ABC Wednesday - H is for Hand

This was taken during my grandson's 1st birthday and he was really enjoying it - cake and frosting was everywhere.

Hard to believe that he is now over 2 1/2 and heading for another birthday in just a few months.

He loves to sit with me on the computer and look at photos - especially when they have people he knows in them.

Next time he comes I must remember to show him this one.

He will not be impressed with the mess - he doesn't like them and let's us know all about them when they are around.

I wonder what his thoughts will be when he finds out that that messy hand is his.

This is the eleventh round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

ABC Wednesday - X is for XX

X is for XX..........




 

I am really stretching it this week - after nine rounds, my "X" vocabulary has dwindled considerably.

My youngest will be turning twenty years old this year, leaving the teens behind to begin a new decade.

And to represent the number twenty in Roman Numerals, one uses the capital letter "X" two times.

Ten for each "X" equals twenty.

XX = 20.

Really stretching the X for this week, and I hope it qualifies!

 

This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

ABC Wednesday - K is for Keep Off

  K is for Keep Off............





It must be that some people just can't read. Or perhaps they don't bother paying any attention to signs. But these big, red, wooden warning signs were posted all around the perimeter of the frozen pond. But I suppose these two had a legitimate reason for being on the ice. It is pretty hard to read the sign when one is sitting on it. I thought it was too funny all the way around!




This is the eighth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Shadows in the Snow - My World

Shadows in the Snow - My World



  The air was cold and the sky clear - just perfect for making shadows in the snow. Standing on a small hill overlooking the docking area at the lake, the sun cash our shadows on the surface of the snow covered lake. This image was taken about a month and a half ago. We were at the lake about two weeks ago, and there was so much snow that had been plowed on top of this hill that our shadows would be no where to be found had we been able to even climb the banks.  Melting has been going on this week, so it would be nice to get back down there sometime to see how it is progressing. 

More Snow - My World

More Snow - My World






Well, the beginning of this winter season left us pretty high and dry in the snow department.

Most of the snow storms kept tracking just south of the New England area, so we got very little from them.

Fast forward about a month - we got one that delivered over a foot.

The next week another came and gave us almost two feet.

Now, not even a week later, we are going to be smacked with another foot, and to top it off, Mother Nature is going to glaze it with ice and freezing rain.

And then the weatherman was only too happy to announce that Friday will bring another substantial amount of snow.

Welcome to My World in New England - perhaps we will be unburied sometime before summer arrives!

ABC Wednesday - J is for Jetty

J is for Jetty............







A favorite place for the boys to fish when we visit the ocean is the breaker wall or jetty in the harbor.

Most people who fish here all go out to the end too - there is much evidence to prove it.

It makes it hard to find a "clean" surface to sit on out there.

There are various fish and bait remains of all kinds in several stages of decay on these rocks.

Some have petrified and completely dried in the sun, others have not.

You would think with all the water around these rocks would be fairly clean.

Or the seagulls would have picked them all clean.

What they need is a good ole New England summer storm to get them washed off.

I am sure Mother Nature will take care of it in her own time.






This is the seventh round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Relaxing on the Breaker Wall

Relaxing on the Breaker Wall







Both of the boys were out there at the end of the breaker wall when we visited the ocean earlier this summer.

I can usually get about half way down this wall, then the large rocks start getting just a bit too far apart for my liking.

I'm not the nimble youngster I used to be, but that is not the problem.

It's those large spaces with nothing in between them that I have to step over.

The fear sets in, and I immediately sit down on the rock I'm on.

Don't want to fall with my camera gear - those spaces make me dizzy.

After a pep-talk of mind over matter, I try again.

A couple more rocks, and another sit-down.

This has been going on for at least a half an hour now.

My son has been back a couple of times to help me - he literally runs down these rocks to me.

I envy that and tell him, I'm getting there - I'll wave when I need help.

Most times I never make it down to the end.

But this past time, I did.

And I will have photos in future posts to prove it!

Fancy Toes - My World

Fancy Toes - My World







Rather than an outdoor image, I thought I would share a different kind of photo for My World this week.

My birthday was a couple of weeks ago, and I have finally gotten around to processing the images in my camera.

As a gift, my Aunt treated me to a pedicure - a first for me.

I was quite leery about this whole adventure - my toes are just not the kind that liked to be touched.

Way too ticklish and sensitive.

She bought me the "deluxe" version that included a massage and wraps for the legs.

