvious and yet what I think is a fun image.

Lost in Time

2009-07-19T19:49:00.000-07:00

An eerie scene, walking through a retired train car with just a few lights on and all of the blinds closed. Hard to imagine traveling by train from a time lost in history. Very few kids today have traveled on a train and I would suspect most of those have no idea that people use to fit in those little pull out bunks that hung from the ceiling, emphasis on little.

Ode to Ford

2009-07-16T15:54:00.000-07:00

Came across this car today, a sign of simpler times.

Seriously I do not think the average American could even fit in this car. Makes you wonder at one point along the way we found happiness in all of the over indulgence. I will concede this car was probably originally a huge indulgence but compared to today's environment it looks so simple.

Steeple

2009-05-21T20:10:00.000-07:00

I am amazed at how many different styles of steeples there are, I came across this simple gold cross atop of a steeple.

My favorite photo of the day-Springtime

2009-05-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

I had to go out this morning and take photos of various landmarks around town anywho, this is my favorite shot of the day. Found this spot yesterday with the help of a friend and went back today. Not the best light but I worked with what I had. About an hour earlier or much later today would have been better but that's life.

Weed

2009-05-15T20:02:00.000-07:00

Kids love 'em, gardners hate 'em.

Donny

2009-05-11T21:04:00.000-07:00

Meet the newest member of our family, Donny. Well actually this photo is more to show the beauty of his shell. One of my offspring returned from college with this little creature. He evidently found him on the pathway lost and far away from water and has taken it upon himself to care for Donny. I share this with you so you can see the ornate nature of his shell. Absolutely beautiful and the bottom is pretty cool too.

Living in the Country

2009-05-02T15:13:00.000-07:00

I often refer to the location of our home as living in the country and there is a reason for that. We actually live smack dab in the middle of the big city but our block was one of the last blocks developed and the house across the street was one of the last houses to be built in our block. The family that owned all the land in our block actually use to own all of the land as far as the eye can see in all directions. The son that owned all of our block kept the two lots next to his house until the late 70's early 80's. I grew up just a few blocks away but always felt like the block I currently live in was in the country. Well today after a huge rain storm blew through I looked out my front window to find this beautiful creature trying to find worms in our yard. It is a yellow crowned night heron. Not sure where it came from but it made my day.

White Balance Nightmare

2009-04-24T10:06:00.000-07:00

I got a little bored the other night during a lacrosse game and decided to take a photo of the light standard against the blue sky. After looking at it I now know why white balance can be a nightmare at stadiums. Look at the different color temps of the the actual bulbs. Supposedly they are looking into improving the lights at our stadium which would be nice and not so nice all at the same time. Nice because we could actually get photos without a flash of a running back making a dive into the endzone and see his face, or capture that very common airborne catch in the corner of the endzone. Both photos are near impossible with the light dropping off at about the 5 yard line causing the endzone to be pitch dark. The reason the coaches have gotten behind this is the receivers say they can't see the ball in the dark endzone.

Why you ask did I say it would be not so nice, well because as it is now you have to have an idea of how to work a camera to get a good photo and with great lighting everyone will decide putting their camera on sports mode they can capture an award winning photo translating into even more crowded sidelines. In the mean time I have a much bettter appreciation of the bad lighting after seeing the bulbs in action.

Unexpected Beauty

2009-04-21T20:02:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to turn over a new leaf and keep the house clean but today I found a bonus from being a day or too late to toss what was some beautiful tulips. The bonus was I found them to be absolutely gorgeous as they were shrivelling up. They appeared to me at least to look like art created with broad brush strokes. You just never know where beauty will appear next.

Waddler

2009-04-20T22:14:00.000-07:00

Thought for the day...Even when you waddle they can't help themselves they have to stop and watch your back end.

Childhood Memories

2009-04-19T18:48:00.001-07:00

We all have them, things that instantly transport us back to more simple times of our childhood. It might be a restaurant, a book, a song, a special food or a smell. The restaurant that every child I grew up with would relate to was a place called Jaimie's ( Not exactly sure of the spelling) but the cool thing about it was it was a special place we only got to experience on big days like birthdays. To get service you would raise a little flag on a rope on a pulley system, it was always one of my favorites until it experienced a fire and I sort of remember it being rebuilt or moved or something, but it was never the same.

One wonderful thing about this time of year, besides my birthday is that my neighbor has honeysuckle growing all over his fence. When I was younger, our elementary school fence was also covered in honeysuckle, we all loved to suck the honeysuckle juice from the blooms. The minute the honeysuckle begins to bloom I remember those days I would stand by the school fence enjoying the smell and the taste of honeysuckle. Where has all the time gone?

Gone to the Dogs

2009-04-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

Well I suppose you could say this place has gone to the dogs but I just couldn't help myself, so I am posting this image because I like it and it sort of freaks me out. Enjoy!

Wild Dog

2009-04-15T20:04:00.001-07:00

Playing around the other day and found myself trying odd things. The dog was running wild due to the airsoft gun just out of the yard being shot by kid. The dog refused to sit still anywhere near me but I caught her standing still and shot her through a bush. Not the basic photo but I think I like it, throw in there the special lens I used to keep only the dog in focus and everything else is softly thrown out of focus. Didn't have too much else to post so her she is, my wild dog.

Details Again

2009-04-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

I know I keep hammering this home but details are all around us and in general we never notice them. There I stood at a fairly exciting softball game with beautiful light and all of the sudden I noticed the ball that had been thrown down after a third out. It wasn't so much the ball but the whole scene that caught my eye.

Simple and yet there is something there.

Pleasant Accidents

2009-04-12T19:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in life you set out to do something but you you find yourself with a final result which is not what you intended and it becomes a pleasant surprise. That is exactly what happened today. Playing around with some fresh flowers I discovered my first shot to be totally different from what I intended but I kind of like, what do you think?

Vacation Reflection

2009-04-11T20:32:00.000-07:00

I made this friend of mine stand still for a moment specifically to catch what I thought was an interesting image in his glasses. The best part is that it was pretty bright on the beach and my vision any where from my eyes to my finger tips is not quite what it use to be so I really didn't see the detail that was captured in the glasses until I downloaded the file. The empty morning beach, the beautiful blue ocean and sky. I apologize for my reflection ruining the scenery but the rest of the scene was so pretty and the glasses reflection worked just as I had hoped it would.

Poppies

2009-04-10T07:17:00.000-07:00

I love poppies, there is something about a flower that is so bright and cheerful and yet so dainty. Poppies have that crepe paper look about them and yet as the wind blows they dance with joy.

Still Cleaning

2009-04-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

I spent most of yesterday cleaning out a cabinet and countertop in the kitchen, yes it took me most of the day. Actually truth be told, I spent about two hours cleaning off the countertop and purging old meds from a cabinet only to be told by my daughter I had not done a very good job. She then took over and began to toss everything in sight. To appreciate the depths of the mess around here I must give you a visual, there is a little plastic thing that you can screw between two 1 liter plastic drink bottles. You fill one before you attach it to the other. You then swirl the bottle in the air and it creates a tornado effect in the bottle with the water as it drains into the other bottle. During my clean sweep I deemed this little plastic piece to be of the utmost importance, seriously you just never know when the mood to make a tornado with left over bottles might hit ya'. My daughter on the other hand, tossed with total disregard for the entertainment value the little plastic piece held. Such a sad moment in my day. I have no idea what other things went in the trash but I am sure my funtimes will be a lot less fun without all the things that have disposed of.

I did come across some fun things and rather than just toss, I took photos of them. So todays photos are of old, very old bottles of Testor paint. I just love that stuff! I am proud to say I tossed after I photographed.

