Day 119/365- Name this Image Giveaway!

Give this image a title and you are entered to win a set of 10 custom note cards from my collection!  All you have to do is have the best title and you win!  (Ty, Ladybug, Brian and I will vote for the best title.)  All entries must be in by Monday, May 3 to qualify for the prize.  All entries must link to your blog or leave your email address so I can contact you if you win.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!  The weather here is going to be hot and gorgeous.  I am looking forward to it!

Hugs and lovin',

Tracey

Day 118/365- Young Lady Thinking

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens, 45mm focal length, manual exposure, pattern metering, ISO 1000, f/3.5, 1/25, shade white balance, no flash

A letter Ladybug brought home with her from school today:



Dear Ladybug (of course it had her real name),

Thank you so much for spending time in conversation with me during my recent visit  to (blank) Elementary School.   I was impressed with the articulate manner in which you expressed your thoughts, opinions, and insights.  Our discussion was not only lively and interesting, but also informative as it helped me to learn a great deal about your school.  Talking about a school as seen through the eyes of students is extremely important to me as superintendent of schools.  I very much appreciate your willingness to be part of our student discussion group.

Again, thank you for playing such a key role in my visit to (blank) Elementary School.  Please accept my best wishes for your continued success.

Sincerely,
Robert M. Tomback
Superintendent of Schools

It does a Mama good to read these things.  I am glowing with pride.

Day 117/365- Follow the Leader

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens, 70mm focal length, manual exposure, pattern metering, ISO 3200, f/3.5, 1/160, auto white balance, no flash

I was outside last night

because Brian wanted me to see the moon.

Of course, I had my camera with me

and I was so glad.

There are these two HUGE planes that fly

right over out house all the time.

They are always VERY low and loud

as they skim over the tree tops.

I have never, in the 5 years we have lived here,

seen just one.

There are always two.

They are always headed in the same exact direction.

I have no idea what kind of planes they are

or why they would be flying this low.

It is kind of spooky, actually!

I am not even sure if they are military.

Anyway, I am hoping they are headed toward

an unknown airport near here

(I know of no airports whatsoever near here

that are big enough to land these large planes),

and not just flying low to avoid radar.

I have wanted to capture them

in a photo for a long time

but I am never sure when they are coming.

Sometimes it is during the day, 

sometimes in the evening.

They give no warning.

About 5 seconds before I can see them,

I can hear them,

so that is the only warning I get!

I hope all is well with everyone!

I miss having down time to stop in.

Soon, my friends, soon.

xoxo

Day 116/365- Red

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 USM lens, 62mm focal length, manual exposure, pattern metering, ISO 3200, f/2.8, 1/40, auto white balance, no flash

So tired.

So much to do.

This time of year kicks my behind.

There are so many school related activities...

So many work opportunities...

So much that needs to be done on the farm at this time of year.

It all gets to me after a while.

Especially when you throw in 

flat tires,

sick kids, 

stupid, rude people, 

and all of that jazz.

This image was a quick snapshot at 

10:30 PM last night before 

I crashed into bed.

It was the last two flowers standing

from a bouquet I bought 

two weeks ago.

It was the first thing I grabbed

when I realized that I had taken my POTD (Photo of the Day).

I like how the auto white balance read

the tungsten light and made the background 

 red, red, red.

Just to see if it would help,

I put the WB on tungsten

and it still looked the same.

I figure that is a sign that this image

should be this way.  

I decided to embrace it as is and

celebrate red.

(You could totally read that as I was too lazy tired

to try out the Kelvin temperature settings ;0)

xoxo

I will make it to your blogs soon.

Pinky promise!

Thanks so much for stopping in.

You are the jelly to my peanut butter.

Or something like that.

;0)

Can you tell I need sleep?

Giddy, giddy.

Day 114/365 and Day 115/365- Private

Hi Y'all!  Just wanted to let you know that I still have not forgotten about Project 365.  I have faithfully taken one image a day for the last 116 days.  However, Day 114 and 115 are private images that I can not share here.

I shot over 800 images Saturday through Sunday, but they were all clients for two different recreation councils.  I don't post client images here without permission, so I will skip posting those two days.

