Caught in Time

Time and Tide for no one...

2012-01-27T21:11:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I updated this blog. Not surprising considering everything that happened not long after the last post.

To make a long story short, our little monster was diagnosed with PDD-NOS. For those who don't know what this means - and lord knows I didn't, it means that he's on the autism spectrum, though he's not high on the spectrum. PDD-NOS stands for "Pervasive Developmental Delay - Not Otherwise Specified". Is it any surprise that I didn't know what it stood for? I was clueless. I just heard "Autism Spectrum Disorder" and my heart plummeted into my stomach. I cried that night. I was ashamed of myself at the time for crying like that but now I realize it was part of the process.

Anyway, before I get too far ahead of myself. About a week after we got the monster's diagnosis, I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. I stopped breathing 122 times an hour for the six hours I slept that night. Essentially, every 30 seconds, I stopped breathing. Which meant I have to sleep with a C-PAP machine. Brilliant. I'm a tiny bit claustrophobic... enough that having something on my face freaks me out. I'm only just now adjusted to feeling comfortable with a mask on. But at least I got there.

Then, just for fun, I decided I wanted to see a nutritionist and lose some weight to help me with the sleep apnea. So I asked my doctor to refer me. She sent me for blood tests so the nutritionist would know my cholesterol levels and all that fun stuff... only to call me to come back into her office two days later and tell me that I have diabetes.

So yeah. A lot of news to get hit with within 19 days and a lot of adjustments to make in my life.

We're in a better place now. I'm still adjusting to being diabetic but I'm pretty comfortable with the CPAP machine now and I'm definitely sleeping better. And the monster is doing great with his daycare program and his one on one therapy. His vocabulary has exploded and his social skills are improving. He's still the fantastic, loving little man he always was and I'm adjusting to the idea that he's eligible for kindergarten this coming September.

So with all that in mind and mostly organized, I decided to do the Project 365 again and hopefully make it all the way to the end this year. And I figure this blog is a good place to load and post some of the stories about the pictures that don't make the picture of the day. But it's also a good place to toss out other things. So... once again, we'll see what happens.

Crescent Beach

2011-05-18T22:11:00.000-07:00

I picked up the monster early today and took advantage of the nice weather to take a drive out to White Rock and then Crescent Beach.

It was beautiful out and the monster is happy any time that we can spend outside.

Of course, it was funny as all get out that every couple of steps he took, he had to stop and get the sand out of his shoes. Again. He finally figured out it was easier to just leave them sitting on the beach and worry about it later.

It was great fun. We had dinner and ate some burgers and nuggets. And the crows thought they were invited. Oddly no seagulls tonight, just a lot of determined crows.

A Stroll along the Bay...

2011-05-18T21:18:00.001-07:00

I drove into Tsawwassen yesterday to take a walk along the other side of Boundary Bay. It was a beautiful day and I had a really good walk.

I found a bench to settle on along the way and relaxed back a bit, reading a book for a while.

This bench, actually. A great view. Lots of birds to watch, the sound of the water, and a fresh breeze.

All in all, a good day.

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T18:30:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday we took my parents to the bird sanctuary since Dad had never been there. One of the cutest things of the day were the four little goslings being led around by their Mom and Dad. Which brings us to why it's my picture of the day today and not yesterday.

I didn't take my camera with me. I didn't think I'd need it.

Which is why I returned today and was lucky enough to find the little guys. I got a bunch of great pics of the little goslings as well as a host of other birds. Including a fluke shot of a humming bird.

Whoot!

Enjoy!

A stroll through Vandusen Gardens

2011-05-04T19:37:00.001-07:00

It was a nice day today and I wanted to go and do a little shopping so I figured I'd fit in a stop at Vandusen Gardens. I didn't go through the whole garden, I'm still working up to that! But I went for quite a long walk through the garden, enjoying the assorted paths and the lakes and the flowers.

It'll be nice to see how everything looks when they're finished their expansion!

Nesting Time...

2011-05-01T19:00:00.001-07:00

Today, my cousin and her little boy - only 6 months older than the monster man - came over and we all went for a nice walk out at the Reiffel Bird Sanctuary.

You could hear birds every inch of the way. Song birds. Ducks. Geese. All sorts of birds.

While we were sitting at one of the blinds, we saw these two little birds who were collecting feathers to line their nests with and getting everything ready. They were very busy little birds.

A Windy Day down at the Beach

2011-04-28T22:11:00.000-07:00

After I picked up the monster, I took him down to the beach by the ferries. He was delighted, watching the surfer trying to get his sail up and working so he could use it with his board. I couldn't help but wonder if it was the same guy as last time.

I can see why he was trying to do it today. It was -windy- out there.

And, of course, I could exactly keep him away from the water. He loves it. Thankfully, he's also content to stay out of it and throw rocks in.

It was a nice day though, despite the wind.

Of course, as usual, it was difficult to convince the monster that he had to get his butt into the car so we could leave. Even though he was freezing his little butt off!

Bowen Island

2011-04-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend, for no real reason other than it was a nice day and we felt like doing something, we decided to head off to Bowen Island for a little day trip. It was a gorgeous day for the trip and the ferry ride over is always beautiful.

Needless to say, our water loving monster was in love with the Ferry and being out on the water. He did -not- want to get back into the car when the time came.

And it was some kind of windy out there!

The views from around the island are beautiful. It's a very peaceful kind of a place. At least, it is right now. When it's full summer and tourist season really kicks into full gear it's still beautiful. Just not quite as peaceful.

We went down to the beach and, naturally, found another place that the monster was loathe to leave. He was fascinated by this itty bitty crab but kept jumping back every time it moved.

The starfish were clustered about in the rocks beneath the pier. There were a lot of them there!

Just love the cool shades. So happy to be set up like Daddy. He even left them on for a while.

The view from up high on the island is ever more spectacular. You can see downtown Vancouver from up there! It's gorgeous!

I love the way the houses are nestled into the trees on the rocks. Can you imagine the view each of them has?

And, of course, little automated lighthouses dot the islands.

Did I mention that the monster man -loved- the ferry? Oh yeah, he was in heaven. Again, did not want to get into the car but at least didn't toss a temper on the ferry on the way back!

Really, it was just a gorgeous day. So glad we went!

Cherry Blossoms revisited.

2011-04-15T21:48:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. More flowers. More blossoms. But I just can't help myself. They're so pretty and delicate and beautiful. It's like a quest to get the perfect blossom picture.

So today was all the white ones, no pink to be seen.

English Bay

2011-04-15T21:22:00.001-07:00

It was a beautiful day to be out and about today. And Vancouver is a beautiful city anytime but especially beautiful in the sunshine.

Which is why I went to take pictures of the city today.

A nice walk on the beach and lots of great shots. It was a very good day.

Derelict

2011-04-12T20:29:00.000-07:00

I've made no secret of my love of old buildings since I started this project. And by that I don't just mean the old buildings that are historic and pretty though I love those too. No, I have something of a love for buildings that have seen better days. Buildings that have been left to fall to pieces. Buildings that nature is reclaiming. There is something both beautiful and sad about them.

And today, I found this house. Which fit my little obsession beautifully.

There were a couple of men from a landscaping company working there. The house is slated to be destroyed eventually. One of the men was working in the weeds with a chainsaw while I was taking some pictures along the other side of the house. The weeds - a huge mass of thorny bushes really - are so tall you couldn't even see the man working.

The back of the house is collapsing and I couldn't go back inside. I was tempted to ask, I really was, but the two guys had been in there the other day and there were asbestos warnings everywhere. And, of course, the falling down part of things.

Part of the problem with this house is the ground it sits upon. Kind of proves the old "Location Location Location" adage. If this house were in one of the old neighbourhoods in Vancouver or New Westminster, someone would have fixed it up years and years ago and it would have sold for... uh... well... a whole lot of money. You can see that it was a beautiful home, once upon a time.

This is the only shot I could get of the back. Believe me, there's no way I'm getting through those thorns to get around to the back at the actual house. So I drove to the next farm and took a picture. The horse below gave me a suspicious look and the Rottweiler looked very friendly. I just couldn't decide if he was "oh, climb out of the car so I can eat you friendly" and it seemed better to err on the side of safety. So this pic was taken through the fence, unfortunately.

A great old building and a great day out and about. And awesome that the guys were willing to let me take some pictures! Sometimes the timing is just perfect!

Peacock Feather

2011-04-11T20:27:00.001-07:00

So I was picking up some easter supplies at the craft store and saw some peacock feathers.

So, naturally, I was inspired for my photo for today. This one was the winner. But one thing I love about the blog is I can post all of the also-rans.

I love the detail in this one. Once again, me and my macro lens at work. I love the macro!

Nitobe Japanese Garden

2011-03-29T00:10:00.000-07:00

Today I had to drop Dave off at the airport so I figured I'd drive out to UBC and the Nitobe Memorial Japanese Garden.

I've made several trips out there. I used to love studying there when I was attending UBC.

I'll be making another trip out there in a month when the cherry blossoms should be in bloom.

Abandoned Milk Company

2011-02-24T20:32:00.001-08:00

Again, I'm not sure what it is about me and abandoned buildings. I just love them. Love thinking of what they looked like when they were in good repair and active. I'm fascinated by the decaying process. Paint peeling, roofing collapsing, walls breaking down.

Today was an old abandoned milk company. I think. What looked like the office had a battered old Foremost milk company sign on the brick. It has obviously not been in use for a good long time now.

The land has been expropriated for the South Fraser Perimeter Road so I imagine this old building won't be around for too much longer before it gets torn.

