Texture

My computer is having issues. I was in the middle of the greatest blog post ever when suddenly it began to complain of having a belly ache. And then it stopped. Just up and stopped, I tell you, while I was searching for new and interesting photographs for today's Sunday Stills challenge.

I shut it down and let it reboot, only to have it tell me it was infected, and something about spyware and if I continued I'd be at risk. Like any good mother, I called the computer doctor who said to put it to bed until he could see it the next day. (This particular doctor happens to live here, so yes, I get service on Sundays.)

In the meantime...what to do? Oh, yes, City Boy purchased a cute little red lap top for me about a month ago. I'd yet to pick it up and use it, but no time like the present, eh? After all, my house is sparkling clean so what else have I got to do? (BTW, I've got this lovely bridge for sale...)

You, however, may be more interested in today's challenge than all that other nonsense. Today's word is Texture, and who doesn't love the texture of a good pair of blue jeans? Faded and worn to perfection, there's nothing I'd rather pull on in the morning. Just wish mine looked as good as Darling's!


Here's a texture I love...though I'm not fond of feeling it up against my skin. It's great, however, for my horse's feet!

The drive through Brothers, Oregon, will bring you past this old building. I wonder what's on the other side of that door?

No selection of texture photos would be complete without the snarly mess of mane sported by our lovely Wadatika. Unfortunately, those are all on the sickly computer, so you'll just have to settle for what I could pull up from Photobucket this morning. A soft eye, a silky forelock, and a fuzzy coat. She's still the grand finale!

Click here to see more Sunday Stills entries!

The Visitors

Yesterday Tika had a visitor. Two, actually!

I had the farrier out in the morning to do the boys. Steve Holt! was a total twirp, and that's putting it far too nicely. He's gotten into some bad habits...mainly taking advantage of new farriers by trying to walk away mid nip. Naturally, he stands beautifully for me, but when someone else is doing the work? Not so much. Sandy, of course, is an absolute dream. Like any good horse trainer, I knew I'd need to end on a good note, so planned to have Steve Holt! (my ADD child) first and Sandy (born an old man) second so that the farrier would leave with something pleasant in his mind.

Before he left I asked him to meet with Tika. She, of course, pulled her Tika-tude with a new person. Ears pinned, dirty looks, stepping backwards. The farrier is a good hand, however, and downplayed it all, simply reached up and scratched her between the ears and continued to talk to me. She stood there looking sideways at him like a teenager with a grudge. I asked if he'd be willing to work on her if we got the vet to drug her like we had Sunny, and he said sure. That was encouraging...it means Steve Holt! didn't scare him off!

A couple hours later we had another visitor, a new friend from Canada who's been bitten by the Tika bug. Oh...she'll never admit it, but we know that's what it is. One look into this girl's eyes and you're hard pressed not to fall under her spell. Kristen had come down to look at a saddle I had advertised a moth or so ago, and I asked what kind of horse she was trying to fit. You have to know what the answer is...don't you? That's right, a mustang! So of course we were immediate sisters, and I introduced her to Sandy & Steve Holt!, and Apple Pony was still here then, I believe...golly, it's been more than a month, hasn't it? Well, not that it matters. What matters is that she also met Tika.

So yesterday when she came back down to the states, she naturally had to come by for another visit. I slipped a halter on Tika and Kristen slid between the rails to say hello. Ears pinned, dirty look, that wasn't going to bother Kristen. She simply stood alongside the red devil mare and talked to me while stroking her face. Tika was unsure how to handle this...she loves to be loved on, and I watched her struggle for the correct response to this second stranger who'd invaded her bubble in such a quiet, confident manner. Before long Kristen was leading her between panels and through the paddocks out to the round pen. I picked up my manure fork and started cleaning while Tika was led away.

