Colors

I've never been one to manipulate my photos a lot, but I once took a photo of a water fountain and thought it might be a great photo in which to experiment with some color.  I was pretty excited about the outcome so I thought I would share the photos with you.  

Blessings

My life is blessed.  I know this because I have people in my life who always manage to remind me of this fact.  Some are young, some are old, some are new, and some have recently come back into my life after a long hiatus.  There are two very special friends in particular, who have re-entered my life in very recent months as if to  offer me inspiration and encouragement when I need it most.  One of whom is a true blast-from-the-past and the other shared a more recent period of my life with me.  I am grateful to you both for your constant kindness, support, and encouragement.  This is not to say that all my friends and family have ever been anything less than supportive, but I am constantly amazed at the fact that these two have been brought back into my, when I needed them most, as if by magic.  Thank you, dear friends.  I hope that your lives are as blessed as mine.  These photos are dedicated to you!

Z

I realized that I have been avoiding my blog like the plague because I have yet to complete my A to Z Project.  I also decided that it was a silly way to behave.  This is the final post of that project and I am now going to move on to more random postings.  Who needs structure anyway?  The project has made me look through my lens a little more frequently and at very different subjects.  I would recommend that any photographer consider a project such as this, but don't let it get the best of you.  Relax, have fun, and take pictures!  That is what life is about, right?

Zinnia:

Y

I decided to choose items that look like the letter rather than start with the letter for "Y".  I hope you can see them the same way I do!

X

I found one picture I really love that represents the letter "X".  I hope you like it as much as I do.

W

V

By the time I had reached "V", I had decided that I needed to approach the last 5 letters differently.  Instead of actively searching for a photo that represented the letter, I would simply take pictures of everything I found inspiring, and while reviewing them, I would assign some to the letters.

Vines:

U

Not much to talk about here so on with the pictures!

Up:

Union:

T

"T" is for tulip.  Spring has sprung and I was able to capture some pretty little tulips rearing their heads.  I really should have finished this project before the gardens began to bloom because flowers are pretty much my norm, but that's okay.  These were some of my first flowers of the season and they always seem to make me smile.  I hope they do the same for you!

S

After a bit of rotten luck, we were back on our way to Eureka Springs, Arkansas.  I was able to capture some "S's" along the way!

St. Louis Arch:

Sunny Face:

Statue:

No excuses!

Once again, it has been too long since I have blogged.  I am a total slacker on my A-Z Project.  So close to the end and I seem to have given up!  Actually, I didn't give up on taking the pics I just haven't been able to drag myself to blogger to share them.  I am going to post several "letters" tonight.  I hope that you enjoy them!

R

Today was a long day.  I am on a trip to a chainsaw carving exhibition in Arkansas with my daughter and my parents.  It is a very long journey from my home in Wisconsin to our destination, but well worth the trip since we get to see some beautiful places and some very special family members.  We had every intention of getting south of St. Louis before allowing exhaustion to kick in and finding a comfy bed to sleep in tonight, but that proved to be an impossible dream.  I am now blogging from the comfort of a hotel room, but we are barely to the north side of St. Louis.  Why?  Because no matter how much love and attention you pay your faithful 4-wheeled companion breakdowns seem inevitable.  After being stranded on the side of the highway for over 2 hours we were finally towed to a beautiful little town that offered shelter, showers, and food.  Like the tow-truck driver said, "Vehicles respect no one."  The good news is that the truck seems to be running again and our final destination is in sight.  After all of this rambling, I only have two pictures to share.  One has a double meaning, at least.  Goodnight and sleep tight.

I call this one Rotten Luck (My daughter calls it Red):

Rust:

Q

Thanks to some pocket change and one of my daughter's coloring books I was able to accomplish today's blog. Not too exciting, but also nothing I would have ever considered photographing were it not for this project.  I have a feeling the next few days will be much more exciting!

Quarters:

Question Mark:

P

Only 10 more days after this post and then I will be on to another project.  What will it be?  Hmmmm....  Only time will tell!  Enjoy today's post!

Peace:

Past and Present:

Pretty:

Pelican:

O

My last A-Z post was "N" so I guess that means I will begin again at "O".  How logical, right?  I have been taking pictures on a daily basis, but I haven't been editing and posting them so now that it is snowing again, I find it much easier to get back on task.  Here are my "O's"!

Optical Illusion:

Otter:

Ostrich:

My Apologies....

I have been a very bad blogger.  For this I apologize.  My blogging hiatus (or should I say rebellion) has come to an end and I vow that you will see at least one photo from me every day and my A-Z Project will be completed.  Please forgive me.  I share this photo with you as a peace-offering.

Llama Kiss:

N

N is for nature.  This post is dedicated to the beauty of nature and the inspiration that I draw from it.

Nature:

M

Today was a busy day at the park with friends of the 2-legged and 4-legged varieties.  I didn't focus very hard on my project today so I was resigned to the fact that I had missed a day.  I was pleasantly surprised while editing my photos from the day that I did indeed have some M's.

Munchkins:

Mesmerizing:

Mouth: