Images by Carol Fowler

It's Football Season

2009-11-22T20:00:00.001-06:00

I have been a football fan since high school. Over the years Kansas City has had its ups and down with its NFL team, the Chiefs. For the last few years, it has been mostly downs. For various reasons, today was the first home game I've attended for the last two Chiefs' seasons. I was anxious to see the not-yet completed stadium renovation and had hopes that the game, played against last year's Super Bowl winning Pittsburgh Steelers, would not be a lopsided Pittsburgh blowout.

The stadium scoreboard graphics get wilder and wilder each year. The introduction (with very LOUD music) features robotic "transformer" Chiefs this year.

The once proud Arrowhead stadium used to rock on Sundays. The stands were filled with 77,000+ rabid Chiefs' fans. The tip of one of the Arrowheads, way up where the air is thin, was reserved for the few opposing fans who happened to be brave enough to venture into Arrowhead.

Today, however, was far different. The stands. about 20 per cent empty, were filled with probably 25 per cent Pittsburgh fans, decked out in their yellow and black, waving their yellow towels. All in all, most Kansas City fans are true midwesterners and cordial to opponents (not like the Buffalo Bills fans who pelted us with snowballs when we travelled to Buffalo for a playoff game many years ago - when the Chiefs were good and Joe Montana played for us).

I've been in this situation before when we've travelled to away Chiefs games and the stands were half full of our Chiefs' red and gold. It's a pitiful reflection on a local team when the opposing fans take over.

We were able to take some wind out of the Pittsburgh fans' sails by running the opening kick-off back for a touchdown. Warpaint the horse has made his reappearance to celebrate Chiefs' scores. He was always a fan favorite in the 60s and 70's - although now the horse is ridden by a buxom horse woman and not a pretend Indian Chief in full war headdress.

Our usually hapless Chiefs pulled it out in overtime, making the day a success with the star player a former college walk-on at a Division 3 college.

Go Chiefs!

Fabulous Fall Color

2009-11-14T18:31:00.000-06:00

This year has been hectic, to say the least. I had a pipe burst above my kitchen in January during frigid Kansas City weather. The clean-up and repair resulted in a remodel, with the kitchen being bumped out to create eating space and a new screened porch added off the kitchen.

We had a beautiful fall with the early cold snap and wet weather. Since I was in a walking boot during much of the fall, I didn't get out with my camera. However, I decided during my remodel to add a fountain off my patio. The below photo shows the fountain and the one picture I took this fall with beautiful foliage.

The guy who laid the brick on my patio and built the fountain was a real artisan. I loved his name -- Maverick Pickering. Here's a link to his web site.

http://www.mavericklandscaping.com/

The Pups' Excellent Maryland Adventure

2009-10-04T14:01:00.045-05:00

Hey! We get to go on a car trip! Mom and dad told us to settle in since it will be longer than a trip to doggie day care. "We" means me, Kauffman, and my sister, Hanover, and brother, Fenway. I'm a Norfolk terrier and they are Border terriers. I'm 5 months old; Fenway, the elder, is nearly 13 years old, and Hanover is 10.

This is me, Kauffman

This is Hanover

This is Fenway

Mom and dad said we'll get to see Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia on our way to and from visiting where I, Kauffman, was born on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in April of this year. Gosh, that's eight states! We know what Kansas and Missouri look like since we live in Kansas and go to Missouri all the time (it's really close - only a couple of miles from where we live).

I can honestly say that being in the car is a bummer, even though Mom has made the car really comfy, with soft blankets and pillows. First off, I threw up in the first hour. That always hungry Hanover tried to gobble up my upchucked cookies - how gross - that was my job! However, Dad didn't let either of us clean up the mess, even though we said we gladly would.

One thing I really don't like is the harness I have to wear that keeps me from being free. Here are a few pics of us on our trip. As you can see, we find lots of interesting positions on the back seat. I was kind of worried being next to Fenway since he still thinks I'm just a little brat but he was really nice the whole trip. I think we're bonding!

We get to stop every so often so I can get out and stretch my legs, do my business and, most importantly, let every dog who visits that spot know that I, Kauffman, of Maryland and Kansas, have been there.

All in all, this car stuff is boring and it's only my first day on the trip. However, I think Mom and Dad aren't bored since they keep talking about the rain in the mountains of Kentucky. I think they're a little tense since they keep saying how they can't see the road and that the construction barrels are making bad reflections. I've even heard the word "hydroplaning", which I don't know anything about but the car did feel funny a few times.

Whew, we finally made it to a nice Hampton Inn in Lexington, Kentucky. You wouldn't believe how many other dogs I've seen here. Mom and Dad said it's a "dog friendly" place, whatever that means. I think every place is dog friendly, since everyone who sees me says how cute I am!

