The Monster at the End of the Book, over and over again, lol

Knitting Macro Monday

Busy, busy.  Knitting has quickly become my obsession, lol.

Macro Monday is easy to play, snap a macro (or any close-up) photo, post it on your blog and come back here and sign MckLinky. :) MM started on Sept 29, 2008 - THANX to all of you for helping make it such a fun start to the week!

spinning

When's the last time you spun a pinwheel?  Take time out for fun!

~ You can see the explanation behind this project by going here or see the all posts in this category by going here.

Impatiens

I tried to catch the bee flying in but it didn't work out so well, the flower looks good though, right? ;)

Then to get this shot I stepped forward and well, put the bee in shadows. Oh well. This post isn't really about the bee anyway.

It's about the Impatiens. We have one of those metal double washtub things and the last two summers we've filled the tubs with flowers. When the roses didn't make it through the winter we decided to fill it with annuals. We picked some Impatiens, Marigolds, and Begonias.

I think this was my first experience with Impatiens and I have to tell you that I was surprised by them. They grew taller than I expected, had continual blooms and pretty much choked out the Marigolds and Begonias. The bees, wasps, dragonflies and butterflies loved them! AND, now this is almost the best part. . .

The seedpods are FUN! My son discovered the thrill and promptly scared every female member of the family by gently handing them one.

You see, when you squeeze them. . .

or just try to hold them or pick them up when the seeds are ready, they explode open, flinging seeds everywhere! This caused many screams by the unsuspecting.

But, they are so much fun when you're expecting the explosion! I had to keep ahold of the pods to get these photos, otherwise you would miss it.

So, in slow-mo, after it splits down one side, it rolls open, flinging seeds, then rolls back, into a C.

Being Silly

I'm really trying to finish off my Florida trip photos, lol. While we walked around downtown Key West waiting to see if our parasailing trip would go (it didn't) I pointed my little point and shoot at practically everything.

Think I could swim to Havana? I don't think so, but that seems really close.

Mile 0 - very cool!

I was intrigued by sculptures around one of the buildings. These dancers are huge!

Loved the photographer! I stood in front of him and pointed my camera in the line his would be and here's what he's snapping. . .

This painter was busy painting naked ladies.

My guys had to be a part of the painting. (The guy in the middle is part of the sculpture) Haden on the left, Dennis on the right.

The guys got me to pose too, lol.

About 4,000 miles of road

Whew, what a trip! I do not know where this bridge was, lol. The beginning of our trip took us south through Chicago, into Indiana, East through Indianapolis, into West Virginia and Virginia and North Carolina - where Dennis had to visit a plant - down through South Carolina (barely sliding through before that huge snowstorm!) and into Georgia (Savannah), then finally Florida, Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, through Orlando, to the Everglades, down to Key West, back up along the Gulf Coast to Homosassa Springs, then back home through Atlanta Georgia, Chattanooga Tennessee, through Kentucky and back up through the longest part of Illinois. Boy, I got tired just typing that.

It was a very long trip, with many miles of various terrains flying past the window, but we managed to get out a few times and check things out.  I'm feeling a wee bit overwhelmed with nearly 3000 photos to go through!  I have gotten the car unloaded, things put away, laundry completed, oh!  And the nice surprise when we got home to temperatures in the 20s was that the furnace in our place had crapped out while we were gone and the temp in the house was 43 degrees!  Brrrr!  We spent the evening trying to figure it out, finally gave up and called the repair man and yesterday morning the heat was back on and I now feel like I can tackle the photos.

However, I might suggest that you do not choose to switch from a PC to a Mac right before a huge trip - the Mac stayed home for the trip, safe at home, and here I sit trying to get my mind out of PC mode and into the simplicity of Mac mode and finding a groove for keeping my photos organized where I can actually find them and know which ones I've shared - - - and yeah, I'm just a wee bit overwhelmed.  But I'm happy to report that I'm pretty excited about some of the photos!  I can't wait to wade through them and relive the moments of their taking and share like crazy!

So yeah, I'm not sure which state this bridge was in, but I think it was in the first day or two of the trip, snapped through the windshield while going 70 mph with the crappy little point and shoot, and I can't decide which way I like best.  I hope it transfers to you the feeling of adventure I felt. :0)

This looks like SO much fun!

Rambling Chaos

In trying to share my vacation (which I love doing btw), I am falling behind on some current stuff, so please accept a hodge podge. Dennis and I went to the Dells Comedy Club and had a great time! The hypnotists were hilarious - they are the couple from the Jerry Springer show. Even though we were right up front we did not volunteer to be hypnotized, but we sure laughed our butts off! We used to go to comedy clubs from time to time, but it had been probably 7 years since we’d been!  It's a goal to go more often - everyone needs to laugh.

We bought tickets for Gallagher! We’ll be right up front and they tell us he wants people to bring their cameras! Yippee! We saw him in Joplin 7-8 years ago, but we weren’t that close. However, he signed a shirt for us and was very nice! Can’t wait for the show!  Hope I don't get watermelon in the camera.  Hmmm, how do you watermelon-proof a camera anyway?

While we were in the Dells we stopped by the outlet mall and I found a new swimsuit at Eddie Bauer. They had all the swimsuits on sale for $9.99 each - I got a tankini - black bottoms and pink top with black trim/straps. I stayed away from the Coach store this time. Lol

But I discovered the Croc store! Had no idea there was a Croc outlet store!! I’m so excited! I got the shoes above for $9.99! And Dennis got some sports themed crocs (normally $39.99) for $14.95! I will definitely be going back there!

