Happy Birthday, Sandi

Today is my sister, Sandi's birthday! I have always told her kids that I taught her everything she knows, but that is an exaggeration. Sandi is five years younger than me so I may have taught her a few things over the years, but certainly not everything. Life gets busy and many things change but I still enjoy my time with my youngest sibling.

Happy Birthday, Sandra Sue!

Sisters

Both of my sisters are accustomed to my camera and my enthusiasm for photographing my family. Recently at Drew's graduation party I pulled them together for a quick photo. Sandi mentioned that she did not have very many pictures of Cindy so I moved in more closely and then even more closely. Scroll down to see the series of of Sister Photos.

I may have taken one too many. . . no, that's not possible! As you can see they may have been finished before I finished. We had fun with the mini photo shoot. When I showed the photos to Ashley she said, "You should blog the whole set!" So I did.

Memorial Day

It was a restful holiday weekend. Personally I think that every weekend should be a three day weekend. Who decided that we should work five days each week? I took this photo on Monday morning when Dale and I went out to use the leftover night crawlers. We spent an hour at a fishing hole close to home. The rest of the worms will live out their days in the luxury of Dale's sunken garden.

Saturday night Ashley stayed over after attending a local wedding. It was fun to lounge around together. We got to sit by the pool for a while before heading out to enjoy a patio lunch at a local restaurant. The pool and the patio meal made it feel like a mini vacation with Ashley.

I have never had Memorial Day traditions, but it is a time to slow down and honor those who have gone before us as well as those who have served our country. For Dale it also means hours invested watching big races on TV. Grilling a couple of burgers seems like a good thing for Memorial Day too. Maybe fishing and burgers will become our tradition. . . and racing of course!

First Fishing Day of the Summer

The holiday weekend seemed like a great time to go buy our fishing licenses for this year then head out to enjoy the water and sunshine. Two years ago I went fishing for the first time in about twenty years. Dale took me to Q Pond which is about an hour south of here. That was free fishing day in Iowa. I caught a huge bass. It was much bigger than this one that Dale caught yesterday. It really was! My brother said, "That's a helluva fish, Lin!" That's quite a compliment from Dan. Saturday Dale and I headed to Q Pond and it was his turn to catch the big one for the day. It was pretty exciting to watch him pull it in and get to grab a photo quickly before he released it back to the water.

This was my catch for the day! Even a little bluegill can be fun to catch. We have gone fishing every summer but Saturday was the first time we got night crawlers together. I had not baited a hook since my kids were very little. I taught Jay how bait a hook at a very young age, so he took care of that. I could have asked Dale to bait it for me. I knew he would do it, but I figure asking him to take the fish off the hook is enough. Yes, Dale rescued this tiny fish from my hook! But I did bait the hook. Dang, I had forgotten how those worms squirm while being sacrificed for my fishing pleasure. It's pretty gross so I try to do it quickly.


As much as I do enjoy the fishing, the best part is to be outside and near the water. We sat on a little dock at Q Pond and I loved the chance to dangle my feet in the water. The sun was shining and it was so peaceful. We watched the sky as the clouds rolled in and the thunder started. After the thunder got louder, Dale mentioned that it might be time to pick up. We reeled in our lines, picked up the tackle boxes and got in the car just seconds before the rain drops started. It quickly changed to a downpour with small hail. We laughed and enjoyed our excellent timing. After the rain let up some we headed back toward home and stopped to fish at Maffit Reservoir. We caught a couple of very small fish there before the thunder sent us to the car. Again it started to rain just seconds after we got packed up and in the car. We got lucky again. It felt like a kick off to summer.

Dollar Night at the Ballpark

Every summer Dale and I enjoy going to Principal Park to watch the Iowa-Cubs play baseball. They are a AAA team for the Chicago Cubs. I really love the atmosphere and enjoy the sounds and sights. I also love a bargain. My nephew, Drew will not be surprised to know that I get excited about dollar night at the ballpark. Hey, if we are going anyway, why not go on dollar night! Thursday was dollar night. I also make it a point to mark my calendar for the food pantry days when admission is just a couple of canned food items. Drew also knows that we walk a few blocks rather than paying for parking. It just makes good sense!

