Project 52: Week 4's assignment was to use the self-timer on your camera. I haven't used the timer in a while (on either the Rebel or the Exilim) so I was excited to play again.
Showing posts with label Seasonal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seasonal. Show all posts
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
26 Things: #12 & #18
#12, my son's [noodle-covered] hand as he learns to feed himself with a spoon.
#18, I made my husband pull into the mall parking lot because I saw the icy drain from the street and thought it looked neat. (He was happy to be able to hide the car behind a large snow mound so passing traffic wouldn't see him, lol) The monstrous snow piles at the mall had melted and started to run toward the drain, only to freeze on the way.
(And here's a pullback of the mound of snow that created this...)
#18, I made my husband pull into the mall parking lot because I saw the icy drain from the street and thought it looked neat. (He was happy to be able to hide the car behind a large snow mound so passing traffic wouldn't see him, lol) The monstrous snow piles at the mall had melted and started to run toward the drain, only to freeze on the way.
(And here's a pullback of the mound of snow that created this...)
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Snow & Ice
I cleared the snow/sleet/ice/slush off my car this morning, and since we were on a 2-hour delay, I wasn't in any real rush. I grabbed the camera, trudged through some snow (in my new snow boots!) and shot some pictures of the ice on a Japanese Maple tree. I LOVE that you can see the reflection of the window in the bottom of the drop. (And this was with my 50mm lens!!!!)
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Snow-long February
February was a doozy in the snow department (although I didn't mind, since I'm home with the baby every day anyway!) It was pretty, but Spring Fever has settled in, and I'm ready to get outside and smell the flowers!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Cemetery trip
Where I live in Southern New Jersey, we are blessed with rich cultural and historical locations, perfect for field trips. Around the middle of October, my colleagues and I started a thematic unit on Graveyards/Cemeteries. The Social Studies teacher presented lessons on Veterans and various wars and some history behind burials in our country (like when you died in the winter, they would have the glass blower make you a glass coffin and you'd sit out until the ground thawed enough to dig; they'd break the glass and bury you in the Spring. I didn't know that!). The Science teacher assigned the kids a project researching different types of stone used in grave markers and how acid rain and other factors affect the lifespan of such stones. The Language Arts teachers had students write Epitaphs. And for math, I showed my kids how to quickly figure out the age of a person at their death. As a culminating experience (we couldn't call it a "field trip," so it was known as a "tour"), we walked to a local Churchyard and the students spent a morning last week completing a scavenger hunt around the gravesites. As I said, we're so lucky to live in an area with such rich history.....a church dating back to the 1700's, which was rebuilt with funding from George Washington, James Madison, and other famous Americans. (see http://www.stjohns1789.org/history.html for more information) From telling the tale of Joanie & Craig (two local teenagers who committeed suicide 40 years ago in protest of the Vietnam War) to teaching kids to look for clues in what they saw around them, it was a really neat experience! (And the 1 mile walk we got in that day sure tuckered them out for their afternoon classes!)
So on the chilly October morning we took our tour, as I reminded my 7th graders to lower their voices, to stop running, and to quit horsing around because we were in a place of respect, I tried to pause, to look around me and soak in what I was hoping they would soak in. The history, the individual stories, the beautiful serene calm that surrounded me. I've always been partial to the small--yet sturdy--markers and flags that adorn the graves of our veterans. I spent a few minutes straightening flags before we left--it was the least I could do to thank them for their service to our country. And in between answering the same question for the 20th time, I was able to capture this shot. A simple flag among a sea of grave markers. I didn't even get the name of this veteran. But I am grateful for what they have given me.
I can't decide between color and B&W. The fall colors in the trees really speak to me in the one above, but the monochrome of the one below speaks volumes as well. (Processed with Lolly's Milk Chocolate B&W)
So on the chilly October morning we took our tour, as I reminded my 7th graders to lower their voices, to stop running, and to quit horsing around because we were in a place of respect, I tried to pause, to look around me and soak in what I was hoping they would soak in. The history, the individual stories, the beautiful serene calm that surrounded me. I've always been partial to the small--yet sturdy--markers and flags that adorn the graves of our veterans. I spent a few minutes straightening flags before we left--it was the least I could do to thank them for their service to our country. And in between answering the same question for the 20th time, I was able to capture this shot. A simple flag among a sea of grave markers. I didn't even get the name of this veteran. But I am grateful for what they have given me.
