Come on over -- I'll bring the jam, you bring the toast!

Just in case you've missed me, I wanted to let you know.... I'm over here now, still clicking away....

...Pretty please... come on over and follow along again!

Are you still here?????

Are you still looking for me here?

If so..... you're missing out on some fab-u-lous-ness over {here}!

 Please update your links and {Google Reader} so we can see each other again!  
I miss you!

I've moved!!!!!!

This blog has officially flown the coop!!!!

I'd be so delighted if you would join me {here} in my new digs!

Duck, duck, goose!

This past weekend, we spent some time at the park.... watching the ducks and geese...
...watching us...

....letting the cares of the week roll off our backs.... like glistening drops of water.

It was refreshing.  And we all need some refreshing now and again.

This pair were pretty fearless.... I think they thought we owed them something for letting us get so close to them.

I just missed the goose biting (nibbling) on his fingers!  He jumped.... and then laughed.

A beautiful male wood duck.  Aren't they brilliant?

Ubiquitous mallards....but beautiful just the same.

And lots and lots of Canada geese.... and lots and lots of fertilizer.

I hope you had a splendid weekend!

{linking up to Mosaic Monday at Mary's today -- a little late!}

Shooting the Moon

Wasn't the moon lovely tonight? 

......  I needed to shoot it.... 

....and I did.

For fun, I pulled out my D90 to compare to my D700.  I used the same lens, the same settings, and performed the same post-processing on both of the above images.  The first is with my D90, the second with my D700.  Of course, the first thing you notice is the size difference, that being because the D90 is a crop sensor and the D700 is full-frame.  So when using the same lens, you get a 1.5x magnification with the D90.  Also, you can see there is a slight color difference.   

(My settings on both were f/8, 1/160 sec, ISO 200 at 200mm)

Here is a monochrome with a favorite verse of mine.  

(You wouldn't think the moon had that much color in it.)

And here is a huge crop of the first image.  The detail is amazing, really.

Wouldn't it be fun to have a longer lens to get even better clarity?

My Girl.....talkin bout my girl.......

My Girl..... talkin 'bout my girl...... in faux fur......

(the color was much more clear before uploading to Flickr... boo)

And a monochrome conversion. 

Before Flickr, I would have said the color was my favorite....

but after Flickr, I think the monochrome is my favorite...what do you think?

I hope you have a FaBuLouS weekend!

Meet Blackie

It's that time of year again.... when our little farm starts to grow... adding feet by the four.

(four feet.... that is)

This is our newest addition... Blackie (aka Black Stallion, Laddy III, and Black Beauty)

Blackie is a ewe lamb, Suffolk and Dorper cross. She is Wyatt's show lamb for the Fair come fall.

Much to Wyatt's consternation, I would not allow him to name the little lady "Black Stallion".

Sorry.  Some things just aren't proper.... and Blackie is not a male or a horse (at least last time I checked).

Blackie had just arrived, and was headed out to the barn to meet her new roommate -- Reid's calf -- you'll meet her next.

Run, Blackie, Run!

Wait!!!!  Should I go with them.... or stay with her?

(the crazy lady with the big black camera)
Maybe the camera is my Momma?

Go?

Stay?

Goooooooo!!!!!

Ahhh...... sweet, warm milk.

(in a Coca-Cola bottle)

Welcome little Lady.... and no worries about the market at the end of the Fair.

You'll get to go back to your previous home and become a Momma!

Sun flare -- I ♥ Faces

The theme at I ♥ Faces this week is sun flare..... and as you know, I love sun flare.... and I love this man.

While driving around the beautiful palouse countryside, we happened upon this old telephone booth....

...and as it happened, my biggest supporter and fan willingly offered his modeling services....

... he's a good man, wouldn't you say?

I know this isn't my usual post-processing style, but the photo just screamed 70's vintage to me....

...the only things missing were a butterfly collar, ginormous sideburns, and aviator sunglasses.

Ah well, I'll still take him....vintage or not.

