2012 Projects and Photographs

A Week of Light, Chuck, and Sootie

2012-02-01T14:42:00.001-05:00

Sootie really doesn't like to have his nap disturbed for picture-taking. 1/9

Picture the Holiday's prompts were really helpful in December, so I decided to have a default prompt to help with P366 each month. So when I have subject brain freeze, there's always a little bit of inspiration. January's prompt - used for the next three shots - was "A light in the darkness". Used a Light room preset from Matt Kloskowski call "Gritty Effect" on the streetlamp. 1/10 - 12

Chuck, working on something. 1/13

One more waterfall photo from Viaduct Park. 1/14

Sun-dried tomato bread from Acme. Smells and tastes wonderful toasted and buttered. 1/15

Ducks at Waterworks Park, 1/8

2012-01-29T15:30:00.000-05:00

I decided to go to Waterworks Park to see where the kayakers land, and was happily surprised to see a huge flock of mallards. The males are already in their snappy breeding plumage, even though it was still early January. Check out the bright orange feet.

A couple of domestic ducks had joined the crowd.

In the short time I was there, at least three carloads of people came to feed the ducks - and the ducks sure weren't shy about about visitors with food in their hands.

Waterworks Park is along the Cuyahoga River in Cuyahoga Fall, Ohio, on Munroe Falls Ave. There's a big community pool in the front, drive beyond that, and under a bridge, and the park drive runs past the river access, picnic areas and playing fields.

January 2 - 7, 2012

2012-01-29T15:16:00.000-05:00

All the Christmas ornaments, ready to put away for another year. 1/2.

So happy the winter's been very easy so far. 1/3.

This is for Shutter Sister's One Word Project. Mine for this year is building friendships. This started out as a photo, but I wasn't happy with the background, so I extracted the stamped letters and overlayed them on a couple of blended Kim Klassen texture layers. 1/4.

My January photography theme is "A light in the darkness". The days are getting longer and the end of winter is almost in sight. Used another Kim Klassen texture on this one. 1/5.

Full moon, just as the sun was setting. 1/6.

Saturday dinner at Mom's isn't complete without plenty of dogs. They are the most accomplished set of beggars you'll ever see - each one does "starving to death" better than the last.

That's it for now.

Last Batch of Picture the Holidays

2012-01-15T18:49:00.001-05:00

The last batch of photos from Picture the Holidays. Days 26 and 27 are from the Rockefeller Greenhouse in Cleveland - it's kind of a tradition to visit the Greenhouse and the Botanical Garden on Boxing Day. The Botanical Garden was closed on Monday, so we missed it this year.

Pretty sure the 28th is missing because it involved me taking a picture of myself. That'll only happen under duress....

Forgot to drink my tiny bottle of Champagne on New Year's Eve, but it made a good prop here.

My sister-in-law's cat, Blue, being pensive for just a moment.

Kent Winter Market, nice light on these apples. The farmer's market is a good place to shoot food earlier in the morning. This basket of apples caught winter morning light from one of Lucky Penny Creamery's windows.

Great Falls on Tinker's Creek

2012-01-14T19:32:00.002-05:00

Viaduct Park is a gorgeous little gem hidden off Willis Road in Bedford. It's named for a viaduct built in the late 1800's to carry the railroad over Tinker's Creek. Later, with steadily increasing train size, the viaduct was partially buried and replace with a sturdier crossing.

Three of us went out shooting this morning, Jerry, Dave and I, all from CVPS. Pretty cold, around 20 degrees when we started. At the viewing area just below the falls, the temp felt a lot lower because of all the mist coming off the falls.

This is Great Falls from the upper part of the viewing area. Pretty decent volume of water, due to all the rain we've had. In other photos of the area, the large rock ledge to the left is usually dry.

From the lower viewing area, converted to black and white.

Dave, out on the rocks just above the falls. It was a bit slippery, enough to make me a little nervous. Desaturated this one, leaving only a bit of color.

Tinker's Creek, rushing to get over the falls.

Two versions of the same view from entirely too close to the edge of the falls. I'm leaning toward the color photo, though the color of the water looks better in black and white.

So it's twenty degrees, we're about 50 feet below street level, and darned if four little mallards aren't dabbling for lunch in the creek.

Shot these weathered maple leaves for an assignment in the the mini photography course I'm taking at www.kimklassencafe.com.

That's it - great frosty morning. I can't wait to see the falls in the Spring. January 14, 2012.

PS: Bedford Reservation is worth a visit. Lots of trials, picnic areas, great view of the gorge.

Picture The Holidays, Group Two

2012-01-08T20:39:00.001-05:00

More prompts from Picture the Holidays. The 19th was Checking It Twice. Even with lists (kept, of course, on my beloved iPad), it was still hard to keep up with everything going on in December. This list has Georgie's party meatball recipe - a jar of chili sauce, a jar of grape jelly, and a bag of frozen meatballs. Mix it all together and cook in the crockpot for four or so hours. Sounds weird, but tastes good.

Chuck was the perfect subject for Wrapped in Love. Used a soft focus Lightroom preset on this one.

The prompt for the 22nd was (C)Attitude Adjustment. Sootie's eyeballing a blue jay here. He has no idea how fierce they are.

You are Getting Sleepy, Day 22. New bedding, soft blue and cream, very pretty.

Apple bread for life is sweet on the 23rd. Shot this with my new 50 mm f1.8 lens. It has a really narrow depth of field at f1.8. Interesting effect, sharp in the middle and soft around the edges.

Christmas Tree magic on the 24th.

Mom and Ryan on Christmas Day at Greg and Sheila's.

This was a great project - I'll upload the last part of the month soon.

Kent Winter Market

2012-01-01T17:42:00.004-05:00

We went to the Winter Market at Lucky Penny Creamery yesterday and bought dill bread, pecan- cranberry waffles and kale chips. The dill bread and cranberry waffles were delicious. The kale chips taste good, but the texture is odd - Chuck describes it as ashy. I think I'll try them crumbled over salad.

This is the dill bread, with (top) and without (bottom) a texture called "Friday" from Kim Klassen;

Which do you like better?

Picture the Holidays

2012-01-01T17:03:00.001-05:00

One of the things I really liked about this challenge was feeling free to stage photos. Usually, I just take what's there and edit in post (photo geek speak for messing around on the computer). My favorite place to stage is the kitchen table. In the morning and on overcast days, it gets really nice soft light that makes almost anything look great.

Thanks for the card, Mom!

Made these ornaments for a couple of beach-loving friends. I'd planned to put tiny flip-flops on them, but they just didn't look good. The bead and charms were from some wine glass charms I made last summer, and they worked perfectly with the beach theme.

Wreath on the upper deck.

Candle glow is so pretty.

The prompt for Day 18 was "Recharge". Making things, like these birdhouse, helps me get centered. This was set up on the breakfast table with Christmas Tree light bokeh in the background. See what I mean about the light? Clean and soft.

Picture the Holidays

2011-12-31T23:12:00.003-05:00

More photos from the Picture the Holiday challenge, one for each day of December.

Day 9 is above. The prompt must have been "Lame";)

The prompt for the photo above, Day 10, was "Twinkle, Twinkle",

Picutre the Holidays

2011-12-11T21:36:00.001-05:00

Picture the Holidays is a series of photo prompts from Tracey Coterie of Paper Coterie. The day 2 (December 2) prompt was reframing:

Day 3 was "All you need is love"

Day 4, "You hold the key"

Day 5, "The view from here".