Tail of Two Photos

2009-04-07T06:23:00.000-07:00

Taking photographs is a lot like life, there are always different ways to look at things and depending on your view you might have different feelings. I am including two photos of the exact same scene just seconds apart. The lighting is pretty much the same so that doesn't really affect it but the perspective and the composition of the two frames leave you with a different feel. The one on the left surprises me because I am not at first sure of what I am seeing, it also leaves me with an uneasy feel but I keep coming back to it. The one above (horizontal) has a nice diagonal line pulling the viewer in and it is a little more clear what it is and has a much more peaceful feel about it. I am not a huge fan of tilting photos but in this case it sort of works. It doesn't hold my attention as much as the vertical, maybe because I can more readily recognize what is going on and move on from it, not sure. Bottom line is both photos have merit but the one that make me more uncomfortable actually holds my interest since I don't really get it at first. Maybe that is why we can't help but rubber neck while passing an accident on the other side of the highway, why we can't get enough of celebrities doing stupid things like getting dwi's when they have drivers to take them where ever. Maybe it is just me because I have a curious nature and want to know more about things I don't understand. Sorry for getting a bit deep there but I am about to commence on cleaning out major sections of the house and am looking for a distraction to put the whole process off for a while. Happy Tuesday!

More Life's Lessons

2009-04-06T08:32:00.000-07:00

There is something that has been missing in our culture's make-up. It is slowly creeping back into our lives courtesy of our slow economy. The movin' and shakin' has slowed down because all of that keeping up with "the Jones" cost money. People are playing more board games, using their hobbies to occupy themselves. The gentleman in the photo is one of my all time biggest heros. He is always there for me and that is pretty amazing since he is a very, very busy person. He really has important things that take up his time but some how he always finds time to help me out, even during very critical times in his life. He loves to garden and takes great pride in his yard. The fact is that he has so many huge things going on that gardening gives him an escape. I suddenly realized that seeing him in his element doing what he loves is really a photo I needed to make. I would have liked to work some beautiful light in to the image but I had to work quick so I just slapped the flash on, dialed it down and let the ambient do its thing in the background. Basically I am reminding you to stop and capture the important moments and people in your life. With the simple fact that everyone has a camera and is really getting caught up with photography don't forget to catch those moments that will have importance down the road.

My Grandchild

2009-03-31T19:38:00.000-07:00

Well sort of my grandchild. You see my son is taking a family consumer science class, formerly referrred to as home ec, or home economics. This particular project made me laugh a little. Each student was assigned a plant for a week, a few lucky chaps got twins. The students were to care for the plant as if it was their child, taking it where ever they went, watering it and basically being its parent. My son made sure his plant got plenty of sun and water and he kept the plant with him at all times except when he had to attend a campout in freezing temperatures, he made arrangements for a responsible party to "sit" his plant during his brief absence. The part of this project that made me laugh is that some of the plants were boys and some were girls. The girls had not budded while the boys were in full bloom with magenta petals. That in itself confused me and I believe my son's poor little plant to have left our home with serious sexual identity issues as I referred to him as Priscilla, seriously between the multiple blooms and their color she was totally a Priscilla. By weeks end my son had admonished me multiple times for referring to his boy as Priscilla and then he made the slip, referrring to her as Priscilla, catching himself he smiled and quickly corrected his statement with a "HIM" instead of a "her". So I would like you to take a look at my grandchild and see if you think it is a her or a him.

A Different View

2009-03-18T21:40:00.000-07:00

I came across this window the other day and loved the look it created with the morning light.

R and R

2009-03-16T15:58:00.000-07:00

As you can read from my previous post my week was a bit hectic, the reason being I was on my way to a little R and R. Not the best traveler in the world but here I am on a sunny beach. The last time I went south to the beautiful beaches of Central America, I was much younger and much cuter and I lived on coca cola and tried to not get sick. This time the food is more edible and I am still trying to hit my vacation stride but I did spend the first seven hours today on the beach, the first few under the shade of this wonderful tree.

Deep Breath

2009-03-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

What a week it has been! I have to tell you I have done some self discovery this week only to find I live a very disorganized life. Being disorganized takes it toll on you too! I think if I was only responsible for myself, I would be fine, it is all of these other folks that seem to think I have it all together. I have come to a decision that it is time to get off of the crazy merry go round and get my act together. I haven't always been a mess, but I find it easier to be a mess, no one really counts on you to be responsible. Some where in the last ten years I changed gears and forgot to really worry about the small details. Give me a project and I am terribly organized, it has a place and a time line and I know where every part of it is. Give me a life and whoa, it takes a lot more time to keep all of the pieces in place. My March resolution is to limp through the spring while trying to get my act together so when summer comes and time is more free I will have a head start. Hopefully by next fall when the wheels come off again I will have it all together. Only time will tell. Today I am taking a deep breath as I seem to have caught up on current projects and have a brief window before the pace quickens again.

I leave you with one of my favorite flower images, it is of milk thistle, the plant looks like a weed and yet the flower that blooms is beautiful. Just a friendly reminder to be careful and not discount something before you see its true beauty.

Out of Control

2009-03-10T19:52:00.001-07:00

Have you ever had one of those days, weeks or months when you sense you have lost total control of everything going on around you? This week is my out of control week, it isn't that I am terribly busy but things have spun out of control. I got a phone call today that I was being picked up in ten minutes and be ready we were flying to another town to take care of some business. Small detail that was actually a huge detail was not renewed so I would have to do the renewal in person. I spent the day flying across the state, sitting in a room with a lot of other people that basically were in the same boat as me, only to be told be back here tomorrow at 2:30. Well considering I flew (no pun intended) out of the house with only my ID, Ipod, phone, reading glasses(sad but true), two magazines and some cash I wasn't sure how I would manage spending the night and coming back. It all sort of worked out and in a few days if all of the loose ends come together it might be taken care of , if not I will jump in the car and try again. I left a few things undone today but in reality was not given a choice and I apologize to those I let down. I will make it up to you some how. I have my fingers crossed that this has been resolved and I will never let this happen again. Some how this photo has always spoken to me in a chaotic sense and today totally represents my current state of affairs.

People

2009-03-06T21:19:00.000-08:00

I found myself the other day taking the time to stop and notice the world around me, what I saw once I slowed down was some real life people interaction. It was very interesting to witness how people watch over each other and genuinely enjoy each other's company. I first noticed a parent driving their teenage son to school, they were sitting at a red light as I turned past them. What a great time to catch up with a teenager when they are almost held captive in the car. I use to gather maximum information from my teenager during an hour drive to and fro soccer practice. Inside the car I saw at the traffic light the young man was smiling back at the parent, seriously that is big time for a teenager, they usually just grunt and shrug. I then noticed two women at the grocery store, they were either sisters or good friends. They were making joint decisions on their choices of groceries and generally having a great time just going through the mundane task of grocery shopping. Another moment I watched unfold was between some high school kids, one is a player on the varsity basketball team and one is the manager. The manager has overcome the challenges of down syndrome, all of the kids are very protective of him and in this case the team had just lost a playoff game, ending their season. The player protectively placed his arm over the disappointed manager's shoulder. It is refreshing in a world of over eager, negative often down right mean spirited people that there are actually nice folks out there who watch out for each other. With the "E" (can't bring myself to say the actual word) in the tank, maybe we as a culture will get back to what is truly important in life and that is people instead of things. I challenge you to take the time to brighten someone's day or just listen to them and give them a smile every once in a while. You would be amazed what a simple smile can do to brighten their day.

Break

2009-03-03T19:50:00.000-08:00

Not that anyone noticed but I took a few days off figuring a few days of silence from me would do you all good. A quick review, we celebrated my baby girl's 18th birthday, watched a lot of sports with one underdog winning a big game and only went to one meeting.

I also had an interesting thing happen, not sure that is the best way to try to explain it but something came to me over the weekend but here it is. I had another epiphany! Life is a funny thing and what goes around really does come around. What am I trying to say?? Well it came to my attention that when my daughter goes on a weekend trip I am counting on her emergency contact, should she need anything, being a boy who is a close family friend that I use to step in and help with when his mother needed help. For example, the day his mother was making arrangements for her mother's funeral he had driver's ed class. Anyone who has ever dealt with driver's ed class knows to miss a class complicates the whole license process so I stepped in and picked him up. Flash forward how many tens of years and he is now my safety net when any of us go to the town in which he now lives. Really weird but he is all grown up, responsible and has a job, that in its self is quite an accomplishment these days. As much as I hate to admit it but I am coming to understand that it really does take a village to raise kids and having friends and family you can count on to help you along the way is amazing.