Buddhist Temple

2011-02-22T20:37:00.000-08:00

Today was a lovely day. Beautiful blue skies. Too nice to stay inside. A bit chilly but really, after 9 years in Fort McMurray? Not that chilly.

So today I decided to take a drive out to the Buddhist Temple about 20 minutes away. It's a beautiful place. The garden is lovely and the temple is amazing.

I spent some time, enjoying the smell of the incense as people came to worship. It was, honestly, a very peaceful experience.

I did have one small glitch. I asked a worker if I could take pictures. Now, he didn't speak English. And I don't speak Chinese. But I held up my camera and asked and he gestured around with his hand so I figured I was okay to take pictures outside but not in the Hall of Ancestors.

So, I did take a couple of pictures of the gracious statues in the main area before I came around the front and saw the "no photography or video" sign.

Aside from that one small glitch (and my cell phone going off when I thought I'd turned the ringer off, at least I was still outside for that) it was a lovely morning.

Steveston

2011-02-20T19:35:00.001-08:00

Today wasn't as nice a day as yesterday but nice enough that we could go out to the park for a couple of hours. I was ready to leave long before the monster man was. But when his hands were so cold they were red, I put my foot down.

We headed off to Steveston to run an errand and I opted to get a few of pictures down at the wharf. It was nice but the monster wanted to go climbing onto the boats. I swear, that kid has no fear at all. Gives me plenty of fear.

Anyway, I did manage to get a few pictures today.

Whiite Rock Pier

2011-02-19T18:29:00.000-08:00

We went out today with my cousin and her little boy who's only 6 months older than the monster. It was gorgeous out and the day just screamed for the beach. Which is exactly what we did, heading down to White Rock and the Pier and Promenade there for a nice walk and some fun.

Red Sky at Night....

2011-02-17T00:14:00.000-08:00

Mother Nature was very cooperative tonight. The sky was colourful and gorgeous. Not a lot more to say about that

Oh yeah. The wind was crazy and it was a bit chilly taking the pictures. But really really worth it.

Valentine's Day approaching...

2011-02-13T13:41:00.000-08:00

So, since tomorrow is Valentine's Day and I had some pretty red roses in the house, I thought that I would take pictures of them today. And my Mom was nice enough to lend me her ring so I could sneak some sparkle in there too!

And for the other two pics, just pretty roses. They smell fantastic, naturally. What's not to love?

Lunar New Years

2011-02-12T22:46:00.000-08:00

We were in Richmond today at one of the malls and they were having a big Lunar New Year celebration. It was great fun. There were three dragons and two drummers and assorted dancers making their way through the mall eating red ribbons from the store entrances to bring them good luck.

They had singers and dancers on stage near the food court. And more drummers.

And crowded. Wow. It was crazy in there today. But great to see the monster fascinated by all the colours and music.

Rusty old Fridge

2011-02-11T19:23:00.000-08:00

I can't tell you why different things catch my eye. They just do. Tonight it was this old old fridge, left to rust in a shed.

Despite the crappy light, I managed to get a few good shots.

Boundary Bay

2011-02-10T18:07:00.001-08:00

I go out to Boundary Bay quite often. The dogs have been with me a few times and they love it. I'll admit that if no one is around, I let them off their leash. They have a lot of fun. I just make sure they know I have the biscuits so they come running back when I call. Otherwise I'd be chasing the damned beagle off into... well... the middle of nowhere, no doubt.

Anyway, today I took them and let them have a little run while I got some pictures. One of those pics is my picture of the day, of course.

Morning out over the bay for my pic of the day.

I've mentioned to people recently that we've had a lot of bald eagles down here. By a lot I mean I saw more than twenty today. These were just two of them.

Now... when I was on the other side of the bay, I saw a blue heron with a mouse. I pulled over to take a picture. AS I was pulling over to take the picture, a bald eagle swooped down, scared the heron who dropped the mouse and took off. The eagle then enjoyed the mouse. It was incredible to see. Just wish I could have caught the first part of it with the camera! Of course, that would have had me crashing into something so probably just as well I didn't.

All in all, a very good morning.

A drive to Point Roberts

2011-02-08T20:51:00.000-08:00

I know, I know. A long absence. But seeing as I'm doing a project 365 and taking a picture a day again (every day so far for 2011), I want to use this as well. I'm posting the picture a day on my Facebook but on some days I end up with several pictures that I think are worth sharing.

For example... today I took a drive to Point Roberts. Kind of strange to need my passport to do it when I can remember just zipping across the border with my drivers license. Ah well, the world it does keep changing.

So, today's Project 365 picture. I'm ridiculously proud of this one. You know how sometimes you're going through pictures and you're not sure which one is -the- picture, then one just LEAPS out at you? That was this picture today.

But it was a great day. Nice light. Blue skies this way. Clouds that way. Made for a great variety of pictures.

I like the different textures in this one. The smooth stones, the rippled sand, and the choppy water.

The heron wasn't thrilled with me getting too close. But that's okay, catching him in mid-flight was awesome.

I actually got quite close to him before I apparently made a noise he didn't like and took off on me.

Mount Baker there, off in the distance.

The driftwood, the sand, the water... I could have relaxed here for a long time.

Now, here's what I meant about the light and the cloud cover being so interesting today. This picture? Is the same sailboat that's in my project 365 picture. This picture was just taken a bit earlier. I waited for him to sail along so I could get the other picture.

I guess this was an old pier. Something is definitely missing from it. The birds seem to appreciate it though.

An immature bald eagle taking off of the warning light tower. He was really very cooperative, just wish the light had been a bit different for this one.

Did I mention that I could spend a lot of time relaxing out here? Of course, it wasn't quite as warm as it might look but it was a crisp breeze and great day to be out walking.

Love the sound of the waves hitting the shore.

I am not sure what the pole is for. There are some other ones but they're further back. This one? out quite a bit further.

The bald eagle sitting there? Swear I didn't even notice him until I saw the picture on the laptop. I think the seagull looks like he's plotting something.

And finally, the beach, facing off towards Tsawwassen.

Just a great day to be out and about with a camera.

Queen Elizabeth Park

2010-05-01T17:02:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I went to Queen Elizabeth park to go to the Bloedel Conservatory. And, of course, I had to get a few outdoor shots. I didn't have a lot of time to really wander the Park but I still took a bit of time and got a few good shots.

The Park has a great view of Vancouver, of course.

It's positioned up high, as you can see, so you overlook the city and the mountains. And since it's on a hill, the park itself is very pretty to look down over.

The flowers have been blooming for a while now so it's colourful too!

I loved the colours of these tiny little flowers.

And you just can't go wrong with some tulips.

Now, one of the features outside the Conservatory (which you can see in the background of this picture, of course) is a sculpture called "Photo Session" that was done in 1984. And it's kind of exactly what it sounds like. One character - presumably the father - taking a very touristy picture...

...of what is, presumably, his family. At least I hope so. I'd hate to think he's taking pictures of other random statues.

The piece is amusing for a number of reasons. The clothes that they're wearing is just one. The fact that I remember my parents taking similar pics of all of us on assorted trips is another.

But the part of the piece that really makes me smile? Is the camera that the Dad is using to take his picture.

Behold! The classic Kodak Instamatic X-35!

Why do you ask, does this amuse me so? Well, my very first camera was....

...the Kodak Instamatic X-15. Now, maybe I should be jealous his is a model or three above mine but I did get it as my first camera. Back in the 70s. And he had his in 1984. So I'm not jealous.

I do, however, find it amusing that I still have my old Instamatic tucked away. And I just had to get it out and take a picture of it to prove to you all that this was once the extent of my camera equipment.

Ah, the memories. The square pictures with the rounded corners. The film cartridge - no self winding required! The square flash that went on top and had four sides. It rotated with every shot taken and a flash would burn out. When you went through all four, you popped it out, tossed it, and put in a new one.

I'd say forgive me, I was young. But truth is? I loved that camera! And got a whole lot of mileage out of it.

2010-05-01T00:23:00.000-07:00

When I have some time alone, I often take my camera and go out. Today I decided to go to the Bloedel Conservatory in Queen Elizabeth Park.

I did take quite a few flower shots but honestly, I was drawn to the birds that live loose in the dome most of all.

Cheeky little buggers. The parrots were very cooperative. The other birds? Not so much.

Anyway...

This is the Conservatory and the fountain that's up top.

The dome opened in 1969 and it's interesting looking at the archival footage because you can't see the trees within when it first opened.

They're taller now, of course.

Inside there are four biomes. Two rainforest, one subtropical and one desert. I'll be honest though, the desert area is very small. The rainforest has taken over!

And I did take a few flower pics.

But really, I was trying to catch the birds.

As previously mentioned the parrots were easy.

The others were harder to catch. Some were so hard I can't even post the pictures here. Too blurry or too much foliage in the way. But I did manage to get some of the more difficult ones.

This one? I must have stalked him around the dome twice and taken about 15 pics before I finally got one decent one.

This fellow was shy, tucked into his own little space.

But the hands down hardest one? This guy. He stayed in one area easily enough but he was chasing three other birds and he moves like a chicken, only much faster. It took me forever - and about 25 attempts - to get a few good ones. Or a couple good ones and a couple decent ones.

It's like a jungle in there, literally. Very warm and very humid. So I did sit on a bench and take a little time to just relax.

It's lovely in there, it really is. But I have to admit, going back outside into the cooler air with that nice breeze?

Bliss.