Day 6, "Every little thing".

And on Day 7, I spent preparing for the CVPS Christmas party instead of taking photos, but I am catching up tomorrow!

Mid-October

2011-12-03T21:04:00.001-05:00

Fall this year just seems to have rushed by. Almost feels like I missed it.

Powerhouse in Cuyahoga Falls. Lisa and I went shooting here and in the Gorge. 10/9.

Maybe I'll finish these ornament before Christmas. 10/10

One of the shells left over from filling the lantern in the master bath. The brown paper bag lends a mysterious texture. 10/11

Made roasted vegetables for the first time. Wonderful - and they smell really good! 10/12

The view from my office window. I wanted to be outside so badly! 10/14

Mom made copies of Dad's Navy picture for all of us. I miss him. 10/15

I found the drill and the right size bit. Just a little more effort and I might actually get holes in these darn things. 10/16

Picture the Holidays, Day 3: All You Need is Love

2011-12-03T20:47:00.001-05:00

Stained Music texture from Kim Klassen.

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T18:55:00.001-05:00

I love Thanksgiving - it's my favorite holiday. It's all about family, all about celebrating the people we love. I can't wait to see everyone. Mom will be fixing up the relish tray, Gary's in charge of turkey carving, Greg and Dave are in charge of turkey snitching. Matt and Tabitha are bringing some vegan dishes. Marge has deviled eggs under control, and Sheila's is bringing her wonderful pumpkin roll. And maybe we'll get some family photos in after dinner. The group shot has become kind of a traditions.

Anyway, here's some of the fun I had getting ready:

Decorating

Cleaning (not so much fun!)

And - mmmmm - baking apple bread.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T15:45:00.001-05:00

Borrow Pit Photo Walk

2011-11-22T15:30:00.001-05:00

The Borrow Pit was the source for fill for SR271. It's just off Boston Mills Road, where the Buckeye Trail crosses. The dirt's pretty poor because all the topsoil was scraped off. It's home to scruffy grass and small trees just managing to get a foothold. The far end of the field has a nice population of fringed gentians, one of our native wildflowers.

These shots were taken in the early morning while the pit was still full of mist. It has an other-worldly feel to it, like a scene from Lord of the Rings, right before the battle starts.

Because October was so wet, it was good for mushrooms. The Buckeye Trails was lined with dozens of mushroom clusters like this.

My goal when I left the house, was to get some scenics I was happy with, and I did. Landscapes are tough - mine frequently seem to look too busy and without a clear focus. These seem to work better than most.

10/8/11

October, Little Bit of This, Little Bit of That

2011-11-15T20:29:00.001-05:00

Working on some beachy Christmas ornaments. I have the right size drill bit to put holes in the tiny flip flops - but how to steady them while I'm drilling? 10/1

Gloomy, rainy, windy day at Indigo Lake in CVNP. 10/2

Crossword? Really? When I have Solitaire to waste time on? 10/3.

Love having wildlife in the backyard. Don't care so much for wildlife eating the back yard. Note the pair of hogs in the pot. They were joined by a third shortly after this shot, then Mama took over the whole pot for herself. 10/4

Dinner at Pufferbelly and a shot of the Star of the West mill in Kent. 10/5.

Still working on birdhouses. They'll be done by Christmas. Maybe. 10/6.

A very bad day ended with a very nice evening, walking and talking with Chuck. Thanks, Honey! 10/7

Texture Tuesday: Pier 1 Birds

2011-11-15T19:30:00.001-05:00

These cute salt and pepper shakers were an inexpensive find at Pier 1. Love their chubby roundness and lacy wings.

Texture is Phoebe from: www.kimklassencafe.com/thecafe
11/14

Pizza Detente

2011-11-10T21:00:00.001-05:00

Medium Hungry Howie pizza, ranch crust, green olives and mushrooms, pepperoni and sausage on half.

Edible compromise!

CVPS Photowalk at Herrick Fen, September 24

2011-11-07T21:06:00.000-05:00

You'd have no idea Herrick Fen was even there - you drive down a rutted lane past piles of construction waste, a cool farm, then along what appears to be a very much past its prime soybean field, and into a tiny parking lot. The fen has a nice board walk through a marsh then a path up a bit of a hill. We were there early, rain gear in hand. Lots of water drops, torpid bugs, and misty vistas.

Aster

Mysterious caterpillar

Tickseed, and my favorite shot of the day.

One of seven million kinds of stinkbugs.

Teasel. I like the little threads caught in its spines.

P365, Way Behind

2011-11-07T20:52:00.001-05:00

I've been keeping up with shooting, but not with posting. And it's almost the holidays. So today we're going to rock through the rest of September. Hang on!

A very gloomy Sept. 10th. Below, New Guinea impatiens on the lower deck, 9/12.

The first page of my art journal. Lord alone knows why it came out so pink. The lighter areas are just white sketchbook paper. 9/13

Below is my favorite of this batch, apples in the evening sun. Great color and shadows, kind of Dutch painterly. 9/14.

Below: 9/15 a plate from our trip to Greenfield Village a couple years ago; 9/16, chocolate chip cookies - don't know what I do without the KitchenAid mixer; 9/17, two versions of mums from the front yard. I like the bleached out, old fashioned-looking one the best.

Guess who, asleep in my lap. He loves a good lap in colder weather. 9/19.

9/20, Doe, giving me the beady eyeball. She was in the woods next the the gym's parking lot.She has two fawns, and by early November, had collected a bunch of buddies.

An adequate sunset from the back deck, 9/21; then lady bug at one of the neighborhood ponds, 9/22.

More mums, BJ's Club, 9/23.

First time I've found a preying mantis in my yard, 9/24. And, surprise, a rainy 9/25 of the upper deck.

Much better sunset, 9/26. September's weather was pretty glum, but we did get some great clouds and sunsets.

Above, 9/27, shiny (expensive) new breaks. Just rolled over 100,000 miles on the Honda, and it's still running well. Below, reflections in one of the ponds, 9/28. The swans are now hanging out at this one. The geese must not like the swans, because they haven't been at this pond for a while.

Garden beds at Stan Hywet, 9/30. It was, yes, raining for Ohio Mart. The crowd was light and the shopping great - even got some Christmas shopping done.

One more post, and September will be done. How the heck did I get a month and a half behind?

Shopping in Amish Country: Holmes County, Ohio

2011-10-29T20:36:00.001-04:00

Found this cute vignette at Walnut Creek Furniture. They hung script-printed tab top curtains from a piece of wrought iron mounted on the ceiling. Great idea for a room divider. The drum shade is also a script print, too bad it's hidden by protective wrap.

Regina and I stopped at The Potting Shed and The Village Gift Barn (way more elegant than its name) in Berlin - I want to be a store display stylist! It was almost more than a person could take in, so many great decorating ideas and so many pretty things.

October 29, 2011

Marblehead

2011-10-28T21:14:00.002-04:00

Beautiful place on the Lake Erie shore. Wish the sky had been bluer - it would have brought out the red and white of the lighthouse a little more. Nice and windy, though, so we had good waves crashing over the rocks.

