l.e.d. rain

l.e.d. rain, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

There was rain and sleet when I ran this morning and it continued on through the day.

This is a tiny l.e.d. light (maybe a 1/4 inch big) from a string of them, that hangs on the railing on our front porch and rain drop that clung to it.

eos rebel xti,shutter 0.4,f9.0,100mm, iso 100
I cropped it down from a vertical and nudged the contrast a tidge in iphoto

my son's socks

my son's socks, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

Twelve years old
Two unmatched socks
Three days of taking pains to ensure that they are unmatched
One sock (black) belongs to his father, the other
One is inside out...

Why does it make me crazy?
Why do I care?

It makes him grin, pleased with his attempts to declare his individuality, his uniqueness -

argh.

Canon Rebel xti, shutter 1/13,f.5,39mm, iso 400
had to lighten a lot in iphoto

ruffled

ruffled, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

in some ways getting up close to these guys is a little like shooting fish in a barrel.
Put a blanket out in one of our municipal parks and that is like putting out a welcome mat for gulls.

My other choices for today were a shot of a student driven light armoured vehicle or my friend's hands knitting (both on flickr).

This one though appealed to me, partially because of nostalgia - remember discovering Jonathon Livingstone Seagull in highschool (really the best time for that) and more recently Finding Nemo - my youngest child's favourite movie.
We can't see a gull anymore without shrieking "mine! mine".

canon eos 30d, shutter 1/500, 300mm, iso 100

gold fish

gold fish, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

my husband was very mysterious - "i have something for you to take a picture of" - as he led me to the car.

And he did.

We learned a bit about the artist from the woman who owned the house - and now visions of a metal dragon in our own yard, dance in our heads.

shiny shiny sun

shiny shiny sun, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

coloured glass in the window
oh so pretty and can be mine
for
$65

canon eos 30d, shutter 1/500,f5.6,46mm,iso 100

green bison

green bison, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

About 15 years ago, for reasons I can't quite remember - a veritable herd of these fibreglass bison took up position on the main road way into town.

They were slightly controversial but I liked them, tricked out in all different colours and patterns.

The fact that they were so accurately modeled after real bison down to their male parts, inspired a minor crime wave of sorts - some unknown person or persons felt the need to alter a number of them.

Like the bison of yore, these ones disappeared from the streets and went I don't know where...

Until we saw this one today, tucked away in an industrial area.

The green is peeling off his back a bit, but the gold paint on his nose and horns is still bright and the rest of him is...
intact.

wings

wings, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

and they take me farther than I thought I could ever go

canon eos 30d,shutter 0.3, f4.0,21mm,iso200

one foot in front of the other

one foot in front of the other, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

I run beside this river on many Wednesday mornings and sometimes it still surprises me that I can and do!

Canon powershot G5, shutter 1/800, f3.0, 922mm, iso 50

possibilities

possibilities, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

taken with a purpose - will be sending this to a friend who asked if I might have any pictures that could be used as a wedding invite.

Canon Rebel xti, shutter 1/15, f2.8,100mm, 100iso

spyhole

spyhole, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

Still cold, couldn't stay out long looking for things to take pictures of, so I stood inside and pointed my lens through the peephole in the building door.

help

help, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

Coming home this morning from the not-so-faraway city and the adventure of moving our friend.

LOTS of snow, LOTS of wind, NOT MUCH visibility and too many vehicles NOT on the road.

Whew.
Glad to be home, in my own bed.
More interesting pictures of driving through the late April snowstorm at my flickr account. Just click on the picture to get there.

How cold?

How cold?, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

Robin, harbinger of spring, desperately trying to keep warm and freaked out by stinging wind and drifts of snow.

Seen in the tree outside the window of my friend's new house.

BTW cheek by jowl suburbia? What is the attraction?

Do not adjust your set.

Do not adjust your set., originally uploaded by gawdessness.

Friday April 18,
on our way to help a friend with a move.
3 hour tour turned into a 5 hour trip because of icy highways.
No internet so no posting till now.
Many centimeters of snow.
Schlepping stuff is not usually much fun - but this was certainly memorable.

hydrangea

hydrangea, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

The colour is unbelievable.
"You mean it's not dyed?" My oldest daughter is incredulous.

They don't grow here, only in pots and only once a year.
You can order them from some florists.

My absolute favourite flower.
My favourite colour.

Canon rebel xti, shutter 6, f9.0, 100mm, iso 100

small but with big eyes

small but with big eyes, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

Visiting at my Friend W/Acreage today. A place where I just breathe easier.
Many things to take pictures of outside, and I did - but this guy who lives in the house really took my camera's fancy.
Mine too.
I think he is a gecko.

Canon EOS 30d,shutter 1/30, f2.8,100mm, iso 640

seeking redemption

seeking redemption, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

the female gold eye - that was the male yesterday.
this shot is from yesterday.
today was a no shot day :(.

she is pretty though.

canon rebel xti,shutter 1/800,160mm,f5.0,iso 100

many eyes

many eyes, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

At the park, the pond can be a mirror with gold showing in it
and sitting in the mud of the shore is the best way to see it
gold eye

Canon Rebel xti, shutter 1/800 ,f.5, 165mm, iso 100,

Yes?

Yes?, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

Set up my tripod out on the small slip of grass that is our front lawn this afternoon and waited for pictures to happen to me and they did.

At first I though I had lost my chance with this critter because the first time I spotted her, she was climbing ON the tripod that was holding the camera with the macro lens. When I was ever so delicately easing the camera away, so I could use it hand held, I startled her away.

A few minutes later, she was back on the tripod and although I would have loved to have devoted long exposures to her beauty, I could not hold the camera still enough to end up with anything but blur.