I took my first ride in an elevator and, since Hanover and Fenway seemed okay with the ride, I just followed their lead. The room is nice but Mom and Dad are keeping us on our leashes. They said something about making sure we have no accidents in the room since the hotel staff use black lights to search after we leave. I don't plan to leave anything behind for them to find but I guess if the black light shows a glowing spot on the carpet, it means there was an accident and that costs Mom and Dad money. Since it's so late, in to my kennel I go to sleep.

Well, the night was good and we get to eat our breakfasts in the room. I'll try to keep mine down today. Off we go to Maryland!

It's been another long day but I was really excited when we got to the rest stop in Maryland - my home state!! We stopped in the mountains and Dad and Mom kept talking about something called "fall foliage". I have no idea what they are talking about but it sure is pretty and I made sure to leave my "Kauffman" scent in the mountains. I need to make sure that all who follow know that I've been here.

We finally got to the farm where we are staying. It's called Spring Cove Farm. It was dark when we got here, so I haven't seen too much. But, this nice lady, who dad said helped my dog mom, Geordie, bring me into this world, is letting us use part of her house. She showed us around and brought this cute little girl Norfolk to play with me. She and my parents keep saying something about the little girl being "in season" but I have no idea what they mean. She's flirting with me but I just want to play. It's fun having someone my size to play with.

This house has really steep stairs since the house is 100 years old. But, I'm not afraid of running up and down the stairs. Neither Fenway not Hanover want to use the stairs, though, except when we go to bed at night. Maybe it's because they're higher off the ground than me and the stairs look scarier.

Oh my gosh! It is a new day and is this farm unbelievable? When Dad took me out for my morning constitutional, what did I first see but llamas! I went over to the fence and wanted to jump in to play with the big guys but dad just let me look at them. Plus, there is a horse and ostriches.

There is also a beach and a dock. You see, we're near Chesapeake Bay. The water at the farm is from a little river near the bay so it is gentle. The first thing I wanted to do was jump in and I did. Fenway is such a sissy, though. You'd think he was made of sugar and would melt if water touched him. Hanny is afraid of everything, so she didn't want to get in either. We went out on the dock and I just loved looking at the water. You know - this is where I was born - right by Chesapeake Bay.

Today, my mom and dad and I get to go see my dog mom, Geordie, and my first family. Boy, am I excited. I heard something about Geordie being "in season" too. I wonder if that is something like vegetables being "in season". Dad told my first family not to worry, that I didn't get it yet, so could be with Geordie. What does "he doesn't get it yet" mean?"

I had more fun than I can say playing with Geordie and seeing my first mom and dad again. I remembered them and even looked for my litter mate in the house. He went to live in Boston though, so I just played and played with Geordie. When we left, I found out that I would see my first family again a little later in the week. It's pretty fun having two nice families.

Speaking of being "in season". I found some ripe tomatoes and was going to pick one but my mom said something about that not being a polite thing to do. I love tomatoes and pick them in Kansas all the time.

My mom and dad and Fenway keep disappearing for a while each day to go a couple of miles down the road to something called the Border Terrier Specialty. Fenway and Hanover aren't doing any of the events like earthdog (which was held on my farm) or agility, since Fenway is too old and Hanover is too scared. However, they know some of the people who have dogs that are doing these fun things and they go to watch and chat. I'm hoping that I'll get to do some of these things too, as I get older. Here are a few pictures they said I could show you. The event was at Queen Anne County 4H park.

Today is Hanny's birthday. She's a pretty good looking girl for 10 isn't she?

That cute little girl Norfolk from next door came over again to play and, guess what? I finally "got it". Sheesh, just when I "got it" they took her away and I didn't get to see her again. Now, is that fair? No, I don't think so!

Here's a picture of the house we stayed in. Mom counted the trees lining the road to the house and said there were 41 on one side. She kept saying it looked like Tara, a plantation road. It's kind of neat since you drive through a lot of forest to get to the Tara road. We kept seeing deer in the forest. Since I got here, I've learned that my dog grandma and great grandma used to live on this farm too. What a small world!

There are a lot of barns on the farm. One is home to the horse who is 34 years old. Did you know horses could be 34? Here I am trying to make friends with him.

Since the farm is way out in the country, there are no curtains at the windows, including the bathroom. Mom, being the city girl she is, taped up newspapers after the second day. She said something about needing "peace of mind" even though dad told her that there was no one who was looking in the windows. She said she was reading scary books and the open windows spooked her. Maybe it's because it's close to Halloween.