Why did they have to discontinue my favorite smell? I still have half a bottle of perfume but the lotion is nearly gone. I will miss it! I have been using this tube stingily for, oh, 8 years. I love to mix a little with a little water and scrunch it in my hair - makes the smell stay all day. *sigh*

Over vacation I caved into the smooshing penny craze. My son kinda pushed me over the edge, he likes to turn the crank but doesn’t want the penny and I’ve always avoided them. But I thought, what the heck. So we smooshed pennies - then in Philly we bought the little book to put them in so I don’t lose them. Before we bought the book I was not sure what I’d do with them.

Lavender bath salts ~ my husband spoils me! Smells divine!  I didn't use the stuff for a week while we debated about how much to use.  The instructions never said how much to add to your bath water, but the container was huge so I figured it was enough for at least four baths.  Dennis thought I should through it all in at once.  Since we couldn't decide I just didn't use it - finally, I used half in two baths.  How much do you use?  And do you take the little netting thing off your sea sponge?  I've always taken them off but Dennis says the net stays on. . .we're going to be such confusing old folks aren't we.

Doesn’t my husband make a lovely Hannah Montana? We were caching and the wig was in the cache so it was photo time. Yeah, it was night and I did not take the big camera, photo isn't that good - but it's still funny, no?

My daughter is married to a Nick Smith - I say, “a” because I imagine there are a lot of them. Well one day I noticed my daughter had a new friend on facebook, said friend had no photo, but was named “Nick Smith” and I assumed her husband had signed up. So I friended him and after he approved me (If you’re not on facebook you may be lost at this point, but I think you’ll still see the humor), I discovered that he lived in Canada - uh, wrong Nick Smith.

I thought it odd that my daughter knew two Nick Smith’s, but oh well. About a month went by before I remembered to share the story with her. And when I did she started laughing and said she didn’t know him either! Nick told her he had signed up and when she searched she thought it was him. Once she was approved as this Nick’s friend she noticed the birthday was wrong! So, there’s a Nick Smith in Canada who may be starting to think he’s all that.

I have been trying to get more photos added to my gallery. And I’ll be adding more each week, so pop over when you have a chance. The link stays in my footer, way down there, and on my about me page.

Thanks for staying through all my rambles! Hope you’re having a great weekend!  Be safe with those fireworks!

June's Photo Scavenger Hunt

I must be a glutton for punishment - I’m doing Kristi’s Photo Scavenger Hunt once again. Are you ready to be overloaded on photos? Okay-dokey, here we go:

1. A view from above (looking down)
I love rollercoasters! But, have you ever tried to photograph your ride? Let’s just say I had to ride a few times to get a decent shot.

2. A macro shot
A trinket I forgot about for a few years, but finally sent off to my mom.

3. Laughter
A child’s laughter is precious!

4. Relaxation
The best place to relax is on daddy’s shoulder.

5. A celebration
I bet you know what kind of celebration we were at.

6. A sunset
Last Thursday, Dennis and I went to a get together on a boat up in Green Bay. After our cruise, on our walk to the car, we paused so I could snap this pretty sky.

7. Sun/lens flare
The soldier moved at the same moment I clicked and the sun bounced back at me off one of his medals.

8. A bridge
Just one bridge?

9. A shadow
Me, waving at you!

10. A garden
Unfortunately, not my garden. But pretty nonetheless.

11. A Park
Some of you followed my facebook status last week when Dennis left me in the woods and I hoped he didn’t forget where. This is the park we were in, although we left the trail. Dennis did come back for me and helped me climb up the steep slope, he’s considerate like that.  Then I took the easy path back out of the woods, while he went back down the slope to grab the car.  Some guys saw us go into the woods together, and Dennis said they sure were watching him come out alone, and they kept looking back toward the woods.  I bet they now have a story to tell.  They never saw him pick me up on top, lol.

12. A street scene
Well, this is as close as I could get. At the annual Golf Spectacular, with over 200 golfers,  it’s such a chaotic mess as everyone races to their tees.  Here a few of them are, waiting to be released.

13. Signage
Had never seen one of these signs before.  And, uh, I think spring is over.

14. A summer activity
We didn’t get our canoe out at all last summer, but I’m happy to say we’ve had it out twice so far this year.

15. A summer treat
YUMMY! Need I say more?

16. Earth
How about half? This is a satellite/clock, representing our geocaching craziness.

17. Air/wind
I think you can see how windy it was by how the flags were whipping about.

18. Fire
I waited for the last minute to get this shot. So here I was grabbing a mirror, candle and the camera (no tripod - I’m stubborn like that) at 8pm last night and shooting my last photo. Oh well, I kinda like it.

19. Water
Raindrops are falling on my head.

20. Something Vintage
A Grotto that we recently discovered.

21. Something made of glass
Sea glass (mermaid’s tears, beach glass, lucky tears) found on our travels. While it isn’t technically made into anything yet, it will be made into jewelry or used on cards. And it used to be bottles and other items.

22. Something made of wood
Anyone know what this instrument is?

23. Something that floats
I’m sure Mary hopes the kayak continues to float. I know she was pretty nervous about her first trip out.

24. Something railroad related
Kayla and I got left behind. Dennis crossed the bridge with her parents for some photos. Kayla and I waited, somewhat patiently.

25. Something Round
Can‘t think of what this is called - my brain is tired - so, huge dandelion puffball.

And now, it's well after midnight and I think it's time for sleep.  See you all tomorrow.  Did you have a favorite?