The Giving Tree - Summer

Here's my favorite stump again. I took this photo way back in 2013, but just got around to editing it this week. I've got one for each season now.

Hello Summer

The Giving Tree - Spring

This is one of my favorite stumps in Kiwanis Park here in Post Falls. I took this photo back in 2014, but just got around to editing it this week. I've got one for each season now.

Welcome to Spring

My Gratitude Practice

"I just made gratitude a daily priority.

I went through the day

looking for things to be grateful for,

and something always showed up."

~ Oprah Winfrey

It was under Oprah's encouragement that I began keeping a Gratitude Journal. I've written in journals off and on all my life. A couple decades ago, I began a special kind of journal -- separate from my diary-type journal -- where I write down things I'm grateful for. Some folks write 5 things at the end of each day. Me? I write what I'm grateful for until one page is filled up.

When my daughter Jodie was a kid, we'd do it together. We called it "The Happy Things" and each entry would start with, "I'm happy for ..." Jodie is 23 now, a young professional, figuring out how to adult. On rough days, Jodie does a call-out to her friends on Facebook and says, "I need some happy things. Tell me one. Go!" Then her friends chime in with words or photos or gifs or memes. I love those posts. I love that this practice that has been so beneficial to me has been passed on to her and, through her, to her friends.

Every November, I do a month of gratitude. I post a photo and/or a quotation along with one thing that I am comfortable telling the world that I'm grateful for. I've done that for a few years now. It can be very challenging when life isn't going so well. 

The thing is, seeking circumstances I can be grateful for changes how life is going! It's a practice I plan on continuing for the rest of my life and encourage others to try.

Here's an article Oprah wrote about her gratitude practice before the Obama/Romney election. Her words are still gold for me.

Purple Cornflower

The flowers all over the neighborhood are starting to fade. These tall purple cornflowers are trying to hang in there, but they're losing the effort.

Seal. Sax. Groove.

This is for my Jodie ... ORK ORK ORK

Summer Storm

Lightening. Thunder. Hail. Downpour!
A small river is running down the middle of our street again.

Pod

I took a walk.
The pod people followed me home.

This Guy

I'm spending the weekend organizing my digital photo library. I've come across a few gems. This is a snapshot I took of my Dale in our home office at the end of last year. I adore this good-humored, handsome man. He entertains a lot of nonsense from me.

Tennis Anyone?

In the Night

Not really. When I took this photo, it was severely underexposed. But in playing with the photo in my editing program, I got this really neat effect.

click for larger image

Pine Nut

Look who's nestled in the cone.

Dying

This rose is on its way out. The aroma fades while it becomes a feast for the eyes.

Abstract

A few years back I attended a high school student art show and was so taken by an abstract painting that I bought it for Dale. This is a detail of that painting.

I love the colors, the thick paint, the brush strokes, the texture, and the canvas showing through in this detail shot.

Can you tell I'm glad my 50 mm challenge is over and I'm back to my beloved macro lens?

Button Box

Someone asked me if I have a button box. Well, I used to. I inherited buttons from my mom. She inherited some from her mom and grandmother who were seamstresses.

My need for order had me separate them by size and color, shank or without shank, number of holes. Though the look of it may not be as nostalgic as a box full of buttons of various shapes and sizes, my system works well for my needs. It's a different kind of pretty in this #CornerOfMyHome

Just Before Breakfast

As the sun rose ...

 
 
I've reached the end of my 50 mm challenge!

50 mm
f/10
1/3200 sec.
ISO-2500

Joany's Rose

My mother-in-law, Joany, painted a large (16" x 20") picture of roses for me. It hangs in the dining room where we can enjoy it every day. This is a detail of one of the roses. I like how well the texture of the canvas shows.

 
 
My 50 mm challenge continues

50 mm
f 2.8
1/320 sec.
ISO-2050

Portrait of a Rose

My "rose garden" consists of one plant. It doesn't produce many flowers each year. But those that bloom have a heavenly aroma.

As this flower came out of bud, I clipped it and brought it inside so that the sun wouldn't fry it this afternoon.

 
With the f-stop all the way down to 1.8, the focus falls away quickly and any little movement on these hand-held shots really shows up, especially in the leaves and background.