I leave you with this photo I snapped over the weekend. Please know that despite the nice warm looking image the temperatures were near freezing, at least a fountain I drove by was frozen which was enough proof to me it was cold.

Spring Stopped by Today

2009-02-25T17:16:00.001-08:00

81 degrees outside today. My winter legs made a brief appearance, I can tell you it wasn't pretty. Much motivation to get back in shape. I was inspired by the weather and created a little photo combination.

Tea Time

2009-02-24T10:12:00.000-08:00

I have been meaning to photograph this tea set that belongs to my daughter. She recently re-arranged her room and the tea set is no longer a fit for the look. What is really special about this set is that it is tiny, ceramic and personalized. One tea cup has my daughter's name and the other reads, friend. (To give you a size reference the radius of top of the tea cups is only about two inches.)

I will carefully pack it up in hopes of seeing a granddaughter play with it down the road, of course that is dependent on my recollection of where I actually stored it. Go find a friend and have a spot of tea just to keep life interesting today. While sipping on your tea don't forget to take in the moment because time is truly fleeting and swim suit season is almost upon us. Sorry to break up the moment there but the guilt over eating pound cake the last two days is weighing heavily on me, or maybe around my mid section.

Lacrosse Season -Yea!

2009-02-23T20:18:00.000-08:00

I love lacrosse! It is finally lacrosse season and that usually means nice weather, fast paced action and games that have a running clock. I enjoy a lot of different sports but lacrosse is still fresh. I had never seen a lacrosse game until about seven years ago. I was asked to be one of the team moms for my son's seventh grade team. Sure I figured I could line up families to bring the gatorade for after the game. I had no idea what I was getting into. First off the internet was standard in most homes by then, not fast and not terribly reliable but would speed up communication. That was the smallest part of the job. There were two of us that served as team mom and we were responsible for paying the refs, keeping track of the stats, the penalties, the time, the penalty time and blowing the horn which doesn't happen except for specific times in the game or specific calls by the refs. One game I found myself painting the field which was never intended for lacrosse and was really a field of mounds of grass, try to paint a straight line going up and down clumps of grass. One of the kids asked what idiot had painted the field and when I responded I would be that idiot, they quickly changed their tune and told me what a fine job I had done. I learned a lot about the game in its simplest form, most of the kids on our team were first year players so play was a bit slow and predictable but the rules were different and the sidelines were quiet since most parents didn't have a clue what was going on, they couldn't yell instructions to their kids or insults to the refs. Those were the days. Any how I have moved on to having the distinct priviledge of trying to catch an amazing move or play with my camera. I love it, every game is different and every kid has a different style. On top of all of that the jerseys are usually colorful and the sticks and heads can add to the photo. I enjoy girls lacrosse too and they have really colorful sticks but not as much brain crunching action. Tonight I share with you my excitement over the fact that it is finally lacrosse season and that means delightful evenings at the stadium are not far behind.

Sitting Around

2009-02-22T19:09:00.000-08:00

This was not a weekend to sit around. For some reason this weekend was packed with activities and time with friends. Off to prepare for a new week.

Ready Set 123 4

2009-02-21T20:36:00.002-08:00

Don't know why I took this but I did so you are now subjected to it. I was standing in the cold wind, but nestled up against the side of the stands to avoid as much wind as possible and this photo presented itself to me. Once you stepped out on the four I swear the temperature dropped thirty degrees not to mention the wind knocked the camera around pretty good to.

A Real Artist at Work

2009-02-20T20:16:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to help out a friend today by taking photos of some of her paintings and drawings. She is very talented and I was in awe of her work. The coolest thing was her studio behind her house. Wonderful daylight streams in through two high windows, one east and one west. The walls are all white but not pristine white, workable white. She has artwork she has created all over the walls, just taped up. No fancy frames, very accessible and all over the place. While she was putting a piece of her work on the wall I snapped a photo of her making a last minute adjustment to get it straight so the photo would work. Using available light and a slower shutter the photo was happy surprise.

Parenting 101

2009-02-19T18:48:00.000-08:00

Anyone who has every been a parent or a very involved aunt or uncle or family friend knows that parenting you very own child or one close to you has its ups and downs. That said the last week has been a roller coaster as to parenting. A trip to the orthopod confirmed we may or may not have a fractured wrist. Of course rather than get a full fledged cast, a partial cast was placed on our arm all the way past the elbow. With the arm in a cast, hanging in a sling we instantly become one handed. Fast forward five days and the ordinary morning wake up became not so ordinary when my one handed child couldn't move his neck. After a day of watching him writhe in pain and his neck lean more to one side we headed out the door to the pediatrician. Did I mention we just started going to this pediatrician this summer and haven't seen him since a basic check up. Oh and he can't put a shirt on because the arm in the cast can't bend and the other arm couldn't move due to the muscle spasm preventing him from lifting his arm or moving it all for that matter. I wrapped a coat around him and off we headed for the doctor's office with his head all bent over to one side. We got a lot of strange looks but ultimately we discovered he was suffereing from a really bad muscle spasm. So you are wondering what the photo means. Well today we got up, after a dose of muscle relaxers he could hold his head somewhat upright and we sat on the couch eating chocolate kisses and watching tv when he was comfortable or just sat when he wasn't . To me this photo says so much, a day with my youngest, eating chocolate and being a mom.

Mud Scrapers

2009-02-18T20:16:00.000-08:00

Raise your hand if you remember mud scrapers! Seriously, we all had them outside our door growing up, you were suppose to scrape the mud off the bottom of your shoes before you came into the house. One of the two things I love about our house is that we have mudscrapers at the front and the back door. My kids wouldn't know what to do with them but they remind me of a simpler time, a time when kids actually played outside and a little mud wasn't the end of the world. The mudscraper in the photo sits just outside my back porch door. The dog runs past it regularly and I might just actually scrape my shoes for fun every once in a while. I dare you to locate and then place a mudscraper by your door.

Are you curious as to my other favorite thing about our house? (the two mudscrapers count as one item since they are basically same category.)

On a random note, I was retrieving a burger, fries and a shake for my Wednesday patient who was laid up by a muscle spasm in the neck when I glanced into the window of a new gifty type shop next to the best burger joint in this part of the state. There were a number of items with little thoughts on them. One particular one jumped out at me. At the risk of totally ruining it, it went something like, In today's world you can be anything you want, why not be yourself.

hmmmm, deep thought.

Practicality

2009-02-17T21:00:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me, knows I love my tennis shoes. I have a size 2 D foot, so needless to say my balance is suspect and tennis shoes are a no brainer for me. This photo makes me scratch my head and wonder out loud. It was taken at a walk-a-thon to raise money for a fellow student who needed a medical procedure and a donor of sorts. Kids walked for over two hours around the track, some ran. This child preferred to wear flip flops instead of nice cushy tennies. If I walked for a little bit in this kind of shoes (can we really call these shoes?), first I would trip since my feet don't work in flip flops, then my calves would begin to ache from shin splints and then I would sit down and complain. Not this chick, she kept walking in her stylish flip flops as all her classmates were zipping around her in more suitable shoes. All in a day of being stylish and functional and mission accomplished the classmate did get the procedure.

Night View

2009-02-16T20:39:00.000-08:00

This church has some of the most beautiful stained glass and I always think I will stop and get a night shot of the front. Year after year I mean to and this year is not different. The problem is that it is cold and I can be a wimp when it is cold outside. I wear jackets almost every month except the ones that have temperatures above 80. Just don't do well in cold, then the problem becomes the leaves on the surrounding trees block the view of the glass in warm weather. I was actually about an hour late to get the shot I wanted but figured I would share anyway and admit to still not getting the shot I was after. I experience a sense of mystery as I took this considering I was laying on my belly in plain view of every car that drove by. I tried a couple of different exposures and this one is not what I was after but will have to do until I can go back and do it properly about an hour earlier. For what it is worth it was dark and the long exposure allowed the lamps by the doorway to overpower the window which I what I was after. Had I been there earlier the sky would have shown up for the pary and the lights would not be so prominent. The lovely green tint across the top is from the awful tree lights. Again earlier would have kept the green away too. This is why planning is so important, this was more of whim.