I took a regular image for today, Day 116, but don't have it ready to post yet, so in the meantime, please head over to Nine Acres Designs to see a slightly late (forgive me) Week In Review with lots of macro fun!

Hope I can grab a few minutes soon to visit everyone!   I miss you all!

xoxo,
Tracey

Day 113/365- The Unlucky One

Canon 100mm 2.8L macro lens, manual exposure, ISO 500, f/4.5, 1/125, pattern metering, auto white balance, no flash

I found this nest toppled out of one of 

the cypress trees.

The egg was on the ground and

the other half egg was in the nest.

I put the egg back in the nest and 

took the picture.

It is sad that both

eggs didn't hatch

but I hope the bird in

the first egg was big enough

to fly away before the nest fell.

I have my doubts, as it looked 

like the egg had recently hatched

and there was no sign of the baby 

anywhere.

Ahhh...the circle of life.

Anyone know what kind of bird egg

this is?  It was very small

so I am thinking some type

of sparrow.

Off to another shoot for

Girl's Lacrosse.

I had over 460 images yesterday.

*Ach*

Day 112/365- Nemesis

Canon 100mm f/2.8L macro lens, aperture priority, ISO 640, f/3.2, 1/250, auto white balance, pattern metering, no flash

Let's just say we have plenty of these around the farm

come spring and summer.

With animals comes waste,

if you know what I mean,

and with waste comes flies.

This year we have ordered fly killers,

another insect that is harmless to 

humans and other animals,

that feed on fly larvae.

I am sure it will help and 

I hope this summer will be a bit more

fly free than we have ever had before ;0)

I have a very busy weekend shooting

between 200-300 kids for local

Recreation Lacrosse teams,

so I may just post a picture each day

and not words.  

In the meantime, 

I have posted another free texture

for those of you who are interested.

Have a wonderful, safe weekend

and I will catch you all on the other side ;0)

xoxo,

Tracey

Day 111/365- My Grandparent Tree

Canon 100mm f/2.8 L series macro lens; manual exposure, pattern metering, ISO 3200, f/3.5, 1/60, no flash, cloudy white balance

I love this tree.

This beautiful

Japanese Red Maple tree

stands in my front yard.

It wasn't always there.

And to be honest,

I wish it wasn't there.

I know, sounds strange...

how can I love the tree and wish

it was not there?

Let me explain.

This tree actually belonged

to my paternal grandparents.

It stood in their yard since

I can remember.

Its delicate, red leaves and

petite size always

delighted me when I went for a visit.

But several years ago

I lost both of my grandparents

(actually I lost 3 grandparents within a year).

Until that time I had

4 living grandparents.

How lucky was I to still have

4 grandparents until I was in my thirties?

How amazing is it that my kids were

old enough that they will always

remember their great-grandparents?

Anyway, after they died,

my father had to sell their house.

There weren't very many things in the house

I wanted besides some kitchen utensils

that reminded me of the times when my

grandmother would bake bread with me.

I also took her old postcards

that she collected over the years.

But outside, I just couldn't imagine that tree

belonging to someone else.

I had to take that tree with me

and try to transplant it in my yard.

My husband, who grew up at a farm and nursery,

knew it was a long shot.

We weren't prepared with the right equipment to

dig up an established tree.

We didn't have the proper material to cover the root ball

for the hour ride home on a highway.

This type of tree doesn't transplant well anyway.

The chances were that it would die.

But I had to try.

So, my dear husband, dug with a

very blunt, ancient hand shovel

around the root ball for about an hour

until he was exhausted and dripping with sweat.

He tied several lawn trash bags around the root ball,

heaved it up into the back of our truck,

and brought it home here to These Nine Acres.

He planted it carefully.

I remember him shaking his head

when he was finished staking it for support

and telling me he didn't think it would make it.

That was about 3 years ago.

And it still thrives.

Every spring I wait with anticipation

of seeing the petite, delicate, shapely red leaves

push through the tender branches and burst into

a flame of color.

When I look at the tree now...

just off my front porch where I often

sit and swing on my porch swing,

it is bitter sweet.

I wish my grandparents were still around

so they could have this tree in their yard,

but since they have moved on,

I am glad that I insisted on having it

so it can remind me daily of their special love.

