It's A New Day

I Love A Rainy Night

I got the best night’s sleep on Tuesday. Just about the time I was turning off the lights, a steady rain began to fall. It wasn’t the fierce storm we’d had earlier in the evening, with strobe-like lightning and booming crashes of thunder. Then the rain pounded angrily against the window, driven in sheets by strong winds. No, the second round was much calmer…a liquid lullaby to send me off to a sound and restful sleep.

There’s nothing better than snuggling under the covers while listening to the gentle patter of rain, and I’m not sure why. Maybe that steady rhythm on the roof camouflages the rest of the household noises, making it easier to drift off to dreamland. Or maybe the time we spent in the womb made an imprint on our psyche we’re not conscious of, and we associate a sense of safety and security with the sound. Whatever the reason, rainy nights make the world seem softer and slower and sleep seem all the more enjoyable.

So I’ve chosen that deliciously relaxing sensation as my blessing this week. It’s hard to photograph rain, especially at night, so my photo and layout are simply focused on rain in general as I’m also grateful for the summer showers we’ve been experiencing lately. The lawn and flowers are much happier when Mother Nature provides their drink than when I do. And then there’s the fresh smell in the air afterward and the almost-double rainbow visible out the back the other morning. Yes, there’s a lot of joy to be found in rain.

Here’s the layout I created:

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper
Patterned paper: Heidi Grace Designs, KI Memories, PSX Papers
Punch: Marvy Uchida
Ink: ColorBox, Clearsnap
Stamps: Fontwerks
Pens: EK Success, Staedtler
Dimensional adhesive: Ranger Industries
Font: Architecture, Internet

The photo shows the rain still clinging to the screened enclosure. Watercolor-like paper and some Glossy Accents “raindrops” reinforce the theme.

I made the droplets by applying small ovals of Glossy Accents to my non-stick craft mat. This dimensional adhesive is thick enough to hold it's shape but dries clear so it really looks like raindrops. You could add them directly to the layout but I wanted the freedom to move the dots around or even discard them if they didn’t turn out quite the way I envisioned. Once they’re dry, they pop right off the mat and another little dab of the adhesive will secure them to the page.

If you’re like me, you have a supply of old markers that aren’t seeing much scrapbooking action anymore. I used mine here to create the watercolored letters for the title.

Choose three or four colors to coordinate with the design and apply the markers to a non-porous surface. I used my glass cutting mat because it’s handy but anything that allows the ink to sit on the surface rather than being absorbed will work. I like to lay the color down roughly the same way I want it to go on the paper. There's a lighter blue in the middle that didn't photograph very well.

Apply the ink to watercolor paper with a foam brush. The brush should be damp but not too wet or your colors will be weak and all bleed together. I gave my ink a spritz or two with the mini mister so I could keep my brush drier and have more control. You can use a big brush and get all the colors at once but I like the smaller one as I seem be able to blend one color into the next more easily. You could do this on plain cardstock but it will warp. Besides, watercolor paper has a cool texture...buy with a 40% off coupon.

When dry, use an outline alphabet and stamp the letters for the title. You want the color gradient to be uniform so keep the bottom of the letters on roughly the same line. The absorbent nature of the watercolor paper means the ink is going to bleed a little but since we’re cutting them out, you can trim away some of the edge if it gets too wide. Using your pens as watercolors lets you use old supplies in a new way.

When the dark clouds boiled up this evening, I was hoping for another late-night shower to fall asleep by but the rains came earlier and are gone. It’s summer though, and that means plenty of opportunities for rainy nights. I love it!

***Each Friday's post is part of my 52 Blessing project...an effort in 2009 to be more aware of and grateful for the blessings in my life.

Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention

I spent the day working in the flower beds. Actually, I've spent the last two days there...just different beds. Bushes are trimmed, weeds are pulled, things look better...at least in those beds anyway. And in the process, I used one of Wayne's clever inventions.

Our flower beds have volcano rock in them, in part for looks but also to cut down weeds. The operative words there are "cut down"...but I digress. I like the rock for the most part. I've never been a fan of pine straw, especially after the bug man told me how much roaches liked it so when we built this house, we put in lava rock.

The biggest drawback is when you have to dig in it; it's difficult keeping the dirt and the rocks separate. So the last time we redid one of the beds, Wayne created a sorting box that works like a charm. I had some dirt I wanted out of the front bed today and wanted to keep the rocks there so I put it to use.

The box is just some 2x4s with a heavy mesh screen in the bottom. I'd say the openings in the screen are about the size of my little finger, and he used a heavy-duty stapler to attach the screen to the boards. I set it over the wheelbarrow so I could use the dirt elsewhere but when we wanted to keep the dirt in the flowerbed, we used sawhorses or buckets turned upside down and placed them at the ends of the box.

I was working back in behind some bushes so it was easier for me to shovel the dirt/rocks into a bucket and then pour it into the box but we've also shoveled it directly on to the screen.

 

Then you just push the rocks back and forth or shake the box. The dirt falls through the screen and the rocks and trash stay on top.

It couldn't be easier. The reclaimed rocks went back in the flower bed and I had a wheelbarrow full of freshly sifted dirt to spread around the yard.

We won't be seeking any patents on Wayne's invention...I'm not sure there's a huge population in need of such a tool. But it's the perfect answer for us, and I'm glad he came up with the idea.

Thar She Blows!

We've been dealing with a cantankerous air conditioner for a week now. Actually, the air conditioner is working fine; it's the drain that's giving us trouble.

I wish I could say this was our first experience with drain problems but it isn't. And I suspect everyone who lives in a hot and humid climate has dealt with them at one time or another. Every few years the build up of dust and mold manages to clog the hose until the drain...well, doesn't. The good news about being familiar with the problem is that we have experience with the solution too. We did the usual remedies first...run the plumbing snake up the hose from the outside and pour a bleach concoction down the drain from the inside and thought we had it solved but when I heard water dripping again, we knew we'd have to go to super-size our solution.

First we rigged the shop-vac to the hose outside and applied some strong suction. The result was a lot of yucky water but it wasn't a total cure as water poured down the hose from the inside barely dripped out. What if we blow down the hose with the air compressor? asks my clever husband.

The plan was I'd go outside to see if anything came out of the hose and when I signaled Wayne to let him know I was in place, he'd turn on the air. Out I went, and when I arrived at the outside unit, I banged on the wall. You're getting ahead of me, I can tell...you've already figured out where this is going.

