Time Passages

Sexy Comments Galore!

Hi all, I have been busy lately doing everything from painting to shopping
for Laminate Flooring to putting up bamboo blinds and I am having a great
time doing it. It's been so hot and dry that my poor shrubbery has just about
had it so I've also had to do a lot of watering with no end in sight. Anyway,
I thought I would share. Have a good one!

This is my first successful painting. This one was a quickie, it took
only 45 minutes. In fact, I did this one so fast I overlooked a few
touch up areas, but on the whole I am pretty pleased with it, since
I am self taught. I have been contemplating taking a course to gain
more insight in mixing colors and brush techniques. I am also learning
digital art and Magna in Corel Painter and Photoshop. Hopefully, I can
post a few in the future. Later.

I've found a great place to do a little bird watching, in fact this decrepit tree is a safe haven for many types of birds. I've seen everything from chickadees to quail, and even woodpeckers. I am not well read on birds but I do love to capture them digitally. I can capture them at 72.00mm but at 69 it's a little clearer and the light plays a large factor in how the image turns out. I suppose with diligence and a little luck I'll get the perfect shot.

Last week I found this antique No.2 Folding Cartridge Premo camera made by the Eastman Kodak Co.,in Rochester N.Y. around 1912. The Premo was a camera made by the Rochester Optical Co. and was absorbed by the EKC in the early 1900's. Apparently, it is still in working condition. The bellows are in good shape with a little flaking. It uses 120 film but I have yet to complete the research I need in order to find the film. I have also, found a lot of useful information at the The Brownie Camera Page.com

This crane is a frequent visitor to our ponds. I have yet to see his/her
mate but I am sure one is around somewhere. He was perched close to the
shoreline looking to catch a fish. I watched him for about 5 minutes before
he took off. I am guessing he is about 5 feet tall and has a wingspan of
equal length.

Here is another sample of one my sketches. Truly am taken with it, but
I am having to work on my depth, texture, and shading. I am so impatient
that usually my sketches look unfinished, which I attribute to lack of
experience. Well, I will post more of these when I get a chance.

Drew this one yesterday and edited somewhat, using Edge Detect and Curves.
Ive decided to draw caricatures, flowers, and some other interesting
subjects. The cartoon business is so cool, though. I have decided to
wait until I get a Graphire 6x8 tablet. They aren't too expensive and I
am pretty patient so that is in the future. Hope you enjoy this little
ditty. You may want to double click it to see it better.

This photo was taken last night around 9 p.m., while I was sitting
on my deck. I have always been fascinated with the weather and
I was really happy to get this one. This streak was multi-
pronged as you can see and pretty close probably around 3-5 miles
away. In fact, afterward I thought next time I will have to pay more
attention to how close the strikes are. The strikes were not coming
closer but staying in pretty much the same location, so I was fortunate.


Last night I learned how much patience it takes to get a lightning shot.
Oh boy, I see why professionals use a tripod and a cable release. To make
a long story short, I didn't. I shot this one using Full Manual, aperture 7.1,
keeping the shutter open for 10 seconds at 6 mm, ISO Speed 80, and without
a tripod. That is why this shot is so special :)

In continuance of my previous post of caricatures I have recently
added a few more characters to the plot. This one is rather uptight
and pretty snooty. Shame on her. She is a mix of your worst night-
mare and your cuddly old grandmother. Sometimes you feel like
walking on egg shells isn't just enough for her. Anyway, you'll meet
more characters later in the week.

A couple of days ago I posted a spoof called the Nunnery. I recently purchased
a few books on caricature drawings and this is the result, Ms. Pertinacious or rather Sister, having been in the convent for a few years. She is rather young
and is a cross between Paris Hilton and Marilyn Monroe minus the aberrations.
I hope to continue to add caricatures along the way. Have a great day!

This crazy post is dedicated to the love of drawing that I have, in
fact drawing cartoons is becoming a growing fascination that I have.
I envy those cartoons over the internet because they are so creative
and pretty funny. This is my modest attempt to imitate their art.

I must give those artist credit because this one took me a full day
and a half. I didn't use anything other than Paint.net, Paintshop,
and Picasa. What I would like to do is create more caricatures and
maybe purchase a wacom tablet to pursue this a little further. Maybe.

I was tickled to get this shot! It was amazing to see the moon so close
that I could see the craters. I took this one about 30 minutes before
the sun went down around 8:00. I have another shot that is more
luminous but this one is a little more clearer, magnified at 48x.

If you have been following my blog you may know that I have a close
relationship with my grandparents. They are a source of strength
and comfort. I am very grateful that they have been in my life and
I love them dearly. This image as you can see is of my grandmother
when she was about 18. It apparently was taken 1 year prior to their
marriage and return of my grandfather from WWII. I think she is
beautiful, inside and out. Thanks for all you do to help Meme!

This post is dedicated to my new found friends and they know who they are.
I am thankful for having met these special women. They will forever make
a difference in my life whether near or far. I hope that they have had a
great week and I want them to know that I will pray for their safety, well
being, and happiness.

