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FMTSO: Lights

2011-12-23T09:58:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow bloggers and friends, I hope you all have the most fantastic holiday this year, however you celebrate it and whatever your religious beliefs are. Today's theme for the Friday shoot out is lights.

The following Christmas lights were taken at Ethel M. Chocolate factory in Las Vegas/Henderson.

A little sunlight beaming down while I take a picture of a family friend.

Me in the 5K Santa Run. It was so cold and windy this day. My expression shows it.

Not warm, not happy. Shivering and miserable and just got over being sick. No energy.

But I am so glad I participated.

You can read all about it here.

We were going for a world record of the most Santas and we made it, beating out Liverpool who held the record for last year.

Merry Christmas everyone, Happy Hanukuh, Happy Holidays, Happy Kwanza and whatever else I missed.

FMTSO: Wheels

2011-12-09T12:23:00.000-08:00

It's that time again.

Friday! Friday!

Yay, tis the ~~season~~ day for the Friday My Town Shoot Out.

Today's theme is wheels.

To join in on the fun go to the Mr. Linky page and link up with the rest of us.

Or you can just click through and see some wonderful images of wheels from the participants.

Hope you all enjoy looking at my images.

Click on the image to view a larger version

All of the above photos were taken somewhere in Wyoming while I was on vacation.

The next few pictures were taken in Utah while on a day drive.

That's it folks. Don't forget to visit Mr. Linky

Thank you for stopping by.

Spending Thanksgiving Week With My Cali Friends

2011-11-25T21:13:00.000-08:00

Me, Vivian & Michelle at Red Rock Canyon

Michelle & Me at Red Rock

Vivan and Me

Michelle, Vivian and Me

Vivian has been my mom's best friend since I was four years old, so really I consider her family.

Michelle is Vivian's daughter and she was just 3 yrs old when we met.

I have had the best time this week because they came to Vegas for Thanksgiving.

I've spent the whole week with them and we have been having so much fun.

I am so happy they came down and spent Thanksgiving with me.

It was a nice surprise..

Tomorrow I am spending the day with the ladies and I plan on cooking dinner for them.

I will be sad when they leave on Sunday.

I really needed them here and they have been a blessing to me this week.

I will be lonesome when they leave, but it was fun while it lasted.

Serenity In The Desert

2011-11-22T07:01:00.000-08:00

Just a little piece of paradise.

Balloon Glow

2011-11-16T08:52:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday there was a charity event at Southern Hills Hospital in Las Vegas.

The empty dirt field adjacent to the parking lot was the launching and landing pad for hot air balloons.

Later in the evening the balloons put on a light show and that's when I photographed the above picture.

The proceeds of the charity event balloon races that took place earlier in the day will go towards the Deaf Kids Funding Program.

FMTSO: Scary

2011-11-03T22:10:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize that the Friday Shoot Out theme was signs; funny, unusual or spooky signs.

Somehow I forgot to read the last word so instead of signs, I just have spooky.

Hope you all enjoy anyway.

Ghosts in the window during halloween.

A ghost in a window on the second floor.

Boo!

This is the ghost host. He actually moved his head, his eyeballs and he talked too.

Scary grave marker.

This head pops out of a box when someone walks up to the front door.

It's completely unexpected.

A mummy in the graveyard.

A skeleton.

All of the above pictures were taken on halloween night at the same house.

The house belongs to the daughter and son-in-law of my friend from the Nevada Camera Club.

All of the props were built by the family from scratch.

Pictures do not do it justice. Most of the props moved and talked and scared the crap out of just about everyone who happened by. It was so good it could have been the haunted house at Disneyland.

This family even has a website devoted to Halloween.

You can check it out here to see pictures and videos of past Halloweens at their house.

To see some funny, unusual or spooky signs please go to the FTSO Mr. Linky Page which is here.

Thanks for stopping by.

Even Ugly Can Thrive

2011-11-03T11:04:00.000-07:00

CLICK TO ENLARGE

This tree stands alone in the desert of Colorado.

At first glance no one pays it much attention.

It's plain and not very attractive.

A longer look though, reveals something more profound.

This tree represents growth, strength and endurance.

It kind of reminds me that we are all like this tree.

Even in the harshest weather and the loneliest of times, we have the ability to thrive.

We think we need validation from others to feel worthy.

But if we look deep inside of ourselves, we already shine so bright.

Just like that tree, we are more than we think we are.

My day ahead in a nutshell

2011-11-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Lake Las Vegas, Oct. 2011

Hope everyone has a fantastic day.

I'll be taking my dog to the vet today.

I'm pretty sure she has a urinary tract infection which is becoming a regular thing for her.

I've already given her a bath today, making it the forth bath in a row.

I need to get her on antibiotics to clear up the infection.

It's exhausting me, and my poor baby is so depressed.

Later tonight I have a board meeting with the Nevada Camera Club.

I am the secretary of the club and so it is mandatory that I be there because I have to take the minutes.

I've actually enjoyed being on the board as secretary.

I also hold the position of public relations, but I haven't really lived up to my responsibility.

Hopefully, whomever they get next year will do a much better job than I have as public relations.

If I have enough time I'm going to go through some pictures and edit them.

It really is time consuming but once you get the right software it sure makes it a lot more fun.

I just got the Nik software a couple of weeks ago and wow, what a difference it makes in my pictures.

I don't even edit in photoshop anymore.

All I know is that my pictures are looking much better than they did before.

I would really like a new lens but I must put that on my wish list for now.

First, I have to get a flash for my camera.

The vet awaits me, so that's all for today's post.

Thanks for stopping by.

I'll come and visit you all later.

I promise.

This is what I've been up to and why I haven't been in blogland lately.

2011-11-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken in Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota.

Taken on my birthday in September of this year.

I posted this picture with my new print mark.

It's a little big, but I'm still working on it.

I've been really busy lately because if you haven't guessed already,

I'm starting a new business.

I have decided to enter the competetive world of photography entrepreneurship.

I'm feeling very positive about my decision to go against naysayers who think it's impossible to make money in this economic time, and as a photographer or artist.

I've been around the block a time or two and I've owned several businesses during my life so I know what it takes to make my business grow and be successful..

It's not going to be easy but anything of value is worth the hard work it takes to make it happen.

This is a non traditional image of Mt. Rushmore.

I like the pop art effect and I'm very proud of how it turned out.

Although I'm still working on my printmark size, the look will be the same.

My logo however, is completed and I've even started advertising myself by putting it on a shirt.

I have a couple of variations with the logo, for example the one below is just slightly different.

I have obtained all of my licenses so I am legally open for business, however, I'm still working on some things such as my website, etc.

Once I get everything completed, I should be free to devote more time to blogging and reading blogs.

I have learned a lot over the past few weeks and I will be sharing many links with my readers regarding women and small business, etc. Anything I find of interest that I think you will lke as well, will be posted here.

I want everyone to thrive no matter what area of life it pertains to, so I hope that I can achieve the goal of helping you grow just as I am helping myself to grow with all the resources that have been afforded me in the last few weeks.

Hope everyone had a happy halloween.

I will be posting some pics soon.

Unfortunately, you will not see a pic of me even though I dresssed up.

I Just Won 20 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

2011-10-23T19:07:00.000-07:00

I Just Won 20 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

I'm feeling very Beary.......

2011-10-06T15:22:00.000-07:00

Bear Country USA Drive-Thru Wildlife Park.

These are the babies. Aren't they cute?

I really enjoyed how laid back the bears were.

The grown up bears are really cute too.

It's hard to imagine that they would attack, but we all know better.

Snoozing hard, sleeping on a log.

The hubby and me

2011-09-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

Terrible photo but this was taken on my birthday in Spearfish Canyon, SD.

My husband and I and our dog went on a two mile hike to photograph a waterfall.

I set up the tri-pod and took this photo along the way.

Driving through Custer State Park in Custer, SD.

This is where the wild buffalo roam.

Down the road before this photo was taken, we had stopped by a stream where we saw two buffalo

grazing in the grass. My husband is totally into wildlife and so being the macho man that he is, gets as close to the buffalo as he possibly can. I, being the worrier that I am was afraid so I kept my distance.

I had Sasha on the leash while she drank water at the edge of the stream.

All of a sudden I see my husband from across the stream, running to hide behind a tree.

The darn buffalo got pissed off at him for getting too close and charged after him.

Next thing I know that buffalo is coming towards me and my dog. It gets a drink of water directly across from where we are and then it starts crossing the stream and it looks at my dog like it wants to kill her. I was yanking on the leash but Sasha didn't want to come and she can't hear anymore, so even though I was yelling, it wasn't doing any good. I finally ran down to the water's edge, picked up my dog and ran as fast as I could towards the truck.

Whew!

Made it just in time. And my heart was pounding so fast.

This is in Wyoming, the first part of our trip.

My sole reason for coming here was to see my childhood friend, Tina.

I've known her for over forty years, since I was about five years old.

The little girl in the picture is her granddaughter, Summer.

I enjoyed visiting with them so much.

However, I don't think I ever want to drive through Wyoming ever again.

Yes, there are some really pretty parts, but mostly it is wide open spaces and the drive is the most boring drive I've ever taken in my whole life. Hundreds of miles of nothing.

You definitely need the right travelling companion for these kind of trips.

Thank goodness, my husband and I did okay during this trip.

We only got on each other's nerves a little.

Normally, we kind of get on each other's nerves a lot.

Custer State Park again.

Here we are on the other side of Wyoming after leaving South Dakota.

We are on our way to Cheyenne for the night and then headed to Grand Junction, Colorado next day.