Man, I felt like a queen with the hot water jetting around my feet, the chair giving my back a massage, and my legs chilling with warmth - tough to describe that feeling.

The lady's hands worked wonders on these old feet, then she topped it all of with polishing the toes.

And designing pretty little flowers on the big toes with a tiny paintbrush.

She even set a red stone in the center of each flower.

I felt spoiled for sure!

And you know, it has been a couple of weeks, we go swimming every night, and those toes still look just a fancy as when they were first done.

It was a perfect treat for the summer!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day







Wishing a Happy Father's Day to all the Dads!

A special wish to my husband for being the great Dad he is to our children, and now a Pepe to our Grandson too.

We are lucky to have you!

ABC Wednesday - Q is for Quiet

Q is for Quiet............







Quiet is what I had to be when I took this photo of my little grandson who was sound asleep.

Those little hands are always so busy and capturing them during nap time was the only way I was going to get them.

It only lasted for a couple of frames though - the camera just has to be so noisy when it takes a photo.

He did go back to sleep again with that little hand all closed up beside his face.

Good thing we got it when we did!




This is the sixth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

ABC Wednesday - H is for Hands

H is for Hands............







Spooky dry ice in a bucket.

We watched it "evaporate" this past summer, and my son put his hands in the "fog" it creates as it "thaws".

This stuff is really strange - you can touch the fog, but if you were to touch the actual piece of ice, it would burn the skin.

We added a bit of water to the bucket, and once the fog cleared, you could see it bubbling as it dissolved.

It took almost a whole day for it to melt - and there was nothing left in the bucket once it did.




This is the sixth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Baby Has Arrived

Baby Has Arrived







We have a precious new addition to our family.

My daughter gave birth to our grandson yesterday, at 3:13 in the morning.

He weighed in at 7 pounds and 12 ounces and measured 20 1/2 inches long.

I couldn't be more proud of my beautiful daughter.

She has that special glow that only new mothers have and both parents have already developed such a strong bond to this new little life.

And we can't get enough of him either - he will never be short on love.

Newborns are indeed a miracle!

ABC Wednesday - V is for Visiting

V is for Visiting............







They were clear across the park, but I could see that these two friends were having a great visit with each other.

They must have stood there for over an hour and half, enjoying the view and each others company.

They were quite animated and the sound of laughter would drift over on the wind every now and then.

Certainly a great spot to spend some time with a friend.





This is the fifth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

ABC Wednesday - P is for People

P is for People............







People photography is not something that I am very good at.

It takes me so long to get everything just so in the viewfinder, that my subjects loose patience with me very quickly.

And when they start getting agitated, it doesn't make for a very good photo.

So, other than family photos, I try to take unexpected people photos - from a distance, or just pieces of people.

Sometimes it's a hand holding something, or the side of the face.

Different, but it works for me, and of course, my poor impatient subjects!





This is the fifth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Even the Feet

Even the Feet









I didn't give them much thought at all, but in hindsight I really should have.

It has been many years since I have worn the skirts and dresses that are hanging in the closet.

Having worked in a bank for many years before, I have been lucky enough to work out of my home for the last ten years - jeans and sweats and shorts are all that I need now.

Until today that is.

We needed to attend a funeral today, and knowing that what was in the closet was not going to fit no matter how hard I tried, I broke down and purchased a new outfit.

Now, I also have pumps, heels, and flats to go with all those dresses and skirts.

All dressed and ready to go, I reached in for my black flats.

Yikes! I don't know what happened to them - there was no way my feet were going in them.

On to the next pair - low pumps that might work with my outfit.

No luck there either.

My favorite pair of well- worn heels were my last choice, and they just barely made it on - good thing that the pantyhose were smooth and silky.

So let this be a warning - when the weight goes on - it isn't just the waistline and the behind that increase in size.

The feet do to!

Friday's Photo Tip - Auto or Manual Focus

Friday's Photo Tip - Auto or Manual Focus







Even though today's DSLR cameras use auto-focus lenses, have you ever switched it off to do the focusing yourself?

When I became interested in photography, there was no such thing as an auto focus lens.

When they first started making them I was skeptical, and I stayed with my manual ones.

In fact, the first AF lens I owned was when I purchased my DSLR.

And I have to say, I keep my camera set to the "manual" focusing mode even on this camera.

At first I thought it was going to be great, this auto focus feature.

