Like a Bird

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.