Tourists in our Own Backyard - Squamish

2010-04-26T15:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my birthday so we decided to do our next family outing trip to celebrate. So we decided to head out of town again on an hour and a half (or a bit less) drive out to Squamish.

The Sea to Sky is a lovely highway. Especially after all the work that was done on it for the Olympics. Prior to the upgrades, it could be a bit nerve wracking. Now it's much more enjoyable.

It runs along the eastern edge of Howe Sound.

So you're looking out over the water and mountains pretty much the whole way up to Squamish.

Our first stop was Shannon Falls, just outside of Squamish. Ridiculously easy to find - right off the highway - and a short walk up to the viewpoint. Absolutely beautiful and well worth seeing.

There's no pool at the base of the falls, it widens out into Shannon Creek and tumbles along over logs, rocks, and any other obstruction that thinks to slow it down.

There are a few old growth trees in the park. We spent some time running around on the grass and exploring. The monster man was especially interested in the big old tree you could walk right through.

well, that he could walk right through. No way was I making that trip.

And, of course, there were flowers in bloom everywhere. The colour of these ones really caught my eye.

We had to stop and marvel at the Stawamus Chief. It attracts climbers from all over, apparently, and offers fantastic views of Howe Sound from the top.

I'm sure that's true. Lord knows it's impressive enough. But I won't be seeing those impressive views for myself. I will admire the Chief from way down here.

The weather was a bit touch and go. Mostly grey skies for the day with some off and on rain but, honestly, it wasn't that bad at all. We had lunch at the Howe Sound Inn and Brewery and checked where the Heritage Railway is. No pictures from there on this trip. We'll be taking those pics in June. Because we'll be taking the monster there to see Thomas the Train.

So, a leisurely drive back with a brief stop in Horseshoe Bay...

And a great day all round. A wonderful family trip and a great birthday for me.

Another ducky visit...

2010-04-20T00:08:00.001-07:00

For whatever reasons in his little two year old mind, the monster is fascinated with ducks. Actually, I guess it's not all that great of a mystery. They're something out of the norm in his little world. They quack. They waddle. They have cool colours.

Ducks are awesome, to him.

Of course, none of them have ever nipped him with their beaks either but hey, here's hoping we don't have that happen.

Either way, if we ever want an activity that he'll love and will be fun for all, we get some duck food and we head for the bird sanctuary. We have yet to make it into the sanctuary. We nver make it past the parking lot and the duck pond there.

One day, I will make it all the way into the sanctuary. But last weekend? It was just about the ducks.

The last time we went to see the ducks, he was a bit overwhelmed by the swarm of ducks that came waddling our way. He was still fascinated with them... as long as I was holding him. Which made pictures a little awkward (but I still got some) as well as feeding the ducks. But this time we had Daddy with us. Problem solved.

Except that this time he was done with being overwhelmed. He was fascinated and fearless! The ducks didn't really want anything to do with him and headed off as he came to check them out.

But it's okay, we had the solution for that problem. Enter big bag of duck food - $1.99 at our local pet store making this a cheap outing.

And believe me, the food comes out, those ducks stop running away and start running to you.

Surprisingly, the monster doesn't chase the ducks. He's not running after them, scaring them. He walks to them. And when he gets close, he crouches down like he's examining them. Showing him he's their friend or something. Then, when they waddle away, he gets up and walks after them again, giggling. again, no chasing and scaring.

Again, not that it matters. Because we came prepared.

They're wily opportunists, those ducks. As soon as the food is out, they're more than happy to cluster about and visit with you. The monster was laughing as he watched them all scrabble about for the little pellets of food.

There are a lot of ducks at the sanctuary. I mean, a lot. A whole lot. And the vibrant colours are pretty.

I can't tell you how funny it was to watch him throwing food for them, laughing as they clustered about his feet, looking for more more more.

But, as it always happens, the food eventually runs out. And after a little more ducky visiting, it's time to take off.

But don't worry, ducks. We'll be back another day. With another bag of duck food!

Tourists in our Own Backyard - Othello Tunnels

2010-04-19T13:28:00.000-07:00

Dave and I decided a while ago that we should start doing family outings. Go to interesting places just to get out and enjoy the nice days and do some family things together.

So on April 10th, we decided to drive an hour and half out to the Coquihalla Canyon Park where five tunnels, mostly rough rock faces, make up the Othello Tunnels. These five tunnels used to be part of the Kettle Valley Railway, cut through the rock back a hundred years ago or so. Parts of the movie First Blood were filmed down in this Canyon.

You start with the first tunnel - they suggest you bring a flashlight as it is dim within the two longer tunnels. Naturally we didn't. But we survived. Did hit a couple of puddles though. It's a relatively straight line through the rock. For the first three tunnels at least. It was easy to see all the way down through the first three.

The dripping water in the tunnel is more than a little disconcerting. It all feels so solid. So permanent. And yet you know there are a host of tiny cracks and fissures for the water to make its way through. And it's long. And dark. A flashlight really would have helped. Oh well.

You come out of the first tunnel and look up. Way up. At a sheer face of rock that the tunnel is cut through.

Then, off to the right there's a low stone wall - and yes, we had a very good grip on our monster man - and you look way down, to the river at the bottom of the canyon.

It's loud. Incredibly loud. The water thunders over the rocks and rapids of the tight canyon and the sound echoes up to you and beyond you, amplified by the rock walls that surround you.

The second tunnel is short and rough, leading to a bridge beyond that carries you over the river as it winds its way through the canyon on on to the third tunnel.

I have no idea what the 49.5 on the far side of the second tunnel means. I just liked how it looked on the rock.

The view before you enter the third tunnel is as breathtaking as any other part of the canyon.

Most of the five tunnels are rough hewn. Worn from the passage of time but otherwise one can believe they look much as they must have looked the day they finished cleaning up the rubble. The two exceptions to this are the third and the fifth tunnel. Each of these tunnels has one end that's 'finished'.

There's another bridge as you come out of the third tunnel, crossing over into the fourth tunnel, which is half hidden in the greenery.

The view down from that bridge is just awesome.

Dave had me laughing as we entered this one. He just had to say "The way is shut. It was made by those who are Dead. And the Dead keep it." Ah yes, Lord of the Rings quotes. You know you're a geek when...

And finally, my favourite picture of the day. A wonderful day out as a family. I can't wait for the next one. And I'll be sure to post the pictures from whatever outing we choose a little quicker next time.

This? This is Winter??

2010-02-16T22:39:00.000-08:00

First of all, I disagree with people interviewed who called this an embarrassment. The Olympics are here, yes. But to say it's an embarrassment because we happen to have the warmest winter in a 100 years the year they happen?

Last I checked, no one could control the weather.

Here's hoping things improve for the games, at least.

But for my friends on the east coast who are snowbound, I thought I'd send them some lovely images of what life was like today in my world.

But not to be mean. No. Never that. Heh.

First of all, I don't agree

The sky afire...

2009-10-10T21:31:00.000-07:00

I know there are a million sunset pictures out there but I think there's a good reason for that. There's something magical about a really good sunset. When the sky is all afire with colour and you can't help but admire it.

The other night I stepped out onto the deck to let the dogs back in and the sky was just amazing. I wished so badly that I was over by the water to capture it from there but, even though we're close to the water, I knew it would be over before I got there. So I settled for some shots from home. And I'm glad that I did.

2009-10-05T17:09:00.000-07:00

So this week we headed off to check out our new surroundings. And found the pumpkin fields. Pumpkins as far as the eye can see.

Okay, not quite that far but there are a whole lot of pumpkins out there!

2009-09-08T16:15:00.000-07:00

So the other day we went for a little walk down by the river, just enjoying the nice day. The monster was having great fun, jumping as the gulls flew by and getting into everything within reach. Thank goodness for his backpack with the leash attached! Because he definitely wanted to jump on into the river and we just weren't going to play that game.

I took a few pictures along the way and was enjoying all the sounds, including the rustling of the grass in the breeze so I naturally had to try and get a picture of it. I was trying to catch the motion of the grass and the monster was surprisingly cooperative with my attempts!

The running of the ducks...

2009-09-05T14:32:00.001-07:00

Wow, I can't believe it's been so long since I posted anything here. How does so much time just slip away?

Anyway, I'm trying to get back into "it", so to speak. And I'm even going to try and takes pictures of things other than the light of my life. But I had to post this one.

Taken at a recent wedding, the monster man was utterly and completely fascinated by the ducks and kept trying to capture one.

I have no idea what he thought he was going to do with it if he caught one but fortunately, he never did.

My little monster is 11 months old!!

2008-11-15T23:28:00.001-08:00

Holy crap. I'm just... baffled at how this happened.

He's 11 months old. In a month he'll be a year. I can't get over how big he is... and so mobile. He's not quite walking yet but he really wants to! He's cruising along on the furniture and changing his diaper is... well... a challenge.

As I do every month, I took his pictures today with the stuffed dog his Grandpa gave him.

At first, he looked a bit distrustful of his friend...

I did get some great smiles from him though!! Ah... but you might notice that in the first picture we have socks. In the second and third pictures, no socks.

Which brings us to our photo of this months technical difficulty. One of my little monsters favourite games is sock removal. No sooner did I get him sitting down then we went after the socks. He's a determined little man too!

Happy almost birthday, my little man!

Not the baby but another halloween post...

2008-11-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

All right. I just had to post this. As one of the reasons I love the WB.

A while back, there was a post from someone about a rainbow cake and it just looked so cool I had to try it. I waited for quite a while because I couldn't find any gel food colouring but I decided to try it with regular food colouring. I just used a little less water to balance out the extra fluid from the food colouring.