September 9, 2011

Swans in the 'Hood

2011-10-25T21:33:00.000-04:00

A pair of mute swans, hanging out in one of the neighborhood ponds. They are so beautiful.

The one above was a little more aggressive. Momma or Papa? The one below was totally focused on eating.

Those crinkly plants in the water are water hyacinths. Tch, very invasive non-native. Don't think they're cold tolerant, though.

October 25, 2011

Ashley's Island House

2011-10-20T22:56:00.002-04:00

Ashley's is the cute B&B we stayed at in Put-in-Bay. Nice hosts, great breakfasts, walking distance to downtown without being too close. Very pleasant place to stay.

September 9, 2011

Butterfly House, South Bass Island

2011-10-20T22:18:00.001-04:00

It rained off and on through our vacation, especially on Wednesday when we were "stuck" doing inside things. I tried taking photos inside Perry's Cave with no luck even at the D60's highest ISO setting. Much better in the butterfly house - and, because of the crummy weather - it was just Chuck, me and the butterfly keeper. Chuck will have to tell about the complicated ritual they use for stocking up on butterflies, as I've completely forgotten the details.
Without further ado, butterflies:

September 7, 2011

Texture Tuesday

2011-10-13T21:02:00.000-04:00

Kim Klassen has lots of pretty textures at her blog http://www.kimklassencafe.com/thecafe/. Worth checking out if you like to play with your photos.

This is a 1940 Ford Deluxe Coupe from the Glenmoor Gathering in September. I blended a bunch of layers of the photo and Kim's Scripted Autumn texture, plus a little bit of a blended vignette.

9/18/11

South Bass Island, 9/6/11

2011-10-10T21:17:00.002-04:00

The ferry ride to South Bass was rough. With the ferry lurching through the waves, rain, and spray, it was almost impossible to take pictures on the way over. In fact, after getting a face- and camera-full of Lake Erie, I huddle in the car for about half the trip, mopping up the mess. Chuck managed to get some shots with getting soaking wet.

There's a little park on the east end of the island, which we'll call Evolve. Why would someone spend time spray-painting these rocks, who knows?

The clouds did break a few times, enough to get get a shot of Perry's monument. It's closed for repairs - you can see the white safety fence around the base.

The next few photos are from South Bass Island State Park. It's on the southwestern side of the island, not too far from Miller Ferry's Lime Kiln dock.

Water snakes. There are signs all over the place, noting that they're not dangerous, and that the Island is protecting them. They are very shy.

Lots of curvy island views.

Baby water snake, maybe as big around as your pinkie - but look at how long she is.

More South Bass photos soon.

Draft Horses

2011-10-03T20:45:00.001-04:00

My favorite class is Ladies Driving. Here are some shots from the fair - even though it was pretty drizzly that day, every one's harness was sparkling and gorgeous.

I watched these classes with mixed feelings, still thinking about Larry. It's hard even to drive past the barns where we boarded without tears. He was such a sweet boy.

September 4, 2011

Geauga County Fair, 9/4/11

2011-10-01T18:30:00.000-04:00

Somewhat drizzly, but still fun. Other than the horses, the flower hall and agricultural exhibits are my favorites. And, of course, the 4-H real milkshakes!

They always have a spectacular exhibit of dahlias. I love the way this one shades from the soft yellow center to the rose outer petals.

Single rose in one of the outdoor display baskets. Simple and pretty.

Love the pumpkin line ups - the colors and forms, no two alike. No super-giant pumpkin winner this years. Sadly, it imploded and had to be shoveled up.

This has to be the best smelling display, piles and piles of beautiful apples!

Cupola of the Domestic Arts Hall. Full of baked goods, canned stuff, home sewing, and table settings. Why table settings, I have no idea, but they have lots so people must like them.

Geauga is the best fair, I just love it!

P365, A Month Ago

2011-10-01T17:11:00.001-04:00

I took a walk on the bike path on the other side of Fairchild. Not sure what this was, only that it had been nicely landscaped and someone tried to burn it down. 9/1

Rose from my garden, 9/2.

This is what happens when you stay up entirely too late messing around on the iPad and realize you've forgotten to take a picture. The red patterned throw is Sootie's favorite. It has to be on my lap for optimum snoozing. 9/3.

Ironweed Field CVPS Photowalk, August 27

2011-09-18T22:15:00.000-04:00

This is my favorite of the shots from the photowalk, a grasshopper, staring right down the lens.

Argiope, aka big, honkin' spider. Seriously, about three inches from end to end.

Fern fronds. We got to the field around 7 am, so everything was completely covered with dew. The spider webs were beautiful. Got one good shot, and will post it when I find it again.

Wingstem, a prairie wild flower. The ironweed field is full of them, more even than ironweed.

Yay!! Done with August!

Instagram and Most of the Rest of August

2011-09-18T22:06:00.000-04:00

Found an app for the iPad called Instagram- does square photos with old-timey looking filters. This shot is of the lights at Panera Chapel Hill. 8/26.

Two shots of the groundhog making herself at home in a pot of squashed geraniums. Butthead, you are so lucky you're cute! 8/28.

Unsquashed geranium, upper deck behind the machine-gun emplacement. 8/29.

Spotted this deer family right before the CVPS photo critique at Hines Hill Conference Center. 8/30.

Chuck took me to Strickland's for custard after showing off his new kitchen counter top, sink and faucet. 8/31.

Almost up to date with August. Still have the photowalk to post, with a big honkin' spider.

With Dog as My Co-Pilot

2011-09-13T21:08:00.001-04:00

Lisa and I spotted this weird bimopecycle at Art in the Park on Sunday. Hard to say how it worked, but the pooch was having a good time people watching. 9/11

Mmmmm...

2011-09-12T21:13:00.000-04:00

This is such a cool-looking bug, and I was so excited to find it, I spent about an hour on bugguide.net trying to figure out what it was. It's a buzz-killing bagworm. Rats. And they're all over the spruces, too. This one was on an apple and wrapped itself in apple leaves. The ones on the spruce are covered in dried pine needles so they look like broken branch tips. Time to call the tree guy, before the bagworms eat all the leaves. 8/23

Chuck at Panera, 8/24. Used a couple of filters on this, don't remember what. Isn't he cute?

A hot air balloon, floating by at dusk. 8/25.

Wretched snacker on tomatoes, eggplants, and petunias, a pox on you!! He doesn't really look worried, does he? 8/25

Back Yard Spiders

2011-09-05T21:46:00.000-04:00

Spiders are not the most attractive bugs, but they do hold still long enough to get their pictures taken. This one is Cross Orb Weaver.

And this is a Banded Argiope. Smaller than the one's I've seen in the fields along the Cuyahoga, but big for a garden spider.

8/22.

Aug, 19 - 21, Coming Home, Tomatos and Rainbow

2011-09-05T21:39:00.000-04:00

Sootie was glad to see me after four days in Rochester. He's a social guy and he always lets me know that he's glad I'm home. 8/19

Golden Boys from the garden in evening light - the light really made them look pretty, almost glowing. 8/20

A rainbow after a quick, fierce storm. 8/21

Printing Workshop in Rochester, NY

2011-08-23T21:11:00.000-04:00

Seven people in my business unit were at RIT in Rochester, NY, for an offset printing workshop this week. Good workshop, but hard to sit still for 3 1/2 hours at a time. This is one of the many vineyards we passed along Rt. 90 in New York (8/16).

