Larry's Photo a Day

Snow

2012-02-13T09:42:00.001-06:00

We will be returning to this type of scene again today. This scene was taken last Saturday. The weeds are actually flower stems that I had not removed from the gardens last fall. Today we will receive about two inches of snow. It made the roads slick and icy early this morning.

Sunday snack..........

2012-02-12T00:00:00.000-06:00

I had just put out fresh seed and the guy with the tail was right up there ready to eat. We have another squirrel, the guy with half of a tail, who has lost part of his tail for some reason. I don't know if a car ran over the end of it or what. I don't really mind feeding them as long as there are not too many of them. I think we are down to two squirrel. Four or more tend to spend a lot of time fighting among themselves over the feeders.

Sunshine and it is cold........

2012-02-11T15:57:00.000-06:00

Our low last night was 2 degrees, -16 C. but we have now warmed up to 25 degrees F. The sun shines into the dining room making it to appear a lot warmer outside that it really is. The wind from the arctic northwest winds makes it s sub temperature reading and if feels like it when you are out in it. I worked outside on my sidewalks for a few minutes and it left me with a headache. I didn't do much but I needed to address some sidewalk issues.

Add some ornaments........

2012-02-10T08:11:00.000-06:00

The past weekend snow gave us a lot of decoration on our trees. Now most of it is gone but the temperatures are now in the deep freeze. What snow that is still on the ground will not be going anywhere for a long time.

Another Spot of Color......

2012-02-09T08:38:00.000-06:00

I have no intention in taking this down until the greens have stopped being green. It hangs outside our door on the trellis and the birds can enjoy it while they feed at the small feeder next to it.

Wednesday's Spot of Red.........

2012-02-08T10:47:00.000-06:00

I have seen two pair of cardinals so far. I know we had three pair last year but it hasn't been a harsh enough winter to bring them all in from the woods.

Barnabas loves the snow..............

2012-02-07T09:04:00.002-06:00

Many times he will just go out and find a place to roll around in the snow. I know he has a heavy coat and that he gets too warm in the house. So when it snows, he loves it, and sometimes just lays around in it.

Dog in motion, which is what border collies do. They are always in motion. He is so excited because the neighbor bunch of small dogs were just let out into their backyard and a squirrel is above him on a branch.

Dog at rest. Barney was a little tiffed with me because I had left his yard to scoop a sidewalk. He was ready for me to return. Once I was back he then got up to patrol his fence again.

This is another three photo day instead of just one. I have too many photos to deal out to do just one at a time.

2012-02-06T08:45:00.002-06:00

The birch tree collects the snow to enhance itself with frosting. The lines of the bottom branches of a birch seem to always sway downward. When you trim away some of the bottom branches of the tree, the branches above will grow or sag downward to fill the space, to again hit you in the face as you walk by the tree. The hoar frost on the branches blend in today with the snow that still clings from Saturday's snow.

Looking Through..........

2012-02-05T16:49:00.002-06:00

Our snowstorm yesterday gave me an opportunity to take more photos than I would need for my blogs. Today is multiple photos a day as I think that you can understand they all fall in the category of "looking through."

Winter White............

2012-02-04T12:36:00.001-06:00

It started at 6 in the morning with a light rain turning to snow. Barney has clumps of snow on his back and really doesn't care. We were out to feed the birds and scoop and area for the little dog to walk on when he comes outside. It did snow back over already and I will return later in the day to do it again.

Finch Friday......

2012-02-03T09:23:00.000-06:00

I was given zebra finches many years ago. I actually believe the science teacher dumped three females on me. I went out and bought a male for them. They reproduced well and I gave a lot of finches out in pairs. As time has gone by through the years they have finally faded out in numbers. I have this lone male in one cage and another lone male that likes to pull out it's neck feathers when it gets nervous. I would like to put the two together but I think the nervous guy would be upset with the situation.

I really like the call of the rooster finch and the do call even when there is no female around. When you feed them the male calls as if he is warning others to stay away from his seed. In the spring I may buy a female partner for this guy and start a new family again. I don't like to transport birds during the winter even though they are cold blooded creatures.

A Macro Painting.......

2012-02-01T08:26:00.002-06:00

Variegated African Violet

I like to experiment with the macro setting on the camera as it never performs the same way each time. I have found artificial light and natural light gives the macro two different color readings and the effects sometimes prove to be interesting. I have mentioned before that reds are sometimes hard to photograph and the different amounts of light effect it. Low light really can give some great shots. I had the light of the window coming in on one side and I had the dining room ceiling lights on giving me a different light quality.

The photo I took was larger and the majority was blurred. I almost tossed the photo and then I saw one section of the photo was closer to being in focus than the rest of the picture. This is the cropped part that turned out to be a great shot. I guess what I like about the digital is that you can have accidental creations that do turn out great.

Snow be gone..........