And since it was halloween, I dyed the frosting orange and used some chocolate chips to make him a bit more halloween-y.

I know I know... sad cake decorating skills!

It's been a year?! Halloween pumpkins..

2008-10-31T23:03:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I've had this blog for a year now! My god... this time last year I was a month and a half way from giving birth (I thought I had more time) and taking pictures of fake pumpkins because I hadn't managed to get any before they all sold out.

This year. My son's first Halloween. And I bought three pumpkins two weeks ago. Hah! Learned my lesson, didn't I?

So... since I posted pictures of my pumpkins this time last year, I need to post them again.

Although... technically... I think this post is going to show up as a November 1st.

And tomorrow? Perhaps a picture of my little man's first Halloween costume!

Pumpkin time!

2008-10-30T20:37:00.001-07:00

God. I can't believe how long it's been since I made a post. I'm so ashamed of myself.

I did not even post my monkey's ten month pictures. EEK!

So, my post tonight is me playing with my new camera... my Canon XSI! Yay!

And the pumpkins that are going to get massacred for tomorrow night!

9 months old!

2008-09-15T17:33:00.000-07:00

9 months old. He's been out for as long as he was in!

We had a good day. Busy, just running around, a trip to the park. Some grocery shopping.

It never ceases to amaze me how much longer every errand takes when I'm running around with my little man!

Such a handsome little man! Every day with him is an adventure!

Abandoned...

2008-09-02T21:49:00.000-07:00

On our drive home to the frozen north, we pass a host of abandoned outbuildings along the way. I find myself fascinated by these buildings, wondering what things these buildings may have seen. What history lies within. What would the walls tell me if they could talk?

As an aside, I should mention that I have the most patient husband in the world, willing to stop along the long long drive home so that I could take some pictures!

Wide open spaces...

2008-09-01T23:29:00.000-07:00

We went to a wedding this weekend. The wedding of one of my oldest friends. God help us, we were in Brownies together, if you can imagine. Wow... more than three decades later, she's now safely married.

This picture is not, of course, from her wedding. Can't post those without her permission. Instead, it's from our drive home from the wedding. It was a good day for a drive, a bit overcast so it wasn't too hot and no rain, despite the scattered clouds. As much as I miss BC, I have to admit that Alberta is a beautiful province.

I took some pictures of an old house on the drive back as well. I'll have to post those tomorrow.

Ch..Ch..Ch..Changes...

2008-08-17T23:30:00.000-07:00

So, the title of this post says it all. I was playing on the computer today and made up a progression card of my little man. Seeing it all laid out like this almost brings tears to my eyes, in a good way though. He's getting so big and he's changed so much! He looks less like a baby now and more and more like a little boy.

A handsome little boy who loves to flirt already! LOL

So, while it's not a new photo, I thought I'd share my little graphic here.

And don't worry, I'll take some pictures of something else soon!

8 Months old...

2008-08-15T21:34:00.000-07:00

I know. I know. Every month I say it. I can't believe how big he's getting. And every month, it's true. It seems like just yesterday we were heading to the hospital so that we could finally have our baby and now, here we are, he's been out -almost- as long as he was in.

Amazing. And I can honestly say that this has been the best (and craziest, most frustrating, remarkable, insane) 8 months of our life. I know there was life before the baby. I know we had fun. But I still can't imagine out lives now without him in it. Ever.

Daddy was home for his "photoshoot" today so a lot of the pictures have him looking up at Daddy - as we see in this shot...

Hey, he's smiling, I certainly can't complain! And the new shirt still makes me laugh. Because he is used to the attention.

Man... look how small that dog is getting. Maybe tomorrow I'll do a progression post just to show the change. Makes me all warm and fuzzy.

Anyway, moving on. I did get a few shots where he opted to look at the camera. Cooperative little man. And happy as the day is long. I swear, he doesn't get grumpy unless something is actually wrong in his little world. But when he wants something? Whoooooo... step on back. LOL Gets that from his father!

And finally, this month's technical difficulty. The escape attempt!!!

Now, seriously, am I the only one who looks at this picture and hears a cop in the background saying "Okay, assume the position." LMAO

Leaving Las Vegas...

2008-08-14T11:52:00.001-07:00

So, I know this post is very late but once we got home from Vegas, we hit the ground running like crazy people. Man, lots of relatives to see and friends to visit. I don't think we slowed down for the rest of the time we were away from home.

We stopped on our way out to grab a few pictures. As we waited in line to get some food, I caught a picture of this great little scale model version of the Bellagio, complete with miniature fountain! It's in the conservatory.

Next we swung by the Patissiereto check out the chocolate fountain. Mmmmmmmm nymmy. think there's a way through the glass? I also posted the info about the fountain just underneath so you can get all the tempting details.

And just for the record, that place makes -fantastic- chocolates. To die for. Heavenly. Mmmm... well.. you get the idea.

Our flight was uneventful and we set down, on time, in Vancouver. We left the airport and went to fetch our car and then drove the four hours to reach my parents' place. Which made for a long day. But we were anxious to see our little man again since this was the first time we'd left him alone for so long or gone so far. And we still missed him by 15 minutes. Sounds asleep when we got to my parents' home.

I heard him the next morning, stirring a bit before he finally decided he was awake. I went in, picked him up and laid him on the bed to change his diaper. I'm not sure at what moment he woke up enough to realize that this was Mom and not Grandma but all of a sudden I got the BIGGEST smile and giggles and hands held out to me for hugs. And he gummed my nose in his enthusiasm. I wonder if I should count that as my first real kiss from my baby boy.

I took him into the bedroom his Daddy and I were in and again, huge smiles for Daddy and arms out. He spent about an hour crawling over the both of us, reassuring himself that we were definitely home and not going anywhere.

So... a good trip with a great homecoming. He turns 8 months old tomorrow so I'll be doing a post then, of course, and maybe I'll toss in a couple of thoughts on taking a trip that entails 17 hours of driving - one way - with a 7 1/2 month old! LOL

Happy Anniversary and Boy, do I smell good!

2008-08-03T00:27:00.000-07:00

I know... strange title. But it suits well enough!

Five years ago today, we got married. Hence the reason for our trip here to Vegas and all the fun we've been having.

As for the smelling good part... hubby decided I needed to go to the spa. I know... it's hard to live with such a demanding man. LOL I had an hour massage and a facial. Then some time in the tubs and a nice shower with all those lovely spa products. When it was all done... well... the title says it... I smelled good. And felt fantastic.

After the spa, we changed into some nice clothes and headed off to La Reve for the early show. Now, naturally I couldn't take any pictures during the show but, seeing as how half the audience was taking pics of the stage before and after, I thought I'd get a couple myself. Not the greatest shots. Photographing in the dark with the automatic camera but not bad. You get the idea at least. It's a water show and it was fantastic!!

Then we headed back to the Bellagio for our dinner at Le Cirque. Oh. My. God. It was a -fantastic- meal. There wasn't a single thing that we had that wasn't absolutely delicious. Perfectly paced and amazing service.

And we won't discuss the price of dinner. LOL Definitely a "special occasion" kind of thing. Once every five years sounds about right.

Anyway, a deliciously and leisurely paced two hour and a bit hours over dinner and dessert and here we are, ready to curl up. Our last full day in Vegas was fantastic and it was definitely a memorable fifth anniversary. Tomorrow, we'll be sleeping in and packing. And getting the receipts in order for our return to Canada. It's been a fantastic trip and a great break but I'm definitely looking forward to seeing our sweet baby boy again!

Swimming Pools, Hot Sun, and Mojitos!

2008-08-01T16:13:00.000-07:00

So, after a delicious breakfast and some shopping, this afternoon was all about some relaxation out in the sun at the pools here at the Bellagio. And gorgeous pools they are too....

We opted for one of the two pools that features a fountain in the middle of it. We found out later that these pools are kept colder than the big pools. Which, really is not a bad thing since it's 109 F out there... or 43 C. You can just feel the heat soaking into you as you lie there. Thankfully they have sell sunscreen (+45 thank you very much) and you can charge it to your room since we weren't carrying any cash!

It's not just that little place that lets you charge to your room. So do the lovely ladies who come around asking if you'd like a drink. Which brings us to the Mojito of the post. I tell you there are few drinks as refreshing as a mojito. Mint and lime juice muddled together with rum, soda water, and lots of ice. Bliss.

Have to be careful though... when you're charging drinks to your room, it's easy to forget how expensive they are!!

And I think that lounging by a pool or in the pool, enjoying a drink certainly ranks up there on the decadent things to do list!

A few hours out the sun and we were all set. For a NAP!!! Nooooo... It's time to get cleaned up and off for more sightseeing... and some food. Mmmmmmm...

Viva Las Vegas!!!

It's Vegas, babyyyyyy

2008-07-31T19:42:00.001-07:00

So we're off and flying. To Vegas. I'm honest enough to admit that I've been feeling more than a little "off" about leaving Connor behind. Not that I would want to bring him to Vegas with us but this is definitely the furthest away from him I've been and for the longest. Fortunately, he's with my parents so I know that he's having a great time wrapping them around his tiny little fingers.

The flight went great. Away on time and a direct flight. Wahoo!

It was pretty cool when we flew over Mount St. Helens. I really wish it was possible to get better pictures from an airplane though. Still, I thought it turned out pretty good.

Finally, we were slowing and descending... with Vegas and the Strip in our sights. It's kind of cool how easy it is to spot the Strip from the air. And you can see the man made lake in front of the Bellagio in the top third of the shot.

