The Joy of Summer

Day 20 of the 30 day challenge is bokeh. I don't think there's any other words needed for this one. 

Last year's bokeh:

http://cricklepad.blogspot.com/2011/06/bokeh-play.html

We finally had our first day at our favorite community pool. Needless to say my son was ecstatic about this. Ok, so honestly we were all ecstatic about it!

Orange Swim Practice

Day 19 of the 30 day challenge is orange. This was taken in my flower garden. 

Last year's orange:

http://cricklepad.blogspot.com/2011/06/something-orange.html

Taken during a Tuesday evening swim practice for my daughter's summer swim team.





And, here I am reading during the swim practice.

About the Feet and Swimming

Day 18 of the 30 day challenge is my shoes. Here are three pair of shoes I bought last week. These were bought at a thrift store so I only paid $10 total for all three pair. I was really excited about finding three pair that day.



Last year's shoes: 

http://cricklepad.blogspot.com/2011/06/shoe-pile.html

My daughter is swimming for a team that is part of our county's summer swim league. This week was their first meet. Michaela swam in 5 events. She ended up with one 1st place ribbon and four 3rd place ribbons. Her team won the meet.





Drink, Anyone????

Tech and Outside

Day 17 of the 30 day challenge is technology. I love technology. I love that I can type something into my Google calendar and it go straight to my phone or vice versa. I love that it is possible to program my DVR from my phone or that I can watch online movies on the television in my bedroom. 



Last Year's Technology:

http://cricklepad.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-evo.html

Fanned mushrooms



Waiting for my son's baseball game to start.

Exposure

Day 16 of the 30 day challenge is long exposure. Ok, so I know that it means manipulating the exposure settings on your camera. However, I have not been able to get a decent shot that way. I have not been able to get out somewhere where I could really exercise what I've learned with that technique so I decided to look at it a different way. 

Here is wood of our picnic table in our back yard. My husband built this table about 14 years ago and it has been exposed to the elements of the four seasons and weather of the mid-west ever since. So, this wood has had "long exposure" to the elements. 

Last year's long exposure:
http://cricklepad.blogspot.com/2011/06/learning.html

A man and his dogs sitting by the river.



Lounging at the country club pool while Michaela has swim practice.

A Day In The Woods

Day 15 of the 30 day challenge is silhouette. Here are silhouettes of tree branches hanging over the river. Last year's silhouette was taken from the same riverfront area.




http://cricklepad.blogspot.com/2011/06/river-watch.html


 


 

Fun Times

Day 14 of the 30 day challenge is eyes. I met this little guy on the trail while I was walking in one of our county parks. I was really surprised at how close he let me get.




Last year's eyes picture: http://cricklepad.blogspot.com/2011/06/through-cicadas-eyes.html

 I love this lady. She is in her 80's and will dance all night. She knows all the words to all the dance club songs and even does the "sexy" moves. She's the one that asked that the chair be brought out onto the dance floor during my nephew's graduation party so she could chair dance. She's so much fun.

 

 The pathway through our Eco Park leads under the Wabash Train Bridge. This is the shadow of the bridge falling across my feet.

 

Fun, Vibrance and History

Day 13 of the 30 day challenge is "me plus 13 things." I decided to have some fun with this... here I am all ready for some pool time... but *pout* we have no pool! See if you can find 13 things in this picture with me.





Last year's me + 13:

http://cricklepad.blogspot.com/2011/06/13-things.html

 I did not mess around with the colors on this flower at all.

 

I found a fossil today while I was out and about. It was down by our river close to the boat ramp. I brought it home with me. 

Sunset and Low River

Day 12 of the 30 day challenge is sunset. We've not had a lot of "atmosphere" lately so our sunsets have been pretty blah. So, here's what I could get. I still like it SO MUCH better than last year's sunset:





http://cricklepad.blogspot.com/2011/06/filtered-sunset.html

 This is to illustrate how low the Missouri River is in our area right now. You usually cannot see those dykes. If you look up river you'll see the barren bank where the river water is usually rushing past. Where I'm standing to take the picture I would be up to my knees in river water normally.

 

 Today I went walking. Down close to the river on the north end of our town are basically four different parks that are linked by yet another park. The dog park is the furthest north, moving south is a park with ball fields, picnic shelter and playground, the next park is basically just a green space and then there is Blanchette Landing which is a beautified boat launching area. All of these parks are linked by our EcoPark which runs between the four parks and the Missouri River, with part of the Katy Trail State Park going through there, too.

 

Blue, Bee and Rainy Morning

Day 11 of the 30 day challenge is something blue. I wandered around for a couple hours today trying to find my "something blue." I actually ended up with several "blue" pictures, but I like this one the best. It is in the yard of a house that we pass on our way to the Y and to church.





Last year's "something blue": http://cricklepad.blogspot.com/2011/06/something-blue.html

 SOOC taken at the park today.

 

 It rained this morning so I didn't get to spend ALL DAY with my camera like I had planned. But, this afternoon I got to wander around close to home for about an hour. I loved how the water droplets hung to everything. So, today my FWIS photo is focused more on the other stuff in my photo than my feet, although they are still there.