Autumn Color

The height of color is upon us.

Rows of trees full of olive and gold

Brilliant splashes of orange and yellow

The fading greens and browns

And deepest magenta

Soon obliterated by wind and snow

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Election Day

Up before dawn 

Waffle, bacon & hot chocolate at Denny's 

with my sweetheart

Chat with our favorite staff there

Walking home, the fog began to lift

I stopped at the elementary school to vote

Superb way to begin election day

Sunrise Silhouette

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Spider Magic

I walked home in the fog this morning.

 
Dewdrop

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LaJollaFly

While walking along the beach in La Jolla, 

I happened upon a small butterfly garden.

 
The Sunbather

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Gettin' All Wet

On my final morning in Las Vegas, I grabbed my camera and ducked into the Aria. My daughter Jeanne, who lives in the area, said this is one of her favorite casinos to visit. She said to make sure and see their 'fountain.'

Into The Vortex

I found it difficult to photograph this interesting water sculpture due to the way it moves, where it's located, and the number of visitors. Here's a photo and video I found on the web that will give you a sense of what it's like.

As you can see, it's a series of glass tubes filled with liquid that rises and falls, like a lighted cyclone. Check out this video to watch it in action:

Duh-na ..

We spent one lovely morning at the Natural History Museum.

 
Say "Ahhhhhh!"

I made a friend.

[click for larger image ... it'll scare you better]

Harvest Time

I'd heard wonderful things about the atrium in the Bellagio in Las Vegas.  I was so glad I got to experience it for myself.

Autumn Bounty

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The best moment in the atrium was when I asked an older couple if they'd like me to take their photo with their own camera. I got a really nice shot of them. Then the man put his arm around me and said, "Thank you so much! You made our day. This is our 60th wedding anniversary and now we have this nice picture to help us remember."

 

October Fun

For most of October, Dale and I were on a long car trip. He had conferences for work in Las Vegas, Nevada and La Jolla, California. He invited me along this year. While he was working, I got to spend some time with my daughter Jeanne and some good friends from high school days.

I also got cozy with my 35mm DSLR camera. True, the photos I took were all using "auto" settings, but I finally got used to carrying a bigger camera around and trying out a few functions. So over the next weeks, I'll hope to share some of the photos I took.

We're Going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo

This is us having some fun at the San Diego Zoo, taken by zoo staff.

Pokey Little Birthday Card

My brother-from-another-mother had a birthday last week.

I had so much fun with the pin poke technique with my Heart Cards, that I decided to use the same method to create his birthday card. It gives such a fun 3-D effect.

This is what it looks like with light shining through from the back.

On the inside, I composed a short message using an inside joke, and made slits to insert a gift card.

 

I got the word that the card arrived safe and sound, so now I get to share!

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Fall Haze

At the last full moon, at the end of September, I took Dale up to the top of a hill where he'd never been before. On a clear day, there is a great view of Post Falls, the surrounding farm land, and the Spokane River rimmed by mountains.

Smokey Evening, Full Moon

 But that week, the entire valley had been very smokey from the fires burning in central Washington. The view from the top was not so far-reaching ... but beautiful in its own way.


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Recipe

One plant

Window

Open blinds

Add light

 
Autumn Morning

Changing Light

I looked out the window to the back yard. 

The sun, setting in the west, 

 was reflecting on the leaves of Ashley the ash tree. 

 
The Sun Sets on Ashley

Jeanne, my 27 year old daughter, planted this tree
when she was in elementary school.

Ashley struggles to get enough sunlight 

amid the tall pines and the maple that surround her.

But this evening, she is the star.

Her changing colors caught the sunlight

and her beauty shone.

Jeannie, this one's for you!

Bread Experiment

Know what this is? 

An experiment in "baking" bread.

Or, in this case, rolls made from frozen dough.

I learned from the LifeHacker website

that it's possible to cook bread dough in a crock pot.

So I tried.

I had some rather old dinner roll dough in my freezer. 

So old that I wasn't sure it would rise.

[It barely did]

But it was enough to try in our small crock pot.

I had it in the crock pot on the high setting for a bit over an hour. Too long ... but I got distracted and forgot about it until I could smell it.

Yum.

I wanted the top browner, so instead of putting it under the broiler as suggested, I just flipped the rolls over and let them brown in the crock pot.

They tasted pretty good! Fun little experiment.

I'll probably try a full loaf in my big crock pot later.

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Anomaly

Can you see this?

I have a single very odd

wonky long eyelash.

Weird, huh?

( And no shame about pointing it out. :: giggle :: )

 

 

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Lingering Blooms

The geranium on our front porch is in bloom.

Vivid Geranium

We won't see many more of these flowers this season.

The nights are fairly crispy cold now.

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Approaching Storm

September 10, 8am

Flat pearl sky hovers over the deck
Low breezes rustle ivy, rattle mini blinds
High winds sway pine tips above East Hill
The pitch of a passing street sweeper & heavy gusts conjoin,
          a muted rumble chasing through woods
Chin raised, I detect the aroma of tomatoes
          ripening in their pots
While thick air swirls, raising goose bumps
I don my fleece sweater
          and taste the approaching storm

Garden, Fall

Changing Seasons

Fall is in the morning air.

Harvest is near in north Idaho.

 
Granny Smith Time of Year

Apple of My Eye

Jodie LOVES pie.

True. True.

I taught her to make this family favorite in January, 2009. It's a  Dutch Apple Pie baked in a parchment paper envelope.

 
Dutch Apple Pie

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm


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Pic from the Past

In scanning through some photos from a trip I took to Connecticut in 2008, I found this gem that I've never published. I don't know the name of this flower. Can anyone help me out?

 
Pop o' Color

I just love the orange and the pink together. If nature can do it, why can't I!

[click image for larger view]

Boise Isn't All Bad ...

Sunset Over Boise, Idaho

I took this photo in March 2011
I was on a solo trip to Denver, CO to visit my oldest daughter.

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