2012-01-31T08:40:00.000-06:00

Our temperatures were record setting highs today in the 60's. It was like a magical spell as the snow just vanished while I was inside at school. I didn't have to scoop my walk because I waited long enough that it looks like I had done it.

The above photo was one that I took for a photo contest. I eliminated it as a third of it was brown and the theme was "white."

Christmas cactus......

2012-01-30T00:00:00.000-06:00

The second half of my plant is going to now bloom. It sits in the large dining room window and it really seems to have found it's niche. If you remember back in December that the first half was blooming when I bought it.

I like how I didn't take off the scanner label before I shot this picture. When it goes into full bloom I will remove the label.

Seeing green.....

2012-01-29T08:09:00.001-06:00

A tangled layer of leaves of my agapanthus plant. I am keeping it alive with low light and water until it becomes spring and I can take it back outside. Some winters it dies down but it always comes back in the spring.

Foreground, Background.........

2012-01-28T15:48:00.001-06:00

The indoor garden in the window is in sharp contrast to the frosty weigela bush in the background, outside.

Here's to winter......

2012-01-27T08:08:00.001-06:00

Hot tea and coffee seem to soothe the feeling of being cold. It is like a rescue time when you can take a break and just drink a warm drink. Hot cocoa is great too along with cider. With winter snow headed this way again I have thoughts of being let out of school early and coming home and just watching it snow. Oh yes, and taking time to drink a nice warm cup of something.

Reality snaps forward and a half inch of snow isn't going to do much to make ours to be changed today. I will sip coffee between classes or on the run.

Oh horse feathers!!!!!

2012-01-26T08:24:00.001-06:00

It is an old saying in our neck of the woods. Actually these are feathers from my cockatiels. I have five of these birds altogether and only two of them are females. The female birds have the patterned design as you can see in the group. That is the easy way to know what you have with your birds. I have an original pair of cockatiels in one cage and three of their offspring are in the other.

I have a collection of feathers from them including my finch and parakeet feathers. I don't know what I will do with them but for now they sit in an antique green jar as my holding station for them.

Not just a bucket.....

2012-01-25T08:47:00.003-06:00

but a work of art.

This is a bucket my brother had purchased and used while he was doing work for construction. I don't quite know what job it was used for but maybe it was needed to add water to cement mixtures to make concrete.

I have a lot of plastic buckets so it wasn't a need that I bring it home but it wasn't going to be tossed in the landfill either. In closing the house down one just can't toss good things. As time goes on the rough looking bucket has made it into the house. I like it. I think a lot of my plastic buckets are full of dirty old antique bottles or rocks from my dad's collection. I think I even have a bucket full of aquarium rocks.

This reminds me of the farm when I was a kid when things were made from the galvanized metal. It is sturdy unlike my plastic bucket and it really is a sound design. It looks crude in the dining room on a fancy carpet but I guess I can look rough around the edges once in a while and I still stay in the house. No I don't store it in the dining room, I was just carrying water to the humidifier.

My weather rock......

2012-01-24T09:04:00.000-06:00

I know it is an old joke but I have a rock out on the railing that I call my weather rock. As you can see it shows that it has snowed. I know it is lame but it is winter and there is not much out there to talk about. I do think this is the same rock I had photographed with a leaf under it this past fall.

Hey I did find it in the archives. I am sure geologist of the future are going to wonder how that Lake Superior rock is now in Iowa. We do have a lot of rocks from Mineesota and Canada near here that were deposited by the glacial action We have loess hills of clay powder in which the farmers grow their corn south of us. Some of the farmers have purchased machinery to remove the rocks as they have damaged their machinery by hitting them. The loess soil is the same soil that makes up the bluffs along the Missouri River. Some of you may have heard of Council Bluffs. The whole river valley is lined with these bluffs on the east side of the river almost the whole length of the state.

Snowy day......

2012-01-23T10:47:00.001-06:00

We didn't receive a lot of snow but we have a fresh white covering. When it snowed in the evening the snow and ice crystals were combined and it fell straight down. It was weird as there was no wind and it reminded me of a vertical water shower.

Coffee and a good book......

2012-01-22T15:06:00.002-06:00

My resource while watching the birds outside sits next to a big mug of java. The birds were feeding wildly yesterday as the cold weather made them hungry. I have seen two pairs of cardinals in the past days. The female cardinals were having a territorial spat. I don't think I have ever seen that before but they didn't hurt each other.

My new suet had a woodpecker at it this morning and the birds are feeding today as if there were a storm coming.

We had ice coatings this morning and now the rest of the day has been foggy. A winter storm warning is predicted north of us. The Boone and Story counties are a part of this warning. We live about a mile south of Boone county so it will be interesting to see if we get the storm. I think the thought of snow storm makes me want to go make a fresh pot of coffee.

Wagging tail of a dog.......

2012-01-21T14:23:00.002-06:00

I was taking photos out the dining room window of birds at the feeders. Button was concerned so I sat him up on the chair to keep him out from under my feet. He stayed put but when I went to take his photo he wagged his tail. A little locomotion going on in a still photo, portrait of the dog.