I really like this picture of my husband by the hay bale.

I think he looks really cute.

Well, that's about all for now.

Hopefully, I'll post some more pics tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by.

Crazy random rattling.

2011-09-29T17:40:00.000-07:00

I just got back from vacation earlier this week.

We went to Wyoming to visit a friend of mine and then on to South Dakota which was not planned.

One of the highlights of my trip was seeing the crazy horse memorial and photographing the laser light show on the mountain. I love how the photo above turned out.

We also saw Mt. Rushmore but I liked Crazy Horse much more. The monument of Crazy Horse is still not completed. It's been a work in progress for about forty years and is so big that Mt. Rushmore can fit in in the head of Crazy Horse.

The weather was beautiful in South Dakota and I had so much fun in that state.

I happened to be there on my birthday which was really nice.

There was one little downside though.

I have been quite emotional lately and on my birthday I cried.

We had just finished breakfast and walked out to the truck in the parking lot to let our dog out to walk.

All of a sudden I heard this lady screaming profanities.

I looked around and saw that she was in the car right next to our truck and she was yelling at me because she couldn't get out. I smiled at her and then apologized for not seeing her sitting in her car. She made a nasty remark about me not seeing her because I wasn't paying attention.

Mind you, this was just seconds after we got to our truck. Like maybe ten.

I closed the truck door and made room for the lady and she was still very mean to me.

Her husband rolled his eyes at his wife and it was just the tip of the iceberg.

I had been holding some things in and I wanted to cry and now I had this as an excuse.

The tears came pouring out and I was feeling so isolated and lonely and rejected.

Anyhow, it passed and the remainder of my birthday was the best day ever.

We took a drive through Spearfish Canyon which was a beautiful drive.

Then after that we drove on up to Deadwood, South Dakota where we got a hotel room and my husband and I had dinner at this cool saloon and I got to dance to the night away.

I actually forgot about everything going on back at home and I let myself have fun.

I spent my birthday at No. 10 Saloon.

Coincidentally, the live band playing at this saloon also plays in my hometown once a year.

What a small world it is.

They were really cool people and they celebrated me all night long.

I was a tad shy at first but I went along every time they called me to the floor or whatever.

My husband was very happy with me at the end of the night.

I have lots more pictures, but I think I'll post them daily.

My Mother-in-law is coming to town tomorrow and the next day my husband's aunt will be here.

I also just hired Merry Maids because I really am overwhelmed with the house and they will be here tomorrow.

Home is where the heart is. At least that's what they say but I think I left my heart somewhere else.

I've just been really tired lately and as much as I want to keep this blog positive sometimes it just helps to say what's really going on. I think I'm on the borderline of having a nervous breakdown. I just don't know how much more I can endure.

But I'm still here and I'm still an optimistic no matter how trying things get for me.

This is what I learned how to do.......

2011-09-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

The other night I attended a Nikon workshop at my local camera store.

It was a hands-on learning experience and there were several work stations set up to shoot various things.

I love my water drop, however, I wish I could have taken more of these.

There were too many people to really be able to take multiple shots.

We had to stand in line and take turns, but it was a lot of fun.

I also got a shot of a strawberry being dropped into water, but it didn't turn out that great.

I took two shots. In the first shot the strawberry is still at the top of the water surface, which is kind of a bummer because I didn't get a lot of bubbles.

In the second shot, the strawberry is in the right spot but the strawberry is out of focus.

Here's the first one.

I think If I crop the bottom half it will be a much stronger photo.

Next are colorful gumballs spilling out of a vase.

Aside from the water droplet I think my favorite is the simplicity of this next photo.

All of the work stations were very simple.

At the end of this post, I'll tell you how you can recreate these same photos at home.

A pretty daisy.

Next, an ordinary cheese grater.

The last photo is just paper.

So, if you'd like to practice some of these shots in your own home you can do it.

The Nikon representative giving the presentation has a flikr site with step by step instructions.

He gives you the proper settings, and has a screen shot of the back of the camera so you know what to do.

All you need to do is CLICK ON THIS LINK

I know you will have fun experimenting with these shots.

Star light star bright, I wish I may I wish I might.......

2011-09-03T16:50:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, the hubby and I drove to Mt. Charleston to meet some photographer friends.

The drive is just about 45 minutes from our house and it is so far removed from the city lights and the noise of Las Vegas, that it replenishes the soul.

The atmosphere is degrees cooler than the city and requires a jacket at night.

The pine trees emit a woody aroma and fills our senses with simplicity in all its perfection.

The photo above is a practice shot of the stars. I believe this was a 15 second exposure.

Our purpose was to capture star trails but we needed to practice before we began the long shutter speed.

These are the actual star trails.

The shutter was set to bulb and left open for 15 minutes on this exposure, ISO at 200 and F stop at f-4.

In the menu setting, the NR (noise reduction) was turned on, therefore, even though the exposure was 15 minutes, it took another 15 minutes to process the photo because of the NR, meaning that to get one photo it took 30 minutes.

I also learned that in order to get the comlete circle of star trails you have to be facing the north star, otherwise you just get half circles or crescents. Interesting, huh?

I've been enjoying the night photography and tonight I may get some more star trails.

It just depends on whether or not the location is far enough from the city.

We are going to an event called Desert Under The Stars and we get to look through telescopes & learn about the constellations. It's free of charge and I believe we are allowed to bring our cameras and tri-pods.

The event is being held at Corn Creek Road off Highway 95 just north of Las Vegas. It is also the location of the Nevada Wildlife Range. I've never been there before so hopefully, it will be a good night.

I wanted to participate in the FMTSO this week but I just didn't get any fresh photos for the theme. I have plenty of human labor in my archives but It's been a busy week.

The hubby and I are preparing for a trip so I've been doing lots of shopping lately to get ready.

Can't wait to get out of this town and be around people who want to be near me and are interested in my life just as much as I'm interested in theirs. I'm so sick of Las Vegas and the people who use other people.

Sorry, I guess I needed to get that out.

FMTSO: Match It

2011-08-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love the theme for this week's Friday My Town Shoot Out. The idea is to take a photo and match it to one of your favorite quotes. Well, the hardest part of this challenge was choosing which quote to use because I have so many favorites. I narrowed it down and am only using one photo. I hope I do the quote justice with this one. Oh, this photo comes from a small town near Veyo, Utah. I drove there with a friend of mine on Wednesday and we had a blast exploring several towns. I haven't had so much fun taking pictures in a very long time. I laughed a lot too and I felt inspired. I found lots of good things to show you in the coming days. Now, without further ado, here is my match it photo and quote.

Click on photo to enlarge.

To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment. ~Jane Austen

You must CLICK HERE to see the most wonderful match it posts. You can also join in on this group by linking up at the same site.

Also to learn more about this group CLICK HERE to go to the Friday Town Shoot Out main page. It will explain what we're all about and you will get a glimpse of some future topics. It's a great site.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

2011-08-12T07:12:00.000-07:00

The other day my friend Deyanira and I went for a drive in search of things that are rusty, rustic and or the color of rust. As I drove out of the Las Vegas city limits, Deyanira kept her eyes peeled for things that fit our photographic agenda. Both she and I would spot the objects and I would stop the car and we'd get out and snap our cameras. One of the first things I saw was an old pay phone Ok, it doesn't quite fit the rustic or rusty category but I suppose it could be considered a relic. I pushed the button on my camera and took a photograph of that old telephone. I really thought it would be a good idea for this theme but when I uploaded the photos and saw the phone it just seemed like it was a lazy attempt at this theme so bye bye phone. Next we spotted an old sign for a bar. It's not rusty or rust colored but it could be kind of rustic even though it's made of fiberglass. I don't know, you decide.

I realize the Red Rooster sign is a half ass attempt at rustic but still, it's a starting point to get me motivated.

I continued to drive the country roads of Logandale and finally I spotted something in the distance that looked like rust.

Woo hoo!

Yep, it definitely has accumulated rust. Too bad I couldn't get closer. I was zoomed in all the way with my 270 mm lens. This object is on somebody's private property and I wasn't about to get shot for the sake of this shoot out.

We're on the road again and I see something quite rustic.

It's an outhouse.

I've taken a photo of this before and I'm pretty sure I have posted it too but this is a fresh photo.

Next we stopped at an old cemetary. This was by far our most interesting find.

It turns out that most of the headstones have the same family name.

Leavitt family tree was plentiful in this cemetary.

This was such an interesting walk.

I noticed that there were many children who didn't make it past the age of four.

What we discovered on our walk through the past is that this is a mormon burial ground which is why we found so many people of the same name.

There was even one headstone that had the husband's name and all five of his wive's listed and which wife came first, second, third and so on. This man had fifty children. Can you imagine how high his libido must have been? Wow.

I like how this head stone has his ocupation listed. This headstone looks fairly modern. I think it may have been updated or redone.

The one above has definitely been beaten up by nature. It could use a revamping before they forget who resides in this spot. You can't even make out the name.

Wilbur had quite a few children too but this post would go on forever if I listed all of them.

I'm all ready going overboard with the photos.

I'm not sure what I did to get the next photo but It looks really cool and it happened inside the camera.

I did not photoshop it at all or change the color or temperature.

It looks like a double exposure or maybe just a real slow shutter speed with movement.

Anyway this is the guy that had the five wives and fifty children.

Below is what this headstone really looks like.

My friend Deyanira reading about the man with five wives.

That's the end of my tour. I hope this didn't creep you out.

If you're interested in learning about the Friday Town Shoot Out Click Here.

If you would like to participate in this week's shoot out and/or to see other photos linked to this theme CLICK HERE

Enjoy your weekend everyone.