I can't decide between color and B&W. The fall colors in the trees really speak to me in the one above, but the monochrome of the one below speaks volumes as well. (Processed with Lolly's Milk Chocolate B&W)
Saturday, September 12, 2009
'Tis the Season
Chris noticed this great spider web just outside our back door tonight. Smart spider, made his web right by our light...lots of bugs! (He started moving and I got all creeped out. I'm such a girl!)
Monday, July 27, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Bug on screen!
I was taking the camera out to photograph some goregous (!) lilies in the garden when I noticed this bug on my screen door. He cooperated and let me take a few shots and when I returned from the garden, he was gone (yay!)
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Frogerazzi strikes again!
I really have nothing against frogs. They're cute. They eat bugs. They just FREAK.ME.OUT. DH has learned the distinct squeal that means a frog came dangerously close to being stepped on in the yard or one who startled me while I was walking. He comes over and laughs, finding it hysterical that something so small can take my heart minutes to recover from. (He does feel bad--I think--that these little guys have made it their mission to sneak up on me!) He's gotten much better about pointing them out when he sees them in hopes I'll avoid them.
For a while it's only been one or two, pretty good sized lil frogs. Today, we found at least 3 really tiny ones...like smaller than my thumb. I'm not sure which makes me squeal louder--the lil ones or the big ones! One of the bigger guys was on the top of the back steps tonight, just hanging out under the light, waiting for dinner. I, was stuck inside, DH was outside watching him watch the bugs. (No fair, that woulda made a great pic!)
So as my love-hate relationship with the frogs in my life continues, I thought you might enjoy this shot from early summer. Just before we planted the pepper plants in the garden, I spotted him hanging out on the cool, moist soil of the pots. And from this distance, he's really cute! :)
For a while it's only been one or two, pretty good sized lil frogs. Today, we found at least 3 really tiny ones...like smaller than my thumb. I'm not sure which makes me squeal louder--the lil ones or the big ones! One of the bigger guys was on the top of the back steps tonight, just hanging out under the light, waiting for dinner. I, was stuck inside, DH was outside watching him watch the bugs. (No fair, that woulda made a great pic!)
So as my love-hate relationship with the frogs in my life continues, I thought you might enjoy this shot from early summer. Just before we planted the pepper plants in the garden, I spotted him hanging out on the cool, moist soil of the pots. And from this distance, he's really cute! :)
Monday, July 13, 2009
Catch up, part 3
More catching up! Warning: 2nd picture is of bugs!!!
For as much as I love lilies, I can never seem to get a pic I'm satisfied with! I thought this was a great close-up of the "innards" of the flower.
WARNING: BUGS!!! I mentioned in an earlier post that we get these bugs all over the buds on the rose bushes. They don't seem to do much (well, except creep me out), so we just kinda let them be. Here's a bunch of them on new growth on the plant--not quite a bud yet.
We have a huge vegetable garden each year. Last summer (yes, 2008!) we tried our hand at onions, starting them from onion sets. They grew, but didn't really produce anything worth picking. So we let a bunch of them go. All winter, all spring. They're finally to a size worth picking and cutting up! This is what the tops looked like in mid- to late-spring. This thing burst open and had a "flower" on top--lots of little white balls. DH thought maybe that's where onion seed comes from? They're still happily growing in the garden. We're hoping they make it into stew or something at the end of THIS season (2009).
The bud of a Star Gazer lily, by far my favorite type of lily.
There is a lone climbing rose bush on the fencline with the irises. I usually don't pay it much attention, but this year, they clustered so nicely. This shot reminds me of my grandmother. (She had "stinky roses" next to her garage...oh the scent, and big, beautiful blooms!)
