Follow > this Link < to Visit and PLAY with 
the Weekly Photo Challenge
It runs for one full week from Friday mornings to late Thursday nights. 

The challenge beginning October 15, 2010 is:

“Backgrounds”
suggested by:   WhatAWonderfulNewWorld

 

I try to pick and choose my photo backgrounds.  Because so many of my photos are taken while driving, the light isn’t always great as it’s affected by the direction we are going.  I try to feel the light out with several photos then use the best direction for light so my photos may be taken from the left side of the road as opposed to the right.  Sometimes the best light is behind us creating a problem as I don’t sit in a swivel seat and nearly have to break my neck to get a shot from behind us and by the time I get turned around the photo op is gone.  As a road twists or turns or atmosphere around us (trees, hills, clouds etc) changes the light changes so I have to keep on top of changing settings.  What I do is the same as any other photographer does, I just have to make a faster decision and I don’t get a lot of what I aim for.  My sister spent two weeks with us and we drove her back to her home and spent 11 days there.  It’s been very dry and sunny so we were out a lot.  I have about 12 gigs of new photos.  This entry includes images taken while on the last leg of the drive to Bunny’s home on September 5, 2010 and a couple from the next day.

My Photos

1-  As you can see, the day was sunny.  We traveled from Cincinnati, Ohio to Rockford, Illinois and the direction traveled is North West.  The time of day the photo above was taken was 7:13 p.m. eastern standard time and we are and have been driving in farming areas from Ohio into Indiana and into Illinois and are nearing our destination.  Illinois has some really beautiful farming communiites and as it’s fall the fields are golden and many have been harvested and the earth retilled for the next year.  The sun is sinking in the west and the shadow of our car appeared and drove along beside us for many of our remaining miles.  The fields made a good BACKGROUND for it.   

 

2-  This photo was taken at 7:33 p.m. eastern standard time  The light wasn’t the best and the speed of my camera was too slow but with a little enhancement I pulled from the image what I enjoyed seeing.  The colors caught my eye before we got to the point and I think the highway wall makes a good BACKGROUND for showing off the fall colors in grass and leaves. 

 

 

3-  Our exit and the time is 7:35 p.m eastern standard time.  We are glad to have made the drive in the light of day which is now fast fading but making a good BACKGROUND for anything encountered on the road. 

 

 

4-  7:49 p.m eastern standard time, only 15 minutes and the sky looks golden making an amazing BACKGROUND for the city lights.

 

 

5-  It’s 7:56 p.m. eastern standard time and I had to use some flash for this family photo, “the bear hug”.  Two weeks apart is a long time for some people.  Trees, though not seen well here, make good BACKGROUNDS for hugs.

 

 

6-  This is the next day, the 6th of September and we are out in Bunny’s back forty with two very happy dogs (Australian Terriers Sydney (behind) and Jax) who were glad to see the balance of family return home.  The gray brick makes a good BACKGROUND for the photo.

 

 

7-  Finalyzing my entry with this cast iron pig which sits in Bunny’s garden.  I moved him to get this background of red terra clay pot and red brick.  If I could I’d remove him to Cincinnati as I have a few pigs in my collection of dust catchers and he would be a welcome addition, minus the bits of dried debris I should have brushed from him before taking this photo.

I hope you enjoyed the views.  Thanks for visits and comments.  I do entries for all the challenges, catching up on any I miss when away or ???  You can find links (with names of each challenge)here:  http://photographics.xanga.com/tags/weeklyphotochallenge/

 

Follow > this Link < to Visit and PLAY with 
the Weekly Photo Challenge
It runs for one full week from Friday mornings to late Thursday nights. 

The challenge beginning October 08, 2010 is:

“WATER”
suggested by:   Featherland

 

I love water, I drink it, cook with it, bath in it and I used to enjoy playing in it.  Our rainfall this season is down by a large percentage.  Leaves are dry and falling and the fall color is lacking but the cooler days have been, all in all, really beautiful.  We have done a bit of family visiting and enjoying drives to and from as there has been plenty of sunshine and next to no rain.  If I find myself feeling like I need a water fix we drive a few miles to the local lake to people/fisherman watch.  I do have birdbaths to play with and they need to be freshened everyday (to avoid mosquitos laying and hatching) and a rain chain (that remains pretty much quiet without rain) put in when we had installed a much needed new roof and gutters.  We had several really nice rainfalls to break the rainchain in but for now it sits and waits.  The plants and trees could really use the water.  

