Mosaic Macro Memorial Monday

Happy Memorial Day.

Remembering Pepe today, forever a Marine and always in our hearts.

Connecting with Mary at http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/. and http://lisaschaos.com.

God bless the USA.

Baby Face

I love this shot of my son's face with the afternoon sun and shadows. He appears more like his four year old self than his current nine years. It's like a glimpse into the past.

It's Shadow Shot Sunday. Check it out: http://heyharriet.blogspot.com.

Monochrome

What I'll be doing this weekend every chance I get. :)

Have a great one.

monochromeweekendtheme.blogspot.com/.

Skywatch Drive By View

I took this recently out the car window on the highway I believe. No I was not driving. I contrasted it a little and then hit rough pastel on burlap. It's the lazy way to paint a picture.

It's skywatch Friday! Check it out http://skyley.blogspot.com.

Good Morning Sunshine

Crazy storms here last night. As I lay in bed in a deep half sleep trying to decide if I should go upstairs and turn off the kids air conditioners, I listened to the crashing thunder. Then I fell back asleep. This morning I found my youngest curled up at his brother's feet in the bottom bunk. My daughter had moved to the couch in their room near the air conditioner and had then had the sense to turn it off during the electrical storm. Or my husband did?? There room was sweltering this morning. All three of them sprawled in one room with no air circulating. My oldest son over slept peacefully in his air conditioned room, door closed, cool as a cucumber. Apparently he never heard the thunder and his mother was too tired to go up and shut it off for him.

It wasn't until the boys went out for the bus that we found this lone tree down in our neighbor's yard. It had fallen perfectly between their pool and a shed, the only tree even mildly disturbed. Crazy.

Boy in Pool

New pool. Boy in pool. Happy boy.

Wordless Wednesday.

http://wordlesswednesday.com. and,

finally something watery on wednesday.

Yellow Rose

Participating in macro and mellow yellow Monday at http://lisaschaos.com and mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com. Have a good one!

Shadow Shot for Sunday

I love this pretty portrait I posted yesterday and decided to crop it and call it my shadow shot. When I took this it was late afternoon and the sun was coming through the small grove of birch trees on the side of our house. The light was natural and lovely.
Check out many more lovely photos at: http://heyharriet.blogspot.com.

Monochrome Prom

She attended her first prom and we survived out first prom as parents. One down and many more for us to go, God willing. I was so pleased with the many before prom moments I captured. This one I would have overlooked, but giving it a sepia cast has given it so much depth. I took this before any of the many friends and family had arrived to witness. I can feel her anxiety and anticipation of attending a junior prom as a sophomore. She handled it all with grace and beauty as is her style.

Sky Watch Friday at Fenway

I have to confess that I did not take these photos although I did lend my editing talents. ( Am taking a photoshop class soon to figure out what I really should be doing) These photos are a collaborative effort. My husband and 14 year old son were lucky enough to be the recipients of free Red Sox tickets; nice low seats right on the first base line. They along with two friends attended this game last week on a school day, against our better judgement. These tickets are pricey so to have such great seats just fall in your lap when you are an avid Red Sox fan it is almost unethical to turn them down. Gabe( 9 years old) cried when he was not chosen to attend, a big fan himself who has yet to see a game live. My teen assured us he had "nothing" going on in school that day. I mean, why would they be doing anything of importance at a school? He is an extra smart boy that refuses to try too hard. His grades are often in that precarious spot between wow, he's doing well and OMG,he may actually flunk that class. Sure enough he missed a quiz that day in one class and has yet to make up all assignments in the other classes he missed. When will we ever learn? ? I could think of 5 other reasons he didn't deserve to attend and his little brother did. Additionally, my husband on his own grabbed the point and shoot camera on his way out the door. I was pleased when I realized this. He did take this great sky shot as well as many close ups of the game, but not one of him, or his son, or their friends who were attending their first Sox game together and had skipped school and work that day to attend!!?? Not one! But, he did manage to spot and photograph Doug Flutie sitting a few rows ahead. LOL. I wonder how he got those great seats.
You can check out many skies around the world and see who else has been playing hookey, photographing the sky at: http://skyley.blogspot.com.
Happy Friday.

Almost Prom

My daughter is going to the Junior Prom on Friday so it is all cute shoes and organza around here. And the cute shoes fit me! My sister-in-law said if they fit her she would just put them on and wear them grocery shopping. Lol! I am looking forward to photographing her and friends.
Happy Wednesday.

He loves me not

I tried to get my teenage boy to pose for me. "Just one photo", I pleaded. "You can go lay in the hammock." He has the best eyes to photograph, my blog banner model.

He was not having it. I had to settle for this daisy instead.

Anyways, Happy Macro Monday. You can join in at http://lisaschaos.com/.

Shadow Shot Man and the Camera Hand

This photo was taken during a very competitive beach

bacchi game. It looks like my husband took one in the heart for the team. He and our good friend and neighbor Rob along with the kids played many games as the sun began to lower in the sky and the shadows grew longer. Both Dads are quite competitive, one maybe more than the other. There were no little league or soccer games to cheer on or coach on vacation. It was black top basket ball, shuffle board, a few rounds of expensive golf for the Dads and beach bacchi. I even joined in when a sub was needed. It's a good thing my husband has been working out this Winter. This looks like it could have really hurt.