 
My 50 mm challenge continues

Both photos:
50 mm
f/1.8
1/100 sec.
ISO-2500

Hub

My old bicycle doesn't get much use lately, She just hangs out in the garage, waiting patiently for new tires and a willing rider.

#CornerOfMyHome

My 50 mm challenge continues

50 mm
f/4.5
1/125 sec.
ISO-1000

Up On Deck

I took some time to tidy my Studio. Then I picked my next project. I've chosen to make another set of beaded ornaments for this year's theme tree.

I've got all the pieces sorted and ready to go. It will be nice to spend some time creating something in the cool of the basement.

I've had just about enough of this hot weather, but I know there's more to come. Maybe that means more projects in the works.


My 50 mm challenge continues

Top:
50 mm
f/8
1/80 sec.
ISO-1000

Bottom:
50 mm
f/4.5
1/125 sec.
ISO-1000

Meet Charlie

Charlie came into my family's life in May 1975. He was one of the "Get Well Soon" plants my mom received after her first operation for cancer. He's one of the few plants that made a successful trip from southern California to Idaho.

My mom gave me a cutting from her Creeping Charlie which I managed to keep alive -- sometimes barely alive -- for all these years. During the time we were remodeling our house, he almost died. But once life settled down and he had a permanent home in the kitchen, he came back to life.

Each of my daughters received a cutting from Charlie. I think one or two of Charlie's "kids" is alive in their homes.

I'm tickled by how much I like this plant, and how often I've taken his picture. I suppose Charlie is one of the most steady guys I've had in my life. Every now and again, he deserves another portrait, don't you think?


My 50 mm challenge continues

50 mm
f/8
1/200 sec
ISO-200

What Time is It?

Not having a lot of success with this today.

The Artist's Way

In my experience, there are at least two kinds of artists. The ones like need a calm workspace so that they can work with a nice clean "blank piece of paper." Their studios are tidy and their supplies all lined up and ready to use.

click for larger image

 
  And there are artists that need a boatload of supplies within easy reach so that the tools of the trade speak to them and begged to be used. Their studios are like a big pile of pixie stix, a nice jumble of texture and color which breeds inspiration.

Which do you think I am?
.
.
.
.
.
I cop to being the first orderly kind. I have a hard time creating in clutter because it overstimulates my brain and I have a hard time concentrating on a single project. If  you notice I haven't been crafting or sewing much lately, it's because my Studio needs to be tidied up.


My 50 mm challenge continues

Top photo:
50 mm
f/3.5
1/160 sec.
ISO-1000

Bottom photo:
50 mm
f/8
1/50 sec.
ISO-1000

Soft Plastic Mandala

Today's coloring meditation.

After coloring with colored pencils, I scanned the image then played with it in my editing software. This is how it came out after I used the "soft plastic" effect. Pretty neat!

Drawing by Thaneeya McArdie from her book Flower Mandalas

Ducks

Back at Island Park in Springfield, Oregon. The ducks fear no people so I was able to get fairly close.

This fellow found a piece of yarn and carried it around for a while.

My 50 mm challenge continues.

Top photo:
50 mm
f/5
1/640 sec.
ISO-800

Bottom photo:
50 mm
f/5
1/500 sec.
ISO-800

Morning Glory

I love stumbling upon another heart in nature

My 50 mm challenge continues

50 mm
f/2.8
1/1000 sec
ISO-200

A Serene Beauty

Island Park
Springfield, Oregon

 
 
  My 50 mm challenge continues

50 mm
f/3.2
1/8000 sec.
ISO-800

Daisies

These daisies grew tall and beautiful and plentiful around Island Park in Springfield, Oregon. I barely had to bend over to take their photo.

My 50 mm challenge continues

50 mm
f/5
1/3200 sec.
ISO-800

Springfield History

Jodie works for the Parks & Rec department in her hometown. She took her dad and me to several of the parks to show us what Springfield/Eugene has to offer. On our way out of one park, we found this volume resting on a post.

What do you imagine the story behind this book to be?
A University of Oregon graduate student taking a break from a summer class?
A history buff taking some light reading into the park?
Or the smallest "Little Free Library" you've ever seen?


My 50 mm challenge continues

50 mm
f/5
1/2500 sec.
ISO-800

Jodie's Tomatoes

For the first time, Jodie tried growing a garden. Some of it got away from her while she was out of town. But she had great success with the snap peas and parsley.

