26Things 2

I've had them all put together for at least two days and they're up now! Stop by and critique my 26 Things 2..... and if you also met the challenge, leave me your URL. It's so exciting! These challenges just make me want to do better next time and that's already how i'm feeling. Am i addicted or what!!!??

Theme Thursday..... Thankful

Theme Thursday..... Thankful



Thankful half of us were together and the other half
was also enjoying the day with loved ones.
What do you do when a photo turns out fuzzy? Punt! Three daughters, two grandkids and one son-inlaw... we all fit at one table! Wow! Click on the photo and you'll be transported to the mini album that grew.

PhotoTime..... Kitchen in the Abstract

PhotoTime..... Kitchen in the Abstract



Warhol Drawer 2
Thanks Will! It was fun photographing my kitchen... the Thanksgiving stuff i need to do... and trying to make an abstract out of it!..... a bigger challenge than i needed today! Can i blame any of my turkey day goof-ups on you? Took all those photos and ended up with a 'rethink' on the 'Warhol drawer' -something i did a while back for another challenge. So the pies are in the oven... now here's a mini-gallery of the best of the rest of today's photo shoot.

Oh yes and Will, darlin' just for you, my 'oppositional defiant' self just had to take this photo! I like to call it 'Quality Control'

Peace and love to all... gotta go chase a cat out of the kitchen!
Remember... A peacock who sits on his feathers is just another turkey!

PhotoTime..... Bridges

PhotoTime..... Bridges



The Old Smith's Crossing Bridge...
...isn't much to look at but what an adventure! Had several fine bridge photos in my recent files but got to wondering what happened to the old Smith's Crossing Bridge, replaced years ago further upstream and the road to the river at the old bridge blocked off. Had to mention it to Frank. He insisted we go out on a photo shoot. I needed a couple more items for my 26 Things Two challenge anyway, so off we went.

Had to take some backroads to get there but there we were! A big sign... a gate... and a well-worn foot path around the gated road. Hard to believe this was a two lane road not too long ago.... now overgrown with grasses and weeds, it was little more than a single path. Imagine my dismay when i saw a big corrugated road block riveted across the bridge! That baby is at least 12 feet up the bridge! Some picture, huh? Frank had climbed it to the top where he stood taking pictures! By golly if he can do it, I can... so I did! Those corrugations were deep enough to serve as steps... up this old brawd went... rickety knees and all!

Photo Friday - Work

Photo Friday - Work




Looks like Work...
but the kid was loving it! Matter of fact, his dad and grandpa were kind of hoping he would get bored with it so they could take a turn, but he was tireless.

ThemeThursday

Theme Thursday..... No Entry



What part of 'private' is unclear?

Saturday Snapshots

You'll find my Saturday Snapshots theme photo - Remembrance - at Grumbleeze.

phototime

PhotoTime Tuesday..... Signs
Didn't realize i had so many signs in my photo collection! Thanks, gai, for suggesting it! I guess my favorite is this one...



Shooting from Behind a Fanciful Sign
We were on a fox hunt, so to speak... City of Midland, MI had foxes throughout downtown area all fancified and decorated by local artists. I shot my silver fox behind this sign while he was photographing the purple striped fox sponsored by this little shop.

Click to see how impressive this sign is as it looks out toward the beach. This concession stand is right next to the road at the City Park and i never realized they had hot dogs because the sign is, of all places, on the back side of the building! To their credit it's a big beach and full all summer long, so i'm sure they get lots of business but still...


...and skipping around town after the regular tourists were all gone other places for the winter, we stopped by at the desolate-looking Yacht Club. Actually there were still two boats here... one at a dock and one in the mooring area. So sad. When we were sailing i always hated it when boating season came to an end.

The Sidewalk Project...



...Sidewalk over the driveway at the library.
The very idea of photographing sidewalks is a good one. Go on over there and see some really good photos of sidewalks around the country... possibly around the world. Great idea, Shutterfly!

Theme Thursday... Waiting

Theme Thursday... Waiting



Blue Bench Waiting...
for somebody to come and sit awhile.How many people have stopped here and rested... long ago... before the huge condominium/marina complex was built across the road? could you see the lake from here? That's right... this condo is right across the street!

PhotoTime Tuesday..... Rural

PhotoTime Tuesday..... Rural



This farm has a whole lot of cows...
...and a roadside vegetable stand. The veggie sales are on the honor system. Choose and bag your choices and put the money in the padlocked box. It was a dairy farm at one time evidenced by the white shed at left of the old barn. It was once a milk house where the milk was handled and stored until picked up by the purchaser. Milk was not pasteurized here... they had a separator which separated most of the cream from the milk. This way the farmer could sell the cream for whipping cream and butter and the milk for drinking.

I really like the style of this old barn. Matter of fact, we were on a photo shoot... looking for interesting barns and farm buildings. It was difficult making my choice for PhotoTime.

I got the third shot at a petting farm just a few miles from where we live. We noticed the sign on their property near the freeway and had to visit. For a small fee people bring their children to see and pet the farm animals and for an additional fee... go for a hayride. Click any barn for the big picture.

Just for Fun

Just for Fun... wanted to share part of what we did after we visited the County Drain Commissioner's office where, by the way, we met even more nice people in Mason County! Okay! What we did? ...went on a photo shoot of some interesting stuff in town. One thing we found...



'Follow The Leader'
by W. Stanley Proctor, Tallahassee, FL - a sculpture donated by the Don Birtwistle family to celebrate children who are our future.

Saturday Snapshots

Saturday Snapshots... Celebration
When i first discovered photo theme websites earlier this year i was disappointed to find Saturday Snapshots was no longer active... so i started PhotoTime. Well it's back and listing a whole month's supply of themes at a time. Great idea!



Celebration of the Salmon Swimming Upstream to Spawn
brings loads of fishermen to this river to try their luck. Fascinating to me because i've seen kids of all ages float downstream to the mouth of Lake Michigan in the summer... swans from the lake find haven here in winter... ducks, geese and tourists practically year-round, but i've never seen so many fishing the river before. Not only the river's edge, but people in rubber pants wading right in, hoping to catch the big ones before they make it all the way upstream where they will die. The goal, we learned, is to catch them before their skin turns dark and they will no longer be the tasty salmon we all love to grill. Very few were actually catching fish this day... the fish were more interested in each other and getting those eggs to their destination per nature's call.

Photo Friday..... Night

Photo Friday..... Night



...a couple in the afterglow of sunset...
...The sunsets are always beautiful here but i rarely stay and take even more photos. Do you see the orange snowfences in the foreground? This place, so crowded just a few weeks ago, is now beautifully solitary.

I originally chose a photo taken on the road... one of my first attempts at nighttime picture taking. Then i remembered this nighttime view from my window at home, where i was trying to capture another glorious sunset.