Out of the Park

Out of the park!!!

Red Winged Visitor

What Can I say - I like Yellow!

I really like this one...

Local Cardinal

This guy is teasing me - he lands for a fraction of a second - barely time to focus and snap... I keep chasing and he keeps running. It seems the Blue Jay is faster yet!!

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Reaching toward the Sun

There are a bunch of flowers in front of my office - got there early enough yesterday as they were opening up. I would have loved to set up my camera and do a time lapse - perhaps another day.

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The Greedy One

Blogger has been down most of the day - I was fearful I'd miss a day of posting. This is a photo of "The Greedy One" - he is always at the feeder and picks on the little ones. A Blus Jay chased him off yesterday - but alas, I had no camera ready.

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Soooooooo Big!!

We have a wall in our kitchen where all of the kids and grandkids gets measured. It's the ONLY wall in the house where it is permissible to write on the wall. When the grandkids haven't visited in a while it's the first place they go - to see how much they have grown. This baby giraffe appears to be doing the same thing, although with a much bigger wall.

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Tigger

They're so cute - could kill me and eat me in mere minutes... nice kitty!!

Litter Can Kill

This is why you don't litter - innocent wildlife comes along and sees the bright colored balloon and think "food". I hope they successfully digested the balloons - they were intent and weren't going to hear otherwise.

Swinging Bridge Iowa Falls, Iowa

I am sometimes amazed that I lived to be older than 13 - when I was a "yute" [youth] I dove off this bridge in the summer and swam in the river. It gives me the heeby-jeebees to think about it now - what was under the water? I could have broken my neck and drowned... there goes the jeebees again...

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S-h-h-h

I tried to sneak up on a goose - he heard me. The look right after this was "go away!!"

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Old VW

We went to the Williams, Iowa Memorial Day ceremonies yesterday and then travelled to Blairsburg, and Webster City, Iowa. This Old VW has been sitting in this spot for years - and we've been driving by it for years... I always said I should stop and take a photo - yesterday I did...

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Photo Weave

This is photo of a photo weave. I made 2 8 x 10s of the same photograph, cut 1" strips vertically in one, and 1" strips horizontally in the other and than weaved them together. Makes for an interesting effect...

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Pansies

With a couple of effects added...

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Got It!

Got it - the first baseman art the church softball league got the fly.

Retriever

I attended a church softball game last night and this golden retriever was sitting with his master observing all of the comings and goings. He has that sad look in his eyes - so many balls being thrown about and he wasn't allowed to retrieve even one...

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Another Yellow Flower

One of my favorite colors...

Drinking and Driving

Apparently drinking and driving was an issue in pioneer days as well...

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He Went That Way

It's that time of year - looks like he pointing...

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Sparrow

Sometimes unexpected events create good photographs. I was taking a close up of this sparrow on the bird feeder and just as I snapped the shutter a red car went by on the street in my field of vision. Since I was using a large aperture the action was blurred - so I have the red blur of the red car and the green blur of the grass. Makes for a cool photo. I'd like to say I planned it all out - but, alas I did not.

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Yellow Flower

Yesterday we went to a 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration and this is a photo of their flower arrangement.

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How Many Times Do I Have to Tell You...

Keep your feet OFF the table!!

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Mr. Robin

Hello There...

Another Cardinal

Ok - I've got the catching the red bird down - now my sights are set on a blue one (and red, and yellow, and an eagle if they should show up).

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Cello Player

We attended our grandson's orchestra concert last night and I noticed this cello player and wondered how she sees her music? The grandpa in me says, "You need a hair thingy..." The photographer in me says, "Cool photo...reminds me of Cousin It from The Adams Family."

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Red Guy

A cardinal at the nature center

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Gold Finch

We had our Photo Club Meeting at Wickiup Nature Area in Cedar Rapids. As I was leaving I looked out at the feeders and saw all this yellow. I just had to get my camera and take a few photographs. There must be little TVs in the feeder because they are all so intent on watching something.

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The Little Brown Church in the Vale

The Little Brown Church in the Vale

I'm getting to be like my Dad - returning from Minneapolis we "meandered" across country using the back roads. We stopped at the Little Brown Church in the Vail in Nashua, Iowa. This view is from the back of the church.

This view is from the pulpit.

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Shhhhhh - Don't Wake the Kitty

We visited Como Zoo today in St. Paul.... the kitty's were sleeping...

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There One Minute - Gone The Next

It's been raining for the past 2 days and then this evening as we were driving to New Prague, MN a rainbow popped up.