FMTSO: Shooter's Choice

2011-08-06T09:59:00.000-07:00

Ah, it's the Friday Town Shoot Out, the one group that keeps me posting even if it is too far in between. This week's theme is shooter's choice which of course means anything goes. I took a beginning photography class during the summer and our final exam included hands on photography at the Neon Museum and so I thought I would showcase two images I took on that day. I composed the two photographs together to make one. I need lots of practice in Photoshop but this is what I got while playing around this morning. Hope you like it.

I hope to shoot some fresh images soon.

I have been very ill the past couple of weeks and so it's been rough doing anything.

But.......I'm still here and I'm smiling.

Click here to see some amazing images this week.

FMTSO: Fresh

2011-07-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

It's time for the Friday My Town Shoot Out. This week's theme is FRESH, meaning new to one's experience; not encountered before. Recently made, produced, or harvested; Free from impurity or pollution; pure.

I went to a funeral this week in Tulare, California.

There were lots of opportunities to take photos of fresh flowers but I figured everybody would post flowers so I tossed that idea to the side. Then I thought about taking a picture of the fresh hole in the ground, which I did but the casket was kind of overpowering that image so I tossed that aside as well.

The next day after the funeral I drove to Visalia to take a look around in a camera store and on the way back I saw these two giant 3D cut-out signs of farmers. I thought it was the neatest thing.

It was fresh to me and It made me smile so I hope it makes you smile too and I hope it's fresh to your eyes as well.

This week's link-up had some really fresh ideas for this theme. You should check them out by clicking here.

FMTSO: Things that begin with the letter B

2011-07-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

Today's Friday Town Shoot out theme is things around my town that begin with the letter B.

Boys, big and small wearing blue shirts and baseball caps.

Baseball in action

Batter up!

That's all I've got for today.

I think you will enjoy looking at other B photos by clicking on this link.

Floral 2000

2011-06-04T11:29:00.000-07:00

Since I've been a member of the Nevada Camera Club, I have had so many opportunities to photograph many different things and go many places that might otherwise be inaccessible. One of our members, Harriet Smith was a florist for many years. She owned five shops at one time. Harriet retired in 1999 and her two daughters took over the two stores she had in Vegas. One is a wholesale floral shop and the other is a retail floral shop. The other day, we were lucky enough to be invited to come and take a tour of the wholesale shop and photograph flowers. There were several displays that were set up with lighting and background so that we could capture the simplicity of each flower. The store was huge and I was really amazed at all the work that goes into each flower arrangement and the business side of the shop.

I took over three hundred pictures, but as always I can only post a few.

Lots of lighting on this one.

These baby roses were my favorite, so small and tiny.

Baby roses sprayed with water.

These were the orange colored roses and I played with my editing software to get this look.

These are the baby roses turned into abstract.

I like it.

FMTSO: Night In My Town

2011-06-02T22:02:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas at night is an awesome sight to see. The lighted buildings are amazing and look spectacular in pictures. In person, you can feel the energy of the city and you automatically want to become a part of it.

I took this photo from the top of the Rio parking garage just as the sun was going down.

Looks so peaceful as if the city lights don't exist.

A few minutes later and a slightly different view.

I like to call these the golden casinos.

This perspective is still from the top of the Rio parking garage..

Sophistication and Style.

Playing with the lights by zooming in and out while the shutter is open.

Love the colors in this one. I think it's a cool photo.

Do I have any Elvis fans out there?

I am a huge Elvis fan.

This view is from the top of the UNLV parking garage.

Every year in Las Vegas we have an event called Helldorado Days.

The celebration pays tribute to the wild west.

There's carnival rides, food vendors, merchandise vendors, and a rodeo which is the main event.

This year I went to the rodeo on opening night and captured a few photos.

This little guy is only 18 months old. I thought he was the most adorable boy.

A Mexican Cowboy is called a Caballero.

They are know for their trick roping skills.

Caballeros start out young. That's why they are so good at what they do.

Took this shot as we were leaving the rodeo.

Watching the sun set in the desert.

My husband

It sure is good to be back in the Friday Town Shoot Out.

Can't wait to check out all the other participants this week.

I think I found myself again.

2011-05-29T19:59:00.000-07:00

This morning I dreamed about my blog. I awoke with images of Spin, Drop, Rest. I saw monkeys jumping from the arms of one human into the arms of another human and then dropping onto the ground. I saw ferris wheels spinning, basketballs balancing on fingertips while spinning in circles. I saw leaves dropping from trees and dogs lying on their rugs and babies sleeping in their beds. Yes, it seems as though this past Friday's theme really made an impression on me. Although I haven't posted in awhile I have clicked onto the Friday My Town Shoot Out home page to see what the theme is. I've even taken photos to post for most of the themes for the past five weeks. But, I think I have been preoccupied and as much as I have wanted to blog, I just haven't been feeling it. As of today, I'm pretty sure that has changed because I'm feeling like my old self again and I'm ready to write and take photos and let everyone know that I am back and I have many things to say and document.

I want all of you to know that I have missed you very much. I also want to say thank you for caring about me. It really means a lot to me and you have no idea just how much your reaching out to me has improved my outlook. It's so nice to know that people I've never met in person really and truly are my friends. How can I call you strangers, when you touch me so much by sharing your lives in blogland? You all are truly amazing. Thank you Camella for your concern. You are very thoughtful and I am grateful that you reached out. Special thanks to Pauline who truly is one of a kind and whom I value greatly.

Lately, I have been lonely for my old childhood and high school friends because they GET me. I don't have many friends here in Vegas and the ones I do hang out with just don't reallly know who I am and we don't have as much in common as I'd like. So, I'm extremely happy to have my blogging friends and I can almost bet that some of you will be lifelong friends whether we meet in person or not.

No pictures today....... just wanted to let everyone know that I'm back.

MY FIRST MEETING WITH A FELLOW BLOGGER

2011-04-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

This is Doreen who blogs at My Reflections As I Shutter Along.

I had the priviledge of meeting her last Friday while she was in Vegas for her son's wedding.

I picked her up on the strip and took her to lunch at Applebee's where Gayla works. I know what you must be thinking. A visitor from Michigan in Vegas and I take her to lunch at Applebee's. What's wrong with me? Well, I really wanted her to meet Gayla and I wasn't sure if there would be another opportunity. Doreen was a good sport and allowed me to push my itenerary on her. A coctail with lunch helped us get through the ordinary lunch much better.

I thought we clicked pretty well.

Doreen was very nice and laid back and boy did she have an accent.

The truth is she thought all of us had an accent.

After lunch I played tour guide and drove Doreen out to Red Rock Canyon so that she could take some photos. It was very thrilling to watch her because everything was so new to her and it allowed me to see through her eyes and to appreciate the majestic rocks that I sometimes take for granted.

Here she is posing for a snapshot. Isn't she cute?

Doreen pointed out the people climbing the rock.

Can you see them? you might have to click on the photo so you can really see.

Doreen also noticed this guy standing on top of this rock and pointed him out to me.

I couldn't resist taking a photo of this.

I wonder what she sees through her lens.

I'm sure she has some pictures on her blog. You should check them out.

I added an HDR effect to this one just to get more detail in the background.

Can you see the city lingering behind the rocks?

After we took some photos of Red Rock I drove Doreen to Bonnie Springs because I wanted her to see the wild burros.

The wild burros are really quite tame because they are used to tourists coming and going and offering them food so they often seek people out for a snack or two.

We actually were able to pet them.

By this time it was getting kind of late so we decided to head back to town.

Doreen got a call from her son who asked if I would mind driving Doreen to the Tuxedo shop to pick up his tux. I didn't mind.

I thought I knew where I was going but apparently I did not.

My GPS on my phone sent me to the wrong side of town and I was zig zagging through neighborhoods to get back to the road I need to travel down.

I could tell that Doreen was getting stressed. She said her son could call a taxi and go pick it up himself but I was on a mission. I didn't want to give up.

We finally found the place and by the time I drove to the front of the hotel/casino I'm sure Doreen was quite relieved to be out of my car.

I don't blame her.

Sorry Doreen. I think you are really sweet. I hope I didn't get on your nerves too much in the end.

FMTSO: Scavenger Hunt; Round, Square, Triangle

2011-04-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

Time for the first Friday My Town Scavenger Hunt! Circle, Triangle, Square

Guide Lines:

* straight out of the camera, no editing

* one photo per word

* three words for each hunt

* add a fourth photo if you can find all three hunt words in one (or just post this one photo)

* hunt area includes your town, surrounding areas, surrounding countryside

Round

Square

Trinagles

All of the above pictures were taken at the Griffith Observatory in Hollywood California.

It's not my hometown but I was there visiting my sister.

Join in on the fun by clicking here and adding a link to your blog.

Hollywood

2011-04-05T09:02:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I went to visit my sister in Hollywood.

We had the time of our lives and it was a great get-away for me.

My sister has an amazing view from her office in Los Angeles.

This is only a partial view from her office.

While visiting with my sister, she decided to take off early from work so that we could do something fun.

We called her friend Julie and we all decided to go on a city bus tour of Hollywood.

This was our fun bus, and we did have fun.

This is where the bus stopped and let everyone off to take pictures

This is the view we saw when the bus stopped and let us out.

You can actually see the building my sister lives in from here.

She lives on the 11th floor.

Her building is almost in the center of the photo.

If you click on it you can see where the street curves and if you look up and to the right just a tad,

you will see her black and green building right next to a long yellow building with orange trim at the bottom.

Yep, it looks so small in comparison to other buildings but it's really not.