Photos

1-  Lake Isabelle is not far from us, about 3 miles.  We have fast food picnics there and sometimes we eat at their cook out.  It’s a nice place just to sit and take photos.

 

 

2-  Some of the fishermen use the rowboats and many fish from the shore.  We take advantage of it all by taking as many photos as we can and the lake looks different at any hour of the day and reflects the time of year in the ripples and sometimes in a glass like quiet.

 

 

3-  This is one of my birdbaths.  I have 5 around the yard.  You can’t soak your feet in it but the birds can and do.  You can see a bit of the rainchain behind the flowers on the right.  It hasn’t seen the amount of rain it should but it works well when the sky opens up.

 

 

4-  A close up of one link in the chain taken nearly right after its installation.  The roofers had problems with timing to work on the roof because we had so much rain.  The speed for this photo is 1/200 of a second to catch the drops flying.

 

 

5-  Another image at 1/15 a second.  The copper in the chain will eventually develop a patina that will meld into the background around it.  It’s a different way to enjoy the rain from your sitting area and WHEN it rains I take advantage of the view.

 

 

 

6-  This is just after getting the rainchain hooked up at about the right length.  It needs leveling out and finishing with plants but it gives a better idea of how it works.  It’s nice and wet and watery when its raining.

 

I always enjoy playing with my photos and the water challenge gave me something to do with my rainchain photos which seemed until now a bit useless.  Anyway, I enjoyed the fun. 

Thanks for your visits and any comments.  Have a great week.
  

 

 

Follow > this Link < to Visit and PLAY with 
the Weekly Photo Challenge
It runs for one full week from Friday mornings to late Thursday nights. 

The challenge beginning October 01, 2010 is:

“Decorative Mugs”
suggested by:   Chatamanda

 

I have seen a lot of mugs much more collectible than those I have.  Most of mine are practical as I use them everyday for coffee or tea and I have a lot of them because I enjoy changing them with the seasons.   I do however collect mugs along with other glassware and pottery and have a shelf of assorted Disney and Looney Tune mugs and others.  My mom had a Toby mug I recall sitting in a window with a plant in it and I recall it as a piece I wish I had but as I don’t have it one of my sisters has given me a couple of reproduction Tobys and those sit along with what I call mud people mugs and another with a Norman Rockwell image I found in a used store or Goodwill. 

So, a few photos of some of my dustcatchers again.

1- 

This little cabinet sits in a little room we call a Christmas Room.  I do use them for ourselves and any company.  They are all inexpensive mugs made for the season and are great for coffee, tea, hot chocolate and more.  Besides being useful, they are fun.

 

2- 

This is a favorite I enjoy right at this time of year and so it worked well to use in this challenge.  My other half had to be leaving for a while the day of the photo as the phone is stuck into the handle.  I seldom use the phone, only if planned for a particular call and in this particular case he wanted me to notice it.

 

3- 

The pumpkin mugs in this image were a gift and we will use them off and on during the month of Halloween

.

4- 

The Toby and Norman Rockwell,  Neither have any tremendous value and the Toby possibly none.  I do like the Court Jester so try to protect him, dusting or washing carefully.  A lot of bother really but I enjoy the pieces as most were purchased in a beat the system way meaning thrift store or flea market.  It’s my favorite way to shop.

I know my collections will grow but more slowly than in the past.  My husband hopes so, anyway.

Have a super week, and thanks always for your visits and comments.

 

 

Follow > this Link < to Visit and PLAY with 
the Weekly Photo Challenge
It runs for one full week from Friday mornings to late Thursday nights. 

The challenge beginning September 24, 2010 is:

“Delivery Man or Woman”
suggested by:   PhotoGraphics

 

I was impressed with what I learned in a previous challenge about rubber and how many products are made from it.  I am equally impressed with delivery capabilities all over the world and what they do for the economy besides the fact timely delivery of goods makes for happy receivers.  So a few photos not necessarily of the people who make a delivery but of how they go about it and some of the companies involved. 

Photos

1- 

As you look at the above photo and recall what is usually sitting inside, you know how important the delivery being made in these busses are.  We are always in hopes the driver is well trained and competent as well as concerned about the safe delivery of all contents.