One of the coolest things we heard from the owner of the farm, was that my little girl friend the Norfolk, had caught a mouse the week before. I wanted to so bad and could smell them in the walls and behind the cupboards but none ever peeped out for me to catch. You know, that's a job of a Norfolk terrier. My long ago ancestors lived in England and their job was to catch the critters that lived in barns. I wanted to do my job this week but never got the chance. Drats!

One of my favorite places at the farm was the nice screened porch I could sit on. I could watch all sorts of things from the porch.

My first family came to the farm to see me and Fenway and Hanover. Guess what? They brought me a toy like Geordie has, except that it's red. I love, love, love my new toy. I try to keep it away from Fen and Han since they just slobber on toys. Mom and Dad are calling the toy "Maryland Red". Georgie's toy was called "OJ", since it was orange and here's a picture of me playing with OJ. Geordie didn't know, or she would have taken it away from me..

Mom and Dad said that they had lunch with my first family at a nice restaurant on the water. Boy was my mom glad that people in Maryland are honest. She dropped her camera when she got out of the car and someone walked around the restaurant to find the owner. I'd say that she needs to be more careful with her pocket camera!

After they had lunch, they went to a Chesapeake Bay conservation area and saw some owls and hawks. I wish I had been there but they say that I'm still small enough that owls and hawks could swoop down and fly away with me. That's why mom and dad don't let me go out alone yet, even in Kansas.

When they came back, my first family said goodbye to me. I know they were sad. I watched them go. My mom said I looked sad. I wish my two families lived close together. After I watched their car go down the lane, I gave my dad a big puppy kiss.

Well, it's been a fun time on the farm but we have to go back to Kansas. First, we have to drive over the Bay bridge. It is the longest and tallest bridge I've ever been on and just goes on and on forever.

To go back to Kansas, we're taking what my mom calls the scenic route through Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. I keep hearing about the "fall foliage" again but all I'm interested in is leaving my mark in as many new places as possible.

We are in a town called Elkins, West Virgina, where we ran into a huge traffic jam. There is some HUGE event going on in town. Take a look at the chairs on the side of the road. I looked at them the whole way since I've never seen chairs on a road before. My guess is that there is going to be a parade. We can't stop, though. We're going back to the dog friendly hotel in Kentucky. That's kind of a bummer since I'll be on the leash again.

Our last day in the car is today. Since we've made such good time, we're stopping to see some family in Waterloo, Illinois. Here's a picture of the newest member of the family. He's younger than I am but not as furry, for sure!

And, here's his big brother.

Finally, home at last. It's been a fun 8 days but I am glad to be able to run without the leash.

Signing off now

Royal Chesapeake Kauffman Camden Brett (aka Kauffman)

Kauffman Camden Brett

2009-06-25T22:06:00.005-05:00

Photos of our new puppy are up on my second blog. Can you tell we're a baseball family? Brett (1979-1996) was the dog our daughter named after George Brett, during his heyday. Camden (1997- 2009) was named after Camden Yards since Bob got the call that we had been chosen as Camden's family when he was at a Baltimore Oriole's game. Kauffman is named after the stadium the Kansas City Royals play in. Kauffman Camden, of course can be shortened to KC.

carolfowlerphotography.blogspot.com

He's a delight!

It's Dad's Vacation

2009-06-08T13:38:00.033-05:00

As a child, my two sisters, brother and I, and my dad and mom spent several summer vacations in Colorado camping at Byers Creek, near Fraser, Colorado. The family didn't have a lot of money and this was an economical way to get out and have some fun (in cooler weather than the hot, humid Kansas summers). We pulled a little pop-up camper behind the 1960 Plymouth Valiant, driving what was then the back roads of Kansas and Colorado. Our air conditioning was of the 4-70 variety - all four windows open, speeding down the road at 70 miles per hour. How we ever fit into that little camper to sleep is baffling to me.

As the years went by, my dad continued to go to Colorado whenever he could and with whoever was available to go, including his kids, friends and finally grandkids. Byers Creek campground was generally the destination, although on occasion,we detoured to New Mexico.

A few years ago, Dad became ill with a blood disease that saps his strength and also began going blind from the non-treatable kind of macular degeneration. Losing his eyesight slowly has been difficult, at best. He has always been an independent man and relying on others for anything is simply not in his nature.

A couple of years ago I heard dad mention that he had talked to a friend about wanting to see Colorado again before he went blind. That started the wheels turning and I asked my brother and sisters if they would like to take a family vacation with dad. It took a year and a half of planning but the time finally arrived in June 2009.

Even with all the advance planning, we were still able to surprise dad when my sister and her husband from St. Louis met Dad, Delia, my dad's wife of 35 years, and Bob at the airport to continue on their flight to Denver. All of us nearly slipped and mentioned the surprise at some point over the last few weeks of planning. My brother, who had just started a new job, flew out on Monday. The rest of us drove with the mound of luggage.

