Visual Journey Photography

Emergency Number Teaching Tool

2012-01-17T13:47:00.000-06:00

Let this cute kitten assist you when you have that important talk with your children about calling emergency services. The photo of a kitten sitting in a tree and the text "Need help?" serves as a reminder to your child that the number is to be used when they need help in an emergency. The product is customizable so that you are able to change the number to match the emergency number for your area. Please be sure to only use the magnet with children who understand that magnets are not toys. I would be devastated if a child was hurt by chewing on and swallowing a magnet or found some other harmful use for it.

Kitty Emergency Number Reminder Magnet

Blog Fan

2012-01-04T19:38:00.001-06:00

Rosie reading the latest blog post~~~

Happy New Year and 2012 Calendars from the Visual Journey Zazzle shop

2011-12-27T01:08:00.001-06:00

Sales of calendars have been very good this season, thanks to our wonderful customers at our Zazzle shop. I'm pleased about both of our best sellers, but I'm especially happy about the sales of the Raptor calendar. Half the money from sales of that calendar will be donated to the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center to help in the care and feeding of the birds as well as educating the public.

The Artsy Fartsy calendar includes photos of sail boats, wisteria blooms, Texas countryside, New Mexico mesa, Colorado mountain stream, hot air balloons, railroad tracks, autumn foliage, and more, all of which have been edited for a very dramatic look.

The Raptor calendar includes red-tailed hawks, screech owls, barn owls, kestrels, falcons, and more. Each month includes two photos of a particular bird of prey as well as their common name and Latin name.

A big thank you to everyone who has purchased from us this year! Wishing you all a Happy New Year!

October Fog

2011-10-28T01:35:00.001-05:00

I love this time of year. The terrible heat and drought of summer has finally departed, the angle of the sun makes for some really nice views that are so much more appealing than the harshness of summer. Best of all, I love the foggy nights. This week we had a soupy night that drew me out of the house. I grabbed my camera and headed out to enjoy it and ended up staying out from 1:45 am to 7:30 am. Most people think it's odd that I would prefer spending all night enjoying the sights and sounds of nature rather than sleeping, but I've never really been normal by any standards.

Areas where the cloud cover was still a few feet off the ground were amazing - to seeing the light illuminating the different cloud layers and passing through the tunnel underneath the veil of mist, hearing nothing but my own footsteps or my car's tires crunching on the gravel in areas where I was driving.

Awesome creepy spot

Then there was the little country road. No houses. No businesses. No traffic of any kind. Total darkness and total silence. It was the most deliciously creepy experience ever. I have great night vision, but it was so dark that I couldn't even tell if there was anything to photograph. I set up my camera on the tripod and pointed it north. All I could see was a ridge of trees far in the distance but had no idea what was between me and the horizon, so I had no idea what would show up in my photo, if anything. Who doesn't love a surprise, right? I was just hoping that it wouldn't be a photo of a house because that would spoil my experience of being out in the middle of nowhere. As you can see from these two photos, definitely the middle of nowhere. Not a house or barn in sight.

Another view of awesome creepy spot

All those hours out in the fog and yet I took very few photos because I was too busy enjoying the sensations of the creepiness, the darkness, the eerie fog, the almost total silence, etc. It's amazing how the fog amplifies some sounds...or maybe it was being alone in a creepy place that did the amplification. My heartbeat thumped along pretty loudly, as did the sound of my footsteps. The occasional thundering footsteps of elephants were probably actually mice or bunnies. Bird songs were beautiful and haunting and made my hair stand on end. I wish I could convey the whole experience to you all, and I wish I had more photos to show, but please enjoy these few offerings. Thanks for stopping by.