 

2- 

This is the truck that comes to my door often as well as millions of others.  UPS is worldwide and takes its responsibilities very seriously.  UPS, FedX and the Postal Service plus small delivery operations deliver packages to homes, companies, medical facilities including hospitals so their jobs are important.

 

3- 

The ice cream man loves to stop on your street making deliveries of cold goodies in the summer.  Kids love him and parents have mixed emotions.

 

4- 

The Emergency Squad runs operations all over the USA in large and small cities.  Many who work in these capacities are volunteer and their cargo runs from expectant mothers to medical emergencies from falls to heart attack and more.  We all hope his deliveries are timely and safe.  To help him in the safety department, he has the plus factor of flashing lights and sirens.

 

5- 

This is a load of fresh tomatoes.  I was really surprised at seeing it and have to wonder how many tomatoes are flattened under the load.  None the less, truckers deliver and pick up all sorts of cargo and are responsible for the safe delivery of billions of tons of food stuffs right off the farm as well as from the canneries to the doors of the grocer in your city and mine.

 

6- 

Greyhound, the poor man’s way to travel the country but some say it is the only way to travel.  The cargo is always precious as the insides of the bus is filled with people of all ages who may be going one stop down the road or all around the country in a pace that allows them to see the sights.

 

7- 

If you are stuck in a traffic jam, you get a good view of how many and varied are the cars, trucks, busses that have deliveries to make.  Some of the small vehicles deliver to private homes but the biggies are headed to factories and warehouses, other shipping yards, and even government facilities.

 

8- 

A smaller plane whose pilot has to log many hours before he is considered for the job of piloting the plane and taking on the responsibilities of the deliveries he makes at every airport around the world..  A job many may covet and that I would never want. 

 

9- 

There was a time the train carried most of the goods across our country.  Many of its responsibilities were lost with the building of roads and manufacture of trucks.  I love trains and would love to see them come back to their former greatness, making deliveries like they used to from city to city and state to state filled with people, cattle and other foodstuffs, new cars and anything else that has a destination.  All of the above play a part in the delivery of important items and are seen in your cities as well as mine.  Nothing we use or see made it to us for use without being delivered at some point in time to ??? and in fact some items are passed from one delivery type to another before it ever makes it to the user.  It’s amazing to think about.

Have a super week and thanks for visits and comments. 

 

 

Follow > this Link < to Visit and PLAY with 
the Weekly Photo Challenge
It runs for one full week from Friday mornings to late Thursday nights. 

The challenge beginning September 17, 2010 is:

“My Street”
suggested by:   WhatAWonderfulNewWorld

 

I grew up in a small town and lived on a non descript little street.  After getting married, my husband and I bought a little house on another small street in another small town not so far from where I grew up.  There is nothing fancy or exceptional here, just small, one floor plan, brick homes with hard working families raising children.  We are about 15 miles from the center of Cincinnati proper, and within walking distance for groceries, the library, the post office, the dentist, a fair amout of fast food places, auto repair and gasoline and very close to some recreational parks for fishing, picnics, and people watching.  I would call our location central to anything needed for daily living. 

PHOTOS

1-  We decided on our house not because of the McDonalds at the entrance to the street but

 

2-  because of the school situated within a stone’s throw to our house.  We liked the fact our kids could walk and be there within a few minutes.

 

3-  Our street has maybe 20 houses with McD bordering the street on its right at street entrance.  In this photo, McD’s is just behind its entrance drive peeking out from the left front of the photo and right beside the schools bus exit with the school situated on the grounds just at the left of the McD’s lot.

 

4-  This view is the dead end where our house sits and you can see the distance and length of the street if you see the red and gold roof of McD’s clear at the end on the left.  That pretty much indicates how big the street is.

 

5-  The homes are pretty much alike with color and plantings setting them off and of course numbers so visitors can find you when coming to visit.  In the fall, if the colors are nice, there are trees on the street that draw out the cameras and this home and trees are nearly in the McDonald lot as they sit next to it.

 

6-  In the spring, this Flowering Crabtree sets off another home that without it and some flower beds there would be nothing to distinguish it as anything special.  It’s good to have beautiful trees and flowers on little streets that have no other distinguishing features.

 

7-  There are children who come and go with sales of the houses which happens fairly often. 

 

8-  This little Dogwood tree is in my yard and blooms beautifully in April of each year.  As it planted itself perfectly, I have watched it grow from a seedling to a tree filled with beautiful blooms each year.  It along with a few other plants makes our home more homey and a desirable spot for us to spend time.

