New Old Stuff

There is always so much to do.

My photo website has taken a back seat for a while now.

And it will probably be that way for a while to come.

Life has a way of doing that - throwing one curve ball after another.

I do have images that were processed a while ago that still need to get uploaded as well as new stuff from the past year that I haven't even had a chance to look at yet.

Heck, some of it is still on the camera needing to be uploaded to the computer.

And the poor camera - it hasn't been used in months - the battery was so low it wouldn't even turn on.

 But, when I do get a few minutes, every now and then, I will be trying to upload what I have to my website, and to several of the microstock sites that I contribute to.

Most of it is a couple years old now - but it's all still new here.

Redesigned Website

The email arrived stating that the site that hosted my photos would be making some major changes.

The whole look of our sites was going to be updated which meant we were going to have to redesign our individual webpages.

Sounded like a lot of work was headed my way - it was a big job to set it up originally.

But it has been almost five years and I had to admit that a change was needed.

And since I had set up my blog to match my website, I also had to update it as well.

I must say though, the whole thing went a lot smoother than I thought.

I originally had a slide show on my homepage of the website, but as of this time that option isn't available with the redesign.

I am hoping that will change as we all get to learn the new format and our host makes changes per our requests.

I do like the clean look and the way we can set up our gallery views.

I have changed the colors on the blog so far, and I need to put some time into cleaning up the sidebar.

It's blocky looking with the different textures I have used, but I think I will leave it as is for a while.

It's all different, and I would love to hear what you think of it.

You can find the photo website here.

Thanks for checking it out!

Entrecard Droppers

It seems that the days of using Entrecard have come to an end.

It has been down almost a week now and from what little I can gather across the web - it will be staying that way.

I am glad that most of the blogs I visited on a daily basis are still available in my browser's history.

I have made a new folder in my bookmarks and have added many of them to it.

I will continue to visit them off and on as I have always enjoyed reading what many of them had to say.

I had four blogs in the system, and doing my drops brought decent traffic to them.

I do hope that those who dropped on my blogs will continue to stop by occasionally when they have a minute.

I thank you all who visited these past few years through Entrecard - it was good while it lasted!

Something Different

Something Different




 

I use Twitter to help promote my site and occasionally do some tweets that I get paid for.


I am picky, so I choose things that I think are interesting, and hopefully my readers do too.


I use a service called Sponsored Tweets to do this.


They are having a deal now, and this post contains a link to that deal.

I have also posted this widget at the bottom of the blog, so once this post gets buried, it will still be available.

Just trying something different to see how it works out.

If you're in the market for some sponsored tweets - the deal doesn't get any better than this!

New Feature for Facebook

New Feature for Facebook




 

I host my images for sale on a site called Smugmug.

They just introduced a new feature that allows me to post my images to Facebook with a link to them on my website.

That was a great addition that makes it really easy to post.

I have to manually go onto the site to do this, but it only takes a second to set it up for a selected image.

And it includes a link that allows one to purchase the image in any size they want.

It makes it really easy for the customers, and easy for me too.

Don't hesitate to check it out - I post a couple of images a day to my Facebook.

Get Back to Uploading

Get Back to Uploading

The summer had been pretty busy, and this fall is starting to look even busier.

I haven't had much time to dedicate on uploading new images to my photo website as I am always using my computer and it slows way down when I do uploading.

The uploading takes a back seat, and the images that need to get onto my site and the stock sites are piling up.

I am going to try to make of point of uploading a few each day - whether it be to my site or one of the stock sites.

Never enough hours in a day!

An Overdue Thank You

An Overdue Thank You







I owe a big thank you from the bottom of my heart to Dorothy L, over at Womens Self Esteem blog.

She has honored me by featuring my blog and website in her monthly newsletter.

This month she shared with us her thoughts as she prepared for her journey to return to her family in Canada.

She left us with some great quotes and beautiful videos as well - including one of my favorites - the Celtic Woman.

I wish her and her daughter a safe journey in returning to our northern climate and hope the settling in goes smoothly.

We all look forward to your encouraging words and thought provoking posts.

Take care, my friend!

Working on Etsy Shop

Working on Etsy Shop







I have been taking a closer look at Etsy lately and have decided to work on setting up a shop.

I opened an account there about a year ago but never really did anything with it.

After looking at some of the beautiful works of art from several blogs that I visit, I figured it would be another outlet, and it is really quite reasonable to list on there.

It is also very easy to list items on the site.

I have found that I need to resize my images - they are too large to upload the originals. It is an extra step that I will only do for certain photos.