Water tower than appeared out of the fog

Grain silos

Farm yard

Wonderful trees

Birds of Prey

2011-06-30T00:23:00.012-05:00

I haven't posted in a while so I'll take this opportunity to tell you about my visit to the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center during the spring. More than a year ago I posted about meeting Sweetpea, one of the feathered ambassadors from the raptor center, at the North Texas Irish Festival. You can read the post about that meeting here. In May I had the privilege of meeting many of her fellow ambassadors and learned more about the important work carried out by the staff of the raptor center. I love helping charities and conservation groups so after visiting and learning about their work and their financial and material needs I decided to do what I can to draw attention to their important work and help as much as possible. To begin, please visit their website. Also, visit my shops at Smugmug, Zazzle, and Redbubble where you may purchase prints, canvas prints, and a variety of products such as greeting cards, keychains, mousepads, iPhone cases, and much more, printed with photos of the birds from the raptor center. All money earned from the sale of these items will be donated to the raptor center.

All of the birds living at the center are non-releasable due to injury or as a result of being raised by people. Birds raised by people have been imprinted by humans rather than their species and cannot care for themselves in the wild. The directors and volunteers at the raptor center provide excellent care for the birds, they rescue birds of prey who are in need, and they educate the public about raptors and about the importance of protecting them and respecting their place in the world. The executive director of the center also teaches ornithology classes for people studying to become Master Naturalists.

Each year the center holds a photography day for anyone wishing to learn about the birds and photograph them in a natural setting. The human ambassadors do a great job and many of the feathered ambassadors really seem to enjoy showing off for the visitors. One particular show-off was the young, male red-tailed hawk. His age is the equivalent of a human teen and he is every bit a teenager - strong, handsome, confident, in charge and wanted everyone to know it. He insisted on facing into the wind and sent an unmistakable message to any small birds in the area...he runs this place. He lives at the raptor center because he was found with both wings broken when he was younger. He is able to fly but not well enough to survive in the wild. Just don't tell him that.


Red-tailed Hawk (male)

The Great Horned Owl was a particularly endearing creature. He has all the fearsomeness of a great predator but speaks to his handler in baby talk - tiny, adorable chirps and squeaks. He was found as a baby and raised by people and as a result he never learned the vocalizations of an adult.

Great Horned Owl

The center's two Eastern Screech Owls also charmed us all. The raptor center has two adult screech owls - a male red phase and a female gray phase. Red phase screech owls are more common in the eastern United States, the gray more common here in Texas. There are also variations of those colors seen across the US. They look somewhat like tiny great horned owls. I think it's safe to say the screech owls are the cutest creatures I've ever seen in person. The little female was raised by a human family who found her as a baby and she is completely at ease around people, which of course makes her non-releasable but very appealing.

Eastern Screech Owl (Red-phase)

Eastern Screech Owl (Gray-phase)

There were several other birds for us to see on this visit, all of them knowing full well how awesome they are. No matter the size, cuteness, or age of these birds, they all have that look that tells us they run the place.

Peregrine Falcon

American Kestrel

Mississippi Kite

Red-tailed Hawk (female)

Barred Owl


Red-shouldered Hawk

Barn Owl

On the center's website you may learn more about each bird in their care as well as read info about all the types of raptors found in the area. There is also a schedule of upcoming events and a donation page where you may make a monetary donation as well as a list of needed supplies in case you happen to have items they need or connections to get the items.

I hope you enjoy seeing these wonderful birds. Keep well everyone, and enjoy life.

Run For Cover - I'm Experimenting Again!!!

2011-03-12T23:59:00.000-06:00

Wrapping my brain around Photoshop and Gimp is not easy. I'm slowly learning to touch up my photos, but the major things still elude me. Learning about the "overlay" setting for a layer was reason enough for a celebration to me. In fact, I'm still a bit giddy about that one. Anyway, I've done lots of experimenting lately and thought I would share some before and after images. The unfortunate part of all this experimenting is that when I do achieve something fun, I can't remember how I did it. *sigh*

Here is an attempt at HDR.

Light unedited image

Dark unedited image


Created in LuminanceHDR and tweaked in PS/Gimp

Edited in Photoshop/Gimp

I'm not entirely satisfied with the results so far, but with a bit more tweaking perhaps. These small sized images are difficult to really show the result, but I like the image achieved in Photoshop better than the HDR version but neither has a sky that works yet. And the trees and grass in the HDR version are oversaturated. Eh...I'll keep working on it.

