Projects and possibilities

As many of you who have followed this blog for awhile might realize, I love to take pictures. I am an enthusiastic picture-taker who knows little about photography, aware that point-and-shoot cameras and iPhoto's ability to enhance pictures where I've made little mistakes can allow me to elicit some ooohs and aaahs with pictures like the one above.

But the time is coming when I want to know how to take REAL pictures. I've been inspired by many of the bloggers I follow, but none quite so much as Hilary on The Smitten Image. Sometimes I will fall into one of her pictures in appreciation of an emotion her pictures elicit in me. So I sent her an email and asked for advice, what kind of camera does she use, etc., etc. She sent me a very detailed and explicit response, with the admonition to explore the possibilities of the camera I own at the moment. Fortunately for me, Hilary believes that Canon PowerShot cameras are the way to go (unless I want to get really fancy and go to a digital SLR), which just happens to be the camera I own right now!

I bought a camera with a 10X optical zoom so I could take some bird pictures, which I have done. It's a Canon PowerShot SX110IS and I have occasionally taken it off the "auto" feature to explore some of the things it can do, but I almost always drift back to the auto button because I really don't know what the difference is between the aperture and shutter speed. Why should I bother if I can fix the little mistakes after the fact? Well, the reason I'd like to take on this project is to be able to create a mood and evoke an emotional response in the viewer, much like Hilary's pictures do for me. It's my latest project and I suspect I can become a passionate photographer without spending a dime!

Yesterday, Memorial Day, Smart Guy and I took a nice walk around Lake Padden, one of the excellent local parks in the area. In fact, just last week that is where the Senior Trailblazers went, and I snapped pictures with enthusiasm, as usual. Check them out here. The picture above was taken yesterday, brought home and cropped to show the lovely whorl of the unfurling fern. There is a 2.6-mile gentle trail around the lake, with benches placed in strategic spots for R&R. I saw this bench and noticed something had been placed on the platform.

Upon closer inspection, I realized that someone had brought a bouquet on this day to remember a young man who died in 2003, in his early thirties. It made me think of my son Chris, who died just a year earlier at the age of forty, and it seemed very fitting that I would see it on Memorial Day. The family of this young man has placed a bench at Lake Padden with a plaque for those, like me, to ponder his life.

The day was cloudy in the morning with a little rain, but by the time we were getting in the car to return home, the sun was beginning to break through and lift my spirits. And then I saw a mother and her brood out having breakfast, pointing me toward realizing the perfection of life's continuing bounty.

:-)

Tree trimming

In the apartment complex where I live, some huge pine trees on the south end of the property were trimmed this past week. Our place (upstairs on the end) is shaded by these trees from the direct sunlight as it moves overhead from east to west. My birdies have been hanging out in the tree closest to us and speckling the walk to the downstairs apartment with, um, bird poop. Not to mention the amazing acrobatics the squirrels perform when jumping from our railing to the tree. It has all come to an end, with the tree now looking like this:

Not knowing what the tree trimmers would do, I was prepared for any eventuality from this sort of result to seeing the tree chopped completely down. I was actually quite pleased as I saw that these guys, who do it for a living, managed to keep the integrity of the tree while doing what was necessary. As they worked, I got on my new iPad2 and used Facetime to show my sister in Florida the operation while it was in progress. (Have I mentioned I LOVE my new toy?) The only really hard part was seeing the big branches weeping as if they had lost a limb. Oh, wait, they had; more than one, even!

The sap coming out of the poor chopped-off limbs looks a little like blood, doesn't it? The birds still come to my feeders in large numbers, so it hasn't stopped them. I do wonder if the tree feels it. When I woke this morning to the loud thud of a bigger-than-bird-sized creature on the porch, I saw a squirrel checking out the dropped feed for morsels. I peeked out the window to watch him. He had gained access to the porch by climbing up the side of the building, and I watched in amazement as he launched himself off to the branches... which weren't there! He landed with a loud whump on the stairs below and scampered up the tree in consternation. I don't think he'll try that again.

Since it's Saturday, I wandered off to the Farmers' Market after a walk in the light rain. A woman who comes to the market every Saturday was filling her basket with the latest fresh veggies from Rabbit Fields Farm, my favorite place to get some fresh produce myself. They always have people lined up waiting for the bell to ring so they can stock up for the week. The rain had stopped and the sun was breaking through the clouds as I was leaving. One vendor's treats made me realize it was getting close to noon. Instead of actually buying any of these, I took a picture of her mouth-watering treats and hung onto my money.

Do not enlarge if you are dieting

It was those lemon tarts that caught my eye and made me wrestle with myself before heading home to eat some nutritious and much less fattening food.
:-)

Pink {Pink} Pink

My niece will be getting married next weekend so I've got Pink on the brain. Her colors are black, hot pink & ivory. Even though I'm busy I'm trying to help as much as I can. I'm doing the road signs, hair cuties for the flower girls & the big the cake(I'll post the cake next week).

Road Signs: MDF wood with paintable wallpaper (both sides)



Hair Cuties{#1}: made from Chiffon & Netting Fabric.
Cut circles from the fabric & netting. Burn the edges with a lighter-be careful not to get too close. They will curl up like a rose petal. For the center, I used a sytrofoam ball cut in half and glued a string of pearls onto it.

Kickoff to summer

Map at Lake Padden showing the trails

Today we had a short hike (well, six miles and 1,000 feet elevation) at a nearby recreation area, Lake Padden. I walk in this area on a regular basis, but we usually go 2.6 miles around the lake, sometimes twice to make for more distance. On this hike with the Senior Trailblazers, however, we walked on the horse trails that took us on a longer trek but would get us finished by around noon. The reason for this was that we all brought food and drink for a pot luck that would be held at Norm's house at Cain Lake afterwards.

Norm met us at the parking lot and took our offerings, then went off to join his wife Gina in preparing their home for the two hiking groups to meet for lunch. Those of us who walked the trails spent three hours being out in the beautiful and very green Pacific Northwest.

The horse trails are a little less traveled than the area around the lake, but we met up with plenty of runners taking their dogs (and themselves) for a run. This particular area allows for them to let their dogs off leash, and I saw many very well-behaved dogs who sure looked happy to be out. It didn't rain, and as the morning progressed, we began to see sun breaks now and then.

When we would reach a junction in the trail, we waited until everyone had caught up, as some of us hiked faster or slower than the others. At a junction, we discussed whether we were still wanting to continue farther out or head back to the parking lot. Some decided not to hike as far, but since we were not in the wilderness, it worked out well. At noon we all met and carpooled to Norm and Gina's home at Cain Lake, about twenty minutes away.

And when we arrived, the food had been set out and ready for us to imbibe. There were many salads and other dishes, as well as Norm busy grilling hamburgers and hot dogs. Here you see Peggy and Linda about to partake as I captured the moment. A cold breeze coming off the lake (with some still-sweaty hikers) made it uncomfortable to be sitting outside unless you were bundled up. I did see a tree swallow, pointed out to me by some of my fellow Trailblazers, and I managed to get a pretty good shot.

Click to admire Tree Swallow

I eventually went inside where a wonderful propane heater warmed the indoors, while the hardiest of the hardy hikers gathered outside. After warming up enough to venture out, I took this picture that shows you that nobody was exactly warm. The temperature was in the low 50s but a brisk wind off the water made it feel much colder.

Since three of us are in danger of having birthdays soon, a carrot cake courtesy of Norm and Gina (and Costco) was presented for our consumption. Amy had brought cupcakes, and you can see here that the cake didn't last long. It was very rich and sweet, but nobody had a problem with that.

All in all, it was a very good day, and everyone had a chance to visit and chat for our first celebration of the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of the summer season. In Bellingham, the annual Ski to Sea race will be held on Sunday, and if the weather cooperates, Smart Guy and I are hoping to get to Snohomish for a jump or two. The summer season is finally beginning!
:-)

Summer Necklace

I was in Walmart the other day and saw a cute Necklace. I couldn't pay $8.00 knowing I had all the stuff at home to make it. The technique seemed so simple & I knew it would look cute wearing it in the upcoming summer weather.


Necklace clasps


Fold string(4 yards-I used thin hemp like) in half, thread one through the necklace clasp and with both strings tie a knot.


Take one string and thread on a bead or shell then take both strings and tie a knot. Continue until you reach the end of the string. Tie onto the other side of the necklace clasp. TIP: I put a little glue on one of the string ends so it wouldn't fray and thread easier.


All Done! I made it long so I could wear it by itself or layer it.


You could wear it single or doubled up. . .


Or even layer it.

Rhodie scholar

Rhodies! The Pacific Rhododendron is the state flower of Washington, and anybody who might arrive here at this time of the year would certainly understand why: everywhere there are rhodies in bloom. They are a very interesting genus of flower that has many different varieties. According to Wikipedia,

There are over 28,000 cultivars of Rhododendron in the International Rhododendron Registry held by the Royal Horticultural Society. Most have been bred for their flowers, but a few are of garden interest because of ornamental leaves and some for ornamental bark or stems.

Rhodies also include azaleas; they grow into small shrubs and even into small trees. They also come an enormous variety of colors. Just for fun (and for the entertainment of my readers), I drove around town this week and took pictures of some of the amazing varieties within a few blocks of my home. This next variety caught my eye; a lady was out mowing her lawn and I stopped to take a picture of this flaming bush. She told me she has had this particular rhodie in her family for more than a hundred years and was quite pleased that I wanted to include her beauty in this post.

As I climbed back into my car and drove a little further down the street, I spied this bush in someone's yard and quickly parked so I could capture it. Notice how different these rhodies are from one another; so many of them have smaller flowers that are quite densely packed together, such as this one.

This bush is about four feet tall and I realized I should have put something in the picture for perspective, but it was too late as I edited my shots. The color is so vibrant that it reminds me of something edible. And of course, while I was learning about rhododendrons, I came across this information in Wikipedia:

It has been reported that the plant is of anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective functions against related diseases, which is probably due to its antioxidant efficacy sourced from flavonoids, saponins and phenolic compounds.

Well! What a wonderful plant it is. Not only good to look at but also an antioxidant! However, I'm not sure I'll replace my Vitamin C with rhodies. Okay, let's see: I've shown you some of the bright colors I have seen around town, but there is one color that I've spied only a few times. It seems that the yellow rhodies must flower earlier than some of the others, since this one was almost past its prime:

I had to bury my camera deep in the blossoms to capture it. The sun was trying to make an appearance but most of my pictures have little sunshine. The delicate buttery color of this flower made for an acceptable substitute for a while. There is a house on the corner of Holly and Eldridge that has at least a half dozen huge rhodie bushes, almost tree sized, and of course I had to show it to you, even if it's a little early in the season to show how spectacular this view will become.

The flowers don't last very long, but as I said they don't all bloom at the same time. I notice that the red ones are quick to burst forth, along with the light colored ones. I'll leave you with one of my favorite red rhododendrons I captured on my odyssey:

These impressive and breathtaking flowers are so much fun to look at, and now I can come back to this post and gaze at them when the green bushes are all that are left behind, and they will remind me that next spring this display will come once again.
:-)

Dangerous job as a maid

J Lo as maid

I have worked as a maid at various times in my life, out of necessity. Once when I arrived in a city with no money, I got a job making $2 an hour cleaning hotel rooms. And long ago when I first came to Colorado, I worked as a maid at a dude ranch cleaning rooms for the summer.

What has brought all this back to me is identifying with the poor young woman who was allegedly raped by Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the disgraced and deposed IMF Chief. The other night I woke up thinking about the awful scenario she experienced that was so graphically depicted in news accounts. If she had known what was going to happen to her, I suspect she would have said nothing and endured the horror of it for the rest of her life. Her previous existence, and that of her sixteen-year-old daughter, will never be the same. The press will never leave her alone.

I read that when she tried to return home after the story broke, dozens of reporters blocked her way into her own home. She and her daughter have been "relocated" to a secure place, but how can her life ever be the same? She has agreed to press charges and probably has little to no idea of the pressures she will most likely face once the trial begins. It just makes me sick. The only bright side to what might come from this is highlighting the numerous times this same situation has happened to other young women, who have little to no recourse if something similar happens to them.

Most of the press reports I've read focus on what will likely happen to his life after he was caught. But apparently this is not new behavior for him, since he is a powerful person who thought the rules didn't apply to him. Whatever he gets won't be adequate punishment, in my opinion, because of his disregard for the rights of others. He joins the ranks of men who have been disgraced because of their inability to keep it in their pants and exposed, so to speak, for their crimes.