This house seems to provide one project after another. This year has brought the beginnings of a new electrical panel and service. And DH being DH, decided he wanted electric in his shed. OK. (But DH being DH (an electrician), wanted to run it underground.) So he rented this machine, to dig the trench allllll the way around the yard. It was fun to watch. Not so fun to get the grass to grow again. (Follow-up....the trench in the front yard is STILL not filled in, 7 weeks later!, because the electric company took its sweet time in making up its mind about the telephone pole out front. Argh. So tired of jumping over piles of dirt!!! Hopefully this week it will FINALLY be filled in...) This machine made a trench about 30 inches deep and about 6 inches wide....just enough to be a pain, but not enough to lose a small child in!
For as much as I love lilies, I can never seem to get a pic I'm satisfied with! I thought this was a great close-up of the "innards" of the flower.
WARNING: BUGS!!! I mentioned in an earlier post that we get these bugs all over the buds on the rose bushes. They don't seem to do much (well, except creep me out), so we just kinda let them be. Here's a bunch of them on new growth on the plant--not quite a bud yet.
We have a huge vegetable garden each year. Last summer (yes, 2008!) we tried our hand at onions, starting them from onion sets. They grew, but didn't really produce anything worth picking. So we let a bunch of them go. All winter, all spring. They're finally to a size worth picking and cutting up! This is what the tops looked like in mid- to late-spring. This thing burst open and had a "flower" on top--lots of little white balls. DH thought maybe that's where onion seed comes from? They're still happily growing in the garden. We're hoping they make it into stew or something at the end of THIS season (2009).
The bud of a Star Gazer lily, by far my favorite type of lily.
There is a lone climbing rose bush on the fencline with the irises. I usually don't pay it much attention, but this year, they clustered so nicely. This shot reminds me of my grandmother. (She had "stinky roses" next to her garage...oh the scent, and big, beautiful blooms!)
This house seems to provide one project after another. This year has brought the beginnings of a new electrical panel and service. And DH being DH, decided he wanted electric in his shed. OK. (But DH being DH (an electrician), wanted to run it underground.) So he rented this machine, to dig the trench allllll the way around the yard. It was fun to watch. Not so fun to get the grass to grow again. (Follow-up....the trench in the front yard is STILL not filled in, 7 weeks later!, because the electric company took its sweet time in making up its mind about the telephone pole out front. Argh. So tired of jumping over piles of dirt!!! Hopefully this week it will FINALLY be filled in...) This machine made a trench about 30 inches deep and about 6 inches wide....just enough to be a pain, but not enough to lose a small child in!
More catching up....
You might have noticed a new design. I found this template specifically designed for pictures--to post them large, without all the other stuff typically found on blogs--and I've been using it for a while on my food blog. I figured it was time to make the change here. I LOVE the big pics!!! (And I can make them bigger...but haven't yet!) Still getting used to the pink color scheme...that might change. Let me know what you think!
So here's some more pics of the 400 or so I processed from this spring...
Another of the few successful plants in the "3-Season Cutting Garden" I attempted on the side of my house. I just love lilies!
The azalea bushes in the yard are just stunning in their prime. I can never seem to get a good picture of them, though. I thought this one was neat because you can see the stamen & pistol clearly (ha! My science teachers should be proud I remember!!! Wanna know which is which??? The pistol is the tube thing in the middle (on this flower it's pointing up) and the stamen are the ones with the dots on the ends that hold the pollen. I'll take my A now.)
After a shaky start, the rose bushes are BEAUTIFUL!!! Here was the first bloom of the season. (and it really is that deep of a red)
I spoke in my last post about the irises along the fenceline. Here they are! So pretty, it's a shame it only lasts a few days!
Dandelions are good for one thing: puffball pictures!
I am not a fan of peonies. There's one bush in my yard, however, that I'm drawn to take pics of each year. This one is among my favorite shots of that plant.
Another of the rosebuds. (Notice the little buggy things at the base? Not sure what they are, they're ALL OVER the buds just before they bloom, and they don't seem to do any harm...so we leave them.)
So here's some more pics of the 400 or so I processed from this spring...
Another of the few successful plants in the "3-Season Cutting Garden" I attempted on the side of my house. I just love lilies!