This is a shot of sunset outside my window (8/16):

RIT has a pretty courtyard on the campus, with umbrellaed tables, shade trees and a covered terrace with cushioned couches. The fountain has a tall green glass part, and smaller jets coming from the pavement. Very peaceful. Lots of groups, chatting and enjoying the weather. (8/17)

Thursday night, I had dinner on my own - just not up for another 2 1/2 hour dinner watching sports on TV. Went to kitsch purgatory (Cracker Barrel), then out for a walk. played a little bit with the Queen Anne's Lace. Couldn't decide which I like better, so am posting them both. (8/18)

We're on our way back right now, can't wait to be home!

(written on my iPad, in the car. Typo central!!)

Wandering Around the Backyard, 8/15

2011-08-22T21:36:00.000-04:00

A bunny, a stalking cat, my shed, lit by the setting sun, brilliant gold marigolds, and tiny mushrooms growing in the garden compost. A whole world of interestingness in a third of an acre.

Double Dahlia

2011-08-22T21:30:00.001-04:00

Same shot, processed two ways. The first one is sharpened, the second with a softer focus. I think I like the second better.

Family Dogs, Saturday August 13

2011-08-21T19:25:00.001-04:00

Saturday at Mom's is always fun. Couple of brothers, Mom, Marge, and just about every dog in the family. Hard to catch them being still, except for Marco. Smokey has to give the pick-up trucks hell, Khloe greets everyone by running in small circles and barking like crazy. And Max, well, chewing on Khloe's ears is his full time job. And they'll want to be out in assorted groups. Unless it's dinner. Then they're all around the table, waiting for the first French fry to drop...

Anyway, here's the pack:

Marco, trying to get a nap in:

Smokey, on full snack alert:

With one eyebrow raised, Khloe looks like she's questioning every one's sanity:

And Max, cute as a bug's ear:

Random Daily Life

2011-08-18T20:38:00.000-04:00

I might have mention before that I love bargain plants. And that they tend to overwinter on the front porch because, well, I can't resist a botanical bargain, even if there's no time to plant them. Anyway, I bought three thornless raspberries last year and left them on the front porch over the winter. Only one survived, so I put the other two by the garage until I could dump them in the compost heap. Remember how rainy May was? Those "dead" raspberries were busting out of their pots in a week. As you can see, they're tucked in their own bed now, happily sprouting new leaves and branches. Looking forward to some berries next year.

This was really 8/8 - the brownies were 8/9.

Chuck, telling a story, 8/10.

Love the blue of this umbrella. 8/11.

Very grumpy Friday, cured by butter pecan ice cream at Handel's. This is their little water fall. 8/12.

Light Painting, Kayaking and Brownies

2011-08-14T14:33:00.000-04:00

My Project 365 photos are a little bit more experimental this time around, there are still a lot of straight on flowers, macros and miscellaneous life stuff. The one below is a "light painting" done in my back yard. It was supposed to be lightening bug trails, but they weren't cooperating. Used the remote and set the timer for a couple of seconds. The hardest parts was figuring out where to stand to get the whole heart in the frame. 8/5/2011.

Dahlia on the top deck. The package photo looked a little more pink and soft yellow. I softened the colors a bit, it's a little more lurid violet an yellow in real life. 8/6.

Sunday's kayak adventure. I went with Crooked River Adventures in Kent from Tannery Park to Middlebury Road. Pleasant trip. Easy paddling, much like canoeing except one one person in the kayak. I'm going to get another, longer trip in before the summer's out. 8/7

Making fudge walnut brownies. They were delicious. One of my friends at work lost her beagle after 14 years, so I figured comfort food was in order. Set the timer for the shortest time, and they came out much better, moist and yummy. 8/8

I got the swirl effect by stirring up the brownies real fast the dropping the spoon back in the bowl and using a longish exposure. The batter settling back in the bowl made the motion swirls.

Early August Photos

2011-08-11T21:29:00.000-04:00

8/1: Finally redoing my bedroom. Need to buy curtains and a new chair. Should take roughly 6 months of dithering...

8/2 & 3: It's hard to get a good picture of Sootie. Either his white fur is blown out, or his black fur is blocked up, or he's in motion.

8/4: Every once in a while, we get some really spectacular back light clouds. Tonight was my lucky night.

My $6 maple is sprouting new leaves:

Chuck and I went to downtown Kent for an outdoor concert - a very relaxing evening.

Kingfisher

2011-08-10T21:37:00.006-04:00

7/31: Kingfisher near the old Kent dam. Panned the camera and really love the effect.

More Catch Up: July 27 - 30

2011-08-08T21:08:00.000-04:00

7/27: MMmmm watermelon for Chuck.

7/28: The groundhogs strike again, the little rats. I now have a dog gate guarding the upper deck so they can't eat the tomatoes or the strawberries.

7/29: This was a sad day, our last visit to Borders Chapel Hill. We spent a lot of happy hours there, but like so many other folks, didn't buy a lot. My last couple of purchases: a photography book by local favorite Ian Adams, Stampington & Company's latest Art Journaling Magazine, and a Sara Paretsky mystery.

7/30: So glad to see the swallowtails back, finally. Seems like summer has so far been a little light on butterflies. Or maybe it's because I'm not riding in the fields all the time now. Jeez, I miss Larry. Tearing up, move on.

P365, Almost Done with July

2011-08-05T22:39:00.000-04:00

Lots to catch up on!

7/20: Just after a rain. Can't remember what these green things are called. The flowers aren't anything to brag about, but it's really cool how water droplets catch on the edge of its leaves. The white flowers are new guinea impatiens - they look great, and aren't being eaten by the bunny and groundhogs.

7/21: One day, Sootie is going to take that groundhog down!

&/22: This thing has been leaking, about $10 worth, according to this month's water bill. New flapper, new guts, still leaks. What the ?!?

7/23: Love the Kent Farmer's market. Every Saturday, 9 am to 1 pm. Music, produce, baked goods, plants, plenty of stuff to see. Come for a visit if you have time.

7/24: Dinner at Pufferbelly's. Thanks, Honey!

7/25: Bird's nest fungus in the garden - they're about 1/4" across. Took this shot with a 22mm extension tube.

Wow, am I behind!

Walk In The Neighborhood, P365 Extra Credit

2011-07-26T21:14:00.000-04:00

Took my little Nikon out tonight, and here's what I caught:

My house:

"Mary rays" from the setting sun:

My favorite, evidence of turtle hatchlings at a neighborhood pond:

And my second favorite, a hawk feather. I saw the momma hawk, chasing a little green heron. She must have a nest somewhere in the swamp - the hawk, not the heron.

Project 365 Catch-up

2011-07-25T21:42:00.000-04:00

A little behind on project 365, so I'm going to do a couple of catch-up posts.

Thursday, 7/14, Akron Zoo Members' Night. The tiger was restless, probably late for dinner, pretty thrilling to see her running through Tiger Valley.

7/15: Had a lot of trouble with the full moon - couldn't see to focus. Two days later, I realized the viewfinder diopter was messed up. Durr...

7/16: Do I look pleased with my iPad? Oh yeah!! The Apple Store is geek heaven, a giant shiny uber cool toy box. The iPad is fun - it's light, does a lot of stuff, and, yes, it's pretty. I am obsessed.