Now, her tomatoes are coming into season. They were wonderfully sweet, straight off the vine.

Looks like I can call this photo "Plants with Fuzz - part 3"

My 50 mm challenge continues

Top photo:
50mm
f/41/640 sec.
ISO-1000

Bottom photo:
50 mm
f/8
1/80 sec.
ISO-1000

Blackberry Heaven

Dale and I took a trip to western Oregon to celebrate Jodie's 23rd birthday with her and her fiancé. The blackberry brambles are full of ripening fruit all over town. Hungry? Grab a few sweet treats. These were found at a park on a butte that overlooks the town.

My 50 mm challenge continues

50 mm
f/4
1/2000 sec
ISO-800

Yard Work

Dale's on vacation. We spent the first three days sprucing up the yard. My job was pruning the bushes. My arms and legs and face are all scratched up. Dale and I both have very sore muscles. It's worth it, though. Our yard is looking really good!

We took six loads like this (add in more 4 bags) to the dump.

I am, however, ready for the fun part of vacation to begin.


My 50mm challenge continues

50 mm
f/11
1/320 sec.
ISO-250

Good Fortune

Nice! I get to see daughter Jodie soon. Could she be the lucky one?

 
 
 My 50 mm challenge continuess

50 mm
f/7.1
1/160 sec.
ISO-400

Jeanne

Dale and I asked this girl if she wanted to come over and play in the dirt with us. So glad she said yes.

We filled in some bare spots on a hill in the side yard and planted ivy. Then we stopped for a taco lunch and a 3D movie.

I sent her home with some homemade berry pie, some ivy cuttings, and a big container of Nanking cherries that we picked in the back yard.


More of my 50 mm challenge

1st photo
50 mm
f/2.2
1/100 sec
ISO-1600

2nd photo
50 mm
f/3.5
1/100 sec
ISO-1600

Plants with Fuzz - part 2

This time the stem and the leaf are fuzzy.

My 50mm challenge continues

50mm
f/4.5
1/2000 sec
ISO-800

Plants with Fuzz - part 1

click for larger image

My 50mm challenge continues

50mm
f/4.5
1/1250 sec.
ISO-800

Harvest

The flowers of Spring are now the cherries of summer

I was able to gather these from two of the bushes in our yard this morning. There are more cherries on these bushes and lots more bushes in our yard!

Doesn't it make you want to jump in and grab a handful?

 
The 50mm challenge continues

50 mm
f/5
1/200 sec
ISO 800

Photos taken outside on a cloudy afternoon.

Knot 'n Pine

My 50mm challenge continues

50mm
f/5
1/160 sec
ISO-200

Western White Yarrow

Another heart found in nature

My 50mm challenge continues

50mm
f/8
1/640 sec
ISO-640

River's Edge

This counts as "sand" on the Spokane River

50mm
f/8
1/250 sec
ISO-800

Self Portrait #43: Crocheting Again

It's been a while since I attempted one of these.

Since the 50mm lens is often used for portraits, I gave a self-portrait another try. I had the ISO set to "Auto" which ended up at 6400 and a very grainy effect. I filtered a lot of the grain out in the editing process.

50mm
f/3.2
1/200 sec
ISO-6400

Potted Petunias

The flower of choice to decorate outside restaurants in my neck of the woods.

I was trying to play with proportion and texture and form here. Not entirely successful to my eye. The light was not great on this cloudy day. The color seems flat.

50mm

f/11

1/1000 sec

ISO-1250

All Air

Playing basketball with the wind

50mm
f/6.3
1/1250 sec
ISO-400

A July Experiment

I'm giving myself a new self-assignment this month. For the majority of the photos I take, I'm going to use my Nifty Fifty lens. That's a 50mm lens that has an aperture as low as 1.8 ... the lens that's great for portrait photography.

My hope is that by using this lens a lot, I'll have a better feel for what I can do with it. Methinks I may not have as many flower photos as usual. In other words, I'm attempting to s-t-r-e-t-c-h my photographic skills.

Today I'm combining my Nifty Fifty experiment with #CornerOfMyHome. This froggy keeps an eye on all comings and goings on the front porch, and takes time to smell the flowers.

50mm
f/8
1/160 sec.
ISO-800