Can you say, "Create a Job?"

Photo 38 - October 31

Yeah, I know...I haven't come up with enough projects to keep me busy with Dale being gone. Let's just add another one on to the list. I couldn't help myself on this one. I was actually at Menard's with Laura on Saturday after our luncheon, getting her opinion on bathroom tile and kitchen cabinets. We just took a quick walk to the other side of the store so I could see if they had any flower bulbs on clearance, and jackpot! So now I will have to make time to get these new bulbs in the ground before it gets too cold. Hopefully the weather will cooperate this weekend because I know I can find space for them.

It's Halloween!

Photo 37 - October 30

Dale and I and Kristin and Steve belong to a once a month couples bowling league. Since Dale will be gone all year, Andy has been recruited to be my bowling partner while he's gone. Our first night of bowling was supposed to be the first Saturday in October, but that was disrupted a little bit by Joey's broken collarbone and homecoming. So today we played makeup...since we're bowling next Saturday and we were running out of time. It's usually Steve and Kristin's night out, but since we bowled in the afternoon, the kids came along too. Take special note of Andy's "Fish On" pose. Steve has decided that upon getting a strike, we need to do a very manly jump and somehow wind an imaginery fishing reel. I am not having an easy time getting into this. We will see where it goes.





And Trinka very unwillingly donned her Halloween costume for the trick or treaters. The antennas get pushed behind her ears, and she refuses to lay down until the rest of the costume is removed. But the kids loved her!

My Deployment "Family"

Photo 36 - October 29

It's pretty cool how you can see every stitch on the stars of my outdoor garden flag, thanks to my macro lens. It was just that kind of patriotic day.



Today was our first family get together post-deployment. Our group was small, but we had a good time and got to know each other a little bit better. There were a bunch of people who sent their regrets, so it sounds like our next get together should grow. It definitely was nice to talk to people in the same situation as I am, and see what they're doing to pass the deployment time. Laura came along with me, so it was nice to have her there to share the afternoon with too. On top of that, the first 13 garbage bags of clothes were dropped off at Goodwill...and I am sad that I missed that photo opportunity. And I am already busy getting the next load ready for delivery.

Love My Burning Bush

Photo 35 - October 28

One of the most beautiful bushes in my yard is my burning bush. The leaves turn the most striking shade of red in the fall. I tried my best to capture it, but I'm afraid the pictures won't do it justice. Tonight was also chapter 3 (and hopefully the final chapter) in raking the yard. I do see leaves in my neighbors' trees...so I'm hoping they stay in their own yards and stay away from mine. I know - fat chance that's going to happen.

Happy Birthday (to me!)

Photo 34 - October 27

Happy Birthday to me! It was a nice day, filled with too much food, special time with my sister, and lots of birthday greetings. At last count, there were almost 100 postings on my Facebook. That's pretty awesome, that that many people took the time to wish me a happy birthday. Add that to the phone calls, cards and text messages, and I felt pretty special today. Thank you everybody! I had to take a picture of the pickled tomatoes...that was my birthday gift from Laura, along with the wonderful cake she brought to volleyball last night. She knows how much I like them and how difficult they have become to find. The cupcake was waiting for me on my desk this morning, from Cindy. The colors are totally cool, and the picture doesn't do it justice, especially still encased in plastic. And the beautiful sunset...well that was definitely a bonus.

It's Ladies Night!

Photo 33 - October 26

It's ladies night for volleyball, that is. The ladies indoor league finally started tonight! That's the night Laura and I have our mother-daughter bonding time. This season should be fun - our team keeps getting younger and younger, which is definitely not a bad thing. The young legs can back up the "older" legs. Tonight was just practice, and we start the real thing next Wednesday. And sweet Laura surprised me with a birthday cake tonight - french vanilla with raspberry and lemon filling and cream cheese frosting - and the girls all sang. I think even Bill (our referee) sang. All in all it was a fun night.

Halloween's Right Around the Corner

Photo 32 - October 25

Yup, it's a sign of the season. Pumpkins, pumpkins, everywhere. These are the whole variety - no jack-o-lantern carving included. I'm hoping to get out one of these evenings and get some night shots of some of the Halloween decorations that my neighbors are sporting. It's amazing how much time some people have taken to decorate for this holiday. Lots of fun stuff out there. Now I need to work on getting Trinka's costume all put together and ready to go so she's ready to greet the trick or treaters.

