Scavenger Hunt--Assignment #10:  Rays

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Ray:  (mathematics)

Any of a set of straight lines passing through one point

Usually It's Christmastime

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Today I photographed the two younger grand kids for their school photos.  Usually it's Christmastime before I/we get around to it.  Last year we never did get any pics of #1 grandson.

They were pretty cooperative, but the boy began losing patience after about 45 minutes.  Can't say I blame him--but I wasn't feeling well today and he was getting hungry, so of lot of those "later" images are only mediocre. 

This first series is acceptable though.

Randomness

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Today was one of those days that started early and seemed to go on and on forever.  Well....not too early, but it did go on forever.  

First:  Get to town in time for granddaughter's soccer game.

Second:  Visit a friend and play some board games

Third:  Attend a Tea at church to meet & greet the wife of the visiting missionary

Fourth:  Drive my two friends back home

Fifth: A quick trip to the fabric store to redeem a few 50% off coupons that expired today

Sixth: Head over to Riverlink Park to see a visiting schooner at the dock

Seventh:  Make a quick stop at the Garden Bug gift shop to photograph some of their Fall decorations.

Finally!  Back home.

I thought about posting an image from each of the photo-worthy things I did today but I decided against it.  The soccer pics aren't all that good.  No pics from the boardgame session.  Haven't uploaded the images from the Tea.  Didn't even think of taking pictures of the fabric store or the stash I purchased there.  The schooner photos are a bust.  

But....The Garden Bug barn and the Riverlink Park itself might have been worth the effort to edit.

(some more raw practice)

Another Beautiful Day

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Yesterday's hike could very well be my last of this season.  It was another beautiful day.  We've been really fortunate with the weather for our hikes.  It only rained once (for the entire trip down the mountain), and it drizzled on one hike for about 10 minutes.  

This hike, to Hope Falls,  is beautiful.  There are three waterfalls, and because it rained all day just a few days ago, the falls were running nicely.  My photo buddy and I decided to take our "big-boy cameras" & tripods for the occasion.  

I happily discovered that my tripod bag could be worn as a sling bag, so I didn't even need to carry it in my hand.  I may just haul it along on other hikes now that I know that.  

I also decided before-hand to put my camera on "raw".  I hyperventilated a little thinking about all the post-producton agony editing that I'd have to do but I also decided that I would be lethal when previewing the images. I would get rid of any that were even slightly questionable in composition or sharpness.  

In honor of that decision, I went to see my friend today for a "raw processing" lesson today.  So....slowly (very, very slowly) I'm getting the idea of what to do with "raw" images.

Here are three from the hike yesterday.  

Retro

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The assignment: 

 a picture of retro subjects or use photo editor to make the picture look like a retro image.

11th Grade School Pics

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So the other day I had a conversation with my daughter about when I would be available to take "school pictures" of the grandkids.  #1 grandson, who is driving these days, "could bring the little ones over some afternoon", she says.  "Nope", I reply.  "I'm busy every afternoon, it will have to be on Sat. morning".  "Okay",  she answers.

This afternoon as I was thinking about starting dinner in order to be done in time to get to a meeting, I heard a car pull into the driveway.  It was #1 grandson....here to get his pictures done.

Apparently my daughter misunderstood and forgot to give him the memo that we'd have to wait till Sat.  

Okay, scramble to come up with a game plan.  

Okay, scramble to get the pics done in time to get to my meeting on time.

Okay, he's the MOST cooperative model I've ever worked with--and he has been ever since he was in-utero.  

Okay, we nailed it--at least in my opinion, and his.

Scavenger Hunt #8--Ghosts

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I didn't buckle down and do the assignment.  I had a few ideas, just never got around to trying them.

This image will have to suffice.  I took it a few weeks ago at the Women's Photo Retreat I attended.

11th Anniversary & Another Game

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Another soccer game, this time in Cobleskill, 45 minutes away.  As I drove through town, I noticed this display in honor of the 11th Anniversary of the destruction of the Twin Towers in NYC.  I thought, "awww, I wish I could stop and take a picture", but there was a lot of traffic and I was going to be late for the beginning of the game if I stopped, so I continued on.

Drive to the field where they played last year.  Wrong field.  Stop and ask directions.  Drive to the new field, without getting lost, I might add and arrive about 4:32, two minutes past start time.  Not a soul there. Stop and ask someone where the game is.  

