Catching Up!

I'm trying to make up for missed days. I don't think this quite does it, but it's what I've got. In the past two days I've had two comments on this blog even though I haven't posted in weeks, so I think it is time to put some attention here.

Enjoy!

I'll be back tomorrow!

For 3-1-2009 Hard

Parenting is hard. Joyful, wonderful, exhausting, energizing, frustrating, rewarding and HARD. Love my boy, but right now the hard part of parenting is dominating.

2-28-2009 Wind

We had wind a few days ago. I didn't get it recorded on film. But I got this house, which is new to me, down a little dirt road a few miles from my house. It just looks so classic (except the power lines, which bug me). Enjoy. Hope to be on topic tomorrow.

2-27-2009 Grey

A view out the window of my car as driving to get J from school. It was much worse as I got further along the road. Had to stop and clean the wipers a couple times because they just froze over and started to make the windows a smeary mess! A grey day for sure.

2-26-2009

Homework is our theme here today, regardless of what else I'd like it to be. I wish we had another theme, but it is where the challenge is right now, and we have got to get this mastered now! Wish nine year old boys had the internal motivation to do these things well the first time, but just does not seem to be the case. So we struggle, argue, progress, back-slide, and generally move along at a terribly painful pace. I know he can do it, and that is my source of hope. But again, it is the motivation issue that is such a terribly difficult challenge!

2-24-2009 - Smile

Getting my little guy to smile and not have a jokeresk distorted smile as a result is hard. A subtle smile like this one - worth millions!

2-23-2009 an older photo

Having trouble keeping up right now, but nothing bad is happening, so no need to worry. Will get the taxes to the accountant by 3/1/2009 even if it kills me, but probably won't get as many photos as usual taken while I work on them. This photo is from last June, but I did some editing on it last night as I printed it up for a little mini album class I'm developing. I am looking forward to apple blossoms and flowers and green grass and bird songs and all the things of spring. Usually I love winter, but this one started way to early and last summer was way to short, so I'm a bit impatient for spring! I ramble, so must go!

2-21-2009 (late!) Artistic

These "Special Fencing Knots" are about as artistic as most of the ranchers around here get! Gotta love it though! It is interesting to see all the tangles they make to keep the fences up.

Nature 2-20-2009

Cattails are naturally beautiful in all their stages - although I understand they are considered to be an envasive exotic plant in most places and therefore undesirable. That's nature for you!

Stripes - 2/19/09

Playing with post processing and actions again. Super fun!

Whimsical flowers? 2-18-09

Okay, here's a bit of an experiment. This first photo is straight out of the camera. Blahhhhhhhh! Yuck!

Now, this is after adding a hard light layer, cropping and doing a little dodging and burning (except for the cropping, all things I learned today.

Until I can get better equipment (better lenses and maybe someday a better camera) I'm figuring I need to become a PSE wizz kid. So, I'm practicing! I'm studying sights like Pioneer Woman and the photography chat board on 2 peas. It's helping, but I feel like I have so much to learn - both with PSE and with my camera's manual settings. I'm on a mission, so you might begin to see a lot more before and afters from me!

Rust 2-17-2008

I'm making up for missing a few days by posting lots of rust.

Looking forward to Whimsical for tomorrow, although Montana doesn't provide as much whimsy as it does rust!

Work - 2-12-09

In the truck, outside the bank, waiting for it to open. Several more errands to get done before returning home. That is my work experience some days!

Landscape 2-10-2009

The foggy clouds covering the sun made for something cool, but I don't think I captured it here. These are the hills behind our house.

2-9-09 Triangles

I'm late,but here is my take on a triangle - see it at the top part of our barn? I love our barn and the different light that sneaks it's way in there.

2-6-2009

Doors lead places, and that is okay with me. We don't have very many

classic doors in this town, and this one had such a cool bit of reflection in it, so I snapped away.

Happy beginning of the weekend!

2-5-2009 POTD -WISH

Pottery wheels are so romantic and mysterious! I wish I could do that! Went on a school field trip today as the photographer, and was dying to jump in and try to learn this. Just what I need, another art/craft obsession!

Yummy Birthday Cupcakes!

It turns out, when you are nine you get to light your own birthday candles. The cupcakes are in the tupperware, so you can't see them, but believe me, you aren't missing much, as my skills with frosting leave a lot to be desired. But they tasted good!

POTD for 2-3-2009

I was on the back of a 4 wheeler with my friend here and shot this photo. Such a Montana Moment! And I am so glad that I got to spend time with my friend - something that is rare but cherished. By the way, we were using the 4-wheeler to get back and forth to a photo site, so it's not like we just whip around on it for the heck of it (oh, but wouldn't that be fun!)

Sharp 2-2-09

In my garden. With potential to be beautiful in the summer! Very sharp!

Happy Ground Hog Day!

Off topic.

Sorry about that. Not much orange in my life right now, but I'm having fun with the photos I took down at the river yesterday. Enjoy. I hope to get back on topic tomorrow!

Country January 30

I knew this barn that I pass at least once a day would be the subject of my photo today. But I hadn't wanted to do it straight on. Unfortunately the land owner parked an ugly utility trailer right in line of sight for the angle I did want. So I had to use my zoom and get it from a different angle. Still, I think the rustic says country (as opposed to city) and the flag says country (like USA). Plus, I've always wanted an excuse to stop and take a photo of this.

Also did many shots down by the river today, and if you want to see a couple of those, check out my regular blog.

January 29 Texture

I'm playing with texture (well, sort of) in PSE. It is my goal to learn it better. This photo of the Gallatin River has lots of winter texture in it to begin with, but it was fun to try a few things to see how it changes the photo. Hope you enjoy, because I did.

Fast Wind

It takes three photos to show it:

I thought of all sorts of "fast" images, from fast girls to a photo out the window while driving down the highway, to a picture of tires whirling around. But with the cold weather today I opted for this photo of the fast wind blowing the little guide flag on the snow plow attachment for our truck. That wind created a wind chill temp around zero degrees, so it was not a wind to take lightly. Not as "romantic" as the other ideas, but it will do.