Earth Wonders - Rain

Hi Everyone! 

Hope your day is going well!  It's still raining, which was providential for this week's Earth Wonders challenge - "Rain."  However, it's such a soft rain it's difficult to catch when photographing it.  At least, it is for me. 


Click Here to visit Ana's Wonderland

My photos really just show the results of the rain we got yesterday. We're still getting the rain today, but it's reminiscent of the Seattle rains we experienced while living there.  Not hard enough to use an umbrella, but you'll know it if you step in a puddle! :)

The night shot shows our wonderful Maple tree highlighted by our security light in back of the house.  The light just barely captures the rain as it gently falls to Earth.  I thought it would be neat to do the day shots in a light sepia tone.  The first one is between the porch steps and the boxwood to the left of the porch, then the puddle that always forms on the sidewalk in front of the house, and then the rain overflowing the gutters in back that will probably be replace next spring.

Why not join the party and add your own rain photos here.  Dear Ana has generously provided the blog hop code for us to use on our own blogs, so you can add your post either here, or on the master at Earth Wonders.  I would suggest checking out all the information on Ana's Wonderland blog, though.

I have to say a super big "thank you" to Ana, too, for allowing me to pick a favorite photo from last week's challenge! Thank You, Ana!



Take care and God Bless!

XoXoXo

Harvest Moon and Jupiter Oct 14, 2011

Last Friday we had a Harvest Moon. Nothing really odd about that, right?  Well, this Harvest Moon also had a little friend in the sky - the planet Jupiter!

I took this picture a little before 5 AM.  This straight out of the camera (except for a little cropping, but that was just black sky).

See the little bitty dot below the moon, near the bottom of the photo, just left of center?  THAT'S Jupiter!

In this version, I added one of Kim Klassen's textures, "autumn burst" over the moon, just for giggles and grins.  Well, isn't a harvest moon supposed to be orange??? :)

Sharing this with Bunny Jean's Bunny Hop Party.  Why not "jump to it" and join in?!


Click HERE to visit Bunny Jean!


Also sharing with Traci's Sepia Saturday at Poetry Without Words.
 



Take care and God Bless!

XoXoXo

"I Put a Spell on You" - Halloween

This week for Natasha's Pinning and Singing Weekend Party I've chosen Bette Midler, the Divine Miss M, to sing her song "I've Put a Spell on You" from Hocus-Pocus!

Here are some really cool Halloween pins from Pinterest, too!

Source: craftpassion.com via Joy on Pinterest

Source: marthastewart.com via Joy on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Joy on Pinterest

Source: None via Joy on Pinterest

Source: designsponge.com via Joy on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Joy on Pinterest



Click Here to join the Party!

In rememberance of all that have passed due to Breast Cancer, and a prayer that a cure will soon be found!



Take care and God Bless!

XoXoXo

Oktoberfest

Our little "city", Seymour, celebrates Oktoberfest the first weekend in October every year.  It runs from Thursday noon thru Saturday evening.  This year October 1st was a Saturday, so the party started Thursday, September 29th.  If my calculations are correct, next year Oktoberfest will start October 4-6.

The city actually changes the street signs at Second and Chestnut and Second and Walnut to the German equivalent.  We didn't make it to Second and Walnut for me to take photos.



Second Street

Chestnut Street

I was lucky enough to have my sister, niece, nephew-in-law, and great-nephew join me this year!

Kathy with her camera at the ready!

 

Daddy Mark, Gage (11 months old), and Mommy Krysta

We walked uptown, even though neither Kathy nor I felt like it.  We both have fibromyalgia, which feels like you have the worst possible case of the flu all the time.  But we went as the kids were really looking forward to visiting the craft booths, food vendors, flea market at the First United Methodist Church parking lot, and the kiddie carnival.

We got to see so many craft booths with such a large variety of items.  You could spend all day there and not see everything.  In fact, we didn't get to go down three of the streets.

There were lots and lots of Autumn decorations in front of the booths.  Wish I had some of these at home!

It was still daylight when we left, but by the time we met up with Hubby, the sun was starting to set and it was really getting chilly!



Uncle Doug says, "Gimme Five!" Gage says, "Huh???" pulling his hand back!



Krysta, Joy (that's me wearing Doug's Oktoberfest shirt), and Doug

Lots of people were bundled up!  About 3-4 years ago, Kathy came to stay with us during Oktoberfest, and the temperature got to 108 degrees!  We were both dying by the time we got to the flea market!  I've also seen it snow during the three day festival. 