One month down...11 more to go

Photo 31 - October 24

It's been a whole month! I wasn't sure I'd be able to make it even this far, blogging on a daily basis, so I'm happily surprising myself. My picture today is basically just a rant...I can do that too. With the news saying that barrels of crude oil have been dropping in price, unfortunately we do not see that reflected at the pumps. I'll be happy when I can fill up again for under $50.00 a tank.

New Toy

Photo 30 - October 23




Yes, that is a power tool. And yes, it is mine. In fact, it is my very first power tool. It's a DeWalt compact drill, and Dale helped me pick it out before he left. Between putting up new baseboards and doorframes, and hopefully redoing the bathroom, it should be a pretty useful tool. Not quite the toy I'm usually in the market for, but I'm hoping that it's going to be pretty well-used.

Bugs are cool...

Photo 29 - October 22

Bugs are cool...as long as they are outside where they belong, and not cruising through my house. Thankfully, today's subjects were outside, hanging out in the garden where they belong. They're not very good at holding still either. We're enjoying another beautiful weekend with temperatures up in the 60s. Perfect to try to get the outside work done. I managed to get another blister today raking, with gloves on. And I did get Dale's truck started (on the first try) and got my yard waste over to the Village yard. Maybe I'll even get the grass cut tomorrow, since the Packers have the late game.

Seriously??

Photo 28 - October 21

The first part of my "Operation Clean Up" since Dale left has been the basement. It is amazing how much stuff can be accumulated in a basement in 20 years. And ours has become a dumping ground. My son-in-law has told me that there is "one of everything" on that side of the basement (the family room is on the other side), and in the couple weeks that I've been going through it, I'm almost inclined to believe him. Last night, while I was talking to Kayla on the phone, I was also cleaning out one of the kitchen cabinets, getting rid of all of the plastic margarine containers, Cool Whip containers, oddball containers and the plethora of lids that didn't seem to have any corresponding bottoms. And what did I find in the basement? Look further and cringe along with me. I seriously need a bigger recycle bin, and they need to pick up more often than every other week. That schedule is not working for me.

Happy Anniversary!

Photo 27 - October 20

Happy 27th Anniversary, Dale! I think in the 27 years we have been married, this is the first time we have not been together for our anniversary. But his duty calls, and I know that - even if I don't like it much.

My day started out with a nice surprise from my boss. She left me breakfast! And she knows my favorites - bagel with cream cheese and hot chocolate.



The next surprise was long distance from Dale - a dozen red and yellow roses were delivered, and they are absolutely beautiful. I didn't even bring them home yet, so I have another day of enjoying them at my desk.



My sister said it was too bad that I didn't have a picture of the two of us to post, so I decided to come up with a different idea.

Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart. I love you and I miss you...

Say Hello to My Little Friend...

Photo 26 - October 19

OK I love that movie quote...although my "little friend" is nowhere near what Al Pacino's "little friend" was in Scarface. One thing we have no shortage of in our house are military things - keychains, t-shirts, travel mugs, hats...lots of things sporting the National Guard logo. And then there is my "little friend," who took on new meaning after Dale left. He is actually a stress ball, and I have one sitting on my desk at work, and another one sitting in my kitchen at home. And he's basically non-damaging, so if I'm particularly annoyed, I can throw him around without inflicting harm on my surroundings. Or I can squeeze the crap out of him, too.



We are also in the middle of some high wind warnings. The internet had wave warnings out for Lake Michigan in Chicago of 20 to 25 ft. I went up to Port to try to get some pictures, but due to the road construction I couldn't get to where I wanted to take the shots I wanted. But here are a couple shots of the water coming over the breakwall. The pictures do not do it justice, but if you know the breakwall, you will have an idea of how high the waves were breaking. If the storm keeps up I'm hoping to maybe get some better shots tomorrow.