The next thing I knew dirty water was going everywhere! The dirt/mold/whatever that had been clogging the hose was no match for the compressed air, and it and about eight cups of water we'd been pouring down the hose shot out with a fury. I had been smart enough not to stand directly in front of the end of the hose, but what I hadn't anticipated was that all that water would hit the back of the outside unit and ricochet in every direction. While I probably needed a shower after working in the yard all morning, this wasn't the one I had in mind. Fortunately it was just my feet and lower legs that got the bath.

But it worked. The drain drains and water flows freely down the hose again...at least until the next time it happens.

Golf Lessons

 

We spent the day...and part of the evening, too...on the golf course, but we never touched a club. Today was the start of the Divot Derby, a two-day tournament that wraps up the summer junior golf program in our community. And since our friend Hiram is in charge of the 10- to 13-year-olds, we were there to help. From taking photos and checking scorecards to cooking and serving dinner, we pitched in wherever we could to make the day's activities run smoother and easier.

It's a good age group to work with. There's a cuteness factor...some of them don't look much bigger than the clubs and bag they're carting around. And while there are a few who drag down the fairway, leading you to believe they're participating because Dad is pushing them into it, there are many more who just glow with excitement at recounting a good shot or two when you ask about their game at the scoring table. And for the most part, they're still shy...the swagger of the teen years hasn't really set in yet.

Maybe the best part is observing their demeanor as they count up their strokes and survey the scores of the other 70+ players. I didn't hear many complaints about how bad they played, how many putts they missed or how far away from the lowest score they were. They had played golf...gone out and done their best. And good, bad or indifferent, that round was over and they were on to the next thing. What time would they be playing tomorrow? Would they be paired with a friend who shot the same score? Would Bubba(local PGA pro and tournament sponsor) sign their cap?

Golf is a game, and the kids I saw today knew that. Unfortunately, I know a few adults who need a refresher course in that lesson.

Who Needs Meat?

The phone rang while I was cooking dinner. It was our friend Hiram calling to talk to Wayne about the junior golf tournament being played on our course tomorrow but since I was the one who answered, he made a little small talk with me first.

What's for dinner? he asked.

Well, there's a potato in the oven and I'm cutting up fresh green beans, ready to put them on the stove. I tell him. And I'm making a tomato and fresh mozzarella salad, too.

No meat? he says, and I can hear the alarm creeping into his meals = meat + potatoes brain at just the thought of that.

As a matter of fact, I reply, there isn't any meat. We're grilling some portobello mushrooms as a meat substitute.I didn't bother to explain that we've been trying to do a meal or two every week without meat and haven't missed it. We're loving assorted fresh vegetables cooked in the wok and the grilled portobellos have been the basis of some tasty meals, too.

Well! I'm not coming to your house for dinner then! And I laughed at Hiram's response as I handed the phone to Wayne.

(Imagine that this space is filled with a perfectly exposed photograph of portobello mushrooms topped with minced garlic cooking on the grill, especially since the blog is in serious need of photos no matter their technical proficiency. Alas, you'll have to rely on your mental image as the ones I took are sadly out of focus. They were, however, quite good to eat. Who needs meat anyway.)

And That's The Truth

  A week or two ago my friend Donna named me in her "honest blog" challenge. The theory is to respond with ten honest statements about yourself. I'm a little slow in getting to it but here are mine:
    1. I shoot squirrels. Yep...me, the nature lover, guns down the furry rodents that steal from the bird feeder, climb on the screen enclosure and chew on the house. It's been a while since I've had my BB gun out but I've done in more than a handful of the pests.
    2. I don't really like to make cards. Yes, I know, it's a great way to use up scraps and I admire the work of those who design beautiful cards. But I just don't find much creative joy in making them myself. 
    3. A pedicure would be my idea of torture, not relaxation. I can't stand for anyone to mess with my feet. I'll paint my own toenails, thank you very much.
    4. And speaking of feet, you won't find me running around with mine bare. My feet come out of the bed and into shoes and follow that routine in reverse at night. It's probably closely related to the statement above.
    5. I'm the world's worst pill-taker. It takes all my concentration to get one down, even with plenty of liquid. I gag on my vitamins every day.
    6. My spacial skills leave a lot to be desired. I have to hold up the leftover food and the Tupperware container I want to put them in and ask Wayne Will this fit in this? Who knows how I'm able to scrapbook given that handicap.
    7. I've been known to shout I hate Word! at the computer screen. I use Word only when the document is going to someone else or when I need to explain a process to someone; otherwise, I'm quite happy in Publisher.
    8. This game is my latest addiction...and time-waster. There is some strategy involved in playing it so I rationalize that it's good for my brain cells.
    9. I've cut back on the amount of Diet Coke and chocolate I'm consuming...and I've remained civil and relatively nice in the process. Well, now that I think about it, there was the time that....
  10. My spices are arranged in alphabetical order. It's not OCD; I just got tired of having to look through all of them to find the one I wanted and that seemed like the practical solution. Believe me, the rest of the kitchen isn't nearly as well organized.
  So there it is. Ten truths shared with the world; challenge met.

Yawwwwwn

I've done a fine job of imitating a vegetable this evening. The day wasn't so bad...I got things accomplished, but tonight? It was pretty much a lost cause.

It could be because I stayed up later than usual. The scrapbooking gods must have been trying to teach me a lesson in patience yesterday as it seemed everything I did went wrong. I had the background pieced and tied together on one layout then punched the holes on the wrong side and had to start over. The printer ran out of ink. The photos had to be resized and reprinted. Maybe yesterday's struggle just now caught up with me in terms of tiredness.

And I got up early. We walk in the mornings on Friday anyway but with Dale and Carol back in town this week I had an extra reason to get up and about. We walked and talked and the miles flew by, and then we sat up in the snack bar and talked and laughed some more.

Maybe I turned into a couch potato because I ate more dinner than usual. Friday nights are dinner with friends...more talking and laughing. Somehow food just tastes better when it's eaten in good company.

Or it could be the snuggley corner of the couch. We used to joke that there must be some chemical substance in the recliner that put Wayne to sleep as soon as he put his feet up, but I firmly believe that magic substance has moved over to my couch. The air conditioning seemed cool when I first sat down so I threw an afghan over my bare legs and it wasn't long before I drifted off to sleep. Twice. It seems to be a common occurrence of late.

I think it's time to take my vegetable impersonation to bed.

A Clear Blessing

I love clean windows. In fact, I love them so much I don’t even mind all the work involved to get them clean. Tuesday found me doing just that…washing every window in the house, and although I was tired when I finished, I was so happy looking out through all that shiny, sparkling glass.