The three of us having a great time.

I clicked this image as the bus drove by, then I processed it in photoshop.

My sister loves this picture and wants a copy to hang in her loft.

Her loft is decorated with all sorts of pics of Hollywood and Los Angeles.

After our bus tour, we walked down the street to get something to eat because we were all famished.

We ended up at the outdoor mall at Hollywood and Highland.

Here, we found a great italian restaurant where the food was just as fabulous as the atmosphere.

The next day I went exploring on my own. I found myself at the Griffiths Park Observatory,

then after that I went to the Gene Autry Museum and The Los Angeles Zoo.

I had a great time and took lots of pics.

This is the view of the L.A. Zoo from the Gene Autry Museum which is just across the street.

I processed this one. Isn't he beautiful?

I'm A Rock N Roll Girl

2011-04-03T19:29:00.000-07:00

The thing about me is that I like many genres of music but deep down I'm a Rock N Roll girl at heart.

Dancing is also a great love of mine and when I'm hearing good music, there's no way that I can sit still.

Last night we went out with Shaun and Gayla to hear some live music.

We got to see two bands, Sin City Sinners and Yellow Brick Road.

I'd never seen Sin City Sinners but I've seen Yellow Brick Road many times.

I was geared up for big disappointment in the first band but my oh my did they surprise me.

They were phenomenal.

I couldn't sit still.

I was in the Zone.

The dancing zone, that is.

When I'm in the zone I'm like a different person. I feel free.

I am hypnotized by the beating of the drums and I feel the music.

It's like I am one with it.

Sometimes I find it difficult to dance to classic rock.

I grew up dancing to 80's New Wave Music which has completely different rythm than rock.

But last night I didn't have any trouble getting started.

In fact, I danced to almost every single song once I was out on the floor.

I didn't want to sit down.

I'm like the energizer bunny, I keep going and going and going.

The band did sing a Dramarama song (one of my all time favorite groups) and a Violent Femmes song

so they weren't completely classic rock.

They also sang a couple of original songs that were really good.

So good in fact that I had to buy a CD which I listened to today and relived how much fun I had last night.

Lead singer of Yellow Brick Road

They play stuff like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Great White, Rush, etc.

It had been just about a year since the last time I got to dance.

I really needed it too.

Dancing for me is a form of therapy.

I get to stomp out all my frustrations, destress and channel my pent up desires and passions.

Yes, I get to express myself on the floor and it renews my spirit and cures all my ails.

So last night was the MOST fun I've had in YEARS. Hard to believe but it's true.

Oh, with the exception of spending time with my sister a few weeks ago. That was the best time.

FMTSO:

2011-04-01T10:58:00.000-07:00

Today is April Fool's Day and the theme for this week's Friday Shoot out is that there is no theme. Our assignment is to choose our favorite theme from the 108 past themes and to have another go at it. I'm choosing skyline, even though it wasn't my favorite theme but more because I had an opportunity to photograph the city from the airport last night and so my pictures are very fresh. I watched the sun go down and didn't get home until after 11:00 pm. I'm also posting a picture from the night before because the sunset was so beautiful. My lens didn't capture the beauty that my eyes saw but it's still pretty.

This is an undedited version straight from my camera.

The colors don't look quite right because the sky was very blue with orange and pink but my camera didn't quite capture the brightness of the blue.

CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO SEE A LARGER VERSION

This is my favorite picture of the night simply because the clouds add a little drama.

This was taken last night probably at about 7:30 pm from the top of the long term parking garage at McCaran Airport.

Manual Mode: Auto Focus Auto White Balance

F-Stop 22 ISO 200 Exposure Time 4 Seconds Focal Length 145mm

Love the blues and purple and the fact that I caught a plane flying by.

Manual Mode: Auto Focus Auto White Balance

F-Stop 22 ISO 200 Exposure Time 4 Seconds Focal Length 145mm

It's getting darker and the clouds are starting to disappear.

F-Stop 22 ISO 200 Exposure time 4 seconds

Focal length 190 mm

F-Stop 22 ISO 200 Exposure Time 4 sec

Focal Length 180 mm

I have a thing for billboards. I love them.

In fact, I have this vision of publishing a book with photos of unique billboards across America.

I'm disappointed in this picture but glad I captured the billboards

and the Thomas and Mack Center in the background.

F-Stop 22 ISO 200 6 Second Exposure

Focal length 180 mm

Traffic trails and the city in the background.

F-Stop 22 ISO 200 Exposure time 8 seconds

Focal length 10 mm

Love the plane steaking by.

F19 ISO 200 Exposure Time 6 Seconds

Focal Length 210 mm

I hope you all enjoyed my skylines.

CLICK HERE to go to the list of other Friday Town Shooters and see some amazing perspectives.

To learn more about our group CLICK HERE

FMTSO: Yello

2011-03-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

Yay, I finally got motivated to go out and take fresh photos for this week's theme of yellow.

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do this week but yesterday I ended up at the Clark County Museum

and I found a few yellow items that I think are presentable for this post.

Of coure, this is a sign that can be found anywhere.

This one just happened to be at the museum.

An old truck with faded yellow paint.

Wagon Wheels

A yellow kitchen

A southwestern tiled dresser top

Western Union building

Okay, I know there isn't any yellow in this picture but I just had to throw it in there anyway.

This mirror was hanging in a replica antique shop at the museum.

Even though there is a price tag on the item, it isn't for sale. It's just to show how the antique shop looked back in the day.

I had fun in several different mirrors. I guess I can be a ham when it's just me taking the photos.

I've been doing a lot of things on my own lately because I don't have anyone to hang out with so I try to make the most of it. Haha.

Oh, and my blog post wouldn't be true to me if I didn't throw one photo in from my archive.

This is from my first beginner's group field trip last year.

From the same field trip.

I hope you all enjoyed my mellow yellow..

If you really want to see some fabulous photos please CLICK HERE

WHAT LOVE LANGUAGE DO YOU SPEAK?

2011-03-10T09:26:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of the book, The 5 Languages of Love by Gary Chapman? I read the book several years ago and I thought it was phenomenal. I think all couples should read it together so that they can learn each other's love language and have a better understanding of their relationship.

"Of the countless ways we can show love to one another, five key categories, or five love languages, proved to be universal and comprehensive—everyone has a love language, and we all identify primarily with one of the five love languages: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch."

The website has a quiz you can take to find out which love language you speak and the definition of your love language. The highest number in a particular section determines what type of love language you speak. My love language for instance, is equal among three different types because I scored 9, 9, and 9 in three areas making 9 the high score. I thought it was quite interesting because It was spot on. Seriously, it fits me like a glove. My love language is Words of Affirmation, Physical Touch, and Quality Time. All of these are equally important to me.

Words of Affirmation: Actions don't always speak louder than words if this is your love language. Unsolicited compliments mean the world to you. Hearing the words, "I love you" are important-hearing the reasons behind that love sens your spirits skyward. Insults can leave you shattered and are not easily forgotten.

Physical Touch: This language isn’t all about the bedroom. A person whose primary language is Physical Touch is, not surprisingly, very touchy. Hugs, pats on the back, holding hands, and thoughtful touches on the arm, shoulder, or face—they can all be ways to show excitement, concern, care, and love. Physical presence and accessibility are crucial, while neglect or abuse can be unforgivable and destructive

Quality Time: In the vernacular of Quality Time, nothing says, “I love you,” like full, undivided attention. Being there for this type of person is critical, but really being there—with the TV off, fork and knife down, and all chores and tasks on standby—makes your significant other feel truly special and loved. Distractions, postponed dates, or the failure to listen can be especially hurtful.

Yes, my language is three types rolled into one. Hmmm, I wonder if this makes me more difficult to be in a relationship with? I do get upset very easily if I feel ignored or left hanging for a period of time.

To find out your own love language click here and after you learn what type of love language you speak please leave it in my comment section. I'm curious to know what everyone learns about themselves. Thank you and have fun with this quiz. When you click on the link you will see several icons, one for wives one for husbands one for teens, one for singles, etc. just click on the one that applies to you.

FOR ALL THE VIRGOS OUT THERE AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM

2011-03-09T17:48:00.000-08:00

I read this on Twitter and thought I would repost for all you Virgo's and the people who want to date them or for those who are married to them.

Recap: Rules of Dating A Virgo 1-10

Ever wish you could hand your partner a manual to completely understand you? Well Virgos, today is your lucky day!!

When dating a Virgo...

Rule #1: BE CLEAN!

When dating a Virgo is the most important rule of all! Be CLEAN!!! Virgos hate dirt! These are the people who will notice the dirt under your finger nails and the crust in your eyes and will be easily turned off. They won't embarrass you and tell you why, rather they will delete you out of their life immediately. Always smell good around your Virgo, you will notice how often they compliment you.

Rule #2: BE AGGRESSIVE !

Be aggressive, be be aggressive *cheerleader voice*. Virgos are shy butterflies themselves, they need someone to take charge. A Virgo woman will be attracted to the buff man that will protect them and the Virgo male will like the lady bold enough to approach them, but can still let him take charge at times. Aggressiveness is attractive to Virgos for they attract their opposite. But please remember that aggressiveness does not mean stalking. Those are two different things! LOL

Rule # 3: BE INTELLIGENT!

It is nothing that annoys a Virgo more than an uneducated person. Virgos have inquisitive minds, therefore they always are learning even after their school days. If you want to impress them speak intelligently and with good grammar.

Rule # 4: BE A GOOD LOVER!