Back View

2009-02-15T19:17:00.000-08:00

Ever have one of those days you just know people are looking at your backside? The lady in this frame speaks to me, don't know why. Perhaps because she has the best view of this reflection pool that leads to a lake on her left and all she has to do all day is sit there. Or maybe because while she sits there enjoying the view, oblivious to everyone walking around her, she is actually flashing a flattened out rearend. Haven't we all been there! I once had someone send me a photo of myself working on the sideline of a football game. Fortunately for me it was out of focus but you could still see my wide backend in what I thought were some awfully cute khaki shorts. Needless to say I burned them soon after viewing the photo. Seriously why would you take a photo of someone's backend? It became very clear to me that my backend needed some work and in the meantime I would limit the view to my backend as much as possible.

Side note: An astute eye will notice the distortion of this photo, where the parrallel sides of the "frame" around our big bottomed lady are not perfectly lined up, that is actually the distortion from the wide angle lens. I kind of like it but am aware of its shortcomings when working with actual people.

Hearts and Valentines

2009-02-14T11:17:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines to all!

I am not sure exactly what the purpose of Valentines day is. I realize it's a day to let that special someone in your life know how much they mean to you, but aren't you suppose to do that every day anyway? If you take the daily route to showing those you care about how important they are to you, you won't have to pay the ridiculous price that I can guarantee you will have to pay on February 14th. Honestly how can the grocery store $9.99 dozen rose packages sell for $50.00 on February 14th? The $9.99 roses are actually better quality and will last longer than the more expensive ones due to the demand and the process the roses have been through to be here for the 14th.

Ok with that rant behind me, I have to admit there are certain indulgences with every holiday. Ironically not one of my children shares my appreciation for these fine delicacies. Candy corn in October is a must, candy canes only taste good in December, it is weird but come January 1st they lose their flavor, and of course Valentines means candy hearts! I'm not talking about tons of them, just one box will do. This year a strange thing happened, none of my kids had a Valentines party at school, which meant no candy on those cute little cards, which meant NO candy hearts for mom. As if an odd alignment of the stars forsaw this way before I did, a gift arrived for me with candy hearts attached. Fortunatley this year I was saved from missing out on my important valentines ritual of overloading on candy and praying to not crack a tooth. Rest assured that next year I will remember this year's shortfall of candy hearts and will purchase in advance of the day to avoid any unvoluntary withdrawal from my personal holiday ritual of candy hearts.

Runway Day

2009-02-13T15:29:00.000-08:00

No, no I didn't strut my stuff on the runway but I did attend a luncheon and fashion show benefitting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I was shocked to learn a gal I know but hadn't seen in a while (different neighborhoods, activities etc.) had passed away two weeks ago. After that news wore off a gentleman that has a daily battle with a chronic version of blood cancer discussed his current fight with the cancer after beating it round one and having a clean bill of health for about six years. If that doesn't get to you then my hero for the day, a young lady who plans on being a pediatric oncologist spoke about her diagnosis at age 14. Do you remember being 14 or your kids being 14? I can not even imagine how fighting and beating this awful disease during your teenage years would affect everything in your life past, present and future. She stood before a packed ballroom to tell her story, let me tell you if you are having a self pity party today, get over it and take a long look in the mirror and be very grateful you had an ordinary day with no terrible surprises like these people did when they woke up one day like any other day only to find out their life would never be the same. Afterwards some of the top models in our here parts did actually strut their stuff. I am including a couple of photos to brighten your day and to remind you to partake in your upcoming Valentines' Day chocolates with some self discipline so you too can strut your stuff if you get a call from Top Model.

Ignorance Is Bliss

2009-02-12T19:42:00.000-08:00

Going through each day without much thought is so easy, never really stopping to think of others in our daily rush as our day zips by turning into night. Today I share with you one of my favorite photos I took years ago. I did use a tripod and put some thought into how to achieve the photo I imagined in my mind but honestly it was pretty much dumb luck without a lot of effort. I live literally one block from this statue but never noticed it until one night when I turned the corner and there it was, sitting bathed in light under a starry night. One of the most beautiful things I had ever seen sitting just one block from home. The irony here is that it sits on the corner of a small park which many people walk through every day and probably never realize the park is really a memorial to neighborhood children who have moved on to heaven leaving a grief stricken family behind. The walkway is lined with bricks engraved with names of children whose lives have been cut short for some unimaginable reason. Ignorance is bliss to most people who walk through this beautiful little park, I still find it hard to walk through the park without being sad despite being surrounded by the park's beauty.

Peaceful River

2009-02-11T18:52:00.001-08:00

When at rest this river is one of the most peaceful places on Earth, when it acts up, watch out. I have the good fortune to visit this place now once every summer and spent a lot of time during my summers growing up in this river. The pace is slower and people who live in this area understand the true meaning of life, helping your neighbors and going about a slower pace enjoying life and all of the things around you. Living in the middle of God's beauty day in and day out with few distractions makes you a different person, more true to yourself and to those around you.

Creepy Mannequin

2009-02-10T20:42:00.001-08:00

While helping a friend get photos of some of his tuxes, I had to photograph this guy. He was back in the shadows and totally for some reason creeped me out. The rest where just top half mannequin but this was a full sized guy and just sat in the shadows all quiet. Even once he was pulled out of the shadows into the light so we had room to work with him, he gave me the willies. What do you think?

Chipping Away

2009-02-09T19:12:00.000-08:00

Paint tends to chip away over time and for some odd reason the old rod iron that use to adorn our front porch sits in the garden. I think I know why it is in the garden but honestly I don't remember exactly why. I believe it originally was placed upright in the garden for plants to use as they grew up and could twist the new growth through the openings and hold on. Why there is green paint over the original cream paint, is still a mystery. Looks like a school painting project went awry at some point. Never the less, the poor thing fell to the ground years ago, fortunately not hitting any of the what use to be little people that use to play in the backyard. A lot of "use to" in that sentence as now the dog owns the backyard and has destroyed everything except a few rose plants that have also taken over the fence. I desperately need a rose lover to come help me get them back under control. With all that has occurred in the backyard, the rain, snow, sleet, heat, kids and dog it has taken nearly 15 years for the paint to chip and crack but it is still mostly in place. I am hopeful that I hold up over the years as well as the paint job on this long forgotten old rod iron.

Vote for This Blog

2009-02-09T06:11:00.000-08:00

Hop on over to http://www.ppmag.com/fresh-blog-09/ and vote for this blog , it seems to change as to where it appears but it is entry 265 which you can enter in the top left hand corner and it will open a new window with a screen grab of this blog, then vote for it across the botton of the new window. It has appeared either on the bottom of the second page if there are five rows of entries or more to the right top area of page 3 of the entries if there are only four rows, the page layout keeps changing. Look for black background and yellow dress of one of the dancers from the traditional Mexican dance troupe and looks like this

Thanks

A Rose

2009-02-08T16:02:00.000-08:00

Interesting thing about roses, they have those vicious thorns to protect their stems but their petals are so delicate. Most roses need to have the outer petals removed since they have protected the flower as it bloomed and are usually damaged. A damaged petal can ruin the beauty of the flower and yet from a distance the flower in its entirely is beautiful despite the damage. The moral is anything under close examination is flawed but life is not designed to be looked at under a microscope. If it were, everyone would be tossed out with the rejects. Life should be varied and full so our good parts make up for our flawed parts. Well, hopefully the good outweighs the bad.

My Spring Predictor

2009-02-07T11:06:00.000-08:00

Some folks listen to the groundhogs shadow reports to know when spring is coming and doesn't that silly groundhog always predict more winter? I have my own way of knowing spring isn't far away and that is our flowering quince bush. Unfortunately when our fence was replaced the fence man didn't care too much for our quince bush and its thorns and whacked it back so hard that it has never fully recovered from the stress but will still give me a few good blooms a year. The quince blooms before it has new foliage and most around town I have spotted are red but ours is white. Due to the good fortune of being off the ground the dog has not killed it like the rest of the plants in our backyard. I took full advantage of the dog leaving town for the weekend and got some new photos from what little plant life remains in the dog's domain. Once the quince blooms , spring is not far away. I am already beginning to get back in shape after a winter of wearing lots of jeans and baggy sweaters. A quick note on this photo, taken with a macro lens and fighting the wind while pretty much in the shade.