Kristen's touch was light as she stroked the mare's neck and face. She found the spots that Tika enjoyed, and the spots she'd rather not have a stranger touch. Tika wouldn't allow her to step onto her right side, but she was relaxing and softening up on the left. At one point when Kristen took a step back and stopped, Tika threw her a look and then leaned in for more rubs.

And me? I was happy as a lark. Tika has been so aggressive with people other than me that it was encouraging to see her give herself up for Kristen. It gives me hope that this mare will someday be able to transition into someone else's hands. Not that I want her to leave...not just yet, and she's far from ready. But I know that someday she'll be ready.

And where was my camera during all this interaction? Well, it certainly wasn't focused on snapping photos of the Beautiful Wadatika, that's for sure. But I did get a couple of these two bozos!

Action, Action, We Want Action!

So this week's assignment in photo class was learning to work with our shutter speed. This, combined with the f-stop, should help us get better photographs of wild horses racing at breakneck speeds in dark arenas. The instructor probably didn't realize that's what he was trying to teach...he mentioned something about city lights at night, waterfalls and fast moving cars. And football players. But I'm sure everyone knew what he was secretly hinting.

On Tuesday, Darling and I headed to her riding lesson where I typically will record her with the camcorder. Not this week, though. This week it was time to make an attempt at having a civil conversation with Mr. Nikon (much to Darling's dismay.) The lesson is under cover, with both ends of the arena open and as the late afternoon sun begins to dip into the western sky, the rays of sunlight will spill in with warm, rich tones of gold and red.

Unless it's raining.

Thankfully, this week the weather has been good and the lighting was lovely, picking up Steve Holt!'s deep, rich mahogany tones. I set up my camera on a little tri-pod and began shooting the moment Darling entered the arena, fiddling with settings in an attempt to find something that would work.

Action shots aside...I loved how this turned out! Normally I'd not have gotten a decent photo in this light without using the flash. That flash always reflects in Steve Holt!'s eye, making him look like a demon horse. No reflection here, though!

I can't decide between these two. Sepia? Or natural light? I like them both.

Mr. Nikon was holding up his end of the bargain on Tuesday, there was no doubt about that. I'd double check the auto settings now and then to see if my aperature (f-stop) was in the right range, but I worked the shutter speed on my own, bouncing back and forth from slow to fast in an effort to get different effects. Unfortunately, it really was too dark to slow the shutter for a real good blur...unless I wanted to change my ISO again. Since I didn't want to have to worry about grainy photos (or forgetting to switch it back), I opted to keep it on 400 and not worry about it.

I kinda like the blurry white horse jumping into the view finder here. Darling wishes she could see more of Steve Holt!'s nose, but over all? I think it turned into a really neat sort of shot. You can tell it's getting a bit darker, though, and the light is dwindling. Still no flash!

One of the last shots of the day, and my wild mustang emerged. Well...as wild as he gets these days, anyway. Gotta love that mane whipping back over his neck as he canters around the end of the arena!

Okay, I confess that these are not the most dramatic action shots I've ever taken, but I was quite pleased at figuring out how to photograph in the low light. I may need to try to find something other than a horse to throw into the mix for the class, though. Darling doesn't really pass for a football player.

Mustang Magic, Champion and Reserve

On a lighter note than this morning...here are the champion and reserve champion from this weekend's Mustang Magic in Fort Worth, TX!

I guarantee you'll be impressed with what these two trainers were able to do in 90 days. Heck, you'd barely see a domestic bred horse with 90 rides able to do what these boys did going from wild!







Were you impressed? Me, too! Get out there and ride!

A Nation Betrayed

This morning I awoke, spring in my step, smelling imaginary petunias and playing a little Snow White voice in my head (I'd have sung aloud, but that would wake the dead, so I kept it to myself.) It was still too early to be up, but what the heck? Couldn't sleep and there is always Face Book to occupy my early hours time. Face Book and the second half of a caramel filled candy bar... No wonder I'm humming like Snow White, eh?