As much as I enjoy the ballpark, I enjoy the people watching just as much. This dad and baby boy had a great evening at the ballpark. He was so happy during the entire game. We played some peek-a-boo and I got lots of smiles from him. I started to get cold at the seventh inning stretch. It was a work night and the I-Cubs were behind so we headed home.

Morels From Jen

Dale and I tried to find some morels a couple of weeks ago but we were unsuccessful. Wednesday I got a wonderful surprise from my co-worker, Jen. She had a very successful mushroom hunt the day before and brought her harvest to share with me. They were absolutely gorgeous. This photo was a "set up." I propped a few mushrooms up on some toothpicks stuck in the dirt.



Dale and I had separate plans for the evening but a quick text to ask if he would like to photograph and eat mushrooms changed that. He was so gracious to delay his lawn mowing for me. He had butter and a cast iron skillet so I headed to his house with eggs, flour, garlic and crackers.
We had several suggestions for cooking methods and I wanted to try a couple. The common ingredients were mushrooms and butter so everything tasted delicious. It was great to learn more about morels. I had never experienced cooking them. Although I had eaten them with other things, I had not seen or handled the uncooked mushrooms. They were more sturdy than I had expected. They really are amazing things, so intricate and delicious! Thank you, Jen!

I Have Been Blessed

Twenty-five years ago this morning, I gave birth to my baby girl. She had great apgar scores and has continued to excel over the years. Happy Birthday, Ashley Anne!

Friends and new acquaintances who have just boys will often say to me, "You are so lucky to have a daughter!" More and more each year, I agree with them. Yes, boys are wonderful and we do love our sons but to have the opportunity to experiencing both is great. Ashley has continued to grow as a woman. In the past year I have seen her establish her own photography business and develop her knowledge and skills with her camera and lighting. I have also seen her share her deep faith with teenagers as she leads a small group on a weekly basis. She is in her second year as a wife to Travis and creates a wonderful home. Mowgli, their puppy is new this year and it's been a treat to watch her love and teach him. Twenty-five years has brought lots of change, learning to walk, talk, read and relate to people. An incredibly shy little girl has become a confident woman who relates well to people in her architectural world, photography, family, church and friends. She continues to grown and learn and I continue to grow more proud. We have fun together and I love having a daughter. I have been blessed! Happy Birthday, Ash!

Congratulations!

Congratulations to my nephew, Drew!

Now he is a Mason City High School graduate; just like me! It was so fun to make the drive and celebrate with Drew as well as lots of family and friends. I was given the task of photographing the event so I charged my battery and took lots of shots.

Cars, Eggrolls and a Wedding

Saturday started out cold and windy but we decided to move forward with our outdoor plans. Travis was off with friends so Ashley and I lounged around in the morning then Dale came to get us. We stopped by the car show where one of my friends and her husband were showing a car. It was a quick stop but Ashley used my camera to shoot some photos of the cars and one of me.




Next on the agenda was the Asian festival which has become an annual event for Dale and me. Ashley loves Asian food so she was willing. We got small amounts of food from Vietnam, Cambodia and several other places. Mo Mo, egg rolls, won tons and beef on a stick all offered different flavors and a fun way to graze our way across Asia without leaving the state capitol grounds. These little girls had just finished performing on stage and seemed quite pleased with the experience.

We drove out to see if the lilacs were still blooming and we stumbled on one of the most unique weddings I have ever seen. The costumes were from another century and there were men in tights. I wanted to catch a few photos to show Travis, so Ashley and Dale patiently waited for me. It was a gorgeous day so after I got a couple of shots, I joined them on the grass. The sun was perfect and the park was very quiet even with the wedding in the distance. It was incredibly restful and felt a bit like vacation; the way that Ashley and I vacation! I won't post a photo of the wedding. It just wouldn't seem very nice.

Rhubarb Pie

If lilacs smell like Spring, rhubarb tastes like Spring. Thanks to my friend, Jennifer, I now have a rhubarb connection in Des Moines. OK, I know you can buy it in the grocery store but it's just not right. Who buys rhubarb and lilacs?

I remember one Spring when I visited my grandma in Southern Missouri. We went out hunting for rhubarb and lilacs. I think we had permission for the rhubarb but may not have had permission for the lilacs. It was Grandma's idea and she was close to eighty years old. Nobody questioned us!