7/17: Homemade vanilla ice cream with fresh strawberries. Heaven!

The last three are from 7/19: The technique above is called "shooting through" because the focus is on the background, so the foreground is blurred.

Mysterious bug on the slider screen.

Last one - a geranium slowly unfolding. They have such graceful forms.

iPad2 Obsession

2011-07-13T22:07:00.000-04:00

I need one of these (64 gig):

Don't I?

Green Mystery & P365

2011-07-12T22:04:00.000-04:00

I've driven past this green tunnel almost every day for six years. It's only a half mile from my house, so today, I decided to check it out. Still don't know where it goes, but I did find out that most of the mosquitoes in Kent live here. 07/11/11

This view of the upper deck makes me happy. Shot through the slider screen to get a nice texture. 7/10/11.

Shiny new blinds in the master bedroom - and Sootie, of course. A tiny little plastic piece in the rail broke, so the vanes wouldn't close. Sunday evening, too. Fortunately, Lowe's was open, and Chuck put the new ones up in no time at all.

P365, July 8 & 9

2011-07-09T21:55:00.000-04:00

Backlit geranium from last night.

The Lowe's bargain strawberries are growing like crazy. And the strawberries are really good!

Home P365

2011-07-07T22:33:00.000-04:00

More P365. July 5, looking down at the chaise on the lower deck - looks like a comfy, summery place to hang out.

July 6, the newly installed mural in my kitchen. It's a test for work, printed on a pressure sensitive fabric. It's designed for custom wall coverings. Looks pretty good. It'll come down in a month, to see how well it removes from decent paint. We tested it at work but the paint is cheap and applied over dirty walls, so it's hard to judge performance. Also, my office wall has been used as a test substrate a thousand times.

Anyway, pretty sweet to have this giant heron photo in the kitchen.

Today, one perfect sunflower, growing in a pot on the upper deck. Must have been planted by a chipmunck or dropped by a bird. Lovely and cheerful.

More Macro: 07/04/11

2011-07-04T19:45:00.000-04:00

These were shot with the 20 mm extenstion tube and a Sigma 17 - 70mm lens and manual focus. It's really hard to get a sharp focus - between hand holding and the breeze, it's amazing anything is sharp.

New strawberry with the fading petals still visible.

This is another syrphid fly, a drone fly. The big, googly eyes are the "not a bee" giveaway. If you didn't look closely, though, at first you'd think it was a bee. I did.

Nemesis - and on Grandma's peonies! Did you know these rats are scarab beetles? They are pretty, but if they go after the sweet gum again, they may be doomed.

Spotted lady beetle - they like pollen in addition to garden pests, and the daylilies are full of pollen (I was kind of annoyed, thinking it was chewing holes in the lilies, but BugGuide.net said it's a good bug).

Here's the link to BugGuide, have fun: http://bugguide.net/node/view/15740

And yesterday's P365 shots, the cherries Chuck brought home for today's cookout with my family.

They were really good!

Fireworks, Kent Heritage Festival, July 2, 2011

2011-07-02T23:52:00.000-04:00

And, they got the show in before the thunderstorm.

June 30 & July 1: P365

2011-07-01T22:01:00.000-04:00

Happy July - Summer is going way too fast!

Worked on the lamppost bed last night. This morning, I finished the planting and more mulching, but ran out of newpaper and mulch. The newspaper is to keep the weed and grass down. The plants include a 'Miss Kim' lilac that's been on the deck for two years, a Japanese maple and honeysuckle which wintered on the front porch and a pale yellow rose, a pastel daisy, and 3 bright yellow coreopsis - all bargain plants. Wonder if I need a 12-step program for plant addiction??

Lisa gave me some cute plant markers for my birthday - this one's guarding the tomato plants on the upper deck.

Sunset tonight, from the upper deck.

Project 365 (a photo each day for a year) always seems easier in the summer. More flowers, bugs, festivals, and get togethers.

A Good Day

2011-06-29T22:16:00.000-04:00

The view from my room this morning: horses being worked on the track.

Dinner at Olive Garden with friends:

Then Borders with Chuck.

And beautiful weather all day long.

West Virginia

2011-06-28T22:16:00.000-04:00

Traveling with one of the sales guys today. After dinner with the customer (great Italian!!), we went to Harper's Ferry. Here are some shots with the Nikon point & shoot.

The view out my hotel window - race track with barns in the background. Hoping the horses are working early tomorrow.

Railroad tracks and the Harper's Ferry railroad station - the commuter train runs into Washington, DC. Heck of a ways to travel for work.

The Shenandoah river. It joins the Potomac just a little bit down river from Harper's Ferry.

One of the many deer we saw around Harper's Ferry and Charles Town. The photos of the very cute mama and fawn were too blurry to post.

Today starts P365 Redux. I'm doing to do it from one day before my birthday this year to my birthday next year. Wish me luck - a photo every day for a year is a damn lot of photos!

Syrphid Fly

2011-06-16T22:27:00.000-04:00

Took a little research, but BugGuide.net help key out this guy, a Syrphid Fly. He/She was on one of the shrubs in the backyard this evening. Love the metallic back.

Miniature Rose

2011-06-07T22:11:00.000-04:00

I planted this miniture rose late last year. It was a scraggly little thing, so I didn't expect it would survive the winter. It's about a foot high, 18 inches across and lush. The little roses are just starting to pop, maybe an inch and a half across fully open.
I thought these buds were just lovely.

Used a bleach bypass filter and added a vignette to this one.

Rampaging River

2011-05-31T21:34:00.000-04:00

Hot hot HOT today. Did some shooting in Cuyahoge Falls, along the river. Amazing - the river is running at full force, blasting over the dam and down the gorge. All the sand bars have disappeared, even the big one just below the old powerhouse. It extended into the river from the two trees on the right. Even the log stuck on the dam is almost completely submerged.

If you look closely, you can see that some creative soul painted a smiley face on one of the pylons.

The noise is unbelievable. I was standing on the High Bridge, about 100 feet from the freeway, and all I could hear was the river. Here's the view, looking up toward the Sheraton:

And here's what it looked like this winter:

Wildly different! Below is the dam by the Sheraton patio. I have never seen this much water pouring over it.

This one is looking north toward Broad Blvd. Probably could've cropped it better. I just liked the rusted girder. There are a couple of other ancient girders and some giant gears, who knows from what. There was an amusement park some where down the gorge about 100 years ago, maybe they're leftover parts from a ride.

Even though it was ridiculously hot for the last day of May, I'm glad I took the camera out - the river was just awesome!

First Bloom

2011-05-30T22:06:00.000-04:00

The first peony blossom opened yesterday - it's one of Grandma Wilk's. Seems fitting for Memorial Day.

To soften the vivid magenta and green and reduce the contrast against the house, I used a Lightroom 3 preset called "Aged Photo" on this shot, and added a vignette and a bit of grain.

MMmmmm - Pineapple Upside Down Cake!

2011-05-29T21:01:00.000-04:00

Boy, does it smell good!!

John Brown Tannery Park

2011-05-28T20:35:00.000-04:00

It was such a nice evening tonight, Chuck and I had a picnic at Plum Creek Park, then went to Tannery Park to look at the river. The deck is gone, washed away by the flood. We were walking on the sand bar under these trees last year - not a chance of doing that now. The river path is completely under water. Kent State is still renting kayaks, though. Bet that's a wild ride.