The azalea bushes in the yard are just stunning in their prime. I can never seem to get a good picture of them, though. I thought this one was neat because you can see the stamen & pistol clearly (ha! My science teachers should be proud I remember!!! Wanna know which is which??? The pistol is the tube thing in the middle (on this flower it's pointing up) and the stamen are the ones with the dots on the ends that hold the pollen. I'll take my A now.)
After a shaky start, the rose bushes are BEAUTIFUL!!! Here was the first bloom of the season. (and it really is that deep of a red)
I spoke in my last post about the irises along the fenceline. Here they are! So pretty, it's a shame it only lasts a few days!
Dandelions are good for one thing: puffball pictures!
I am not a fan of peonies. There's one bush in my yard, however, that I'm drawn to take pics of each year. This one is among my favorite shots of that plant.
Another of the rosebuds. (Notice the little buggy things at the base? Not sure what they are, they're ALL OVER the buds just before they bloom, and they don't seem to do any harm...so we leave them.)
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Time sure flies.
I can't believe I haven't blogged in 2 months. I was shooting like crazy this spring, with all the flowers and animals that were in my yard. Just didn't get around to posting them. Last night I converted over 400 pics from my card, and tonight started the process of weeding and posting the best ones. My motivation is the 100 or so shots from my recent trip to San Diego...and I promised I would deal with the old before the new. I figured I'd do a few at a time, so to not overwhelm my readers, and also to get you back in the habit of visiting regularly.
A robin's nest in the front yard. One of two we had this year!
The flowers of the beautiful weeping cherry tree in the front yard. (The tree actually weeps now that we had a sucker branch cut off! So pretty!)
A pinwheel I bought for $1 at ACMoore on a whim. Made for a very fun (read: challenging) shot! I'm such a kid.
This is perhaps one of my favorite shots this season. First, we stalked this poor family. They built the nest right outside our backdoor and it made for a very interesting spring. (See prior posts with eggs and first sight of the baby.) DH and I tried multiple times to get pics of the momma/poppa feeding the babies (and I do have a few but they're not so sharp) I thought this was just fantastic. There was a third bird, but we only saw it pop up a few times, and we think something got to them, because the nest was empty soon after this shot was taken. Finally, this may be one of the only clear shots I have of an adult robin....they always seem to come out digital-ly, even with my best lenses.
My tulips survived the animals this year!!! They were so spectacularly pretty! These suffered a bit in some early heat, but I miss them already!
Lily of the Valley might just be one of my all-time favorite flowers. I was lucky to have them all over the yard when I bought my house, and they spread like mad, so there's lots and lots for me to enjoy. Walking past the beds, the scent is intoxicating. I pick some and put them in a small vase next to my bed (that's probably horrible for me, since I hear they're poisonous, but hey, I fall asleep and wake up happy, so it can't be too bad!)
Another tulip. Loved the pink ones this year.
The inside of an iris. These things are all along the fenceline between my house and my neighbor's. They really need to be lifted and divided and spaced out better. But I'm a chicken because I don't want to kill them. My friend MaryAnn needs to come give me an iris lesson!
I attempted a "3-Season cutting garden" on the side of the house this year. Limited success. I'm hoping next year things will fill in and it will look a little less pathetic. (Although DH says he's got other ideas for that bed. ?!??!!?) Here's one of the things that actually came up. No idea what it is. I just planted what came in the kit and hoped it would look nice! :)
That's all for the moment. Have no fear, though, there are LOTS more coming!!! Check back often!
A robin's nest in the front yard. One of two we had this year!
The flowers of the beautiful weeping cherry tree in the front yard. (The tree actually weeps now that we had a sucker branch cut off! So pretty!)
A pinwheel I bought for $1 at ACMoore on a whim. Made for a very fun (read: challenging) shot! I'm such a kid.
This is perhaps one of my favorite shots this season. First, we stalked this poor family. They built the nest right outside our backdoor and it made for a very interesting spring. (See prior posts with eggs and first sight of the baby.) DH and I tried multiple times to get pics of the momma/poppa feeding the babies (and I do have a few but they're not so sharp) I thought this was just fantastic. There was a third bird, but we only saw it pop up a few times, and we think something got to them, because the nest was empty soon after this shot was taken. Finally, this may be one of the only clear shots I have of an adult robin....they always seem to come out digital-ly, even with my best lenses.
