Time Marches on

Spring is popping up all over. The tulips are blooming, trees are budding everywhere. It's just not very warm! I'm having fun playing with the camera.

Mother Nature likes to play April Fool's tricks on us. When I woke up this morning, I thought it looked sunny and warm outside. It's cold and windy instead -- and I have the heat turned on.

We've launched insideshotphotos.com -- and are adding new photos all the time. I'm still learning the camera settings as I go along. Taking action photos in a poorly lit gym is not easy. I find that I often have to sacrifice either speed OR light, so I end up with dark & sharp or well-lit & blurry photos. Trial & error seems to be the best teacher so far. That and a new PhotoShop book I bought last week (and have yet to crack open). I am going to try shooting in RAW format this weekend and then seeing if I can "fix" the lighting in PhotoShop. Not sure what I am doing, but it should be interesting.

Tomorrow's April Fool's Day. I hope nobody pulls a dirty trick on me. I honestly don't think anyone could top Brenda's "twins" trick from 2008 though!

Dreaming of Spring

The weatherman is forecasting the temperature to surpass 60 today. After the chilly weather we've been having, I have a serious case of cabin fever! I also have three dogs that really want to go swimming in the creek, whether or not it is warm enough.


The tulips are coming!

Getting "with it"

March has come in like a lion. It's been busy around here.



Getting the hang of the new camera. And Photoshop Elements. Hoping there is a future in doing these photos and making some money. I am having a ball with it (pun intended).

Thinking about cancelling the floreyperformance.com website -- I am no longer traveling to the shows. The economy and my heart just are not there anymore.

I need to get moving on marketing the Ozarkhandcrafts.com website. That is my next big mission.

And I have another blog going (as if this one isn't enough?): badsportsmanship.blogspot.com -- the name should speak for itself.

That said, I must get off this machine and get some fresh air!

Letting Go

Letting go is hard, even from a distance.
My Grandpa Herman has been on my mind constantly the past few weeks. And now, as he is moving on from a life well-lived, I am holding on to the memories.

I hope my Grandpa knows how much I love him. This is how I want to remember him:

Focus

This week, I've been playing with a new camera: a Canon Rebel SLR camera. What fun! The weather has not really been conducive to taking outdoor pictures (everything's brown, windblown and overcast), but I tried my hand at some action pictures last night.


I had a ball taking the pics and really liked the speed of the camera -- I could take pictures continuously, rather than wait for the camera to catch up. By the end of the game, I had about 150 pictures.


Let me clarify. One hundred and fifty blurry pictures.







That's what happens when you don't read & memorize the owner's manual from cover to cover. But I learned my lesson. The camera has to be changed to a different setting so I can change the ISO (shutter speed) to a higher number. Simply putting the camera on the "Action" setting doesn't do the job in a fast-moving setting like a basketball game. Oops.

I can't wait for the next game. I'm hoping to make it to Will's third-grade team's game on Saturday -- the shorter, slower players should be great subjects.

Spring is in the air

We've made it to mid-February, and it's almost spring! I've already survived the first "flood-in" of the season this week. I'm still not quite sure I like living so far out in the sticks -- whenever we get a lot of rain, I get stuck in the hollow because the low-water bridges are under water. Call me chicken, but I didn't want to drive through this yesterday. The creek is much lower (and slower) today.
Yes, I know we are in the 21st century, but here in the hollow, we don't have a) cell phone service or b) normal bridges that don't get flooded with rushing water when it rains. We do, however, have electricity, Internet and running water. What more can a girl ask for?

It's almost time to start thinking about my gardens! Last fall, I planted some new bulbs, and they are starting to poke through already. I can't remember what I planted, so it will be interesting to see what blooms in a month or so.

This year, I plan to re-seed the front and side gardens with the Zinnia seeds I harvested in the fall. Last spring, I neglected to plant them, and everyone commented on missing those spectacular flowers. I know I missed them, too. I may also add a few new plants to one of the beds, perhaps something that can climb up the side of the house. I've had some success with Morning Glories, but they tend to wilt in the heat of the south-facing bed. Any suggestions? And what are you looking forward to planting this spring?

Eagle Watching

Do I really need to say more than this picture does? A gorgeous day, lots of eagle sightings and an afternoon exploring the woods with my favorite person.

I took this one with my puny 3x Nikon Coolpix. Imagine what I could do with a real camera!

Lost count of the # of eagles we saw today! Tomorrow, we plan to head to Devil's Den State Park for a hike and some spelunking.

Lisa