We walked into our room at the Bellagio and this is the view that awaits us. We've seen the fountains go off every half hour since we got here. You can turn on your TV and hear the music that accompanies the show.

I swear, I could watch that fountain all day!!!

Seven Months Old!!

2008-07-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

Wow... has it been a month? Gods, hang my head in shame and apologies to my fellow photo nuts. With all the colds and coughs and appointments around here, I'm not sure where the last month has gone!

So, I will post some shots from his seven month pictures (taken on the 15th, of course) and strive to do much much better!

I have to say, I can't get over the changes in him every month. He's so much more interactive now and trying to get this crawling thing going. He plays with toys though he still does his best to eat most of them too. And solids have been an adventure!

AND... on top of that... he said "Mama" yesterday for the very first time! Whoot!!!

So... some shots of my boy and promises that I'll do better in the picture taking and posting department!

Attack of the Killer Dandelions!

2008-06-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

So, as promised, I do actually have a picture to post that isn't of my son, though I know you're all gaga over him like I am.

~takes a moment to snicker and then preen because he really is adorable~

Ahem... moving right along.

I don't know how things are for the rest of you, but here we're having some serious dandelion issues this year. I hadn't really taken that much notice of it, being a bit goal oriented of late. I mean, I noticed a lot of the yellow blooms but didn't think a lot of it. They eventually turned into the puffballs and I sort of noticed but, again, wasn't really paying much attention.

Then I came home one day and really -looked- at my neighbours lawn.

At least... we think there's a lawn in there somewhere! Can you imagine what it'll look like after a good stiff wind??

He's getting to be such a big boy!

2008-06-16T10:09:00.001-07:00

I was going to do this post yesterday and got caught up in things and never got it done so I'm going to make it today and post another picture a little later. LOL

Yesterday was a big day for my boy. Six months old already! We started the morning off with some mostly naked time on the floor. He was in heaven. He had his toes and could stare at the fan! What more could a little man want?

After his nap, we did some pictures with his stuffed dog. I clipped the blanket over the chair so we wouldn't have a repeat of the blanket falling over him technical difficulty. Clever me!

I have to say, I love my boy's smile. And I will, apparently, happily make a fool of myself to get that smile. He wasn't really cooperating for his six month pictures and I was having a heck of a time getting a smile out of him. So, I framed him with the camera then moved my head so he could see my face.

I then proceeded to sing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" over and over again making funny faces and voices just to get him to smile for the pictures. How glad am I that a) no one could see me and b) there was nothing recording the foolishness? But hey, it's all good. Because it sure worked!

He developed a serious case of the giggles while we were taking the pictures. It was great fun.

And, finally, it wouldn't be a monthly picture shoot if we didn't have at least one technical difficulty. Connor has developed a healthy interest in his feet and toes. And at one point, decided he was done with pictures and needed to have a nibble on his Robeez!

The High Chair...

2008-06-11T09:23:00.000-07:00

Connor is fast approaching (only four more days now) six months old. Which means it'll be time to start solids. Live the adventure, right! So, in preparation for this momentous event, we got the high chair out from under the bed and put it together.

We bought it when I was six months pregnant, knowing we wouldn't need it for a while. But we were looking for one that took up the least amount of space possible and loved the look of this one.

I was going to put it together... and got a little way along before hubby couldn't take it anymore and put it together for me. So.. my nefarious plan worked.

Since Connor likes to be sitting up way more than lying down nowadays, he's absolutely loving his high chair. He sits in it or the bumbo while I'm working on dinner in the kitchen and plays with toys. And very very soon we'll get to make all sorts of fun messes! yay!

The only downside.. he has discovered the "throw the toy down, mommy picks it up" game. Alas!

Old Rail Fence...

2008-05-29T14:31:00.000-07:00

I've been visiting family this last week, which has made updating my blog and such a bit more difficult than it normally is. But we were able to get out and get some pictures around the area.

My parents live in the Interior of BC where it's semi-arid desert region. Dry and not lush with green like the coast but still very pretty in its own way.

I wanted to photograph an old church and I'll post those pictures tomorrow. Today's focus is an old rail fence surrounding the church and the lilacs that were growing in huge bushes around it and around the rest of the area.

I love the texture of the wood in these old fences, the weathered gray look of them, the parts that are cracked and chipped and eaten away at. They look like they've seen it all, if only they could only find a way to tell their stories.

The plants grow against the fence and sometimes around and through the fence, giving you the idea that it's just always been there.

And the lilacs are gorgeous. They are, for me, the ultimate spring flower and have always been a personal favourite. Other flowers last longer, bloom more often, but lilacs with that thick heady scent are my personal favourite. And these ones have such a rich colour and so many blooms you couldn't count them all.

It's been a good trip and, while Connor and I'll both be happy to see hubby again, it's always hard to leave our family behind to head back up to the north.

A new camera lens to play with

2008-05-18T21:20:00.000-07:00

So, based on a recommendation from the boards, I acquired a new lens this week. A Canon EF 50 f 1.8. A fixed distance lens which is very cool to play with.

As evidenced by the two shots below. I had to do manual focus (gasping in shock) to get them to work right but I think I'm going to have a lot of fun with it.

The subject is obviously my son, napping blissfully, since he was the most convenient and stationary target. And, of course, he's unbearably cute sooooo...

I love the clarity of the lens, the quality of the picture and the way it focuses. Great fun to play with! And much less expensive than most lenses!

Spring is springing... again!

2008-05-17T08:08:00.000-07:00

I'm not a fan of winter... which makes it all the more amusing... or ironic... that I live where I do. The frozen north. Ah well... it's not all bad. Just the winter wears me down. But it feels so good when spring starts to make its appearance.

So, back on April 17th, I posted about how spring was finally springing. And a mere 5 days later, this was the scene in my back yard.

Poor pitiful puppy! Once the snow (a foot and a half of it for the love of god!) melted, we finally got down to the serious business of spring. The river broke - something I wish I could get pictures of. Really, rather explosive! But finally we have some green on the trees...

The ice and snow are, for the most part, all gone and the ground is starting to green up.

And one of the locals when I pulled down a side road to turn around looked at me a bit suspiciously!

I'm so happy that winter is finally done!!!!!

Where have the last 5 months gone?

2008-05-15T22:32:00.000-07:00

The title for this post says it all for me.

I can't believe it's been five months now, I really can't. Sometimes it seems like he's been here forever because I can't imagine my life without him. And at other times it seems like just yesterday.

He's so amazing to me. All these little giggles and smiles and grabbing for things. Even when I'm overtired and frustrated, this is the best thing in the world.

So, here's my little man at five months. Wearing his "Mommy's little man" shirt since at four months he wore his "Daddy's little buddy" shirt!!

We started off with his hat and cool shades. However, this month's technical difficulty was a bit different than last month's. First of all... I didn't catch a picture of it. I did, however, get some pictures of the outcome. You see, he doesn't sit up so well just yet though he's getting better everyday. And he was wearing shades. So when he slid and hit the armrest...

....well, you can see the result. Baby's first bruise. (Not counting the ones from the needle for his shots). Oh, it's just a tiny one but still...

However, he recovered quickly though he was in a bit of a grumpy man mood for the rest of the day. He still managed to give me a few smiles for the camera.

Mother's Day

2008-05-11T22:09:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day, all of you mothers and mothers-to-be!

First of all, let me clarify a little booboo I made. I put my name on these pictures out of habit. But I obviously didn't take them. Dave did. Happily enough, my little stinker stayed up late enough to get a couple of pics with him. After all, it was our first Mother's Day together.

It's amazing, really. This time last year I'd just found out we were pregnant again. Happy and terrified all at the same time. I called my parents on Mother's Day to tell them we were going to have a baby. And this year, I get to snuggle him and listen to his giggles.

I wish Dave had been off to enjoy the day with us. But you know what?

It was a really good day.

A little bit of blue..

2008-05-10T21:48:00.001-07:00

Today's picture came about as I was trying to get the kitchen cleaned up. I have a bunch of these little glass things and I had them, for some unknown reason, in my silverware drawer. So after the cleaning, I ended up with a little glass bowl filled with the little glass blue chips.

I liked the look of the light on them while they were sitting on the windowsill so out came the camera. I love the intense blue of them.

Dude, your girlfriend keeps checking me out!

2008-05-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

So, once again I fall behind on my blog posts. Ah well.

For any number of reasons, it's been a busy couple of weeks. I did manage to get a couple of pictures done for the weekly contest but I just didn't manage to post on my own blog. Sheesh.

The weather has finally gotten nicer and we've even gone outside for a walk and everything. I turned 39 on April 25th so I'm once again looking at losing some weight. I'm doing pretty good but I need to get more exercise. Works out well that I have the little man to keep me running!

Speaking of the aforementioned little man, his clothes are the reason for the title of this post. After two months of waiting, I finally got the onesies that I ordered in! He wore one of them today and EVERYONE had a good laugh over it.

I stopped at work to visit and, since it's so sunny out, I plunked his little hat down on his head. As you can see, he's still not entirely sure about whether the hat is acceptable or not.

He smiled while he was wearing it and yet, I turned away from him for a moment to adjust the window and turned back to this.

I love the so casual stretch. It just screams "Hat? What hat, Mommy?"

Ah well, and the adventure continues.

The Annual Shearing of the Dog...