But then I started in with my macro images, and the lens would never quite get the correct spot in focus that I wanted.

And many times, if the light was insufficient, or the object too close, then the lens would just keep hunting for the focal point, and pretty much driving me crazy.

Just about the only time that I use the AF is when I am shooting an action shot.

Taking the above image was just about impossible without the AF.

The boys moved way too fast for me to manually get them in clearly, but the AF lens would follow them around and keep them in focus at all times.

I am a real stickler for depth of field (DOF), and the AF lens has no idea what I want.

This is my main reason for using the manual mode - I want the control.

So, do you use the manual or the auto focus on your camera?

The Country Road

The Country Road







I have been walking this country road for over 26 years. My husband and I have logged more miles by foot on this road than any of our cars have while driving it.

Dusty in the summer, muddy in the spring, very slippery in the winter, and most beautiful in the fall - no matter what season, we keep walking.

And from now until October 31, 2009, every mile we walk we can log at the BeeWell Miles website that is sponsored by Bumble Bee Foods.

For each mile that I log at the site, they will pay .15 cents to the Breast Cancer Network of Strength which provides emotional support to those who can't wait for tomorrow's cure.

I have only been logging my miles for 2 days, and have walked a total of 4 miles.

The days are getting nicer, and I figure that I can easily up my walk to 3 miles a day.

If I do that for the duration of this campaign, I would have raised about $90 for this cause.

Since I walk each day any way, this isn't any extra work for me.

It is a win-win situation for the cause and for myself.

And since my husband walks just about as much as I do, he can register at the website and track his miles also.

It is a great motivator for me, and I hope the 3 miles a day is just a beginning.

If I get to the 10,000 steps I would like to accomplish each day, then my waistline would feel better, and someone who needs the services of this organization will also hopefully feel better.

ABC Wednesday - C is for Chasing Crabs

C is for Chasing Crabs.............







I don't have too many people photos in my portfolio. When selling stock images, you need to have release forms signed by the people in your images if you are offering them for sale as royalty free.

They can be sold as editorial stock images when you don't have the releases, but the call for them is usually limited to celebrities or current events.

I captured these two last summer while visiting the ocean.

They had waited until the tide was far enough out so they could get past the rocks and seaweed to wade in the water.

They were having a ball chasing the tiny crabs that were scurrying around their feet.

Their Mom made sure they had their water shoes on to protect their feet, and off they went with their pails and bags.

As hard as they tried, they were only able to catch one tiny crab. They may be slow on land, but in the water those little things can really move.

It made me chuckle. All I could think of was when my son was small, he stated he could outrun a chipmunk and catch it without a problem because it was so small. Seventeen years later that chipmunk still remains uncaught, but you know, I think he still thinks he can really outrun it.

Those precious moments - it still makes me smile!



This is the fourth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Quiet Time for Green Thumb Sunday

Quiet Time for Green Thumb Sunday







Green Thumb Sunday Blogroll

How to join Green Thumb Sunday


The tide was finally out so we could go down to the water's edge and explore what was left behind in the wet sand.

It was quite a climb down - those rocks that are all brown - they are covered with a fine layer of slippery algae - one wrong step, and you are right down in it.

It is a much more pleasant view when the tide is in - all that pretty blue water and then the nice white rocks and grass above it.

It might be a more pleasant view, but I like how it looks like layers - so nicely proportioned by mother nature.

An older lady was enjoying a late afternoon break beside the ocean.

A book, a table, peace, and the ocean on a sunny afternoon - just doesn't get any better!

ABC Wednesday - P is for Paintball

P is for Paintball.............







We are lucky enough to live in a rural area where this game of paintball can be played pretty much in our backyard - or I should say - the woods surrounding it.

My son set up a "lean-to" in the woods that he could use as a shelter when playing this messy game.

You can see all the green colored paintballs in the hopper on the top of the gun.

A cylinder with CO2 is loaded on the bottom of the gun, and that is what launches the paint balls through the gun and into the air.

When the ball hits you - it makes a big splatter of green.

He has special clothes that he wears so he doesn't soil his regular ones.

The paint is water soluble, so it hasn't stained anything. It is also bio-degradable so it doesn't harm the plants, animals, or the environment.

Surprisingly, as long as you are covered with clothes, the balls don't really hurt. On just the skin though, they don't feel too good.

The face is well protected, and since they have played responsibly, there have been no injuries.






This is the third round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.