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Some Days Are Better Than Others

We are in Minneapolis for a Credit Union meeting and had the opportunity to visit one of our granddaughters at her gymnastic practice. She is fearless and according to the coach extremely talented. She had burned (I imagine on the mat) her hands earlier, but she wanted to show us her bar routine. Her hands just wouldn't cooperate. Alas, some days are better than others.

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It's Cold

Iowa weather being what it is - is cold!!! Feels like fall, not spring. We went to a graduation party and there was a bonfire to keep everyone warm.

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Grand Opening Iowa City Armory

We had to travel to Iowa City yesterday to get Helen's Military Dependents ID Card updated for her medical insurance. We went to where we "thought" the armory was - but it wasn't there as it had fallen victim to the 2008 floods. A couple of strangers gave us directions to the new armory and when we arrived - there was a grand opening ceremony going on. As we drove in the gate the flag was going up, there were soldiers saluting, civilians rendering honors and TV Cameras running. Perfect timing we thought - no way were we going to get an ID Card. But, the ID Card guy was more than happy to help us so he didn't have to listen to all of the speeches. I snapped this picture of a retired major general on horseback. I have to say it was the most entertaining ID Card trip we've every had...

Mother's Day Mimosa

We celebrated Mother's Day yesterday and shared Mimosas.

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Pestals

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Queen of Everything

Lousy day outside to take photographs today...here is a "portrait" I did of Ms. Red Ball for a Photo Club Assignment. It didn't win - apparently I'm the only one who thought it was cute...

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Bird on A Perch

Ok - perhaps I'm obsessing with this bird watching/picture taking... I took the storm window off, removed the screen and opened the window so that I could get a clearer picture. Shooting through glass - well - just wasn't good enough. I also am finding out feeding the wildlife adds up quickly - they're hungry little buggers. I vow to wander out and about farther tomorrow...

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Helen

This is Helen - my spouse of 25 years and 2 days. She sits quietly when I ask her to be my model. She even "totes and carries" when I need help taking pictures on a photo shoot. Most of the pictures I take of her I don't get to post because she just doesn't like the way she looks in photographs - so - either this is a really good photograph of her (yes - I got her permission to post it), or she is giving up... I know it's the first!!!

Another New Guest

This rabbit has joined the ducks, squirrels, and birds under the feeder.

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Trinity Stained Glass

It seems I always have a camera with me (in the event an alien lands on my hood) and while I was wondering around the church the light hit this window just right to illuminate it with some magnificent color.

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HDR Grundge

Playing around with HDR and "Grundge" - this is the chicken coop on the Myers farm - a different look.

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25th Anniversary

Helen and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary yesterday with an open house. This is a macro (HDR) image of our centerpiece.

Music In The Dark

This photo was taken Thursday night at a dinner the Cedar Valley Chamber Music Festival held at the CU Restaurant in downtown Waterloo. It was tough taking photographs because it was dark - but, I do believe this one sets the mood.

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Becoming A Regular Visitir

This mallard duck and his lady friend have been showing up every morning and evening looking for the corn that the squirrel drops.

A Really Old Door

This is a door on a historical landmark in the city of Des Moines, Iowa - The Kathedral. This building has been called the gateway to the Capital City. Built in 1901, this property carries with it profound religious, historical and architectural significance. Visit their site at http://www.thekathedral.com.

Who Me?

This guy is cute - but, mischievous...

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Patriotism Comes In All Shapes and Sizes

We attended the Mobilization and Farewell Ceremony for the 103rd Sustainment Command Sunday In Des Moines. My Son-in-law is a 1st LT in the Unit and will be deploying for 400 Days+. As the General explained the mission of the unit it is to, "...move a city the size of Sioux City - all 82 thousand of them along with everything they own (vehicles and all) 3/4 away around the world. Makes my head hurt to think about it... I can't seem to pack right to go on a 3 hour trip.

There were tears, laughter and solemn moments. The young, the old, the veteran, the non-veteran, the Moms and Dads, the Grandmas and Grandpas, the Wives, the Daughters, the Sons, the girlfriends and boyfriends - all felt the electricity in the air when the first notes of the Star Spangled Banner were heard. I would imagine it would have been difficult to find a dry eye (even now as I type)...

Her Daddy is deploying.

This group of freedom riders escorted the buses as they departed.

These veterans continue to serve as color guard for a variety occasions - send offs, coming home ceremonies, football games, baseball games, and most importantly for funerals of deceased veterans. In the Navy we wished those leaving on a deployment, Fair winds and following seas." In the Army, near as I can tell - it is whooohah!!! (No idea if that is even close...)