Yucca in the Snow......

2012-01-20T09:23:00.002-06:00

This is plant that likes it to be a little warmer but does survive in Iowa quite well. This plant died down completely, so I thought, and then it restarted anew. I have not seen any blooms on this yet but maybe this summer.

Too cold......

2012-01-19T08:58:00.003-06:00

It is too cold to sit in the garden today. Our high will be 8 degrees F., -13 degrees C. I thought it looked great out there until I felt the wind. Walking to the school building from the car was miserable. It is cold, oh so very cold!!!!

Photo contest revisited....I won!

2012-01-18T11:40:00.001-06:00

A free photo contest can be found on My Retirement Chronicles in which you may enter a photo. It is a great way to show your work as a photographer and to see others who have taken shots trying to fit a certain theme for the month.

I have entered the contest frequently in spite of my camera's limitations and sometimes my own limitations but each person tries to present their best photo for the contest.

I posted earlier on one of my blogs a variety of photos I was interested in sending and I really did have a difficult time choosing one. Many times photos can be bright and colorful and other times the composition is unique and expressive. I had to choose from a variety of styles of shots and I just happen to pick the right one. I won!!!!!!!

You can view all of the others that entered the contest for December by visiting the following blog.
Click the gray area below here and you can see the words to click for the site.

My Retirement Chronicles

Bookmark that page or follow the site as there are so many wonderful shots of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan posted often. She is a great photographer and has a wonderful place to shoot photos.

The photo I was taking was of my wife's angel tree and it's ornaments. It sits in our art gallery and as I was snapping photos of the ornaments I noticed a figure behind the tree. I thought it would be interesting to see how I could use the figure of Christ, one of my wife's Pastel paintings, as a background for the shot.

I guess I found the message of the painting and the angel tree seemed to have blended and belonged together for the season of Christmas. The lighting on the tree and the lighting in the painting were coming from the same direction. Since Christmas is what my wife and I celebrate at the holiday season I felt it appropriate for my Epitome of the Holidays.

I will never know if the photograph won for it's inventiveness or if my wife is just a great painter.

Maybe it was a little bit of both.

The winning photo for the December contest.

Thanks for stopping by my post.

Artsy expression....

2012-01-18T08:36:00.000-06:00

I turned last night and saw a young boy figurine looking out into the room. The reflections and blur all help to add to the little boy's sadness as he has misspelled a word on his slate.

I lost a key to the school building and was sad. The thing that is difficult is that they send me everywhere in the building, sometimes hourly, and there is no backtracking to find it. A janitor picked it up and left it off at the office. I am not sad anymore. I am wearing it like a girlie necklace from here on out to solve my problem.

Tuesday's line up..........

2012-01-17T08:40:00.000-06:00

The sea gulls lined up for a discussion of the finding of their next meal. People had been feeding them popcorn and the people had walked away. The photo was taken at Duluth, Minnesota a few years ago. Those who don't know the brown sea gulls are the young ones.

Arched window.....

2012-01-16T08:31:00.002-06:00

This is a photo of the old school house we visited in Bar Harbor, Maine two summers ago. The building was a plain shaped building with a very fancy entrance. The fluted columns and the palladian window above the door really made it a very fancy decoration for a school building.

Palladio was an Italian architect who created buildings with arches and the half circle window was eventually named a palladian window.

Those who follow me regularly remember that we were there to celebrate the first year anniversary of our son and daughter in law . They waited to have a reception for their marriage a year after they had married and it was in this building.

Buddies....

2012-01-15T15:13:00.003-06:00

It is time to put my trains away for the season. Someday I will have a display cupboard for them made from one of my antique cupboards.

Swans a swimming......

2012-01-14T13:43:00.004-06:00

It is Saturday and it time to move more Christmas decorations to their storage areas. The dining room seems to be the temporary staging area before things get packed up or bagged up for protection. As you can see we have a bright light coming in the window and in the morning we had a gentle soft snow. It is done now and we just have a warming trend that is taking the snow off of the streets.

Friday's Flight....

2012-01-13T08:44:00.000-06:00

Three photos today from the archives. I picked a name for the title today and you see I found some flying things. My dad's old plastic whirligig mallard keeps swinging it's wings in all the wind that we have been experiencing.

Emergency source of fuel.........

2012-01-12T09:16:00.001-06:00

My chimney stack on my fireplace is not tall enough, so on certain days I just can't burn wood in it. The thing will smoke and the wind wants to come down the stack. But if it gets to be so cold and the electricity goes out, I can burn wood. The direction of the wind is the problem so I can keep us warm in an emergency when the wind is blowing in the correct direction. This incoherent explanation sounds like a comedy of errors, right, or the reasoning of the insane?????

Let us just hope the electricity does not go out when we have a 45 mph wind in the wrong direction and a high temperature of 18 degrees F.

