Don't Faint - its a post!

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So. very. bad. about. posting. Gee, I'm surprised if I have any readers left. I really do appreciate those of you who are still here....I love ya!!! My blog has just taken a back seat these days. Been somewhat busy - mostly with good things. To tell you the truth, I've been on Facebook a lot lately. I usually log in there most evenings and chat a bit with my friends. It seems to be a tiny bit easier than blogging cause you don't have to compose a post, etc. Plus, lately on my blog I've been connecting with a TON of people that I went to high school with. It has been a lot of fun seeing where people are and what they are doing now.

Our 25th HS reunion (it can't possibly be that long!) is coming up in 2009 and I'm really getting excited about that. I'm planning on going....so I'm starting to talk to a lot of people on Facebook that should be there. It has been fun renewing those friendships. So, that is probably my best excuse for why I haven't posted here.


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I'm sorry to say I have read ZERO blogs in weeks. I am truly afraid to log onto to my bloglines account for I feel sure it will say I have about 3 bazillion posts to read and I just can't face it!!!

I got a really sweet surprise in the mail the other day. My friend and fellow blogger ROBYN sent me a care package all the way from Australia!!! Here is a picture of what she sent me. I was so surprised and it was just so neat to get such a nice assortment of things....just "because". And the nicest note to go along with. So Robyn, thank you for being such a sweet friend and blogging buddy. She sent a t-shirt, some Veggimite and crackers, some candy from Australia and a really, really beautiful calendar because she knows how much I love my photography and it has the nicest pics in it...all about Australia of course.


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Let's see...so what else has been keeping me busy? Work isn't that busy so it really isn't that...Brandon is still playing soccer and basketball is about to start. They have 22 games between the middle of November and the end of January so we shall be very busy with that before long.

Two weekends ago we had a really fun Saturday. I went with my ex-brother in law and his son to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Refuge in Glen Rose, Texas. Oh my goodness, that plade is cool. Tons of animals and you drive through it. I got hundreds of pics so of course, I'll try to post a few later on....need to go through them first and watermark some, etc.


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Then, last weekend we went south to visit my ex in laws (still great friends with them) and spent the weekend. He is a big hunter and is teaching Brandon to hunt...so this was a "pre-hunting" visit where he showed him how to use the gun, etc. We'll be going back in November so they can actually go on a real hunt. WE might actually have deer meat to eat (not that I'm that thrilled about that..) Anyway, being gone on the weekends is part of what has been keeping me busy also.


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The pictures in this post are from our weekend at my ex in laws house. I got out my macro lens and took some pics in their backyard. Amazing what you can see with one of those lenses. It opens up a whole new world. Really fun.


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One sort of fun thing too is I decided this week to audition for a play at our local community theater! I must be crazy to do so as the rehearsal and production schedule can be quite grueling...but it is something I wanted to do for a long time. It is the play "The Homecoming" which was written by Earl Hamner, Jr. and was the basis for The Waltons TV series. I was really excited about it and I did well, reading for both Olivia (the mother) and for one of the Baldwin sisters (one of those bootleggin spinster sisters). Unfortunately, I did not get a part, but I had fun trying out. Oh well, maybe next time!

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So, I guess that is all for now. These are the things keeping us busy. In between there, I've been feeling up and down - some days good, some days bad (and I mean emotionally not necessarily physically) so I think I just haven't been in the mood to blog lately. But, things are looking up and life is good if not perfect. I have much to be thankful for.


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

BIG NEWS!!!!!

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I have known about this for a while, but I just haven't posted about it....haven't been very good lately about keeping up with this here blog but for what its worth, I will try to post when I can. If I even have any readers left out there. I don't blame you if I don't.

OK, on to the news. I JUST WON A PHOTO CONTEST!!!! It was a contest sponsored by NBC5 in Dallas Ft. Worth. It is for a calendar they were making called the "North Texas Weather Calendar". You can check out the website HERE. I submitted quite a few of my pictures and they ended up selecting two for publication in the calendar!!! So, my name is in lights!!!

The first photo is one of me holding the calendar turned to May. Yes, that is MY PICTURE!!! The one with the butterfly on the flower. I took that earlier this year when we went to Brandon's state art competition in Dallas. They also chose a picture I took of a bee on a flower for the smaller inset picture for March. It is pictured below...as best as I could take a picture of the picture....

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In fact, you can even order the calendar if you wish. (I get no money from the sales of it unfortunately...but it IS a very nice and pretty calendar...) Just go to the link above if you want to order one.


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They did send me two free calendars, which was nice. Unfortunately though, I did not receive any money for the photos, but I did get recognition and for now, that is good for me. I will add this to my "portfolio" and someday maybe National Geographics will hire me - ha ha.

