Bugs Life [animals] . . .

POTD: animals . . .

Another contribution to this week's photo of the day challenge [animals].

POTD:[animals] Polar Bear Express(ion) . . .

Not technically correct - but I just love his expression and the fact that I captured it before he sprinted away from the window seat!

POTD: [animals] . . .

house pets: our quietest & our orneriest.

don't be fooled by his serene slumber
- this one is learning to turn the door knob to the garage!

[around town] ● tourist view /take 2 . . .

Remember that trip to Florida where we took in other attractions (oh mighty Disney please forgive us...); well, one of those stops happened to be the Titanic Exhibit. Our son was (and is) consumed/ intrigued/ infatuated with everything Titanic, so this stop was a no-brainier. Each person's ticket assigned them with the name of an actual passenger and through the course of the tour, the guide would tell each of us a little background about who we were and what our fate was. I believe I might have been the only survivor from our family. My husband and son even stepped up to the iceberg (huge chunk of ice) that is maintained at the temperature of what the water would have been that fateful night. Most people only stood there for a few seconds. Sadly I believe this attraction is temporarily closed due to lease disputes which I sincerely hope they can resolve as this is a very family friendly and educational experience.

In Memory . . .

These photos were taken by my daughter during her 8th grade trip to Washington, DC. Her only previous visit to Arlington Cemetery had been when she was but a baby, when she had no appreciation of the emotions triggered by the sound of taps played on the bugle coupled with the sight of so many lost souls. The countless men and women that served this nation proudly, affording us the freedom and liberty that defines our very way of life. The respect, pride, gratitude, and sadness were not lost on her when she visited during her class trip and she did a beautiful job photographing it for prosperity.

[around town] ● set sail . . .

Hilton Head, SC

Shuttle from Wilderness Lodge, WDW, Florida

St. Thomas

Nothing says vacation like a boat on the water!

[around town] ● tourist view . . .

ARE YOU KIDDING! this is no challenge - I live to take pictures while on vacation. Oh sure, everyone moans and groans with my unremitting camera snapping - but they sure do enjoy looking at the photos following the trip.



While it is a well known fact that the 'hillbilly highway' leads directly to Myrtle Beach where everyone, (and I do mean e.v.e.r.y.o.n.e.) from WV seems to migrate for summer vacations; we tend to go to Florida. One of our favorite places to stay is the Disney Boardwalk Villas. I just love it when they greet us with "Welcome Home"...yea, my kind of place!

This was taken as we were leaving the park one night. With both of us carrying a tired little one, our daughter exclaimed over her father's shoulder "ohhh, purple" - and so this shot was captured.

Then one year we did the unthinkable and opted not go to the Disney parks but instead visit Sea World and a few other tourist options in Orlando. Fun, but we were ready to get back to the parks next visit.

[around town] ● park gazebo . . .

In the center of our village there now stands a park where there once stood a Jr. High School, and before that a college campus. The college buildings (that remain) have been refurbished into a Veteran's Home, and their grounds into a park filled with fountains, benches and one very large gazebo. As visitors and residents stroll the streets of this tiny village, the gazebo is a welcome respite in their hike.

[around.town] . . .

Meet at the man on the horse statue...





...or was it the statue with the horse?



...maybe it was the man with the horse?



In a city full of statues, many of which have a horse or two - not always the best point of reference!

POTD: [around town] . . .

The theme for this week's photo of the day is '[around town] - from a visitor's view'. Growing up, we used to laugh about being from a one-horse, one stop-light town; and no matter where you needed to go, the directions stemmed from that one light. While that town now has multiple stop-lights, it unfortunately has fewer businesses and seemingly less activity. To start off on this week's theme, I thought I would pick one of the several stop lights from the little village in which I now reside since it appears that in order to get anywhere, you need to make a (left/right/go straight) at the stop light.

12 Weeks / Week 9: PORTRAITS . . .

This week's assignment in 12 Weeks to Better Photography is taking portraits. Fortunately I got a few during my Mother's Day walk with my son. These were not taken at the recommended time of day for outdoor photos - but sometimes you take what you get. (kind of an 'attitude' look in that last one!)

Just a Dollip of DAISY . . .

I am in love with daisies! In fact I do believe they have almost edged out Irises as my favorite. These happen to be from the neighbor's flower bed; the one that my son was on the verge of being mortally embarrassed if I got any closer to take pictures. All I can say is 'thank heavens for telephoto lenses'. I also believe I've settled on my watermark. I can see what I want in my mind - making it a reality is a different story. What is frustrating is I have this ubber artistic daughter who could draw what I want in a nano-second - (kinda like when I say, "darn, I wish I could do so-&-such" and she pops over to the computer, hits a couple of keys and viola - does it!) But she's too busy for mommy stuff. (there must be something she wants that I could barter for....hummmm!)

