Memorial day observance.

I wanted to post these yesterday, but we spent the majority of the day outdoors enjoying the unseasonably hot weather. And wouldn't it figure that of the two parades that I've participated in during my lifetime, the one occurs on a day when temperatures are in the mid-nineties?



Nonetheless, my Girl Scout Troop marched like champs through the heat as both veteran and non-veteran onlookers clapped in appreciation (Credit goes to Mark for taking these great photos of the parade. As you can see, I was too busy waving to the crowds.).







These photos make me sweat just looking at them: heavy uniforms and NO SHADE.



I felt for those bus riders who had to wait for the cheerleaders to finish their routine. On second thought, no I didn't. They were sitting in air conditioned luxury.



Although they were unable to march, these veterans were still honored with the best seats on the parade route.



As we marched by, the American Legion gave us big cheers.

When the girls reached the end of the parade route, where Freez-pops and shade awaited, there was only one word to describe how they were feeling.

Five minutes from home.

I had a lot of great things to choose from for this challenge, what with the nearby Victorian houses, waterfall and roller rink. This is Glenshaw Presbyterian Church. It also serves as our school bus stop.



Speaking of the roller rink...here it is! I had difficulty with this one because I really needed a higher vantage point in order to get the whole sign in the shot. Mark suggested that I try to take it by sticking my head out of the sunroof of the MINI, but since everyone was impatient to get home and eat donuts, I didn't bother.



So in the end, I just made due with what I got.

In the pink.

I'm still trying to take part in daily photo challenges, but due to time constraints/lack of ideas and or energy/inclement weather and so on, more often than not I end up participating on a weekly basis. If I only shoot one subject for the challenge, I've only been uploading the photo to Flickr. However, I've decided that in an effort to make good on my promise to dedicate myself more to blogging, I'm going to post them here as well. I even back filled the last couple, so to the handful of people who still follow our adventures, please go check them out.

These chinese lanterns were decorations from Lauren's fourth birthday party. Sometimes I wonder why I save things like this because chances are, I'm not going to reuse them as party decorations. Nonetheless, they did come in handy today!

Burst of color.

Another photo shoot with Lauren, another painful, I mean, another memorable mother / daughter bonding experience. The way I saw this in my mind was a black and white shot with only the scarf in color, but in the end, I decided to keep it all color.

Please note that no Coach ponytail scarves were lost or harmed during this photoshoot. In fact, at one point I had turned away only to look up at Lauren and say, "Hey, what happened to the scarf?" She had no clue it had fallen off, but there it was, lying in the grass behind her. She wanted to keep wearing it after we were finished, but I told her that I didn't think that was such a great idea.

Tangled.

I sneaked into my neighbor's garden to get this shot (All the while Mark was reminding me how we had a large patch of poppies in our own garden at our previous home). I never realized how interesting poppy buds are. They sort of remind me of alien antenna, or maybe baby versions of Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors. The back light from the sun only serves to intensify their outer worldly look.

Meditations on moss and dandelions.

Like most kids, Lauren often complains, "I'm bored!" Lately I've found that my equivalent is "There's nothing to take pictures of!" This is a common struggle that photographers face. Those who teach photography advise that there is always something to take a picture of, you just have to see it. That "it" is the interesting in the ordinary.



That is one of the most wonderful things about photography. It can draw your attention to things that you look at everyday, but never really see. I've found that often I'm most satisfied with my photos when I'm not trying. And when I'm not trying, I don't have any preconceived notions or plans. And when I don't have any preconceived notions or plans, I can really see. This is a very short brick wall that runs between our property and that of our neighbors. In the five years that we've lived here, I've never taken notice of it until today, when I was wondering around our yard with my camera taking my new lens out for a test drive. From this perspective, I feel if we look long and hard enough, we may see a fairy skip along this mossy path.




Who takes 43 photos of a dandelion? Oh. That would be me. Who takes 43 photos of a dandelion while crouching in a patch of poison ivy? That would be me as well.

I think it was worth the risk.

Every dog has his day.

I still need to share photos and tales of Lauren's birthday party, but as usual I'm procrastinating. This year, I'll try to upload them earlier than November.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share some photos of Marcus. I find it very difficult to get good photos of him. It's partly because of his coloring, but also due to the fact that he doesn't stay still. I've found that taking photos of animals is a lot like taking photos of people. They blink, make weird expressions and most of all, do their very best to avoid the camera.



Don't let this face fool you. Underneath all those curls lies a diabolical mastermind who will steal your underwear and socks, chew on your baseboards and, according to some reports, make your hand stink after you pet him.

One track mind.

Happy Mother's Day!

Six.

I was telling Aunt Phyllis last weekend that if I could freeze time, this is the age I would do it. She's relatively self-sufficient, independent enough to have friends and participate in activities, generally understands when you explain things to her, and can do lots of things like play games, draw, write and even read a little. In spite of being so grown up, she still wakes up early to wave goodbye to me as I leave for work and most importantly, still likes holding my hand. If only...