Someone is feeding her.......

2012-01-11T09:02:00.000-06:00

The feral cat that spent two winters on our doorsteps for free food is back in the neighborhood again. We have not seen her since she had her litter of four in the spring. She brought the four of them by for one feeding and then they were all gone again. We never saw her kittens in adult age so maybe someone took those kittens to a farm.

The ones who are feeding her are giving her lots of food as she has plenty of weight on her already for the winter. Her fur is really in great shape. I have barely petted her once and she is being somewhat fearful of humans again.

Those black paws are the riches dark color and she is a real survivor.

One dollar box......

2012-01-10T09:45:00.000-06:00

While visiting an antique spot near Silver Bay, Minnesota I spotted this box in a pile of junk. A rugged looking cardboard sign said "the dollar pile." When I saw the neat paint effects on the side of this wooden box and the tongue and groove corners I knew that it was coming home with me. My minimalist Christmas decoration was easy to create with the leftover pine cones and a few Shiny Brites. I think there is a plastic fake red apple in there too.

Full moon........

2012-01-09T09:12:00.000-06:00

It seems to be a green glow from the neighbors light but it really is yellow. The camera probably is too far away for it to catch it's true color.

Sunlight

2012-01-08T00:00:00.000-06:00

It was good to have a full day of sunshine on Saturday as I was working outdoors for a lot of the time. The sun shines through the bow and yet it created a glare on the glass that I was shooting through with my camera.

Weathered Phlox.......

2012-01-07T15:42:00.003-06:00

The weather was warm enough for me to clear these away from the garden but I think that they will look great in the snow. I will retake it when we get snow.

Repeat posting......

2012-01-06T00:30:00.000-06:00

Just for fun I though I would pull these three photos from the archives and show them today. The phlox did well this year and I have a few dead stems out there I need to get photographed for you to see. Maybe soon it will happen. Sepia, black and white, and living color is my contribution instead.

A Guest Photographer

2012-01-05T08:48:00.000-06:00

My wife snapped this photo a couple of days ago through our dining room window. It is really brown out there and the bright spot of a cardinal at the feeder always cheers us up when they land there.

Wacky Wednesday

2012-01-04T12:19:00.004-06:00

This is one of those Christmas ornaments that just keeps moving. It was given to us a few years ago and everything is connected by springs. I is unusual and some years we just leave it in it's box.

As an added bonus you can flip a little switch and the interior is lighted by a revolving mechanism that makes it change from pink to magenta to blue and then back again. He is the most laid back snowman that I know that jiggles like jello.

No snow....

2012-01-03T11:39:00.001-06:00

I am not complaining but it has been cold enough around here that we just as well as have snow. It was 7 degrees F. this morning and the high will be 36 degrees. The only really warm place around here would be at the Botanical Center in Des Moines. This is an old photo to show you what it would be like if your were visiting there today.

Treasures and mostly trash.......

2012-01-02T09:50:00.003-06:00

I think that the easy thing to do for my mom and dad was to throw all the loose things into a box rather that organize it. Dad had boxes full of things that related to business papers as well to old war photos mixed in to the fray. Usually a stray photo of a grandchild ended up in the box even if it didn't fit a category. The penguin decoration above had one of the boys photos in it and I am sure that was given to them thirty years ago. Mom's jewelry was stored in boxes as well as a jewelry box. It was all costume dime store things. I someday will get it sorted out and send it to the five granddaughters.

Sunday's seeds......

2012-01-01T22:25:00.003-06:00

Have a Happy New Year

Happy New Year.......

2012-01-01T14:41:00.000-06:00

The sun is shinning and the raspberry jelly does glow. We made two batches of jelly from our refrigerator disaster. I call it the big thaw. This batch looks pretty with the floating seeds that didn't get removed by the sieve but the last batch was strained through cheescloth to rid the jelly of the seeds.

Making jelly in the winter is actually more fun as the house is warmed from the boiling jelly and the jars cool down quickly after they have been sealed and boiled.

We have not plans for the day. It will be a nice time to take it easy and ready ourselves for the new year.

Happy New Year to you all.

King Edward VII.....

2011-12-31T10:39:00.000-06:00

If you do an quick search about King Edward VII you will find out he was the son of Queen Victoria. He was King of the United Kingdom and Emperor of India. If you heard of the Edwardian era, he is the one who it is named after as it was during his reign. He died in 1910 the same year that my dad was born.

My dad bought a lot of these cigars and also he would buy Swisher Sweets in small boxes that I now have learned were a Swisher Product also. I don't really understand why a company would name their product after him other than the cigar smoking tradition of fine gentlemen would be projected through the photo on the box.

I brought a lot of these boxes home from my parents home and later on I discovered that the letter you see here in the box was a prized letter of my mom's. The letter is the first one that my dad sent home to my mom after his arrival in Belgium. It was WW II, 1944, and he was sent there to join the American troops who were already engaged in the Battle of the Bulge.