12 Weeks / Week 8: On.The.Go / animals

I have so much fun photographing this cat - but I get the impression that the experience for him - not so much!

This is as close to 'out doors' Ike gets.
(unless he makes a run for it when the front door is opened
and even then he gets so overwhelmed that he doesn't venture beyond the shrubs)

... and this is Lucy. One Saturday I was exiting Wally-Mart and there was a nice young man with a pickup bed full of puppies (actually only 3-4 - and only in WV!). He was looking for homes for the litter. Oh man, if I walked in the house with bread, butter, puppy, eggs, milk ...I'm pretty sure my husband would notice. So I did what any self-respecting animal lover would do - I called my neighbor and convinced her to get there now and pick out a puppy for her daughter (in my defense, they had previously mentioned they were in the market). So, Lucy moved in the neighborhood. Best way to have a pet - live next door to it!

The ● Boy . . .

Yes, we have a son, and we love him too! It's just he is in that stage of newly developed adolescent independence which includes a pretty standard "no photos Mom!" retort or expression. He humored me on Mother's Day and allowed me to not only photograph the neighborhood flowers during our walk, but to take some pictures of him as well. Yes, we have a boy and occasionally (still) a Mommy's boy!

New Day, New POTD . . .

While taking a 'Mother's Day' walk with my son, I took a couple of floral photos. He was a bit shy in my stepping up to someone else's flowers, but I pretty much took them from afar - wouldn't want to embarrass the boy!






... well, except for the dandelion - it was on the roadside and seemed like a safe choice, until I spotted the bee in my viewfinder - not discouraging, just another photo opp!

POTD & 12 Weeks Combo . . .

POTD: Girly (some 'girly' items brought by a little girl to the TKD testing)

12 Weeks/Week 8: ON-THE-GO! [pets] - Beau

12 Weeks / Week 8: ON-THE-GO: [sports]

I am hopeful to learn how to pan a shot this week as well as capture our pets (or neighborhood pets) in motion. The other part of capturing the personality of the pet - I believe I've got that technique down pat with the 100s of photos I have taken of our cats over the years (fat, lazy and loads of attitude).

Happy ♥ Mothers ♥ Day . . .

Extending my Happy Mothers Day wishes to those moms in www-ville. This will be my first Mother's Day without my mom. A bitter sweet holiday - one on which I will remember her fondly (especially the year she let the plate fly across the kitchen because she though we had all forgotten her on Mother's Day ... never did, never will!)

Wet • Macros . . .

[ f/5.6, ss 1/160, ISO 250, spot metering, manual mode]

[ f/5.6, ss 1/250, ISO 250, spot metering, manual mode]

[ f/5.6, ss 1/250, ISO 250, spot metering, manual mode]

Still getting those April showers - drowning May flowers!
All images are SOOC except for sharpening edges, watermark, and re-sized for web.

BUSY . BUSY. BUSY ! ! !

I just knew it would get like this - the month of May always has a way of consuming every second with activities. We are fighting off another possum (yea, how weird is that - 2 possums in less than a month), all the while running kids to activities and school related events. Allyson was proudly inducted into the National Honor Society this week. Pictures - not so good, Proud Mommy moment - excellent! She makes us so proud with all she has accomplished and her future has no boundaries. I'll never forget when she was being screened for kindergarten and one of the teachers emerged from the screen room laughing - apparently Allyson wanted a specific sticker for her bus name tag - "it fit with her ensemble better". Love Love Love this girl!

Prom ♦ and ♦ Circumstances . . .

Yesterday my daughter attended her first prom. In a week's time we tidied up all the last details to her attire and proudly patted ourselves on the back for accomplishing what had originally seemed 'mission impossible'. In all the hoopla, I envisioned certain photographic poses and the ultimate application of skills I've been working on through 2Peas. But alas, it rained, rained, and rained a little more for emphasis. Fortunately the rain stopped shortly before the kids were to depart for the evening and I quickly attempted some shots - but all my visions went down the drain, and the skills I had hoped to apply eluded me. We did get some photos before they left for dinner and a couple at the 'grand march' (nother story, nother day!) All-in-all, she looked beautiful, they had a grand time, and everyone made it home safely.

dan•de-li•on . . .

a common weed with yellow flowers.

[probably one of the most beautiful bouquets of flowers a mother can receive]

Blowing dandelion seeds is so much fun - except when you have to hoe them from your lawn.