Sparkler (without a trail)...

Sparklers don't have trails anymore but that's okay. The kids don't know what their missing so they still have fun. I on the other was increasingly frustrated and finally turned on the flash. I'm pretty sure this picture was taken on auto because I got tired of messing with the camera. Tomorrow we'll do the big sky rockets and I'll be ready for those.

I scream, you scream...

we all scream for ice cream!

Not a Holstein...

but isn't it close enough?!!? This calf was so interested in me when I stopped this morning to take shots of a bunch of calves that were congregating close to the country road I was driving down. I love the sunlight in the background. I actually just pulled over and started shooting, didn't have to even take my seat belt off! LOL
f/5.6
1/100 sec
ISO 200

Feelings fairies...

We had our fourth 'Meetings at the Moon' mother/daughter class this week. We focused on becoming women in feeling and made these feelings fairies, similar to worry dolls. They were fun to make and turned out beautifully!

ISO 1600
f/5
1/40 sec

I'm cheating

I DID take pictures today, albeit not many, but I did pick up the camera and shoot, which was the point of making ourselves post a picture each day. BUT...Dylan turned 16 today and instead of bugging him on his bday to let me take his picture, I decided to post one I took 2 days ago. This is him trying to look scary, he does smile, just not for the camera! LOL. I think it's ok since I did take some shots today, but nothing would seem right to post on Dylan's 16th birthday, but a shot of him! I'm reeling about this age, I think I might just have a midlife crisis to be honest. The time has gone so fast, it seems like yesterday I was a new mother with this little bitty guy and now he's taller than me and driving. I must have done something right b/c he's amazing and although I miss when he was little, I love the man he's becoming. Now I'll have to stop before I cry!
f/1.8
1/200 sec
ISO 200

Ice cream cone...

ISO 200
f/ 5
1/ 160 sec

f/5
ISO 400
1/320 sec

Today was a beautiful day, we spent most of it outside and lots of it with good friends. Before spending the afternoon outside, we went to the library program where I took this shot...
I was messing with my settings and putting the white balance on Florescent and I won't do that again. It adds too much red to the picture, I actually had to adjust the color b/c there was too much red in it.

Today we went into St. Louis to celebrate my neice and nephew's 16th birthday! They were actually born on the 10th, but who is keeping track here? It's bad enough that they are 16...I remember BEING 16 and that makes me feel terribly old. They were good sports and even sported the party hats and tolerated singing and horns being blown in their honor. LOL

Old Glory...

Photography is not for the faint of heart. There's a carnival this weekend and they started setting it up today. I stopped by the park with good intentions to get some colorful shots of rides being set up, etc. The trouble is that I don't have the courage to just snap pictures- I'm just too self conscious. So, I snapped the flag in the drive instead.



f/ 5.6
ISO 100
1/1000 sec

Artist at work...

f/5
1/10 sec
ISO 1600












f/5
1/30 sec
ISO 1600

garden...

heart's not in it today so you just get a snapshot of my garden...weeds and all.

Barn stall...

Okay, this is the small shed but there is a door for a stall and its painted like a barn so I'm counting it.

f/5
1/1000 sec
ISO 200

Sunset...

f/16
ISO 400
1/15 sec

Country road, take me home...

It's funny, I've been out here for over 6 years now and I never tire of the beauty of the back country roads out here. In the summer they are lined with wild flowers and I spend most mornings driving them, going back and forth for my petsitting. This morning I stopped quite a few times to try and get a shot and capture them. You are in luck that I got a few shots I couldn't decide between! I'm sure this is a surprise. ;o)

Ambiance

Today we went to get Dylan's haircut and his hairdresser had moved to the new renovated schoolhouse/salon/restaurant/boutique in town. This place was a photographers dream, I had a good time taking some shots although some of them would have been better if I could have gotten better angles and I was a little self-conscious getting down on the floor or getting in people's way to get a shot. We will certainly go back, it was fun and I liked the renovated/antique/modern mix!

so you get more than one shot. LOL
first shot wasn't as crisp as I wanted b/c I forgot about my ISO for a moment...
f/1.8
1/2 sec
ISO 200
Next shot I had realized that it needed to be changed:
f/1.8
1/160
ISO 800
they had antique chandeliers all over the place and they were all different...I thought chandelier might be a scavenger word, but it wasn't. DRATS!
f/1.8
1/160 sec
ISO 800

Adirondack chair

ISO 200
f/ 5.6
1/1250 sec

Busy afternoon and evening ahead so I wanted ot get this up now! My dad built these chairs for my kids. They are a little small now but I can't bear to part with them so they live in my flower bed. :)

Hot!

f/22
ISO 200
1/125 sec

Ornate or unusual mirror(s)

Wish this was my bathroom!
f/2.2
1/60 sec
ISO 200