I read the letter and maybe have posted it before but my dad is amazed as to his new surroundings. He is being trained in Belgium before he is sent to the front. He is worried about his older son's sickness and his brother who was shipped to an area near today's Alaska. He signs his name Daddy as the two sons are probably 1 and 3 years old.

The rest of the things in the box are pictures and receipts from various purchases. The pictures are of all eras as the boxes really are the junk drawers for my mom.

Cigar boxes continue......

2011-12-30T10:15:00.000-06:00

My father liked to smoke cigars. He had one in his mouth most all of the day. Many times it was not lighted and by I was in high school he wasn't allowed to light them up in the house. He had smoked cigarettes when I was younger and he really developed a horrible cough from smoking them. He would get up every morning and cough his lungs out for a long period of time. When he switched to cigars he didn't have that problem. No, I am not promoting the smoking of cigars because you don't develop a cough!

The box that they came in was well decorated and it advertised the King Edward Imperial cigars. The British red and blue edging really added to the decoration of the yellow fake wood color of the box. Tomorrow we will see King Edward VII on the inside.

The box that contained William Penn cigars was lacking in good design. I really don't know where my dad would pick these up but I suspect they were purchased at a grocery store. Tomorrow we will see what I have in my cigar boxes.

King Edward and William Penn

2011-12-29T12:15:00.003-06:00

I found a new territory in which to photograph. The storage room upstairs should prove to give me a variety of things for photos. I could do a theme called "What do You Have in your Cigar Boxes?" More photos I promise will be following on this subject.

Wednesday's late showing........

2011-12-28T21:39:00.004-06:00

Another photo shoot.........

2011-12-27T18:30:00.000-06:00

One of the ghosts in "Scrooge" opened his robe and shows the starving children of the world. In the same creative theme this artist shows the manger scene under the skirt of the angel.

The original artist, Jim Shore, carved this from wood and it is wonderful. The reproductions appear to be cast from a plastic like resin material. The item still has to be hand painted and they have crafts people who do such a great job. I have posted this decoration in one of the past years but I did a new photo shoot yesterday. I was pleased that I was able to pick up the carved dimensions of the work.

Catch the glow........

2011-12-26T09:00:00.000-06:00

Peace on Earth.........

2011-12-25T13:30:00.004-06:00

Christmas Eve.......

2011-12-24T00:00:00.000-06:00

It is almost here and the actual Christmas day festivities begin. I trust everyone will have safe journeys to where the are traveling tonight or tomorrow all of you will be safe and have a happy day.

Faces..........

2011-12-23T00:30:00.000-06:00

She still has her tag on her arm. My wife's doll collection came about from me giving her a doll every Christmas. Before we were married she shared that she received a new doll from her mom each year. So our first Christmas together, I found a smaller doll and put it in her stocking. The smaller dolls were great but seven years into that the company stopped making them. I then bought the larger china head doll. The tradition continued until a couple of years ago when the companies in China stopped creating them. I guess the market was not profitable enough. I did find them on ebay but I would rather go to a store and see the actual size and color before I buy. The china head doll is not out there anymore.

I will look again this year but I don't have my hopes up in finding anything like it. I will replace the idea with a different collectible once I can figure that out.

Another face of Christmas......

2011-12-22T00:00:00.000-06:00

The Nutcracker Suite is a tradition in our country and I am sure that it is in many countries around the world. I can always count on seeing some version of it done on the Public Broadcasting Station. We were unloading a spare box of ornaments last night and I found a couple more nutcracker decorations.

Faces.......real and not so real.

2011-12-21T08:40:00.000-06:00

Button is growing hair back on his two hind legs now and has quit pulling it from the area. He feels better and is back to his own sweet, demanding self. The buddy below him sings a barking Christmas song when you press his paw.

A moment in time........

2011-12-20T22:13:00.000-06:00

A young boy takes a moment to be with his animals. This is one of our indoor sculptures that we have enjoyed a number of years.

Lost Train Found.......

2011-12-19T08:59:00.001-06:00

I found it at the bottom of a box that had a larger train on top of it. I really like the character and the charm of this small version of this train. I remember getting it to sort of work last winter but it just is too small and the track needs to be fastened to a base so it won't move around while it is moving along the track.

Peace Be To You.......

2011-12-18T16:09:00.004-06:00

Sunday's rest should be a good one for all and I hope you are all well. Take care.

It's Christmas Time in the City......

2011-12-17T08:38:00.001-06:00

When I was young in the fourth grade I had a jealous moment of the sixth grade class. We were practicing for a school music show and our small class of 21 students sang our puny sounding song. Two classes later, the sixth graders, started to sing their song. My brother Dwight was in that class and it was a large class of 36 or more students.

