Up

Up The Slope

Coming up a ramp here - I love the concentration on his face.

Safety First - or something like that

For Your Protection

Got to wear that helmet for protection you know.  Especially when you are doing things that might cause you to land on your head.  Nothing like that happened for us though.  Just a few tumbles and such.

125 & Some Twinkle Lights Please

125 & Counting

One of my favorite things has turned 125.  What an accomplishment.  This needed to be celebrated and I felt the best way to accomplish this was with some twinkle lights.  How fun!  Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

The Face

The Face of Time

I am not going to write about time.  All the cliches - slipping through fingers, need more of, most precious part of life, etc.  Instead, let's talk about a fictional character.  My husband and I started watching this show over the summer called Alphas.  It's basically about a group of people with special abilities - extra strength, super senses and so on.  Well, my favorite character is a young man who can see, and communicate, with electronic signals.  But that's not what I like about him.  He is also autistic.  Okay that's nice and all.  I love his honesty and his innocence in his honesty.  He always says what's on his mind - as a matter of fact in the beginning of the series I was pretty sure he was gonna get on my nerves because he talks non-stop.  A constant stream of babble.  But I really, really like him.  I love how he says exactly what is on his mind.  The catch is - he can afford to - he doesn't ever really have to face the reality of what he says because he does not "live in the real world" so to speak.  It's refreshing and admirable, and quite funny most times.  But not in that sassy way that young people seem to be portrayed in shows today.  I just don't really care for that type of humor.  This character is very cleverly written and portrayed.

I got an email tonight from my mom containing several quotes from Will Rogers.  Here are some of my favorites:

Never slap a man who's chewing tobacco.
There are two theories to arguing with a woman.  Neither works.
Never miss a good chance to shut up.
If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.
Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier'n puttin' it back in.

A few extras for this evening.  Hope they put a smile on your face as they did on mine.  Thanks for sharing mom.

Thorns in Picture Form not Words

Thorny

Ah, the lovely southwestern vegetation.  Always lots of texture - not always tons of color.  But that's okay, single colors can be beautiful too.  I love the variances in green here.   And the "brush strokes".  Aren't those pretty cool?   Not sure I would have noticed all of that if I had not had a photograph to really look at it. 

I looked for a quote using thorns - but not roses - and came up empty.  (If you've got one that would work - put it in the comments.  I know there have to be some out there just waiting for discovery.)  So, I will use a quote that I've been saving for a bit now.   This is a good one and kinda goes along with thorns or maybe people that are kinda thorns in your side.  You know the type - the ones that drive you a little nuts.  The ones that test your limits of kindness and the ability to bite your tongue.

Tact is the ability to describe others as they seem themselves.  ~ Abraham Lincoln

Different View

Wagon Ride

Nothing like taking a leisurely ride in an apple orchard...avoiding all that mud - if that was possible!

Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed.  ~ Storm Jameson

Head Heart and Eye

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Taking a break - to text - from picking apples during our fun and muddy day.  He definitely enjoyed picking apples and wants to go again.  I think it helped to know that we were bringing apples back for Grandma & Grandpa.

For me photography is to place head heart and eye along the same line of sight.  It is a way of life.  ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

What a Muddy Mess

Not So New Sneakers

I'm not sure if these were new or not.  They looked pretty clean when the day started . . . and then we entered the apple orchard.  Boy was it muddy.  There were more areas I didn't want to go in than there were areas I felt safe stepping into.  I was afraid I was gonna get stuck and never come out again. 

The kids, they had no problem getting around in that mud - and have a blast doing it.  I was surprised that by the time we were finished picking and had lunch, most of the mud had already fallen off our shoes, so we didn't bring that much home with us. 

Tonight's quote has little to do with the picture from today.  Just thought you might enjoy it as I did.

A single question can be more influential than a thousand statements.  ~ Bo Bennett

Country - Not Me

Down the Lane

I'm no country girl - I've said it for years - I am a total city girl.  If there's not lots of traffic and lots of stores and lots of buildings (to photograph) then I am just not interested.  But, how could I resist such a county image? 

And tonight's quote definitely gives me something to think about.  Maybe I could enjoy the country more if I thought of it in these terms:

I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.  ~ John Burroughs

An Apple A Day

Delicious

You know the old saying - An apple a day keeps the doctor away.  Well . . . if i had just eaten more of these, then maybe I would not have spent the last 3 weekends trying to avoid getting sick.  Yuck.  It finally caught up to me on the third weekend in a row of not feeling my best - including losing my voice for several days - and I finally came down with a cold.  Today, after getting a large amount of sleep in, I do finally feel like maybe just maybe I will be fully human again soon. 