Dame's Rocket and honeysuckle are blooming. I just googled Dame's Rocket - it's not a native plant, it was brought from Europe in the 17th or 18th century and has successfully naturalized. At least three states list it as an invasive. Honeysuckle is an invader, too, but they're both pretty and smell sweet, so I'm cutting them some eco-pc slack.

Marietta, Ohio - April 25, 2011

2011-05-27T22:36:00.000-04:00

Cabela's was...interesting. Cool outdoor stuff, but all the stuffed dead animals were fairly creepy. There was dead stuff from everywhere, displayed everywhere. Dead fish, dead ducklings, dead elephants, and a about 400 dead deer. A giant nature mausoleum. They had some live fish, too, big koi and freshwater game fish. As I said, ...interesting.

We walked around Harmar Village after dinner. The pedestrian bridge was in great shape. Huge flower baskets were suspended from the bridgework. I'll bet they're beautiful during the summer.

The train side is a picturesque ruin - rotted trestles with trees and weeds growing in the holes. Definitely a kid magnet. The water's deep enough that falling in wouldn't be a problem. Inadvisable the week we were there, though, since the Muskingum and Ohio were flooding.

It'll be nice to go back in the summer and take a paddle boat tour on the Ohio.

Push Boats on the Ohio, April 25, 2011

2011-05-18T19:53:00.000-04:00

As we drove down OH Rt. 7, we saw lots of these push boats moving coal barges upriver. The Ohio was flooding, with a really strong current, yet the push boats were movig as many as six fully loaded barges upstream and leaving enormous wakes. They have to have seriously powerful engines.

We watched this one chugging upriver from a little park in Marietta, on the bridge to Harmar Village.

Exciting News Flash

2011-05-15T22:15:00.002-04:00

Yes, it finally happened!! Snidely Chucklash is no more! Chuck pruned the Victorian twirler back into a goat, and looks ten years younger and quite cute.

(Sorry, Honey, I had to!)

O'Neil Woods - CVPS Photowalk, May 14

2011-05-15T22:01:00.006-04:00

What a soggy day for a photo walk. We met at the barn on Bath Road and walked toward Yellow Creek, then up the hill a bit. Phlox, geranium, and Jack-in-the-Pulpit were blooming. The Jacks make me sad - they remind me of riding with Larry in the woods at Promise Land Farm. Anyway, very humid with sporadic rain. No wind to speak of, but everything was moving from drips coming off the trees. I wanted to shoot Yellow Creek - it was just busting down the ravine - but the water was too muddy from runoff.

Not entirely sure what this plant is, a cherry maybe? The flowers look like the ones on the wild cherries in my backyard in Brimfield.

I love the CVPS photowalks. I learn something everytime (like there's something to shoot even on a rainy day), the people are nice, and the chat over breakfast is always interesting.

Marietta, Ohio

2011-05-09T20:45:00.003-04:00

One of the little shops in Harmar Village had unique landscape art - yep, a dozen old bikes hanging from a tree. Only open on weekends, so we didn't get to see what interesting stuff was inside.

I adjusted the color temperature, saturated the blues, increase contrast, sharpened and added a vignette, all in Lightroom 3.

The Brenda Tharp tips are coming, it's been a really busy couple of weeks. I hope it slows down a bit next week.

Composition Tips from Brenda Tharp

2011-05-05T21:07:00.006-04:00

Some notes on composition from Brenda Tharp's workshop

Rather than giving us a lesson on composition, she wove the information through the first critique on Friday morning. We each submitted 6 photos taken before the workshop, and she reviewed them with us in a group session. It could have been nerve-racking - putting our work out there for a professional to, basically, tear apart - but Brenda is very thoughtful and direct.

The first thing she zeroed in on was "bulls eying", the tendency we have to put the subject smack in the middle of the frame. It makes for a very static picture. She reminded us about the "rule of thirds", which means dividing the frame into thirds horizontally and vertically, and placing the subject roughly where the lines intersect. She cropped some one's bulls eye shot to follow the rule, and it made a dramatic improvement in the photo. Brenda was adamant about splitting the frame in half, vertically or horizontally, because it just stops the eye. Move the horizon or strong lines out of the center to allow the eye to flow through the photo.

Visual clutter is a bad thing in a photo. It distracts from the subject and makes it hard for the viewer to understand what the photographer wants to convey. She suggest using depth of field to isolate the subject from a busy background. This is one of Chuck's favorite techniques: get the subject really sharp, and blur out the background.

Brenda told us to simply, even in big landscapes. This is something I have a trouble with. My landscape shots are just a mess of everything I see, so there's no real subject to catch your eye.

Another interesting thing she noted is that we generally look at pictures from left to right, top to bottom. It's easier for the viewer if you set up your composition to be "read" that way.

Brenda had more good information on composition, but I think I'll save it for another post.

Brenda Tharp - Thoughts from the Workshop

2011-05-01T21:59:00.005-04:00

Brenda is a wonderful teacher - her focus is as much on the art of photography as on technical finesse. She opened the workshop Thursday night with some thoughts on the essence of photography.

She suggested that we practice "daily seeing" - increasing our awareness of light and compostion, noting what would make a good picture, even when we don't have a camera in hand. She asked that we work to clarify our vision, show what excited us about a subject. If it's the dew on a daffodil, compose to highlight the dew. If it's the cheerful abundance of a field a daffodils, use color and depth of field to fill the frame. "What," she asked, "are you trying to express - on the simplest level, what is the picture about?"

I'll post some additional notes from the workshop this week, hoping both to share and to more firmly fix the information in my brain.

For more information about Brenda and her work, visit: http://www.brendatharp.com

Photography Workshop

2011-04-29T21:41:00.004-04:00

Brenda Tharp is having a photography workshop this weekend, sponsored by CVPS. We spent 3/4 of today in the classroom, then a couple hours shooting at Seiberling Naturealm. Fun - especially getting down in the mud to get the shot. That, and hand feeding the chickadees made me feel like a little kid.

Below is a flowering quince (today's objective was to get a nice blurred background to make the subject stand out):

And here's one of the little guys who were cheerfully eating seeds from my hand:

How cute is she?!!

Cabela's, Fun but Kinda Creepy

2011-04-26T21:39:00.004-04:00

Chuck and I stopped at Cabela's in Triadelphia, WV, yesterday. The place is huge and has every single kind of sporting good anyone could want. It also has a bunch of stuffed dead critters, including things you wouldn't think any one would want to kill, like squirrels, polar bears and otters. And about 400 stuffed deer. Did you know bucks came in "typical" and "not typical". Yep. The "not typical" come with antlers like waterfalls, hands, steroidal cypress knees, and bristlecone pine trees. Who knew? It was a little creepy with all the dead stuff, but I found a breathable waterproof jacket for outdoor (photo) shooting and Chuck found some shorts with pockets for everything but a laptop.

April 25, 2011

Ohio River Panorama

2011-04-26T21:37:00.003-04:00

We spent a pleasant day today. We did the factory tour at Fenton Glass in Williamstown, WV, then drove to Parkersburg. Lunched at a nice cafe, The Daily Grind, went to the Blennerhasset Museum, and stopped at Fort Boreman. Tucked in the Museum basement were display cases filled with prehistoric Indian stone tools and weapons, all hand labeled on yellowing paper in old style calligraphy. The labels must have been 70 or so years old. Some one put a lot of time into the history. The second floor had "A Century of Wedding Dresses" and river boat memoribilia - and some very cool old desks, several of which would look good in my house.

