Photo!

Day 13 for my joy challenge!
Routines!

Monday is not only laundry day but trash day too!
Each Sunday my daughter, in all her dressed up splendor gets her trash chore done!

Oh, yeah...that is a routine!
Done!

Saturday is Soccer Day!

I was so thrilled to be able to head out to the soccer field this exceedingly cold morning with camera in hand.

My middle son plays soccer, and my husband is the assistant coach of the team.
This means the next 10 Saturdays or so will be dedicated to and arranged around soccer games.

I suppose that means I can wear my soccer mom status proudly too!
Here are a few shots I got today!

Shelby is the unofficial, official team mascot.

She is totally exhausted after putting in time at two games today!

I tried shooting in manual mode for the first game, but also switched it to "sports' mode for a few shots as well.
I went home after the first game to load the shots on the computer to see what I had... go figure the sports mode shots were better than mine.
The camera knows how to think through the actions shots fast enough to actually record the movement.


I decided to just be okay with that and shot like that for the whole second game.


BTW, no joy of love for you today! Too hard to convert it to blog. Maybe tomorrow!

Dream big

Wow, I think this is a first!
Three posts in one day.
Hey, when I have something to say...I have something to say.

Actually right now...I don't have a lot left to say today and might just find myself snuggled in my bed before the official bedtime of Friday night, which happens to be 9:30.

However, you know I must get my photo of the day up!
I am maintaining a double commitment of a new photo each day as well as the February Joy of Love challenge.
We have made it to day 11 in this challenge and in my personal one...can we say... hey hey to 30 days!!!
I am so impressed with my maintaining skills!
Not to mention, as a result my photos are getting better!

You know how I have struggled with the fish photos, and I won't give up!

I took this one with my new lens. I think we are on to something here.

Ohhhhhh, yes we are!!!

I think I like the shadow there almost as much as the fish itself.

But those are just extra today, because I feed the fish almost daily and when it isn't freezing I bring along the camera.
Well, and of course I had to try out my new lens.

My photo assignment today was Dreams!
This gave me a big Uuuuggghhhhh!
I just couldn't think of a non-trite way to express this particular idea that was bouncing around in my head today.

I sat down to do some hemming, needle in hand and quiet all about.
Quiet leads to thinking, well for me anyway. Unless it leads to sleeping, I suppose that depends on the time of day!

My most sincere dream is for my children to know God.
To go beyond simple bible stories to having hearts and lives fully committed to Christ.

I think about my job as their MOM and how important my role is in that journey.
Little bits that I do each day help to shape that journey.
Each stitch in the fabric of their lives will hopefully, help bind them to the Lord.

So, that is my rather ambiguous photo for dreams!
I want to sew broad strong stitches that serve to hold things together until they choose to fill the eye of their own needles with the thread of commitment.

I hope all that makes sense!

1.8 f/stop thrill for the day!!

Ahhhh, I couldn't wait to show you this!!!
Remember our vain mermaid photos from earlier in the week!


Remember I promised when my new lens came in I would take another photo so you could see the difference?


Remember how excited I was??

Well, now that I see it I am even more excited!!!

So much possibility1.8, so much to learn, so much to capture and explore!!

Not a photo post!

Well, I mean this post does have photos, but it is in the bonus category!!
I have yet to take my pictures for today, but had this to share from yesterday.

Yesterday morning I was headed out to my Thursday class.
I had 4 minutes to make a 6 minute drive.
I was late!
My route has a place where 2 roads form an L, so it is a two way stop intersection rather than just being a curve. It is a bit asinine right now, but I think someday it will be a 3 way stop and they are building in a stopping habit for us.

Anyway, yesterday morning to my left just before this intersection I couldn't help but notice a large gathering of buzzards. If I had to guess I would venture to say there were at least 12 hanging about.
It is pretty creepy to see a large group of buzzards gathered, going about their business.
Ewwwww, their business!!!!
They are sizable birds, and so distinct in their movements and overall appearance.

I was frustrated that I was running late and missed the opportunity to snap off a few shots of these guys.

However, on my way home, oh about 5 hours later I had a chance to stop!!!
I pulled my van over off of the road and sat calmly in my seat adjusting my settings before getting out.
Uh-huh, see I am learning.
I remembered our gum chewing hawk friend was not easily disturbed, but these guys appeared to be more skittish.
I think it was the group setting!
I have a feeling they aren't very nice to each other.
The 6 remaining birds were loosely gathered around the...
uhhhh, they were gathered around the...
clearing throat and swallowing....
they were gathered around the armadillo, well what was left of the armadillo!
Ewwwww, why can't I run across bunnies eating clover or something???

I crept slowly over desperately hoping they wouldn't suddenly amass together to attack me thinking of me as their next meal.

Here lately I have been laying right on the ground or floor to get "on the level" shots of my chosen subjects. Can I just tell you, that didn't even cross my mind. I just did the bend your knees and pretend you are still young and able to do this squat type move.
Luckily I was a bit uphill from them.

Here was my first shot!

Can you just believe it??? In focus and everything!!!


Then I swiveled and got this guy!