2008-04-21T22:29:00.000-07:00

So we have two dogs. A Beagle named Crash and a Cockapoo named Coker. Crash's fur is a constant thing. He sheds but it will only grow to a certain length so caring for his coat is fairly easy. Coker's coat is an entirely different thing though. It just keeps growing. And we don't really trim it over the winter as he needs that extra protection - not that they spend a lot of time outside in the winter, but still. Unfortunately, he also doesn't get brushed nearly enough so by the time spring rolls around he's got long fluffy hair and he is terribly matted everywhere.

So every year in the spring, he gets shaved. By yours truly. Because finding a groomer in this town that has openings is HARD.

Now, we've had nothing but snow for the last two days (and yes, I'm traumatized by that because it's April 21st, for the love of God!) so it's not the best time to shave him but it needs to be done (desperately because he's stinky!) and I need hubby home to look after the little man so it can get done. So, snow or no snow, today was shave day.

So.... here's how our boy started off his afternoon.

Note the matted wave of his coat. The fluffy body. He looks "fatter" than he really is because of all that hair (five inches long... I measured) and it took a very long time to shave and cut. A little more than two hours, actually, because I had to work through the matted parts.

So, after two hours of long-suffering work - Coker because he doesn't enjoy this and me because Coker keeps trying to hide in the tub where there's no place to hide and Crash spends the better part of the time crying because he's locked away from the festivities or trying to climb into the tub with Coker... argh - this is what I had in the tub...

I think there's enough hair there to make another dog.

So, after all that work, Coker is shaved.

Here, ladies and gents, is our end product.

My poor... poor... pitiful... puppy.

~just leans back and laughs herself silly~

Did I say Spring was Springing?

2008-04-20T16:56:00.000-07:00

Yeah. Right. Spring. THIS is spring?

God help me, what hell am I living in? Seriously. I'm a Vancouver girl (yes, even though I've been up here for this many years, I'm still a Vancouver girl at heart) and this is just obscene.

People, it is April 20th! MAKE IT STOP!

Anyone want some snow? I've got a fair bit to share right now.

The dogs aren't exactly loving it either!

Spring is finally springing!!

2008-04-17T15:13:00.000-07:00

And one of the things that the beginning of spring means is that it's time to slash and burn.

Yup, they've been out and about this week, burning underbrush and getting rid of the dead stuff. Which, of course, causes a good bit of smoke around the various areas of town.

I was amazed that the remains of this tree was still standing, look how much of it is eaten out by the fire. I kind of wonder how long it took for it to finally give up the fight.

And to some people, spring means something else entirely....

I think there's a truck somewhere under all that mud! LOL

Oh my god, he's 4 months old!!

2008-04-15T21:21:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. I did a post today already. But I had to post some pics of my little man since he turned a whopping 4 months old today.

Wow, I can't believe it's already been that long. Amazing. He was in a great mood today too so taking the pictures were lots of fun with a lot of smiles...

It's amazing how much more active he is now, reaching out to grab the dog rather than leaving it sitting there beside him. His frequent attempts to eat either his hands or the stuffed dog often obscured the smiles...

He seemed surprised by the camera... though I can't imagine why. It's not like I haven't taken... well... a lot of pictures of him. Let's not try to put a number on it. A lot will suffice!

And there were moments when I really really wished I could know what he was thinking....

Still, we had a lot of fun with the cameras today....

Even though, as always, we did experience some technical difficulties...

I still can't believe it's been four months. I'm so in love with my little man. But hey, who could possibly resist this face??

Washing Machine Circles...

2008-04-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

Again with the circular theme, I was looking for things to take pictures of when my husband suggested the washer and dryer. Which made me go "Hey, great idea!" And he didn't even laugh at me. He'd suggested it because he knew I'd do it. LOL

So, here are some of the circles that are part and parcel of my washing machine!

Circular "gems"

2008-04-13T18:40:00.001-07:00

So, keeping in mind the "circles theme this week, I dug into my crafts box to see what else I might have that was circular and came up with these colourful little fake "jewels". God only knows what project I bought them for but I'm sure there was a purpose to them once upon a time.

Now, they're just another thing to use when I take pictures.

I do find that I'm really into the macro shots of late. Which is fine, the macro lens is fun to play with. I just find it funny that lately I'm all about the macro.

Circular reflections...

2008-04-12T23:12:00.000-07:00

The theme for this weeks contest is circles. So on Saturday afternoon, I went into my craft supplies bucket and pulled out these little circular mirrors and took them outside. The goal was to catch the reflection of the sky without having anything of myself in them.

I mostly succeeded. At the far edge of each circle, you can see the reflection of my red shirt. Curses! LOL

I do like the little glare on the near side of each of those little mirrors though and the way they're reflecting off the leather.

Not sure yet if I'll use this one or find something else but, overall, I'm pleased with how this turned out.

Red..

2008-04-12T15:56:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I was playing with the camera and caught how the last sun of the day caught the edge of my candleholder. It's cloth under glass and I thought it made for a really interesting texture. I took shots at a few different angles but this is the one that appealed to me the most!

and yay! I took a picture that wasn't of my son! This is progress...

Okay, I took a few pics of him too but still!

Repose...

2008-04-09T22:49:00.001-07:00

Whenever I think I'm at the end of my rope, I watch him sleep and everything's right with the world again.

I'm frustrated with myself because even if I can't post everyday, I want to post more than I am right now. But the days keep slipping away and while I enjoy almost every minute of it (hey, he's teething... who enjoys teething?) I still want to do my pictures too.

So... once again I'm going to take some time for me to get a picture that I want to post and to get it posted at least three times a week.

And hopefully of some subjects other than my amazing little man. I mean, I'll still post some of him but other subjects too.

He is gorgeous though, isn't he? ~winks~

Happy Easter!!!

2008-03-22T18:54:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. A day early but we're traveling tomorrow so I don't know if I'll get a chance to post.

We're going home! Man, traveling with a 3 month old is draining. It's been a great trip but I'm looking forward to my own bed and such. I just wish we didn't live so far away from everyone. Especially now that we have our little man. Who will hopefully get back to his routine when we get back home! LOL

So, here are a couple of shots of my little man for Easter. One with some plastic eggs and another on his great-grandma's quilt. I think he's ready to get home too!!

Up up and awayyyy...

2008-03-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

I was going to title this "Connor's first plane ride" but since he's not in it...

We did experience Connor's first plane ride last week, though, as we flew to BC to visit family and friends, most of whom had yet to meet our little man. Since it was his first plane ride, I took a couple pictures of him and a few out the window.

I was pleased with how this picture turned out, though I had to clean it up a little bit to compensate for the plane window. Still, I won't complain too much. Without the window there, the ride would be a lot less comfortable!!

Perspectives...

2008-02-28T12:46:00.000-08:00

I missed the contest for last week but I did have a picture that I wanted to enter. For some reason i thought that I had until Wednesday. LOL

Anyway, it is a picture of Connor but it is definitely a perspective picture. And a lesson on the value of cropping a picture, really.

When playing with my camera on Tuesday I took this picture.

Now, I felt that it was a really good picture and still do. But I started to play around with it. The only thing I did was crop it and rotate it. And I ended up with this...

Now, personally, I feel that the cropped and rotated version has much more impact, making it the better of the two pictures.

What do you think? Agree or disagree?

Two Months old...

2008-02-16T09:03:00.001-08:00

Wow. I can't believe it's been two months already!

Yesterday Connor officially hit two months old and I'm still in shock. Has it really been that long? I got another parcel in the mail - I've been ordering things like a madwoman lately and my husband complains none of it is for him... it's allllll for the baby.

Anyway, yesterday's delivery was a picture frame I ordered, a t-shirt and a onesie. And the onesie just had to be worn for the two month picture because everytime I look at him in it, I have to have a bit of a chuckle!

Naptime bliss

2008-02-06T17:58:00.000-08:00

I just can't resist posting this picture because I'm so happy with how it turned out. Our little man was sacked right out, napping in his Dad's arms, wrapped in a flannel blanket. He was so peaceful and I just had to catch a picture of it.

Ah... naptime is bliss, isn't it?

Oh baby it is cold out there!

2008-02-01T21:53:00.001-08:00

Hey, it's finally a picture of something other than the baby!!

Hehehe...

So, we all went outside today. Though not for long, believe me. It's been sitting somewhere in the neighbourhood of -40 C and it was foggy the other night. The result of the that fog and that cold is this extremely cool hoarfrost. I love the way hoarfrost looks... I just hate how cold it has to be in order to see it!

Puppy Love or Jealousy???

2008-01-17T20:28:00.000-08:00

I was taking some one month pictures of our little man with his stuff dog when the real thing decided to check out what was going on. I think that maybe Coker - the oldest of our two dogs - is still having issues with all the attention Connor gets. And, of course, he really wants to play with the baby!

Still, I was really happy with how the picture turned out so I had to share it here.

And I'll be taking and posting more pictures. It's my new mission!

A brand new year coming...

2007-12-31T20:49:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that New Year's Eve has arrived and that tomorrow will be the start of 2008. And even more than that, I can't believe that we already have our sweet baby boy when I was all prepared to be a January mommy. The last 16 days have been amazing. Hard, no doubt about it, but amazing all the same.

Connor is doing great... a few fussy nights that left me feeling like I was at the end of my rope but, thankfully, Dave is off for a month and takes Connor in the morning for a bottle feeding and I get to sleep for a few hours at the minimum. I can't say enough about how good he's been to me. And my parents were equally fantastic for their week and a half visit. Mom did my laundry and kept my kitchen cleaned, Dad kept the driveway and deck shoveled and both would hold Connor at the drop of a hat. LOL We miss having them here!