Our daughter and grandson Garrett showed up, both with chicken and dumplings noodle soup (I stand corrected).  Grandpa had mentioned he wanted some before the evening was over.  Garrett came up to him and said, "here Grandpa, this is for you!" I think Grandpa gave it back to him, after a couple of bites.  I believe Grandpa's heart was swelling with pride and love right then!

Garrett, Tiff, and Grandpa Doug

Then SIL Nate and grand-daughter Kaylee appeared. 


Nate, Kaylee, Garrett, and Tiff

Get a load of this cheesy grin!  

Kaylee - she knows how to pose for the camera!

 We decided to get something to eat from what seemed like a hundred or so different food vendors.  Lots to choose from, and we didn't see all of them this year!

By this time, Kathy and I were pooped.  We rested for a bit, before trying to make it home.  The kids decided to look around some more.  The moon was making its presence known.  It looked so spooky, playing peek-a-boo in the clouds every now and then.  Kathy took a great picture of it, but all the town lights distracted from the eerieness (is that a word? doesn't look right!). Then she tried one closer to home, but the lights and lines were still a distraction.


Near Post Office at 4th and Chestnut



Near 4th and Walnut

I took a picture of it as we got home, into the backyard, trying to avoid lights and all the phone, cable, electrical lines that snake their way thru the skyline.  Kathy was too worn out to try to mess with any more.

The kids got home almost right after we did.  They decided to forego the joys of the kiddie carnival.  There's still plenty of time for Gage to enjoy the rides when he gets a little older.

Well, that's my 2011 Oktoberfest story for this year!  We had a good time, but we were ready to hit the hay.

Sharing this with Bunny Jean's Bunny Hop Party.  Why not hop on over and see what brewing?  There are so many lovely posts, with lots of decorating ideas!

Click HERE for some fun!

Take care and God Bless!

XoXoXo

P.S.  The reason I put "city" in quotes at the beginning of this post:  Seymour is the SMALL TOWN in which John Mellencamp was born (Doug's cousin on his mother's side, something like 3rd cousin).

Earth Wonders - Trees

This week's subject matter at Ana's Earth Wonders Photo Challenge is "Trees." 

The other morning, just after dawn, I went outside to capture the leaves changing to their Autumn dress on our 10 1/2 year old Maple tree. 

We had planted it right after we moved into our new home.  It was just a little bitty shoot, maybe 12-18 inches tall, and the previous owner had tried unsuccessfully to eradicate it.  I dug up the poor little maple-ette from the front flower bed and transplanted it lovingly into the backyard.  Like all of God's living things, it just needed a little love, a little tender loving care!  That little shoot is now taller than our house!  It gives us shade from the southern sun in the summer, helping to keep the back bedroom cooler.  That must have been the reason for it to pop its little head up every year, refusing to die.

The morning sun was so very bright that morning!  You can see the top of the tree is so washed out from the light. 

I adjusted the contrast/brightness/vibrancy and used two of Kim Klassen's wonderful textures for the final result. The first texture is one of my favorites: Pumpkin Grunge. I used blend mode Soft Light @ 100% opacity.  The second texture is Autumn Burst, blend mode Multiply @ 50%.  I wish I had thought to remove the trash can before I took the picture, but to be honest, I really didn't see it! Only when I started playing around with the photo did it become visible to me! ;)  Guess I must have been sleepy?



Take care and God Bless!

XoXoXo

{Texture Tuesday} RED eDition - Kaylee - May 11, 2011

OK, I had our grandson Garrett in yesterday's post, so I have to have our grand-daughter Kaylee in today's!  Equal time for both!

Here's a photo of Kaylee back in May this year playing baseball. This was taken at one of the many ball fields her Grandpa Doug is in charge of taking care of and getting ready for the kids to play on (among other things to keep all the parks and the Olympic-sized City Pool in tip-top shape - very much unappreciated most of the time).

It was so hot that week!  The poor kids were all sunburnt, as well as the parents.  Kaylee looks like she has a little dirt moustache, too.  Wearing her RED team shirt and RED-skinned, she's ready to catch that grounder!

Here's the photo, after adjusting the contrast/brightness/vibrancy and adding 2 layers of Kim Klassen's portrait texture.  One layer is blend mode soft light @ 100% opacity, and the other is multiply @ 75% opacity.

I'm sharing this with Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday.  Head on over and check out all the wonderful entries!



Click HERE

Take care and God Bless!

XoXoXo