In the meantime, please enjoy this photo of an apple.  I took this on a recent apple picking adventure (during the weekend when I had no voice - or at least a very squeaky one).  Thanks to my family that went on that adventure with me.  I didn't do much picking, but I did do some shooting during the day.

Deja Vu - Again

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Once again, I find myself not sure of which version I found the most appealing.  As you are probably aware, I do love my black & white images.  Something about them I just really enjoy.  But this image, I was torn between the two.  I really like the tones in this image.  The softness.  Is it just me, or is really interesting to look at the same image - one in black & white - and one in color and see how very different they look.  You notice different things in each one initially. 

Here is a quote that I came across today and it really made me stop.  I totally agree with it, just had not ever heard the sentiment put in such a direct manner.  What do you think?  Have you ever known anyone that fits this quote - I bet you have.

Unkindness almost always stands for the displeasure that one has in oneself.  ~  Adrienne Monnier

Unique and Wonderful World

Shades of Gray

Back to my staircase obsession.  I mean really, have you ever noticed how different staircases are?  Well, naturally I assume your answer to be yes.  That is, if you are a little strange like me.  It's pretty interesting how something that is meant for function is so artistic in nature.  Each one pretty unique.  I really should make a grouping of all the staircases I've photographed over the years.  And I bet, none of them are alike.  I think that is actually pretty remarkable.  What a unique and wonderful world we live in. 

Every great architect is – necessarily – a great poet.  He must be a great original interpreter of his time, his day, his age.  ~ Frank Lloyd Wright

Dragon

Dragon

Found on one of my city excursions - looking for something interesting to photograph. 

A single question can be more influential than a thousand statements.  ~  Bo Bennett

Entry & Tree

I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday weekend.  We did.  Kinda busy, some late nights and early mornings, family get togethers and adventures.  After some last minute changes to our weekend plans, we ended up doing our Saturday activity today.  And that has left me pretty worn out and more than ready for bed.  We went on a bit of a drive to pick apples.  (In all fairness I didn't really pick many apples, but had a great time socializing - and trying to avoid all the mud.)  It was a very fun day & I'm glad we were able to go, but now I'm ready to hit that pillow and get some sleep before getting back into normal life again tomorrow. 

Here's a good quote for today:

The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.  ~ Ferdinand Foch

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I haven't had a chance to shoot as much as I would like in the past few months.  I still love shooting.  And I love looking at images and I love the hold of the camera.  I can't imagine not being involved with photography.  It's such a big part of me.  And so, last weekend, we had a family activity planned (let's just say that I was more excited I think than the boys were about meeting a certain Gorilla and Dan Marjele).  I made sure to take the camera with.  And, thanks to my niece and her family moving back to town, we have a few more activities planned with them.  And all of them should be pretty good photo ops.  So, I'm excited to be doing the fun activities and the photo chances make it just that much better.  Oh, and, I have a few portrait sessions coming up as soon as the weather cools of a bit - well not a bit but A LOT really.  I guess what I'm trying to say is there should be more fun, new stuff on the way! 

Okay, so to tonight's photo.  You know back in the day when I first started shooting, I loved architecture.  Loved, loved, loved it!  Well, okay, I still do.  I just haven't shot it in awhile.  But, back then I would never have dreamed of including people.  I never really noticed it, until someone, I think one of my brothers, pointed out to me that my photos seemed to always be missing the people.  Hmm, maybe I was thinking it would be so much easier to shoot my beloved architecture without all those people milling around all the time.  Would this image have been better without the people?  Or is it just fine the way it is?  I'm not certain.  I think it's just different.  And the strange thing is, I had the opportunity to shoot without the two boys in the tunnel . . . and never even thought to take it without them.  Give me a couple of years and I'll probably be back to shooting images with no people again!

Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.  ~ Rumi

Choices

Choices

A man is what he thinks about all day long.  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Something to Go Round

Going Round

I dug into the archives a little on this one.  Sometimes it takes me a bit to get back to the gazillions of photos I have taken over years.  Okay, maybe not a gazillion exactly - give or take one or two and that might be more accurate.

