Winter's weight

I remember when this shed was still standing and the tree that is now chopped into pieces was still a tree. After years of neglect, the shed finally collapsed. This is on the same property as the barn that is falling apart...yet another reminder of the decline of the American farm.

Unhinged

Same barn, different door.

Three windows and a door

This barn hasn't been used for decades and is falling apart. It makes for an interesting subject to photograph.

Casper

Casper is a bichon frise. This was my third attempt at taking his photo...I'm still learning how to work with natural light and my 35 mm f 1/8 lens.

da burgh

Recently I went to Pittsburgh to get together with some friends. Before heading into town for dinner we stopped at Mt Washington for some drinks. Here, by the famous Duquesne incline, you get the best view of the city.

Englewood beach

Looking out toward the Gulf of Mexico. Wish I was there on this cold rainy January day!

Seashells

Taken in Florida over the holidays. The night before there was a storm and in the morning the entire beach was covered with these seashells.

Breakfast anyone?

I'm a sucker for krispy kreme donuts which I can't get where I live. You can find their donut shops all over the south and of course, I had to stop in to fulfill my craving! I thought I'd have some more fun with processing and try something new. This was inspired by the first photos I ever took, back in the 70s.

Lindy

I've known Lindy since he was a puppy. All grown up, he's turned into a handsome young man. He loves the snow, for that matter, he loves rain, sleet and sun too! Here I captured him in a rare moment, sitting still for a millisecond! Always on the go, Lindy is constantly exploring!

Down the line

I experimented with some photoshop actions using a couple images I captured in Myrtle Beach. Here's the result of one such image...

Broken

Found this while walking on the beach...

Looking down

I was fascinated by the change in perspective looking down on the beach from the top floor balcony.

Myrtle Beach

My parents rented the condo we stayed in for 2 months and are contemplating renting for a third. Which means I might be able to go back down and visit MB again! This unit is right on the beach and on the top floor. Here's the view from the balcony...

Through the window

Recently I spent a night in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Our visit was a stopover on our way to Florida, but I could have spent a month there. The condo we stayed in had these awesome floor to ceiling windows. This is the view of the beach from the living room.

Bridget, Joey & Jewel

These guys all live together. Bridget and Joey, the cats, were a blast to photograph. They really hammed it up for the camera. Jewel was harder to capture as everytime I made a noise or moved she would walk toward me.

Barn door

From the same barn as yesterday's post.

White Barn

Taken early in the morning the day after last month's snowstorm.

Waiting for spring

This is the same creek as yesterday's post, only on the other side of the bridge. The bench is on private property which I never noticed before until this snowy scene.

Morning light

Here in Happy Valley the sun is a rare sight. We get about 180 sunny days a year, but when we do, it really makes for a beautiful day. The day after the storm in December was one such day. I've driven by this scene hundreds of times, most of the time ignoring it. But the combination of the morning light and recent snowfall this particular morning caught my attention.

Frank

My experiment with pet photography continues so I've decided to make wednesdays pet day. Today's image is of Frank, a white cat with the most incredible blue eyes. Frank was wandering around loose for weeks before his current owners decided to claim him as their own. With his sweet personality, it's a wonder no him claimed him sooner!

When I took care of Frank for the first time I knew I wanted to make an image that only had one color, the blue in his eyes. He was the perfect subject posing for me as I snapped dozens of images.

Blanket of snow

Another image from last month's snowstorm. The snow was so light and fine it only stuck to the pine trees.

Spring Creek

There is a bike path down the street from my house that I walk many mornings. The path follows Spring Creek part of the way making for a peaceful start to the day. This was the scene from last month's snowstorm.

A New Year!

Happy 2010!!! I am so excited that it's a new year and a new decade. Last year was not a good year for me, never have I experienced as much loss as I did in 2009. The holidays were especially difficult knowing we had 3 less family members with us than we did last year. But as this winter scene reminds me, "there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." I am looking forward to what the new year has in store for me. Hopefully, it'll be a happier one than 2009 was!