Photo Book

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Light on the Leaves

Sometimes I just grab my camera and run out in the backyard to catch the light in the evenings.

  

Using my macro in the yard:

I like using my macro lens - sometimes you can't see all the details until a photo is downloaded and looked at on a big screen.

Field of Sunflowers...and a Little Lane of Milk Weeds

Wendy was up this weekend and wanted to go on a little photoshoot.  We drove west for quite awhile, but realized that the light was not right. We went to a little lane in Hooper which we've been to before and the milk weeds were so pretty.

I took her up to a beautiful field of wild sunflowers just off SR193, which I see each day on my drove home from work. Of course, between the bright sun and the wind, it was a challenge.

Cousins on the Trail

We had an eventful weekend with two sleepovers: Weston and Lacie came Friday to Saturday evening; Jonah, Ez and Hazel came Saturday morning to Sunday. The boys all brought their bikes - planning well in advance for another adventure up on the trail. This time they came prepared with short wooden sticks wrapped with string and metal "things" to use as hooks, thinking they were going to catch the BIG FISH. Oh...and worms in their pockets:)

  

The Impromptu Bike Ride on the Trail

Jonah and Ez wanted to take in impromptu bike ride up on the trail this afternoon. We ended up having so much fun that we were gone over two hours.

  

They stopped often to explore!

 





The we arrived at Steed Pond and the boys decided to make impromptu fishing poles. They had discovered some fishing line tangled in some weeds as they were exploring earlier.

 Ezra found a dead fish and pretended he had caught it. He was pretty excited. Well, it WAS exciting...except for the smell!

 

The pond was so peaceful and caused beautiful reflections.

Ahh...the wonder of children!

The kids ran ahead just before the stop light and climbed these rocks. I was able to capture Ezra with his hand over his heart. He did not know I was looking - sweet.

Last stop: Maverick for a yogurt cone.

Happy Anniversary Dear Photoblog... and Ray's Shoe Shop

Well, I've been at this photo-a-day blog for a whole year. A little tired...So I think I'll just blog here and there this coming year - maybe on a weekly basis. Since I took most of these photos "on-the-run" with my little point and shoot camera, they are not really that great. But I have learned a few things since doing this daily.

1. I still like taking pictures.
2. I am more aware of the world around me.
3. I look at things more often through my eye's photo lens instead of my busy mind's eye.
4. Some tired days it was a chore to take a picture, but I was always glad I did afterward.
5. I found myself outside in the yard more often, and usually stayed there awhile, taking pictures to my heart's content.
6. I discovered I enjoy the writing process, even though I don't think I'm any good:).
7. Many days it was a challenge to find something interesting to capture.
8. I still like taking pictures:)

Ray's Shoe Repair Shop

I took in a belt that needed a notch added in to Ray's Shoe Repair shop in Kaysville this afternoon.  The place is a wealth of sensory details. It is messy and small, smells of old leather, dirty and comforting and pretty much the color of browns.  And there's a wonderful large turquoise Singer sewing machine still in use and 35 years old. Ray was very busy, but very nice, and fixed my belt for free. It made me want to find something else to bring in so I could pay him.

Here's Ray. Although I described the shop as "brown," I guess it really wasn't. It just felt brown.

Here's the 35 year-old Singer treadle, sitting in the middle of the floor. I wonder what the pennies are for?

Soldering Projects

I don't know why I like to solder. Maybe part of the reason is that I taught myself, which is nothing unusual. That's how I've learned to do most things. My soldering gun, for silver solder, is heated to about 700 degrees. I think it's the process. First I create the design on my computer, then print off and cut out. I cut two pieces glass the exact same size and sandwich the picture between. The edges of glass are wrapped with copper tape and the tape is burnished with a bone folder.  Flux is applied (the best advise I ever received: "Remember, flux is your friend.") Then I solder in steps. My least favorite action is soldering the jump ring to the top. It usually takes me a couple of tries to get it centered. After soldering, I use 0000 steel wool, water and Dawn Dishwashing Detergent to clean the item. The last step is again cleaning and polishing with a special compound. The pendant is ready to add a chain, charms and beads, adding a price tag and taking it into the shop. My work area is ALWAYS messy!