As Seen Through Helen's Sharp Eye

Strange Looking Pineapples

Christmas Lights

We went on a drive last night to look at the lights - this house was my favorite.

We drive by this one every year to see what's been added.  Love all the activity.

Price of Fuel

I like this price of fuel...

Angel

I was playing around with still life, depth of field and colors.  So take 1 wooden angel, 1 blue backdrop, and several ornaments and here ya go...

Santa Takes Flight

Santa Prepares..On Prancer...

On Donner and Blitzen...

Ornament Display In Target`

Ornament Display At Target`

Believe

We Believe...

Snow Covered Breakfast table

Cold Place For Breakfast

We Three Kings

One of Kings Could No Longer See The Star

The Christmas Card Across the Street

Neighbor's House

My House

We're getting more snow this evening -  the neighbors house is always gorgeous this time of year.  We added some greenery and Helen added the red bows - God added the snow...

An Experiment in Shapes and Sizes

Shapes and Sizes

A Little Snow, but -10

It's pretty - but r-e-a-l cold!!

North Pole Express

North Pole Express

Come Back!!

Come Back Here!!

Sun Raises Into the Fog

I got up early to go watch the sunrise and hopefully spot an eagle which has been hunting around our church.  It was a gorgeous sunrise - but the fog was coming in and the sun just kept rising and disappeared into the fog.

I ended the day at the Credit Union Annual Holiday Party....

Helen and I have joined the Cedar Valley Singers - an A Capella group and we surprised everyone at the Holiday Party by showing up in our garb...  Helen sings alto and I sing bass...  no one knew we were going to be part of the program.

Ship Ahoy

This is the model ship which hangs on my office wall...

The Squirrel Gang

This little guy hangs out at the credit union.  He is fearless.  He comes to the front door, and I swear knocked on the door.  When he is busy he just looks over his shoulder and gives you a "look" like, "Yeah, what do you want?"

He sometimes has friends over and they are the same way - it's the squirrel gang - and you don't want to cross them...

I took the photo quickly because I figured the other members of the gang were going to sneak up on me...

Stained Glass Butterfly

Stained Glass Panel

Firey Sky

Sunrise Yesterday

What'sThat?

He Heard Me Coming...

Foraging

Foraging

The weatherman grossly overestimated the snow fall - the "7" to "14" inches of snow was a mere "tiff" of snow.  It made for easy foraging for my little buddy...

Tomato Ornament

Fired Up and Ready For Action

Ready to Go...

We're supposed to be in the path of 7-14" of Snow - I'm ready!!!

Christmas Tree Ready for Grandkids

Ready for Grandkids (Grandma too!)

The House With the Red Door

The House With the Red Door

So...the question is - should I continue my Photo A Day into 2011?  On December 31, 2010, I will have completed 2 years or 730 Days, and will have taken approximately 35,000 photos -  oofda...

Cold Chair

Good Thing He Has A Furry Butt!!

Mrs. Pickle

Mrs. Pickle

Looking Thru The Tree

A View Thru The Tree

Berries on Our Tree

Berries On Our Tree

Red Door

Macro Shot of Red Door On Ornament

Christmas Begins

Ornament

Two of the grandkids are here this week and they have helped grandma get ready for christmas.  It's our tradition that the tree goes up on Thanksgiving - we're a day early.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone...

Mall of America

Orange

Green

Whatever problem Google was having last night they have it fixed...  of all the things to photograph at the Mall of America I was drawn to these silly over sized balls on the trees.

Trouble Uploading

Server Difficulties with Blogger - unable to post a photo - visit my other blog to see what I was going to post...

Sam With Mom and Dad

Sam With Mom and Dad

Portrait

Laurin and her fiance

While we were in Minnesota attending the baptism of our newest grandson, Samuel Clayton I had the opportunity to take some photos of Laurin and her fiance.  They are a gorgeous couple and there will be other photos (in this group and in the future).

The weather was cold, wet, foggy, sleety, snowy and down right miserable.  On Saturday night there had been 300 and some car accidents...(we were not among them).

Perhaps when the weather is better I'll be able to take some more photos of Laurin and her fiance as they are both very photogenic.

Oh Deer

Oh Deer

The granddaughters have a tough time having slumber parties - it seems they feel something is looking over their shoulder.

Samuel Clayton

Samuel

We are visiting in Minneapolis to attend our newest grandson's baptism.  He's had a tummy-ache today - this was during one of his pensive moments...

Bird Condo

We had our tree in the front yard trimmed the other day and the limbs are still in a pile waiting to be picked up. The birds are all over.  I believe they are depressed because their condo is undergoing renovations.  It's like they were all visiting and "re-living" all of the memories they had in their condo in the tree...

They're really going to be depressed when the limbs go away...

Berries

20 to 3

Hamburg Inn 2

Hamburg Inn 2, Iowa City, Iowa

The oldest family owned restaurant in Iowa City.  They're famous for their bean voting and some of their guests including former Presidents Reagan and Clinton.

If you've never been there here's a LINK to read more about it...

Linn Area Photo Club Annual Contest

Blue Cloth Flower

(Click thru if you're viewing this on Facebook as there are multiple photos.)


We had the Annual Photo Contest at the Linn Area Photography Club.  The judge was the Superintendent of the Photography Salon for the Iowa State Fair.  I learned a lot today - while he was judging a lot of folks had their cameras and were there to learn more about them - the object being to get out of the "automatic mode" and to use the camera to create photographs not snapshots.  A photographer's goal is to show "...the world has it has never been seen..."

We practiced bracketing and macro shots (the blue cloth flower).

Back to the contest - I received a Third Place in the "Scenery/Landscape" category and an "Honorable Mention" in the Portrait category.

Andrea Honorable Mention

Iowascape 3rd Place

Yellow Fall Color

Full Fall Color

Full Fall Color

I was surprised to find this tree so full of leaves and color.  Most of the other trees have lost their leaves and are standing naked in the wind...