One of Connor's favourite things is his swing. A friend of ours gave us the swing and I'm so amazed at how fantastic it is. He naps in it after feeding, allowing me to actually get some stuff done around the house! I do think, however, that as much as he loves his swing, he might be getting a bit tired of my camera!!!

He's so alert and he has those great big eyes. I can't wait to see what colour they end up being but apparently I have to wait for quite a while to find out!

I absolutely love just relaxing with him (even if I do hate how my neck looks in this picture! LOL)

As you can see, when our boy naps, he naps HARD! All limp and out like a light!

So, from our family to yours, Happy New Year everyone!!!

Nursery progress... full steam ahead...

2007-12-29T19:03:00.000-08:00

Wow... I'm so behind!! Who knew that a baby could be so time consuming??

LOL Yes, yes, I'm joking.

Okay, so a few pictures. As those of you who have been following my blog know, Dave decided to rip out a wall to find out why the room destined to become the baby's nursery was so cold all the time. A problem that has been nicely rectified.

So now, repair work commences. Obviously we're (and by we, I mean, Dave) not finished but
I thought it would be kind of cool to post an update since there's drywall up, then primer, and now, tonight PAINT!! Woohoo!

So... to start, the picture of the wall all ripped up... This is what I came home to that night!

Next came the insulating and repairs! We'll make that room warm for our baby, dammit!

Dave got the drywall up, slowly but surely since work kept interfering. Curse that need to earn a paycheque!! Of course, progress was stalled when Peanut decided to make an early arrival on December 15th (see below... hehehe) and we had the most beautiful boy in the world, Connor! Suddenly the relatively minor inconvenience of the soon-to-be nursery being ripped up was a BIG inconvenience.

Still, we brought Connor home, my parents came to visit to meet their first grandbaby and to help out and Dave set to work on taping, mudding, then sanding!! And more sanding. More mud... more sanding... Ah well, you get the idea!

With the taping, mudding, and sanding complete, it was time to prime those newly finished walls!

And finally, our neutral colour for the walls. A nice ivory beige. Next up he'll be putting up the wainscoating - which will be getting painted a really nice green - and a chair rail that will be a nice jersey cream. I'll post more pictures as progress continues but we're closer to a finished nursery and less chaos here at the homestead!!

And tomorrow I think I'll give into temptation and post a few more pictures of my boy. Hehehehe... he's my favourite topic these days but don't worry, I'll post other pictures too. Maybe I'll be able to get out of the house to take some other pictures soon!

Under the Blue Lights...

2007-12-22T20:48:00.000-08:00

Connor is healthy and beautiful but he was, unfortunately, jaundiced. His levels seemed okay when the skin was tested but the whites of his eyes were very yellow so we went to the lab for blood tests (my baby's poor little heel) and waited for the doctor to call with the results.

When she called, it was to send us into the hospital so he could be treated with phototherapy. He had to sleep in an incubator under a blue LED light (pictured immediately below this paragraph), mostly naked, for two days and nights to clear up the jaundice. It was hard seeing him all tucked up in there, not able to hold him at all. With the mesh and eye/ear pads over his head. I cannot imagine how parents handle it when their child has a serious life threatening disease.

Still, Connor handled it like a trooper and after the two days was up and his billirubin levels had been tested again and were definitely way down, we were sprung from the hospital and happily headed for home!

So... a few pictures of Connor's adventure under the bright blue lights!

And one more, just because I'm a sucker for those big eyes of his!

Life changing events...

2007-12-21T17:03:00.000-08:00

On December 15th, we had an unexpected disruption to the everyday routines of our lives. My water broke and our baby decided to join us early!

Connor was born at 10:01 pm on December 15th at a healthy 8 pounds, 1 ounce. And that's three weeks early! I'm actually a bit happy he decided to come early! Any bigger and I might have passed out! As it was, at one point I cried out "I can't do this" as I tried to push the head out. Fortunately Dave was a rock and helped me keep my breathing steady and focus on the "fun" of pushing.

Still, it was all worth it, of course, since the end result was my sweet little son. I can't believe just how much my life changed in that one moment!

Welcome to the world, Connor. Mommy and Daddy are so happy to meet you!

Festive Lights

2007-12-13T16:54:00.000-08:00

I went outside a couple weeks ago and wrapped a few strings of lights around the railings to give the house a bit more festive sparkle. They're LED lights and I'm still torn on them. I like the energy savings and all that but a big part of me still prefers the twinkle of traditional lights. They're just brighter and warmer.

I keep hoping that now that they've made a warmer white LED light, they'll be able to make similar adjustments to the other colours.

Still, the fact that they're cool means that the snow that fell yesterday (all day!) piled up on the lights and didn't melt around them, giving me a cool effect for pictures tonight! The first one is probably my favourite, just because of how the snow pile is glowing but I also like the reflections of the colours in the second one!

Cranberries about to be Sauced

2007-12-12T21:16:00.000-08:00

So, this week's contest topic was food and I wanted something vibrant. Which brought the cranberries to mind. There's nothing better with turkey for me than homemade cranberry sauce.

I really like the way the stainless steel pot catches the reflections! And I even like those first few wisps of steam!

Penny for your thoughts...

2007-12-11T19:09:00.001-08:00

I emptied out my change purse today and was amazed at how many pennies were in there. And, for some reason I just felt inclined to take a picture of them.

What the heck. That's what this challenge is all about, right?

Now I just have to figure out what food to photograph for the challenge! Let's see... I already did pomegranates... Hmmmmmm...

An older pic...

2007-12-10T18:58:00.001-08:00

I didn't get any pictures done today. Just one of those days, you know? Tired and not feeling great and trying to get some of the mess cleaned up for the furniture delivery tomorrow.

So I'm pulling out a picture from this summer. It was taken at the Sun Yet-Zsu gardens in Vancouver's Chinatown.

It's a double-sided silk embroidery of peonies and a hundred butterflies done in the mid-1900s... artist unknown.

I was fascinated by the colour. And by the fact that the silk that the peonies and butterflies are embroidered on is so delicate you can barely see it. The whole thing is under glass, of course, and the colours are just beautiful.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll be up to catching something new!

So many choices...

2007-12-09T18:49:00.001-08:00

So today I had to pick out the pain for the new walls. Not that we're at the painting stage yet but we had the colours picked for the wainscoating and the chair rail so I had to pick a complimentary colour for the wall itself.

In the process of choosing the colours, I was taken with how cool all the paint samples looked so I couldn't resist taking a picture or two.

Honey, I can explain!

2007-12-08T20:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, my internet did the big old crash and burn. I went to make a post and, presto, no joy.

Grrr...

But, today, I am back. And the picture has a story behind it.

One that I'm sure I will laugh about in the years to come.

Naw, who am I kidding, I'm laughing now.

So, today I go out to Earl's with some of the girls from work. While we're enjoying our food and chat, I get a call on my cell phone. Hubby's the only one who calls me on the phone so I answered with apologies to my friends.

Now, when I left with the girls to go and have lunch, hubby was working on the baby's room. Putting up wainscoating, which we would then paint and put up a chair rail. That's the plan and he was hoping to have it all done this weekend.

So why the phone call? Well, long story short, he wanted to let me know he had ripped out the one wall in the baby's room so I wouldn't be shocked when I got home.

Yes. You heard me right. No more drywall... just studs. Apparently there was a cold draft coming out of the electrical socket. And we needed to check this. I get that. But ripping out the wall? Save me.

So, tomorrow will be drywall day. The only problem? Errr... another problem... we have these textured walls throughout the house that you can't really paint so eventually he'll want to redo all the walls so the room looks right.

That's right. You guessed it. They're all coming down. He's gutting the whole kit and caboodle.

Save me.

Holy Hitchcock!

2007-12-06T20:18:00.000-08:00

Okay, not the prettiest pictures because they were taken around a dumpster by a restaurant but still.

These are ravens. Not crows. No... crows, for all that they're called murders when they're in a group... just aren't as big as these guys. Somehow the word raven just suits them better. I swear, they're more than half the size of my cockapoo. And fear of humans isn't really in their lexicon. Oh, don't get me wrong, they'll fly away if you run at them but when they look at you, you just don't get the feeling they're especially scared of you.

Which is why, every time I see them, I think of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" and wonder...

Scarves...

2007-12-05T14:18:00.000-08:00

I knit a very little bit. Very little bit. One of the things that I've knit have been scarves. Very straightforward because that's really all I know how to do.

So, this picture is of three of my scarves, colourful things that they are. Purple, red, and blue. The wool for them is a "boa" kind of wool and very glossy so they caught the light very well when I took the picture.

Still, it's a nice punch of colour on a cold winter's day!

But baby it's warm inside...

2007-12-04T15:30:00.000-08:00

This morning, I started the car and looked up at the house of the neighbour behind us. And was juts tickled, for some strange reason, by the ice around this little chimney vent thingy...

Yes, I know. Terribly technical language. I'll try not to get carried away by it.

Anyway, I figured I'd try to catch a shot of it but, surprise surprise the light was uncooperative today. Alas... bad lighting. Then I moved, looking for a more cooperative angle when I saw the image I captured for the second picture. It was beautiful, so gold and warm. And it's also about the brightest we got all day.

So, timing really is everything, I guess. And I'm going to hope for betting lighting so I can catch a better shot of the ice tomorrow!

Oh Christmas Tree...

2007-12-03T22:01:00.000-08:00

I tried to resist... tried to save the Christmas pictures until closer to the actual time. But I couldn't. All I had in my head today was Christmas decorations. Christmas lights. Each time I tried to go out and do some pics, Christmas dominated my mind.