Something my dad had wanted to do his entire life was to take the train through the mountains, particularly, the Moffat Tunnel. So, on the first Sunday of the vacation, Dad, Delia, Delia's daughter Liz, me, and my sisters Kathy and Barbara set off from Denver's Union Station on the two hour Amtrak train ride to Fraser, Colorado. Our three husbands, Bob, Dave and Earl, drove the three cars to the house we rented in Winter Park, Colorado. Below are some photos from the ride.

Here's dad and Delia enjoying the scenery, which was stunning!

Liz made friends with the conductor, who was a hoot. As you can see, they became fast friends! Take a look at the reaction of the lady on the train - priceless.

The train station at Fraser is just a whistle stop but cute, nevertheless. The third photo is the Fraser end of the six-mile Moffat tunnel that cuts straight through the mountain. The train ride was great. The seats were exceptionally comfortable. In fact, we're all talking about taking a cross country train ride!

Due to my sister's persistence in this recession, we were able to rent a 6,000 square foot house for $300 a night! This was the view out of the living room window.

There were three master bedrooms, a pool room, a state of the art kitchen, a huge television room and hot tub. To say my dad and the family enjoyed this lovely home is an understatement.

The first thing my brother did was to jump into the hot tub.

Here's the view from the tub.

On Monday, we drove to the Byers Creek campground. Nearly 50 years after our first visit, it was still the same old campground, just with bigger trees and logs that had fallen across the stream in different places. Talk about bringing back the memories. It's funny when you get a family together to reminisce - each person may have experienced the same events but remembers different pieces.

The photo below shows "the Mountain" we kids used to sit on to eat our breakfast. I'm sure we scrambled up effortlessly as kids. It was more of a production to get situated for this photo, particularly for those of us with bad knees! We all thoroughly enjoyed the couple of hours we spent looking around the old campground. We had it all to ourselves since it's early in the camping season.

On Tuesday, Dad visited a local pharmacy and picked up a prescription that had been called in by his hometown doctor and he and my sister visited a local doctor to get one of the three shots he gets each week to build his blood cells. At the doctor's office the doctor discovered that the high altitude was causing an oxygen deficit, so arrangements were made to rent some portable oxygen tanks for dad for the remainder of the visit. Once the oxygen was delivered, we took a back roads trip out of Fraser.

The wildflowers were in glorious bloom and we stopped frequently to photograph the flowers, family and generally nice scenes. We found out a couple of days later that this back road had only opened in the last week or so. It was one of the highlights of our trip. We never saw another car the entire trip, except for one park ranger, who we thought might arrest us for picking flowers (not digging them up - which we knew was illegal).

Liz was entranced by the tiny flowers in the majestic setting.

Here's my brother picking flowers for Liz.

Wednesday we planned to take another back roads trip but the planned route was closed. As a result, we drove up to Walden, not far from the Wyoming border. After picnicking at a city park, we drove back through a wildlife wetlands sanctuary. It was cold, rainy and dreary but the prairie dog patrol volunteers were ensconced in their huts watching for and counting the prairie dogs. What a job! As the license plate states: "Prairie Dog Squad - It's not a Job, It's An Adventure."

In the distance, you can see one of the squad members sitting in the elevated shed, in the rain.

Further down the road, we were stopped by cowboys/cowgirls standing in the middle of the road. It turned out to be the highlight of the day trip. We got to see more than a hundred beautiful horses galloping across the road to pasture land on the other side. Never without our cameras, I, my husband and brother-in-law all jumped out and captured the action. My only regret is that I didn't turn the movie mode on for my camera. It's a new camera and I didn't think about it until about a half hour later. It would have been nice to capture the action and thundering sound of the horses in a more robust way than still photos.

Thursday was a rainy day, so we took the opportunity to just relax. One of my sisters and her husband and my brother had flown home Wednesday, so it was a smaller group doing the reminiscing but we spent most of the day recalling the years gone by. I tape recorded most of the conversations and will incorporate snippets of the audio into a slide show I will create of the trip.

I had to include a photo of my dad's hand. He made his living and provided for the family working with his hands. They are still strong hands, albeit a little shakier these days. As you can see, he gets around with a cane.

My dad said over and over during the trip that it was a great, great trip. I have never seen him so relaxed and content. Although he couldn't see the mountains perfectly, or roam around the campsite or walk across the logs that bridged the stream at the campground, he thoroughly enjoyed driving through the mountains, smelling the fresh mountain air and having his family around him all week. We all had a great time and created new memories that will be with us for a lifetime.