I sat at my computer and began to read through the handful of posts submitted by a few of my 328 closest and most intimate friends. I've never met 287 of them, of course, but they fill a void this early in the morning, what can I say?

It didn't take me long to see a pattern forming, as a few of my friends were posting a particular video called A Nation Betrayed: Saving America's Horses. My little Snow White voice skipped a beat. These headings always make me nervous. Just what sort of story was having a Hollywood spin set on it this time? I really didn't need to ask myself that question...I knew.

Saving America's Horses

I take two issues with this film. First, they've got a Native American spokesperson who implies that he's speaking for all Native Americans when he said the horse was part of them. That would be like believing I spoke for all wild horse advocates. I don't. We all have different views and opinions, because there are a lot of us. There are Native American tribes that are pushing to have slaughter houses opened on their lands...hardly the anti-slaughter message the film is trying to convey.

Second, it would imply that the BLM is hauling horses directly to slaughter, or at the very least that they are selling to known kill buyers and loading horses into slaughter trucks (you'll see images of horses loading into trucks as they're speaking of the BLM.) Again...not true. Are there those within the system that would, given the opportunity? Yes, but it's not their policy, and in fact even the Sale Authority horses which, according to law, are to be sold 'without limitation' have contracts that state the buyer is not purchasing with the intent to sell to slaughter or known kill buyers. Don't believe me? I've filled one out, have you?

Horses off the track have a far greater risk of being hauled directly from their comfy stall after winning a race than a BLM mustang has of seeing the slaughter tuck. The family down on their luck and needing to find a new home for their horse is at greater risk of betrayal than the nation is when it comes to mustangs being hauled to slaughter.

And that, my friends, is the truth, whether you're pro or anti slaughter. No animal should have to be hauled thousands of miles to their end. But nothing gets me riled up faster than half truths and implications intended to lead the witness (that would be you) into believing they're being betrayed through actions that are simply not happening. I have yet to hear anyone able to say, "I witnessed the horses loaded directly from the BLM into a kill buyer truck, hauled across the border to (Mexico/Canada) and the the slaughter house." Give me proof that they are knowingly selling our horses for slaughter, and I'll take it all back.

Now...if we're talking mass euthanasia...well, that's a different story.

Wild Spirit Design

A friend of mine, Christa Hobart, has begun making jewelry. Very nice jewelry, at that. Not only is she talented in stringing together just the right beads and baubles (I'd mess them all up...my attempts at necklaces have resulted in tears of frustration for me and laughter to all others who've seen), but she's also a kind-hearted, mustang-loving soul who is donating a portion of her sales to Mustang U. In fact, the above necklace is listed on her website for a mere $35, and she's donating 100% of the proceeds to Mustang U!

I'd highly suggest heading to Wild Spirit Design. And not just because 10% of the overall sales will help feed a pony or two (that's good enough reason, of course), and not just so Christa can take in a few extra dollars. Nope, you should head over there because this is pretty cool Bling! Bling!

Tell her Tika sent you!

Exposed!

I didn't tell you, but I'm taking a photography class. I wanted to get...you know...intimate with my camera.

I feel like we're in couples counseling. I want this, my camera wants that. I'm unable to compromise, so I'm left trying to manipulate my way into good photos. I'm a 'Point & Shoot & Fix it in Photoshop' kind of girl. My camera wants more from me...

So I'm learning how to ask in ways it understands. It's not easy for me, to say the least. But I'm trying. When City Boy and I went south last weekend, he pointed out a great shot of Seattle on the way home.

Of course, my camera and I had homework after my first class. The above photo was one I took specifically for that as it fulfilled a couple of the assignments. There was an S curve in the road, and clouds offered a soft, airy contrast to the hard, cold stone that forms the Seattle skyline in the distance.

I forgot to bring that photo to class. My camera was upset with me. I know this, because the assignment for this week is to work on shutter speed. I thought I was getting the hang of shutter speed last week (f-stop was really the main assignment, but I skipped ahead), but my camera seems out to prove me a fool. So far, it's doing a great job.