I know there are more exciting spots in the world but it’s all relative to each of our own needs and though this street, this house / home isn’t exactly what I would have considered perfect, overall its been a good spot for the past forty years. 

 

 

Follow > this Link < to Visit and PLAY with 
the Weekly Photo Challenge
It runs for one full week from Friday mornings to late Thursday nights. 

The challenge beginning September 10, 2010 is:

“the Marketplace”
suggested by:   Cybernene

 

We love markets and marketing.  We used to sell at markets a lot. The sad thing, you finally get worn down with the work so you give in and do your marketing elsewhere in bits and pieces. 

So, a few of my photos.

 

1-  We loved selling at markets, it felt as if you lived at a carnival it was really fun.  The market in this photo is Friendship, Indiana.  We took part every season for quite a few years.  It was loads of work but entertaining work.

 

 

  

2-   When you give up selling at markets you have lived at off and on for extended periods of time, you re-discover many of your purchases have to be made at individual stores.  Shopping this way is still marketing but not nearly as amusing.  You visit clothes stores for clothes,

 

 

3-  the garden shops for plants etc.

 

 

4-  lumber gets loaded up from the lumber yard

 

 

5-   Pumpkins come from the grower or a festival you wish you were set up at

 

6-   lawn chairs come from the hardware store

 

7-   and when your day of shopping is done with, you wonder just how all of your purchases will fit in the car.  No difference really, it just takes mapping out your day of drive by marketing.

To those of you fortunate enough to have really good markets to shop in, have fun, enjoy, I’ll be always thinking of how much fun I had in the past.

Thanks for your visits and comments.

 

 

Follow > this Link < to Visit and PLAY with 
the Weekly Photo Challenge
It runs for one full week from Friday mornings to late Thursday nights. 

The challenge beginning September 03, 2010 is:

“Anything made of Rubber”
suggested by me:   Styx_Site

 

This was an interesting challenge.  I don’t often think about what many things are made of.  Here are a couple of links for rubber information I found interesting:   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_rubber and http://www.iisrp.com/synthetic-rubber.html.  The second link has links on the right side of the page for more info.

 

Some Photos

1-  

With the number of cars here in the states running on every highway it’s good to know rubber is a pretty dependable product.

 

2-   

From bicycles to wheelbarrows to baby buggys, tires are made of rubber.  From the narrow bicycle wheel to

 

3-   

the small wheels on small tractors

 

4-  

to the standard size wheels on cars (all dependent on the size of the car)

 

5-  

To the giant tires on giant machinery, rubber is the product of choice to make tires/tyres.  Rubber is in myriad products we use every day and I had no idea how much until I read the info on the links I put in above.  Take a minute to follow the links for reading and see for yourself.

 

Have a great week and Thanks for any visits or comments.  They are appreciated.

 

 

  

 

Follow > this Link < to Visit and PLAY with 
the Weekly Photo Challenge
It runs for one full week from Friday mornings to late Thursday nights. 

The challenge beginning August 27, 2010 is:

“Keepsakes”
suggested by me:   PhotoGraphics

 

I’ve had a terrible time with my own challenge.  I want to like my own entries.  This particular challenge was meant to be meaningful for anyone playing.  I fixed more than a few photos I thought I would use but they turned me cold when I looked them over.

Keepsake, the definition includes:  emblem, favor, memento, memorial, relic, remembrance, reminder, souvenir, symbol, token.  What I had in mind originally was keepsake/memento/memorabilia.  And, I do have a ton of stuff, old, new, inherited that fit the definition.  I decided I would display images that might strike a cord with anyone looking at my entry, things everyone might be familiar with having seen similar in their past, maybe even making a collection of their own such as prized jewelry, toys or dolls from childhood, a book with stories your mom read to you as a child.  There really are so many things a keepsake can be.  Another but, as I said I was left cold and scraped my work into an extra images folder and started over.  So, the long delay for my entry even though I’ve been sitting here trying to work it out since the day it began. 

Anyway, I finally came to the conclusion that photos of friends and family are my very favorite keepsakes reminding me once again to be upset because I have lost many of my digital photos that are indelibly traced on my brain.  Their loss is monumental.  So, I will give keepsake another definition:  mementos, items so valued their loss causes near physical pain. 