Dad, thank you for all you've done for us over the years. The memories you helped create by taking us camping at Byers Creek, formed the foundation for this trip in 2009.

We love you. Carol, Kathy, Barbara, Bobby (know to the rest of the world as Bob) and Liz

Border Terrier Fun Day

2009-05-31T11:41:00.007-05:00

We look forward to this day every year when owners of Border Terriers in the area get together to play with their pups. In year's past, we've had dress up games, parades with costumes, agility fun competitions, earthdog demonstrations and just general fun. A main event each year is the hotdog bobbing contest.

Some of you may recall I wrote about the death of our Norfolk Terrier Camden, last October after he was diagnosed with lymphoma and suffered complications from surgery. Camden was an honorary Border Terrier each year for this one day. The first year of the hotdog contest, Camden won each heat and the final "bob-off" in record time. He literally inhaled the three pieces of hotdog and would try to move on to his neighbor's container for more! He won the award the first year, but as one of the little kids noted - "...but, he's not even a Border Terrier!" As a result, each year thereafter, he played but not as a real game participant.

This year, in Camden's honor, we sponsored the contest, saying a few words about Cam. Two of the cutest little girls won, and were thrilled to get the award certificate, good treats for their pup, and a gift card to a local pet store. What fun!

It was a hot, summer day without a cloud in the sky, so terrible for good photos. However, we take what nature gives us to make photography records of these important days. Here's a photo of Fenway and Hanover lounging in the sun, with the agility equipment in the background. Fenway had a blast, as always, reliving his agility competition days. He's such a good boy, albeit a little slower than in the past. He greatly enjoyed his day and crashed as soon as we got home. I hate that he's getting older. They are with us such a short time.

Hanover, as always was the social little girl. She just loves everyone she meets and isn't shy about demanding a nice petting.

Here's the group. We even had one 18 year old Border this year, who looked GREAT. We only can hope ours live that kind of life.

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T14:10:00.005-05:00

It's an overcast Memorial Day - perfect to photograph flowers. The Kousa dogwood in our backyard is in glorious bloom. The flowers are very unassuming. They're just little petals in beautiful creamy white with a subtle yellow center.

For those who are interested, this photo was taken at 70mm, ISO 200, f2.8 at 1/1600 sec. I had a 500D Canon close-up lens attached to the front of my 28-70 lens.

Happy Memorial Day and thank you to all who have served to keep us free. We often take our freedom for granted and should never do so.

Arboretum Wildflower Walk

2009-04-26T10:41:00.008-05:00

Members of the Arboretum Photography Committee and the Johnson County Camera Club had the privilege yesterday to go on a guided wildflower walk and photoshoot at the Overland Park Arboretum. Our guides were native plant expert Ken O'Dell and the Arboretum Volunteer Coordinator Phyllis Merrick. Phyllis said the wildflower display at the Arboretum is the largest collection of wildflowers in a six-state area. I will spend some time later this week identifying all of the flowers below. Ken identified the flowers as we walked through the grounds but, we photographers were too busy finding the next flower to photograph to take notes!

It was a perfect day for the photography since the sky was cloudy and there was no wind. A sunny, day would have created too much contrast between lights and darks in the forest. Wind would have made the images of the flowers blurry since they would have been moving while the shutter was open. All in all, it was a great day, a learning experience and a fun subject to photograph.

I couldn't resist taking some other photos today with my macro lens. This is a clematis in my sister's front yard. It was a beautiful specimen.

The next three were taken in the entry to the Arboretum grounds. The tulips were as beautiful as I've ever seen and they were in perfect bloom. The first photo is a pine bush in the planter with the tulips.

In the flower photography class I teach, I talk about the interplay of colors. This photo is a good example. I liked the red behind the tulips and the contrast it made with the yellow and green.

Again, playing with the depth of field.

More of an abstract macro shot.

Enjoy!

An Easter Birthday

2009-04-12T21:27:00.003-05:00

My niece celebrated her birthday today, sharing this scrumptious cake with about 25 guests. The cake was so beautiful and unique that I couldn't resist taking a photo. These cakes are made in Lawrence, Kansas (home of the 2008 national champion University of Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team) at - of all places - a Dillon's grocery store!

Thunder Snow

2009-03-28T19:41:00.010-05:00

Another strange spring day in Kansas. Much of the state was hit with blizzard conditions. In Kansas City, we started with sleet around 1:00 pm that changed into snow about an hour later. It's now 8:00 pm and still snowing. We probably have four inches, which is a far cry from the 28 inches Pratt Kansas got last night. And, it's March 28th!

It was a perfect day to play with the camera, mostly under protection of a covered patio. I got a macro filter last summer and have never used it, so gave it a try today. The close up photos are done with the new filter.