While I was working as a maid, I was never accosted, but I didn't spend more than a few months in the position. Because I had other skills, I was able to get better paying and more secure positions. However, I well remember how invisible I was to the people as they were checking out of their rooms. Many times I felt like a piece of furniture and was told by management that it was my place to act like one. Maybe those old guys like DSK should get a blow-up doll fastened to their pillows instead of a chocolate. But who knows, maybe the turn-on for him was overpowering an unwilling and powerless woman...
:-[

{ThumBody} LOVES You

I have been very frustrated lately, not only with life, but my children.
I found these boardbooks at the second hand store(Goodwill) and knew these would be great if I altered them. Right now seemed to be a perfect time to let our children have a little reminder that ThumBody loves them! I sat down to think of the good things about each child. It helped me to gain a new perspective & greater love for each of them.


the plain books. . .


Use a generous coat of Mod Podge then wrap the cut fabric (I used home decor fabric)to fit.


Let the outside dry.


Cut the colored scrapbook paper to fit on the inside. Use double stick tape to adhere it to the boardbook.

Ways I Love Them:

Another one to Try

I was experimenting with a couple of the Protein Bar recipes. This is one is really good!! If I don't cut them into bars I might get ALL my protein in one (9x13) pan!



Mix together:

1 (12oz.) jar almond butter
1 cup honey
4 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
1 cup chopped almonds
2 1/2 cups regular oats
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
about 1/3 cup water(just enough to make it stick together)

After all mixed together spread into a 9"x13" pan. Refrigerate overnight and cut into squares. You can get about 18-24 bars depending on how you cut it.

Store extras in the freezer.

Flavor your Meat

I've been trying to eat more turkey rather than beef but turkey doesn't have as much flavor. I end up putting on lots of mayo and it still is hard to get down.

I used these marinade packets(on sale at Winco for .48) and added about 1/2 package (dry seasoning)while the meat (1 lb.)was cooking. It turned out great!!!

Now I'm excited to experiment with the other flavors.

Baker River walk

Yes, I know I have been complaining about the weather lately. But almost as soon as I wrote that last post, it's been incredibly beautiful here. Go figure. Today 14 Senior Trailblazers met at the Senior Center to drive a long distance (70 miles) south and east to the Baker Lake area. We planned to hike to Noisy Creek, a 9- or 10-mile-long trek from the Baker Lake trailhead. We saw immediately that the suspension bridge had been closed as of yesterday and decided instead to hike to Sulphide Creek on the Baker River trail. We saw lots of old growth trees, like the one above.

You have to admit it was not only a beautiful day, but the creek running behind me, along with the amazing views, made it pretty hard to be disappointed. We had a quick reconnoiter and decided to head back to the ostensibly closed suspension bridge and take a closer look. In the meantime, since it was almost 11:30, several people had lunch, and some had a "munch break" instead. This would add to the confusion later on. But the sun was shining so brightly that most of us shed as many clothes as possible as we continued our hike.

These two intrepid hikers have been missing since last fall, Carol and Sally, and I happily snapped their picture in front of our magical mossy trees. We turned around at the end of the short Sulphide Creek trail and headed back to our starting point, the suspension bridge, where we were foiled in our plans to hike to Noisy Creek. Carefully picking our way across the bridge, we saw that some trees have fallen on the suspension wires and were the reason for its closing. After deciding to risk everything, we hurried across and started on the path to Noisy Creek, with an agreement that we would turn around and head back to the cars at 1:30 pm.

Remember that some people had not had lunch yet, so they decided to fuel up while others went on to inspect the trail. It (the trail) is in wonderful shape, and the magical and beautiful old growth trees were interspersed with all the signs of spring. I fell in love with the fiddlehead ferns showing their stuff in front of the old growth trees.

Sometimes you have to be reminded why one would decide to leave Colorado behind and move to the Pacific Northwest, where the weather is reputed to be nothing but continuous rain. Not so. Every once in a while the sun comes out and warms the air, the mood of the local residents, and smiles break out in abundance. Although we didn't have the most coordinated hike of the year, it was undoubtedly one of the most appreciated by all of us. The Baker River is one of the more beautiful places I have the privilege of visiting, and when you get to do it surrounded by great friends, who could ask for more?

By the time we reached the our cars at the trailhead, we had covered almost nine miles and a grand total of somewhere around 1,000 feet elevation gain and loss. This tells you we didn't work all that hard but enjoyed incredible weather as we walked in a moss-covered old growth forest. I'll take that, with pleasure. (Kimberly's blog about the hike is here.)
:-)