We're supposed to be working on action shots. Terrific! I love action shots. Horses prancing and dancing while manes and tails wave like banners in the sunlight are my passion. Mr. Nikon, however, seems bent on tripping me up. In order to work on different types of focus and blur, I had to determine which shutter speed would work best, and I realized the lighting and f-stop would come into play. Obviously, I needed to play around a bit with both of them together until I came up with the right ratio to use in the afternoon sunlight.

Note to fellow prospective photographers: Middle of the day photo shoots with sunlight are not advisable. Obviously too much light.

Thankfully with digital you can replay your photos and see that there are issues, rather than send them off to the lab for developing like we used to do with film. So while my camera was mocking me, I continued on, fiddling with dials until things almost looked okay.

Hey, I said almost, didn't I? It's still a bit blown out, but at least you could see the horse. And as these were intended to be action shots, a little blur is okay. Or a lot. Depends on how well you can convince yourself that it's art.

Unfortunately, poor lighting (in the form of being too bright for my inexperienced eyes) was not the only issue I was having. I completely forgot that City Boy suggested changing the ISO while we were down at Cabella's last weekend. Well, golly Mr. Nikon, you could have told me that instead of keeping it to yourself! That may be half of our problem, you know. I'm not the only one who isn't properly communicating it seems. Not only did this make it difficult to regulate my lighting, but my photos look like they're beneath a layer of sand.

This is not so much an issue on our little computer screens. Sure, you can tell it's less than perfect, but once the size is reduced, the graininess seems less. But once I get to class and they're up there on the big screen for all to evaluate? Oye vey...

Mr. Nikon and I have only got two classes left in which to get it all together. Should we fail? Well...I still have photoshop.

When the Wind Blows...

Forget about the cradle...around here, when the wind blows the mustangs will rock!

Tika watches with interest as the boys get to revving it up.




She lets the know she can fly just as high as they can!

We had some pretty good winds over the past couple of days and the horses were feeling mighty spunky. Despite high spirits, we accomplished a lot with our fiery little girl...and the boys, too! This weekend they all did something new, and they did it together, too. I put the second divider back into my horse trailer and hauled all three to the arena at the same time. I wasn't sure how any of them would take being squeezed into a narrow space, since they'd never done it before, but all took it in stride. I was especially pleased with Tika, who can still get a bit nervous over feeling pressured, but she's ridden in the front slot quite nicely.

Sandy and I also took Tika out on her first trail the other day. Just one simple loop around the tree farm, but that required her to walk over a few fallen branches, brush up against low hanging limbs, and walk a good 100' through 8" deep water that had flooded the trail. She's coming right along!

Now I need to run. Off to another bull session!

Wadatika

It's been awhile since I've given you an update on the Beautiful Wadatika. Training has been spotty...a bit on again, off again for this girl. Three or four days a week seems to be enough to keep her tuned up as well as gain a little ground here and there. She displays every bit as much Tika-tude today as she has since the day she arrived. Neither City Boy nor Darling like her much as she pins her ears and flashes her teeth at them while I'm not around. Or at least that's what they say!

Despite her one person personality, I have high hopes for this mare. She's quick, both mentally and physically. If she doesn't understand something, she may jump to the side, but she quickly turns back towards me and tries to evaluate what it is we're up to and the appropriate response. There is still fear and apprehension in her eye as we work through a lot of the basics. Despite that, she willingly stays with me and does her best. She gives me all she has and then some.

I must say I'm particularly proud of her trailering! Not only is she walking in and out with both doors wide open, she'll walk into the trailer with one door closed. That's a narrow opening, don'cha know? The other day she even let me send her in while I stood on the outside. She's also loading and hauling with other horses now, just like a pro!

