4th Festivities and Excitement

We had quite the day yesterday! Began by attending a local parade with one of Big D's friend's families.   The parade was excellent. The drama wasn't. But first, let me tell you how beautiful the day was! Sunny, warm and a light breeze. Couldn't have custom ordered better weather. Now the drama . . .

Like most parades, no doubt, folks had "reserved" prime sidewalk turf the day before with tape and chalk. We knew this and weren't concerned. We figured that we'd find a place to stand and watch as we hadn't planned any further ahead. When we arrived, the other family had set up chairs on the sidewalk and we joined them on the curb. Little did we know that they had taken over part of another family's spot . . . a large, aggressive family, it turns out. This woman approached us and began swearing and insisting we had to leave. The mom responded that she would go find a police officer to solve the conflict at which point the other woman said she'd "assault" her in front of the officer. Hmm. I decided that this kind of language and animosity was not part of our family's parade plans and we quickly moved to the back. We watched from our perch on a lovely embankment (we had a great view, by the way) as the two women and the police officer "discussed" the difficulty. Once he left, the other woman's family essentially surrounded our acquaintances and made all manner of snide comments. They scared the children. Clearly their goal was intimidation. It felt unsafe to me and unnecessary.

 Our little family made the best of it, enjoying the parade. Big D was tearful as he wanted to hang out with his buddy but eventually the other family joined us. I don't know why they didn't do it sooner! No point in "saving face" when you are in the wrong and your children are scared!

After a lovely lunch at home and a nap, the kiddos played in the sprinklers in the backyard. It was a little chilly in the breeze so that didn't last too long . . . but long enough to snap some fun pics!

We barbecued lots of veggies -- butternut squash, peppers, beets, onions and tofu. Yum! We ate them with millet and a homemade dressing. Then we had our own little fireworks show in the driveway.

The kiddos were super jazzed. Lots of oohs and ahs . . . our neighbors went crazy with massive firecrackers that went on until 11:00pm. Little Sis fell right asleep and wasn't bothered at all by the noise. Big D, on the other hand, had a tough time and ended up in our bed until it quieted down.

It was a wonderful day. Full of variety and fun. Each year gets better and better, as the children are able to enjoy more of the festivities.

How was your day?

Day 3 "ish" of the Summer Challenge

 Hi again. Twice in one day. Must be a Mama Mutterings record! Today marks the first canoe adventure of the season. And what a wonderful day it's been! We had a wee portage to our launching site. Don't I sound knowledgeable and sea worthy? As you can see below, we essentially carved a trail by dragging our canoe through thick and tall grasses.

Quick before I forget, let me tell you about all the amazing wildlife we say -- a baby raccoon at the side of the road. So wished we'd pulled over so that I could snap a picture. Small, fluffy and very, very cute. Unfortunately, it was a narrow road with no shoulder. Bah:( We also saw a Bald Eagle nest perched on top of a telephone pole with what looked like babies. Are they called chicks? Finally, an Osprey dove and caught a fish while we were watching from our canoe. Awesome!

 Kids did reasonably well. They both seemed to think there was nothing new to see because we had been in the lake before and yet . . . note all the above wildlife features we saw! Silly nillies.

 The man aka propeller at the back of the canoe. I sat in the front, lounged and took pictures, paddling occasionally.

 Where we were we could see three mountains -- St. Helens, Hood and an unidentified third. Hubby has all sorts of guesses but we're relatively clueless. Adams?

Here's the photographic evidence of my presence on this trip. Relaxed toes, cool shoes and a beautiful sunny day!

Off to a "Rock'n" Start!

Alright, so I haven exactly managed to take and post a picture each day . . . I maybe should have set the bar a little lower. Or in incremental steps! Like a photo every "couple of days" to be determined by the photographer :) I dashed outdoors one morning (not telling when exactly these delinquent pics were taken!) before getting showered for work and snapped these pics. I'm sure the neighbors enjoy the spectacle -- pj's, flip flops, and camera in hand.