So I gave up and decided that if I was going to play with Christmas pics, I'd at least tinker with some low light level ones and see what happened.

I'm not overjoyed with the results but I do like the colours in the first one. And the second one kind of draws my eye, almost like some kind of abstract art. I'm definitely going to spend more time tinkering with low level light though!

An older pic - splash of colour

2007-12-02T15:49:00.000-08:00

This is an older picture, taken in 2003, actually, in my first foray into digital photography. I didn't get a chance to take any pictures today because we're putting up Christmas decorations. I think impending fatherhood has traumatized hubby's brain because he's gotten really into the Christmas decorating this year! Usually he just groans - quietly - and tries to minimize my insanity.

I freely admit I have a bit of an obsession with Christmas lights. Hehehehe...

Anyway, I'll probably take some pictures tonight but just in case, I wanted to post this splash of colour. A selection of sarongs hanging together during a summer street mall in my hometown. It always cheers me up to see all the bright colours and given the theme this week, it was just sitting in my mind!

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas...

2007-12-01T19:33:00.000-08:00

We went out shopping today to buy a new Christmas tree and some more decorations since our last tree was very small. So while I we were shopping, I was thinking about my favourite decorations. And I decided that's what I would post tonight.

So, these are my two favourite Christmas decorations for our tree. The first is a favourite because when I gave it to hubby, he laughed so hard he had tears in his eyes. Now I have one that's the Christmas version of the cup. Hehehe...

The second is one that I got in 2004 and it made me cry when a student gave it to me. I dragged that student, kicking and screaming it seemed, through his Grade 12 courses with me. He came to visit me the following year, in tears, to hug me and tell me he had passed his courses and that he was sure it was because of me.

Zen

2007-11-30T20:31:00.001-08:00

I have a little Zen garden. Nothing elaborate, just a small black square container with a little rake, some rocks and a candle.

It came with little white rocks, too big to really be called sand. But I bought it with something else in mind anyway so I got rid of the white rocks and replaced it with a coral pink sand that I got while we were traveling through the States.

While on this trip, we stopped at the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in Utah. The sand is amazingly smooth, each grain (according to the signs) almost perfectly round and a lovely salmon pink colour. The dunes are surrounded by red cliffs, the source of the sand as they erode down and the sand is blown down to create the dunes themselves. All in all, it is breathtaking and unlike anything other sand I've seen. And I figured, since people were out riding quads in the sand, it was okay for me to take some of it in a jar. So, when we got home, I used some of that sand for my little Zen garden, making a unique little momento of our trip.

So... the first three pictures are of my little Zen garden and the last is a picture of the Sand Dunes taken in July of 2005 during our trip.

Bonsai

2007-11-29T16:42:00.001-08:00

Today I was sitting watching TV, just kind of off in space. At some point, one of the dogs jumped up and almost knocked my little bonsai tree off the table. So, as I sat there staring at it, I realized I hadn't taken my picture of the day and that the bonsai tree itself is very interesting.

The bark is extremely cool and the leaves are a nice rich green. It's like a little hint of summer when the rest of the world is all snow covered and monochromatic!

Snowscapes

2007-11-28T19:27:00.000-08:00

It was an interesting day for light up in the frozen north and since I had to drive hubby out to work, I took advantage of the day to snag a few pictures of the landscapes.

I don't like the cold but I do find the snow pretty and it lends itself well to pictures. And the lighting is always interesting in the winter.

The first picture just looked kind of desolate to me. Pretty in its own way but very much as though the world is asleep beneath the snow. The second picture was interesting to me because of the smoothness of the mounds and the blue tint of the shadows. And the last, well, I like how the snow sparkles in the sun. Even if that does mean it's really cold out!

Take me on a Buggy Ride!

2007-11-27T16:12:00.000-08:00

This was my other thought for the contest. It's an old buggy out at the stables near town. But, in the end, it was no contest. I had to do the pocket watch. Still, I like the old snow covered buggy. It's been out in that field for the two years I've been heading out there to take some pictures. There's a beaver pond at the end of the road that I love photographing.

Something old... Antique watch...

2007-11-26T16:02:00.000-08:00

The theme for this week is "something old" and as soon as I read the contest theme, I knew what I was going to photograph. Something old indeed.

This is a pocket watch that hubby received after the death of his father. We're still trying to track down the origins of the watch. It has a fairly detailed inscription in the back but it's still going to take some work.

We're not sure where the hallmark is to be found but the closest match for the watch that we've been able to find out places this watch somewhere around 1919. We're going to see about finding out a more precise date for the watch and try to find out more about the story behind it.

I'd also like to look into getting it professionally cleaned and fixed up if possible but I'm not sure about how it works with antiques. Not that anyone will be selling it or anything but we don't want to mess with it given how long it's already lasted. It's obviously a watch that saw use, not just decorative value.

Now I'll just have to pick which one of the pictures I want to put into the contest!

Paradise by the Keyboard's light...

2007-11-25T19:49:00.000-08:00

Okay okay, paradise is a bit of an exaggeration but I couldn't resist.

I was looking at my keyboard and thinking it would make a cool picture if I could get it to work. About ten tries later, I finally got one I'm happy with! LOL

It's a Logitech G11 keyboard and I just love it. I mean, as much as you can love a keyboard. I use my computer for work, for graphics, for chat, and a lot of other things which means I can be pretty hard on a keyboard. I also type in the neighbourhood of 70 words a minute (if I don't need to add numbers... numbers slow me down to about 50-ish) so it really does take a bit of a beating over time. The old cordless keyboard actually ended up with a bunch of the letters worn off. This one doesn't have letters "painted" on the keys. The letters are actually clear and you can turn on the light so they glow.

Oooo... very cool keyboard. Hubby was so jealous when I picked it, he ordered himself one too. LOL

Strange finds while cleaning...

2007-11-24T18:05:00.000-08:00

Okay. Let me make this clear from the outset.

I am a packrat. I have improved - try to ignore any laughter you might hear in the background since my family would not doubt argue against any improvement - in the past few years but I'm still a terrible packrat.

So one of the situations I'm dealing with right now is cleaning out the front bedroom which will be the baby's room. And the copious amounts of stuff that were stored in there while it was just our "spare" room. Eek. In the course of this cleaning, I started going through a big box of old papers and junk that actually included, to my surprise, a few 15 or so year old essays from university.

Yes. Yes. I know. I admitted already that I'm a packrat.

So, one of the things I found in this box was a ziploc bag full of little sparkles that you put in cards. Heart shaped ones, octagons, Mom, stars... all sorts of little things and colours. So, being who I am, I had to photograph them.

Live the adventure!!

Jingle Bells!

2007-11-23T16:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay. They're not actually Christmas decorations!

We had troubles with one of our dogs not letting us know when he had to go out. Or rather, he'd come see us but do nothing to indicate there was a reason for his visit. And if we didn't catch on when he left again... well... you know what happens. Anyway, it worked out great. They're ringing the bells when they need to go out!

And me, I just liked how the bells look and how they caught the flash. I also like them sitting on the surface of the dark leather ottoman and the way it reflected.

There's no avoiding winter now...

2007-11-22T17:16:00.000-08:00

I am willing to admit that winter can make for some pretty pictures. Especially when the sun is out. The way snow hangs on tree branches and there's a certain appeal to the monochromatic kind of look though I much prefer spring and summer.

Of course, when you're not a fan of the cold, it's hard to get excited about snow. I know a lot of friends are thrilled that winter's finally here since now they can snowboard and ski. And the skidoos that I saw out and about! Crazy!

So, here are a few winter shots. The last one is my favourite, I have to admit! I loved how the moon was hanging in the blue sky as the sun was going down. I do also like the 3rd one. I've taken pictures of that same rail fence in the fall so it was nice to catch it with the snow sitting on the rails.

Site at Day..

2007-11-21T17:46:00.001-08:00

The weather cooperated beautifully today, giving me bright blue skies to work with! So, after some food - since food is terribly important to me right now - and a triple check of my cameras to make sure I had all the batteries and that they were all charged up, I was off and running.

Okay... off and walking slowly. You get the idea.

I headed out to site again today to get a few pictures of the site in daylight and I couldn't really have asked for better conditions. Unlike most of the other times I've attempted to photograph out there during the daylight, I didn't have the haze that always seems to get in the way. But the light breeze kept the haze away and the blue skies provided the perfect backdrop.

Granted, it's still not an attractive topic but I was pleased with how they turned out.

The first shot is from the Rebel with the telephoto lens and the other two distance pictures are from the G9.

Site at Night...

2007-11-20T18:39:00.001-08:00

One of the things that's on my "to do" list is to become a better night time photographer. I find photography at night extremely difficult and I would like to learn how to do it better. So tonight, in keeping with the pollution theme, I thought I'd go out and try some night pictures of site. A couple of them worked out okay but I ran into a problem.

I charged the battery on my Canon Rebel the other night but apparently I thought it would be a good idea to forget to put the battery back in before going out to site. Brilliant, I know. Thankfully I had my Canon G9 with me. Of course, the battery is getting low on the G9 but thankfully it didn't die on me before I was done. I was irritated with myself though since I always check my cameras before I head out. Well, apparently not always since I managed to mess it up this time. Grrrr...

Anyway, here are the two shots that I was happiest with from the G9 tonight. I think the reflection of the light off the billowing clouds of pollution coming out of the stacks is kind of cool. Gross, when you think about what's in those clouds but makes for interesting photography.

Incidentally, the little streaks on the close up picture are the snowflakes coming down. It kept snowing almost all day.