Tika's biggest hang up comes in the form of me walking behind her. This sends her into a jumpy, jittery mode with her hiney bouncing to the left or right, depending on which side I'm heading for. It's getting better, but makes it rather difficult for me to work on some of the ground training basics I'd like to get in place. Basics such as being able to stand on her left side, reaching my arm across her back and lifting up the right rein, then pulling her head to the right so that she'll turn all the way around and face me. To do that, her butt needs to swing beneath my arm, and she simply isn't willing to do that yet. Until she can trust me there, I won't be climbing on.

Feet are another issue here, though this past week she's decided it's okay to allow me access. A good thing, too, because Jay is supposed to be here today to do a few trims. I doubt she'll allow much to happen, but if I can even get the nippers to take off some of the length on the front, I'd be ever so happy. She's clipping herself at the trot, so getting those front feet picking up a bit sooner will do worlds of good.

And the Winner Is!

Congratulations, Black Feather Farm, on your winning submission!



"Shadows Rising"

Pop me an email and I'll send out your photo!

Thanks to everyone who made a suggestion. As usual, it was a tough choice and I found my self struggling with all the wonderful entries. I'll undoubtedly have another to offer next week because my wee wittle brain cannot fathom coming up with enough clever titles for all the photos I take. Partnering with y'all seems like the best idea (at least for me!)

And just WHY do I need your help? Well, you see, I've discovered this fun little place where I can upload my work, and then it's available to friends like you, family members, and complete strangers to purchase online. It's called Red Bubble, and they'll make note cards, framed prints, and even posters (if my images are large enough when sent.) Total fun!

So far I've uploaded about a dozen photographs. This week some of my work has been featured in a couple different categories, such as Wild West and Cowboy/Cowgirl Art!

If you're looking for some great western art and want to benefit wild horses at the same time, please consider making a purchase from my page at Red Bubble!

Emotion

Today I went in search of photos that would evoke an emotional response from you. This is today's Sunday Stills assignment. Make your readers cry. Or laugh. Or scream with fear. Not in those words, necessarily, but that's what I interpreted it to mean. And you know, with the thousands upon thousands of photos that City Boy is always complaining about me saving here on the hard drive, you'd think it'd be easily done. Certainly there are plenty that have made me weep...but that's not the assignment. It's to conjure up an emotional response in you. And predicting you is like predicting which way the wind is going to blow next, or whether or not it's raining in the front yard even though you don't see any in the back. Kinda crazy hard to do some days. But I'll give it my best shot.

This really is difficult. The above image, for me, stirs up a desire to send City Boy to the kitchen and make me some great tasting food to eat. Is this an emotion? Or hunger? Is hunger an emotion? I don't think so. However...

...I really lust after a bowl of chocolate topped ice cream. But see, that's me. And I need to shake an emotional response out of you. So lets check out my next selection. (Ahem...I need you to back away from the ice cream.)

Perhaps this next photo will spark some emotion?

I call it "Two Young Lovers with Nothing Better To Do"

Or this?



Embarrassing Moments in a dog's life brought to you by the Mustang Diaries

Perhaps a trip to the barnyard will get you all teary eyed?



Help! I can't find the light switch!

Hey, look, it comes with it's own ball of yarn!



Don't hate me because I am beEWEtiful...

Okay. I give up. You'd better go visit the other Sunday Stills folks to see what they came up with. But before you leave, scroll down to the post below and enter your caption suggestion for the photo posted, please!

I'm Leaving You...

Yes, that's right.

I'm gone.

I'm outta here.

Gone like a freight train, gone like yesterday, gone like a soldier in the Civil War...Bang! Bang!

Where am I going? Why am I going? Well, it's like this. Each year I buy a lovely Christmas gift (or fathers day, or birthday) for City Boy, and each year he feels the need to return it because it's not something he needs, wants, or feels we should spend the money one. He receives his joy, he says, in the giving, not the getting.

