Saturday, June 30, 2012

Day 162...The Lake, Bits and Pieces :)

Day 162
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KALEY!!!  HOPE YOU HAD A FUN DAY, DEEDLE!

 Spending time at the lake with friends is one of my favorite things to do! 
We had a blast, ate too much, talked and laughed a lot! 
Ya can't ask for more than that!
through the screen...

 Lonely Fall leaf...evidence of cooler days gone by.

 The "real deal"...VW hippy van!

Neighbors dock
                                              
 Swimming beach at sunset...Truman Dam.

Truman Dam fireworks

Friday, June 29, 2012

Day 161...65 HWY, 65 MPH

Day 161
Heading South out of Sedalia on our way to the lake for the weekend 
I did my best to catch a couple of sunset shots out the car window...

♪ ...keep it between the lines... ♪

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Day 160...Any Shot Will Do...:)

Day 160
When the clock is closing in on midnight and I'm in need of a photo....
there are four animals who reside at this address...
I took advantage of that fact after scrambling to prepare for a weekend away!
 Realizing I had no photo of the day, I chose Michi as my subject....
I also took a shot (no pun intended) of the "drink ingredients"
I'd set out to take on the weekend getaway, 
but decided on the cat photo... 
Maybe not as much fun, but cuter!

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Day 159... A Gazing Shot

Day 159
Hot, tired and ready to relax I was out in the good ole backyard!
It seems when I think there's just nothing more to photograph out there,
I always find something....
A gazing ball sunset

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Day 158...A Day For ME!

Day 158
Really had a fun time today with Pat D. and Julie N.!
We went scouting for photos and I shot over 200
Here's a few from our day out today!

 old church steeple in Excelsior
 What's for lunch? Go here, it was so good...I'm going back for sure!

above, I love the bright retro look the Diner still has today...
 but I also like the look of the aged photo below


Watkins Mill 
This scene below is my favorite view at Watkins Mill...I love walking this
 another favorite view at Watkins Mill



Monday, June 25, 2012

Day 157...Summer Yum!

Day 157
Time to catch up blogging...once again, I've managed to get days behind...
SOOO, keepin' it short and "sweet"...(ah ha, no pun intended, buy hey, it works!)

THIS

IS

C.O.R.N.
 (in case you didn't know)  


Sunday, June 24, 2012

Day 156...Now, I Know!

Day 156
Now I know how the grape jelly occasionally ends up on the ground!!!
I looked out my kitchen window early this morning and this is what I saw...
Time to pull out the BB gun again!
Except, I'm such a bad shot... :/

Mangy Critter

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Day 155...Summer & Cemetery

Day 155
There's really nothing that says "Summer" any better than the taste of Sweet Corn! I love it!
A trip to city market was all it took to find some of the best! Last week Mark brought home a dozen and I went back for another dozen this morning! 
Can't wait to have some for dinner tomorrow!
YUUMMMY!


My afternoon was fun and educating also. That's always a good thing! 
I went on a photography club field trip to Union Cemetery in Kansas City, Mo. .... 
A fascinating, historical location here in our city. I'd never been there before. It's sad to see it becoming run down. One more historical site that our city doesn't value enough to claim as history and make a priority. Very Sad. 

 out of over 4,000 headstones in the cemetery, I walked up to this one. 
This person was born 105 years to the day before I was!
There are over 55,000 graves recorded there at the cemetery. Only 8% are marked with a tombstone.

This chained and padlocked gate is the entrance to the McGee family Mausoleum.
(as in McGee Street)

Friday, June 22, 2012

Day 154...Tilled To The Surface

Day 154
When my husband and I first moved into our home seven summers ago the entire West side fence line was lined with Hardy Hibiscus...I'm not really sure that's their actual name, but I do know they're Hibiscus of some "hardy, perennial type"...
Second year we lived here, they were pulled out to make room for tomatoes to grow since this was the only sunny location in our yard. 
As sad as I was to see them go, I too wanted tomatoes! 
After six years, (last year 2011) one lonely plant came back and produced beautiful blooms! I think maybe when Mark tilled the soil it brought something back close enough to the surface to grow...either that or it just took that long for them to start growing back! Either way, it came back and this year I have three growing along my fence line again and plenty of room for our tomatoes too!  I vaguely remember there were different colors so I'm anxious to see what color bloom the other two plants will produce! 
This one is the first to bloom!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Day 153....Thank You, Mother Nature!

Day 153
Finally we got some rain! 
1 1/4 inches here at my house in Liberty. 
I know of a lot of people, near and far that got varying amounts but I know we're all just so happy to have any rain at all! It was wonderful hearing it roll through during the night and 
even nice to walk around the yard this morning while it was still sprinkling...
It felt so good!!!


Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Day 152...Easy Choices

Day 152
Easy, easy day at work...one of my fav clients...off to the Dr.
(wearing the damn boot again for at least the next three weeks...:/ goody, goody)
then home to burgers on the grill and fresh corn on the cob...can't beat that!!
Went out to water and was very entertained by watching the Momma Robin dive bomb Mark...All he had to do was walk toward the gate, closer to where their nest is and she was on him in a flash...
it was comical to watch! 
It was almost time to go watch the new Dallas show so I reverted back to "easy and reliable" and caught a couple more garden pics...I may be bored with the garden photos I'm taking these days but I know it will be fun looking back on them next year or even later this summer and fall when they're no longer beautiful and/or gone. Also, at this point, I may as well make the effort to document at least one shot of every flower I have in my yard...not really such an effort at all!!!
 I really think the colors of Kale are just as pretty as flowers...I love it and am so glad my husband introduced me to it a few years ago... Of course, I'd seen it and knew what it was but had never grown it...
I think the purple veins against the green leaves are gorgeous!
 I call this one..."Waiting on Susan"... 
I also love, love, love the Black Eyed Susans...they look so pretty with the Coneflowers!

These are Wildflower Coneflowers that I started a few years ago. I purchased the starter plant from a nursery out of Jeff City that promotes wildflowers here in MO.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Day 151...My Little Town

Day 151
Today I chose to walk away from the housework and all other duties needing to be done 
just to go out, wander around my town and try to capture some nice shots of 
Liberty, MO...my home! 
And one I really love, at that!
Initially I was only going to drive down to the square which had been suggested to me by my sister in law, Julie, as a unique location...But as much as I like our town square, it's just hard for me to "feel" the photo ops there with all the cars parked everywhere and for me, some of the buildings aren't really so attractive. But then again, I need to develop those skills of being better able to "see" the possibilities. That's not my forte but I do believe it can be learned or at the very least honed to the best of my ability! I was planning on just driving through the square to see if something caught my eye and then moving on to who knows where but then I remembered what I was told just not too long ago...
...A photography teacher  told me that I was "very technical and thought I didn't have that "artistic vision" because when it came to my line of artistic work as a hairstylist, there was no room for error...you have to get it right or you won't have clients coming back....(very true words)...he then went on to say that with photography, I had a memory card in my digital camera that required no financial investment in hard copy prints or loss, other than my time, so just go out and shoot, shoot, shoot and shoot some more...Erase the card and shoot some more, if you have to, he said...You can't just keep re-doing someones hair, over and over and over and over if you don't get it right the first time but you can with photography and you will develop your skills."
That made me feel so much better about learning photography...There was a time when as much as I loved it, I wasn't sure I could be good at it. Or at least what I think of as "good"...but he gave me the confidence to keep trying and the belief that it can be learned and honed...it helps, but not everyone can be a "natural"...
Today held more learning for me! I wish I could say it was a total success of a photography day out but first, shooting in the mid day, bright sun isn't easy and I forgot one very elementary tool that I own and normally always have on my lens....the lens hood... :/ Not only did I forget it but I just flat out didn't think to put it on...it was in the car in my camera bag the whole time...I sure remembered it when I uploaded the shots to my computer and saw the lens flares and glare on some of my photos...
Errrrr, another lesson learned...
I ended up staying right here in Liberty for my photos today but ventured off the square and into some of the historical, quaint parts of my little town...the photos for today are plentiful, (along with the blogging, I know) and all in all it was a good day for me! I met a lady named Lori who allowed me to photograph her beautiful home, had a really fun visit with her, enjoyed my time out and about immensely and learned some photography lessons as well...
I didn't get the perfect photos I wanted but hey...I learned something!!!
It's all good, after all... :)

 walking down Kansas Street

so many quaint, beautifully restored homes to look at and photograph
but I loved this one most...
I felt the owner had added all the right touches...I loved it! 


 above and below, a couple of different editing choices...
I liked the originals as well so I decided to include them all in my blog today!


 Potting shed or outdoor party bar??? I vote BOTH!!! Found this on a side street!

 On the square!



 Church and another flower lined sidewalk on Kansas Street. so pretty!

Monday, June 18, 2012

Day 150...A Flower Spider?

Day 150
While outside watering and pulling weeds, you really have a chance to see things in your garden that might otherwise go unnoticed....I like that! In fact, not only do I like that, but I needed that today. I've been feeling a little on the boring side lately for always turning to my garden for a photo.
Sometimes just finding the extra time to get out and about for a photo is kind of hard to do. 
At least with my work schedule it is...or maybe it's just me...hmmm, food for thought...
But today, while once again using my garden as grounds for hunting down a daily photo I realized that if it weren't for those watering and weed pulling chores I probably would not even have noticed this quite unique little individual that calls it's self a Coneflower...and I thought she deserved to have her very own day!
I'm thinking I will name it "Flower Spider"

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Day 149...Feathered Fathers and Flowers... :)

Day 149
Happy Father's Day, Mark!
I spent quite a bit of my day today trying to catch the Orioles at my backyard feeder but can't seem to get any shot I like. I just don't think it's in the cards for me to capture a good bird shot until I save my pennies and get that longer lens I need to achieve the close ups!
 In due time, I suppose!
I also spent some time watering the plants and preparing dinner but I did catch an updated shot of the Robins nest outside my kitchen window,
 and a couple of flower photos that personally, I really like!
I love vibrant, brightly colored flowers and these really shine in those categories!!
Verbena

 Daddy Robin bringing berries to the babes!! :)

Purslane