40 posts tagged “photos”

Five Words Meme - Photography

Sep 5, 2009
3 comments

Only two more to go!!

This one is a fun one...I grew up around photography. My dad loved it and was always taking pictures (my mom has about 30 photo albums full to prove it! LOL) - he even built himself a small dark room when I was a kid. I remember my first camera was a 110mm tiny little point and shoot thing. I want to say it was a kit/build-your-own sort of thing, though I am not sure if my memory is serving me right. It would be fitting though, since almost everything we had or did as kids started out as something to build (airplanes, trains, dollhouses, etc.).

When I was in 7th grade I took a photography class where we learned to develop black and white film and such. I think I must have borrowed my dad's camera for the class, because at that point, I don't remember having one of my own. I am not sure what happened after that...right around that time is when I seemed to have stopped taking pictures. I mean, not completely, I have handfuls here and there of events and such, but then nothing for a long time. And as I think back, most of the photos I have from that era were taken by other folks.

Neil is the reason I got back into photography. (He takes wonderful photos... particularly portrait types.) I got myself a digital camera and started shooting again...most of my subjects were whatever was convenient - fish, Sadie, birds at the feeder outside. Hmmm that sounds pretty much like what I still do! I finally splurged and got my DSLR...which, even as little as I've picked it up lately, was one of the best investments I've made.

I needed something to do...and photography was already something I liked, I could do it with Neil, or I could do it on my own. I am not a social person by nature; in fact, I am a downright hermit unless forced. The camera has given me a shield to hide behind when I am out and about. I am not sure I am any more social than before, but I am more likely to get out once in a while. And I am proud of a lot of my work - it seems I have finally found something that I have a little natural talent for (that I can do on a regular basis - I was very good at playing the flute, but it isn't exactly an easy pastime to keep up with). Granted, I have a lot to learn and a long way to go, but I find more and more these days that I don't end up needing much post-processing...and that ultimately is my goal. I mean anyone can learn to use Photoshop...I want to learn to take a good photo. I will admit that all of my photos are taken in color, so any black and whites or sepia toned ones have been processed, but I find with digital, they come out better that way rather than using the settings on the camera.

The other great thing with photography is that (though it can be) it doesn't have to be an expensive hobby. More just one-time costs with the digital world and then you can shoot to your heart's desire. Don't get me wrong, I am currently lusting after the Canon 24-105mm f/4 L IS. I made the mistake awhile back of finding a great deal on a wide angle L series lens...and then I learned how much of a difference they make in color, sharpness, and general clarity of the pictures. Right now I use the 28-135mm IS...this one will eventually replace it as my all purpose lens. Someday. Heh. Even Neil had not really played with the L lenses until the wide angle. He now sports the nice big 100-400mm! (It is fantastic for bird shots!) LOL So now, instead of a normal girly obsession like say shoes, I lust after glass.

I share almost all my photos on Flickr, which I love as a hosting website. (I hope they don't fall part now that they are owned by Yahoo...but I guess time will tell.) It is handy since my family is all the way across the country and my friends are spread all over it. Hopefully the curious will see some things they like there, that they find pretty, or intriguing, or silly...I figure, if I have in some way captured the attention of someone with one of my images, then I have been successful.

Last up:

~ marriage

Five Words Meme - Pets

Sep 4, 2009
2 comments

Since I was a slacker last night...I will now finish the remaining words for this meme!

Pets? What pets? Ohhhhh I think you mean my kids!

Seriously, that is what my pets are to me...they are family. I can't imagine my life without them. I grew up with cats (and a few hamsters) - before my sister was born, our cat Dukie was my best friend (according to mom anyway, I was only 2!). There were a couple years in there, right around the time I moved east, that I didn't have any cats. I can't tell you how empty the house seemed even with Sadie around. Cats snuggle like nothing else can. They are always around without always being _right there_. They don't need a ton of work, and their personalities amuse me to no end! I have NEVER had two cats even remotely alike.

