Day 20: Bokeh

I packed up P and the camera this morning and headed to one of my favorite parks while the lighting was good. I had studied up on bokeh last night when I couldn't sleep. As you can see by the pictures below, bokeh is when the background is blurred out but you can see white "lights" from another light source (in this case, the sun). Although this was a challenge for me, it gave me an opportunity to learn more about the camera and its settings and less about the editing (in fact, none of these pics have been edited). It took quite a bit of adjusting but I got a few shots that I liked. Ken Roswell may not be impressed but I'm happy with them. Enjoy.....








(Although this one is not considered bokeh, I really liked it- it's unedited!)

Nigh, Night Sleepyhead!

I got a total of ONE hour of sleep last night. Not one hour at the beginning, one in the middle and one at the end. One TOTAL! It started earlier in the day when I took a 2 1/2 hour nap, fairly late into the afternoon. It then took another turn when I drank soda at around 6pm. I'm like an old lady and can't have caffeine that late into the day. The reality of no sleep set in when we went to bed. It's that time of year that opening our windows at night cools down the room but doesn't get too cool for P in his room. So, instead of turning on the A/C, that's what we've been doing most nights. Well, somewhere around here a bonehead neighbor leaves their dogs out. The dogs bark incessantly, to the point I'd think they'd lose their voices. But they continue to power on, barking strong until after 11pm. Once they finally stopped I couldn't get my mind to slow down enough to fall asleep. With the little sleep I got, I dreamt about today's photo challenge and where I could go to capture the shot. By the time Rob's alarm went off at 4:30 I was exhausted! I tried to sprawl out across the bed and go back to sleep but by now the sun is up and the birds are singing (some prettier than others). I don't want to continue the cycle by taking another long nap today but I honestly don't know how I'll get through the day without one. The joys of no sleep!

father's day

this could take a while. i guess i'll begin with my fondest memories of my dad growing up. most of them involve my grandpa as well. heading out at night to go frog gigging, listening to ole miss on the radio on the way to deer camp in grandpa's truck, my first deer i ever killed, throwing the football, Christmas mornings, hunting on thanksgiving day every year, sitting around and watching football games, all night drives to my rodeo's, family reunions at kentwood, going over to grandpa's house to watch ole miss play, everything deer camp, my first truck, letting me drive the family car home from the bay, coming to the bay after school where dad was working, fishing behind number 7, handgrabbing, living in the apartment, taking me to the casino, my wedding day, visits out west, and probably one that will rank among the best ever is our upcoming elk hunt in colorado. my dad always put us first. he always taught us to work hard, do our best, hold our head high, never let anyone talk down to you, give respect, earn respect, be honest, and always know that he was there for us. i couldnt have asked for a better dad, then and now. of course there were times when i hit "that stage" where we didnt get along, but i knew he always loved me. my dad is my best friend and it really sucks to be this far away from him. i miss our weekends at deer camp, fishing, and watching ole miss play. i hope and pray that i will be as good of a dad to preston as he is to me. there;s so much about this hunt coming up that im looking forward to. the hunt itself, being with dad the first time he hears an elk bugle and sees one in the wild, being in camp every night after the hunt with our friends and my brother, but i have to admit the thing im looking the most forward to is the ride out there. he is either flying here or to salt lake city and we will ride to delta colorado together, just me and him, driving through the rocky mountains together. i think often of how lucky i am. i was fortunate enough to be brought up with a dad that taught me so much about life, most of those lessons i learned hunting with my dad. i couldnt imagine growing up not hunting. i know some kids dont have what i did and that is sad. so, i guess ive rambled enough. just thought id share some of my thoughts about my dad on fathers day. i wish i couldve been there with him today. i love you dad

Day 19: Something Orange

I can't say that orange is my favorite color. It's one of those colors that agitates me more than anything. So I had no idea what I was going to take a picture of for today's challenge. On the way to church I found plenty of inspiration and I found even more when I got home! The question soon became what I would CHOOSE to take pictures of. Here is what I chose for today's challenge:


(Important piece in bird training Ruby)


(Rock formation at our local park)


(One of P's favorite snacks)

Happy Father's Day

As I've mentioned on occasion, my family was similar to "Leave It to Beaver". My dad worked 9-5 at a government job, in charge of several people. Then he'd come home between 5:45-6:00 every night, at which time he and my mom would go have alone time. After that we'd sit down to dinner as a family, my dad asking-and LISTENING- about our day. Then we'd have family time, playing or having family devotions. My dad was there for all of it, participating, wanting to spend QUALITY time with us.
At times my dad traveled a lot for work. But, when he came back from his trips he always had a surprise for me and my brother. He also started a tradition of hiding money in the rental cars, something my brother and I loved but were clueless to (We couldn't figure out why dad always got the "lucky" cars with money in them but we weren't complaining.) When he got home, he could've easily played the "tired card" but he never did. He wanted to know what he had missed while he was gone.
He was, and is, a calming presence with sound advice. When one of us got upset he would calmly assess the situation and react accordingly. He didn't get mad often so when he did we knew we were in the wrong. I remember one particular road trip where everything that could go wrong, did. He could've easily yelled and thrown things but instead he figured out a Plan B that would get us to our destination. He's always been good at the "Plan Bs". That's why he's the first person I go to when I need advice on BIG subjects. I know he'll listen first and give advice second.
Growing up, he was involved in our church. He was never "preachy" that I can remember but he led by example. He doesn't judge because he's made his fair share of mistakes. He was always the spiritual leader of the house, showing us God's unconditional love on a daily basis. He made sacrifices that I didn't learn about until much later in life. He lived without a lot of wants because of me and my brother. He prayed for us and lost sleep over us.
When people say I take after my dad that's the highest compliment I can be given. He's human so I know he's not perfect. But, in my 35 years, I have yet to find his flaws. He's my hero, someone I will always look up to, no matter how old I am. Happy Father's Day to my hero, the person I strive to be more like!!

Day 18: Marathoning Mamas

Today's photo challenge is "Your Shoes" so I'm incorporating that into my day. I woke up at 3:30AM, got out of bed at 4:40AM and was on the road by 5:15AM. All for a race! My friend and I took part in our first marathon relay today. I had planned to blog all about my experience and feelings but, to be honest, it's been a whirlwind day and I'm exhausted. So instead I'll give you the abbreviated version.
I've been training for weeks and was glad the day finally arrived to test my endurance. The hard word paid off! I ran a half marathon in a little under 2 hours!! I am SUPER happy with this accomplishment. My goal was not to walk, which I did, and run faster than I've trained and I did that. My teammate and I placed 2nd, which we were happy with. All in all it was a great first marathon relay. That being said I'm retiring my running shoes for awhile. I've learned that I like running much more when it's for enjoyment and not for training. I'm glad I can cross off "running a half marathon" off my Bucket List now!


(My race photographer)


(The last tag between me and my teammate, Michelle)


(Michelle and I with our biggest competition)

Day 17: Tech

After spending so much time behind the camera yesterday, trying to figure out how to capture the long exposure shot, I didn't want to spend too much time messing with it today. To be honest, I wasn't all that excited about today's challenge, even though I have no doubt people will get creative shots. I just took our laptop into the closet and closed the door. This is what I got......