These climbing beauties are perennials that love to keep their roots cool. This can be accomplished by mulching or placing a rock by it's roots. This vine is deciduous and blooms early to mid spring. I very rarely prune my vine as it has yet to grow out of control. This vine is situated in full sun and is protected by a rather large red Azalea. This image was taken in it's second year of blooming. I was taken by the large blooms which are at least 4-6 inches in diameter and the candy cane striping that it exhibits.

I have been deeply moved by the recent events that have taken place on the VA Tech campus. So many questions as to why this tragedy had to take place, and the answers are leaving little comfort to those who have been affected and who are hurting by one man's senseless act. I offer my condolences to the VA Tech campus and pray for their healing.

Last week was a big week for my grandparents, it was their 60th wedding
anniversary. Can you imagine 60 years of wedded bliss? It is pretty unbelievable, as far as I am concerned. My grandmother told me a funny tale about their honeymoon. It is almost Mayberrish, but after visiting the justice of the peace they got in the car and traveled to the mountains for their honeymoon. I suppose it was getting dark and the weary travelers were ready to find a place to stay for the evening, when they finally found one, the hotel manager asked to see their marriage certificate. Well, their marriage certificate had to be mailed to them for some reason or other so they didn't have it with them. The manager refused to rent the young couple a room. What a hoot! my grandma said that when her husband returned to the car his face was flushed with embarrassment. Anyway, I wish them many more years of wedded bliss!

Last week when I was in the middle of taking a few photos, little miss
sunshine stole the show. She had been napping in her favorite place and
after a trip to the kitchen for a lite afternoon snack she found herself
plopped on the couch. I didn't notice her there at first but a second
glance caught my attention. The sunlight reflected off her eye just right,
so much so that I really couldn't have planned it more perfectly. I only
took 2 shots of her but they turned out quite nicely.

This Lady Banks Rose is one of my favorite perennials. The delicate
flowers are so demure in their appearance but make a showstopping
display when in full bloom. Actually, this evergreen shrub is considered
a climber and can grow to 20 feet or more. I would suggest not to confine
this gem but place it where it can proliferate without constraint and you will
be thoroughly pleased with it's display. It needs tying in and pruning to
shape but well worth the effort.

I have been busy this week taking photos of everything in bloom and boy
what a show! I've taken 200 or so just of Dogwood blooms. They are so
beautiful this time of year and we are blessed to have so many on our
farm. We even have a pink dogwood but it has yet to bloom. It always shows
a little later than the naturalized variety.

These precious little visitors made their grand appearance at the end of February. I considered myself pretty lucky to get a shot of these Canadian Geese as they were meandering on our pond. I was able to get within 50 yards without frightening them. Please, double click on the image to see the full size version.

These little beauties are about to bloom, in fact they typically appear around Easter and this year of course it will be a little later. In fact, I was a little surprised to see these blooms so early. I must attribute the early blooms to the wonderful weather we had last week, a couple of days in the 80's but this week we have had really cool days. This morning there was even frost on the ground. I am hoping that this cool stint will not deter my little blooms. Azaleas are beautiful for about 2 weeks and reblooming cultivars (Encore Series) will appear again in the fall. Just thought I'd share. I don't usually fertilize my azaleas but some people do. I just don't think it is necessary.


Anyway, this week I plan to plant a Saucer Magnolia 'Rustica Rubra' in my front yard. I am trying to replace a 30+ year old apple tree that has succumbed to rot. I am not sure what selection it was, perhaps a Granny Smith. Growing up I can clearly remember picking the apples off so my grandmother could stew them. The fruit was small and we always picked them while they were green, because their flavor was so tart. Now, I seem to be rambling so I guess I better get to work.

These mums were given to my grandmother following her surgery (by the way she is up and about and doing great) and of course I jumped at the opportunity to take a few images. I shot about 100 various images of closeups, macros with and without flash. Here are a few of my favorites of the lot. I did have to edit the images slightly but I restricted it to cropping adding saturation and warming the colors.


















I have also been busy antiquing a small unfinished bookcase I purchased from a local store. It turned out quite well, as I used a black semi-gloss paint and then sanded it to reveal the wood underneath. I have images but will have to post later. I also, have stumbled on a family treasure, a 150 year old treen. It is absolutely beautiful and has survived many generations and a fire.

It's so good to be back at the computer blogging. I have had a hectic 2 weeks as my grandmother is recuperating from surgery that she had last week. Her healing will be slow and I am in charge of her care. In fact, I enjoy care giving for my elderly grandparents and have become acutely aware of the tremendous amount of patience that is required to do this. Anyway, I stole a few hours for myself and decided to post an image. I have also been busy painting and if you have read any of my earlier posts you know that painting is one of the things I would love to learn how to do. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

We just had our first snowfall of the year last week and I was delighted to see it. These Crepe Myrtle seedpods caught my eye as I stumbled out the door to get a few shots before the snow turned to rain. I am still waiting for the big one, you know, the kind of snowfall that keeps you indoors for 3 or 4 days.



















On a lighter note, I found a rather humorous article at TechCrunch provided by Michael Arrington and created by Jim Whimphey and The Brisbane Creative Team about web startups. Click on Useless Account to see more. Make sure you check out the FAQ page because it gives you a clear representation of what the heck is going on, albeit in a fuzzy kind of way, but you and I know, without it the value of the site seriously diminishes:) Anyway, I thought it a hoot because I for one love to sign up for just about anything.