Bandit & Mr. Mouser

I am still devastated that my boys have gone missing. My head is always full of the what-ifs...'what-if I had just made them stay inside' is the most recurring one. But, then I remind myself that Mr M and Bandit never did acclimate to being indoor-only kitties. And no matter how much I loved them, I could not have them destroying my house with cat urine. Clyde, is the hardest to reconcile in my head. He was OK being inside, though he was also the one to make a mad dash for the door whenever it opened. And I tell myself that it wouldn't have been fair to keep him inside while the other boys got to go out. It has helped a little seeing the snake on the patio - if nothing else, it has offered some closure. I know I am not a "bad" kitty mommy...but it is hard not to feel like it when they all disappear in such a short time-span. And even after all the heartache, if another stray showed up on my doorstep, I would not turn it away. Even if I couldn't get it to acclimate to being indoors. This time, though, the other cats still have to stay inside.

Cuteness

To help fill the void, and to keep Bonnie company while I am away on business and the dogs are not at home, I adopted OP. It was a little bit of an adjustment, but now he is right at home here. And he is a snuggler! He now shows up in my bed around 2am each night and purrs...and is usually still purring when my alarm goes off around 6. He likes to get right up next to me, but thankfully, seems to have no interest in sleeping on my head. Bonnie is the aloof one...she has her moments of absolute NEED. Love me now! But mostly she is content to simply hang out in whatever room we are in. Usually you can find her curled up sleeping in a corner.

Sleepy

My mom was never a 'dog person', so we never had a dog when I was a kid. I got Sadie as a "present" from an old boyfriend (just before he dumped me...nice, huh?) She was a pound puppy and around 4 months old when I got her. I did everything wrong that you possibly could when it came to raising her, but in the end, I lucked out. She is the sweetest, most neurotic, gentle dog I've ever met. By neurotic, I mean quirky - for instance, she sleeps under the bed whenever I leave the house. Yup! She can actually get herself under a bed! She will put on the biggest show ever, when we get ready to leave the house...including chattering her teeth. She won't go outside to potty if it is raining out. She doesn't like it if it is too hot out. But, everyone who has ever met her adores her...including my non-dog person mom.

Marly

Then there is Marly-Moo. The Moo-dog. She got her name from an old song about a prostitue - Lili Marlene...which then got shortened to Marly. The nickname Moo came at around 9 months old when she was growing faster than any dog alive. It has since become what we call her because EVERY person who asks what her name is, then asks if she was named after the dog from the book/movie Marley and Me. I get tired of explaining that no, she was not.

Before I moved, I also had fish - a couple bettas and a 75 gallon African cichlid aquarium. They fascinated me. Who knew fish had individual personalities? They were amazing to watch (which I used to spend hours doing). I have thought about rebuilding the aquarium here, but I don't really have a place in the house to put it and the work it took to maintain it takes more time and energy than I have these days. There are photos of my fish here.

I'm seeing spots!

Last but not least are my wild pets - deer, birds, possums, and all other manner of critters that live in my yard and in the woods behind it. Even the freakin' copperhead I couldn't bring myself to kill. (OK, I admit, there was no way on Earth I was going to open the back door with it right there, but still...) Slowly but surely I am building a little bird sanctuary in the yard. And the deer, though I don't do anything outright to help them, they help themselves to the tasty greenery in the yard...and I am sure as soon as I get a garden growing, I will be sharing that too!

I have always loved animals and will never understand people who can harm and abuse them in any way. And yes, someday, I probably will be that crazy cat lady who lives at the end of the street that all the kids talk about!

Next up:

~photography

~marriage

And then there was squirrel...

Jun 6, 2009
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The first squirrel to come up into the yard appeared yesterday. Sadie was SO excited - she did her little happy dance at the back door while whining and squealing. I, of course, had to come see what the commotion was about:

Oh boy!!!

and this is what I saw. A cute little critter who also seemed quite excited by the prospect of such easy, tasty treats being available. I took a bunch of photos through the kitchen window, so please pardon some of the weird reflection issues in some of the photos. When the sun came out, it made the white kitchen table reflect on the window - I didn't notice until too late.

I also got some photos of a few of the birds that come visit the feeders. None of the ones of the brown-headed cowbirds turned out, so maybe next time. And the titmouse refused to come to the feeder while I had my camera available. Someday I will catch him, though. Someday!