It is still a work in progress for me, and if anyone has advice - I am all ears!

I have added a link to the side bar if anyone is interested.

I am happy to be a part of the Etsy community - there are some really talented artists out there!

Building a Blog List

Building a Blog List









This is a view from the apple orchard that we have been going to for the last 20 years or so.

It's a top a big hill, and it has the most fabulous view.

We can pick our own apples here, and we usually enjoy an autumn afternoon during the week when it is less busy.

On to the title of this post.

I have been building a blog list over the last few days of many of the blogs I visit each day while dropping my entrecards.

Since so many blogs are leaving that community, I started this list so I don't loose any more great blogs that I enjoy reading.

I have been part of that community for almost 2 years, and I have decided to just sit tight for a bit and see what happens over there before I make any decisions.

I have found so many terrific blogs over there that I hate to make a rash decision and just leave even though I am not in agreement with their recent changes.

My list is an ongoing project, and as I visit each day, I will add more.

Even though I don't comment much, I do enjoy reading these blogs, and would miss them greatly if I were to loose track of them.

Good thing blogger makes it so easy to add these links, and it even includes when they update with a snippet of the title.

A great addition to my blog that I will use to keep up to date with everyone's posts.

Better Late Than Never

Better Late Than Never









It took me a while, but I finally joined Facebook this past summer.

Since I never made a post to announce it, I figured it was about time to do that.

It took a while to figure it out, but I must say, I really like the way it pulls all my blogs together.

There is an application that also posts the images I upload to my photo website.

And since I joined Twitter about the same time, it also pulls in all those posts.

And not only do I get to keep updated with all my blogging friends - we can comment on each others posts right there.

I am so glad I finally "discovered" this website.

I have a facebook and a networked blogs widget in the sidebar - thanks for stopping by!

Time for a Dusting

Time for a Dusting









Even though he is a feral cat, we keep an eye on him when he begins to start itching or twitching just a little too much.

He needs our assistance when a stubborn tick gets a hold of him, and when the fleas move in, we usually give him a dusting.

And he is not a happy camper when that happens.

We sweet talk him and hide the dust behind our back as we walk towards him pretending nothing is out of the ordinary.

But he knows every time and takes off in a hurry - we have got to come up with a new approach.

Because as much as he doesn't like it, after seeing several flea bites pictures online, we don't want any of those nasty bugs getting a hold of us either!

Making Adjustments

Making Adjustments






My daughter surprised us with the news that we are going to be grandparents towards the end of this year.

I couldn't think of a better Christmas gift than this new little bundle that will be entering our lives.

Many things are changing for her as she prepares to welcome this little one.

The baby clothes are starting to pile up in the drawer as are all the necessaries a baby needs - the bassinet, stroller, and baby tub.

When she came over last week she was wearing maternity clothes for the first time - and she looked so cute.

The fashionable clothes that are available today are so different from the ones I wore so many years ago.

She has a good eye for finding good deals on everything that she has purchased so far, and as she gets further along, I am sure she will look just as cute as she does now.

So far all has gone well. She has been feeling good and eating the right things, and I enjoy taking walks with her when she comes to visit.

Keeping the stress low and her happy is the goal of us all as we await the arrival of this new life.

Female Hummingbird at the Feeder

Female Hummingbird at the Feeder









We have been feeding these little birds for years.

And for years I have also been trying to get a decent photo of them.

Not counting all the film I went through before digital cameras came along, I would say I have easily snapped close to 500 images of them.

Most of them are totally unrecognizable as a hummingbird, or they are completely missing from the photo itself.

They move so quickly - better have a fast lens and shutter speed to catch them.

This is the only decent photo I have at this time, and it was taken a couple of summers ago with my point and shoot digital camera - how I wish I had had my DSLR back then. I haven't been able to get as close to them since.

I have a new plan for this summer though and it includes my son's blind that he purchased this spring for hunting.

I have a hummingbird feeder hanging in my backyard, and I am going to set up that blind within 15 feet of it - right next to a tree.

I will be crouched on a pillow behind it with my camera on a tripod, my 200mm zoom lens in place, and I will watch for them and try to capture a decent photo.

If mother nature can provide me with a nice sunny day so I can use a fast shutter speed, then I should be all set to hunker down for a couple of hours.

With a can of bug spray and sunscreen by my side too!

ABC Wednesday - T is for Tie

T is for Tie............







A tie and tie tack for a young man of about eight or nine years old.

This was part of the inventory for the webstore that I run, but I had to snag it first for a stock photo before it went up for sale.

We get some neat things in to sell sometimes, so it gives me some interesting things to photograph.

