Eager subjects

I've been taking a picture a day for 335 (!) days now, so I like to torture the kids into photo sessions on a fairly regular basis. Unfortunately, I don't usually get as much cooperation as I did today. Either that, or I'm getting better at herding them in front of the lens. I didn't even have to bribe them with candy on this one.

I was very happy with the results, especially after applying some secrets that Curtis taught us at a recent photo gang get together. :) The only negative was that Faith found out the hard way she has some sort of allergy to the grass she's sitting under in the first photo. She was playing in the leaves, and ended up with a rash on her arms. Suffering for my art...sorry sweetheart!

A very hot horse show

A couple of weeks ago, the kids spent the week at Grampa and Gramma's house. Faith's been doing this since she was three, but it was Blake's first time. (Our house was eerily quiet while they were gone.) The week culminated in a horse show where we reunited.

It was a 40 degree day in the hot sun, but the we all survived -- with ribbons! Faith competed in the lead line class, walk, trot class, costume class and the grandparent driving class. She did miss her driving class due to scheduling changes, which she was not happy about. The kid  has a competitive streak. Anyway, here are a series of pictures from the day.

Lead line class with Indigo (Sydney's mare -- and Sydney's hat)...



This was my Dad's first show with Stormy, and she's already peaked. She won a grand prize for best something or other (my brain was melting, so I can't quite remember).



Blake even got to compete in the "stick pony" class. We didn't know you had to bring our own pony though, so we had to do a little improvising. When you've got a great-grandma, a gramma, and a mom together, you can do anything. Great-grandma donated her cane, my mom found Blake's stuffed dinosaur in the car, and I whipped off my pony tail elastic to strap it to the top of the cane. Presto! Stick pony.



It was ingenuity, and Blake's innate ability, that won him the class. First prize and $5. He bought us all timbits afterwards. :)



Faith rode Indigo again in the walk, trot, class, which she won. I'm not sure who was happier, Faith or Sydney, who was excited  to see Indigo so well-behaved for Faith. (Notice, no bit either!)



And, here's Sydney in one of her classes. Indigo and Sydney both got a big workout that day.



It was a great day seeing the family (great-grands, great-aunt, parents, etc., etc.) and watching everyone compete. More photos.

Ice cream in sweaters

It was an odd week with the hubby gone on a business trip. We were crazy busy, as per normal, but with one less person around to share in the craziness. The kids were actually really good and didn't torture me too much in the mornings. This is normally George's domain, so I really have no idea what goes on after I leave the house at 6:30. But, both of them got up and dressed and breakfasted with relative ease. Kids know when not to push their luck I guess.

As a treat on Thursday, we had supper and then walked down to the ice cream place. Believe it or not, we had to wear sweaters as it was a relatively chilly evening for August. It did help when eating ice cream--everyone could eat it before it melted all over our hands. Even Blake came through relatively clean!  And, I've also figured out that he's outgrown most of his warm clothes. The sweatshirt he's wearing is about 2 inches short in the arms. A cold snap in August has to be good for two things: non-melty ice cream and a pre-school size check.

Sunday Stills: Statues or Figurines

This week's Sunday Stills was Statues or Figurines. After trying to figure out what I was going to take a picture of in my house, I determined that I'm not a big figurine collector. So, I scavenged my friends' display cabinet instead.

These two little dudes from Karen and Rob's are perfect. Who knew monks could not only be salt and pepper, but also look mischievous at the same time?

Sunday Stills: Metal

Another week, another Sunday Stills challenge. This week: Metal.

The first one I took at the riding stable. Tucked away in the barn were rolls and rolls of snow fence. I thought the twisted wire of snow fence made an interesting contrast against the weathered wood.

This one is a picture of the top of a genuine German beer stein a friend of George's brought back for him.

Sunday Stills: Smoke and Fire

I wish we'd had this Sunday Stills challenge, Smoke and Fire, a few weeks ago, when we were at a cottage with lots of smokey fire for hotdogs and marshmallows. So, I had to make do with some candle shots. (And with posting on Monday as we were at a horse show yesterday and were whipped when we got home.)

Rose of Sharon

Everything in our yard has gone crazy with growth this year. The grass is lush, the bushes have fingers of light green, new-growth branches sprouting from every angle, and even the annuals we planted (which I notoriously kill), have many, many blossoms. The weather has been perfect for growing - warm and rainy just when we need it.

But the plant that always makes me happiest to see every year is my Rose of Sharon. It's a gorgeous pink color that blooms at the beginning of August, just when, in a normal year, everything else is browning off.

I especially love the Rose of Sharon because it reminds me of my maternal Grandmother. She had a huge bush growing outside her house. I tried in vain to get a transplant from this bush to grow at our old house, with no luck. We're just on the edge of the climate zone that a Rose of Sharon can really thrive in, and my gardening philosophy of benign neglect didn't really help.

But, this one, which I got at a local greenhouse two years ago, is thriving in the spot next to the house. It's protected, with just enough sun and water, and blooms beautifully. And, each time I look at it I think of my grandmother.

Sunday Stills: Clouds

This week's challenge, Clouds, definitely fits in with my recent preoccupation with clouds. I have too many to put in one post, but here's a sampling.

I took this one as a storm was brewing in the distance while I was waiting for Faith to finish her horseback riding lesson. Getting the "fingers of god" to show up in a picture is always a lighting challenge.

This was the same storm coming in, but earlier. I don't usually like pictures of "just clouds" but I thought the light and shapes were interesting.

I took this one while we were visiting a Karen and Rob's cottage. We went to the marina in the morning so the kids could get some 5 cent gummy candies and we could pick up the Globe and Mail. The day was gorgeous.

I like the contrast of the cloud and lonely silo against the blue sky from this shot. I stopped on the side of the road and Blake played around in the grass while I took a few shots.

I took this one a couple of months ago, but it's still one of my favourites. I had a polarizing lens on, which helped me pop the colors during processing.

Sunday Stills: Graffiti/Street Art

This week's challenge was a tough one for me: Graffiti/Street Art. I wasn't out and about in the city too much, and my town isn't big on graffiti. So, when we were coming back from a friend's cottage I took a few shots of graffiti through the window.