Or at least pretend to be! Virgo can be a tab bit critical, and climbing into bed with one without knowing your stuff will set you up for failure! Remember Virgos pretend to be pure, but don't let the "Virgins" fool you. These are one of the most sexually charged signs out there!

Rule #5 : BE AMBITIOUS!

Virgos are attracted to successful, ambitious, and goal-oriented people; much like themselves. They do not like lazy individuals and believe a little hard work goes a long way.

Rule #6: BE READY TO SETTLE DOWN!

Virgos are relationship people and will not be comfortable being a fling. Virgos keep their hearts guarded until they feel comfortable enough with you. When a Virgo opens their heart for you, they have grown to care and hope you feel the same.

Rule #7: BE WELL DRESSED!

Virgos are attracted to the way you look. Seems superficial but that's the way a Virgo thinks. They pay attention to detail more than the average person, so be sure to have neat and pressed clothes. Virgos are always well dressed and consider their appearance to be as important as their personality. You will rarely see a Virgo undressed, and they expect the same from their partner

Rule #8:BE THE INITIATOR!

When dating a Virgo, you have to be the initiator! Virgos seem to have to all together, but inside they are insecure and shy. A Virgo will never approach a person they are interested in, for fear of rejection. They are too shy to make the first move, but will be comfortable with flirting once they have got to know you.

Rule #9:DON'T TAKE VIRGO'S CRITICISM TO THE HEART!

When dating a Virgo don't take their criticism to the heart! Virgos can be blunt, concise and sometimes a little too honest. But that's one of the reasons many people like them. Remember Virgos only criticize those people they care for. If they do not care about you, they won't waste their opinion on you.

Rule #10: BE PATIENT !

Be Patient. Virgos have a hard time relaxing and trusting others. Once they get to know you, they will be open to flirting and loosing up.

KNOW the rules, and live by them!!

*************************************************************************************

I thought this was a fun read since I'm a Virgo. Some of it applies. Most, but I've never been afraid to make the first move when I've liked someone, even though I am extremely shy in certain social situations. I do like my man to take charge and be aggressive and take initiative.

FMTSO: The Letter S

2011-03-04T08:38:00.000-08:00

Friday Shoot Out Theme this week is the letter S

I was out walking my dog yesterday and saw this street sign/stop sign laying on the sidewalk.

Snow covered rocks in Southern Nevada

Starry Sky at Red Rock Canyon

Sunflower

Silliness and Smiles at Spring Mountain Ranch

Well that's about it for now folks.

Click on over to the MR LINKY to see more posts featuring the letter S.

Photogrraphic Adventures & Other Stuff

2011-02-27T10:51:00.000-08:00

First, I was looking forward to participating in the FMTSO theme, Shoot From The Hip but I was so busy this week that I just completely forgot. I will be looking and commenting on everyone's blogs within the next two days or so. Second, I feel like the luckiest woman in the world. Personally, I am the happiest I've been in a very long time and I anticipate that things can only get better. I feel an abundance of love and passion and maybe, just maybe my inspiration is coming back. I welcome the changes that are taking place in my life and I hope and I pray for the best possible outcome for all who are connected to me.

Thursday was a very busy day but fun too. Not only do I belong to the Nevada Camera Club, but I also belong to another group called Photographic Adventures. The guys that run this group are also members of the NCC and they provide lots of opportunities for fellow photographers, beginner and pro. They enlisted Gayla and I to help out at an all day event that they were putting on at Techatticup Junction which is a small little ghost town. The workshop cost $99.00 to attend all day or $50.00 for each workshop. I got to wear a staff badge and I received the shirt above for helping out. The event consisted of Lens Baby Representative giving a seminar on the Lens Baby creative lenses and providing all attendees with the opportunity to use the different lenses for a couple of hours. It was a blast because Gayla and I were allowed to participate in every single event. I didn't really care for any of my lensbaby photos but I will post one for you to see.

This is with the lensbaby composer lens. I never really figured out how to use the lens. The sharp point in this picture isn't where I thought my focal point was, but it was still fun.

The next part of the workshop was a model workshop. We spent a few hours photographing models and learning lighting techniques, etc. I still don't know what I'm doing but hey, it was a great learning experience and a wonderful opportunity.

During the first model shoot, I learned that one of my all time favorite bands was on location doing a photo shoot for their new album cover. The band I'm talking about is JOURNEY. Okay, it isn't the same without Steve Perry but I was still very excited. I sneaked up the hill and snapped a shot really fast. I was able to take two picures but neither one of them are great but at least I captured them through my lens.

My first shot of the band.

My second shot. Very bad. I was like a little school girl all giddy.

This was the second model. Her outfit reminded me of Lucille Ball. Very cute.

This is the first model in a different outfit and different setting. I actually liked her the best.

I took hundreds of photos but of course, I can't show them all to you.

The event went late into the night also. That was my favorite part of the program, except that it was so cold and I didn't have a heavy coat and I was miserable but I hung in there.

We had a fire dancer. This girl is part of cirque du solei.

I was mesmerized by her. Very fascinating to watch.

Double O's

Painting with light.

We've got a real artist in our group. LOL

This one looks kind of trippy.

More painting with light.

I think that painted figure is either Gayla or Linda.

We had a blast even though I froze my ass off but hey, if the models can do it so can I.

I have been very busy with camera stuff, business stuff and other stuff.

All I can say is that right now this moment I am very very happy.

I can't even describe how I feel inside because there are no words.

It's just a very good feeling.

MY CUP RUNNETH OVER

I want to jump and shout and let the world know how happy I am.

Love Blossom

2011-02-23T22:20:00.000-08:00

I believe I've posted this before, however, here it is again.

Just feeling good today.

I've lost my inspiration.....

2011-02-22T15:51:00.000-08:00

I haven't felt inspired in quite a long time. I used to take my camera with me everywhere and shoot at just about anything that was in front of me, but lately I just haven't been seeing the inspiration even when it's right in front of me. Every month I scramble for something to enter into the monthy photo competitions that Nevada Camera Club holds. I used to get so excited and take fresh pictures to enter but the last few months It's been a real drag. I'm bored and dissatisfied with the pictures in my archives and so the photos that I enter are done so with very little pride and are entered just so I can have something to submit. Our next competition is this Friday. We can enter two photos into the regular categories and one photo into the club challenge. Club challenge is sort of like the Friday My Town Shoot out; it is an assigned theme. So to make a long story short, last night was the deadline to enter my photos for this coming Friday. Again, I am so disappointed that I didn't make much of an effort. I can almost predict exactly what the judges are going to say when they critique each photo. My first photo entry is in the unclassified category, monochrome division. Because I added a monochromatic artistic effect in photo shop I know I won't get good reviews.
Following, is the photo I've entered into that category. I took this picture before I even joined the camera club but I only edited last night. Our judges are very old school and they kind of frown upon creative effects even though it is allowed. Most of them prefer nature wildlife photography. But oh well.....
You can click on this photo to see the effects much better.

I've never posted the photos I'm entering in competition on my blog prior to the competition before but for some reason I felt like it today. Blah!

I'm hoping that someone can inspire me or give me some words of advice or feedback.

I personally happen to like this picture but I know it won't do well.

My next photo is of a window display I took while on vacation in Santa Fe.

I added another artistic effect which is fine because it goes into the creative category, but again,

It probably won't do very well.

Next is club challenge; SWEET

No doubt, I was very lazy on this assignment.

I had all kinds of ideas that I wanted to do and I was going to blow this one out of the water.

But I procrastinated.

And I ran out of time so I didn't do what I wanted to do.

Here is my lazy ass photo that I entered.

Shame on me!

I titled it Sweet butter and honey oats bread.

Lazy, Lazy, Lazy..........

......................................

AND SO UNINSPIRED

From Rags To Riches......

2011-02-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

Here's Justin hauling our carpet outside to take to the dump.

I was too embarrassed to show how bad the carpet was.

And look how dirty our walls are. It's shameful.

We lived with just the cement floor for about two months.

But even that was better than the carpet that was in the house.

Yay, the contractors finally started work on our project.

They remodeled the counter top by shortening it and narrowing it.

It used to be an entertainment center where our TV was.

We never liked it to begin with and we thought about removing the whole thing to open everything up

but we didn't really want to lose the counter space.

View from the kitchen to our tiny living room.

Sasha checking out goods. What a mess!

Now, I just need to clean the floor.

I am so happy with the color I chose and very glad that we decided to downsize that counter.

Little by little it's coming along.

It opened up the space quite a bit and everything seems so much cleaner and brighter.

Next time I post pictures about my house it will be with new furniture and a clean floor.

I want all leather furniture and a nice coffee table.

Still looking for something to jump out at me.

FMTSO: Twisted. Contorted. Curly. Spirally.....

2011-02-18T14:14:00.000-08:00

Yay, it's Friday. Today's theme for The Friday My Town Shoot Out is Twisted. Curly. Contorted. Wound Spirally. I'm not sure who chose this theme but it is pretty cool.

I just wish my pictures went with what I had in my head for posting.

I didn't get out this week to take photos so these come from the archives.

Before I begin I want to say then when I hear the word, Contorted, it makes me think of those people from cirque du solei. Those people really freak me out. Yes, it's cool that they can contort their bodies in such a way, and be so flexible but it still freaks me out. I don't know why. I'm just saying.

Gnarly twisted trees and coiled cords around the pole.

Okay, it wasn't taken it my town but I did take this photo while on vacation in Santa Fe, NM.

Twisted, braided iron make up the legs on these chairs.

A spiral staircase

A braided, twisted, bent, knotted rope in my town.

That's about all I've got for now.

I bet anything I'll find all sorts of pictures like this when I'm not looking.