Talking Trees

2009-02-06T20:46:00.000-08:00

As crazy as it may sound, I believe the bare winter trees talk to us with their naked limbs. They reach out to the sky in all sorts of different directions. The morning or late afternoon sunlight hits them and brings out the silver look of the bark against a blue sky. Trees have personality and their branches reveal this to anyone willing to take a look. Some are scary, almost like a witches long curly pointer finger and others are simple and charming. Trees are like snowflakes, no two have the same branch design, not including those that are trimmed to perfection. I love the shade of the a fully leafed out tree but I believe their branches alone are fascinating to study.

Look Around

2009-02-05T19:55:00.001-08:00

Often we get so caught up in what is easy and sitting right in front of us that we miss the extras in life. There is so much in life to enjoy but the really good stuff is not as obvious as you would think but well worth the extra effort to notice. The simplest things can bring the most pleasure. Take time this weekend to enjoy all those extra wonders around you.
I love this photo, I looked away from the field and there was this, at first glance, simple scene. Upon further study it actually has great lines and the red/black stand out against the background.

Random Day

2009-02-03T20:55:00.001-08:00

Today is officially random day as I have nothing specific to share today. I came across this photo and let's see if anyone can guess what it is. goodnight.

Sands of Time

2009-02-02T18:46:00.000-08:00

Sands of Time...just kidding, nothing serious here just a quick shot of sand, but not just any sand. This is the sand from the local softball diamond. The team is really beginning to work out for the season and as the sun began to set there were some shadows hitting the sand. At closer examination you can see all of the little cleat marks in the sand. I suppose wherever we go , whatever we do we leave our mark some how, good and bad.

think it over

Boots

2009-02-01T12:15:00.001-08:00

If you live in Texas, at some point in your life you will find yourself at a party where people are wearing cowboy boots. Last night, despite the lovely dresses the girls were wearing, they had adorned their feet with boots. I asked some to display their boots for me and the response I recieved was great, except for the lone boy. He obviously is a real boy and hasn't a clue how to strut his stuff, again we are in Texas. He has no style and seriously how hard is it to put your boot out with the others? He totally missed the point.

Bouncing Light

2009-01-31T14:49:00.000-08:00

I love the fact that light bounces all over the place. Often it isn't really obvious but light bounces and shows up in the strangest places. I was fascinated at a late afternoon football game as it appeared that there was a spot light shining on the person standing right on the 50 yard line. Weird since the sun was setting behind him but then I realized the setting sun(west end) had hit a white sign at the opposite end of the field(east end) and was bouncing back (towards the west), landing directly on the spot where the 5o yard line met the sideline. With that mentality I was entertained one day at the park as I realized the underside of a bridge had light bouncing back up onto it from the water. Light can be a powerful thing, put it to work for you.

The Eyes Have It

2009-01-30T10:50:00.000-08:00

A funny thing happens when you photograph someone with light coming from over your shoulder, especially coming from a window or some other natural light source. The eye captures a photo all itself of what is behind you. In this case, not a perfect example, look closely at the iris of the eye and you will see a reflection of the outside. Trees and sky are clearly recognizable from the reflection. I suppose reflections play a large parf of life don't they and our eyes never miss a thing.

I Have a Confession

2009-01-29T20:32:00.001-08:00

I love weird socks! There I said it, I can't deny it. I appreciate people who can where socks that speak to them despite what fashion rules might say about weird socks. I regularly wear holiday socks whatever the holiday is. I have Christmas socks, valentines socks, fourth of July socks, I even have the free socks the bowling alley gives out with the American flag on them. I can't force myself to throw them out, I think we have three pairs from a group outing to the bowling alley. In addition to weird socks, I like to mix my socks up. They have to be mixed up with certain socks, not every color mix would work. For some reason I have a strong affinity for mixing my purple and my red socks. I know, you may never read anything else I write and I wouldn't blame you but at least I am honest. Tonight at a local basketball game I couldn't believe the other team was wearing wild socks. I have seen different socks at soccer games, especially the more important games but I was totally taken with these odd socks, I am not sure everyone wearing them felt a great love for them but they sure grabbed my attention.

What a Difference a Week Makes

2009-01-28T17:30:00.000-08:00

Just a week ago we were enjoying nice warm temperatures, just what I love. I found time to capture a few images of the fall flowers around. Good thing too since last night a huge freeze hit, which isn't bad by itself. It becomes a bad thing when moisture comes with it and you get ice and sleet. Schools closed, cars wrecked and anything that was in bloom froze. Lucky for you I have these kale photos to bring color back to a grey day. The light was directional and it was late in the day so the colors are vibrant. Two slightly different plants with the bottom plant having great texture.

Explanation Needed

2009-01-27T16:41:00.000-08:00

I must admit I don't have the faintest clue as to what is what when it comes to wrestling. Give me lacrosse, football, basketball, baseball, softball, tennis, golf, volleyball, basically anything with a ball but this wrestling is not as clear to me. I get that as long as you keep your backend off the ground you have a fighting chance to win your match. As to how you get there, I really don't get, so with that I give you two photos, feel free to explain to me what in the world is going on in either of them. In the first image looks like the guy in blue top is trying to pull guy in yellow over so he can pin him but in the meantime I think he might be breaking his neck. In the second photo the guy on the bottom is definitely going to need a chiropractor in the morning, seriously look at how he is bowing out his back with all of his weight between his feet and one elbow.

Going Somewhere

2009-01-26T19:18:00.000-08:00

Awaken by a really odd dream this morning, I should have known how the day would go. I won't bore you with the details but will share this photo with you. This photo symbolizes an opportunity, a direction, a decision to go somewhere. You don't always know exactly where stairs will lead you but most people go up the stairs anyway. If these are unknown stairs you can't really see from below what might lay at the top of the stairs, you have no idea what awaits you once you get up there and let's face it if there are a lot of stairs you are likely winded and don't really pay much attention to where you end up once up those stairs. I suppose this is where trust and faith come in that all is well once there.

Color in Photos

2009-01-25T08:23:00.000-08:00

I look back at old family photos and don't give a second thought to the fact that up to a point they are all black and white. I can only imagine the excitement when color photos became common place. I recently took a photo of leaves on the ground after a light rain, I also converted that image to a black and white file. The difference between the feeling from the two photos is, to borrow a phrase, like night and day. One is a basic photo, nothing fancy but alright, the second has a dark and moody feel(click on the image to see larger version ). Do you agree?

Nothing

2009-01-24T20:08:00.000-08:00

Today is all about Nothing. I woke up today with big plans and expectations. That all changed with the sound of a door closing. Almost symbolic, the door closed as if the door was closed on all my plans for the day. What entered through the doorway was one sick puppy and I don't mean a dog. This was my 24hours of doing whatever but it became my day of being part nurse. Still not sure what has hit here but when someone goes to bed and stays there all day with no interest in tv, you know it's bad. So instead of all the cleaning and organizing and whatever I had planned, here I sit typing a bunch of jibberish about nothing. All is not lost I will leave you with something, just still not sure what that something will be... oh I found something to leave you with. I would like to know how in a vertical wall of stone and very old concrete, I swear this wall was part of the works program from FDR's day, sounds a little familiar actually if you go back and read the history. Short version, economy was crashing, banks were struggling, jobs were scarce and in comes new president who created jobs, basically buiding things and I think a lot of the parks around us have buildings that were part of this work program. Which brings me to my How question, if these stones have been around since then (1930's) and the concrete has withstood the test of time, how did this little plant find a place to grow and sustain itself in a vertical wall five feet above the creek?

Reflections

2009-01-23T16:22:00.000-08:00

I found myself with a few minutes of idle time and a creek so I made the most of the situation and began to think as I made some photographs. I caught some decent reflections of trees around the creek and thought about the fact that we never see ourselves as others see us. In other words the only way we can see what we look like is from a photo or a reflection. Reflections are not always accurate and I honestly feel that the camera doesn't always tell the truth. Depending on a lot of factors the same person may not look anything like the real deal in a photo. I won't even go into the post processing that can alter a person's appearance. Reflections can deliver a myriad of different looks and they are not always positive reflections. How odd it is that we see the whole world with our eyes but will never see our own face, which is what we are instantly recognized by.

