I'm Cheating!

I took this photo back in October, but I did edit it tonight! It's one of my favorites of downtown. So...I'm kinda halfway cheating, but in my defense I'm not feeling well and it's been an extremely long week. I'm going to bed early tonight (if you call 11 p.m. early!). Goodnight!

Blue Skies...

with big, white, puffy clouds. The kind of clouds we used to lay under as kids and try to identify shapes. Remember those days? I'm always reminded of them when I see skies such as these. Good times!

Chores.

Riley was given a chore to do today. Granddaddy asked him to bring some firewood up onto the back porch, and Riley very happily obliged. Of course, my kiddo is no dummy. He waited until cousin Hayden came over to play and got him to help! Coincidentally, we just watched the old Disney film Tom and Huck this weekend. I have to wonder if Riley didn't borrow this idea from Tom Sawyer's fence painting episode?!

Look at this cute little rear!

They've spotted a spider.

Just one more piece should do it!

Buddies!

YIKES! It's Me!

There may be more going on in this photo than you initially realize. The photo is a reflection in an old window has been taken out of a house and leaned against the outside wall. You can see the cedar siding of the house through the glass, the glass panes in the window, the weeds, and a reflection of....well, me (on a J.D. Gator).


Riley and I went out riding for a bit today, as it's been a while since he has been out riding his 4-wheeler. It was too chilly to ride long, but we did manage to get down to the old house where my dad was working. That's where I spotted the window for this pic.

What's For Dinner?

Sunday is a day of catch-up work for me, and today was no exception. I did, however, cook some french onion soup. The ingredients made for a pretty boring photo, but they turned into a very yummy dinner!

Sweet Baby (doll!)

I've never been the baby doll type. Not even as a little girl. I was the tom boy who liked to play with the boys. I liked motorcycles and baseball. Now, as a grown woman (and a mother of one little boy), what use do I have for baby dolls?! None! But this one was just too darn cute to pass up! I "adopted" her on our way home from North Carolina last weekend. Isn't she precious?! She's just the BEST baby...never cries...never wets (or worse!)...and I don't even have to feed her! LOL.

We were going to go to the park with some friends today, and I had every intention of taking the camera. However, plans changed and we just hung out here at the house with Judy and Micah. I didn't even get the camera out! Laziness, I tell ya! So, at 10 p.m., in the absence of even a tiny little ray of natural light, a very still subject was required. Riley was out of the question. And there sat my sweet little baby; so pretty, so quiet and so still!!

Storyboard

I made this storyboard today for my mom. This is the same house from yesterday's post.

THIS OLD HOUSE

I took this photo while in NC last weekend. It's an old house that my grandfather used to live in as a boy/young man. We fully expect to find that it has finally fallen down each time we go "home" for a visit, but it keeps hanging on. I went out at sunset on Saturday afternoon and took some photos of the old house, and on a whim decided to go for a "haunted" house kind of look. Exposed for the sunset and clicked the shutter. I kinda like it. Pretty spooky, huh?

I am really neglecting this blog lately, but real life has really interfered this week. I'm dealing with some stuff related to my job and just haven't had time to take any new pics (with yesterday being the only exception!). This weekend doesn't look any better, but I'm gonna try to get the camera out anyway. Wish me luck!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I didn't get around to the last batch of NC photos today, but I did take some photos of Riley decorating cookies for Valentine's Day.

Yes, Even More Pix From NC!

Yep, you guessed it....more pics from NC! I have one more batch to go through, and that will be all of the NC pics. I promise!

My mom likes the photo of the barn and may want to have it enlarged. So don't be shy! Let me know which version you like the best (if you like them at all!). Pretty please?!

More Pictures from North Carolina.

I edited some more of the North Carolina photos today, so I think I'll share a few on the blog.

A couple of pics of my Pappaw's old Farmall tractor.

My Nanny's house.

The view of Enon Baptist Church from the cemetary where my Pappaw is buried. I sure wish that power pole wasn't there.

Make-up Day!

Brrr! I sure am glad to be back to a little warmer weather. We had a good trip and enjoyed seeing our family, but it sure was cold! I'm gonna post a couple of pics and then get outta here! I'm still trying to make up some work before the new work week starts tomorrow!

The first photo is of my Nanny's kitchen. It's a tiny little kitchen, but man can she cook up a storm in there! She had the most delicious country cookin' waiting on us when we got there Friday night. It was, as Rachel Ray would say, "Yummo!". No one in the world can cook green beans like my Nanny can, and this comes from a girl who doesn't really like green beans! She always has a mess of beans for me whenever I make it up that way. Thanks Nanny! I love you!

The second photo is just of some "junk" I found hanging up in my Pappaw's shed. It was an old set of box springs that were hanging from the ceiling of all places! Kinda looks like "x" and an "o" in there, doesn't it? Appropriate since Valentine's Day is coming up! LOL.

I have more photos to go through from my trip, and I'll probably post some tomorrow, or even over the next couple of days as I get a chance to go through them. I'm playing catch-up with my work so I probably won't have a chance to go out taking new photos for a couple of days AND be able to go through the photos from this weekend!

"See" you tomorrow!

Pulling Out The Reserves!

I'm leaving in a matter of hours, and I have errands to run before then. So, a quick update this morning. No, I didn't take these this morning, so technically I'm cheating, but I did take them this week!!

