More Photography Misadventures????

Depending on how you look at it, maybe this isn't a good week for me to be out and about taking pictures. Mishaps seem to abound. However, depsite the obstacles I have some photos from both outings I'm happy with!

Most of you will recall the other time this week I went out taking photos I fell. Tonight Marty had agreed we'd take the motorcycle for a ride and I could go take photos then. When we got home we were both very tempted to just stay home and laze in the pool. But it's been a while since we both went riding so we opted to stick to our original plan.

Waiting for my ride.

We headed toward Gruene, TX and along the way I took some sunset pictures from the back of the moving bike.









Just before we reached New Braunfels I convinced Marty to turn around so I could stop and get some photos of the sunset behind a windmill I'd seen.

When I'm less tired I'll be removing some power lines from this photo!

I got my photos, but the bike died. While Marty worked on it I found a nearby field with purple flowers growing in it I'd never seen before. Check those photos out over on my other blog.

Marty ended up having to roll start the bike and was able to get it going again. Instead of going on to Gruene we took a detour he knew of along the river. Before we reached our destination, the bike died again. We've never had problems with his bike and it was sure making up for it tonight! He got it going again and we opted to head back toward home, with one more stop in mind...the coffee shop. He knew he could roll start it again from there if need be. However, we never made it to the coffee shop. The bike died again just as we got back into town and had to be pushed through a busy intersection. He decided to forgo the busy roads with so many traffic lights in case the bike decided to die again, and took a detour. The bike died once more and that was it. We were stranded and although we weren't too far from the shop where he works he knew it was past his boss' bedtime and he wouldn't be able to rouse Frank for help. He debated pushing the bike all the way to the shop and borrowing a truck to get home. He pushed it a little while and decided that was going to be too much. He sat down on the bike racking his brain for which of our friends, if any, might have a trailer.





I think this is my favorite photo of the whole night. If you click on it you should be able to better see the fence line.





He remembered Jim has a trailer and called him. Jim came to our rescue!!! (You can't ask for better friends than those willing to come to your rescue late at night!)





We are home safe and sound and the bike is outside in the shop. Thank you, Jim!!!




Might all this have been worth it for the shots I got? You decide.



As you can tell, it's NEVER a dull moment around here!


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On another note, say a prayer for my cousin Carmen. She's having a mole removed Friday morning that is melanoma.
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{Sigh}...A Gorgeous Sunrise It Was Not

Since I had to get up at o-dark thirty this morning to get Heather off to a babysitting job I was sure to make it worthwhile there would be an awesome sunrise to photograph. But noooo, the sky was very gray, overcast and not interesting in the least as day broke! What a disappointment! So I made my way back home slowly hoping the sun would peek through some clouds or SOMETHING to make an interesting morning photograph. Again, nope! I gave up and went back home to get ready for work. As I drove up to the church the sun was just beginning to peek through some clouds and looked awesome! I hurried inside and tossed all my stuff on my desk and ran back outside. Already I was too late. The sun was peeking fully through the hole in the clouds and shined too brightly for the photo I wanted! I took some photos anyway, but none were as the sky had looked just minutes before. I told Mr. Mike next time I'd just toss my stuff on the ground and snap the photos BEFORE the sky had a chance to change so drastically!

This is where, just a few moments before, the sky looked spectacular. Now...not so much. :0(

The vivid blue skies when I faced the other way were awesome. I just love bright blue skies and puffy white clouds. Today's clouds reminded me much of (of all things) the sky at the beginning of each episode of "The Simpsons." I know, sad, right?










Tomorrow I have to get up just a bit earlier and do this all over again. Marty has offered to drop Heather off for me, but I know if I sleep in and let him do that I'll miss an opportunity for a sunrise photo. Since Murphy seems to live with us and we all know Murphy's law....I know if I do go, I'll probably see the same drab skies I saw this morning. But that's just a chance I'll have to take. It won't kill me to get up so early again. Time is drawing near that I'll have to do so every morning again anyway so I may as well get used to it now. Besides....I do have my mocha java coffee to get me going again!


Hopefully if all goes well tomorrow night you will be viewing awesome sunrise photos. If not, then it's anyone's guess what will be posted....

Wordless Wednesday

(I've posted some of these before,

but I decided they warranted a repost.)



Be sure to check out more Wordless Wednesday participants here.