 

My photos, I have used all of these before.

 

1- 

We all have grandchildren.  They grow up and move away.  Their loss is nearly devastating when you dwell on it.  This is my one and only grandchild in an apple tree at my sister’s home.  She was nearing 11 years of age in this photo.

 

2- 

My grandchild in many stages of growing up and my daughter also in the collage’.  All of my family except for my husband are miles away.  Halie, Eden and Mitch are 600 plus miles away.  Others are not so far (100 miles) and others as far as 3000.  Some friends are even farther away.  The internet is a plus for keeping in touch even if it is a far down the line help.

 

3- 

Tim is one of my most recent good friends, a relationship of 5 years now.  He lives in the UK so I know him through chat and photos he takes and sends.

 

4- 

This photo is filled with people who mean a lot to me, most are family but some are Xanga friends I have been fortunate to meet.

 

Going through my photos to make decisions for this challenge refreshed many memories.  It has been a reminder that things are just things but family and friends and the time we have to spend with them are what the best of keepsakes are made up of.  Photos are the next best thing to the people as all the good times come flooding back as memories/keepsakes.

Thanks for your visits and comments.  They are appreciated.
aka Becca

 

 

Follow > this Link < to Visit and PLAY with 
the Weekly Photo Challenge
It runs for one full week from Friday mornings to late Thursday nights. 

The challenge beginning August 20, 2010 is:

“Anything made of Glass”
suggested by:   Styx_Site

 

I love glass, all kinds from decorative to strictly functional (glass pots and pans).  A couple of images of decorative glass.

1- This vase is from an Ohio artist, Eicholt.  I love the mix of green shades.  It’s wonderful for nice tall stems.

 

 

2-  Most of these bottles are older than I am.  Most belonged to my mother so I’ve enjoyed them for a lot of years.  Others get added to my glass collection whenever something strikes my fancy.

Have a super week and thanks always for your comments.

 

 

Follow > this Link < to Visit and PLAY with 
the Weekly Photo Challenge
It runs for one full week from Friday mornings to late Thursday nights. 

The challenge beginning August 13, 2010 is:

“Eyesores”
suggested by me:   PhotoGraphics

 

Eyesores are all around where I live and some just need to be picked up and hauled to the trash dumps.  There are some eyesores worth more than the trashdump, I call them eyesore picturesque.  They call to me because of something I can’t put my finger on for a description.  But, I really like to photograph them and play in my graphics editor to see what they can look like.  Though some of these buildings in my photos may even be dangerous because of their conditions, I find them to be very interesting.  Real eyesores to me are the trash people throw out on the road showing a lack of respect for the community and country.  I deplore garbage thrown in the street, cigarette butts, food wrappers, junk tossed aside instead of put into trash receptacles.  All places can be more beautiful if we do our part and “DON’T LITTER”.

 

 

A few of my Eyesores

1-  This storage barn is a stones throw from our home.  It is across the main road and to the left in the business area.  It’s a mess but everytime I notice it I get out the camera.

 

 

2-  This and the next two are also in Loveland.  As Loveland dates back to its being settled in 1795 (see Wikipedia for its history), it’s very young compared to cities in Europe.  But, the buildings that have survived the period of time are becoming more worn and historic eyesores as time passes.  This old shed reminds me of a similar one from my own childhood.  I always wish I could go inside to dig around for their hidden treasures as I remember my dad keeping jars of coin money in the shed at grandma’s house.  Not fancy in any way but it has a draw with its broken glass and rotting doors and the fantasy remains, what tresures are hidden inside?

 

 

3-  A lot of the homes and outbuildings that are on the older side of their life have tin roofs like this one.  I have slept under tin roofs during rain storms and its an experience homes without tin roofs can never come close to.  I guess that’s a duh for today.

 

 

4-  This stone block house was probably an ice house at one time.  We don’t see many around anymore but I recall them as being more around when I was a youngster.

 

 

5-  This old farm house is somewhere on one of our drives and I think it’s on I71.  Not that it matters, I saw it and took the shot while driving.  It came out good enough that I could play with it in Paint Shop Pro.  None of the above are what I call wall hangers but they have interest I can’t pass without taking their photos.

 

 

I hope these had some interest for anyone looking.  I know others take similar photos so I know the draw is there meaning I must not be crazy.  I think there is some “nostalgia” in the mix of the call.

Have a super week and thanks always for your comments.