Clouds...and Post-Production

Photo 25 - October 18

Up until now, all of the photos that I've posted have been straight out of my camera - no post-production included. Today, I shot some pictures of the clouds. They were pretty cool...lots of them, and dark, like an announcement of upcoming storms. I've done reading, and skies and clouds are usually the parts of photos that lose something in the taking, and are usually enhanced to make them pop a little more. I haven't been able to do a lot of playing with my Adobe Photoshop Lightroom program, but decided to take a stab at just playing with the clouds. So here's the before and after...I still haven't decided which one I like better.

Changing Seasons

Photo 24 - October 17

Creating this blog is turning into a new found fascination for me of life through the lens of my camera. I find myself trying to find things now that are interesting to take pictures of. That is even easier with the macro lens, because close up, things look totally different. The first two pictures are seeds that I found in my flower garden...those puffy ones that fly around when the pods open. I love how soft and intricate they look and they are beautiful close up. I wouldn't know how to describe the stamens of the daylily in the next picture, and look how you can see all the veins in the maple leaf of the last picture. I found another bee to take pictures of too, but I figure - I can't have bee pictures every day. Even though the detail of the thistle flower he was sitting on was totally cool.

Practicing my close up

Photo 23 - October 16

Yeah, I am having fun playing with the macro lens. Unfortunately, it seems the only little critters around right now are the bees. This time my target was a honeybee, hanging out on my pincushion flower. He wasn't nearly as cool looking as the bee from yesterday, but still pretty cool in close up mode.




And I just had to take this picture at the grocery store. I guess I can't get very excited for coconut marshmallows, which were labeled as good for snacking. Snacking? They were also in a display with caramel swirled marshmallows, and a couple other varieties that I don't remember. They didn't have the pumpkin shaped (and very orange) marshmallows that were at Wal-Mart. Interesting marketing - I'll be interested to see if they actually sell them.

Close Up View

Photo 22 - October 15

I've always been fascinated with macro photography. I love how photographers are able to take those cool close up pictures. I recently had an opportunity to acquire a dedicated Sigma 150mm macro lens, which I think may have quite the learning curve to figure out, especially in the focusing department. The autofocus hunts a lot, and I think my aging eyes are making manual focusing just a shade off. Here are my first attempts. I'm pretty pleased that I did get the head of the bee pretty much in focus, and I can even see the details of his eye. With some heavy duty practice, I might even be able to get good at it.

Reorganizing

Photo 21 - October 14

One of my goals for the time Dale is gone is to get rid of stuff and get organized. Tonight's project was the closets downstairs. I found some shelving at Menard's that was a perfect fit, and as the before and after pictures show, things should be a little easier to access now.

Hungry (vs. Angry) Birds

Photo 20 - October 13

The only downfall I've had for my bird shooting lately is that I've had to shoot through a window. It was dreary and raining today, and these are not vibrantly colored birds, but I think something is still lost. There was a blue jay on the feeder this morning, but he wasn't inclined to sit long enough for me to get the camera up and take a shot. One of these days I'll have to set up the tripod and use the remote trigger and see what I can get.

Sandy vs. The Leaves...Part I

Photo 19 - October 12

Sandy 1 - Leaves 0... I'm a little bit sore for the effort, but the side yard and half of the front yard is clear - for now. The sad part is, as I was raking up what was in the grass, I could see more leaves falling from the trees. Somehow I'm thinking another raking effort is going to be required before I'm able to cut the grass. Because of all the rain we've had lately, it is in need of cutting again. And I even wore my gloves tonight for the raking...and still acquired a blister.

The view from my office window

Photo 18 - October 11




I have to say that I absolutely love the range of my new 70-300mm lens. I would never be able to get these close up shots without it. And this is really the view outside my office window. I work in my boss's house, and we get deer, fox, hawks, turkeys...among other things, just cruising through the yard. It is definitely a view that I seldom get tired of.

Raking Party! Everybody is Invited!

Photo 17 - October 10



Bring your rake! This is just the side yard, and unfortunately there are as many leaves still in the tree as there are on the ground. There are definitely enough to go around, and I am happy to share the raking duties! Dale has a big leaf blower (complete with backpack) that he usually uses to clear the leaves, but I think for me that would be a little bit of overkill. I think I'll probably end up doing it the old-fashioned way (and this year I won't forget the gloves).

I found this guy out in the yard...somehow I don't think he'll be helping much.