It's Shadow Shot Sunday!! Check it out: http://heyharriet.blogspot.com.

Shell Studies

My little guy found this shell as we were driving madly down the beach in search of the wild horses in North Carolina. He spotted it as we were cruising at a good speed on that cool windy day, waves crashing, tour guide describing. He yelled with glee that he had just spotted a perfect shell in the sand. He was right! We stopped the jeep and I hastily jumped out to take a picture. "Mom, run back down the beach he encouraged me, we just passed a good one! " The boy has an eye for beach combing. Last Summer he found sea glass like no one's business, quickly bending over every few feet or so, smooth, tan skin exposed, exclaiming "I found another piece!".

It's a nice reminder on this cloudy cold Spring afternoon of days gone past and warm sea breezes to come .

Enough. It's Wordless Wednesday: http://www.wordlesswednesday.com.

Times Square Terror

I am a little freaked out every time I catch the news about the car bomb in Times Square. That it was in fact a terrorist act with the Taliban from Pakistan responsible. I took this photo less than a month ago! I may have walked down the street where they parked the smoking car. Me and thousands of others!

I love NYC, just like the t-shirts say. My husband and I are avid 24 fans, and on a recent episode a few weeks before this Times Square incident, the" bad" guys left nuclear bombs in a van parked in an alley of a busy section of New York. We can remember remarking on how simple it would really be to harm thousands of people. Now I wonder if "they" are fans of the show too.

I am linking up with Ruby Tuesday today at http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com. Check it out and clear your mind from any terror I let in with this post. And, love the one's your with.

Macro Monday: Bee Happy

I love taking close up pictures of bumble bees and bugs. I have yet to be stung, but fear I may be pushing my luck. Especially when my nine year old is running around with a tennis racket swinging madly at the busy bees just trying to get their fill of the sweet stuff. Eventually I will get stung; or hit with the racket as I crouch in odd positions with my camera willing myself not to exhale, oblivious to the chaos around me. It is comical, for now. This is my best bug/bee photo so far this season. I love how the blueish purple of the flowers is reflected in the bumblbee's wings. Gorgeous.

Today I am linking with Lisa and her chaos for macro Monday. You can check out many up close and personal shots at:http://lisaschaos.com. Hers are always divine. Happy Monday.

Skywatch Friday in HDR

I took this photo recently at my daughter's soccer game. She, #10, and her team mates were taking their warm up run around the field before the game. I am doing my own version of HDR: High Definition Resolution editing. You have to see Scotty Grahams blog to really appreciate what the real HDR process can bring. His photos are breathtaking and with the highly detailed view of his pictures you are able to take in minute details that you may never have been able to with just your naked eye. It is so cool and reminds me of Norman Rockwell illustrations. I don't think I quite achieved that here, but I love the sky drama I brought forth.
Check out all the details in many skies around the world at: http://skyley.blogspot.com. Happy Skywatch Friday.:)

Springtime and Tacky Yard Ornaments

I am joining in with Beth and friends on this week's you capture challenge, which is Spring. Dandelions remind me of spring because they are some of the first flower/weeds to emerge. Last evening I spent about an hour in the front yard weeding. We are having a very warm Spring which has meant many weeds already. Our neighbors have been out already diligently working in their yard, mulching and planting trees. I finally made myself go out and do some weeding on our front bank before it gets out of control. This will be the year I keep up with the weeding! Yeah right. I had my camera along and was trying to photograph some large bumble bees that are very interested in this purple ground cover that is taking over a corner of our yard. Gabriel was running around trying to catch them in a plastic cup and/or swat them with a tennis racket against my recommendation that he not. I gave up on the picture taking when I realized he had in fact chased them all away. I set my camera on the front steps and really focused on the weeding. It wasn't until later when I uploaded that I realized he had taken several pictures of me bent over weeding.(upper right hand corner of first photo) I look like one of those tacky wooden yard ornaments! LOL. I really need to keep an eye on that boy. And, I may need to rethink those shorts.

For more pictures that remind us of Spring you can head on over to: http://ishouldbefoldinglaundry.blogspot.com/.

Enjoy.

Wordless Wednesday: After and Before

If only I could really paint like this. I took this photo last week on the beach in North Carolina. In the Outer Banks in April it is not unusual to be on the beach alone; sand, surf , big sky, and wild horses if you are lucky.(We were, check back a few posts). Anyways, I took this picture to show how vast it was, but when I looked at the photo later it was not only vast, but kind of bland. Contrast, temp, pastel and posterized later I really like the result. It is much more like I remembered it.

Today's Photo

I think this is faux carnival glass. I got this pretty dish at a flea market for a couple dollars and now I fill it with jewelry where it sits on my dresser. I can't seem to post the photo I recently edited. It seems to have disappeared into the vast unknown, so I'm going with this photo. It is a little out of context, but that's how I am feeling lately. Nice bokah though.

Mosaic Monday Montage

Birthday parties, the smell of lilacs, hot soccer games, bubble blowing and sweet little girls. Connecting with Mary at http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/. See you there. :)

Macro Monday

I am connecting with Lisa and friends at http://lisaschaos.com. Check it out! Happy Monday!