Clean windows are rejuvenating to me. The dirt and grime is gone from the windows and everything is clear and clean. For some reason, that always carries over into my life and I mentally wipe away old thoughts that are weighing me down. You know the kind…those nagging little trouble-makers that I should have let go long ago. The repetitive and almost mindless nature of the chore make it a perfect time to run through them one more time then be done with them. Like crystal-clear glass, I want a fresh, un-smudged surface to start from again. I’m never sure which comes first…whether the clean windows lead me to a clear mind or somehow I know the cobwebs in the brain need cleaning out so I’m drawn to cleaning the windows. But whichever way it is, I like that feeling of a freshly-scrubbed outlook.

Life is hard, and often when we experience anger, perceived injustices, or hurt feelings we’re not ready to deal with them for a variety of reasons. So we push them back into the corners of our mind and if we’re not careful, they will eventually cloud our judgment and rob us of our happiness. Is window-washing the cure-all for getting rid of these? Probably not for everyone but I always feel like I really do see more clearly when I’m done…literally and figuratively. So I’ve chosen my clean windows and the clearer outlook I gained as a result as my blessing this week.

Here’s the layout I created:

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper
Patterned paper: KI Memories
Acrylic frame and letters: Heidi Swapp for Advantus
Photo turns: Junkitz
Mini brads: Queen & Co.
Punch: EK Success
Alcohol inks: Ranger Industries
Font: Garamond

 

There are two parts to this layout...and since one of them is clear, that's hard to show. The top layer is a clear acrylic frame that holds the title and a few decorative elements, and the second page is a photo of the view through the glass of our front door. The camera exposed for the bright light outside, leaving the door itself looking black and while that might not always be a good thing, I wanted the focus on the glass and the view outside. I tinted some clear acrylic letters with alcohol inks to give them a watery look and applied them to the bottom of the frame but extending up into the center space. It’s simple but given the nature of the layout, that’s what I intended.

Here’s the missing layout from a few weeks back celebrating reconnecting with my high school friends:

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper
Patterned paper: Scenic Route Paper Co.
Chipboard and felt flower: American Crafts
Mini brad: Queen & Co.
Punch: 7gypsies
Ribbon: May Arts
Ink: ColorBox, Clearsnap
Font: Underwood913, Internet

While it might not seem like it at first, both pages use a similar design technique: Elements chosen specifically to reinforce the theme of the page. Here two different papers are actually tied together to form the background and convey the message of connections. And the see-through nature of the frame and letters on the first one plays off the theme of windows and the concept of clean. I use my share of generic embellishments to add color and shape to a layout (ala the brown flower in the second layout), but by and large I try to chose decorative elements that contribute to the overall theme of the page.

Washing windows is a lot of work, but it’s much easier than it used to be thanks to Cat. When I blogged some time back about my love for clean windows, she shared her “recipe” for a cleaning solution and promised if I used it my windows would sparkle…and she was right! So I’ve christened her formula as Cat’s Amazing Streak-free Window Cleaner and am sharing it here so you too can have clean windows. Who knows, maybe you’ll gain a clear outlook in the process, too.

In a five-gallon bucket mix: 16 oz. Rubbing Alcohol, 1/2 cup non-sudsing ammonia, 1 squirt dish detergent. Add water to fill bucket. Use a long-handled brush to put cleaner on window then rinse with a hose. The alcohol keeps the water from streaking and your windows will SPARKLE!

***Each Friday's post is part of my 52 Blessing project...an effort in 2009 to be more aware of and grateful for the blessings in my life.

The Boy Next Door

The subdivision where we live is a fairly close-knit community. It's small enough to know a good number of those who live here but big enough there are still strangers, too. Some more strange than others it appears. We have a flasher.

We're a golf community with houses bordering one or both sides of almost every hole. And we have an active group of women golfers...it's not unusual for more than 30 players to participate on ladies day. You can imagine their surprise one recent Tuesday when they're playing the 14th hole and look over to see a man disrobing in the backyard of one of the nearby homes. At first he had a towel around his midsection but before they realized what was happening, he opened the towel to reveal his...er, private parts. When quizzed about the age or appearance of this individual, the women all laughed and said they hadn't a clue. All they saw was his nakedness. This is a quiet neighborhood in a pretty conservative part of the state...nothing like this ever happens.

The same thing occurred to one of the other lady residents as she was walking her dog on the same fairway. It's something she does regularly as play winds down at the end of the day. The neighborhood nudie flashed her as well. We've had a good chuckle over the fact that the name of her dog is "Buff."

Apparently the Sheriff can't do anything unless an officer personally sees the exposure so we may have to invite one of the female deputies to join the ladies on Tuesdays or to go undercover and take up dog walking. Needless to say, it's a topic of much conversation in our little community but I don't have any photos to go along with this post. We should all be grateful for that.

I understand about loving thy neighbor; I'm just glad this guy lives on the other side of the subdivision.

$aving $hekels

You know the old saying...watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves. Here's three places you might save a few pennies.

I really hate the reason behind this first opportunity. ScrapSupply, an online scrapbook store, is closing its virtual doors, like so many others these days a victim of the slow economy. It's such a shame as Wendy was just awesome...both in terms of the variety of products you could buy in her store and the quick and efficient service she provided in getting it out to you. Every order came with a sweet surprise as she always added some candy to the box. Everything in the store is on sale, including some newly released products, so you can save some money on supplies you need...or like me, just feel you have to have.

Circuit City may have closed their stores but they're still selling electronics online and there are deals to be had. Wayne found a wireless card for his computer as well as 8GB memory cards for the camera at very attractive prices. He ordered on Thursday or Friday and they arrived today. There are bargains to be had there, depending on what you're looking for.

And my friend Monique is channeling all her creative energies of late into finding free or nearly free groceries using coupons of various kinds. She's showing her finds along with links to online coupons and other coupon-clipping websites on her blog. I can tell she's super-excited about this as there are lots of happy faces and exclamation points in her posts. Maybe her savings ideas will excite you, too.

I saved today. There was a message on my answering machine when I came in from working in the yard telling me that my name was drawn for a free haircut. I didn't even know I had entered a drawing, but apparently I had. It's from the salon I've been going to so I think it's the real deal. That'll save me a few pennies...and dollars, too. Good thing...I've got scrapbook supplies and electronics to pay for.

Listen To The Rhythm Of The Falling Rain

Sometimes the creativity and ingenuity of people just knocks my socks off and makes me wish I could see inside their brains to better understand how they come up with such amazing ideas. One of Wayne's golfing buddies sent him a portion of this video and after watching it, that was my reaction.

The group performing is Perpetuum Jazzille, a Slovenian choir that does both jazz and popular music, and while their singing is wonderful, it is the percussion portion that really impressed me. Using only their bodies they recreated the sounds of a thunderstorm as an introduction to the song Africa. It's not only clever, it's realistic too. Make sure your volume is turned up so you get the full benefit of their talents.

He Gets It

The house was a little busier than usual this weekend. Brad, our oldest, drove down to attend a school reunion. It wasn't his graduating class per se; just a bunch of people who all attended the same high school around the same time who wanted to get together and reconnect in person. The idea to have the gathering and the virtual reconnections all came about through Facebook, a testament to the power of modern technology.

One of the first things Brad was interested in when he arrived was whether I still had photos of him and his friends from their high school days and would I scan them so he could have copies. But of course...on both counts. I think he was surprised when I loaded him up with Cropper Hopper photo cases with all the old photos categorized and labeled. I may not have all those old photos scrapbooked but they're organized. He chose the ones he wanted; I made a DVD of the scanned images.

This morning, as we're talking about the reunion he attended last night and the photos he was taking home with him, he made an observation. When you're young, he said, getting photos doesn't seem important. Your friends have been around "forever" and you think they always will be. But we all went in different directions and seldom get the chance to see each other. I wish we had more pictures of the things we did together.

I reminded him how he (and probably all the rest of them) fussed when the camera appeared and how that part hadn't changed much over the years. It's hard to have the pictures if you don't want to be in them, and he agreed that was true. But with age, he's realizing how important that record is...the tangible evidence of good times, laughter and most importantly, relationships. And he vowed to be a more willing subject for his shutterbug parents.

I'm glad he gets it now.

Photo Walk

It was a big group that showed up for the Pensacola Photo Walk. And fifty people with cameras created a lot of interest from those not involved. Our meet-up place was a local restaurant, and after seeing all the people with cameras a man entering asked the collective group what was going on. The reply from someone in the back was that Madonna was expected to arrive any time and we were the paparazzi waiting to take her picture. He wasn't gullible enough to believe it.

After a group shot, the leader sent us on our way. Although he had mapped a route through downtown, he wasn't insisting we follow it...just go and explore and find things that fit our eye, he suggested. So we did...walking over three miles in the process. For mid-July, the weather could not have been better. All week it's either been oppressively hot or pouring rain with a little lightning thrown in for good measure. But a cool front made its way through overnight and it was a lovely evening for a walk.

The groups stayed clustered together the first block or two and it was easy to see what what catching other people's attention. But before long we all fanned out in different directions. Here's a sample of the shots we took:

Wayne photographed this unique reflection in an office window. It makes me think of fun house mirrors.

There's a certain irony in this rusty collection box given the budget shortfalls our county is experiencing. I think it was more the contrast in texture than political statement that Wayne was capturing though.

We both took several photos of this old theater but this one belongs to Wayne. The building is a real contrast as the sign and upper portion of the building look well maintained but the box office is sad and abandoned.

We saw businesses we didn't know existed, like this cute little restaurant where the walls around the courtyard are all painted to look like a little town. And after smelling the aromas coming from the kitchen, we decided we may have to give it a try. This is another of Wayne's pictures.

These colorful chairs and the reflection of the building in the glass caught my eye. There was a story about this place in today's paper...the wait staff love working there so much they all got tattoos of the restaurant's logo. I'd have to quit if I worked there.

Since there's a working port downtown, there's a mix of business all within a few blocks, including this brickyard. I liked the peek I got into the yard through the stacks of bricks as well as the lines and patterns they made.

The serenity of the crisp white tablecloths and lush green shade trees was appealing to me so I snapped this photo. After the walk was done, we ate in a similar but less formal setting.

We spent the last part of our walk in Aragon Court, a small housing area downtown. It's full of new homes that look like the cottages found here years ago. There are lots of colorful shutters, decorative doors and beautiful ironwork. How could I not photograph these shutters in my favorite color?

It was a fun evening...a great excuse to practice seeing familiar things with new eyes, to look for interesting things to photograph or interesting ways to frame something ordinary, and to figure out how to get the camera to see what we saw in our heads. We need to do all of those things more often.

Everything Old Is New Again

With the advent of all the sophisticated personal cutting systems, paper dolls are popular again.

And there's a renewed interest in paper piecing, too.

These old layouts are suddenly hip and new again. I had them out for a totally different reason but it was fun to see where scrapbooking has been.

M. I. Crooked Letter. Crooked Letter. I.

As we're hoofing it around the neighborhood the other day, Wayne mentioned that we would virtually cross the Mississippi River before we arrived back home. It seems strange in a way...we're only a third of the way through the journey and it seems like the river should be closer to half way, but we know it isn't when we pause to think about it. It doesn't divide the country in two physically, just perceptually.

I know people who've never been west of the Mississippi or who have only crossed the river by air. Too bad as I always enjoy the ride across the Mighty Miss. The bridges are always high above the river and I can scan upstream and down for barge traffic and other river activity. The water is fast-moving and high on the banks in the spring, earning its nickname of The Big Muddy, and lazy and slow when the rains are scarce. It's different every trip. 

Our conversation then turned to all the cities where we've traveled across it...eleven, we concluded.
       Minneapolis, Minnesota
       Davenport, Iowa
       Keokuk, Iowa 
       Quincy, Illinois
       St. Louis, Missouri
       Cape Girardeau, Missouri
       Hannibal, Missouri 
       Memphis, Tennessee
       Vicksburg, Mississippi
       Baton Rouge, Louisiana 
       New Orleans, Louisiana
After retiring, my grandparents moved back to Illinois, living in a little town just fifteen minutes from the Mississippi River and we took several different routes on our trips to see them. Memphis has a cool scale model of the river on Mud Island and you can say you stood with your feet on both sides of Ol' Man River.

I wonder if kids still learn to spell Mississippi with crooked and humpback letters?

Going With Gratitude

There is a siren that regularly calls our names, luring Wayne and me out of the comfortable routine that is home and whisking us off on an adventure. It’s the call of the open road…the chance to go and see and do at some place new. I’m grateful that we can and do respond, and that’s why I’ve made travel my blessing this week.

I recently read a statistic claiming that the average American had only visited eight states and I immediately was sad for those who would never experience the diverse beauty of the remaining 42 states. From the quaint little towns of New England, filled with white steeples and salty air, to the rugged red rock formations of the Southwest, stretching toward the bluest skies by day and blackest by night, there are amazing sites to be seen.

And I have a thirst to see them all…to learn the history, to get off the beaten paths and discover more than what’s in the tourist brochures, and to leave with a real sense of the place I visited. I love the quote of G. K. Chesterton: A traveler sees what he sees. A tourist sees what he has come to see. That’s one of the joys of traveling for me…being open to possibilities and being pleasantly surprised to find the unexpected. It’s a great metaphor for life.

There’s a hidden blessing in traveling, too…we return with a renewed appreciation for home where the noises are familiar and the space less confining. It’s always good to go but it’s nice to come back home, too.

There are no trips in our immediate future, but I could have said the same thing ten days ago and then we escaped to Jacksonville so the next trip could come at any time. My suitcase never gathers dust…the urge to travel is too strong. All Wayne has to do is say the word and I can throw in some clothes…and go.

Here’s the layout I created to record my blessing of travel:

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper
Patterned Paper: American Crafts and KI Memories
Chipboard letters and accent: American Crafts
Mini brads: Queen & Co.
Label: 7gypsies
Punches: EK Success
Pen: Staedtler
Font: Futura, Linotype

My love for traveling carries right over to the scrapbook pages I make about those trips. Creating those layouts is as much about re-living the memories as it is documenting them. And embellishing those pages is easy because I seldom make a trip into a scrapbook store without picking up some travel-themed goodies so I have an ample supply to choose from. With summer travel time at hand, there are some wonderful new lines on the shelves now. Once purchased, the paper gets sorted by color but I keep all the extras together, making a one-stop spot to look in when I’m ready to create.

The photo of the suitcase next to the car doesn’t have much color so I was looking for products to give the page a little punch. That’s not my normal process for travel pages; I’m usually looking for decorative elements that blend in, letting the photos take center stage. I really liked the patterned paper with the travel icons with the picture but even a narrow strip looked too busy on the page. Punching the circle icons out of the paper and placing them against the dark background eliminated the visual distraction yet reinforced the travel theme. Just because a manufacturer created a paper or element in a certain fashion doesn’t mean it’s the only way to use it; look for creative ways to make the products in your stash work for you.

While exotic locales are exciting to explore, the destination doesn’t have to be somewhere far-away. If you open your eyes and mind to the possibilities, there are adventures to be found in your own backyard…and therein lies the blessing of travel.

***Each Friday's post is part of my 52 Blessing project...an effort in 2009 to be more aware of and grateful for the blessings in my life.

Aerobics For Brain Cells

I loved school. Oh sure, there were classes here and there that I just endured but by and large the idea of learning something new always excited me. I still scan through the local colleges' booklets that come in the mail at the start of each new semester, thinking I'd like to take a class in photography or design if I had the time. That love is still there.

That's probably why I've gotten "lost" the last couple of nights in learning something new. I did the first two lessons from Jessica Sprague's Photo Effects class last week when they first became available, but with our weekend jaunt, I hadn't had time to look at the recent lessons. And while I picked up a couple of tips in those first lessons, they were familiar techniques so I wasn't quite as motivated to play.

Then came new and different tricks...clipping masks, adding textures, blending modes. And while Jessica's videos and instructions are clear and well-done, there's no substitute for hands-on experimentation. So that's what I've been doing.

 

This one has a combination of several techniques taught over the last few lessons and I love how it turned out. The softened colors and aged look change the whole mood of the photo. These wouldn't be changes I'd make to all my photos but for the right picture it's definitely arty and interesting. It looks like the photo was taken decades ago instead of last summer.

This one looks like the page out of an old book. That negative space in the upper left would be the perfect place for some type...one of the lessons I didn't practice.

I skipped doing my crossword tonight. I figured with all these new Photoshop effects I've learned my brain cells had had enough of a workout.

The Simple Life

I love my USA Today. Within its pages I find things that educate, entertain and make me think.

Like the article today about how the dismal economy has people re-evaluating their lives and learning to value objects less and experiences and people more. Dave Bruno was quoted extensively. I know...I'd never heard of Dave Bruno either but he has a blog and a big following on Facebook and he's writing a book, all because he challenged himself to pare his possession down to just 100 things and keep it at that level for a year. Actually, he has fewer than that on his list now. You'll find that list here. It seems he was motivated more by anti-consumerism but his actions have inspired others who want to break the hold on materialism and simplify their lives.

Now 100 items isn't much but by his own definition, he didn't include items shared with the rest of his family...like furniture and cooking utensils. And he lumped some things together as a group; the collection of books he kept is counted as the library for one item on the list. It was interesting to see what he held on to and what he let go.

While there are times a simpler life sounds appealing, I couldn't follow his example. Well, maybe I could if each item was a really broad category...scrapbook supplies, camera equipment, clothes I enjoy wearing. Somehow I don't think that is in keeping with the spirit of his challenge. Apparently I'm not cut out for the simple life.

Almost

We came within nine minutes of seeing a launch but we were pretty sure before the official "no go" that it wasn't going to happen. You see, our location was west of the launch pad and all those encroaching clouds the NASA officials kept talking about had already reached us. And we knew were were within that 20 nautical mile zone that needed to be clear. Despite the ending, the day was a great experience.

The launch wasn't the only thing we "almost" saw. I thought more than once we were going to see people come to blows. The park isn't very large and quite a crowd was there when we arrived around 1pm. Chairs filled the width of the park at the water's edge where the view would be unobscured. Needless to say, those people were not very happy when late-comers wanted to squeeze in and sit in front of them, dangling their feet off the seawall. And I'm not sure who was ruder...the street ministers who came with their podium to preach to a captive audience or those in the crowd who were vocal with their displeasure. I feel sure no souls were saved by those efforts though.

And apparently I was on television. A television crew was making the rounds interviewing people waiting for the launch and they were intrigued by the fact that we were from Florida but had never seen a launch. I don't think the reporter knew how far it is to Pensacola...we can't just run down to Kennedy Space Center in an hour or two. We've tried finding the video online but haven't had any success yet.

Getting this close only made Wayne more eager to see one through to the conclusion. Almost just wasn't close enough.

We're Ready

We arrived about 1pm and found the park without any problem. It's a happening place with lots of people and more arriving all the time. I can hear several foreign languages as I sit here. They have a PA system operating that is tuned to NASA TV so we're getting regular updates and things look good for a launch. The launch pad is straight across a large bay so we should have a great view. All systems are go.

On The Road Again

While we may not be actually singing it, that's definitely our theme song. We're in Jacksonville, our home away from home in our effort to  see the shuttle launch. Why Jacksonville? Well, it's a cool area to explore and it's not that far on down to the NASA facilities.

Wayne had been talking about getting tickets to the launch scheduled for August. It's a night launch which sounded awesome...until we found out night meant 4am. And since you need to be in place hours ahead of time, it just wasn't meant to be. So kind of at the last minute we decided to drive down to this one. We won't be able to get into the reserved area as those tickets are long gone, but Wayne's found a public viewing area only a little farther away. So that was where we planned to be until last night's thunderstorm caused them to delay the launch for 24 hours to be sure there was no lightning damage. We're committed to staying for another attempt, but if it doesn't go tomorrow night, we'll have to try for a different mission.

So how have we filled out time? When we arrived last night, We headed over to the University of North Florida to walk the Robert W. Loftin Nature Trails there. It's a series of linked trails through woods and around a small lake so it was shady and pleasant. We didn't see the alligators that apparently live in the lake but we saw the namesake tortoises on Gopher Tortoise Ridge. Like this one:

She might not have been dinner-plate size, but she was close. We're guessing the screened area is protection for eggs that haven't yet hatched. We saw other areas with the remnants of hatched eggs. And despite her size, she can move pretty quickly. Shortly after this photo was snapped, she disappeared into the hole on the right.

Today we wandered around Daytona Beach and St. Augustine.

The Castillo de San Marcos National Monument is an old Spanish fort that is well-kept and an interesting place to explore. From the upper level, you can see why it's situated where it is as there is  sweeping view, making it easy to see enemies approaching. Like much of Florida, control of it changed hands between the Spain and England during its history.

I was fascinated by the canons. While there were some of the big black ones mounted on wheels, these Spanish canons had a beautiful aged patina and intricate etching. If I were guessing, I'd say this one might be the coat of arms of the Spanish ruler at the time. The designs on all the canons of this type were different.

There's lots of beautiful architecture in old St. Augustine, ranging from a strong Spanish influence to Art Deco. It was just interesting to walk and look.

We finished the day by eating seafood at Jacksonville Beach then taking a sunset walk along the water's edge. The sand isn't as soft and white as what we have at Pensacola Beach but the coarser sand is easier to walk in, especially when it's wet.

With any luck the shuttle will head skyward tomorrow evening and we"ll be there to watch. And if it's delayed again, well...we'll be on the road again but heading home.

Some Blessings Shrink

It’s nice to celebrate your successes in life but sometimes it’s even better to celebrate someone else’s, especially when you know the effort they’ve made to get there. I’ve chosen just such an occurrence as my blessing this week.

My favorite guy has been hard at work shedding the pounds for several months now and it shows. No one told him he had to slim down or even that it would be a good idea; they didn’t have to. He’s smart enough to know all the benefits that come from managing his weight better…he just needed the self-motivation. His diet plan is simple…less food, more activity. And thanks to some good ol’ Arnall stubbornness he’s seeing the numbers on the scale go down substantially. Needless to say, I’m thrilled for him on many levels.

So I’m joining him in celebrating his successes thus far. But truth be told, I’m gaining in this too…not in terms of pounds but in benefits. While there’s less red meat on the menu, I’m getting fish for dinner more frequently. The fast food he’s been known to love may be out but those fresh fruits and vegetables I adore are in. There may be less on his plate but he’s got more energy for chores and fun escapes. And while there’s less of him to hug, good health will keep him around for more years for me to hug on him. That’s on my mind as we approach our 41st wedding anniversary next week, a blessing in itself.

Given all of that, Less Is More seemed the appropriate title for the layout I created to record this week’s blessing. Here’s the page:

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Papers
Patterned Paper: Scenic Route Paper Co.
Stickers: Creative Imaginations
Pen: Staedtler
Font: Kravitz, Internet

This isn’t the color combination I had in mind when I started; in fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever created anything using these colors together. But when I was looking for another paper I found the one with the numbers and knew it was perfect…the right theme and the right colors to complement the photo yet give the design a masculine feel.

I should have been using my playtime this week to create the missing layout from the reunion several weeks ago but I was inspired to work on some journaling pages instead. Here’s the one from Week 21:

I wanted the two pages to form a full circle when opened together so I carried the same design elements over to the journaling page. I took advantage of the lines where the patterns change to create pockets to hold small tags on which I printed the journaling.

This page is similar in that the paper and arrows are a repeat of the design elements I already used. This helps unify the two pages. And since I was working on the back side of the journaling page above, I simply formatted the journaling into a half circle. I used the same technique I previously explained for the circle text but started with a large circle and positioned it so only half of it fit over the text box. A black fill and printing it on photo paper makes it a perfect fit for the transparency page it faces.

Speaking of the transparency, I wanted to be sure that the design elements on it stood out rather than competed with the items on the page that followed so I added an extra page to the album. I embossed a circle design on black cardstock to correspond with all the other circular elements without adding another color or print. A simple quote at the bottom makes it a meaningful addition, and my reunion layout will go on the reverse side.

It’s not often losing something merits celebration but in this case it does. Wayne’s dedicated to continuing to lose…his successes are a blessing to us both.

***Each Friday's post is part of my 52 Blessing project...an effort in 2009 to be more aware of and grateful for the blessings in my life.

A Photoshop Project

I've spent the evening doing a favor for my friend Bonnie. That's what friends do...jump in and help when they can. Bonnie's daughter's mother-in-law lost her battle against a rare neurodegenerative disease and the memorial service is scheduled for Saturday. The family wants to display a photo of their beloved wife and mother in part to personalize the service but also to help them remember this beautiful woman before a cruel disease affected her looks and her personality. They had a picture of her and her husband...could I work a little Photoshop magic and make one of her alone? While I'm hardly an expert, this looked like a doable task and I was glad to do my part to make this difficult time as little easier.

Here was my process:

The original photo was 8x10 but two people; the finished product was to be at least 8x10 and maybe 11x14 and only one person so I scanned the original photo in at 600 dpi. This would keep the image quality at a high level when the edited photo was cropped down to 300 dpi. I didn't include all of the man in the photo when I scanned but did allow some extra space on the right. You can see there's some damage to the photo on the left where it was creased in the frame and there's also white border on the left that was never cut off the original.

I used the marquee tool to copy sections of the backdrop taken from the upper left corner and paste them over the man. You can see the series of rectangles along the right where the colors and patterns don't quite match. It probably would have been more meaningful if I had saved a version before I used the eraser tool to eliminate the sections that covered the woman but I didn't. I erased until I could see a small black outline around the woman, turning the layers created by each pasted backdrop section off and on to see where the edges of her hair and clothing were.

After flattening all those layers, I used the rubber stamp tool to blend away the lines between the sections. It really helped that the backdrop was made up of irregular shapes and several shades of the same color as that made blending easier. I also stamped to fill in the backdrop right up to the edge of her clothing and hair. To me it's easier to erase extra and fill back in because you can see the edges where you're sort of guessing where they are when you're erasing. And that same rubber stamp tool worked to add more hair so the edges there weren't such a severe line. That's one of the hardest parts of deleting an object/person from a photo...getting the hair to look natural as there's always fly-aways that are hard to duplicate. 

Then I cropped the photo. There's a bit more space on the right than I'd really like but it needed to be a standard size for a frame and I'd already maximized the space on the left by fixing the crease mark and extending the photo into that small white strip. I did both of those repairs with the rubber stamp tool as well.

Finally, I toned down the blue and added a warm filter to make the colors more like the original. The scanner brightened up the photo quite a bit, and while I personally liked the look, I felt my task was to produce a photo that looked as much like the original as I could make it. I think it took me as long to get the color right as it did to isolate the woman.

The end result looks pretty good...a little softer maybe but still a nice image. Best of all, it's difficult to tell that it was once part of another photo. I hope seeing it will make the family remember happy times.

By The Numbers

Unlike some people I know, I don't have a lucky number. Maybe if I did, I'd have won the lottery by now. And I'm not particularly superstitious about numbers either...after all, Wayne and I got married on the 13th, much to his Grandmother Blaine's dismay. But I do think it's fascinating when there are unusual patterns in usual numbers.

Like Square Root Day. I forgot to point that out last March 03. If you multiplied the month times the day, you'd get the year...03-03-09. Unfortunately, Square Root Day doesn't roll around on the calendar again until April 4, 2016.

But if you don't want to wait until then to impress your friends and family. Call their attention to the fact that at just four seconds before 12:35 p.m. it will be 12:34:56 on 7/8/09. If you write the date differently, you can create a similar sequence on August 7...12:34:56 on 7 August 09. You have to make the mental leap to substitute the word August for the eight in the chain.

My friend Linda sent me a similar string for five minutes and six seconds past four today. That would make it 04:05:06 07/08/09. I actually like it better than the one above...it feels more rhythmic with all the zeroes in place. Maybe at that exact moment I'll stand on 01 foot and use my 02 hands to juggle 03 tennis balls just to complete the series. Mark your calendars now; we can enjoy this quirky line-up again at 05:06:07 08/09/10. It just doesn't have the same feel without that last zero though, does it.

So there you go...an abundance of numerical trivia you can use to amaze and delight one and all.

Just A Ho-Hum Day

It's hard to have something witty or thought-provoking to write about when the day consisted of housework and laundry. Want to hear me ramble about sweaty socks and dirty toilets? I didn't think so.

No photos to share although I had planned to take some for today's post before the rain arrived and stayed. That's OK...the yard needed the moisture and the idea for the photos will still be there when the rain moves on. In a rare show of faith, we took the weatherman at his word and walked early to beat the storms.

The pages I worked on aren't done, and I already knew the photo effect Jessica taught in her first class so I can't write about either of those. Maybe I should have followed suit with most of the blogs I read...very few had new updates today. Perhaps it's summer vacation in blogland and I missed the memo.

So since I've got nothing else and the blog is in desparate need of something visual, here's my latest favorite commercial. I love the kids' faces at the end.

Victory Is Mine!

The final chapter has been written in the saga of the mouse war, and true to any good story, there's an expected twist.

We went for days without seeing any evidence of the little rodent. No droppings on the porch, no blurred movement streaking past the door, and no skinny little tail disappearing into the bushes. Nada. He seemed to have appeared so suddenly...could he have disappeared as quickly? What was he up to?

He went for a swim...only he couldn't. Well, he probably could swim for a while but without a way to get out of the pool, he drown. We had a real gully-washer and it's possible he was an unwilling swimmer but like the occasional lizard or tree frog, he ended up in the skimmer. Ewww! I was, however, glad to be rid of the little rascal. The Arnall household prevails!

So you can imagine my surprise to find a second dead mouse. I didn't know there was a second mouse. He met a similar fate, having jumped/fallen into a large bucket I keep on the back patio for mixing chemicals for the pool. I guess you could say he'd fallen and couldn't get up as the bucket is slick and deep. We win another mouse war we didn't even know we were fighting.

Ummmm...wait a minute. One plus one equals a pair. Could there be little orphan meeces on the premises? Maybe I need to retract that statement about the final chapter. Only time will tell.

Sign Me Up

I've been reading this evening. Saturday night television is the pits and it's even worse in the summer so I'm winding down by getting lost between the pages of a good book. Tonight's choice? An encyclopedia. Not just any encyclopedia...the Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life. The author paints a verbal self-portrait by capturing moments, observations and emotions in her life, all arranged like entries in an encyclopedia.

With only a cursory glance inside when it arrived, this book has lived in my bookcase for some time. I bought it when it became clear my hopes of taking Cathy Zielske's album track at CKU would never be realized. The very clever Ms. Z had created an entire scrapbook built around this book and was leading a class to share her idea but then she retired from the world of teaching on the road before my schedule allowed me to attend. And while I had intentions of reading the book and coming up with my own album design, it just hasn't happened. It, along with a long list of other great album ideas, languished in the "someday when I have time" category.

But that's going to change. When I saw that Cathy will be teaching this album concept in a class called Me: The Abridged Version, I knew I wanted to sign up. I'm looking forward to the chance to tell my story in little snippets and pieces... me, A to Z. So I'm reading in preparation for the homework and for the class that begins in September. Surely life will be less hectic in September, right? I'm not even going to think twice about it...sign me up.

I Get A Bang Out Of "Shooting" Fireworks

When Brenda told me the local volunteer fire department was shooting fireworks this year, I knew where I would be. Budget issues prevented a show last year so it was a pleasant surprise. It was even better when friends wanted to go too. Because of other local displays the show took place on the 3rd of July. We even caught a break in the weather with beautiful clear skies and cooler temperatures than we have had lately.

  

As you look at a few of the 127 shots I took during the 15-minute display, I will offer a few tips that work for me.

 

These photos were taken with my Nikon D100 on a sturdy tripod.

 

Because you want to take long exposures you need a cable release or remote device.

 

Find an unobstructed location with a good view of the sky where the shells will explode.

 

Use a wide angle lens. These were shot with a 17-34mm zoom lens at 17mm.

 

Turn off auto-focus and set the focus at infinity.

Use shutter priority and set the shutter speed to 2-3 seconds. See why you need a tripod and cable release?

 

Use a low ISO to get the best saturation I used 200 which is the lowest on the D100. Set the white balance to "tungsten" (iridescent). Trust me!

 

Once you get the camera aimed at the sky the wide angle should catch all the action so you don't have to frame your pictures you can do that with the crop tool in post processing.

 

When you hear the shell launch, trip the shutter. It takes less than two seconds for the explosion in the sky and you should catch the action.

 

Take lots of shots! I took 127 in a fifteen-minute show. Remember...it is digital.

 

Post-processing is primarily cropping the photos.

 

I try to avoid sharpening as it seems to over-sharpen for my taste.

 

I hope you have a great holiday and get out and "shoot" some fireworks! W.