The only thing is, that in order to use them as stock photos, I can't have any of the brand names or logos showing.

That means getting creative with the cropping or moving around to get a different angle.

Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't.

I rather like the shot of the tie and shirt - I hope the young man whom it was purchased for also liked it.



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

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.

Visit Inside the Lighthouse

Visit Inside the Lighthouse






I did a post a few weeks ago about the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse.

I am very excited to say that I had a visit from a volunteer for the lighthouse group that cares for it.

Ross, over at Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse wrote to say that the light house will be open during certain times over the summer for tours and visits.

You can actually climb to the top of the lighthouse and view the fourth-order Fresnel lens up close in the Lantern Room.

They have scheduled 11 days this summer for tours, and you can bet that I will be there for one of them - with my camera and a new memory card in hand!.

Something New and Different

Something New and Different






I have just been invited to check out and comment on a new website that has been established since July of 2008.

I get quite a few emails that contain requests for links or memberships. Some I give a quick look and into the trash they go, and others I will seriously investigate and then make my decision.

This request really intrigued me since it deals with photography, and looking further into it, I discovered it is more of a news site that is designed for amateur and pro photographers alike.

The main focus of this site is citizen participation in reporting the news online.

It sounds like a really different concept, and they have several categories that one can submit their photos to with a short caption to go with it.

They feature the best of each day on their homepage, which can bring added exposure for our own websites as well.

They are also sponsoring a Photo Contest with a certain theme and they will be giving away several great prizes that any photographer would be happy to win.

There is some really great photography on this site, and it is good to see regular people having their work promoted and getting some well deserved exposure.

Of course, I have already signed up, and since I never leave the house without my camera anyway - you just never know.

A New Blog

Frugal Healthy Choices








I started a new website a couple of weeks ago.

I have decided that it is time to take a serious look at my physical condition and really do something about it.

The idea of having to be on medications for things that I can control has me quite determined to discover a more healthy lifestyle.

It's not about any particular diet - Lord knows I have tried enough of them, and it's not about any particular exercise program.

It's about discovering what works for me, and doing it without spending money on fancy foods, gyms, and programs.

A calorie counter, BMI calculator, and several interactive gadgets are in the sidebar of the website for my readers to use.

I will be posting about health, nutrition, fitness, and many tips that I find along the way.

I have also included weight charts for women and men and a slide bar along the bottom to track the pounds as I loose them.

I would love to hear about any stories or tips that you have to offer, or any interesting info you have found or heard about.

It's all about making the right choices for a healthy lifestyle - all on a shoe string budget.

If you get a minute, please check it out at:

http://www.frugalhealthychoices.com/

I thank you, my friends!

Old Fashion Embroidery

Old Fashion Embroidery








It's a skill I learned from my Grandmother when I was nine years old.

On an old pillowcase she drew a flower design and taught me the basic stitches - outline, satin, cross, chain, and the hardest for me - the french knot.

She put together a small round tin that was big enough to hold the beautifully colored threads, the needles, the metal hoop, and my most cherished tool of all - the gold colored embroidery scissors that were shaped like a bird.

I still have the scissors, but they are in a bigger case now. I still have the skills, but not as much time to use them.

When I purchased a new sewing machine, shortly before my children were born, it came with an embroidery tool built in it.

My clothing and crafts soon had these beautifully designed custom embroidery patterns on them - all created in the blink of an eye with this machine.

Today, there are websites, like, Threadsmith.com, where you can design your pattern online, and they will send you the clothing with your design beautifully embroidered on it.

Yep, embroidery has come a long way over the years. I am still glad to have this skill though. The joy that a handcrafted gift brings is unmeasurable.

Selling Photos Online

Selling Photos Online








This April will be two years that I have had my photo website set up on the internet.

It is something that has worked well for me, and I am glad I did it when I did, as now it has some age to it. I almost had decided to wait until we were sure it was the "right time" - but sometimes when you wait for that it never gets here.

When I first started out, I had no idea about websites, and the whole idea of trying to put one together was really intimidating. And I didn't have the resources to hire a web designer.

Since I have been selling on the internet for over 10 years, I was quite aware of the security that I would have to deal with, and once again, I knew nothing about setting it up correctly.

I decided to go with an established photo web host that offered secure shopping cart software for customers who would be purchasing my images.

All I had to do was upload my images and learn some css coding so I could design my website to my liking.

My host handles the secure payments, which makes it a breeze for my customers.

And I don't have the headaches of trying to keep it safe for them to do so.

I get to enjoy taking the photos!