They were a badly behaved class and they were shifting and giggling and not paying attention to the teacher. The piano started up and then they all started singing "Silver Bells." It was so wonderful. It was a wonderful song. The large group made it sound like a real choir and I was so sad that I was stuck in a small class. Whenever I hear that song of "Silver Bells" I think of that day and also now of my brother who we lost three years ago.

Christmas Joy..........

2011-12-16T08:21:00.002-06:00

The reason for the season is beyond decorations and yet a celebration is required.

Locomotive.........

2011-12-15T10:01:00.000-06:00

Locomotive is a strange word and I doubt the diesel engines gets to be called that. I hurriedly put out the only train I could find around my one tree last night. There were two styles of trains in the set that belonged to my Dad and apparently the old fashion engine and all the cars that fit the style with the track are in another box somewhere in the store room. So no track makes it less restrictive to display it. If I had a lot of train parts I think a train car Christmas tree would look neat.

Wednesday's Wandering....

2011-12-14T01:00:00.000-06:00

It is not much of a wander as I keep giving you Christmas decorations. I will find time to go outside but not today. Plastic has become the staple of the making of many ornaments these days. You can't avoid them entirely.

Wreath Ornament..........

2011-12-13T20:47:00.000-06:00

I may have posted this a year ago but I took a new photo of it. It was a specialty ornament that I bought after Christmas a few years ago. It is amazing how it is one blown piece that has bene hand painted meticulously to make it look like it is made up of many parts.

Monday's Partridge in a Tree

2011-12-12T10:11:00.002-06:00

Have a good Monday for most all of the day.

Sunday Still.......

2011-12-11T06:43:00.000-06:00

Saturday's Shadow and Shine......

2011-12-10T17:33:00.001-06:00

It has been a busy day and the battle has been fierce.

Tomorrow will be a better day.

Shiny Gold.........

2011-12-09T00:38:00.000-06:00

A newer ornament that I purchased last year shows a decorative textured design on it and it's shape a little more usual than the traditional ones. I will get outside this weekend and shoot something else other than Christmas ornaments.

Furrry Friendly Face........

2011-12-08T08:16:00.001-06:00

A bear from my wife's teddy bear Christmas tree. I think he looks friendly but it could be a look of concern gazing through all that fur. He reminds me of our one dog when he needs to have a haircut. His fur gets to be so long that he is peaking out from under the heavy load of fur over his eyes.

Wednesday's Lean........

2011-12-07T08:28:00.000-06:00

This makes me think of the Wizard of Oz as the house came swirling down and landed on the wicked witch of the west. It is one of my favorite ornaments even though it is not a true glass blown ornament.

One of two boxes......

2011-12-06T10:49:00.001-06:00

My wife offered to help with the hanging of these ornaments. I seem to have an extra tree that is smaller and I think we will spread them out to the two trees. I didn't buy any more as they didn't have them on sale or I didn't get there in time to find any last year. I do think that I have enough ornaments. People do give them to me at Christmas time so I could get more then.

Light and Color.....

2011-12-05T04:49:00.000-06:00

Lots of shine and reflection but there isn't much substance to view. I cropped this out from a bad photo to find this abstract design.

Shine and Glow

2011-12-04T18:37:00.000-06:00

When I was young the variety of stores in the area were limited. Being a farming community the major stores were more like hardware stores. We did have a dimestore in Osceola, but the major stores were Gambles, Western Auto, Coast to Coast and all were on main street. They were like a farm and home store today. One could find a few Christmas ornaments in these stores even though they sold tires and appliances. I guess they were a lot like the present day Ace Hardwares.

The indent ornaments were popular when I was young and they seemed magical with their three dimensional design. They broke easily as they were made of blown glass and the glass was thin. I remember hanging plastic bells and round Shiny Brite plain balls of color with them.

This is one that I bought in a replica set a few years back and I think they now use thicker glass to make them more sturdy. They are also sadly using blown plastic for some of them too.

One memory that just popped up was the one of dad always having to deal with the straight line electric Christmas lights. We usually had two small strings of lights. When we bought a third string one year I though we were rich.

Saturday's Special Effects.....

2011-12-03T08:43:00.001-06:00

Anyone who has hung around my blog knows I sometimes go for special effects. Actually you know that I am taking photos at low light at night and my photos are not quite in focus. Anyway, sometime I just share them for what they are with the mood and effect.

The 1000th "Photo a Day"........

2011-12-02T12:51:00.000-06:00

Bar Harbor, Maine

The 1000th photo, it really is more than that as sometimes I did post two or more photos a day. It is the 1000th posting. I can remember being hesitant of starting out and I do remember my purist ideas of just posting the best photo I could take. I also planned on writing very few words and just allow the photo to speak for itself. Well, that didn't work. It has been fun. I am posting the very first blog that I created below. I think that I have done that before but it is a memory lane day.

If you were not around, which most of you were not, I was just writing for myself never expecting much in return. Instead I have made friendships all over the world. I have stolen friends from other's friends. I thank you for you stops at my post. I am more than glad to see all that you have on your blogs too.

