Getting to know your camera...

Is a very necessary and good thing...
A few weeks ago two of my sister's and I went on a get to know your camera and play with new idea's day.
One of them has a new camera, the other has had hers for a while, but wanted to play around with macro shots.....
So off we went to a few different local places and went for it...

Then when I got home I got them downloaded onto the computer and haven't been able to get back to them for a while.

But here are some of what I got.

None are straight out of camera (soc), but that is half the fun for me.

To take pictures that I hope look good soc and after they have been "digitally enhanced".

So here they are...

Enjoy~

Trying some macro shots...A fly will only let you get so close.

This one was pretty photogenic and was cheesing it up for me...It's friends were to shy so they hid.

I'm not sure what this is called, but the only photo enhancing I did to it was to give it a foliage filter...the back ground looks the same in the soc shot...

Apricot blossom's...

Macro.

But I wish I would have gone in closer to see how close I could have gone...

But I like it.

So we got some practice. Got more friendly with our camera's.

Took a TON of pictures each.

Some we liked and some we didn't...

And had a good time together doing it!!

Can't wait to do it again when more flowers are in bloom!!!

And this time I'm not jumping for action shots! LOL

Encourage each other, and may God bless

I'm in a rut...

A hair rut.
I freely admit that for the world to hear.
Been here for a long time now and have contemplated numerous times the need to be cutting my hair.
I have been looking at a plethora of hair style pictures.
I have also made near major investments into hats- for those occasions that I just can't bear to look at it any longer!
My hats are definitely NOT quite as spiffy as this one, but close.
(One day soon I may show you some hats I have-they all pretty much look the same and I pretty much look the same in them---goofier than with out them I hear).

My hats are not near as fun as this lady's hat...and I bet her hair is immaculate with or with out the hat...

Unlike mine.
It has had a mind of it's own for as long as I can remember...
I will tell you that it isn't improving with age at all.
So I thought I'd let it grow out. It looked good when I was younger.
But now it is like this-
Not most days-but every day-except the days when its worse....
The "look in the mirror and jump in fright at your own reflection hair rut?!"

Yes.
That is where I live.

Oh my!!!

Yes its all there in its rebellious "rutty" splendor...

The cow lick that if it had a tongue would be blowing raspberries all the time...

The wirey grays that listen to no one and aide the cow lick in it's shenanigans...

Now this hair style was pretty good.

Its one I was growing out from a style that in the 70's was called a "short shag".

Again, it looked good on me once upon a time.

But this time it looked better after it had grown out quite a little more than a bit.

Now this one.

It was a better one.

It is the one I got for my daughters wedding two years ago.

It had the cow lick I have in the front under control and that darn "swirl" I have on the back of my head didn't have to be tamed every morning...

I thought that one was the best I have had on a long time...

Since my hair rut has me desperately searching for a hat like this-

I thought it only right to call up my "magical hair rut fixer" friend who has the knowledge, talent and scissors to pull me-and all like me from our hair ruts...
You may now sleep well, knowing, that I have taken the necessary steps to begin climbing from my hair rut...


encourage each other and may God bless

Croquet

Croquet is an interesting game at our house...

We try to involve everyone-
while the "field" was being set up we had an enthusiastic ball collector...

Even after the game started~we had an enthusiastic ball collector...

But the game did get off to a quiet start other than that.

This guy made it the farthest on his first turn...

But he wasn't the last to enter the game.

Here comes Honey...and he has been playing this game since he was a kid...and taught our kids how to play the game.

(Incidentally you will want to keep that fact in mind~Honey taught them to play the game AND he would "send them" on little excursions now and again)

So while Mom watched her "Boy's" playing and maybe heckling each other the tiniest bit...the game was proceeding rather calmly...

I said "rather calmly..." .

Some discussions were picking up around the out skirts of the playing field...

Some strategies, directions, theories....

Then balls started to "tap" into other balls, still they were using nice manners...

It was fun to watch as our son taught his son's the finer points of the game...

He pointed out things as Honey was reaching the halfway mark in the game...

(I think he was asking him if his Dear ol Dad should liven up the game)

Honey encouraged the grand sons. giving them tips and suggestions...

And then...

"Someone" thought the game was a little to nice.

A little to calm.

He thought it might need a little "pick-me-up"...

He set to work with a snickering determination to bring some "life" to the game.

To upset the apple cart as it were.

And the apples were upset.

they were being "sent" in numerous directions...

The sand traps of croquet were introduced to the game...

By this humble guy. He is the culprit.

The "waterfall" hole received the first trip...

Next he
sent his lovely wife on a trip to the middle garage door...

Honey thought he should take the opportunity to slow this prankster down and give him a trip of his own...

Not to be deterred he returned the favor and thus the game proceeded with every one sending each other on side trips...

No one was safe...

Along with the "sending" were the discussions and strategies.

The plotting, and scheming...

Instructions and helpful hints...

Then there were the faces of disbelief when a ball needing to go a short distance would go forward only to roll back to where it began...

Or an impossible shot made it...

(Or was this when her darling husband gave her another "send" off?)

It never hurts to follow the ball with encouraging words...

And then when the end goal is in sight you do the only thing you can do...

try to figure out how to "send" your brother in law on a last trip and get your own ball a little closer to the end...

We had so much fun playing.

The best times are when you can get as many family members as possible together and play games. Eat good food. Share a laugh. Love each other.

Encourage each other and may God bless...