The first photo is of the tulip tree. These blossoms will be brown and withered tomorrow. They can't survive the freezing temperatures.

A beautiful little tulip. I don't know if the tulips will survive. We'll see tomorrow.

This is the forsythia bush - the yellow background is forsythia flowers blurred with the very shallow depth of field

These berries are the precursor to very fragrant Viburnum flowers. The clove scent fills the air when they are in bloom. My guess is that we'll have to wait until next year to enjoy the fragrance.

Another beautiful tulip

A different variety of tulips - can you tell we're gardeners?

The tulip tree with snow coming down full force

When does it ever snow when the forsythia are in full bloom? It makes for interesting photos.

I shot at a high iso to give a very fast shutter speed to capture the snowflakes

It will probably be 70 degrees again next weekend, just like it was last. This has been a strange year for weather.

Abstracts

2009-03-21T17:54:00.005-05:00

The photos below were exhibited in the City of Overland Park "Abstract" Exhibit last fall. These were taken on a trip to Oregon last summer during which our focus was photography for four days. We had cameras in hand and travelled up and down the coast of Oregon photographing a diverse cross-section of subjects (some other photos in earlier posts).

The netting and rust photos were both taken in a working shipyard that had acres of buoys, nets and other maritime equipment. It was a nice overcast day, so we were able to get amazing saturated colors with no worries about blowing out highlights or blocking shadows. The other photo was taken after dusk in the harbor at Newport Oregon.

I generally don't use a tripod but these photos wouldn't have been possible without one. I was always frustrated positioning the the head of my tripod to get just the angle and photo I wanted until an instructor told me about the Really Right Stuff tripod heads and camera L-brackets. They make positioning and repositioning the camera on the tripod a piece of cake, both for horizontal and vertical shots. No more frustration! I find my range of photography expanding as a result of using the RRS head.

Juried Exhibition

2009-03-06T17:38:00.007-06:00

I was thrilled to learn that I have had two photos accepted for exhibition in the upcoming 2009 Art at the Center Juried Exhibition In Overland Park. I've included a link to the exhibit information below. The photos accepted were two I took this past summer in Oregon. The first has been on display in another photography exhibition. The second is on display for the first time. Both were taken on the same day on the coast of Oregon. The bridge is in Newport Oregon. The beach scene is on Driftwood Beach, south of Newport. It was a windy, blustery day and was misty at the beach. As we drove closer and closer to Newport, the fog rolled in, obscuring the bridge.

http://www.opkansas.org/_Res/Things_to_Do/Arts_and_Music/Art_at_the_Center/juror.cfm

Snow at the Arboretum

2009-02-28T21:55:00.005-06:00

It's March 1 tomorrow and we had our deepest snow of the season today. Plus, it's going to get down to 4 degrees tonight. That temperature brings terror to my heart since I had upstairs pipes freeze, break and demolish my kitchen the day after I returned from Phoenix in January. The kitchen is still open to the rafters, so I hope the heat keeps the pipes toasty warm tonight.

Today was a great day to get out to the Arboretum with a camera in hand. It was the perfect snow - the streets were clear since it has been so warm but the snow was deep enough to cover the grass. My niece joined us and I've attached some of my photos and hers. Enjoy!

This is a photo of my niece. It was blowing snow for most of our visit. And, as you can see it was COLD.

The below photos are my niece's - pretty nice for a 14 year old!!

This is a self portrait my niece took of herself.

One of her favorites - more of a stealth self-portrait.

You can see the snow blowing in the two photos above.

A nice abstract - she has a great eye for composition

Strange weather - frigid today and in the 60's and 70's later this week.

Oregon Coast

2009-01-25T16:08:00.007-06:00

These two images were taken in July 2008 in Newport, Oregon. The first is one of those shots where I was in the right place at the right time with a camera in hand. We had driven south on the Oregon coast earlier in the day and were returning to the hotel when the fog rolled in. We parked on the shoulder of the road where, it was clear many other cars had parked to photograph the bridge over the years. I had time to take a few photos, this being my favorite, before two guys who were interested in robbing us showed up. We recognized shortly after they arrived that they had designs on the camera equipment in the open trunk. We jumped into the car and drove away with the trunk open and melted into traffic in town. Our guess was they knew this was a favorite spot of photographers when the fog rolled in. All's well that ends well!

This photo was taken at a shipyard full of buoys, nets and ropes used on ocean going boats. These buoys are unique in that they are pastel in color. Most of the other nets and buoys were vibrant in color.

Both of the above photos have been accepted into the Art at the Center photography exhibition beginning February 1, 2009 running through March 29, 2009 at the Overland Park Convention Center. After February 1, google Art at the Center Overland Park and you can look through the virtual gallery of all of the exhibited photos. It's always a good collection.