I've also tried my hand at using texture layers to make photos look old and worn. I know there are many effects that artists are going for with the use of textures, but I've been looking at old family photos lately and wanted to mimic that look.

Original image

Faded and texture added

Original image

Faded and texture added

The resulting images in my experiments with textures look exactly like the old photos I was attempting to mimic. Not sure if anyone would find them artistically pleasing, but it was fun. I did post the faded rose on my Tumblr and it got lots of likes and reblogs so I guess there may be a niche for that type of work.

My brain may be too full already or perhaps just getting too soft, but it's been an uphill battle learning to do this stuff. Hopefully it will all get in there soon.

The cool thing about art is that there is no right or wrong. There are guidelines and accepted practices, and there are opinions, likes, and dislikes, but if the artist likes it, it's right. There is always room for improvement, of course, and adjustments that can be made to make one's work a bit more likely to find an approving eye elsewhere, but if it achieves the artists intent or makes the artist happy, it's a success on a basic level. It's worth the effort for me to continue trying to learn Photoshop and Gimp as well as working on improving the artistic value of my work, because I hope to create images that add something positive to other people's lives. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Armageddon

2011-01-26T15:56:00.002-06:00

Driving through the Texas countryside has always been scenic and peaceful. I expect to see lovely rolling hills, a variety of trees, horses, cows, and occasionally a sculpture made out of bales of hay. Saturday I saw something I didn't expect - Armageddon. Well, okay, it wasn't really Armageddon, but it looked strange enough to make me wonder. It was an insanely bright day with the winter sky blanketed by cirrocumulus clouds, complete with herringbone patterns and puffy cotton balls, a long line of unbelievably intense blue sky was visible through an unzipped portion of clouds, the sun burned through the thin clouds making a huge white disc overhead, and there was a peculiar hole in the sheet of clouds with a haze inside veiling the entrance to heaven. It was an awesome sight.

And of course, I must include my tweaked version...Armageddon

Hiking at Tyler State Park

2010-12-31T13:03:00.001-06:00

Due to a family medical emergency I recently found myself making the two hour drive to Tyler, Texas several days in a row. Tyler is known for its roses but I didn't realize the tremendous beauty of that area. On the approach to Tyler hills get hillier, tall pines and numerous other types of trees pop out of every bit of soil, lovely farms and ranches spread out to the horizon. We decided a hiking trip was in order. Once the dust settled from the emergency, my son and I made an early morning drive to Tyler State Park. It was still dark when we arrived and we spent the next several hours hiking through the woods, over the hilly terrain, over the soft ground blanketed in colorful oak leaves, and surrounded by tall pine trees. We were all alone except for a heron, and egret, an adorable bobcat that I wish I had been able to photograph, a few deer, and an incredible number of song birds. There was a light rain off and on all day and it was pretty chilly since it was the 24th of December, but it was a perfect, peaceful, beautiful day. *sigh* We plan on returning to the park again for future hikes so we can see the beauty of the different seasons.

I hope you enjoy the photos of this beautiful state park and I wish you all a Wonderful New Year!!!

Gift Ideas

2010-11-29T15:56:00.000-06:00

With the upcoming holidays, birthdays, and any other reason we can find to give gifts to show how much we care, I decided to share some items that could make your loved ones feel special. The great thing about these items, in addition to the beauty or humor aspect, is that many of them are also practical. Can't beat that combination.

Stream in New Zealand by RulanCapperStarr
View more custom mousepads on zazzle.com

Autumn celebration mini slip on by olmpal
Create Keds canvas shoes online at zazzle

Blossoms 2 by aloramyst
More Aloramyst Posters

Japanese Lace Maple Leaves Bag by MistyRosePhotography
Browse more Maple leves Bags

Be Unique Magnet by capturedbyKC
Browse other Flowers Magnets

Lovely Little Girl Shirt in Red by VintageFlair
Browse more Retro T-Shirts

Growing Song Sparrows by colorspotphoto
Large format posters printing from zazzle

notes shoes by hildurbjorg
See other Kids Shoes

LOLINTERNET by HaiiroXE
See other Lol T-Shirts

And a few of my own creations...