What's Wrong With This Photo?

2009-01-22T20:44:00.000-08:00

The first thing some folks might say is that it is out of focus, which isn't really accurate. I intended for only the cat's head to be in focus and for the rest of her to be lost in the grass, softly blurring away. If you said that the cat isn't centered, well that would be wrong also since the cat isn't suppose to be dead center, that would be boring. The real problem with this photo that really gets to me is that the cat is looking out of frame, in other words the cat's gaze out of the frame also takes the viewer's eye straight out of the frame. Too bad because I really like the way the focus works on this photo but those eyes are killing the photo. Better planning next time I suppose, I won't even go into how fast this cat moves and never sits still (am I winning any sympathy yet?).

Toe Dip

2009-01-21T20:35:00.000-08:00

For fun I decided to try my hand at photographing some jewelry, unfortunately I did not get my hands on any super fancy diamond necklaces but I did play around with different backgrounds for earrings depending on the color scheme of the design. It was fun and after one of my people saw what I was doing, made fun of me, then they wanted to try too, moving the light around until we got it just right and snapping photos, rearranging the jewelry until it looked just right. So you can call this my time of dipping my toe into new waters. I would love to be able to accurately recount the set up but I think there was a speedlight left and one right.

Loch Ness Something

2009-01-20T20:19:00.000-08:00

I wouldn't call it a monster but I love shooting swimming because you get some cool looks freezing the water in motion. I wish I lived out west where they swim outdoors with the beautiful blue water making photos even better but I am stuck in the cold tundra and indoor (badly lit) swimming. Anyhoo, this photo makes me smile. Oh and he did place first in the race.

Like a Bird

2009-01-19T20:31:00.000-08:00

I had the good fortune to meet a man named Roger who was kind enough to let me into the locked down American Airlines Center to capture a photo of an event going on two stories below. Thank you Roger, you gave me a chance to do something I had never done, stand out on the balcony with the jumbotron behind me just like the crazy people after sporting events.

City or Beach

2009-01-18T20:40:00.000-08:00

This was one of those pleasant surprise images. The sun was setting and was calling for me to photograph it. Of course I did and didn't think about it again since it was one shot after a soccer game. The action shots took priority, once I did stop and look at this image I was surprised because at first glance it looked like the sun was setting over a tumultous body of water, but wait the water was surrounded by clouds but then the light from the parking lot jumped into the corner almost making the sunset look as though it was a back drop and not real. To give some meaning to all of this, I suppose you could say this photo is sort of like life. You see what you want to and your attitude can make a difference in how you perceive your life...

Living History

2009-01-17T12:04:00.000-08:00

Many of you know I have been a regular at the annual Cotton Bowl game held in Dallas. What you may not know is that I have been attending Cotton Bowl games as long as I can remember. In 1969 when Texas beat Tennessee 36-13. The weather I have been told was more than chilly and according to my mother after standing outside the locker room waiting for my father I got so cold that I refused to go outside for days. The annual New Year's day game was part of our family holiday routine and it is still to this day. The University of Texas Longhorns became regular Southwest Conference Champions which in those days (I can't believe I just typed those words), meant a trip to the Cotton Bowl where the SWC champion always played. There was no set National Championship game, but on many occassions the Cotton Bowl determined the National Champion. Well back to the fact that Texas made a regular trip to the Cotton Bowl when I was just a young whipper snapper. In 14 years the Longhorns made 10 trips to the Cotton Bowl, some before I was born. Well the first year they didn't go to the Cotton Bowl, I was so upset with my mother. I remember being really upset that we didn't get up New Year's day and head to the Cotton Bowl. We always went to Fair Park on the first of January but that day we didn't go because of something stupid like the Longhorns didn't win the SWC. What? As far as I was concerned January 1 in the Cotton Bowl was just like the first Saturday in October, when the Longhorns would play Oklahoma. You just marked your calendar and went. Someone had changed the rules and we were not going to start our year out spending a day at the chilly Cotton Bowl stadium. Well many of my memories have been made at the Cotton Bowl. I had been on the field as a college student as Texas played OU and my date manned Old Smoky, the cannon that is fired if Texas does something good. I had met, President Lyndon Baines Johnson before a Cotton Bowl game. I even went back and got his autograph. I know not everyone is a fan of his but he gave me his pen! I remember him being this really huge man as I tugged on his jacket to get his attention. His secret service guy had to tell him I was standing there. Can you imagine today being able to get that close to a President. I have photographs of Gene Stallings, Grant Teaff, Darrell Royal and Ara Paraseghian, Troy Aikman, Darren McFadden and a host of other players or coaches that have played and often become a Cotton Bowl Hall of Famer, all some part of the past and current Cotton Bowl history. The point of all of this is the Cotton Bowl still stands and the annual Texas-OU game will continue to be played there but the 74th Cotton Bowl game will not be held there, the game is being moved to the new stadium Jerry Jones is building. I totally understand all the reasons behind the move which I won't bore you with but I had the opportunity to cover the last Cotton Bowl game held at the Cotton Bowl stadium. I made a point to notice some of the smaller features of the stadium and will hold my older memories close as I begin making news ones next year in much fancier digs.

Missing Color

2009-01-16T15:42:00.000-08:00

Winter has set in, not like it has up north but it has set in with dreary skies and everything just looks flat. I came across a photo I took recently just before the leaves fell off the trees. We had brilliant color on trees this year but for the most part I missed photographing the fall color for one reason or another. This photo however captured the scene that welcomed me home every day as I pulled into my driveway. The beautiful yellow leaves against the blue sky was so refreshing I ran inside one day and grabbed my camera, firing off a few shots. Nothing fancy but definitely better than the drab skies out today.

Share Your Joy

2009-01-15T18:36:00.000-08:00

Meetings, meetings, meetings all day long so I leave you with one of my favorite images from this summer. I was trying out a new lens which was on loan from my friend Jack. If every day gave me an opportunity to photograph things around me I would be one happy gal! Life tends to get in the way but I plan on staying on top of this blog. Oh who am I kidding?

I would like to share a story with you though. I have this friend who is very unique and southern. Who can resist southern hospitality. She told a story about attempting to try to live her life with a more positive attitude and not to get sucked into negativity. I am paraphrasing but I have to admit to trying something more regularly around my house and it works! In her case she decided to do something nice once a week for a total stranger. She said she wakes up every Monday full of excitement to see who's life she will try to bring happiness to. One week it was the girl helping her with her shopping at a store; she overheard the girl saying she didn't get breakfast and had no money for lunch. My friend brought the girl's lunch. The next week she made brownies for this man who parked her car. He never smiled and was always grumpy. He wasn't a stranger but she did it anyway and when she told him she made the brownies just for him, he couldn't believe it. Turned out he took care of his granddaughter and now he could give her dessert after dinner. The next time she saw him he moonwalked over to her car and had the biggest smile on his face. Just once, do something nice for someone around you, either someone you know or maybe you don't know but put a smile on someone's face and you will feel good about it guaranteed! I try to treat everyone I come across with respect and kindness. I have met some of the most amazing people just by saying hi to them. Of course I have a problem not speaking so anyone who knows me will tell you I like to talk! So I challenge you to put a smile on someone's face.

Lucy

2009-01-14T18:39:00.000-08:00

Did a favor for a friend and got to make a fun photo of my furry friend Lucy. Lucy is a great dog and sits at her person's place of business quietly watching the comings and goings. This photo looks like it was taken in an calm, organized setting when actually it took three of us to get this shot, one to follow Lucy with the light, one to offer a treat and one to take the photo. She happened to be standing in front of a nice background, which brings to mind the saying better to be lucky than good.

Colorful

2009-01-13T06:31:00.000-08:00

Oops, somehow I missed yesterday. I know why, I had meetings and people under foot and in general so much to do I got nothing done because I didn't know where to start. Have you ever found yourself in a rut like that? Well, today is a "get it done" day, so here I am before the start of getting it done. I have three things on deadline, serious deadlines like salestax report. I leave you with my a photo of one of my favorite groups who participate in our New Year's Day parade. They are always colorful, smiling and brighten up the whole parade route. The sun was shining from camera right and directional so that exposing for the dancer left the crowd in the background in the dark. I have other shots that show more of a parade scene but I like the way the lighting almost spotlights the dancer.