An Amazing Photo Essay

2009-01-02T23:02:00.002-06:00

I just read the most inspiring photo essay a photographer has done of his 98 year old dad. It's well worth the read.

Here's the link:

www.dayswithmyfather.com

Plaza Lights II

2008-12-27T22:52:00.012-06:00

We took advantage of Friday's spring-like weather to go on a photo safari to the Country Club Plaza with our niece, who is interested in photography. It's usually "bundle-up warm with hat and gloves" weather for a December Plaza lights photo-shoot, which makes for clumsy handling of a tripod and camera. Since it was in the 60's yesterday evening, it was sweater weather, which made for a nice, leisurely two-hour walk-about on the Plaza with cameras in hand.

We arrived about a half hour before sunset to make sure we were able to take full advantage of the twilight half-hour after sunset. As I mentioned in my Arboretum post below, cloudy or clear, the sky photographs as a brilliant blue for about one-half hour after sunset, with the color changing minute by minute. Last night was no exception - and we even got some pink cloud reflections for a fleeting couple of minutes.

It's fascinating to see the world through the "photography eyes" of another. My niece had ideas in her mind as to what she wanted to accomplish during the photography session. I took the first photo below as she was trying to capture the motion of the traffic and pedestrians with the lights in the background. Although not yet technically proficient with shutter speeds, iso's and apertures, she was able to articulate her vision perfectly and I was able to manage the technical aspects to help her express her vision. I'm anxious to see the end result of her efforts and will post a few of her photos when I get them from her.

She loved the way the flags were stiffly flying with the Plaza lights in the background - a view I hadn't noted.

Below are a few photos I took. It's tough to get a unique photo of the Plaza lights since the landmarks have been photographed millions of times. This first photo is something different I tried. It's a small section of lights on a building - kind of abstract.

Nice hanging baskets throughout the Plaza - decked out for the holiday season

The pair of bronze statues standing guard - gifts from Xian, the Chinese sister city of Kansas City - you can see a close up of one of the statues in my first Plaza lights blog entry on December 13th.

The Time Tower - one of the most photographed towers on the Plaza

Here's the beautiful pink reflection from the sunset into the clouds - it lasted less than five minutes

One of the Path of Gold lampposts with the Clock Tower in the background

Another beautiful tower

A few hours after we got home, the temperature dropped 35 degrees. We had a first ever (at least that I recall) tornado watch in December with accompanying violent thunderstorms for several hours into the morning. This, after sleet and snow a few days earlier! I think we chose the right day to wander around the Plaza!

Winter Solitude

2008-12-16T20:35:00.004-06:00

Winter has arrived in Kansas City. It dropped 15 degrees in 15 minutes this past Sunday and, at the end of the day was about 40 degrees colder than the beginning of the day. We had a couple on inches of snow last night, with the attendant traffic jams on the way to work today. I'm always disappointed when I can't get out in the snow with my camera but today was frigid - high of about 19 degrees.

This photo was taken a couple of years ago in the middle of the city. I had been out taking photos for about three hours on a Sunday morning and was headed home for some hot chocolate when I drove up a hill and saw these two trees silhouetted against the cloudy sky. This is a color photo but the day was so grey and white, the scene photographed as black and white. It was my favorite photo of the day.

This photo has been accepted for exhibition in two juried competitions and is one of my favorites.

Country Club Plaza Lights

2008-12-13T22:27:00.007-06:00

Kansas City is famous for the Country Club Plaza, the first suburban shopping center in the United States, which dates back to 1922. Every Thanksgiving for the past 83 years, the Plaza comes alive with miles and miles of colorful lights strung along the European inspired buildings and towers.

This first photo was taken in 2000, the first year fireworks were set off after the lights were switched on. We had the good fortune to be watching the ceremony from an apartment balcony that overlooked the Plaza. The fireworks were spectacular and have become an annual tradition!

In this second photo, you can see the throngs of people standing in the street immediately after the lights were turned on. Each year a celebrity flips the switch with the help of a child from the audience. This year, it was Kansas City's own, David Cook, the 2008 American Idol.

This is truly the moon rising next to the Time Tower, overlooking Brush Creek. This shot was toned and textured.

The moon again but with the color of the lights of the Time Tower.

The glow of a street lamp.

It's fun to walk around the Plaza and look for reflections. In each ornament, the lights of the building across the street are reflected.

The final photo shows a statute that was one of a pair - gifts from Xian, Kansas City's sister city in China.