To see more amazing twisted pictures CLICK HERE.

A night with Falcon's, Eagles and Hawks

2011-02-14T09:15:00.000-08:00

The second Friday of each month is our camera club's program night. We usually have a professional photographer come and speak with credentials such as working for Time/Life magazine, Sports Illustrated, National Geographic, etc. We are quite lucky that we don't have to pay for these seminars. Sometimes we have one of our own club members give a seminar in his particular specialty and then there are other speakers of a completely different background that provide great photo opportunities. Last Friday was such a night. We had Martin Tyner as our guest speaker and it was incredible. Martin Tyner is the first man in North America licensed to train a wild golden eagle in the ancient art of falconry. He is also the founder and CEO of Southwest Wildlife Rescue in Cedar City, Utah and Author of Healer of Angels. He is a fascinating speaker with funny stories and sad stories as well. He brought Three birds with him for us to see. Two falcons and one Eagle. We were fortunate to be able to snap photos of the birds at the end of the program. It was a little difficult to get great pictures because our club is a large venue. We usually have about a hundred people in attendance every meeting and so getting up close and getting really good pictures was quite a challenge but I do have a few to share. Not the greatest, but it is what it is.

The little guy above gets stressed out around a lot of noise and strange environments so he had to wear this helmut looking contraption to help keep him relaxed. It's similar to horses having to wear blinders when walking near a paved road. Martin Tyner makes all his blinders/helmuts himself. I thought the bird looked quite sporty in his little head cover.

Does he look stressed to you? Maybe a little nervous.

The Eagle. He weighs seven pounds. Quite a big bird.

He loves his owner. There was a very funny story about this bird.

I believe it's in the book so if you want to hear about it you'll just have to get a copy here. You'll also learn more about Martin and the his Wildlife Rescue Center. It's quite fascinating and I'm not even into birds.

FMTSO: Frame It!

2011-02-10T21:28:00.000-08:00

It's Friday My Town Shoot Out

This week's theme is Frame It.

My poor little baby seeking attention. She doesn't look so good.

But much better than she did two weeks ago. More on that in a later post.

I believe this was inside the Bellagio.

Picture was taken January 21 on a camera club scavenger hunt.

My favorite model, Gail. I took this the day we had lunch at the brothel.

Leaving the wild horses behind. I think this one wanted to come with us.

These dogs got wheeled around in a buggy during a shopping spree at Cowboy Christmas.

I thought it was cute so I asked the lady if I could take a picture. I think there were about five dogs in there.

Near Cedar City, Utah on Kolob Road.

Arizona old Route 66 (Two Gun Road)

Well tha tha that's all folks.

Frame it here.

Daily Quote Worth Sharing

2011-02-10T07:11:00.000-08:00

I subscribe to a service that sends daily quotes.

In honor of the upcoming Valentine's day, I thought this would be a good one to share.

Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot, who calls you back when you hang up on him, who will lie under the stars and listen to your heartbeat, or will stay awake just to watch you sleep... wait for the boy who kisses your forehead, who wants to show you off to the world when you are in sweats, who holds your hand in front of his friends, who thinks you' re just as pretty without makeup on. One who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares and how lucky he is to have YOU... The one who turns to his friends and says, thats her... ~Unknown

I hope all of you have a partner who makes you feel special every day.

FMTSO: Collections

2011-02-04T13:41:00.000-08:00

I love the Friday My Town Shoot Outs. Each week's themes motivate me to keep on shooting. This week is all about collections. The goal is to showcase things that we (I) collect. This really is an easy one for me because I do have a couple of collections that I am very passionate about. Oh and at the end of this post I'm going to sneak in a photo from last week's theme, the letter "F" since I missed it due to an emotional week regarding my dog. Maybe more on that later but for now life is good again.

I consider myself a letter writer. I love writing letters, sending post cards, etc.

Because I love it so much, I am also very passionate about collecting vintage post cards, old letters, diaries, photos, etc of people I've never met. It is fascinating to read about their lives and about what was going on in society at the time the letters were written. It is a much better history lesson than what's inside text book.

These are real people leaving their imprint for future generations to discover.

We get to learn about what life was really like from the individual's perspective.

Normally, I only buy vintage postcards that are already postmarked and written on, however,

if I really, really like one that hasn't been used then I will splurge but not often. I prefer the ones that have some personal history on them, the handwriting, the news, etc.

This is a teenager's diary from 1921.

I love the simplicity of her writing.

The following is one of my favorite entries in the diary. It reads:

July 15- Walked to row with Marie in P. M. and found out some interesting news. Carl has written to her. She said he wrote a real lovefied letter. The old scamp. I'm sure glad I don't think anything of him. I've learned a lesson too. Don't put any dependence in what a boy says. Gee, I'm glad I'm old and experienced so that I can advise other poor innocent girls to never love a masher. Ha Ha. He told Marie that mamma wouldn't allow me to go with the boys and he didn't see why cause I was just crazy over the boys. He said I got a letter from a boy once and mamma just reared. My but he's well posted on my affairs. Let's forget it.

Isn' that just the cutest thing you've ever read? I was always crazy for the boys too. Haha.

This is a leather photo album I bought at an antique store.

You can tell that the people in the photos are quite wealthy.

They are fascinating to me. Once I acutally tried to find records on the woman who used to own this book.

The girl who owned this photo album is pictured in the group photo on the right.

She is the third person from the left. I have studied the pictures intently imagining who these people were.

They must have been someone well known in their community.

Fascinating travel photos.

I also collect piggy banks, money jars, and alumunum banks.

The money banks pictured above have funny sayings all around the can.

I've posted about these money jars before.

I collect coins I find on the ground. I'm not embarrassed to pick up a penny. One man's trash is another man's treasure.

Every coin or dollar bill I find on the street, in the dirt, in parking lots, etc goes into this jar.

Not bad for being observant. This is money that people throw away or lose.

Every time I pick up a coin I always say out loud, "I'm a money magnet" in hopes of attracting more.

So not only do I collect found money and money banks I also collect.......

I collect and save all my fifty cent pieces.

I save and collect gold and silver dollars

State Quarters.

That's about the end of my collection.

I used to collect hearts but I kind of got out of that.

If you'd like to see more collections please detour here

Now...... For the letter F.

I only have one photo to display and I'm sure you will like it.

Fondue, the chocolate kind.

I hope you don't have a sweet tooth.

The Best Little Whorehouse NOT in Texas......

2011-01-23T17:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I drove to Pahrump to visit with my good friend Gail.

We were both in need of an adventure so we decided to have lunch at one of the brothels in town.

The sign above claims to be the best little whorehouse in the west.

We didn't follow the signs to the Chicken Ranch even though they claim to be the best in the west.

Ha Ha!

Nope.

We went right next door to Sheri's Ranch Brothel.

Ladies are always welcomed.

We ate lunch inside the sports bar and I had a french dip sandwich and Gail had a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup. The food wasn't bad at all and the prices were decent.

The decor was like any other sports bar; sports memorabilia hanging on the walls,

TV suspended for your viewing pleasure, and pool table in the back of the room.

The only noticable difference was a curtain behind the pool table separating the bar from the parlor.

Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures inside, however, we were allowed to take a tour of the brothel.

We were guided by one of the working girls, Althena, who was clad in five inch heels, lingerie, and a sheer nylon robe for some coverage.

She had dark hair, dark eyes and olive skin and she spoke with an accent.

She told us she was half greek and half dutch but she was from Los Angeles.

The first room she showed us was very small and the only thing in the room was a round table covered in white cloth, two chairs, place settings. It was like a fancy restaurant with fine dining for two.

Since the girls aren't allowed to leave the premises, this is where the customer would take her out to dinner on a date where they can order any kind of food and drinks.

Also, any kind of sexual act can happen here as well.

She was specific but since this is a clean blog I will let you all just imagine.

The next two rooms she showed us were jacuzzi rooms with a private bathroom.

One of those rooms was a budweiser sponsored room so everything in there was budweiser.

It was kind of cool actually.

The customer can relax in the jacuzzi with the working girl, have a glass of wine or beer and get comfortable.

Sex isn't allowed in the jacuzzi for sanitary reasons (even though they are required to wear profilactics)

But again, anything can happen.

Next, we were shown the bubble bath room which is kind of like the jacuzzi room except that instead of an actual jacuzzi there is a whilpool bath tub. Attached to the ceiling is a machine that makes bubbles that float all around the room.

Sex is allowed in this bathtub because it is sanitized and cleaned after each use.

During our tour, we asked Althena all kinds of questions.

She was very forthcoming with her answers. Can you believe she used to be a flight attendant?

We wanted to know the strangest request she's ever received, how many customers she's serviced in one day, how long has she been a working girl, what kind of things will she refuse to do, etc.

It was quite interesting.

We got to see the bondage room which was equipped with all kinds of contraptions for whipping and handcuffing, caging, etc. It was all very intriguing and dark. They even had a stripper's pole in this room.

We weren't allowed to see the bedrooms but we were allowed to see the grounds which had a large swimming pool. Also out back were private cottages that cost $4,000.00 per night for clients who want the girlfriend experience. The parlor lobby had dark colored harwood floors, very nice furniture and everything was so clearn and pretty. It was kind of surprising, really.

This is also where the main menu for services is posted.

It's a poster size laminated menu sitting on a large easel.

I didn't notice any prices but I did notice the first thing listed was:

Straight Lay.

I really wish I could have taken pictures of it.

It sure makes you think though.

You might want to try new things with your husband or boyfriend, otherwise, they might just take a drive to a brothel and get everything they need there.