I may be cheating a bit. I fixed all manner of errors in PS proving how badly I need to practice, practice, practice. I say that not in the frustrated manner of a young child told to sit at the piano for 30 min every day whether they like it or not. Truly. I love the process and tinkering and, more than anything, the beauty of seeing and creating.

 Don't you love the way this bird seems surprised mid-bite? It might be that he is startled to find a humanoid out and about at the ungodly hour of 6:30am . . .

These last two are in their unprocessed glory. My sweet muffin and her daddy playing before he leaves for work. Of course they were coached to repeat this playful act a couple of times while mama remembered to change her menu settings for florescent lighting!

So looking forward to the long weekend! Time with family, watching a parade, a few fireworks. And getting ready for the "big trip."

How will you be celebrating?

New Resolution for Summer Time Photography Fun

I have a new resolution . . . I want to recapture the fun and enjoyment of taking and sharing pictures! No "bad" thing has happened to prevent my doing that -- just a full and busy life. A life that I want to capture and hold on to. Just look what I would have missed if I hadn't deliberately brought my camera to this fun play date with friends!

My resolution is to take and post a picture most every day . . . in a couple of weeks, we'll be taking a massive road trip across the country with stops at Yellowstone and the Black Hills. I want to be well in practice with my camera so that I can document our adventures!

No pressure. No expectations for these daily opportunities for practice. I used to say in college when I'd drag my cold self to the pool at 6:00am that I was "forming a habit." Just had to go through the actions so that it became more natural and fluid . . . so, I'm forming habit of creating images and sharing. It's one I've fallen out of but I'm banking on "muscle memory"and the desire to create!

Love to have some tips on "documentary" kinds of photography. I find that I rarely get the results I want when I shoot candids of my kiddos. Posed or stills are one thing but actions when it is happening. Help!

Tulip Festival

My creative juices are just barely sputtering . . . at least as far as they pertain to photography! Their energy is being reallocated to other endeavors and life is full and busy. I know that I need to create and so, I almost reluctantly pick up the camera but I fear there's been a serious regression! What I see and what I capture aren't quite the same thing. I'm a wee bit out of practice!

I have several adventures to share. They've been safely "stored" away on my camera for weeks, perhaps months. Now at least they have made it to my computer and may yet be posted!

What do you do to jump start your creative energy?

City Walk

 Had  wonderful day yesterday! Enjoyed yummy coffee and a good conversation with a friend and then strolled along the streets with her, looking for photo subjects. I really want to take more urban pictures but get a little "stage fright" when out on my own. Isn't that silly? My friend has no such hang ups and helped me be a braver gal!

 We both agreed that we should have begun our photo-walk earlier in our visit and snapped more pictures. Most of mine were disappointing. It was a cloudy day and I struggled with the right balance of shutter speed and aperture. Blur, blur, blur. I've been away from my camera too long . . .

 I'm happiest with this pictures of a telephone (power?) pole that has succumbed to years of stapled adverts and flyers. Layers and layers of multicolored papers and rusted staples. The texture was just so interesting.

Today is a big day at our house. Big D has a report on an Asian country to give in class. May I ask, since when to 7 year olds do research and write reports? Hmm. Anywho. Sis has kindergarten Round Up. Not sure she'll appreciate a photo-happy mommy so pictures may not be forthcoming!

What's coming up in your week?

Close to Home

How fortuitous that the Shutter Sisters prompt for today is to look Close to Home for photo inspiration . . . I think this is the first photo I've taken in at least two weeks. Just busy life, busy brain and busy children to keep me otherwise occupied. As I was cleaning up in the kitchen, I was struck by how pretty my faucet seemed. There was a bit of rare winter light coming in through the window. Much to Sis's amusement, I got out the tripod and fiddled around with a few pictures before returning to stove cleaning.

This morning, I am meeting a friend for chocolate and a camera talk and walk. I hope to have pictures to share or at the very least, bring home a little dose of inspiration to get me snapping this week!!