Oh, man...let me tell you they walk soooo creepy! They do that stooped over neck scrunched buzzard/vulture sort of bird of prey thing!!!

Wait a minute...are they a bird of prey? They prey upon the squashed, does that count?
Oh, it matters not, we are here to look at 'em that's all.



You really must click on this next image and look at it up close.
Those feathers are magnificent!!!!





This is my favorite shot of the bunch. This fellow it seems hasn't yet had his go at the feast, so he is watching from a distance waiting for his turn.

Ewwww!
Fuzzy bunnies, fuzzy bunnies!!!

I want you to know that it took courage for me to:
1. pull my van over and get out
2. carry my huge lens camera in a very busy place, I am still kinda shy and nervous about it.
3. take pictures of huge buzzards eating dead things
4.squat down on these creaky joints...who knows if I was gonna be able to stand up without falling over...then the buzzards really would have circled in for the....oh boy....never mind.
5. not be paranoid about all of the passing cars and what they might think of me with my big lens taking pictures of buzzards eating dead things.

I think you get the picture.
I was calm though, and focused...well most of the time.
There was suddenly a rather large surge of traffic coming around this corner which caused the birds to be in movement a bit more,which caused me to work harder to stay focused.

Then you know what happened??
A guy honked.
Not a little, hey way to go taking pictures of dead things horn tap, but an all out blast.
It sent the birds flapping in haste to escape.
I looked up quickly thinking maybe it was a friend of mine and I would see them waving and grinning, but no... it was just some mean man who didn't even have the guts to look me in the eye after ruining my shot.
Seriously!!!
It was just rude!!!

The birds started hopping around full of nervousness and before I knew it...

were all up flying in the sky!

There was no way I could change all of my settings in time to capture the birds in flight!
Arrrgggghhhhh!

Creepy birds, creepy horn blasting fellow!
By the way...I did a little research after typing out this whole blog and found that this bird is a black vulture, not a buzzard.
You may now go back through the entire post and mentally insert the word vulture everywhere the word buzzard is typed as a substitute, should you feel the need to do that, cause I am not gonna retype it for you, though the amount of time it took me to write this run on sentence would probably have been enough to change all of my wrong words!!!

Here is wishing you a most excellent buzzard Friday.
Oh look there is one more for ya!

I will be back later today with my photo assignment!

Comfy puppy

I have been wanting to get my camera focused on Waggles the dog for some time now.

She is a low key basset mix, who loves to have her ears rubbed.

We started my visit today with a few cookies..you know to butter her up real good for posing!!

Actually I think what happened was that Waggles mom brought in a few styrofoam dishes, which normally signals to this dog that leftovers are coming her way. That was not the case today...but how is a dog supposed to know such things???
It was a genuine misunderstanding...so she got cookies to tide her over.

Waggles was none to excited about our photo shoot today. I don't really think she got enough forewarning and wasn't really planning on having to be "on" today.

I get that!!

Do you see how short her legs are???
Well that meant getting way down on the floor to get on her level.
It seems that every time I did get all the way down to the floor and got her in focus...she made for another direction.

That was okay though, it was good practice, and besides I had something else in mind anyway.
I knew when I saw my photo challenge for the day that Waggles had to be the one to be the star of the show.
The project: Where they are comfortable.


You see, Waggles has a special chair.
It used to have legs, but since she is getting on in age and doesn't have the jump like she used to, the chair now sits on the floor.
It is her chair and her chair alone...and she looks adorable in it.


She let me snap off about 6 close shots quickly while she laid here in the chair, then...she dismissed me. These were shot at 800 ISO and some other things I cannot remember. Boy am I tired.

I would say, without a doubt that Waggles is comfy in her chair!
Mission accomplished.
I have so much more to share with you, but just cannot today.
It is already 10:30 and I am running on empty, so it will have to wait until tomorrow.

Okay, maybe one photo as a teaser!!!

Ha ha ha, more birds...but no bubble gum this time...I made sure of it!!!
Oh, and I got my lens. No time today though to use it. So tired. gonna get.

Thanks to Waggles family for letting me click away at your place today, I appreciate it!!

Real quick photo post

My job today with my Joy of Love photo challenge was Hobbies or Interests.

I was determined to make today's assignment...whatever it was... fit in with a visit to a friend of mine who is in the throes of recovery from a severely broken leg. As in, broke it on the Christmas holiday and still can't bear weight on it at all.
Talk about put a cramp in your style.

I decided a collection was something of an "Interest"... wouldn't you say so too?

Well, she has all of her Precious Moments as well as those passed down to her from her Mother.
Oh...you may not know what Precious Moments are!
Here is a glimpse of a few.

They are super cute, rounded out, pale colored themed figurines.

Any occasion in your life...wait
Any Precious Moment in your life surely has a corresponding figure to go with it.

I thought this one went nicely with our theme and month!


I took that one out of this case!

But then there is also this case, and another one, and another one and assorted figures all about the house.


My camera toting self triggered a memory of this little darlin' and she hobbled out on her crutches with it in her pocket!

It looks just like me don't ya think??

Okay, friends...that is all for today.
I must jet, so much to do!