A Motley Crew

I was excited to capture the woodpecker that has been visiting. He moves around so much that I had originally mis-identified him as a red-headed woodpecker, but now with a photo to examine, I have discovered that he is actually a red-bellied woodpecker.

Tasty Tid-bits

The mourning doves are always lovely too...there are more photos on my Flickr page.

Since I had the camera out, I also snapped some photos of the kids. The kitties weren't very excited about having the camera pointed at them, but I still got a couple OK shots:

The dogs, however, hammed it up as usual:

Marly

Sleepy

After a lazy afternoon, Moo decided it was time to play. Sadie didn't seem to mind in the least and the two had a nice little romp session:

Marly always starts out by assessing the Sadie situation - you can see the romp session coming! The last photo is of Sadie telling Moo to take it easy. Every once in a while Marly will get a little too rough and Sadie has to remind her who's really boss in this house. You can't see it, but there is a serious, deep growl coming from Sadie.

And now everyone is back to being lazy and having a relaxing Saturday afternoon.

Yard Photos

Jun 1, 2009
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I took some quick photos of the yard this morning...everything is so darn green since the rain we've had (I know, such a tough problem to have) that some of them are hard to get much definition in them, but they give a general idea of what's been happening around here:

Front Yard

The hardest part of the yard was laying the pavers to extend the patio for the grill so that it was no longer sitting in front of my living room window (for the past two years my view has consisted of the back side of a covered gas grill):

Patio

The last big yard project now is to get the lawn to be an actual lawn. That will take awhile yet, but a good start is underway - most of the weeds have been killed (the Japanese clover is being stubborn) and we tossed down some seed in the bare areas. This fall the lawn service will properly seed the whole yard (lime, aerate, fertilize and then seed). Until then, though, some of the seed we put down is actually growing!

New Grass!

There are other shots on Flickr of the back yard with the bird area and the new side-yard beds and some close-ups of the front walkway areas. Enjoy!

Weekend Photos

May 31, 2009
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On Saturday morning Neil and I headed out to get some photos of the trestle bridge in town and whatever else caught our eye.

Trestle Bridge

The town of Mount Holly was named such in 1875 after the cotton mill that was named after yarn that was produced at a spinning mill in Mount Holly, NJ. It was incorporated in 1879.

While we were walking around we noticed that the Mount Holly Farmers' Market is back up in full swing. Neil picked up a small tub of some very tasty hummus and we walked around town for a bit. I was excited to see a couple farms there with everything from beef to pork to chicken - and of course eggs and all manner of in-season veggies. I am hoping that Daddy's Girl will be back as well this year with her wonderful goat's milk cheeses.

Main Street

As we headed down Central Ave, we met a very, very sweet gal who was looking for a new home. The lady at the drug store said some man had been kicking her and yelling at her and swearing at her - someone called the police and he abandoned the dog. The lady has two dogs of her own so she was looking for a new home for this pup...I think she looks like she is part beagle and something else. She was absolutely adorable and just wanted attention and love.

Dog

I do not know how people can be mean to animals. I am going to tell my neighbor about the dog - if she hasn't already found a home, maybe she will find one there.

It was a really nice morning...the rest of my photos can be seen on my Flickr page. The one thing I did notice as I was sorting through all the photos that I took - I need to work on my focusing. Or maybe just general camera stability (the lens I was using to shoot the bridge did not have IS). Whatever the case, it has obviously been awhile since I have picked up the camera and definitely need to brush up on some basic skills!

Biltmore photos!

Feb 14, 2009
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Biltmore_1

I finally figured out how to use the Flickr plug-in in Lightroom so I could upload some photos from my trip to Biltmore from last summer! These were from the trip I took up there in July with my dad. We did the behind the scenes tour (which I highly recommend - it is indeed worth the money!) which takes you literally behind the scenes...up into the attic, into rooms that are currently being restored, etc. Unfortunately, there are no cameras (well, no use of cameras) allowed inside the house.

There are hundreds of gargoyles surrounding the house which are quite fascinating. They range from traditional to whimsical like the monkey and bear below. You can see the entire set on my Flickr page.

Biltmore_12

Photos...