For this shot, the shallow depth of field really worked, highlighting those beautiful jewel eyes.

In all honesty I think she was inspecting me with as much interest as I was looking at her.

Canon Rebel xti, shutter 1/50, f2.8, 100mm, 100 iso.
(cropped a little but other wise out of the camera)

placeholder

placeholder, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

One of THOSE days.

Not a bad one or one full of upheaval.
More one of the after everything has died down and suddenly a bone weary tiredness sets in.

This is the first flower I have seen blooming here this season.
In my neighbor's garden.
Canon 30d, shutter 1/500, f5.6, 300mm, iso 125

Treebreast

This was not the picture I went out looking for when I sat under the tree in the front yard this evening.

I was hoping to catch a bird or one of the many rabbits in the neighborhood.

Only after I saw this bump on the tree trunk and snapped it, did I realize how much I have been thinking about (and struggling with( my body image.

Subtlety is NOT my strong suit.

Canon EOS 30d, shutter 1/200, f5.6, 300mm, iso 125
******************
Bonus feature - what happened at Camera Club last night:
I entered these three shots - Cagney, Bird in The Hand, Love Stinks
none of them placed at all, even though the field was small. But I did request and get critiques for two of them, Hand and Stinks (their choice).

Hand, I was told that cons: the colour was a little too red in the print, there wasn't enough light in the bird's eye and I should have shot more from the side to improve that.
pros:that the focus on the bird was nice and sharp and that was a good contrast to the softer focus of the surrounding hand which kept the eye on the bird.

Stinks, con: the building in the background distracted from the stuffed animal on the dumpster and I should have tried to shoot it so the building was not in the shot
pro: it was funny.

Actually getting there and entering was the most harrowing part of the experience...once that was done, I was able to settle down a bit - the waiting for the judging just about drove me crazy though! Despite my best intentions and constantly reminding myself to stay grounded - I did hope that I would win everything and be DISCOVERED!!!!!!!! But, I survived that not happening quite well and happily. After that, the withstanding the critique was really not all that hard.

I also realized that I like the pictures I entered anyway for what they were, just as they were and I will try to think about some of what was said when I am shooting in the future and keep what I like and let go of what I don't.

blowing shadow bubbles

blowing shadow bubbles, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

This is one of the first times that my youngest child has been able to play with only her shadow for company - that she has actually wanted to and has enjoyed herself.

And that is a very big deal indeed.

Canon Rebel xti, shutter 1/3999,f 1.8, 50mm, iso 100

Tonight I did indeed enter some of my shots in the photo club monthly competition and it was a good experience - the most harrowing part, aside from actually entering - was volunteering for a public critique.

I learned some stuff - more on that tomorrow.

puddifoot stainless

puddifoot stainless, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

what kind of name is puddifoot?

Bauble

Bauble, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

Our youngest turned nine today.

Among her presents was an odd contraption that looked like a plastic sword with scabbard. Fill the scabbard with bubble solution and the "sword" turns into a huge bubble wand at the squeeze of a trigger.

Massive bubbles filled our neighborhood this afternoon and early this evening.


Canon Rebel xti, shutter 1/800, f4.5, 34mm, iso 200

splash

splash, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

Loud, messy, obnoxious and pretty and interesting too.
These gulls spent a fair amount of time in this puddle.


Canon Rebel xti, shutter 1/125, f5.6, 220mm, iso 100

winsome

winsome, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

The crabapple tree outside my bedroom window is often weighed down with small, sour, difficult to use fruit that make a mess in the yard most of the non winter times of the year.

It also wears intoxicatingly beautiful white blossoms for nearly three weeks in the spring. Making me think that maybe someday, a child or two or four might want to get married under it.

Sunlight filters through the branches and leaves and dapples the inside walls of the room in the most becoming way.

Then there are the many different birds that come and sit in the branches within just a few feet of my bed.

One of this morning's visitors was was this fluffy, young looking sparrow.

Canon eos 30d, shutter 1/50, f5.6, 300mm, iso 125

snow serpent

snow serpent, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

Cradled in the arms of the dying birch tree in my front yard.

Canon EOS 30d, shutter 1/30, f4.0, 18mm, iso 125

disappearing

disappearing, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

The kids have drawn on the glass of our front room windows with dry erase markers.
When it is cloudy out, I forget that but when the sun comes out, I see things like this bird in flight magically appear in the white cotton of our curtains.
This was done by my oldest daughter.
She loves birds, very, very much.
I love the joy in these lines.

gang way

gang way, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

The camera club, of which I am a shiny new member has monthly competitions.
I am screwing my courage to the sticking point and entering some prints (eek! I may never mention it again - or I might, at any rate it is in the next week or two).
The theme is Things With Wings.
This shot may not be one I enter but it speaks to me.
There are times when I feel like that panicky goose looks - running like heck, flapping my arms and fully expecting my butt to get bit.
Not sure why but I also feel compelled to add this:

The park was geese full,
they are not peaceful.

Forgive me.

Canon Rebel xti, shutter 1/320, f5.6, 300mm, iso 100

stump hat

stump hat, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

Making fashion waves in the most exclusive wooded areas in the river valley, this season - stumps in the know are sporting jaunty chapeaus.

(Spotted very close to the turn around point on our run this morning - thanks to my running partner for being so tolerant of my stopping and taking pictures every kilometre Thanks N!)

Canon G5, shutter 1/100, f3.2, 662mm, iso 100)

works

works, originally uploaded by gawdessness.

Carried the camera with me everywhere today, found this rusty hinge on a gate at the park half block from my house.

When I took it, I didn't expect this to be the one I would post, it was my last shot - but I lke it.

Canon Rebel xti, shutter 1/250, f5.0, 41mm, iso 100