My Latest Photography MisAdventure

When I stop to photograph something, Marty's constantly reminding me to look where I'm going and to watch where I'm stepping. As he knows, I get so absorbed in what I'm viewing through the lens I have no sense of what's arround me sometimes. I'm also a klutz. Case in point: I saw some flowers at the entrance to our subdivision that I wanted to photograph but didn't stop to do so on my way home. After dinner I asked Marty if he wanted to go with me back out to take pictures. He agreed and off we went. I snapped several photos and as often happens when I'm squatted down taking pictures, I lost my balance. USUALLY I manage to keep myself from falling over. NOT THIS TIME! Somehow I rolled over and landed flat on my back. I bloodied my knee, scraped my foot and as was discovered later, I busted a piece off of my sunglasses. I got up and resumed taking photos. The camera was not harmed. I was more focused on keeping it from crashing than myself! I managed to get into the fire ants more than once and now have my feet, knees and one hand covered in fire ant bites. Soon after the first few fire ant bites and right after my graceful fall I discovered all the photos I'd taken were for not. I didn't even have a flash card in my camera! This was not my night! But as is usually the case, I had a backup card in my camera bag and retrieved it and started over.

To top it off, now my nose is running, my eye is watering, and I'm sneezing....I guess I'm allergic to these flowers.

But, I'd still do it all again for a picture! :0)

More Photos of the Triplets

Tonight after church just as we were sitting down for dinner Marty noticed we had visitors outside. We see the deer in the yard almost daily but usually when there are very many of them they stay on the edges of the yard and don't come close to the house. Sometimes one or two may venture closer, especially to sneak the dog's food and water. Tonight several were eating grass right outside the front door. I put off eating my dinner, grabbed the camera and slowly and quietly eased outside onto the front deck. I managed to make them nervous enough they began to wander farther away, but not nervous enough that any of them ran. I took photos until they were too far and it was getting too dark to get good shots. Here are several of what I did get:

Water Volleyball and Chillin' with Friends

I am wiped out. I know I will sleep well tonight....if I ever make myself go to bed that is! It has been a busy weekend, but it's been great! But these early mornings and late nights are catching up with me. I bet I don't miss my Sunday nap tomorrow afternoon! :0)



After being up very late last night (this morning!) Marty, Heather and I got up early to drive to Austin to a camera shop. I'd been given a zoom lens that unfortunately doesn't fit my camera but I found a camera shop interested in trading me out of it. I had planned to go there the weekend after VBS was over but didn't feel like it, then it just hasn't worked out to go until today. I was able to come home with a new zoom lens to play with and am a very happy camper! (Except that I saw LOTS and LOTS of "toys" in that shop I sure would have enjoyed bringing home for my camera!) Marty wasted no time getting me out of there. :0) I'm kidding. He was actually very patient and even found stuff he was interested in!




We returned home JUST in time for Heather and I to attend a friend's bridal shower where I wound up taking photos for my friend Paula (mother of the groom to be).



I was so looking forward to coming home and relaxing in the pool this evening! My friend Erica and her family were planning to head to the river to play and I told them they may as well come join us in our pool, it's much closer! So, they did and our friends David and Lana and their girls joined us too. Their girls brought giant smiley face beach balls with them so almost immediately volleyball was on! Kids and adults alike joined in! The pool was a mad dash of bodies and arms sending beach balls flying.

Cameron, Ashley, and Lana are on the far team.

Riley and Heather (and Erica not shown) are on the team whose backs we see.

Marty and Dave were the posts keeping the "net" in place.

I'm not sure where the ball is, or whether she got it, but Heather sure went after it here!

I got out for a while to snap photos and of course since I was out of the pool that automatically made me the ball retriever. I'm sure those balls spent more time outside the pool than in it!

When I got back in, I joined right in the game:

Cameron, Lana, Ashley and Holly.

And of course there are some very goofy shots of us as we went after the balls! Marty snapped this goofy shot of me.

Like mother, like daughter? Erica and Riley seem to go after the ball in sync.

When we became hungry we got out of the pool to roast our dinner over the fire Marty built.

Lana, Dave, Jason and Erica.

Marty helped Holly roast her dessert!

A view of Holly and her marshmallows through the smoke.

Erica, I think I've found someone who enjoys her marshmallows as much as you do!!!

Holly loved posing for this messy photo!

I'm REALLY liking my new zoom lens!!!! I took the following shots from on the deck of my house, which I've done before with ok results with my old zoom lens, but these seem so much closer and crisper/clearer!

Ashley seemed to enjoy the pool very much!

Cameron was so helpful with the girls! Here are Holly and Cameron.

Riley and Ashley enjoying the air mattresses abandoned by the adults.

Ashley.

After swimming and dinner the kids jumped back in the pool while the adults just sat on the deck and chatted the evening away. It's always so nice to just hang out with good friends, and what better way to spend a Saturday evening??? And campfires in my book are always attached to good memories!