Friday afternoon I braved the drizzle to pull rhubarb before heading home from work. My son-in-law loves rhubarb and he was heading to town. Although I considered other recipes, I ended up making rhubarb pie. Pie is such a beautiful process. I love mixing the crust, rolling it and crimping the edges. Rhubarb isn't so pretty but it is so yummy and truly tastes like Spring!

My Mother's Day

What a wonderful Mother's Day for me! Ashley and Travis invited Dale and me to their house for a cook out, so we drove to Waterloo to spend the day with them. The food was great and it was fun to sit in their yard and even do a little gardening with Ashley. After lunch Travis suggested geocaching which was a great excuse to be out in the woods. Most of the caches were on steep hills so we got a bit of a workout while getting dirty and enjoying the sunshine.

Mowgli came with us geocaching and loved running up and down the steep banks on both sides of the trail. When he went down by the river he was discovered by some curious Canadian geese. The geese seemed to line up and challenge Mowgli and did not retreat until he went into the water. They were honking loudly at him and he seemed to want to herd them but it was his first experience with a river so he was a bit cautious. We had so much fun watching him and photographing the event. Dale was the only one who had his camera. He took some shots then handed it to me. I took a couple, including this one then handed the camera to Ashley. Because we all have the same camera we were able to shoot easily and make our own adjustments. I am so glad that Dale's parents taught him to share so well. Thanks, Dale!

We got back to their house with a very dirty and damp dog. He did smell a little like river water but still wanted to snuggle in the car. I was almost as dirty as Mowgli but not nearly as wet. Ashley and I ran to Wal-mart where we bought a "bathtub" for Mowgli. The neighbor kids noticed when we brought out the hose and were thrilled when Ashley said that they could help. He was well scrubbed and so cooperative even though he was obviously very cold. It was fun to photograph the bath and the shaking of the water afterward. It was such a wonderful day with family on a gorgeous sunny day that I wasn't ready to head home but it was getting late and it was a "work night" so Dale and I headed back to the big city. Thanks so much for a great Mother's Day, Ashley, Travis and Mowgli!

"Killer Sandwich"

Saturday was a gorgeous day for a treasure hunt. Dale and I started off looking for morel mushrooms and ended up with killer sandwiches!

Several people have been talking about hunting for morels lately so we decided to try it. I love an excuse to wander through the woods so it seemed like a good idea. It was a gorgeous day, we learned a few things, I stayed clear of the poison ivy but we did not find a single mushroom! We are not sure if others beat us to the best spots or if we were looking in all the wrong places. We will try again another time.

Walking off-trail through the woods did create a hunger for lunch. Recently we had talked about trying B&B Grocery, Meat and Deli which is the home of the "killer sandwich." It is a south side icon but neither of us had ever been there. Walking into B&B was like waking into the past. Not much has changed over the decades. We selected carefully and headed to a park to enjoy our lunch and another gorgeous May day. As you can see it was another opportunity for me to play with my new camera also. I love Saturdays!

Lilac Connection

I have been without a "lilac connection" for three years. In the past I always had a spot that I knew I could find a lilac bouquet for my table. In Rockfalls the neighbors would share. In Mason City I could get them at the old Asbury farmstead. In Cedar Falls, Linda and I found a great lilac display where we often walked. Since I have moved to Des Moines I have been without my connection. I still do not have a bouquet for my home but Dale did take me to Ewing Park on Des Moines' south side where they have an amazing collection of lilac bushes of every color.

Dale took this photo of me with the traditional color of lilac. See, he knows how to use his aperture and focus also. I do prefer the shades of purple and lilac but I was impressed with the pinks as well so I took the top photo. It was fun to wander around this entire park filled with lilacs. The smell was amazing. I guess Washington DC has it's cherry blossoms, Savannah GA has it's azaleas and Ewing Park has lilacs!

On Gosling Pond

Dale and I had so much fun photographing the goslings on Saturday. When we got to a computer to look at the images we were pleased with the photos and excited to try a few new things on the same family of geese so on Sunday we headed back to the pond with our cameras. I spent some time using Dale's zoom lens so I could get closer shots.



