Photo A Day | January 12 and 13 and 14

January 12-I was walking along, minding my business… when all of the sudden I saw this! Clearly he is being saint (don’t you see the halo) while his dear little wifey does some shopping, but the mouth was dropped and he was definitely getting in his afternoon nap-with or without his bed (and wife).  My husband is no shopper indeed and certainly he couldn’t come along during his nap hour.  

January 13- There are few things in this life that drive me bonkers and I am here to tell you about one of them… stuffed animals. Why do kids flock to them, sleep with them, cuddle with them and want to own every one they see? I especially dislike them when batteries are involved. But, I do have to say that Build-A-Bear, or the founder, is pretty darn smart. I had a babysitter after school every day growing up and she sewed tiny little clothes for our stuffed animals and we LOVED it. I’m pretty sure that babysitter is NOT the founder of Build-A-Bear but she should have been.
I often try to sneak one of these furry little things out in the “donate” pile but somehow the children ALWAYS find it and act so horrified, like I was trying to cut off one of their arms. Someday…. ahh someday these furry beasts will not have a place at my home (but by then, I am sure it will be full circle and I will be begging for my children to come visit thier lonely little mother and I will buy stuffed animals for the grandchildren and watch my kids be just as bugged as me!)

January 14- I too have a front door with boots (inspired by another photo a day gal) but mine is not nearly as cute and clean (and definitely missing a sassy fun rug!). Did I mention that it rains here? It rains here. It rains a lot. Something we keep at our front door is a pair of rain boots. My son’s friend who lives next door, stops a little further in to take off his boots. Good thing he (and his boots) are so cute. I never EVER thought this would be my front door scene. Never! But here we are, living in the Pacific Northwest among the pine trees and ocean water… and rain water.

January 15- (really the late evening of January 14) Have you ever been so mad at your children that you couldn’t do anything more than threaten to put them to bed without dinner-only a piece of bread and a cup of water? Unfortunately, the end of day 14 was that for me so I figured I would put it up as picture of the day for 15 since 14 was done. My kids were wild-loud-crazy-running around type kids. My daughter was getting up on our folding table and dancing and stomping her feet and then jumping off and chasing her brother around the house. One of those chase moments involved a screwdriver-he had a screwdriver in his hand and while laughing and running, turned to throw it at her. Guess where that screwdriver went??? MY HEAD. Needless to say, I was a little mad. Just a little. Ha! Thank goodness my head was in front of the computer because it would have done something to my Mac screen. Anyhow, I turned around (probably with smoke coming out of my ears), grabbed her by the arm and pulled into an empty room and told her to sit there until I was ready to let her out. Then I grabbed him and drug him upstairs and put him in his room and told him the same. Then, it was me and her 2 friends standing there… what now? That is embarassing. I told them to get their shoes and get ready to go-we walked them home. The kids were sent to bed and I delivered a piece of bread and a cup of water to their door. They were instructed to leave the dishes at their door and I would pick them up when I was ready. The episode was at 5:30, I went up there at about 9:30 and saw the dishes and felt so bad. This was for sure the moment of the day.  And just for the record, her note says, “To mom from Zoe, I’m sorry for chasing Zane, I admit it I was loud.”  You gotta love a sincere apology.  ; )  

A leaf fight | Kirkland, WA Photographer

The first “half” was a rainy day but gorgeous.  The following day was full of color and crispy fall leaves.  We found some red and yellow tree lined streets near Microsoft campus and it was perfect.  Have I already mentioned the beauty here in Washington?  : )  The rainy day was an adventure but nothing new around here.  I loved how the color popped against the grey sky.  I loved the yellow and green in the trees.  We started at the Washington Arboretum in Seattle where the views are unbelievable.  I was grateful for this opportunity to venture out and see some new parts of Seattle. 

Seattle Sunset | Kirkland, WA Photographer

So, it isn’t true… AZ is not the only place with gorgeous sunsets.   You may think I am crazy for thinking that could have been true.  Hey, I lived in AZ for too many years to not believe it.  AZ has beautiful sunsets with vibrant colors.  I have to say that Seattle can definitely enter the sunset contest.  Do you remember my previous post about Seattle’s Space Needle? The night I caught this, it was turning the sky pink and orange and I just wanted to sit and watch.  Sunsets happen quickly and you miss them if you are distracted.  My family was waiting in the car for me.  : )  This was after a photoshoot and I just HAD to stay around for it.  I am quite bugged about the trees that are in my way.  Any suggestions on how to get around them?  I suppose I could get up higher but at this location, that was not an option.  The good news is that I live here…  I can practice and find all sorts of goodie spots for this lovely scene.

How is business? | Seattle, WA Photography

What do you think?  Busy?  I have to be in awe of the dedication and determination of businesses and business owners nowadays.  It is a tough market, a tough time to be in business.  I have a business mind and sometimes can’t turn it off.  I walk into places and when it is empty or mostly empty, my first thought goes something like this, “How can he/she/it afford to be in business?”  When you calculate rent, fees, taxes, and the plethora (love that word) of overhead expenses, it seems like it far outweighs the income being generated.  But, maybe that’s too simple.  Maybe I haven’t studied the passion behind the business?  Maybe I haven’t studied the time they have been in business and the revenues generated (and saved).  It’s just sad to drive by something like Mervyn’s (had to pick that because I remember the store fronts as a kid) and see that it couldn’t survive after how many years?  Businesses are closing all over the place and it’s sad to me!  Businesses are having to make those wretched decisions to let people go-the ones that have dedicated their lives to working.  Businesses are having to cut back, to cut the slack… and well…, make changes.  Change is good-for all of us.  But, first I suppose the storm will be weathered.