Beautiful Autumn coffee mug by VisualJourney
Browse other Coffee Mugs

P-51 sculpture by VisualJourney
Make your own 3D photo cut outs on zazzle.com

Cute falcon shirt, I've been good all day by VisualJourney
Browse Baby T-Shirts

Autumn Oak Trees iPad case by VisualJourney
Browse iphone 4 cases

Cloudy Mountain iPhone case by VisualJourney
Browse more iphone 4 cases

And a couple of my sister's creations.

Park Snow ornament by VisualJourney
Make personalized photo ornaments online

Window on the Past keychain by VisualJourney
Create your own promotional keychain on zazzle

Have a Wonderful holiday season!!!

Plane Crazy

2010-11-03T12:23:00.000-05:00

We went to an airshow this past weekend and I wanted to share the photos with everyone. Who doesn't love an airshow?! For those who are crazy about military aircraft, it was the perfect afternoon. If you simply like seeing pilots with nerves of steel making their airplanes do incredible and seemingly impossible things...awesome!

I won't be selling these photos on our website but still wanted to share them. Hmmm Perhaps I'll add them to our gallery of free wallpaper downloads.

Anyway, back to the airshow, there was an amazing demo by the Blue Angels, a truly awesome demo of an F-22, there were P-51s, an F-16.....

Tilt-Shift Fun

2010-08-19T20:03:00.001-05:00

Lately I've been working on a photo style that is fairly new to me. It is called Tilt Shift. It uses either a special lens or processing techniques that produce a miniaturized photo of a real-life scene. I love miniatures and model train lay-outs, so this photo style is proving to be great fun.

I'll give a brief guide for achieving the Tilt Shift effect for anyone who may be interested in creating their own Lilliput.

1. Choose a photo with lots of depth. A high vantage point works best but the technique can work on many other shots as long as there is sufficient depth to the scene.

2. Sharpen the image more than you would for a normal photo. Adjust contrast, color, brightness...

3. Using your selection tool of choice, select the main focal point for your scene. Then click "invert" on the selection menu. This allows you to only perform the next step on the rest of the photo instead of your main focal point.

4. Choose a blur filter such as Gaussian Blur. Gently blur everything around your main focal point.

5. Invert the selection back. Now expand the area being selected, moving only a bit at a time away from the main area. Be sure to keep the focal plane in mind so that equal blur is applied to areas that are an equal distance from the camera.

6. Invert again and apply a bit more blur this time.

7. Continue this process of expanding the selection area and increasing the blur until the desired level of blur has been achieved to give the photo the look of a miniature scene.

8. If necessary, go back and selectively blur out any visible lines where the change in the amount of blur is too agressive.

9. Over-saturate the colors to give it a painted model look.

Here are a few of my before and after photos. You can definitely see the learning curve as I worked at figuring out the technique, although I don't have them posted in the order in which they were processed because I'm barely competent with this text editor. :/ If you decide to give Tilt Shift a try and you post the resulting photos somewhere, please let me know. I would love to see your work.

New Venue

2010-07-22T02:03:00.000-05:00

Beginning last month, artists and artisans gained one more venue for selling their work - http://www.efreeme.com/ It's free to list and sell and when you have 20 items in your shop, they pay you $5. Within hours of that 20th listing, $5 appears in your Paypal account. As with any new site, numbers are small and traffic is light, but it's growing all the time and items are selling. Navigation is different from other handmade and art sites you may be familiar with, but it seems to work well enough for now. Come by and visit our shop: http://visualjourneyphotos.efreeme.com/

I haven't posted for a bit so I'll share some Independence Day fireworks photos that I shot this July 4th.