Okay, maybe not each year, but often enough that I never know what to get him. This year was no exception, so I took a stab in the dark. He's been wanting to go to Cabela's down near Olympia, so I booked a room in the area, printed up a piece of paper with the room info and tidbits of information on things to do in the area. Like visit the Mima Mounds. Or browse all day at the sporting goods store. Or go to the Olympic Flight Museum. Or maybe I could just spend all day in the jacuzzi bath while he does all that stuff?

I figured this time, if he didn't like his gift, I'd simply take someone else.

Amazingly...astonishingly...he liked it. He's excited to go! Guys are so funny. Who knew a trip to a sporting goods store would hold such fascination. It's not like a trip to a tack store, after all. Or is it? Hmmm....

In any case, by morning I'll be gone. But I'm not leaving you with nothing to do and contemplate. No, no, not at all. I've got another photo that's in need of a descriptive title. And, again, a 5x7 is being offered up as the prize. Go on then, give it your best shot!

Sucker's Got COW

Moo!

Sandy & I hauled to Curt's this morning for a lesson. Darling still hasn't edited the lesson footage from last week, so I have nothing to show for our hard work, but this is what Curt had to say after our lesson today:

"Sucker's Got Cow!"

And this, for those of you who don't know, is a good thing! I've been watching others ride their horses and was beginning to wonder if it would ever be like that for Sandy & I, or if this was just a fun way to spend some time. After all, I do love spending time with Curt as he teases and jokes and strokes my horse riding ego. He seems to enjoy watching my mustangs come along, but there's always been that little part of me that thinks he's only humoring me. But not today. Today was good. Very, very good.

Sandy's stops are stronger and his turns crisper at the right end than the left. This is normal. It's like being able to write your name better with one hand than the other. One side is stronger. And by end, if you've watched any of the former videos you'll see what I mean. The bull works back and forth, teaching the horse to stop hard and drop their butt into the ground, turning a hard 180 and moving off in the other direction.

The goal with cutting is to be able to walk into your herd quietly and not scatter the cattle. Then you want to push one calf out while the others stay behind you. That's the cut, and where the term 'cutting' comes from. Then your horse stays between the calf and the herd. As the calf dashes and darts back and forth in an attempt to rejoin his buddies, your horse has to be able to 'read' it and turn head to head with it, preventing it from returning.

The hydra bull becomes an excellent tool with which to do this because the driver is able to work the horse at their own skill level. Not too fast, not too slow. You can work on your turns and stops and not have to worry about a calf dashing off faster than your horse is able to handle it. And the better your horse becomes at reading the calf, the less you need to do while in the saddle. When competing, the rider helps guide the horse while selecting the calf, and that's it. You then drop your hand down and let the horse do the work. Left, stop, right, stop, left, stop and so on.

Today, Sandy's turns to the right were strong enough that I was able to drop my reins at that end and let him stop and turn on his own. It was fantastic! And to hear that Old Man Storbakken thinks he's got cow? Priceless!

In other news, Curt recently sold Pepenary. I stopped in yesterday morning to wish him a Happy Birthday and he asked me to hop and and ride her a few minutes. They'll be picking her up later this week. So it was my last ride on the little 14 hand dynamo before she goes to a boy who's around 8 or 9. She'll still be working cows and should do real well for him. No new footage for her, either, but here's a video from a couple months ago. You may have already seen it, but hey, watch it again! And if you're new here to the Diaries, enjoy!

Virtually Everything You Wanted is Online...

The other night City Boy couldn't sleep. He was tossing and turning and keeping me awake. At 12:30, he strikes up a conversation.

"I was just wondering...how did Sears get their money when people in the 1800's ordered from their catalogs? There were no debit cards, so how did people pay? Did they pay before they ordered? Was money wired, do you think? Did they pay the postmaster upon deliver?"

"Seriously, City Boy? Do you know what time it is?"

"I was just wondering."