The pano was taken from Ft. Boreman on the West Virginia side of the Ohio River. Spectacular view of Belpre and Parkersburg, as well as miles of the Ohio.

Ice Follies

2011-04-20T19:26:00.003-04:00

I had to post daffodils today. The weather has been so freaky - cold, windy, stormy, with the tiniest sliver of sun now and then - I just need to see some Spring cheerfulness. These daffs are 'Ice Follies' from my front yard. They bloom light yellow, then turn pure white.

Hard to believe the crocuses are done and gone already. Is it really Spring?

Brr!

Mad Mama

2011-04-16T11:12:00.003-04:00

Robins are nesting under the top deck again. I was innocently checking my flowers, and Mama blasted out from under the deck, swearing a blue streak. So I apologized and left. I hope she'll cut me some slack when it's time to weed. Oh, and PS, Mother Nature, rotten weather during the week, not the weekend. There's lawn to be mowed and stuff to be planted!

Finish Every Day

2011-04-13T08:21:00.006-04:00

The Emerson quote was posted on Gretchen Rubin's blog, The Happiness Project. I was feeling a little lost, and creatively stuck, and it caught my attention. "Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt, crept in. Forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense." - Ralph Waldo Emerson Photographed the heron at Beaver Marsh in the Cuyahoga Valley. To get the pen and water color look, I used the poster edges filter in PhotoShop Elements 9, then brightened up the color a bit. The text brush was downloaded from the web and the border brush is from Sande Krieger of 2 Peas in a Bucket. She's a really talented digital designer, love her stuff!! A couple of faint drop shadows, and there you go! The font is Calibri, my new favorite sans serif. The sun's shining, and I'm having dinner with Chuck tonight - should be a nice day! Hope yours is, too.

Hot Air Balloon

2011-04-10T11:38:00.003-04:00

Ravenna, Ohio attracts hot air ballon enthusiasts. And, lucky me, they occasionally float over my house. This one is from a brilliant day in September, 2010.

Humboldt Penguins at the Akron Zoo

2011-04-09T21:44:00.005-04:00

While sorting through some photos for a work project, I came across this: Cute little guys, aren't they?

It's Not Over Yet...

2011-04-04T20:57:00.003-04:00

Last Thursday's snow, thickly coating trees along the railroad tracks. Added a vignette and grain in Lightroom. So cold and so beautiful. March 31, 2011.

Chuck's Birthday

2011-03-26T22:21:00.003-04:00

Did this layout for our trip to Burton. Journaling: Chuck and I stayed at the Red Maple Inn in Burton for his birthday - a wonderful and relaxing weekend. We walked, watched maple sugaring, had coffee at a cool coffee shop/antique store, read, played pool, visited Lake FarmPark and just generally had a great time. I love you, Chuck. Credits: Lightly Letterbox and Color Inspiration digital paper, Fall Orchard elements, cardboard journalers, and stamp, all Katie Pertiet, Designer Digitals. Fonts are Khmer UI and Dear Joe Four.

Full Moon at Perigee

2011-03-19T23:16:00.003-04:00

Just about froze my butt off trying to get this shot - glad I did. Taken from my driveway.

Levi Keim at CVPS and the First Flower of Spring

2011-03-17T21:26:00.005-04:00

Levi Keim, from Beach City, Ohio, gave a wonderful presentation of his film work from out west and Ohio. Really stunning shots of water droplets, star trails and the western landscape. Imagine taking a photo and having no idea what it looked like until you came home and developed it.

Since it was a lovely day, I took the camera out. There's a short loop trail next to Happy Days conference center, so that's what I took, and ended up in Mater Dolorosa cemetery. These shots are from the cemetery. It's peaceful, and only slightly melacholy.

I think this is a winter aconite - it was right at the opening into the cemetery.

Patrick and Magaret Cassidy's plot at Mater Dolorosa. They died a month apart in 1885, at 84 and 79 years of age. Sweet and sad.

Beech leaves backlit by the setting sun.

Happy Birthday, Honey

2011-03-12T10:08:00.004-05:00

We had a wonderful dinner last night at the Welshfield Inn south of Burton. They even had a birthday cake for Chuck.

Hope you had a very happy birthday, Chuck - you are the best!

Before & After

2011-03-08T19:34:00.005-05:00

Sunset Pond at North Chagrin Reservation (Willoughby Hills, Ohio) has a bunch of feeders outside the visitor center. I went there February 19th after visiting with my brothers at Mom’s, mostly to get a little outdoor solitude. It was the day after Larry died, and I just needed peace. These little guys provided a welcome distraction from the sadness. Chickadees are one of my favorite birds. Pert, bright-eyed, and relatively unafraid of people, their cheerful calls brightened up a tough day.

Here’s the before – the wind ruffled up the feathers on her head, pretty cute.

After cropping, adjusting the white balance, brightening up the exposure, “clarify” (has to be my current favorite tool), sharpening, and some selective sharpening of the beak and feet, here we are:

From blah to sweet! Lightroom is an amazing tool.

Messing With Lightroom

2011-03-06T18:36:00.005-05:00

Another photo of one of my childhood treasures – you can see the broken foreleg. This was processed in Lightroom using a few of Matt Kloskowski’s LR presets: classic duotone, medium edge darkening, heavy grain, and bleach bypass. I like the grainy desaturation for this photo – looks good with the coloring and dark points of the figurine.

Broken Legged Treasures

2011-03-02T21:53:00.003-05:00

Four china horses from a shop in Shoregate shopping center. I bought them when I was a horse-obsessed child in Willowick and have moved them from one house to the next. Despite careful packing, most of them have broken legs – one is still in rehab, waiting for its turn in front of the camera. The palomino was always my favorite, but the appy and buckskin are pretty darn cute, too. And the fourth you’ll see after the glue sets.

Florida - Trade Show

2011-02-27T11:10:00.004-05:00

I was in Orlando last week, to check out a trade show. Nice to be in some warm weather. I worked on this layout in the airport Friday. Cleveland was shut down most of the day and my 11:05 am flight didn't leave until 6:45 pm. I was lucky, though - two other Cleveland-bound flights were cancelled because they couldn't get the equipment out of Cleveland. I'm happy to be home.

Credits: Digital papers, LivE designs for Jessica Sprague; House of 3 brush; Font is Carmine.

Goodbye, My Friend

2011-02-20T21:20:00.003-05:00

My sweet Larry died in his sleep early Friday morning.

He was the best horse - he always tried to do whatever he was asked, whether it was showing in the rain or braving fire-breathing deer in the woods at Promise Land.

He's taken his last trail ride. He had carrots and apples, pats, grass, warm air and sunshine on his last day, and he died peacefully in his stall.

He was the best horse.

The Lodge at Geneva on the Lake, B & W

2011-02-16T22:14:00.005-05:00

Lightroom 3 has a handy masking tool that, among other things, allows the use of a gradient mask to simulate a polarizing filter. It's used here to make the clouds more dramatic. Sept.8, 2010.

Happy Valentine's Day, Honey!

2011-02-14T12:24:00.006-05:00

I love you, Chuck!