Beautiful Blogger Award

2010-06-22T19:21:00.000-05:00

A big Thank You to mamasakio for honoring Visual Journey with a Beautiful Blogger Award! =)

In keeping with tradition, here are seven bits of info about me:
1. drive a police car
2. have way too many pets including a 3-legged cat and a 1-eyed dog
3. love gardening
4. really good at killing orchids :(
5. prefer being in a forest especially in the mountains
6. lovelovelove books, especially old history books
7. favorite tv show is Danger Man from the '60s

And here is the list of beautiful blogs that I will honor with this award:

1. Poppy and Petunia
2. Prairie Coast Art

3. Mackin-Art
4. Puppeteer on the Roof
5. Poppy Brew
6. eyeshuttertothink
7. geelizzie
8. theshutterbugeye
9. moonangelnay
10. maiasfotos
11. socksandmittens
12. thehighnorth
13. theartinquirer
14. theprettybee
15. naturevisions

Take a look at all these wonderful blogs. You will find interesting reading, tasty recipes, beautiful images, and lots of wonderful people.

Appreciating Every Moment

2010-04-22T08:49:00.001-05:00

It's been a while since my last post. We've been out hiking and enjoying the beautiful spring weather. We just celebrated my son's 18th birthday, so I'm enjoying every opportunity to do fun things together before major life changes send him out into the world. These are precious times and I'm so thankful to have this time with him.

I've also been experimenting with the camera in my new cell phone - a Motorola CLIQ XT. Obviously the photos it takes aren't large enough images to sell, but it's great for preserving the memories and moments that otherwise might slip away. Here are some of the images from our hike at the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary this week. Pretty nice photos for a 5mp camera.

This is an important and sad time at the Heard - the North Texas Municipal Water District is putting a sewer line through this beautiful place. They began work on the line with no warning to the museum. When the work was discovered, employees and volunteers rushed to save plants that would be pushed aside and destroyed by the work. The Heard is a 289 acre sanctuary with wetlands, old growth forest...it's a beautiful and amazing wonderland in an area where this type of paradise is shrinking daily. This Earth Day, there is a peaceful demonstration at the sanctuary against the sewage line, which has been made necessary due to the extensive housing developments that have been built in the area. *sigh* Progress...not.

Daily I am reminded how precious each moment is and how very lucky we are to have family, friends, and beautiful places. Enjoy them to the fullest because life doesn't stand still and tomorrow could be very different. Hug your loved ones...and hug a tree too while you're at it. :)

Happy Wednesday

2010-04-07T01:22:00.001-05:00

Hello friends. I hope you are all having a wonderful week. Our drawing took place April 1st. There is now an 11X14 print on its way to Jennette at TheRockinCupcake who makes lovely chenille baby blankets, burpcloths, bibs, etc,

and a mouse pad on its way to Nancy at customdesigns4ubynan who makes beautiful tablecloths, bedspreads, pillows, etc. so please visit their shops. Congratulations and thanks for giving our items a loving home. A big thank you to everyone who participated! We'll have another giveaway soon - I'll keep you posted.

Tonight I listed ACEOs (collectible art cards 2.5"X3.5" in other words wallet size) in our shops at Etsy, Zibbet, and Artfire. They are printed on metallic photo paper by iPrintfromHome.com. Be sure and check this company out if you need professional prints made. I have a button for them in our left column for easy access.

Anyway, back to the ACEOs. I am mounting each photo card on 140 lb watercolor paper to make them sturdy. Each is titled, signed, and numbered on the back and will be a limited edition. They all include a clear polypropylene, acid-free sleeve to protect them. Collectible art cards are a very affordable way to collect the artwork you want when you can't spend a fortune on lots of art or don't have the space to display many large works. I have stocked up on a selection of some of our most popular images, but any image from our website or shops can be ordered as an ACEO.

One last and very important announcement. Don't forget to support your local Relay for Life group. Support can take many forms, not just money.
http://www.relayforlife.org/relay/"The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease." If you have the time and inclination, it's a great cause.

Just when I thought spring was here...