I played with the aperture some and created the first image with the focus on the baby and the parent a bit blurred in the foreground. I do like the look but often would prefer both subjects to be in focus. The reason for my study is to learn how the numbers on my camera create the one that I want for each particular shot. One good solution is to shoot just one object like this adorable gosling enjoying his Sunday breakfast. It was such a pleasure to enjoy time with Dale, the sunshine, cameras and geese.

Spring Goslings

Saturday was the second day of May and it was a gorgeous sunny day. After a week full of rainy, cloudy April days, Saturday was a treat. Dale called in the morning to say that it was gorgeous and invited me to go exploring with him and our cameras. We drove to a nearby small town, admired the beautiful trees filled with blossoms and stopped by the pond where I knew there would be geese with new goslings. It was a fun place to photograph Spring and enjoy the sunshine. I feel sure that the geese and the water are well focused but goslings are so cute and fuzzy, its hard to tell if the photo is crisp!

Bleeding Heart

Bleeding hearts are gorgeous plants with such a sad sounding name. The color is so sweet. The petals are so amazing. The shape is incredible. I can see where the name originated. I do see the hearts and I see the drops, but it does not make me think of blood. Bleeding hearts always remind me of my Grandma, Susie Stone. I think she must have taught me about plants often when I was little. I't's a nice connection to her with a sweet reminder each spring.

Summer Tanager

I am not a bird expert. My knowledge is very limited, but I do appreciate and enjoy watching birds. This week a new bird showed up at work. Jennifer, a coworker was sure that it was quite rare in our area. That night she got out her bird book and confirmed her first thought.

It is a first spring male Summer Tanager. They rarely come this far north but do venture into the southern parts of Iowa. I promised to bring my camera to see if we could catch a shot of the bird. These were taken through a window and I am obviously looking down on the bird. He was not willing to pose in the branches so that I could get a better shot, but I was glad to be able to catch his color as he foraged through the sunflower seeds that had dropped to the ground under one of the bird feeders. Maybe I will become a real birdwatcher someday.

High Mileage

I have been driving my Honda CRV for years and it continues to serve me well. I purchased this vehicle on January 27, 2001. No, I do not normally remember the dates of any purchase, but I do remember that it was on my sister, Cindy's fortieth birthday when I got my little SUV. I never know whether to call it a car or a truck, but I do know that I can depend on my trusty Honda. I knew that my brother would give me grief for not buying American, and he did give me grief but eight years later I am still driving it.

This week I hit a milestone. . . one hundred and ninety thousand miles!! I have added 160,000 miles of my own to the vehicle that had just thirty thousand when I got it. I have never driven a car this far or for this long, but it seems like a good plan. The guy who changes the oil says that he is jealous and would love to own my CRV. The mechanic says there is no reason that it won't run many more miles. I say that I might as well keep driving it as long as it will cooperate. I bought new tires this winter, confident that I will get many more miles. I still like my vehicle and feel confident that it's been a great value. When it's time to buy a new car, I won't be able to complain about this one wearing out. I have hauled my bicycle, plants, firewood, some furniture and many boxes. I even moved Ashley back and forth to college a few times. It has served me well.

Lesson in Saturation

Ashley came for the weekend. I do love it when she visits. We mostly hung out at home and that was very nice. We hemmed some pants, cooked some food, watched a movie, talked lots and enjoyed the time to relax. We did make it to Felix and Oscars for Ashley's favorite Des Moines pizza and went to my favorite store for athletic shoes. The weekend went very quickly. We didn't have time to work on our Christmas tree skirts but we do have the plan for our next step.

I was looking forward to the opportunity to photograph with Ashley and Dale since we all have the same camera now. We planned the photo session for Saturday afternoon when we thought it was not going to rain. We were wrong about the rain but enjoyed the cameras. These photos were taken from the car through an open window as a part of my lesson on saturation. Ashley has been very pleased with "upping the saturation." I was surprised to find that this can be done on the camera before clicking the shutter, rather than editing on the computer afterward. The bottom photo has a higher saturation which brightens or enriches the colors. There is a difference, but I bet that it might look weird that I posted two nearly identical and unremarkable photos. It's all I got from the shoot! No pictures of Ashley and a few blurry ones of Dale coming up the hill in the rain. It is fun to learn more about the options on this camera. Too bad it was raining so hard! I am sure that we will try it again.