I have learned a lot about photography and I have met so many great different people. That is said in a good way. So today is 1000 and tomorrow I will trudge on to the 1001.

March 3, 2009

This is a picture I took a few summers ago. The coneflowers were having a great year. The bridge was a freeby from a high school prom. I had helped a lot in painting a wall of scenery for the prom and they gave me the bridge for my garden. Instead of tearing it down or just throwing it away it was easier for them to dump it in my yard. The evergreen trees are my babies that I grew from small fry to large Minnesota pines. The tornado that went through town, snapped them both off at the base in less than seconds.

Younger Days......

2011-11-30T13:12:00.001-06:00

I can remember having more hair, dark hair, and I stood a lot straighter and taller. The only child's name in the photo that I actually remember is the Becky Verrips the girl in the background behind my shoulder. I have a good idea as to who the others are but could not give you exact names. They look like they are in the seventh grade and Becky is now out of collage and working downtown Des Moines. She is planning on being a missionary in Africa for a half of year at the end of next year.

A former fellow staff person brought this picture to me and I must have snapped it while it was laying on top of another photo. That is why there is a disoriented look in the background.

As an art teacher I started maintaining aquariums and birds for others and so I looked a lot like a science room than an art room. The kids liked having them in there and took turns taking care of them.

I don't think I will try to date this but it does have to be at least 10 maybe 15 years ago.

What can I say?????

2011-11-29T11:33:00.001-06:00

It is getting close to the decoration explosion that takes place in our house. No family will be home to see it this year so we may have to invite neighbors in for coffee and cookies.

Seeing Red Again........

2011-11-28T18:31:00.001-06:00

Our son and his wife went crazy night shopping and brought us a free poinsettia from Menards. They didn't buy anything but did get us a free wreath too. They said it was very crowded and not a pleasant experience. The crowds with long lines were too much for them and they just left with their free items.

A Quilt Landscape.............

2011-11-27T18:33:00.001-06:00

While packing this quilt up to give it away I took a last close up shot of the work.

Sunday's still life.......

2011-11-26T18:48:00.001-06:00

This was a glass arrangement that was being readied to be put away in the cupboard. I snapped it just before it was dismantled.

Sky country.......

2011-11-26T12:07:00.001-06:00

The gazing ball reflects different colors from that which are actually there. You know I keep taking them of this guy who forever shoots the gazing ball. It is on it's way to the basement today as it is cold and windy today. We had a light rain over the night time.

Concrete Swan

2011-11-24T18:58:00.001-06:00

It seems to be floating in the lake of leaves as the dead stems and low light gives it a mysterious effect.

Thanksgiving Day

2011-11-24T09:04:00.001-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to you and all of your families.

Wednesday's old things.........

2011-11-23T08:09:00.001-06:00

One of my older photos that I haven't shared is my still life of old jars. I see I have one of those rubber seal rings balanced on the lid of the one ~~lead~~ zinc lids. With winter coming and one property off my list of responsibility I maybe can start messing with my old things collections. Maybe I can even toss some of them and high grade the collections to keeping only the good stuff

When I say ~~lead~~ zinc lids I remember that they have a ceramic interior on the inside of the lid so it doesn't contaminate or react to the food.

Can you see me now?

2011-11-22T10:28:00.001-06:00

Let's go hunting!!! I snapped this photo last spring while I was over visiting Mr. Randall. He wanted me to frame something for him and also to see his peach tree blossoms. He has many projects going on all of the time and this one is a different kind of thing. I don't know if he created it for someone specific or if he just did it for his grandsons. I like the elaborate set of stairs for an outdoor blind.

I don't know if you remember my past blog but the guy had himself penned in with the wood that he was gluing together and I had to move some major stuff to get him out of his work station. He was totally blocked in the shop with boards, tables and saws all around him. It was not a good thing for a guy who shuffles when he walks.

An indoor Spring........

2011-11-20T22:23:00.001-06:00

I rescued this geranium from the neighbor's compost pile and it is rewarding me for the save. It actually does seem like a Spring bloom in my dining room window as it enjoys the violet potting soil that I used for it's root system.

The remaining leaves......

2011-11-19T18:39:00.001-06:00

A decorative pear tree and a chokecherry tree continue to have leaf beauties falling from them. I was doing yard work and couldn't keep from picking up these colorful beauties. When it is so brown and gray out there the bright colors are a welcomed sight.

Houses......

2011-11-19T09:07:00.001-06:00

It has been the season of life for my wife and I to have been involved with disposing of our parents homes. My parents home has involved a three year adventure of removing the things that three people could accumulate in one dwelling and one garage for over thirty years. It then was the journey of getting the house into shape for it's sale. The house my Dad built back in 1978 now has a new owner as of noon on Friday.

In October my wife's parents and grandparents house, shown above, was demolished and sent to the landfill. The above house had it's cement fiber shingles removed and the house was then crushed. Truck loads of debris were removed and the metal appliances were sorted for recycle.

