Day 239

I have no idea what this sort of tree is, it looks like a little mini tangerine tree. :) So, if you know, please enlighten me. 

I pass it almost every day, and have been so busy I couldn't stop. Today I made sure I stopped, because you never know when a tree you're not familiar with drops all it's berries!

How are you all doing in 365 land? I'm a little behind, but I'll catch up soon! Thought I'd at least post what I had today. 

Inch by inch, right?  

Day 239

ISO 800, f/2.8, 1/15, 50 mm 
texture

updated: Mountain Ash Tree

Day 209

My tomatoes are doing marvelously! But, it helps when you look on the plant's label to see what kind they are. I didn't realize I had two cherry tomato plants. 

Oh well. The youngest one uses a bowl of them to "train the dog" (our 8 yr old American Bulldog). She tells her "sit," (she gets a tomato), "stay" (tomato), "paw" (as she grabs her leg near knocking her off balance as she's sliding on the hardwood floor - gets a tomato). 

So see? They were so worth it. *frown*

Day 209

 ISO 200, f/2.2, 1/1250, 50 mm

 

Day 203

This is what sisters do when they come to watch your baseball game. She's totally supportive, isn't she? Notice how she took the highest point to cheer and scream? 

Day 203

ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/60, 120 mm

Day 202

Even in this heat, we went out to swim in our 92 degree "hot tub" of a pool. We're splashing around and look up and momma bunny is nesting in the camouflage netting under the trampoline. She always has babies in the craziest places. She must have, or is getting ready to drop some more! She could care less that we were in the pool. She must have thought we were safe in our cages and we wouldn't harm her.

Day 202

ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/30, 300 mm

Day 195

Call it total lack of inspiration, but I call it... Evening "Monster House." This is what the house reminded me of when I took it. Have you seen that movie? This photo looked a little spooky! The sky was gorgeous! So I went out to see what I can get, and I liked this because it was just different. Not the greatest photo however..

Day 195

ISO 200, f/3.5, 2.5, 18 mm

Day 188

I love the little bunches of ground cover/flowers that grow along the curbside. Had to get them in my 365! The colors are so beautiful in July! I am dreading the days we have to go back to January again and scramble. But in the meantime, enjoy these flowers!

Day 188

ISO 200, f/2.2, 1/2500, 50 mm

Day 181

Pretty! I love hydrangeas. I had some at one time and killed 'em. Sad. I guess they weren't in the best sunlight. I haven't tried any more, but I love photos of them when I see them. 

Day 181

ISO 800, f/2.2, 1/125, 50 mm

Day 174

Zucchini flower! Oh yeah.. blowing you away with this one today, right? LOL Anyway, I like them. I saw them outside my window this morning excited to be alive. I think they're beautiful! Look at the little "whiskers" it has. Cool! :)

(hey, when you've been sick for 3-4 days, everything looks new and beautiful again!)

Day 174

ISO 200, f/3.5, 1/640, 50 mm

Day 167

I will have fresh tomatoes, I will have fresh tomatoes.....

Last year we went on a huge ride across America. From Chicago to WA State where I'm from, I took so many photos! I only wish I had been blogging and doing a 365!! What a missed opportunity, and I'm still kicking myself about it.

When we got home, I was sad to see my tomato plants had died. There were some tomatoes hanging in there, and some were rather good! Our yard had also hosted a tomato plant smack in the middle of the grass. It's amazing what your yard is actually hosting when you leave it for 2 months to seed!

This year I am determined to keep up my little potted gardens. Here's to some fresh tomatoes!

Day 167

Settings:

ISO 200, f/2.2, 1/1600, 50 mm

Day 160

After the thunderstorm last night, I trekked out to see the damage. Not much, but seriously, a lot of water! My radio station even chimed in with the alerts for flash flooding. 

The only thing of interest I could find were the settling raindrops. I think our plants were happy after 90+ degrees all week! 

Day 160

Settings:

ISO 200, f/2, 1/1250, 50 mm

Day 153

My peonies have opened! They are so beautiful and the smell is amazing! The colors are gorgeous, yet I feel like I've still not given them justice. Beauty is all around us, isn't it?

Day 153

Settings:

ISO 400, f/1.8, ss 1/2500, 50 mm

Day 146

"Thumper, what did your father tell you?"

"Bout wha...."

"About eating the blossoms, and leaving the greens!" 

"Oh, that one.. (aaah haha HMM) Eating greens is a special treat. It makes long ears and great big feet. *whispers* But it sure is awful stuff to eat. I made that last part up myself!" 

-Thumper and his mom from Bambi

Day 146

Settings:
ISO 400, f/2.2, ss 1/1250, 50 mm

Day 139

When I'm watching TV lying down, I always look up at the tree in the corner of our room. Somehow, I can't get out of my mind that the leaves spell out the word L-O-V-E. Can you see it? Maybe it's just me, but I wanted to take a picture of it just to remember. It's just one of those things! Maybe it's a good reminder for all of us. Maybe it should be something done a little more. 

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love. 

1 Corinthians 13:13

 

Day 139

Settings:

ISO 200, f/1.8, ss 1/15, 50 mm

Day 132

Crazy problems with blogger, huh? I wasn't able to post the other day which was fine, I was a little too busy. We've had double headers, late night games for the past.. well.. few days in a row. So all I have are baseball or softball shots.

I am posting again, 3 shots today. 132-134 It's great to do it all at once, although I do feel a little guilty.

Today's shot was my oldest's last huddle/team talk. Last game of their very short season due to rainouts. Kind of sad, but what a weird year with this weather! She pitched a great game, had some great hits, but the team fell short at took the loss. 

I do love their looks behind them. Not sure what they were looking at, but I liked the photo.

Day 132

Settings:
ISO 200, f/9, ss 1/60, 160 mm

Day 125

The end of the day brings some relief tonight. Dinner is done, hubby is taking middle one to his game away, and the girls and I can settle in and watch movies. I do like this time...when there is nothing to have to run out for. Not taking everyone to the game, as there will be many more, and the oldest needs to wake up early tomorrow anyway. 

Another shot of the walk in the neighborhood. I will get more creative soon, as for now? I take what I can get! Pretty purples. 

Day 125

Settings:

ISO 200, f/1.8, ss 1/4000, 50 mm

Day 118

How's it going, 365'ers friends? Our day was great! It was my husband's birthday today. We slept in, then I made cheese blintzes with fresh cut strawberries for brunch. We watched American Idol and Survivor that we DVR'ed the night before, walked out the door separately to 2 different games...that were later cancelled, and out to dinner! Now to watch who was kicked off of Idol tonight, then snooze-land!

On my way to the first cancelled game is a beautiful forest preserve. I love this little road that heads back into the forbidden "Park Rangers Only, Nursery Preserve" section. I stopped at the gate like a good girl, and walked up to it, and took a picture. I'm sure that's allowed. Gussied it up with a little photoshop just for fun, and voila! 

Day 118

Settings:

ISO 200, f/4.5, ss 1/800, 50 mm

 

Day 111

Finally a pretty day in Chicago, so I took the younger kids to the Brookfield Zoo. We had a nice walk, stayed for a couple hours, just talking and laughing. 

Has anyone else been watching the Decorah Eagle Cam? I've been addicted since there were only 3 eggs. It was fun to see them hatching, and now that they are getting bigger, what they're having for lunch.

So at the zoo, it was only fitting to capture a Bald Eagle since I was so close. I love them, they're so beautiful!

Day 111

Settings:

ISO 200, f/5.6, ss 1/250, 160 mm

Day 104

It's the second night of five consecutive evening games that will inevitably last after 10 each night..in 43 degree weather and high winds! We froze! Not to mention, we had been at a softball game immediately before. Where is the warmth now? 

This was all I could do today to stay above water on my 365 commitment. I was so cold, I only took a few of my son up to bat. This is what I got, considering it was night time and all, I'm fine with it! 

Day 104

Settings:

ISO 800, f/2, ss 1/50, 50 mm

Day 83

My daughter made me a little owl in her ceramics class. This was the second one finished as the first one exploded. She forgot to hollow it out inside. :) This is special to me because 1. she made it, 2. it's an owl! I really don't know what happened to me with this owl thing. 

When I was little, my dad was going to build a fire in the basement wood stove. He opened up the door, and started to throw the papers in. He normally didn't look around first, but peeked in there and saw two huge eyes staring at him. Just as he realized there was something in there, this baby owl took off flying over his head. It flew up the stairs, down the hallway, and into my room. We couldn't find him for a while, until I spied him on my dresser with all my stuffed animals! I threw a photo of that in under my photo of the day for you to see. Not the best photo, OH how I wish my mother had been a photographer! What a missed opportunity! ;)

Here's the picture of my owl in my kitchen. Isn't he cute? It's made with lots of love, and I think it's awesome!

Day 83

Settings:

ISO 100, f/1.8, ss 1/8, 50 mm

Day 76

Well, last night we had to tell the little one that she didn't get the Marta roll for Sound of Music. It went okay, but she was a little sad. Rumor has it she was up against the Marta that was on the national tour. 

Oh.

Luckily for her, daddy felt really bad and went out ahead of time to buy her a new fish. Her last fish died last year as we went on vacation, and the move to a friend's house was too much for it. So, here we have a new Koi fish. 

*screaches to a halt*

Koi Fish?
Yes.

My husband loves them, he thought it was so cute, and they live for...get this.. up to 226 years! (longest recorded)

Here he is peeking at himself in the side wall in his makeshift "pond." Notice how clean it is? Well, they like to be dirty..
He's in a perfectly new and clean tank.
He's struggling today, not sure if "Captain Billy Bob" will make it. Dad feels sad, little one is pretty sad and hoping for the best. 

Apparently, we needed a KOI POND to put him in.. go figure! ;)

I actually had him out by the pool tarp cover, and contemplated throwing him in there until we clean the pool out for the summer.

Here I am at the VERY end of the day. 2 min. late to be exact, but I had to get in a photo! This is why I opted for Captain Billy Bob (courtesy of my husband's suggestion).

Day 76

Settings:

ISO 400, f/1.8, ss 1/20, 50 mm

moved levels lighter