Credits: Graphed No. 2 digital paper, Katie Pertiet, Designer Digitals; font is Franklin Gothic Bold.

Note: Link to inspiration:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66223232/youre-my-favorite-work-of-art-11-x-14

Fruits and Veggies - So Good for You

2011-02-09T22:20:00.006-05:00

More shots from the West Side Market - Every fruit and vegetable was glowing, plump, and gorgeous. And the produce section smelled so good. Oh, and it was warm - we just came in from shooting the Flats in 5 degree weather, so everything looked and smelled that much better!

The bakery shots are yet to come, mmmmm......

January 22, 2011

The Rest of Tucson

2011-02-08T20:43:00.007-05:00

Stadelman and I took Bowen's Trail into the desert behind the JW Marriot. It's a narrow, rocky path in Tucson Mountain Park. At about 16" wide, the trail made it all too likely that we'd pick up a thorn or two from one of these guys.

Definitely worth the walk though, for vistas like the ones below.

One thing that really impressed me about the trail were the rocks. They are completely uneroded. They look like they are freshly chipped off bigger rocks, sharp edges and all. And, they're tough to walk on. There's no dirt to hold them still, just more, smaller rocks. And then some smaller ones than that, all the way down to sharp rocks about 1/8" across. Too big for sand and nowhere near dirt.

That's Tucson in the very far distance, below.

The saguaros are pretty amazing, ranging from little prickly bumps to 40 foot tall multi-armed monsters. Supposedly, people hijack wild saguaros for their desert gardens - beyond me how they'd pick up and move something with that many thorns.

Another oddity was the lack of wild life. In the hour and a half we were on this trail, the only creatures we saw or heard were birds, and very few of them. No snakes, spiders (I was hoping for a wild taratula, no luck darn it!), coyotes, nothing. Very unlike home.

Pricky pear. If you're desperately and have a long knife, you can get moisture out of them. I'll pass.

And, in closing, a nice backlit saguaro, with lens flare:

January 25, 2011

Tucson Starpass

2011-02-04T22:43:00.004-05:00

Spent much of last week at the JW Marriot Starpass Resort outside of Tucson. The occasion was my company's national sales meeting. 2010 was a pretty good year, so we went to a "reward destination." This shot was taken on the resort's golf course. Love the back-lit needles. More photos later - I just wanted to get one up. Processing photos through Lightroom is slow, since I have no idea what I'm doing yet.

Amaryllis 'Lisa'

2011-02-02T20:29:00.004-05:00

Lisa gave me a giant amaryllis bulb for Christmas - it's as big as a baby's head. I left it in the bag on the kitchen counter, planning to pot it up after the January Sales Meeting. It had other ideas, deciding to sprout in the bag, no dirt, no water, nothing. It's in a low terra cotta pot now, blooming madly. And, bless it's bulbous little heart, it waited until I got home from the sales meeting to bloom.

Thanks, Lisa - I love it!! February 2, 2011

West Bank of the Flats, 1/22/11

2011-01-31T20:28:00.004-05:00

The January CVPS Photowalk typically features temperatures of no more than 10 degrees F. This year, the day started at zero and rocketed up to a balmy 8. It wasn't too bad out of the wind, but miserable in it. The walk began on the West bank of the Flats. The group I was with rambled around by the Flats Oxbow Association, which is where the shots below were taken.

I like the contrast between the chain link and rusted bridge and the whiteness of the bridge, condos and the Terminal Tower.

Someone left his poor Suzuki motorcycle to freeze in the Cleveland snow.

Great bridge - looks like it's been rusted in place for a thousand years.

I liked the sun streaking through the bridge and across the ice.

Rehabbed warehouse - each condo has it's own unique ironwork balcony.

More photos to come from the West Side Market.

Baklava, West Side Market 1/22/11

2011-01-26T15:21:00.004-05:00

Mmmmm, baklava! I brought two pieces home for dessert. The CVPS photo walk was the Flats and the market. It was DAMNED cold - 3 degree when I left home. Rocketed up to 8 by the time we got to the market. It's fabulous - all kinds of breads, brilliantly colored fruits and vegetables piled high, great mix of people. More to follow. It's been a busy week with not much time to mess with my photos.

January 16, 2011: Icicles, Dams, and Falls, Cuyahoga River

2011-01-19T20:02:00.012-05:00

Spent a pleasant, if cold, afternoon shooting along the Cuyahoga River gorge in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. I started at Highbridge Glen Park, shooting upriver toward the Sheraton. Beginning with the Broad Blvd. dam, there’s a dramatic series of falls tumbling through the gorge – the view from the restored bridge is breathtaking. Ranging from blue, to sparkling white, to iron orange, icicles drape the gorge wall south of the bridge. Even though the temperature was in the low 20’s, enough sun hit the icicles to cause them to melt and crash into the river. Scared the heck out of me the first time I heard it.

The city built a switchback walkway into to gorge, so it’s easy to get down to a good level to shoot the wall. I met a guy who grew up in the Falls while I was out there – he said they used to rappel down the walls on a rope tie to a tree. So I’m thinking the walkway was just a bit safer for me and my camera.

After the Gorge, I drove to the amphitheatre north of Falls River Square. The pylons covered with snow and the brick wall of the old powerhouse nicely framed the dam and the start of the river rapids. There’s a picturesque old bridge piling above the amphitheatre, looks a little like part of Stonehenge.

My last shots were the sails shaping the Falls River Square concert stage. A dramatic sight with the darker clouds behind them.

A Short, Happy Story

2011-01-14T23:01:00.004-05:00

In case the text isn't readable, here's the story:

"Sherry called at 8:49 am, she and Dick were ready to go, so I moved Larry to a new barn this morning, Brassline at Sahbra Farm. It’s not even 15 minutes from my house. Huge stall, huge grass turnout, plenty of food for him. I hope he puts on some weight, he needs it.

When I got to the new barn, I heard someone calling my name - turned out to be Carrie Walter. Almost didn’t recognize her. Short red hair instead of long blond. Same great person though, and she still has Hero. Then, someone in a Suburban was talking to Dick. Turned out to be Jane and Robert Shumate. They have Larry’s best buddy Charlie at Brassline, and Larry and Charlie will be turned out together again. Sweet start to the new year!"

Sherry and Dick are friends who offered to trailer Larry to Sahbra. We met at Promise Land when they had their horses there. They moved a year or so ago. Nice people!!

Credits: 11 14 10 Color Challenge digital papers and Letterbox Photomasks No. 16, Katie Pertiet, Designer Digitals. Fonts are Jane Austen and Georgia.

Moving On

2011-01-09T23:33:00.004-05:00

Larry moved to a new barn on January 1st. Long overdue, too many issues at the old place. I'll miss it, though. We rode a lot of miles through the woods and fields, and I met a lot of nice people there. Ten years....

He's better off at Sahbra - huge stall, plenty of good hay and feed and turnout on grass. He seems to like it so far. I'm hoping to see him fat and shiny again before Spring.

Rockefeller Greenhouse Christmas Display, 12/26/10

2010-12-28T20:48:00.009-05:00

Some photos from our Boxing Day trip to the Greenhouse. Gorgeous display of an amazing variety of poinsettias. It's so nice to smell green living things during the winter. The cute guy below is Chuck. Even though I've taken his picture a 1000 times, he's still willing to smile (usually!).