More scenic shots, albeit not very good ones! I love these old dead trees that are out in the marsh. Too bad there wasn't a great sunset to really set them off, as they're prettiest like that.

A Quick One For Today!

Today has been both busy and stressful. It started with locking my keys in the car at the office...and it just got better from there! LOL. I'm trying to do laundry, work, pack for a trip, wash my hair, etc., etc., etc. So, I didn't have much time to go hunting for a photo today. Instead, I opted for a photo of my little man watching his most favorite program, SpongeBob.

As I am leaving tomorrow morning for a weekend trip, I'm not sure about updating the blog for the next couple of days. If I can work out a way to post the pics, I will. Otherwise, I will post the photos when I get home. At any rate, I will be taking the photos, and I am hopeful of getting some that are worthy to share....otherwise you'll just have to look at crappy ones! LOL.

TOP 5

"Ok, this is a challenge! Are you up to it? Take photos of five essential items in your every day life. Two things, no photos of people! Then give a quick blurb as to why it's part of you daily walk.There is no deadline here, this is just an opportunity for you to grab your cameras and go! Be as creative as you would like to be. To those who have not taken their cameras off of auto, I challenge you to do so with this challenge (You can do it!). Have fun!"

The above paragraph is a challenge posted on a scrapbooking web site that I belong to (www.srapjazz.com). A fellow member posted it as a challenge in the photography section. I completed the challenge today. My photos are as follows:

My toothbrush. Who, really, is going to argue that this isn't an essential item?

My computer (for work and leisure) and transcriber (for work...which sort of pays the bills...and lets me stay at home with Riley every day!)

Faith, Hope and Love....'nuff said!

Little boy toys....to represent the little boy that is near and dear to my heart, my Riley.

Believe it or not, not everyone recognizes the value of a glass of good sweetened ice tea! I'm not one of them!

What five items would you take photos of? Accept the challenge and then share the photos with me!

DUCK TALES

Today was devoted to errands. Christmas shopping to be more precise. No, not for Christmas 2007. We're still shopping for 2006! LOL. We haven't had Christmas with my mom's side of the family yet, and we're planning on heading up to North Carolina for that very reason. So, I found myself at Wal-Mart with my mom and Riley this afternoon. There's a pond in the middle of the parking lot that is frequented by some ducks. I stopped by the pond to try to get a shot or two before heading home. These are with my 28-80 mm lens, which I DESPISE! I've practiced with it, and I just can't get nice photos with it (which, in part, explains the quality of today's photos!). If anyone out there would like to donate an 85 mm F1.8 lens (or a nice, fast zoom lens), I'd love to take it off your hands! LOL.

Two of the ducks we saw today were cracking us up. They kept dunking their heads down in the water, and their tails were sticking straight up in the air. I kept waiting for one of them to flip all the way over. It was like they were doing synchronized diving routines! LOL.

I liked the reflection in this one.

This one makes me think "Bite Me!"

The synchronized dive team.

Shutterbugs

My niece stayed with us today while my brother and SIL had to work, so I had both kids with me when I went to the office and to run errands. They both took their toy cell phones (complete with cameras) with them. It's a good thing those cameras don't take film!! The shutters were firing with lightening speed in the backseat! For a minute there I thought I was being followed by the paparazzi! LOL.

I had the kids show off their cell phones/cameras when we got home this afternoon. Not very inspiring/interesting today, but hey....that's what my day was about today!

Weenie Roast

One of my cousins turned 15 today, and we were invited down for a weenie roast to help celebrate the occasion. The party started at 5:30 p.m. so the light was really going fast. I did get in a couple of pix of some weenies roasting over the fire. The ones of Riley were at 1600 ISO, so they were very grainy. I did run them through Neat Image, and now they're really too soft...but it's better than all that grain!

A Shower!

...and this time I'm happy to report it was not a rain shower! We had a baby shower at church today. Amanda's son is due to arrive on March 12th, and she got lots of beautiful clothes for him to wear, as well as diapers and other essentials. While I don't really think I'd ever have another child, even if the opportunity presented itself, seeing all those cute little clothes really made me miss the days when Riley was that size. Oh well, I'll have a new niece or nephew come August, and I'll just have to make do with that. On a really positive note, there are no sleepless nights when they aren't yours!

The first pic is of some really bright and fun giftwrap on one of the shower gifts. The second one is of the food spread. It was a potluck shower, and all of the ladies really outdid themselves.

SCENERY

I was able to go into town all by myself today (meaning without Riley), and I decided to swing down Bay Street to take some pictures of scenic downtown Beaufort. The waterfront downtown is truly beautiful, and my pictures do not do it justice in any way. I came to two conclusions today...#1 My zoom lens really sucks...and #2 I think I'm better with people pictures (or rather Riley pictures).

On a side note, a good friend of mine really made me feel good today.


Thanks, Judy! I love ya!

RAINY DAY

We are back to the nasty, rainy and all-around-dreary weather again today. Inside weather for sure! I have a scrapbook club meeting tonight so I thought I had better get a jumpstart on the daily photo. These are my sister-in-law's dogs, Dixie and Scooby, and this is where they hang out alot during the day....right outside my bedroom window on our front porch. I guess it's even too nasty for them to be out playing...and they are LABS and LOVE the water. If I run across any other pictures worth taking while I'm in town this afternoon I might update the blog again later tonight. For now, this is all I've got!!