Back to the whole looking at things in a new way . . . I love the shadow here.  What a terrific image with the different shapes.  Throw in the texture from that tire - and voila, I'm a happy girl.

We must use what we have to invent what we desire.  ~ Adrienne Rich

See Things with New Eyes

Keep Your Eye on the Ball

I love the concentration in watching that ball to see just how many pins will actually be knocked down.  Now, if only we could get that amount of concentration to carry over to other areas. . .

So here is a good quote that not only makes me smile, but also makes me think, and feel very good inside.  Try today to look at things with "new eyes" you may learn something new, or have your heart softened to another way of thinking, or even notice the simple beauty in something you see (and pass by) every single day.  Always remember there will never be another moment just like the one you are living in right now.

The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.  ~ Marcel Proust

Release and Effort

Release

The only thing you can control is your own effort.  ~ Theodora van den Beld

What A Face

What the . . .

This picture always cracks me up.  Several things come to mind here, mostly did Grandma pinch him just before the picture was taken?  No way, she would never do that - would she?

Here's a quote that my mom posted in a comment from yesterday's posting.  I really like it, so I'm sending it out tonight.  And thanks to everyone that has shared some of your favorite quotes.  I love getting them and watching my file of quotes keep on growing larger and larger.

I am not as good as I should be.
I am not as good as I could be.
But thank God I am better than I used to be.
~ Unknown

Tada!

Tada!

Helping Grandma with her knitting.  What a great helper don't you think - getting that yarn all ready.

Here is a pretty good quote for tonight, something to think on for a bit:

There is just one life for each of us:  our own.  ~ Euripides

Take a Look at Some Borders

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Having fun while waiting for our food to arrive.  I seem to pull my camera out a lot when we are out to eat.  I'm not sure if it's the texture of the food or the colors, but out it comes.  This was fun.  I really like the look of ice and the air bubbles that sometimes get trapped in the glass, not to mention the condensation that forms on a glass full of cool liquid.  And, really the bright color was what drew me to this glass to photograph.

After taking a few photos of just the glass (for example last night's photo) itself I decided to have a bit of fun.  The first thing I always tell people when they express an interest in taking better photographs - always pay attention to the borders of your image before snapping the picture.  How many of us have taken a photo only to find something very distracting in the background?  It happens all the time.  Just pull out the old family photo album and I'm pretty sure you will see photo after photo of less than stellar images.  Mostly because there is something undesirable in the image.  The best are the kids that look like they have trees or flag poles growing out of their heads.  You know what I'm talking about right?

Well, in this instance, I intentionally wanted to include the person just beyond the glass.  And by putting that person just slightly out of focus, it is not so distracting in the background.  By paying attention to my borders I was able to include more information that helps to tell a story.  I've included what I wanted to, and left out what I did not - the table of people to the left. 

So, practice shooting by only paying attention to everything you see in your image.  Don't worry about anything except those borders, until that becomes habit, and you will find that one simple step will improve your images.

The power of imagination makes us infinite.  ~ John Muir

Refreshing

Aaaah

What else is there to say about this one.  Just some good refreshment on a hot summer day - and we have had plenty of those this year.

Swing

Swing

And a near miss.  Oh well, you know what they say, practice makes perfect.  Just have fun while doing all that practice.

A person who never made a mistake never tried something new.  ~ Albert Einstein

Smiley Faces, The Green Thumb and Me Getting Lost In Photography Moments

Smiley

I believe I've mentioned before about my mom and her "green thumb".  She's able to grow just about anything - and I have to add that my dad and brother help her with her current projects.  At my parent's home there are all kinds of things growing - pecans, peaches, apples, grapes, oranges, grapefruit - not to mention all the flowers too!  It's a wonderful place to go as a photographer.  As you have seen and heard about over the past year.

Well, one day after a fun visit to a water park with my son and some out of town relatives, we headed back to my parents house and ended up sitting outside visiting.  And there was the strangest peach I've ever seen.  Just split open like this.  So, naturally I put it on the picnic table and started taking pictures.  Well, what would you do?  I didn't have any cameras with me so I used my cell phone.  Sometimes those things come in handy (although mostly they drive me crazy 'cause the quality is not so wonderful).  My family is pretty used to my weird ways because not one person asked why I was doing that.  And as far as I know none of them even gave me strange looks - but that could have been taking place when all my attention was on this peach.

To me, it looks like it's smiling at us.  Got a happy face on.  Maybe because it knows the chances anyone is going to eat it are pretty darn slim.  I'm not sure what happened to it after it's 15 minutes of fame were over.