Long May This Blessing Wave

Fireworks, flags and freedom. Picnics, parades and patriotism. They all meld seamlessly into the Fourth of July, the anniversary of the founding of our country. And while I’ve made a conscious effort to look for the not-so-obvious blessings in past weeks, I don’t want to leave out blessings that are evident and important to me. On this the eve of our country’s birth, I’ve chosen the freedoms we enjoy in the USA as my blessing for the week.

I’m proud to put my hand over my heart as I recite the Pledge of Allegiance, I sing (not well but happily) the National Anthem, and I’m grateful for the sacrifices of my family members and everyone else wearing a uniform who have or are serving in the armed forces. Maybe it’s all those years of working with constitutions and seeing how simple phrases in the laws enacted at various levels of government impact us as individuals that helped shape my appreciation for our liberties but whatever it was, I try to be conscious of it at all times, not just on patriotic holidays.

The flag is a symbol of so many freedoms we enjoy, each as important as the other. And I marvel at the foresight of our founding fathers to create a framework of government that now serves a country far different than they ever imagined 233 years ago. Do I wish some aspects of it were different? Sure…but I don’t see one I like better. I’m grateful for the freedoms that come with being an American.

Here’s the page I created to celebrate this blessing:

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper
Patterned paper: My Mind’s Eye, Northern Spy
Punch: EK Success
Crepe paper ribbon: Jenni Bowlin Studio
Ribbon: Making Memories
Stars: Avery
Pen: Staedtler
Fonts: Amazone and Zurich, Bitstream

While I’ve clearly used a traditional red, white and blue color scheme, there’s a heavier emphasis on the white component so the photo of the flag doesn’t compete with a lot of strong hues. And I win the award for using the oldest patterned paper; that red paper with the stars is from 1998. I don’t use a lot of themed paper but this one fit my eye. Text can be a decorative element too, and here I formatted the words to the National Anthem into a narrow column to give the design a vertical line that balances the horizontal one created by the photo and its supporting decorative elements.

The Fourth of July brings to mind images of parades with crepe paper streamers and reviewing stands decorated with patriotic-colored bunting. I wanted to duplicate that look to reinforce the theme of my layout so I used some crepe paper ribbon from Jenni Bowlin that I pleated, and I like how it turned out.

Pleating paper and ribbon is a great way to add texture and dimension to your layout and it’s easy to do since pleats are just a series of folds. The length you need with will vary depending on how many pleats you make so start with a strip at least twice the desired finished length. If you’re working with paper, you can add a second strip of paper by adhering it to the top of the original one and hiding the seam in the fold in order to get a longer pleated strip.

If you want precise pleats, measure and mark your strip before starting. For the strip above, I put a mark at every inch and then a second mark 1/4” to the right of the first one. This produced pleats that were 1/2” wide. You may want to score your cardstock for crisper folds but that won’t be necessary for ribbon or crepe paper.

To pleat fold the left end of the strip to the front on the first mark. Line the top and bottom edges up to keep your pleated strip nice and straight then crease the fold. Next turn the fold to the back and crease the strip on the second mark, again lining up the top and bottom edges. In the photo above, you can see the “Z” shape created by these two folds. I usually apply a little glue in each fold to hold them in place. Sewing is a fun option for ribbon as not all glues will adhere well and you’ll get some added texture as well. Keep folding, first to the front and then to the back, until you have the length you need then it’s ready to add to your page. This crepe paper ribbon would be great for your first pleating experience as it’s thin so it folds easily and is very forgiving.

Patriotism takes all forms. I hope whatever yours is this Fourth of July that your holiday will be a safe and happy one.

***Each Friday's post is part of my 52 Blessing project...an effort in 2009 to be more aware of and grateful for the blessings in my life.

Evening Walks, Critters and A Dr. Dale Tidbit

It wouldn't be July if it wasn't hot and humid, and in an effort to escape a little of that, we've moved our walks to the evening hours. We were a little later than usual leaving the house tonight...almost 8pm, but it's amazing how delaying our walk just an hour or so brought us some new and different experiences.

Like the armadillo that waddled across the road right in front of us. We see evidence of them regularly...too often in our yard, and occasionally the headlights in the car will catch one if we come home after dark. This fellow wasn't waiting for full-on darkness; he had places to go and twilight was close enough for him to get there.

And dead snakes in the road. Well, we've actually been seeing them regularly for several days now. The weather is dry and the snakes are on the move, looking for water. But after hearing that the Collier's cute little dog died after being bitten by a snake while in a yard just a few doors down the street, we're more attuned to the guys with no shoulders. Dead snakes = good snakes in my book.

And foxes. We saw two tonight near their usual haunt next to No. 10 tee. If we walk up that direction almost any evening at dusk we usually see them. One scurried off into the woods as we approached but the other one lounged on the knoll, grooming his paws. He barely watched as we went by just 10' away. Rumor has it the homeowner's association is about to hire someone to trap and relocate them. They're beautiful animals so I hate to see them go but it's probably the safe thing to do as they've become a little too comfortable around people. 

What we didn't see was a lavender sunset...but I was looking for it. Russia's Sarychev Peak volcano erupted a few weeks ago, spewing ash and sulfur that is being carried over the North Pole and into the U.S. Blue light coming through these fine particles mixes with the red hues of a normal sunset to produce lavender skies. You can see a lovely photo, more explanation and a map of how far the debris has spread here. Makes me wish I was visiting up north just to experience it. The same website had a cool photo of a fox's eyes at dusk and an explanation of how they see so well in the dark but it's no longer there.

See, Dr. Dale...Wayne isn't the only one who can throw out interesting tidbits during a walk.

Better Luck Than Good Management

Cool new banner, huh? Wayne created it for me from some amazing photos of local fireworks that he took a few years ago...and there's a story behind them.

He had tried capturing the spectacular nighttime displays the year before and was less than satisfied with his results. They were blurry and not very colorful...not at all what he had hoped for. So in typical Wayne fashion, he'd done his homework before we headed for the ball fields to await darkness and what had been promised to be dazzling fireworks. And they were. With the camera on the tripod he clicked as the brightly colored explosions filled the black skies. It was pretty cool.

But when he got back home he was more than a little concerned. In changing film speeds in the dark he had accidentally changed the white balance too, and he was quite sure none of the pictures would turn out given the wrong setting. He fretted for nothing, however. Not only did they turn out, they were beautiful. Rich colors and amazing details for as high up in the sky as the fireworks were.

 

The moral to the story is good preparations are important but sometimes you have to have a little luck on your side. 

This site has some pretty good suggestions to help you capture some great images if you want to give it a try this year or you can do what I did and just Google tips for photographing fireworks. Oh....and good luck!