Jan 20, 2009
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I finally finished going through the photos from my trip to the Biltmore Estate last summer. Better late than never, eh? As soon as I can remember/figure out how to upload them using the Lighroom Flickr plug-in, they will be available for viewing on my Flickr page. (I'll probably post a few here along wtih a link too.)

The itty, bitty amount of snow we had this morning is gone. The sun is out and it appears as though it will now be warming up and the clouds will be gone, so no more chance of frozen precipitation. Maybe next year Moo will get a chance to see what snow is like.

OK, I need to vacuum the house and then do some more work work.

Black Mountain, NC and the toilet...

Jan 18, 2009
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Black Mountain was very nice (as always). We puttered around, had tasty sandwiches and soup at the deli, lounged around the hotel room and read books, and then ate pizza and had some beer. It was crazy cold...thank goodness for warm jackets, scarves, and gloves!

This morning was too gloomy and overcast for any photo taking - yesterday was simply too cold!

The toilet issue seems to have been a frozen pipe. When I got home this afternoon the reservoir tank was full and it was working just fine. Luckily, I am not seeing any water damage in any of the wall board so unless there is a very slow leak, disaster seems to have been averted for now. The bigger issue now is, how do I prevent this from happening again (short of piling pine straw against the outside of the house each winter)? It is the ONLY area in the house (except the outside spigots) that has plumbing in the exterior wall.

Marly and Sadie got to go to the dog park yesterday with my friend who was watching them. The report is that the park is a complete zoo now that it has been opened up to the public (you used to have to pay an annual fee to get a pass to get into the park - they monitored dog vaccinations and such). Last time I was there it was starting to get bad with no one picking up after their dogs and such. This time, some dumbass brought treats or food into the park for his dog and apparently Marly thought that sounded good and jumped on him. Heh. I hear he got a little upset, however, if I had been there I would have pointed out that the park rules specifically prohibit food, treats, or personal toys in the park because of the risk of dogs getting jealous, over-protective, etc. So, in my opinion, go Moo!

Meet Waylon

Sep 3, 2008
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IMG_3827, originally uploaded by neilcar.

Ugh, back to the grind today after a nice, lazy four-day weekend. I did get the house somewhat cleaned up this weekend (because I had dinner guests on Monday)...but other than that it was all about lounging about and playing with dogs and cats and donkeys.

Donkeys? Yes! Donkeys! Last night Neil and I went to some friends' for dinner. While we were there we got to meet Waylon - their one week old baby donkey. He is the cutest, fluffiest thing I have ever seen!

When we pulled up he came bounding over to the fence to greet us. Apparently he had just learned to run the day before...he also made his first hee-haw then. He didn't share the vocal skills with us last night, though. In the photo (taken by Neil) he is imitating Mom and pretending to eat the hay, but he doesn't have his teeth yet. He also noses at her food in the bowl and licks the salt block like she does. It is insanely adorable.

They also have a couple horses (one I believe is a rescue horse) - Georgia and Lakota. Two dogs - Scrappy and Jesse (or maybe it is Jessie?). And several rescue cats... unfortunately the only names I remember are Woody and Banjo. Banjo was a kitten only a few months old that was still in his crazed kitty stage. I had a blast playing with him.

The more I am around places and people like this, the more I envy their living style. I want to move farther out into the country where I can have some more land, fewer neighbors, and maybe even a donkey of my own. Someday...

Oh yeah...

Dec 29, 2007
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And, in three more days I begin another attempt at 365 (well OK, this year 366) photos. We'll see how that all goes.

Also, the sockeye oil that I have been feeding Marly and Sadie seems to be really doing the trick with their flaky, winter skin. Especially Sadie, who has always had skin issues...even the tips of her ears look to be healing! Tomorrow is doggie bath day - photos to follow.

Anyone have tips on helping Marly get used to me clipping her nails. I do the playing with her feet and toes thing -even going so far as tapping on each nail with various objects. It all goes just fine unless it is with the actual clippers. She has never had a nail cut too low, so it hasn't ever actually hurt her, but she starts screaming and wriggling away like I am trying to murder her. I am not sure where to go from here...

OK really, nap time now.