I spend shockingly little time thinking about real world stuff.  ~ Trey Parker

Lean Into It

Got To Lean Into It

Love this picture.  If you have ever been bowling in your life, then I'm pretty sure you have done this as well.  Not sure I've ever seen anyone, at least once while bowling, lean the direction you would like the ball to go.  'Cause, you know, it really helps.

Life is a series of surprises.  ~  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Just A Slight Change

Washed Away

Now this just makes me want to go to the beach.  I love the color of the water at the top.  Would you believe that this image and the one from yesterday were taken at the same time and same basic location?  It's amazing what a few little differences, such as position and lighting, can do to an image.  Fun stuff.

Don't go around saying the world owes you a living.  The world owes you nothing.  It was here first.  ~ Mark Twain

Do I Like It or Do I Not? I'm Still Not Sure

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Texture and light and abstract.  All things that I really enjoy when photographing.  I've been going back and forth on this one for quite some time.  I want to share it and then decide against it.  I like it, but find it a little distracting.  While quickly scrolling through my images that are in my "holding area", I was drawn to this one again.  And, well, that was it.  Tonight was the night I was going to quit talking myself out of sharing it and going with my initial gut instinct.  So, here it is.  Not sure what you all will think.  Is it art, is it not?  I don't really now, and honestly that is for each of you to decide.  For me, there is something about all that texture and the playful light, it just keeps pulling me in.  I'm not going to tell you what it is, at least not yet - can you tell me what it is?

I was also wondering something.  Is there anyone out there that is interested in learning some tips on taking better photos?  Not that I'm an expert by any means, but just some tips.  Let me know if you are.  I'm thinking about setting up some easy ideas to improve your photography.  Nothing technical, just very simple things.  And, I have also been asked to share how to use an SLR camera and am putting that together too.  So, if you are interested in something like that, please let me know.

All art requires courage.  ~ Anne Tucker

Oh Those Lazy Summer Days

Lazy Summer Days

Not sure what those are really, lazy summer days, since we ended up being pretty busy from beginning to end.  I can hardly believe that the summer is almost over - or at least the summer break for the kids.  Well, and that means for us adults with kids still at home too.

I took this picture from a very strange angle.  I mean, I was physically leaning and stretching to get myself into the right position.  It was not very comfortable.  All in the name of getting the shot I guess.  That is not why the angle is so crazy though - I did take several "normal" angled shots.  You know parallel to the skyline.  And then, just for fun, decided to tilt my camera.  I like that the image is not so normal.  Gives it a little zest or something.  What do you think?  Would you like to see one of the un-angled images?

I may have shared this quote before, I can't remember.  It is a good one, one that applies to this image and one that deserves a second or third reading. 

Is not amusement the very soul of life?  ~ Frances Milton Trollope

Oh and before I forget . . . so either you all are super nice and have gotten used to my lack of spell check at times, or you did not notice either.  I was expecting a correction on my title from last night.  As soon as I hit submit, I noticed that the title was misspelled.  Instead of two g's in goggles I had put two o's.  Don't worry, it was corrected last night immediately on my sight, just went out wrong on my email.  So . . . did you notice that?

The Goggles

The Goggles

Tonight will be a short one.  I hope you all had an enjoyable weekend.  And, since we are down to a few last days of late evenings, we enjoyed it at home catching up on one of our favorite TV shows.  Even though the weather might say differently, our summertime is quickly coming to an end.

I never think of the future.  It comes soon enough.  ~ Albert Einstein

I Really Had a Blast with This One

Blast

No object is mysterious.  The mystery is your eye.  ~ Elizabeth Bowen

And so looking at this image, I must say I had no idea how many sparks come out of one of these things. They do seem to go on for longer than you would expect, but wow, look at all those sparks.  And those are the ones that my camera was able to capture.  Pretty cool.  Maybe next year I will try to take some photos with the shutter open during the entire time and see what that looks like.  Too fun.

I do believe this is the end of my fireworks series for the moment.  On to new fun things in a few days.  Have a great weekend everyone.  This is our last weekend before my son starts school again.  And how does that impact you?  Well, that means we will be back on a schedule and my posting's will be a little more regular again.  That will be so nice.

Whirly & Twirly

Whirly & Twirly

I love how the camera captured this moment.  I mean, we can see those flashes of light and I think on some level we know that they are twirling around.  But to see it like this?  Pretty darn cool (in my humble opinion.)