"Oh, that game isn't going to start until 6:30".  So I was really 1 hour, 58 minutes early. humph!

Called the soccer player.  He said, "you mean you're not staying to watch me play?"

So.  Go home or  hang out till the game?  Find a playground so the two little ones would have something to do for the next two hours?  Then find somewhere to get them some dinner?

I caved.  Heading back through town I stopped to get some pics of the memorial display.

We found a great playground where I took a gazillion pics.

We stopped at Subway for dinner sandwiches.

We got to the game on time.

I left 20 minutes before the end and we were ahead by 3 points.

Go Braves!

So it was a long, but not unpleasant afternoon.  But one I don't want to repeat in the near future.

Scavenger Hunt #7--Consumption

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This week's Scavenger Hunt topic was "consumption".  It was a tough one for me because it was another somewhat abstract idea.  I put as literal interpretation on it as I could.  

I'm still pretty in awe of how one idea can morph into another.  I had a completely different composition for this image in my mind's eye.  When I tried it, it looked really bad, so I kept moving the cookies around.  My original idea included a small glass of milk next to the cookies, but then I realized I didn't have any small, glass drinking glasses.  

I finally remembered I had this  pint-sized antique milk bottle and knew that it would work better than a regular drinking glass anyway. It took quite a few tries to get the cookies in a composition that I found pleasing.   

BTW--the cookies are a limited edition version of vanilla Oreo with a Candy Corn filling in honor of the Fall candy.

Little Miss

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So....Little Miss has been taking horseback riding lessons for a few months now.  She loves it.

Because of her influence, older brother decided he wanted to try it too.

I had the responsibility pleasure of taking them to their lesson this past week. I was kind of psyched.  When I was a bit older than Little Miss, I wanted to take lessons too, but it never happened.  So it was sort of bittersweet being in the stables and riding arena with the kids.

If Little Miss pursues this, which I think she might, I can only image the $$$ involved.  It's a good thing her mom recently got a job.  I thought photography was an expensive hobby....

They did great.  They received rave reviews from their instructor.

Soon.  Very Soon.

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Summer.  Is.  Over.  

Not according to the calendar, but I know it because:

• The public pool is closed
• Most people have taken their boats out of the marinas
• The soft ice-cream stands have shortened their hours and will be closing within weeks
• At least one apple orchard that I know of has opened
• Saratoga Race Track is closed
• The Scottish Games took place last weekend
• The Fonda Fair ended this past Monday
• The big Yellow Buses are rolling each morning

. . . . . but most of all I know it because, drumroll please. . . . . soccer season has begun.

 Mace had his first game yesterday.

The two younger ones don't have their schedule yet, but their games will begin soon.  Very, very soon.

By God's grace they are on the SAME team! (insert me breathing a big sigh of relief)

Fonda Fair

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I had to work a shift at the Pro-Life booth at the Fonda Fair today.  My friend and I arrived around 11 am.  There were blue skies, not too many people, and lots of colors.

I didn't have my tripod, because I didn't really expect to have much time to walk around and take photos.  But it turned out that there were three of us at the booth, so I was able to get outside and grab a few shots of the fair while walking around the mid-way.

The End's In Sight

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Today I went to Saratoga Race Track....again.  Weird.  I haven't been there in, oh.....hmmmm......maybe about 25 years, and this summer I've been there twice.  

This time I went with my daughter, son-in-law, grandson and another family.  It's the last weekend of the season.  The end's in sight.  It was blanket-give-away day.  Everyone got a red fleece throw-blanket upon presentation of their entrance ticket.  

The weather was beautiful.

It was very crowded.

It was a long day.

We got ice-cream cones from Stewart's on the way home.  Yum!

 

Only A Few More to Go

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Last Friday we hiked the hardest trail that we've done this summer. 

(We only have a few more to go until the end of our hiking season) 

9 miles round trip to Indian Pass.  A lot of ascent.  A lot of rocks boulders to scramble over.

 Near the top there were three of these giagundous ladders--thank goodness.  Without them it would have been almost impossible to negotiate the incline. "Incline" being a laughable understatement !  

Can you imagine what this scene would look like in the Fall during peak colors?  I will continue to "imagine" it because there's no way I'm doing that hike again!