I really was very excited about this and I plan to keep entering contests. I'm hoping to win one that has a prize of like a 21-day vacation to some exotic place - ha ha.

OK, so I got a little excited snapping pictures of myself with the calendar..but hey, this snap happiness is what got me in the contest mode to begin with.


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I know I'm bragging here, but please indulge me just a little..I also was a finalist for a local photo contest here in our town. A magazine picked my picture of snow on a pond (see pic below) as a runner up in their photo contest. They wanted a photo that captured the essence of our town. I titled this "tranquility". Anyway, I didn't win, but at least I did get my photo published in the magazine and got some recognition.


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Labor Day and I'm Off

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It was a relaxing weekend. After going to the doctor last week, I got on some meds for my wicked sinus infection and now I'm finally feeling better! Almost as good as new. I turned down an offer to spend the weekend with some good friends cause I felt I needed to stay here and rest. And I guess it is good I did.

We didn't do too much of anything. I took a few naps, did a bit of housework (but not much) and finally got myself packed for my work trip. I leave tomorrow for Washington DC and will be gone for the week. So, not sure when I'll post again. I won't have much free time while there. I'm there for meetings so I won't be doing any sightseeing or I don't believe I'll have any time to do so. :(

I was able to go fishing with my dad this morning and we tore them up!! We caught 25 that were big enough to keep. See the picture of me above with my big Crappie. (that is prononced "Crop-E" in case you didn't know..) It was about 14 inches long which is pretty big for that type of fish. It was a nice morning. I got a couple other pics too which you can see below. It was a nice morning.

Well, I'll write when I can. Hope everyone had a safe and happy Labor Day!


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Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

More Vacation pics - are you sick of em yet?

These were actually from June 20 and our drive from Glacier to Idaho. We stopped at this dam (sorry, but I can't remember the name of it) on the way. It was tucked back in this little town and we parked and hiked across this quaint little bridge and there it was. The water around this dam was just surging and was actually quite pretty.


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We hiked around the area to see what we could find. We saw an Osprey nest up on one of the telephone poles near there. We saw a chipmunk and a really cool looking squirrel. Here is the squirrel. I got some good close up shots of it with my zoom lens. I thought they came out really nice!

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Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Here is the sign that was posted about the Osprey. I thought it was pretty interesting.


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Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

This particular osprey picture was one I actually took in Idaho and not one that we saw where this sign was. There was a nest near the dam where this sign was, but it was so high up that I could not get a good look at the bird inside! But, the picture I did get was taken alongside the road in Idaho - alongside a road that lined water. There in the water were all these platforms they had built presumably for the osprey to build their nests upon.

Continuation of Vacation - a "Beary" Scarey Day - June 20

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OK, so the title is goofy. It wasn't really scarey at all.

Continuation of our trip earlier this summer. We were really hoping to see some bear and we did see a couple in Glacier National Park, but we were always on the lookout for more. So, on this day, we were driving to Blanchard, Idaho (from Glacier) to our condo where we would spend the next week.

As we were driving, my mom shouts "hey, there is a bear in the middle of that field!" So, we turn the van around and drive back by to see if it really was one. She was right.

This is what we saw:

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See the black line looking thing in the middle of the grass. Yep, its a bear!

This next picture gives you a better look at it.


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I must mention there was no shoulder on the road in this particular part of the highway. So, Dad, Brandon and I got out of the van and Amy halfway pulled the van over in the grass. There weren't any cars coming at that time. I got out my zoom lens and started shooting.


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Is that cool or what? my zoom lens really came in handy when this guy decided to stand up in the middle of that field. He was eating something in the field and every now and then, he would stand up and look around at us.

We eventually walked over to a gravel road beside the field and a sheriff's car was siting there also watching the bear. It turned on its siren to show us how that made the bear stand up. It did indeed stand up to see where the noise was coming from. I got some more shots of it. I just thought it was so cool to see it pretty close up (but not so close it could get us). I am loving this 400 mm zoom lens I got!


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Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

We felt we were really lucky to be able to see this bear and get some good shots!

Stay tuned because there are still more nature and travel shots to come.

Oh yea, and Brandon is coming home late Thursday night. They decided to drive back tomorrow all day - they will be here late, but he should be here tomorrow night. I talked to him today and he said the soaring through the trees deal was FANTASTIC. He wants me to come back with him and do it at night!! I would love to go. Maybe we'll be able to go back someday.

*Freezer update - I still haven't tried anyone's suggestions and the shirt is still stuck in the freezer. I do plan to get it out one way or the other. Thanks for all your helpful suggestions.