I fell in love with photography long before I really even knew what it was.  I fell in love with photographs.  I can remember looking at old photographs of ancestors and such and just loving everything about them.  Loving the look and the feel, the image, the moment frozen in time.  I fell in love with the idea of capturing life, and all the things in it, as they happened. 

And so my journey, with a camera in hand, began.  I loved capturing things just as I saw them.  Almost documenting things as they were at that exact time.  Never once thinking about the possibility of capturing things in a new way, not exactly as I see them.  It's fun to see what "manipulating" can be done with your camera to create a new effect.  It certainly does not mean that this firework did not happen this way, it most certainly did.  It's just that my eyes could not see it that way.  Of course, there are many of you out there that would probably argue with me and tell me that I tend to show you images in a way that you had never seen it before - or had never looked at in that light or angle before.  Perspective - it's such a wonderful thing.

The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.  ~  Henry Miller

Double Fun

Double Fun

A fun evening light show.  My two boys had a great time playing around - and I had a great time behind the camera documenting it.

Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.  ~ Victor Borge

Magic

Magic

Another from a night of celebrations.  I definitely had fun shooting these ones.  And, is it just me, or does this one look somewhat wand like?

Follow your dream.  Transform your life.  ~  Unknown

A Bit Delayed, Hopefully You Won't Mind

Sparks Flying

Well, can you tell when this might have been shot?  That's right 4th of July.  My not so busy summer has turned out to be rather busy.  I did have these photos processed pretty quick though.  I was super excited to see how they turned out this year.  I have shot, and shot, and shot fireworks but never with a tripod.  Usually I am out at an activity - one that is not conducive to lugging a tripod around - when I shoot the fireworks.  And let me tell you, shooting at night without a tripod is rather tricky.  I have gotten lucky over the years and had some pretty interesting shots.

This time, I was able to get everything setup and ready to go.  It was really fun shooting them too, well shooting them with my camera that is.  I'm not so big on the lighting and shooting of the actual fireworks myself.  But, I did enjoy watching my husband and my son light them so that I could "shoot" them in my own special way.

Dare to be remarkable.  ~ Unknown

End of This Round

The Mountain Top

And, here we are at the end of the Halo dudes vacation. I love this one single guy standing at the edge of the mountain top. I wonder what on earth he is thinking about up there.

The only Zen you find on the mountains is the Zen you bring up there. ~ Robert M. Pirsig

A Little Help Please

A Little Help From My Friends

I love how these guys have such great teamwork.  I mean c'mon, they work together, vacation together and even pull each other up the mountain.  I'm pretty sure if the guy in white would quite posing he would find the climb much easier.

And, wow, how true is that.  Quit "posing" and you will find life much easier. 

Okay, so now for a little bit of photo talk.  The pic from tonight and the one from last night, I just have to comment on that background lighting.  I did take some liberty and worked on them a bit on the computer.  Mostly, the background was pretty neat.

I love shooting in aperture mode and with a zoom lens all the way out.  That creates that wonderful blurred background - putting all the emphasis on the in-focus subject of the picture.  Since this was taken by my pool, the background is actually the decking around the pool with some fun lines created by the pool fence and the setting sun.  How fun is that texture?

Courage makes heroes, but trust builds friendship.  ~ From Star Wars:  The Clone Wars

Climb

Climb

For they conquer who believe they can.  ~ John Dryden

And really there's nothing more to add to that thought.  Goodnight, sleep tight, and see you tomorrow!

Water Slide

Water Slide

Now how is this for vacation fun?  Water Slide!!!

You never know when you are making a memory.  ~  Rickie Lee Jones

Looking for the Sunset

For The Sunset

I've always been a sucker for sunsets.  As a kid, we drove across country more times than I can remember (or care to count).  And back in those days, we didn't have handheld video games or DVD players to entertain us.  It was good, old fashioned reading.  And since I get carsick when I read, I was left with either sleeping or watching the scenery go by.  One of the things I fondly remember was all those gorgeous sunsets - especially when we got out west.  Just outstanding.

And, by the looks of it, I'm not the only one that enjoys a good sunset.  Apparently, our vacationing halo guys stopped long enough atop this mountain to check out the upcoming sunset.  Smart guys really - they know where to relax and what to do to relax.

Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing.  ~ Wernher von Braun

More Water

Taking in the Sun

Now, he really needed some time in the sun...I do believe he is paler than me.  And that really is saying something.  I do like his "pose".  The boys had a great time setting these guys up for me to have some fun with.

The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears or the sea.  ~ Isak Dinesen

Some R&R

Relaxing in Red

Now, to me, this guy is the smart one out of the bunch.  This is how I prefer to spend my time poolside.  Sitting on the edge with my feet dipped in the water.  Helps keep you cool, but does not require getting in the pool.  I'm not a big swimmer myself. 

I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world.  This makes it hard to plan the day.  ~ E.B. White

Aaah Relaxation Time

The Picture of Relaxation

Now this is how you relax.  Can't you just feel the stress fading away looking at how relaxed he is?

Some Vacation Photos

Vacation Photos 1

While I was taking photos of my dog doing various goofy activities - I was actually outside for another purpose all together.  My son and his friend informed me that while they were swimming they would be coming up with some photo worthy activities.  Intrigued, and in need of doing some shooting, I agreed to a photo session in the late afternoon while they were swimming.  I, of course, was imagining great canon balls and such.

It would seem that some of our Halo dudes (from the very popular series of video games) were much in need of a vacation.  And our pool was just the spot that they were headed to for some relaxation and fun activities.  I guess defending the universe gets a little rough at times. 

Four of the guys headed out to the sunny southwest for some R&R.  And, here they are relaxing at the hot spring just above the waterfall.

Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between deep breaths.  ~ Etty Hillesum

The Dog & The Path

The Path

The dog lives for the day, the hour, even the moment. ~ Robert Falcon Scott

Here's a Simple Philosophy

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I have a simple philosophy:  Fill what's empty.  Empty what's full.  Scratch where it itches.  ~ Alice Roosevelt Longworth

Water and Words

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Water and words - easy to pour impossible to recover.  ~ Zen Proverb

Eyes on Me

Got Their Eyes on Me

It's not uncommon to hear this phrase around our house - I've got my eye on you.  We've said it for years and years.  And anyone that spends any time around us picks that one up.  In this photo, it was reversed - they've got their eyes on me.  Taking their picture that is. 

Don't you just love the warm sunlight tones.  I love how it really makes the skin glow and the eyes show up.  That lovely time just before sunset to take photos.  All the colors really pop.

Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you. ~ Walt Whitman

Agreeable Friends



My Sam

 My night got a bit away from me, and since today turned out to be longer than I anticipated, I am going to keep it short & sweet.  To go along with my sweet (if not very goofy) dog here.  So, this one goes out to my dog lovers.  It's been awhile since I shared a pic of mine.

Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.  ~ George Eliot

Just Go For It

Just Go For It

And, finally, the end of the football pics.  At least from this season.  Sorry it took a bit to get to the last picture, but after enjoying the long holiday weekend for the 4th of July, I decided to take an "extended vacation" for the week.  We had a surprise visitor (well sort of surprise, we knew he was coming we just didn't know when for sure).  My son's longest friend - since kindergarten - was here to visit for the summer (he moved out of state last summer) and we were able to have him over for most of last week.

Okay, back to football.  When I first started sharing these pics I made reference to sharing with you things that I learned through watching this football team.  This team was made up of mostly new to tackle football players.  They were playing against some teams that have played for four seasons together.  Those other teams had the drill down.  I mean they would show up with their matching bags slung over their shoulders and chanting as they marched over to weigh in.  Even the moms had blinged out shirts with the team name on it.  It was crazy to watch how much some of those parents really got into it. 

Anyway, our boys were new and really wanted to learn how to play tackle.  One of the things I found so amazing, even though we didn't score hardly at all, the boys would leave that field with smiles on their faces.  Mostly because the coach made it fun for them.  He was super encouraging and always pointing out their improvements every chance he got.  It was great to see such positive reinforcement taking place. 

So, things that I was inspired by watching these boys - and in lieu of a quote, I will share some of my thoughts:

Everything is always more fun and more productive when you are encouraged.

Sometimes it really is not whether you win or lose, but whether you improved from one game to the next.

Never give up.  Always try harder and put in the effort to improve.

Approach obstacles with a smile.

Don't compare yourself to others, you are - or at least should be - your only measure of success.

The photo from tonight is from one of two touchdowns that our team scored all season long.  Both of them were in the last game and the boys really loved being able to make those two touchdowns.  If they had given up, they would have never known what that felt like.