In less than a month's period my wife and I have seen these major changes take place. One would never believe that it would have happened within a four week period for the both of us.

Another late day posting........

2011-11-18T22:13:00.001-06:00

My one burning bush has shown pinkish colored leaves every year for quite some time. I think that because it is growing close to my burn pile if affects the color of the leaves it puts out. The ash from the burn pile must wash down into the root system and cause the leaves to be a lighter red than my other two bushes.

Only a membory........or memory

2011-11-17T08:21:00.001-06:00

I finally was able to address the leaf problem in my yard yesterday afternoon. I mowed with my mulching mower and they all turned to powder. I was so late getting to them that they were really in perfect condition for shredding.

I still need to pull my zinnias and that will happen this weekend.

When I blog at school during a break I use a laptop that has a small screen. So when I type a heading and have a stray b in my word memory, I just don't see it. It has been posted misspelled most of the day. I will correct it and leave it for everyone to see.

Corn crib wood repurposed.......

2011-11-16T08:53:00.001-06:00

The Town Craft building, Perry, Iowa

Before the era of very expensive combines that picked and shelled the corn right in the field we had corn pickers. My dad had a two row corn picker and he would have a wagon follow the picker, it was attached to the tractor, and it would collect the days harvest via an elevator type chute that sent it up and dropped it into the wagen. Back then the corn was brought in on the cob and stored in corn cribs that had spaces between the boards to allow the air into the storage area. That allowed the corn to continue to dry out and not mold while it was in storage.

The ISU students found a source for these boards and created a wall with them as a replacement for a partition wall in the room. They also made shutters the same way for the south windows that glided on a rail to allow them to be opened or shut. The boards had been sent through a table saw to get them back to perfect widths and then they nailed them on evenly.

We were able to take down a display of student's work and use the same nails to hang our work, without adding a single new nail hole blemish. If you look closely they left a part of a license plate on the boards. They were used to cover knot holes or areas where rodents had chewed opening for entrance to the corn crib.

It's an off day for me......

2011-11-15T08:41:00.001-06:00

No, everything is ok. I just have the need to be off theme today. I am sort of on theme as I sat bored for a while at the art show and I ate a banana. It looked like a perfect pose for the banana so I snapped a picture. Good composition sometimes comes naturally and especially at unplanned moments. Even a reclining peeled banana can have artistic merit. Have a good day.

Reflection time......

2011-11-14T08:59:00.001-06:00

Works of art that were ready to be packed for the show lay on the dining room table in the bright light. The dining room window always gives me a great place to take photos even though I need to adjust my shots for such a bright light source.

"Art on the Praiirie" Showtime........

2011-11-12T21:24:00.001-06:00

This is our home away from home through Sunday in Perry, Iowa. We will be returning home on late Sunday afternoon with all the leftovers. It has been a good experience so far.

Clinging........

2011-11-11T08:40:00.001-06:00

It was a 12 hour day on Thursday and of course I didn't blog. It happens and I noticed the world didn't stop turning. My wife and I spent the day getting final things ready for a two day art show and spent the evening setting it up for a pre-showing on Friday evening before the Saturday and Sunday times.

It is in an old remodeled building, a project of the Iowa State University architecture students. I should have plenty of photos from the next two days as well as I already have work photos from yesterday. No time to download and edit them last night as we were both dead from work of the day. We stopped at Burger King last night at 7:30 to have lunch and supper and I don't remember the rest of the evening.

As you can see I am clinging to my coffee cup to make it through my day today back at school.

Wednesday'a flash.......

2011-11-09T08:52:00.003-06:00

The green and the red remind me of Christmas. We had lots of rain and then a slight covering of snow last night. Some places south of us had 4 inches of snow but we were on the edge of storm. There were chool delays south and east of us.

Houseplants.....

2011-11-08T09:04:00.002-06:00

Violets are so great as you can ignore them and it makes them bloom. I had not watered them for a couple of weeks or more and they thought they were experiencing a drought. Once watered they give me this kind of response.

Two heads are better than one.........

2011-11-07T08:54:00.002-06:00

Doll heads that I rescued from the attic floor of the farmhouse that was recently demolished. They are in bad condition but both have mechanical devices to make the eyes move up and down when they are either laid down horizontally or a bottle is put into the mouth of the one on the left.

My wife says they were her older sisters dolls so that makes them at least 60 years old. I will try to clean them up later in life but for now they didn't go to the landfill. They do make a surreal sort of photo as the heads stare off in different directions.

Sunday's Single Bloom.....

2011-11-06T20:08:00.002-06:00

My new geranium start that I rescued from the neighbor's garbage pile is budding nicely and blooming now.

Saturday

2011-11-05T21:35:00.000-05:00

It was a very windy day and the leaves just keep falling to the ground. It was a busy day and maybe soon I can devote more time in reading other blogs and finding so new things to shoot.