For the history and more information about the Plaza, visit:

http://www.countryclubplaza.com/plaza.aspx?pgID893

More Luminary Walk

2008-12-10T21:07:00.003-06:00

The Luminary Walk at the Overland Park Arboretum is held for two weekends. Here are some photos I took on the second weekend. It was pretty chilly that night but attendance was still great. It's wonderful to see so many families enjoying this annual event. There's lots to see as you wind your way through the lighted paths. The campfire below, next to the hot cider tent, is a favorite for kids. The sounds of the Christmas carols that are sung 'round the campfire fill the night air.

This is a fun tunnel for the kids. It gets shorter and shorter as you walk through it. It's a surprise for the adults as they have to bend lower and lower!

One of my favorites this year was the teepee with the lighted bears playing soccer. The pink you see in the clouds was a fleeting few minutes of sunset reflection.

If you didn't make it out to this great event, there's always next year!

Overland Park Arboretum In Winter

2008-12-10T20:01:00.006-06:00

As far as I'm concerned one of the absolute best times to be outside with a camera in hand is right after a snowfall. Somehow, the chill leaves the air and I'm never cold when I'm wandering around enjoying the peacefulness of a quiet, snowy day. I often head out to the Overland Park Arboretum after a snow. Generally, the only other folks I see are other photographers. We all try not to leave footprints that will intrude into a photo.

The above photo was my first entry into a photo contest. It was a second place winner, which was quite a thrill for me. It wasn't without controversy, however. It turns out the little red barn had been on loan to the Arboretum for the annual Art Fest for Kids that had been held a couple of weeks before the snowfall. I learned years later that there was a lot of discussion about whether or not to award a prize since some questioned whether the photo had been taken at the Arboretum. I'm glad someone recognized that it truly was a photo of the Arboretum!

The below photo is one of my favorites. It's so serene, with the hint of blue in the sky.

Luminary Walk at the Arboretum

2008-11-29T23:58:00.005-06:00

One of my favorite winter traditions is to attend the Overland Park Arboretum's annual luminary walk. Although the Arboretum is beautiful in any season, it is transformed two weekends a year to a twinkling fairyland. Anyone who has ever photographed lights at night knows it is a challenge. However, you can improve your chances of taking a nice photograph if you take your photos during twilight. Did you know that whether it is a cloudless or cloudy sky, or raining, as it was tonight, during the half hour after the sun has set, the sky photographs as cobalt blue?

Below are some photos I took over the last two nights, some at twilight and some later. The second weekend for the luminary walk is next weekend. If you live in Kansas City, it's well worth a visit, even in the cold, crisp air!

The above photo is the same photo as the one below. When I was processing the original in photoshop, I accidentally made a change I didn't intend. I thought the result was kind of interesting - half infrared-like and half winter twilight scene. Let me know what you think.

Overland Park Arboretum

2008-10-12T17:41:00.011-05:00

The Overland Park, Kansas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens is one of my all-time favorite places to visit with my camera in hand in any season. I refer to it as the hidden jewel of Johnson County, Kansas. Countless volunteers put in an extraordinary number of hours to keep developing and beautifying the Arboretum. I've included a link to the Arboretum's web site. www.opkansas.org/_vis/arboretum/index.cfm

Above are some of my Spring and Summer photos taken at the Arboretum in previous years. A photographer can go out week after week and find something different and beautiful to photograph - the gardens are ever changing. If you like photography and live around Kansas City, visit the Arboretum - you won't be disappointed.

St. Peter's Basilica

2008-10-12T16:33:00.005-05:00

We had just attended a Mass at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome at which our church's choir sang. In fact, it was the first Mass ever in the church at which a female had sung a solo. Our choir member did not know this until after her song. What an honor!

On our way out of the church I walked by this scene. Again, it was being in the right place, at the right time with a camera in hand. This photo has been on exhibition in a juried photography competition.

Italy

2008-10-11T13:44:00.009-05:00

Positano, Italy has been photographed so many times and it's difficult to get a shot that's different than the rest. The winds were heavy the day we visited Positano, so the boats were all on the beach, which gave me the unique shot I was looking for.

We had the beach to ourselves, except for a cute black dog. I was taking this shot when I felt something tug at my coat. It was the pup - going after a couple of dog treats buried in my pocket. If one has dogs, of course there are always treats in pockets, even when visiting Europe!

This is one of those photos where I was in the right place at the right time with my camera in hand. It was at the end of a long, cold, blustery, wet March day in Rome and all I wanted to do was to get back to the warmth of my room. We turned the corner to our hotel and this scene appeared. I seriously didn't want to stop - I was so cold and tired. My husband's better sense prevailed and I spent some time photographing this bicycle. It turned out to be my favorite shot from the vacation. This photo has been accepted for exhibition several times.