2010-03-21T23:33:00.001-05:00

Temperatures were in the 70s and buds were popping out everywhere. In other words, March in Texas. Saturday morning on the 20th - cold. Hmmm, weird. By Saturday afternoon - snow. By 3am Sunday morning - multiple inches of snow. This has been the oddest and most awesome winter and first 2 days of spring, ever.

If you scroll down to my post from last week, you will see a pretty yellow daffodil. Now, one week later...here is the same flower. :/ I don't mind though. This gives us the best of both worlds - beautiful flowers and beautiful snow. I love nighttime walks in the snow, daytime strolls through the neighborhood looking for flowers peeking out of the snow, and snowball fights with my son.

This has been my favorite 2nd day of spring!

Be sure to scroll down and read about our giveaway!

Just a Quick Note

2010-03-15T20:59:00.000-05:00

The artist behind Etsy shop Earrings Nation has featured our photo Fire Mountain on her wonderful blog http://craftydream.blogspot.com/ alongside all the talented artists presented there. We are very honored and appreciative! She is so supportive of our artist community, so please visit her blog and shop - you will enjoy her beautiful designs. :)

Spring has Sprung

2010-03-14T21:40:00.001-05:00

What a beautiful day we had today! I hope you are all seeing signs of rebirth and finding yourselves wrapped in peace and joy. The stresses of daily life are still there, but days like this always ease the difficulties a bit for me - replenish my energy and make me feel younger and stronger. I just wanted to share a bit of the beauty with you all.

April Fools Giveaway

2010-03-11T22:58:00.000-06:00

It's time - time to show our appreciation to our wonderful followers! Our April Fools Giveaway begins March 12 and the drawing will be held April 1st. To enter, go to our website at http://visualjourney.smugmug.com/ and leave a comment on your favorite photo. Everyone leaving comments will be entered in the drawing to receive a choice of -

* any image from our site as an 11X14 print (your choice lustre, matte, or glossy)

or

* any image from our site on a mouse pad

or

* any image from our site on a mug

Two names will be drawn - two prizes given. Be sure to leave your name and an email address and/or a link so I can reach you with the news. Email addresses will not be displayed with the comment or any other location. They will not be used for any purpose other than to inform you if your name is drawn. Please feel free to leave a link to your shop for communication purposes (as well as for visitors to find you) if you wish. Good luck!!!

Blackland Prairie Raptor Center

2010-03-10T12:33:00.044-06:00

Last weekend at the North Texas Irish Festival I had the pleasure of meeting Sweetpea - an Eastern Screech Owl (Gray-phase). "Hatched in the spring of 2003, she was found by a family and taken home, where they raised her on hamburger meat. After discovering that it was illegal to keep her, they took her to the authorities who found her to be in good condition. Unfortunately, as an ‘imprint’ she was non-releasable." Sweetpea had not been raised by owls and had no idea how to hunt, and upon seeing a person her response was "Gimme a hamburger!" She was transferred to the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center in August 2004 as an education ambassador. She excels at her job, calmly watching all the people as they ooh and ahh over her.

Eastern Screech Owls are native to North Texas and are, in fact, our most common owl. The gray coloring is more common here, although the other colors are present here as well. The variety of color morphs from gray to brown to red as you move across the US, with red coloring being the most common in the eastern states.

They live primarily in wooded areas and nest in the cavities of trees, however, they occasionally use nest boxes that have been placed 15 ft. up off the ground in protected areas. They lay 4-5 eggs that are incubated for about 26 days. The young fledge in about 4 weeks but remain dependent on their parents for another 8 weeks.

The full grown screech owl is 8" in length with a wingspan of 20" and they weigh 4 to 6 ounces. It is amazing to see a bird with the appearance of a Great Horned Owl but the size of a robin. The adorable feather tufts on top of the head that act as camouflage but look like ears are not present until adulthood. These perch and pounce hunters eat large cockroaches and mice so they make wonderful neighbors.