You'd never know it.

After we left the brothel, I spotted this tractor and thought it was the perfect photo op.

Here's Gail, the 70 something hot mama and very good friend.

She's fun and wild and I love her to death.

Here I am striking my best pose.

Gail wanted to make one more stop before returning to her house.

She directed me to the beautiful golf course where we took some more photos.

Oh, did I forget to mention that Gail told Althena that I was a photographer and that I may get a gig out at the brothel photographing the girls for their internet ads?

How cool would that be?

I've already created a business name and I've been working on a logo for awhile now.

I created one that I liked a couple of week's ago and then I didn't like it anymore so I went back to the drawing board. But I promise I will let you all know when I have finished creating it.

I want it to be just right.

I will also get my fictitious business name and a business license before letting the world know my DBA (doing business as) name.

Thanks for taking the time to read my post.

FMTSO: Black and White

2011-01-20T21:15:00.000-08:00

Red Rock Canyon the day it snowed January 3, 2011

Spring Mountain January 3, 2011

Okay I'm sure there will be lots of snow pictures posted for this theme so I'm gonna switch things up.

Town Square Shopping Center in Las Vegas

Waiter at Town Square.

Bar Louie at Town Square

Outdoor restaurant at Town Square

Window display at Town Square

Accessories!

Well everybody, thank you for stopping by to check out my black and white photos.

Don't just stop here though. You'll find more brilliant photos by clicking here.

Alone but not lonely

2011-01-19T16:49:00.000-08:00

I'm posting this picture of my favorite city, Nashville because it is representative of country music.

Today, I went to the movies and saw Country Strong.

The movie was really good and I thoroughly enjoyed getting out of the house.

I went to the show alone because well let's face it, I don't have anyone to hang out with during the day.

But I'm not complaining.

I'm kind of a loner anyway.

I do like social settings and being around people but I don't get bored too easily.

I rather enjoy my own company and lots of things hold my interest.

I've only been to the movies alone one other time in my life and I didn't plan it that way but I got stood up.

Man, was I disappointed.

I really liked this guy and I was expecting him to meet me at the movies but I guess he didn't like me as much as I liked him.

I didn't want to go inside by myself that day but I really didn't have anything else to do so I forced myself to go in and see the movie anyway.

I made it trhough but I was very uncomfortable and disappointed and a little embarrassed.

Today though, was completely different from all those years ago.

Today I was a woman who didn't need a partner to sit with inside a movie theatre.

No, I've matured since then and now I am empowered by my own independence and it feels great.

Beautiful, Wild and Free

2011-01-17T20:06:00.000-08:00

Today couldn't have been a more perfect day.

The weather gifted us with temperatures in the 70's, beckoning us to come out and play.

Justin, Sasha and I were happy to take a drive and bask in the change of scenery that lay ahead.

We decided to take a drive up to Indian Springs where we knew the wild horses roamed.

We've been to this area many times before but we have never been lucky enough to glimpse the beauty of the wild horses until today.

Yes, today was our lucky day.

It was an amazing sight to see and I was in awe.

Of course, it wasn't anything like what you see in the movies where the wild horses are running as fast as they can, their manes flowing backward against the wind, muscles bulging powerfully as their legs carry them at full speed.

No, it wasn't quite that dramatic but still, it was awesome.

The horses are travelling to a higher level where there's a creek.

It was fascinating to watch them because even though they weren't running,

it was amazing to see how quickly they get from one area to another.

This little baby horse was a fiesty one. He was very curious about Sasha.

I think he mistook her for a coyote or something because at one point the baby made a movement as if he was going to stomp his feet on her.

The little white baby in the background never took his eyes off of me.

We were able to get pretty close to the horses.

Apparently, someone has been dropping hay off for them to eat and so even though they were a little sketchy around us, they still didn't run away.

I edited this photo and I really love it.

This is on higher ground where there's a creek and a spring.

Here's your sign!

Just in case you were wondering where we were today.

I hope you enjoyed the beautiful, wild and free horses that I captured for you today.

Comfort

2011-01-15T16:24:00.000-08:00

It's been a lazy day today.

Now that it's close to dinner time, I dread the possibility of having to go to the grocery store.

It's inevitable though because I'm just about out of everything.

I wish I had a bread maker so I could make my own whole wheat bread with oats.

I'd drizzle it with honey and eat it while it's still warm.

Now that would be the perfect treat to round out the comfort of my day.

FMTSO: Weird Things

2011-01-14T11:16:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if these are inch worms or what but I discovered this while on a trip with my camera club.

The wierd thing about this is that as your're driving down the road you see all these scraggly bushes covered in these white webs, which automatically you think are spider webs, that is until you get up close and can see they are some sort of cocoon or nesting area for these worms. There were thousands and thousands of these for miles. I thought it was wierd because I'd never seen anything like it before.

I love old cars but I thought this bus was wierd because it looks like it has a scary face, almost like teeth growling.

One thing about Las Vegas is that it has a lot of unique places to go, one of those being the Pinball Hall of Fame. Justin and I went on Monday so that I could take photos for this shoot. It was my first time inside the building and I transformed into a kid again. It was so much fun playing old school pinball and I saw a lot of unsual games from the 1950's and 60's.

This isn't really wierd but it is probably not known in today's arcades.

More baseball games!

I think I actually played this when I was a kid.

Another game I've never seen before.

This is Peppy the Clown.

Liberace Wall

I like this wierd angle.

Click here for some more wierd stuff.

I've been sucked in by technology

2011-01-13T11:24:00.000-08:00

As much as I fought it, the generation of texting is now a part of my daily communications.

In a lot of ways it's good because you can keep things short and to the point and you don't have to get stuck listening to someone who jabbers on about nothing.

I'm a slow text-er.

It's nothing like typing on a computer.

I have a phone where I can handwrite all my text messages and I really like it.

It's still not as fast as typing on a computer but it sure beats the heck out of trying to learn all the commands of the cell phone. You have to be really careful though to form your letters perfectly so that the phone understands how to translate it. It can be a little frustrating at times. I wish I could just send my own handwriting through the phone to make it more personalized.

As soon as the finger lifts off the screen the letter is translated.

It was very difficult to try to demonstate and take a picture at the same time because I am not left handed.

It was easier to demonstrate with my left hand than to click the camera with my left hand.

The following are examples of the kind of text messages I send

This was a message to Gayla regarding the wedding we shot.

I was letting her know that I would come by and drop off the CD that contained the photos I took.

Most all of my neighbors are really nice except for the old lady who lives next door. She is a bitter unhappy woman and she nit-picks at everything. She is the neighborhood spy. Her husband and grandson are nice though. Anyway, she saw me one day coming back from walking my dog and she asked me when my husband was going to cut down the tree in our front yard. I told her he said he would TRIM it real soon.

She couldn't leave it at that. She got real pissy with me and we had quite a few words. It's a long story and I won't tell you what all was said, but by the time I came into the house I was literally shaking because she enraged me so. I rarely ever get to that point because I'm nice and polite and I don't take things personally.

But she really pushed my buttons.

So I came into the house and sent this text message to my husband giving him a heads up of what to expect when he got home.

Responding to a text my mom had sent me.

They came up to Las Vegas one weekend and before they got here they had a blow out and had to stay overnight in Barstow. Then right when they got into vegas they had another blow out on the freeway. Justin and I went to help them and we were all just sitting in the motorhome waiting for the tire to get repaired which was an ordeal because of the way it happened, the tire couldn't just be changed.

Anyway, it was an all day event and we ended up going to dinner with my parents.

It was late by the time we ate and then the next day when they left they had another blow out on their way home. They didn't get to enjoy their get away at all.

I was feeling really lonely and sad this day and I was missing all of my old friends from California.

I was restless and wanted somebody to do something with and the the two friends I have in Vegas and my husband didn't want to do anything. This was one of those rare update status I posted on facebook via my cell phone. I was feeling sorry for myself and I just wanted to be around someone with high energy and to have fun becuase my mind wasn't in a good place. I drove around alone crying.

A good night. Gayla and I had VIP press passes and we got to be down in the pit photographing the game.

By now you're probably wondering why I am posting my messages.

There is a point to all this I promise you but you'll have to wait until the end.

Following are some of the text messages sent to me:

An ongoing situation in my family but I won't air the dirty laundry.

My sister-in-law was asking me to please pray for my brother.

From Gayla. Quick and to the point and yes, I did help out at Toys for Tots.

It was a great experience.

In December I helped out in a friend's business while he was away on a cruise with his wife.

He was letting me know that he sent me some forms for returning criminal and civil results from the courts.

Ah, from my friend and endermologist, Shelley.

Every Sunday I go in at 1:00 pm for my treatments except when something comes up, like on this day.

From the president of Nevada Camera Club.

He wanted to talk to me about taking the position of Public Relations, which by the way,

I accepted. I am looking forward to a new challenge this year.

This is from my sister-in-law up in Oregon.

We were planning a Christmas Surprise for my mother-in-law and she was updating me on the status.

From one of my very best friends from high school just touching base.

The above are just quick little messages that get a point across.

It's a good thing but also it can be a bad thing.

Text messaging is a way to connect without really connecting.

You don't really have to put a lot of effort into communicating, etc.

For me, there are times when I really want to connect with someone, to look into their eyes,

hear their tone of voice, hear the inflection of their words, see their facial expressions, watch their body language, decipher what they are really conveying.

You can't have this kind of intimacy through a cell phone or email and I'm not even sure that the younger generation knows how to really connect intimately with anyone.

Isn't that what real relationships are all about?

We live in a world where everything is so fake, including our relationships and to me that is pathetic.