Things You Never Notice

2009-01-11T12:24:00.000-08:00

I had to make a run to the airport to collect my Fiesta Bowl attendees last week. Our small airport like every other airport in the world makes it a little tricky to pick up arriving people . I do not like to be late and had some other business near the airport as a result I ended up heading into the airport traffic early to meet the travelers. Rather than circle the airport for what would have been thirty minutes I parked in a little semi-circle parking area. I have been to this airport hundreds of times since I was a little girl but never really noticed this particular statue that has been there since the 60's. The sun was beginning to drop in the sky so I took some shots, then waited for more directional light to help define the finer parts of the sculpture. Finally the light was just right and would quickly disappear as the sun dropped lower but I captured this shot and then converted it into black and white. What do you think?

Surprise Freeze

2009-01-11T12:17:00.001-08:00

Well the saying goes in my part of the world, if you don't like the weather just wait ten minutes and it will change. That is very true as last weekend we had a record high of 80 degrees and the next day we had freezing rain that caused power outages around the city. I ran outside early in the freezing rain to capture a few images. The sky was bleak and boring and the freezing rain was becoming ice on smaller vegetation and power lines. I didn't spend too much time outside as it was COLD. Today it is beautiful outside again with sun shining.

Confusion and Determination

2009-01-09T19:19:00.000-08:00

I can say with all honestly that the last five to eight years we have been just, getting from one day to the next in total chaos, no sense of order. Some things have a place but most just get moved from one spot to another. We like so many other people, have too much going on and have little time to stop and get it together. The danger is becoming accustom to chaos and confusion. Once you get use to it and begin to work around it, you become blind to it. No, our house isn't a total disaster but there are stacks of things around and I am certified stuffer. Combine stacking, stuffing with an old fashion pack rat, well you have a lot to go through and no real starting place. Something came over me recently, I am not sure if it was my laid back, simplified approach to the holidays or just old age but I have a renewed sense of getting control of all aspects of life. Yes that includes working out, I have a self set goal of being in shape by March. Once I quit making and eating my newly discovered recipe for rumcake I might actually meet my fitness goal. In the mean time I plan on staying organized day in and day out so I don't get behind on everything, you know all of the paper work, but also to try to organize a room a month. Once organized I plan on redoing or reworking the said room to get it up to date decoratively. I have tended to care little about the fine decorative details of the house. However for some reason this is beginning to matter to me. So wish me luck and hopefully I can inspire someone reading this to get it together also.

My Precious

2009-01-08T19:26:00.000-08:00

As I sit here watching the last real college football game of the year my precious sits at my feet. She is my absolutely crazy dog who has more energy than a two year old and just loves to be around her people. We never had a dog until it was decided to help our youngest over the fear of dogs we should get a dog. I got talked into a Brittany. Brittany's are made to hunt and never sit still. They have an amazing sense of smell. After three and half years she is beginning to spend more time laying on her bed than jumping on me. I managed to capture her sitting still once this fall and you can see just how beautiful she is. For as crazy as she can be and for the two times she has run off and nearly been hit by a car she is really a great dog and lives for us to love her.

City Life

2009-01-08T11:28:00.000-08:00

Well things have been crazy again but I am coming up for air and wanted to share one of my favorite shots from last fall. This photo screams to me, City Life. I love the black and white look that gives it more of a timeless feel. Without the context of where it was taken you would take this for some graffitti covered area of town. In actuality it is located in the middle of a beautiful park and these pipes are known by all generations of our little burb, since almost everyone at one time or another has traveled through them and ended up on the other end of town. I will admit to being terribly afraid of rats, snacks, possoms, raccoons... come to think of it any wildlife that dwells in the underworld so I never did this but, my husband used the underground pipes to go all over the neighborhood when he was growing up. Perhaps I will share some of his wild tales of his youth here with you soon.

Hummer

2008-10-01T15:28:00.000-07:00

One of nature's gifts that most amazes me is the hummingbird. If you have never seen one you would be amazed at just how small they are. I know hummingbirds are in town when I begin to think I am seeing really large flying bugs that zip past me in a blur. They aren't bugs, they are really hummingbirds. Not the easiest thing to photograph due to their size and their speed, many people go to great lengths to set up areas to take pictures with flashes and syringes of sugar water dropped into flower blooms. My neighbors Hank and Ann kept telling me they had some stopping by their yard, I was surprised since this is the first year in 13 years since I began seeing hummingbirds that I had not had any stop by my feeder. Low and behold they really did have some in their yard and after patiently shooting and waiting for about an hour I got my favorite shot of the day. I hope you enjoy it too.

My Favorite Time of Year

2008-10-01T15:15:00.000-07:00

Yes Yes Yes it is State Fair time!! I love October, usually it is beginning to cool off and the State Fair comes to town. I love the State Fair, corny dogs, night lights, interesting people, exhibits, Texas vs OU game. You can't make this stuff up either. If you get there during the early weeks of the fair you can see some of the live stock competitions, if you get there later during the run you can see the dancing dogs or the cat show. All very exciting stuff. Make the time to stop by the fair and I would highly recommend you park on the Fair grounds if possible, easier in and out. Just don't forget to get yourself a Fletcher's corny dog.

Shadowing Myself

2008-09-05T09:47:00.000-07:00

While waiting for some folks to show up I noticed my shadow so here it is. Funny how when you are a kid you are so aware of your shadow but once grown I hardly ever notice it, and I should considering it sometimes creeps into my photos. I try to keep that from happening and I actually do notice it and rearrange the shot. Confused, so am I . Anyway I think this may become one of my favorite self portraits since I generally shy away from the camera this way I can be in the picture but not really there.

Shrooms

2008-08-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

wish I had moved those blades of grass!

Where exactly do they come from? Mushrooms have taken over my backyard and I am sure there is something about rain that makes them appear. Surely I learned this in school at some point. For whatever reason they are everywhere. Most look exactly alike, the come up as these little bulb like growth and then pop out into this white flat thing with the remnants of the bulb left on top, really weird almost like someone peppered them. Then out of nowhere all alone is one that has a red bottom. How exactly do I know the bottom is red? I was crawling around the yard again, getting the toes of my shoes all muddy, remember it had been raining when these things popped up. Now if I had been all together I would have paid better attention to the details around my mushrooms and cleared the stray blades of grass away to get a better photo but rushing through so the dog could come back out I did not do my best work but here for your wonder are my shrooms.

look at the detail that goes into one of these things only to shrivel up a few days later.

Fun Surprise

2008-08-24T18:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in life you have fun little surprises. One day while crawling around the yard trying to find bees and other things of interest to photograph I discovered this whole crop of wild strawberries. I had no idea they were growing in our yard and most looked to be in pretty good shape, the bugs and the dog had yet to discover them. I challenge you to go out and be surprised in a good way today.

I am Back

2008-08-23T17:57:00.000-07:00

I have no real excuse for taking a short sabbatical from here but I have been cleaning and organizing and getting ready for another school year. With that in mind this photo reminds me what is so great about summer, very little to your schedule. If you want to fish all day you can. No teachers to assign you projects, no rush on the chores and there are small crowds at the local creek since temperatures hovered around 100 degrees. Back to business and back to the routine, hopefully I will be better about posting my favorite images here that I really have no where else to post.

Back to Business

2008-08-03T08:48:00.001-07:00

Not sure where that last month went but it went without me noticing. I have been busy cleaning out the house. The girl child decided it was time to redo her room that she has been in since she was four so she actually cleaned out her room. Oh if only I had a before and after you would not believe it, just imagine a wall to wall mess of clothes and stuff with a bed hidden in the corner under a mess of clothes. Out of date furniture that was just sitting there, my old bedroom suit from when I was a little girl, that has been a while and you get the picture. In one morning we removed everything from the walls, filled in the holes and cracks in the wall, removed and cleaned all vent cover, shutters and outlet covers. Then we taped off the walls and commenced on painting. Let's just say it is officially the second room in our house that has colored walls. It has been an amazing metamorphisis and more importantly a great motivator for her younger brother who also wants colored walls. It has taken us a week but between the two of us we have managed to clear a path through his room and believe it or not we found the floor was carpeted. The closet is the next hurdle which I will take a before and after shot. That you truly will not believe. A cumulation of three kids living in the same space for 14years. With that said check out the video of my newest teenager helping me in a very rough video, not my specialty, explaining pocket wizards, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syzarj7f0HQ. Amazing what kids will do for a small fee. Off to clean out the closet!

Fish on a Fence

2008-07-07T15:02:00.000-07:00

Every day I try to experience something new and different and honestly it is not that easy to do. You know the routine, you get up, you go through your day and you go to bed, day in, day out. I revisited one of my favorite places over the weekend and should have taken new pictures but really wasn't feelin' it so I just drove by Boot Hill. Boot Hill is a long stretch of fence with an old boot sitting upside down on each fence post. When I was telling a friend about it they said well did you see Fish Fence? A simple stroll down the street I had driven down over 10 times throughout the weekend and sure enough there it was, Fish Fence. Believe it or not someone places a fish head on the fence posts, leaving the head there for scavengers in the wild to do their thing until all that is left is the skeleton remains. Glad I didn't stroll by when there was still stinky fish meat left on the bone. Some of the remains were more complete than others but it did fulfill my need to experience something new on Sunday. So I give you Fish Fence.

Taste of Texas

2008-06-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

I happened on something today I have never really noticed but had heard about. There are probably 30 or so Longhorn statues running down this hill. Pretty amazing site and when you stand among them you can only imagine what it would be like to be caught in the middle of this stampede. Ouch!

Corn

2008-06-11T19:22:00.000-07:00

It seems like corn is a huge asset right now in the agriculture world. I have seen corn growing along the highways in nice straight lines and have never actually seen it up close. Well now I can say I have. With a slightly overcast sky I snapped a quick shot across the road of some crops and am fascinated by the gold color of the crops. Nothing fancy just wanted to share the simplicity of a plant that has been around since the indians taught the pilgrims to use the land respectfully.

Unexpected Beauty

2008-06-11T13:08:00.000-07:00

There is beauty all around, you just have to stop and take the time to notice it. In this case it stuck me in my side as I boldly tried to reach over it. A piece of a barbed wire fence, hey this is Texas, barbed wire is everywhere, it keeps our horses from straying too far. Anyway, after feeling pain from the barb, I looked at it more closely and saw this beautiful twisted piece of rusted metal. The rust not only gave it wonderful color but also texture. Enjoy.

Simpler Times

2008-06-07T06:51:00.001-07:00

Gas prices may be the reason but whatever it is I am desiring to go back to simpler times when we weren't connected 24/7 to our computers, cell phones, tivo etc. Times when we weren't scheduled every minute of the day. Times when weekends were really for relaxing and catching up with friends and not working Saturday and Sunday. I have noticed more kids riding their bikes, which is refreshing and probably mandated by mom who is tired of paying for gas and driving kids all day long to their friends' houses. My family knows I threaten daily to move to the country so when I drove along the country road yesterday I was amazed that there are still these simple Post Offices in small towns, it was closed but I would assume there is some general store items in there to. If you ever find yourself in Hye, Texas stop by and tell them I sent you.

Forgotten

2008-06-06T20:08:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been driving down the highway and noticed the old things long forgotten sitting in a field? Since I was a little girl sitting in the backseat driving back and forth on I-35 watching out the window I have wondered how the old barns become forgotten and left to fall down and why equipment is left in a field only to rust and be overgrown with brush. Today I got off of I-35 and jumped over to a slower paced two lane road and found a few opportunities to capture a moment in time of things forgotten. I drove by more than I photographed but I did stop and shoot out the window along peaceful roads in little towns.

Cherries

2008-06-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

I have been playing around with my lighting set up. I had taken this photo and realized that the photo was junk due to a filthy sensor. Yes I could have cloned out the dust spots but why not just clean the sensor and get back to making the photo I intended to make. So I think I like this one better anyway. In reality there isn't much difference but this one doesn't have dust spots. I use to be terrified of cleaning my sensor but with the right equipment and a soft touch it is really easy. Now I need to find someone who likes cherries since I have quite a few sitting in a bowl.

Smells Bad but Looks Good

2008-06-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

Funny thing I discovered yesterday on my trek through the creek bed is somethings smell bad but on closer examination the appearance overpowers the smell. Trying to train my structured, not artsy mind to see beyond the obvious. What is it? It is the moss growing under the streaming water moving from the drainage pipe to the creek. Our creek runs underground throughout the neighborhood in drainage pipes and the pipes then feed into the next finger of the surface creek. Many a neighborhood kid has discovered you can travel miles through these pipes and end up on the other side of town. I for one will not venture too far into one, something to do with the sizable rats, raccoons and opossums in our area.

Weird Stuff

2008-05-31T18:10:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share a weird shot with you. No life's lessons or thoughts for the day. This reminds me of a dream scene. Kind of different but it is really growing on me.

Seeing Beauty All Around

2008-05-31T17:02:00.001-07:00

Today is officially the first day of summer! I found myself left all alone while everyone else was off enjoying the sunshine. I decided to wonder off myself and I challenged myself to see the world around me differently. To my surprise my first discovery was a tiedye shirt left hanging over the creek with no one in sight. I began to look at nature for its beauty. What I found was the sun creeping through the tree tops, a pair of ducks nesting, mossy ick under streaming water which actually was very pretty when you stopped and really looked at the moss instead of smelling it. As I was walking along a path I heard a rustling in the bushes, thinking it was a bird I glanced into the under brush only to find a beautiful lizard showing off his stuff. So I challenge you to stop and enjoy the world around you, see the ordinary in a different light and it becomes extraordinary.

Big Picture

2008-05-28T19:35:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to get the big picture today. I have a friend who loves the upper deck for sporting events. For my whole life I have wondered why in the world anyone would want to sit in the upper deck instead of sitting down close to the action. I decided to honor my friend today by sitting in the "upper deck", actually it was a balcony and I sat alone at my friend's funeral. I know, I know, not another funeral but yes that is where I found myself . I sat alone and in amazement at the fact that no one else had the thought to sit in the upper deck seats just like he would have done. What I learned was that it is a totally different view from up high. First thing I noticed is that no one else could see me since they were all looking forward. Secondly I was amazed at how many men there were balding. Thirdly it suddenly hit me at what a cool site it was to see the whole scene in one view. I could see every seat filled and the pattern all of those heads made. I am an up close sort of person but it was a wonderful reminder to stop and take in the big picture. Sometimes it takes the big picture to understand a situation. I also chuckled to myself as the family can always say, it was a full house, there were even people in the balcony! I wondered what the preacher and three speakers whom I know all pretty well, were thinking about that lone person sitting up in the nose bleed seats. Maybe they realized I knew doctor 9X pretty well and knew right where he would have been sitting if he had still been with us.

From Above

2008-05-15T10:58:00.000-07:00

We went to the Rose Bowl a few years ago and my youngest took a photo from the window that is one of my favorite photos ever. I decided to try to create my own shot from above and clearly he is a better photographer than I am. Mine doesn't touch his but due to the polarization of the window mine is sort of a technocolored mystery. What amazes me as I live in the burbs is that there is actually land out there that is totally not developed and is as natural as it could possibly be. As we flew over this pond, what caught my eye was how green the water was and how beautifully the land met the water. So my from above shot may not be perfect but it did catch a perfect moment in time where I could enjoy nature's beauty without disturbing it.

Nelo has arrived

2008-05-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

Nelo who you ask. Well glad you asked Nelo is a great band that has gotten their first record deal and is available on ITunes (whiched turned 5 today). I recommend you downloading their album or some of their songs. Nelo has been hard at work, paying their dues for over three years. Hard work has paid off and they are launching their newly released album. Last night they played at the Granada in Dallas, Texas. To get you started in the right direction here is a link to songs you can download from their selfnamed album, Nelo, http://www.apple.com/search/ipoditunes/?q=nelo