Screech owls have two distinct, soft calls. A long trill on the same note is a communication between Screech Owls. The second is a descending whinny that sounds like a horse. This call communicates irritation by a human or animal intruder in its territory . I have heard this call in my neighborhood many times and it truly sounds like a tiny horse - made me picture a tiny Pegasus up in the tree.

The BPRC is a raptor conservation and education center with many activities and events scheduled around the Dallas/Fort Worth area. They care for numerous types of hawks, falcons, and owls. These birds have been rescued and are used in the education program to teach about our native birds as well as to teach appreciation and protection of these wonderful creatures. Visit my blog post Birds of Prey for more info and images of some of their other birds.

Visit the website at http://www.bpraptorcenter.org/ and become a fan at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blackland-Prairie-Raptor-Center/293353771975?v=wall

Catching up for the week

2010-03-04T12:00:00.000-06:00

Good news! We're planning our first giveaway! I'll have all the details later, but in the meantime, take a moment to go to our website and browse through the galleries. Winners will choose any image on our site for their free print.

This weekend is the North Texas Irish Festival! As always, I'm really looking forward to the great music, talented artisans, and the best people-watching opportunity of the year. If it's not raining I'll have my camera and share the fun with you.

A few of our latest images. Anyone who has experienced the aura associated with migraines will recognize the middle photo.

A couple of my favorite items discovered this week on etsy.

A lovely pair of earrings by alyciaengel.

And an adorable miniature crocheted pitcher by miniaturecrochet.

Being Ourselves

2010-02-23T19:54:00.000-06:00

I want to thank everyone for the wonderful encouragement.

Today my son, Allan, and I played racquetball. We normally play a couple of times a week. Well...using the word normal really doesn't fit, because I've come to realize that we are not normal. This bit of information doesn't bother me, mind you, but it seems to be an undeniable fact. When we play a game of any sort, the rules seem to become somewhat...obscure. Our game of racquetball first morphs into a race to see who can get to the ball and hit it first. Then a second ball joins the action. Then we start playing in different directions - either one playing front to back and one back to front, or one playing back to front and one playing left to right. Dodge ball soon enters the action. Sword fighting with our rackets is a frequent occurrence. The game involves a generous helping of silly voices, victory dances, singing, and best of all, zombie racquetball. We don't bother to keep score.

That's how most activities end up. A game of Monopoly grows from one board of Star Wars Monopoly to two boards, to three, then four - the fourth one being original Monopoly. My Darth Maul playing piece moves from board to board collecting Park Place, Watto's junk shop, and a moisture evaporator, while Allan's Obi Wan quickly hoards all the pod racers, Boardwalk and Naboo. We end up with developments that cost so much to land on that we use our Jedi mind tricks to keep each other from noticing that we've landed on the opponent's high priced real estate. Anakin and the thimble spend most of the game in jail. We've had games last for days but have never finished one.

Luckily Allan's girlfriend is a good sport. She can throw around internet memes and fight Nerf battles right along with us. We haven't scared her off yet! She even joined us on one of our late night photography treks around town.

We do know how to act and can follow rules when necessary. Really! But it's more fun being ourselves.

A couple of photos from today to make it look as though we were playing somewhat by the rules

Well, I Need to Begin Somewhere

2010-02-21T09:44:00.001-06:00

"You need a blog"...that's what everyone says these days. Okay, I'll give it a try, but I've never liked that word - blog. I don't know why. I just don't. So how can I get excited about something that I don't like?! Enter my 17-year-old son. Allan can fix most problems and he didn't let me down this time. So now I would like to say...

Welcome to my blargh.

I have a few passions in my life and I hope to share them here as we continue down this road. Expect to see posts about photography, cameras, my excursions and wanderings, nature, architecture, hiking...

Smugmug has been my online presence for a while now and will continue as such, but I have recently joined the ranks of online artists at Etsy and Zibbet. What an amazing and talented group of people! I would like to share some of my favorite artists from those venues with you in upcoming posts.

That should get this blargh started, so I'll end it here for now. I look forward to talking with you again soon.