Dreamer

2011-01-11T17:19:00.000-08:00

I'm a dreamer. I admit it.

My head is filled with fantasies, visions, thoughts, and images that add color to my life.

I have a tendency to think that anything is possible.

I'm an optimist, yet I still have to work very hard to keep negative thoughts at bay.

I'm also a realist. I know what's possible and what isn't.

However, that doesn't prevent me from seeing every obstacle as some sort of lesson or opportunity to grow.

I know what I want and I see it unfolding in my mind.

There are times though when doubt creeps in and those are the times when my faith increases.

I rely on my faith to become more forgiving and to be stronger emotionally.

I cling to certain beliefs and I dream.

I keep dreaming the same dream over and over again.

Each time I think I'm getting closer to achieving this repetitive dream,

a ghostly demon jumps in and I wake up a fool.

A foolish clown.

Cheeks flushed red with embarrasment,

eyes open wide with silent frustration,

heart void of desire,

the soul empty of love.

Then I dream again

and it's good.

If only for a minute or two.

FMTSO: Macro Shots of Your Town

2011-01-08T09:37:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's that time again and I'm late. What makes it worse is that this is the subject that was chosen by me for this week's theme. Here is my member voice for the Friday My Town Shoot Out. Macro shots aren't just for flowers and bugs. How about capturing the details of your town by getting up close and personal with the architecture that makes up the buildings in your town. It could be anything from a doorknob to a window display. Whatever you find interesting enough to get a closer look and to capture with your camera's eye. It will be lots of fun to get a zoomed in perspective of your town.

This isn't exactly the best macro shot but it shows the price of gas on the day it snowed in Las Vegas,

January 3, 2011.

Instead of grassy areas at the gas stations we have decorative rocky areas.

I had so much fun watching the snow fall and then later when it stopped,

capturing it with my camera.

After snapping a few shots of snow from the gas station,

Gayla and I went and had lunch at Islands Restaurant.

This is a snow covered lamp just outside the restaurant. The snow is already melting away.

Drip.

......Drip....

.....Drip......

Inside, Gayla has a hot bowl of tortilla soup. I had a BLT and it was super delicious.

That soup looks pretty yummy too.

I couldn't resist taking a photo of the pepper.

This light was just above our table.

Lamps, lights and chandeliers are one of my favorite things to photograph.

Although this isn't a macro shot, I wanted to showcase just how much snow we got in Las Vegas and surrounding areas. After lunch, we drove through Red Rock and then on up to Spring Mountain.

Spring Mountain is just about twenty minutes from where we had lunch.

Isn't is beautiful. It was also really foggy where this photo was taken.

See the fog and snow in the background?

This isn't exactly a macro shot either, but I wanted to show what it looked like from inside the car.

I was driving and I set my camera on my steering wheel and just clicked without a specific target.

My steering wheel was my tri-pod and the eyes for the camera. This is coming back down the hill

from Spring Mountain. The fog is much less dense coming this direction.

In town. Northwest Las Vegas.

This was taken before we got to the gas station.

This is taken directly across the street from my house.

Unfortunately, it was also trash day.

Sasha, my dog is across the street in the snow.

Here she is back in her own yard, barely inside the garage.

Look at the snow on her fur.

Red Rock.

That's it for this shoot out.

I hope you will CLICK HERE to see some wonderful macro shots on other blogs.

Snow in Las Vegas

2011-01-03T15:44:00.000-08:00

Today, it snowed in Las Vegas.

The snow came down in flurries in my front yard this morning.

But as soon as it landed it melted away.

So I called Gayla on the phone and asked her if she wanted to come with me to scout out good snow before it was all gone.

Of course, she agreed so I picked her up and then we drove all around looking for snow.

As you can see from the photo above, we found plenty of it in Red Rock Canyon.

Can you tell I'm elated?

New Year's Eve photos

2011-01-01T11:11:00.000-08:00

My husband and I spent the evening with Shaun and Gayla. We had a nice early dinner at Outback Steakhouse. I had the 6 oz. filet, dressed baked potato and house salad with ranch dressing. I also had two glasses of wine with my meal. The dinner was very tasty. Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos inside the restaraunt. I did however, make a ham of myself before going to the restaraunt. I'm never in any photos at any holiday function so I decided I needed to be in some photos this year even if I had to take them myself.

I hope you all don't think I'm too obnoxious. I was feeling pretty good I must say. I felt skinny and I haven't felt skinny in a very long time.

Well, I felt skinny except for the flab on my arms. You know how we ladies are.

Justin was a good sport and posed with me even though he didn't want to.

I was having a lot of fun playing in front of the camera.

I took loads of pictures but I'll spare you from having to look at them all.

I took the tri-pod to Shaun and Gayla's house too so I could get photos of us having fun.

We all hammed it up there too.

Gayla's husband likes to make funny faces and Gayla and I like to show off.

Justin is pretty neutral. He's a good sport.

We were playing spades and drinking wine.

Well, Gayla and I were drinking wine.

The guys were staying pretty alert.

Every now and then I would blurt out, "camer time" and we'd all turn and give our best smile and I'd push the button on my remote control and snap our photo.

The photo above was the first one we took.

Cheers!

As the night wore on everyone got more comfortable behind the camera.

Obviously, I'm feeling pretty good.

Ah, we love each other.

I'm having way too much fun.

Up oh, look out. You got us started now.

We're dancing fools.

No more dancing. It's almost midnight.

The clock has struck twelve.

Oh, look at those two smoochers.

I don't recall if I got my kiss at midnight or not.

Oh well, it was all fun.

I took 173 photos this night.

You all just get a glance.

I hope everyone has a fantastic year in 2011.

I hope it's a good one.

My one wish for the new year is private and personal but I can tell you in two words what describes my wish.

Renew and strengthen!

Happy New Year, Everyone!

FMTSO: Beginnings

2010-12-31T09:51:00.000-08:00

A new year, a new you, new beginnings, new town. What is new, changing, evolving. New in your town or new with you if you care to share. This is the theme for this week's Friday My Town Shoot Out.

Since I don't have any babies or grandbabies, I can't post new beginnings in that sense, but I can start over in my marriage by being more present instead of drifting off into lala land and dreaming dreams that are impossible to fulfill. It's time to plant my feet firmly on the ground instead of floating along with the clouds. This week I was floating high and yesterday I fell off that cloud as I have many times before, but this time I think I finally learned my lesson. It's personal. It's heartfelt. It's time I grew up.

The new year brings new goals and new dreams. In order to obtain those goals I need to plan and save for certain things. That's why I will have a new budget. We live on a budget every month and we pretty much get anything we want. We know where our money goes and we can have fun and save for our future at the same time. It's awesome being completely debt free.

I haven't completed my budget yet but this is the online form that I use.

You can find it at mytotalmoneymakeover.com

Out with the old...........

In with the new

We haven't put the hardwood floor in yet, but this is the color we got.

I'm very excited to get a mini overhaul in my home.

I like my personality but sometimes I find myself wishing I could overhaul myself to please others.

Certain others not strangers.

Maybe I mean certain OTHER.

Oh well. I am letting it go and I am going to have the best year ever.

Happy New Year, Everyone!

What a year, and photo gallery.

2010-12-23T07:39:00.000-08:00

Wow! This year really whizzed by. It's hard to believe that Christmas is upon us already. During the year, I pushed myself to be more adventurous and outgoing. Because I am quiet and reserved in certain social situations I think oftentimes people perceive me differently than how I really am. Sometimes it takes me awhile to open up and be myself and because of that I think people might percieve me as a snob or a bore. I need to be around people who are extremely extroverted to bring that out in me. When I'm comfortable with someone they will see the crazy side of me and the funny sarcasm that usually sits just below the surface. My real friends know me and I am so excited to be able to hook up with them during this holiday season.

The Nevada Camera Club has really helped me to grow personally and it has opened so many doors to new friendships and adventure and opportunities that I never in a million years thought I would be taking part in. You all must be tired of hearing me talk about the camera club so often, but I really am passionate about it. It's helped me to move forward in so many ways during a time when I really needed a detour from my own thoughts.

Our annual print competition is a Big Deal. There are no divisions of class. No beginners, no intermediate, no advanced, no master class. All entries are grouped together and then judged by outside judges who are not members of the club. I think we had two college professors and a business owner as the judges. I didn't win a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place ribbon, however I did win a yellow ribbon on one of my photos as an honorable mention. I think there were approximately 247 photos entered and they are now proudly displayed at the Federal Courthouse until January 26, 2011. Gayla and I went earlier this week and viewed all the entries and I took photos of the gallery for your viewing pleasure. This gives you an idea of how amazing these photographers are and why I am always so critical of my own entries.

Enjoy!

Justin entered two photos as well and he's not in the club.

That's his photo on the bottom right.

The one photo I'm slightly embarrassed that I entered is hanging on this rack.

It's the crystal ball with the blue backgound.

You can click the image to enlarge it if you want to get a better look.

I have two photos hanging on this rack.

The box office photo is one of my personal favorites.

We were allowed to enter eight photos.

Gayla has two pictures on this rack.

Can you guess which ones are hers?

Gayal has one photo hanging on this display.

Both Gayla and I have a photo on this rack.

Gayla entered five photos and I entered eight.

The photo on the top left with the yellow ribbons is mine.

The bottom right photo is Justin's.

I have one photo hanging here.

It looks really bland compared to the other photos.

Gayla and I have one photo each on this rack.

The blue ribbon winners and best of show.

More winners.

I love that portrait of the old man.

I hope you have enjoyed the photo gallery.