Abstract bees

Sometimes the photos I like the best are the ones that didn't come out as I had planned. I spent some time this morning with the bees on my fruit trees, and these turned out to be my favorites out of them all.

Ahhhhh.......

What a wonderful day....Well, at least most of it. It didn't start off too well as Katie has been giving me attitude lately, and lots of it. The way her bangs hang down, how heavy her backpack feels, the way her shoes fit, it's *all* my fault. We are in so much trouble....

So, my day was wonderful after I dropped her off at school. Last May I was given a gift card to the Spa at the Rancho Bernardo Inn for a massage and pedicure, and finally made the time to use it. Of course I didn't take my camera. The day was all about me, just me, not me and my camera, so I went alone. Of course I wished I had my camera after I had gotten there. It is such a beautiful place.

After my massage I had an hour to relax before my pedicure, so I put on my bathing suit and went out to the jacuzzi. It was heavenly. After I soaked in there a while, I sat outside, in my bathing suit, soaking up all our delicious sunshine. Appetizers and wine were brought out, so I sat outside, in my bathing suit, eating seared tuna and sipping Chardonnay, and loving San Diego and my girlfriends who treated me to this little slice of heaven. Oh, I could get used to this!! I went in for my pedicure, then had lunch (Yummy!) and headed home.
Now, the school bell has rung and the kids are heading home. Back to reality...

So, to keep me in my relaxed state of mind, here are a couple of photos I took in Hawaii last year.

A gum drop tree?

I was out walking the dog with my friend Pam and her two adorable poodles today when we passed this sight on the back of a stop sign. Looks like the middle schoolers waiting for the bus in the morning have found a way to entertain themselves. I'll keep checking back to see if it's migrated to the other sides yet. So far it was almost all the way up to the stop sign on one side.

Buzzin' bees

Three bees were buzzin' around the flowers on the fruit trees in my backyard today, and I couldn't resist getting the macro lens out again. They buzzed my head a few times, but otherwise left me alone. I'll have to play with them again another day when there are more flowers.

Playin' with my new toys

UPS finally deliverd my new toys the other day! A flash for my camera, the Canon Speedlite 580EX II, and a wireless transmitter to use it off camera. Katie loved helping me out by posing with Chip, although it tuckered them out! CJ, on the other hand, didn't care to have his picture taken and showed me what he thought of me doing it anyway. In his picture the flash was directed towards him, and in Katie's picture the flash, with the Omni-bounce diffuser, was bounced off the ceiling. I'm lovin' my new toys!!

Is it Spring already?

My apricot tree sure does think so. My peach tree has started budding too. Silly trees, don't they know it's supposed to be winter?

They always start earlier than I think they should, but I don't remember them budding this early! Must have been that summer-like weather we had a few weeks ago. Let me know if you want any apricots or peaches in the spring!

GO CJ!

CJ had his first swim meet today. He swam the 50m backstroke, 50m breast stroke and the 50m freestyle. It was at the Santee YMCA and was a bit cold as the pool is outside. Most of the other kids were a little faster, but he didn't care. He was having fun! He has only been swimming in lessons since August, so considering he has been at it 5 months he did great. Way to go CJ!

Practice makes perfect

Well, almost perfect. Photoshop helps a bit too. The macro lens and I went back out and played today and I got lots more blurry pictures, plus some that were actually in focus. It helped taking off the polarizer so the shutter speed could be a little faster. I also played a bit with the aperature to get larger depth of fields. Here is my favorite.

Rain, Rain

Come back and play! We need all the rain we can get, and it just drizzled a bit on us today. Barely enough to get the driveway wet. Umbrellas really weren't necessary. At least my plants got a little bit of a drink. It's nice having a change in the weather too. When the rain stops I love to get out the macro lens and see where I can find little drops of water. Using the macro lens is a bit of a challenge for me. I just can't seem to hold still enough, and most of my photos come out blurry. Of course, it's not that obvious until the pictures are downloaded, so I usually have to start all over again, not that I'm complining... I just need lots more practice!

Looking out

Another photo from the Point Loma Lighthouse. This was taken from inside looking out over the bay towards downtown San Diego and North Island. Jeff and CJ are out there watching boats sail by and waiting patiently for me to finish taking pictures. I love how the old glass in the window has different colors in it. I also love the clear blue sky, which is gone today as rain is on it's way, maybe.

Upwards

As President Obama begins his first day in office, I can't help but think about what an uphill climb it will be for him. I felt this photo is appropriate as it shows people walking up a flight of stairs. This wonderful spiral staircase is in the Point Loma lighthouse, and I would have loved spending more time here but too many people were heading my way, and there wasn't enough room for all of us.

Inauguration Day

Wow. Watching Obama take office was certainly amazing. I even made CJ and Katie stay in the room to watch. They did get bored with it, but to watch history like that is mandatory. This flag is in honor of our nation today, for the hope that President Obama will lead us with integrity and honor and fix what is wrong with our country. After President Obama has had his turn, we need to elect a woman to be President.

A first for me.

Hi y'all. This is my first blog. Ever. And I never thought I'd actually have a blog. It's just not somethin' that I would do. But it's somethin' that I started thinkin' about. So, now that I'm here I've been starin' at this blank page just wonderin' what to say. What got me to consider bloggin' is the 365 challenge, where I would post a picture each day of the year, but I haven't gotten around to it until now, and it's January 19. Better late than never. So, here is my first photo of 2009, taken at Lake Miramar of CJ and Katie. He's actually not trying to throw her in!