(and no, the phone doesn't work...sad)

(click on over to enjoy more sun flare photos)

(P.S. You might be interested to see {one} of my other sun flare photos {here -- on PW's blog} -- made me smile ;)

Where've you been?

.... you might ask me...

And you would be totally justified in asking..... because I have been a bad blogger the past couple of weeks.

I'm sorry.

So I thought I'd let you in on a little secret....

(shhh..... this is what I've been doing....packing, unpacking, and redecorating)

This lovely blog is moving....soon!

Crazy, I know!

I'd be SO happy if you'd join me when I move!

Soon, I promise!

(is that enough exclamation marks?!!!!!)

Until then, I will be a little absent, and tardy, and distracted......

I hope you'll forgive me.

Whitman County Landscapes

Some photos from county travels..... love this one..... the lines of light and dark add drama.

An abandoned windmill.... it's working days are gone.

Golden light over fallow fields

Another of the windmill.... I wish I had a windmill.

Little Goose Dam glowing in the late afternoon.

The Dusty elevator catching the last glowing rays of day.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend.

Well, Hello there.....

This is me..... on a journey of discovery....

... a journey I cannot wait to share with you...

...saddle up,  ladies (and gents).... it's going to be a fun ride!

(in the mean time.... have a wonderful weekend... and say a prayer for our neighbors across the ocean)

Faces of February

A few of my favorite faces of February...

(awwww......)

One, two, three...
How many teeth do you see?

Fresh faced.... just in from the freezing cold.

And...last but not least.... the beautiful brown eyes that will soon be peering out from behind reading glasses.

Hopefully the glasses will relieve some of the strain from his eyes.

Maybe he and Daddy can share glasses?  ;)

Round Barn, Pullman WA

More rural driving.... off to buy shoes for 4 growing kids....

the boys are so used to my photography tangents..... "Mom, are you done yet?"  "Mom, this isn't the way...."

You see, I had decided to explore my leg of the 100K that I am to run in a little over a month..... just 5 miles of it..... but still I wanted to have a look-see.  Then, driving more back roads to the store, I came across this barn..... I knew it was there, but hadn't made an excuse to drive by.   Excuse made.

Wouldn't you love to have this barn in your back 40? 

I would.

And I would treasure it and pour my life's work into it..... wouldn't it make a fabulous studio?

Here's to the people that settled this area and took such care in the construction of beautiful barns.

 Here, here!

(OK.... now we can go purchase shoes)

(PS. I even picked up a cute pair!)

{Linking up to the Bluff Area Daily's Barn Charm meme}

Old Churches of Whitman County

Yesterday was a beautiful day, especially compared to the weekends before.

I had a real hankering for getting out and driving the country side searching for some beauty to capture....

...and I found beauty in the form of old churches, brilliant blue skies, and white billowy clouds.

This is the Country Bible Church just outside of Dusty, WA.

(Notice the tilted lines toward the top of the church?  That's what I get for using the wide end of the lens.  I need to remember to not use 24-30mm range of my 24-70mm lens when photographing vertical lines.... especially when the subject fills  much of the frame.  I know this can be fixed in photoshop, but I chose not to.  I think if I was about 20 ft tall and could photograph the church from that height, the distortion would be less.  Anyone have some tips for me?  I'd love to know how to do this better.)

This is Selbu Lutheran Church near Hay, WA.
(the address is actually LaCrosse, WA)

I was especially intrigued by the steeple of this church as it is unusual compared to the 

pointed steeples of most of the other churches around here.  

I wish I had some interesting tidbits of history to go along with these photos.

Here is the old church in downtown Hay, WA.

I don't believe it is being used as a church currently, but is used for the community.

What I especially like about this photo is the reflected white light up in the bell tower.  The sun is reflecting off of the white bell (which you can barely see), and it nicely highlights the underside of the tower.

I hope to continue this journey through Whitman County, and bring you more photos of old churches.

Maybe I can even find out some information about these churches to pass along.

If you have any ideas of churches to photograph, or bits of information, please feel free to email me or leave a comment..... and have a Bea.u.ti.ful Day!