The next day, City Boy had all the facts he needed. Sears was founded by a man (Richard Sears) who'd worked for the railroad. He'd purchased a bunch of watches that had been unwanted by a local jeweler, and then sold them for a tidy profit. I listened as City Boy went on with the story, which to be honest was a bit more interesting now that it was daylight than the midnight ponderings had been. Of course I shan't bother you with the whole story...you can click the link and read it yourself a bit later. Or perhaps you can read it to your bed mate at midnight. But I will tell you that Sears' catalogs were not well loved by local merchants, who were struggling to compete with the first big box store and their mail order prices.

Today, those catalogs are online. We don't even need to pick up the phone and speak to a real person...just click the little box indicating which color and size we want, and presto!, You've got mail. Yep, good old Richard Sears helped change the way we do business in this world in ways he never imagined.

And that got me to thinking some midnight ponderings of my own. What if we had a virtual horse show? Nothing fancy...just some basics. It's winter, and who wants to give their horse a bath? Who wants to haul 20 miles in winter weather? Not me. I'd much prefer to go outside when it suits me, get a little video of some pattern work, and send it in to the judge ten minutes later. No frost bit fingers and icicles on the forelocks. Just saddle up, take a quick spin around the arena, then go inside and drink hot chocolate while the video uploads.

Of course, the more I pondered, the more doable this began to seem. And as luck would have it, Andrea posted a link on the mustang forum of someone already doing this very thing. Which means...I've got some inspiration! More fuel for the fire!

A fee would be paid, classes selected. Patterns would be given out and you'd need someone to help video your ride for you before submitting it. Everyone would have fun, horses would get worked, prizes would be won. Most importantly, funds would be raised to help support Mustang U's efforts to get sale authority horses into homes.

I can hardly wait to get started.

And the Winners Are...

Wow. Just Wow. There were some really terrific offerings for this weekends naming contest. I really had to sit, ponder and think this through. Coming up with one winner for one photo would have been tough enough, but four? Yikes!

Here are your winners:

"Searching for a Safe Haven"
Andrea



"Far Away Dream"
Jane Augustein




"Dust Devils"
Pony Girl




"Going Home"
JeniQ

Okay, your responsibility as a winner is this; in order to claim your prize you must email me. See over there in the right column? Between the little baby Hay Burner button and the blue Awards? It says 'Email Me'. Click it, and email your address to me so I can mail your photos.

And thank you all for joining in! It really was difficult to select the winners. But it was fun, eh? Lets do it again. I need people to write greeting cards for me. I'll come up with the design, you come up with the little ditty for the inside. Then you'll see it for sale somewhere, and you can point it out to all your friends and family, and say, "Hey, look! I wrote that!", and they'll say, "Really? Do you get paid to write little ditties for greeting cards?", and you'll answer "No, but the Desperate Horsewife uses the money to go out scouting trips to see the wild horses and bring them home and find adopters!" And they'll be so impressed. Or not. But we'll have fun doing it just the same!

Best of 2009, Sunday Stills

Oh, what a difficult thing to ask! My favorite two photos from the '09 Sunday Stills? Life would have been much easier this morning had I remembered to label all of my Sunday posts.

Then again, it may have made things even worse if I'd had a larger selection of mediocrity, eh?

Thankfully, one of those that I came across was this shot taken out in my backyard. One of our little vine maples was simply ablaze with color! I love the vertical lines of the alder trees that frame those tiny little leaves. And I love their speckled trunks. I could do without the green leaves on the left side. Why didn't my gardener take care of that for me?

Selecting a second photo wasn't so easy, but I finally decided on this 'Drive By Shooting'. Not that this was the subject of the day when I posted it. Heck, I don't even recall what we were shooting that day. More fall color? Fog? Recently mowed cornfields? All I recall is that I'd been out to pick up some grain and came across this old barn in the fog and shot it as I was driving down the road.

And those would be my two favorites for Sunday Stills '09. Now, since you're here, would you mind helping me out a little? The post below this is requesting some creative thinking and titles for some photos. I'd be much obliged if you'd offer up some suggestions!