Tulip Time

Tulip time in Pella came early for Dale and me again this year. We enjoy going when the tulips are just opening and the crowds have not yet arrived.

These are a few of the photos that I took on Friday. I enjoyed the blooms and the opportunity to practice with my new camera too. I used to laugh about old people taking photos of flowers. Now I am quite happy to be one of those "old people." I am in awe of the beauty of God's nature and thrilled to take the time to enjoy the simple things. I do love tulips! I may be a bit of a purist. I favor this traditional style of tulips. There are some varieties with pointed petals or curly edges. Although I do appreciate the beauty. I am drawn to the traditional shaped tulips of all colors.

Friday Photography

Dale and I both had Friday afternoon off work. We had considered going to the Drake relays, but changed our plans. We set out to enjoy the gorgeous sunny day, our cameras and each other. We went to Pella for a sneak peek at the tulips and visited our favorite Dutch bakery and meat market. It was a wonderful day for photography! I will post my photos soon. Dale and I both enjoy taking photos of other people taking photos. I think he did a great job catching this image of me photographing tulips in Pella.

Beautiful Bulldogs

Drake Relays kick off with the "Most Beautiful Bulldog" contest. It has become an annual event for me and Dale. We take a long lunch break and meet downtown to watch this curious contest which is limited to fifty bulldogs. I do not think that bulldogs are beautiful but I do admit that they start looking cute after an hour or so. Their vision, breathing and mobility must be adversely affected by their physic yet there are quite popular. They are odd creatures. They do not look happy. What is that expression?

Sunday in Waterloo

Sunday was a good day for a day trip to Waterloo. I had not been there since Thanksgiving. I have seen Ashley and Travis at my house or at family functions but it's been a long time since I was at their home so I was excited to visit them. I knew that Mowgli had a dog show so I called Ashley to make plans. She was going to church then volunteering in the nursery so we planned to meet up with Travis at the dog show. Mowgli had a good weekend and won all of these ribbons on Saturday and Sunday. He continues to be a very sweet affectionate dog and he listens well too.

It was so good to have time to hang out with Ashley all afternoon. Travis was busy doing man-things in the garage so we stopped by to see him too. We also got to look at her gardens to see what was peeking up after a long winter. It was so cold outside that we headed in for the couch to relax together.

I called my friend, Linda to see if she was free on Sunday morning. I woke up early and left town early enough for a visit with her before the dog show. It's always good to get together with Linda and I was so happy she was willing to join us for the dog show and lunch. It was a great Sunday, friends and family!!

Signs of Spring

It was a gorgeous afternoon, perfect for leaving work early, digging in the dirt and enjoying Spring. I have missed having more room to garden but enjoy the small area near my patio. Today I turned up the dirt, mixed in the compost and checked the iris and chives that are coming up nicely. The bonus of the afternoon was finding a bright yellow dandelion, a sure sign that summer is on the way! After the soaking rain on Monday and the warm sunshine today things are really growing. It's a joy to watch the seasons change discover photography opportunities!

Camera Weekend

I have a lot to learn about taking great photos with my new camera. Fortunately every day offers opportunity to capture an image in a new way. For now I can default to the program mode and learn bits and pieces as I go along. Dale has been a good teacher since he has the same camera.

Saturday we went geocaching and located one geocache that was quite high in a tree. Dale was feeling brave and the tree seemed strong so he scaled the tree while I stayed safely below shooting photos, holding the GPS and cell phone (just in case.) It was a gorgeous day to be out in the parks, hiking around and soaking up the sunshine.

Jay and Briana came to celebrate my birthday and visit this weekend. Since I spent decades taking photos of Jay's every accomplishment and activity, he is accustom to my photography and was willing to lay still while I practiced with lighting, aperture and other things. I enjoyed spending time just hanging around the house with them, but we also took them to the Fleur, our favorite movie theater.

My friend, Tammy and I had talked about taking a trip to the dog park at Raccoon River and Sunday seemed like a good day for it. Sadie, her Brittany is young and we were not sure how she would react. We all had a great time. It was fun to photograph Sadie especially when she was getting to know Sparky, the Irish Setter. They moved fast and it was a challenge for me to catch them with the camera.