Stalker | Kirkland, WA Photographer

I have heard the term blog stalker.  What does it really mean?  I read blogs and sometimes I don’t leave comments-does that make me a blog stalker?  What if I told somebody that I read their blog but I don’t always leave comments… still a stalker?  I need to know if I am or am not a blog stalker.  Because who really wants to be labeled a blog stalker AND who has time to make comments every time they stop by a blog?  Well, the world wide web is funny and awesome.   To all of us blog stalkers out there…   

The desert | Seattle, WA Photography

I didn’t notice the beauty before…  I didn’t appreciate the cactus before…  Dear Desert, I miss you!

Bits and pieces | Kirkland, WA Photographer

Somebody tried this apple, didn’t like the apple, and tossed the apple (and it wasn’t me).  I had to laugh because it could have been me-I would have done this.  The apple didn’t look very good and I am surprised anybody would have tasted it to begin with.  Any how I think of all my hobbies, my interests and I feel like this poor little apple.  I find something, I love it, I try it, I learn about it and I am dedicated to it until I’m not.  : )  I try different things-like a jack of all trades but master of none.  Let’s take cycling…  I love(d) my bike and took it on many journeys.  I never imagined the day that my bike (lovingly named the Queen Bee) would sit and collect dust.  Or, how about kayaking?  Here I am in the middle of water-water everywhere and yet my kayaks are patiently waiting for their chance on Lake Washington.  OH, and hand made cards- I pretty much poured my retirement fund into purchasing and supplying myself with papers and such to create personal, hand made cards until I snapped one day… Cards were then a thing of the past (or an occasional girls night out or project night but I was definitely not to be relied on) Is it possible to find something and love it forever?  It is possible to be so good at something that it could never leave me?  I’m sure my family is thinking, “what next” when they see me find something new or show interesting in learning about the next neato thing.  But, I’m ok.  I am passionate about learning and finding and discovering.  I love those ah-hah moments when you learn something you didn’t know or try something that you didn’t know existed.  I suppose it is possible but its not me.  It takes all kinds to make the world go round and I’m just interested in keeping the momentum on its axis. 

Macro at Volunteer Park (or lack thereof) | Seattle, WA Photography

I can name a million reasons why I want a macro lens.  But here is the deal-my want list is too long.  I wanted to get close but my 50 mm was restricting my access.  I wanted to get details but again my 50 mm said, “NO.”  ARGH!  Why do my lens have to be so limited?  I took these photos as part of a class, more study and awareness of light.  (Have I mentioned that I love to learn?  It may be a disease?!)  This is Volunteer Park in Seattle.  Go visit if you can.  It is just sitting there, sitting for everyone to enjoy.  Washington is very proud of the space it has for parks and so it is my responsibility to appreciate it.  : )  Do you have a macro lens?  Do I need one as much as I want one?  ‘Cause you know, there is a difference between wants and needs…

Patience | Seattle, WA Photography

I have been challenged-challenged to sit and wait for the shot.  It is easy to overshoot, right?  I want that perfect moment, the emotion behind the shot, the candid, the real, the MOMENT…  But in the meantime, I snap snap snap to get the in between.  I remember watching a little girl wiggle her tooth-I was looking through the viewfinder and I knew it was going to pop out any moment.  I wanted the moment badly-to get the “pop,” it came out moment.  I remember watching through what seemed like my little peep hole.  Then it happened. 

I am trying to be patient, to wait for the moment.  When you see someone or something you just know that moment you are waiting for-the real moment.  It is the moment the camera sees reality-not the push.  Here, on the side of a dock was a spout.  I noticed the slow, oh so very slow, drip.  I loved the contrast when standing above, getting the darkness below and the one small drip of water.  BUT, I had to wait.  DANG water.  I had to learn the rhythm and see what that moment would look like before I knew what I was going after.  There is nothing special about this picture and technically it probably is low on my pole.  BUT I caught the water.  I caught that motion-the moment-I was waiting for.  I was patient and it was so hard to be patient.  I just wanted to continually snap snap snap and hope I get lucky.  ; )  It was like being a proud mamma…, “Everyone look, I got a picture of the dripping water.”   Boring to everyone else but not to me…   Ok, so I am easily entertained, what can I say?

Squirrels | Kirkland, WA Photographer

Have you ever come this close to a squirrel?  My dad played this game with squirrels when we were young and out camping.  He tied a peanut to a string and let it out about 50 feet then waited patiently for the squirrels to come.  Slowly the squirrel approached the bait and a game of tug-o-war began.  Eventually, the squirrels became more confident and came closer and closer.  Squirrels are determined, stubborn little creatures with strong wills.  BUT, the good thing is that it leads to some great entertainment.  This past weekend, we decided to play that tug-o-war game again.  This time, we could play in my own backyard.