My tulips survived the animals this year!!! They were so spectacularly pretty! These suffered a bit in some early heat, but I miss them already!
Lily of the Valley might just be one of my all-time favorite flowers. I was lucky to have them all over the yard when I bought my house, and they spread like mad, so there's lots and lots for me to enjoy. Walking past the beds, the scent is intoxicating. I pick some and put them in a small vase next to my bed (that's probably horrible for me, since I hear they're poisonous, but hey, I fall asleep and wake up happy, so it can't be too bad!)
Another tulip. Loved the pink ones this year.
The inside of an iris. These things are all along the fenceline between my house and my neighbor's. They really need to be lifted and divided and spaced out better. But I'm a chicken because I don't want to kill them. My friend MaryAnn needs to come give me an iris lesson!
I attempted a "3-Season cutting garden" on the side of the house this year. Limited success. I'm hoping next year things will fill in and it will look a little less pathetic. (Although DH says he's got other ideas for that bed. ?!??!!?) Here's one of the things that actually came up. No idea what it is. I just planted what came in the kit and hoped it would look nice! :)
That's all for the moment. Have no fear, though, there are LOTS more coming!!! Check back often!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Spring!
I planted a bunch of bulbs in an "island" in the middle of my backyard a few years ago. I'm hoping I get to enjoy these tulips before the squirrels lop off the beautiful buds!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Catching up
It's. Been. Crazy. Around. Here. I've been shooting, just haven't found the time to post (really, I should be doing a ton of other stuff right now, but I just couldn't take the guilt anymore!)
Here's a mismash of the second half of March. (Dude, how is it April already???)
A carnation from a St. Patrick's Day fundraiser at school, with neat-o bubbles in my snazzy new IKEA vase.
A really fat {pregnant} robin we saw when we got home from church. Taken out the car window with my P&S. (I used Jenn_H's Cherry Vanilla Cream action on this.)
I bought some very pretty wrapping paper and ribbon on clearance after Christmas, and this present for my cousin M. was the first time I was able to use it. (The black feels like felt on the shiny silver!)
I had a series of icky days.....stressful, emotional, taxing days. I was away for business one weekend, when it happened to be beautiful weather out. DH was working in the yard and grabbed my camera to shoot some of the flowers that had started to bloom. He also sent me a similar shot on my cellphone so I could enjoy something pretty while I was stuck in a meeting. ;) What a sweetie!
Here's a mismash of the second half of March. (Dude, how is it April already???)
A carnation from a St. Patrick's Day fundraiser at school, with neat-o bubbles in my snazzy new IKEA vase.A really fat {pregnant} robin we saw when we got home from church. Taken out the car window with my P&S. (I used Jenn_H's Cherry Vanilla Cream action on this.)I bought some very pretty wrapping paper and ribbon on clearance after Christmas, and this present for my cousin M. was the first time I was able to use it. (The black feels like felt on the shiny silver!)I had a series of icky days.....stressful, emotional, taxing days. I was away for business one weekend, when it happened to be beautiful weather out. DH was working in the yard and grabbed my camera to shoot some of the flowers that had started to bloom. He also sent me a similar shot on my cellphone so I could enjoy something pretty while I was stuck in a meeting. ;) What a sweetie!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Snow!
They were calling for near-blizzard conditions Sunday night. We were supposed to get 10-18" (and they even closed school Sunday night instead of waiting until o'dark-thirty on Monday morning to wake us up and say "go back to bed"!) I was severely disappoint when I only had about 4-5" in my driveway. I love a good snowday as much as the next kid, but really. Make it worth my while to go an extra day in June! Mother Nature DID drop about 18" on our friends' house about a half hour away, so I suppose it's OK. Now, it is time for Spring. No more snow, I've had my fill. Bring on the flip flops!!!!
I use the landscape lights to gauge how much we got; DH was SOOO excited to play with his Big Boy Toys; I really don't think this will be the "hot seat" for anyone this week!
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