And to cheer you up after that,
a little video of the not-so-baby
goats.
They are successfully weaned
and are now reunited with
the Momma and the other
male goat, Shadow.
All males are fixed, so
there will not be any more babies!

Day 110/365- Waiting for a Tenant at the Dogwood Inn

Canon 100mm f/2.8 L series macro lens, manual exposure, ISO 1600 f/3.2, 1/50, auto white balance, pattern metering, no flash (Look at how high my ISO was and how wide the aperture was and how slow the shutter speed was...now that tells you I was shooting right before dark, but you would never know it from the image!)

One of the things I love about spring

is watching all the various birds that nest

at These Nine Acres.

We have birdhouses of all sorts

spread across the property.

In past years we have had

wrens,

chickadees,

barn swallows,

robins (in the trees of course),

house sparrows,

and many others

nest here at our place in the world.

This year we put up a 

purple martin house and 

we are keeping our fingers crossed 

that several families move into the condo

we have for them.

Unfortunately, the grackles

have been interested in the house,

so we will have to keep an eye on it 

to make sure they don't start trying to take over.

Those birds are nasty!

The little house in the picture

is all set for a new family

but so far, no takers.  

Other houses on the property have had some activity,

but not this one.

I guess the housing industry sucks right now ;0)

Know of any bird tenants looking for a good home?

Send them our way ;0)

Have a great evening...see you all tomorrow!

Day 109/365- Cruising

Canon 100mm Lseries IS macro lens, manual exposure, pattern metering, ISO 320, f/4.5, 1/320, auto white balance, no flash

How many of you had a Big Wheel growing up?

My brother and I had a regular Big Wheel

and 

we had the 

ultimate in Big Wheels,

The Green Machine!

I have fond memories of running the 

sidewalks pedaling like a mad-woman,

plastic wheels spinning up the steep hill

in front of my house.

Once at the top,

I would go racing down

so fast

my feet could not keep up with 

the 

out of control

spinning pedals.

The wind would whip my butt length hair

around and blind my eyes

and stick in my mouth.

Life was good.

The only worry I had 

was whether there was a 

bump in the sidewalk 

that might send me skidding.

There were lots of bruises 

and scrapes in those days.

But I was proud of every one of them.

I am happy to relive those days.

If only I could fit on that Big Wheel again...

Day 108/365- Ladybug's Friend

Canon 100mm f/2.8 IS macro; manual exposure, ISO 1000, f/3.2, 1/80, auto white balance, pattern metering, no flash, back lit by a window above and behind the moth

Of all my immediate family members,

Ladybug is the most finely attuned to my 

passion 

for photography.

She sees like me.

She thinks like me.

She wants to be a 

National Geographic photographer 

when she grows up

just like me ;0)

So, when she was jumping on the trampoline,

and she discovered this little, tiny moth,

she carefully transported it to the house

and told me to get my camera.

I did what I was told.

And I am glad I did.

How cute is that tiny little thing?

I loved the fringe on the back of its wings.

I will post more pictures of it on Friday 

when I do the Week In Review over at

Nine Acres Designs blog.

Thanks for stopping in, my friends.

It is always an amazing pleasure to have you here.

One day I want to see you in person 

and offer you tea and scones while we chat.

One day...

xoxo

Day 107/365- Abstract Rainbow

Canon 100mm f/2.8L macro, manual exposure, pattern metering, ISO 500,  f.3.2, 1/50, auto white balance, no flash

Is it weird that I am glad the weekend is over?

It was stressful and emotional and I yearned

for the routine of the week. 

One of the changes that happened this week 

was I moved my home office back to the

main living area of the house.

It was tough having toddlers and not being able

to access my phone book and calendar,

my photos, and my work schedule 

unless someone else was with them.

The main living area is no where near

where my computer used to be.

Since I went totally digital 

(huge step for me)

when I bought a Mac,

it was difficult having the main information

provider (the computer) in a different part of the house.

I will miss my little space that I called my own

where I used to nestle in and work on the computer,

but right now 

at this point in the lifeof my family, 

this new space will be

easier and smarter.

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

I just uploaded two new images 

to my Gallery for sale

if you are interested in that thing.

The coupon code for $5.00 off is good

through the end of the month.

You can read more about it and see which

images made the cut over at

Nine Acres Designs blog.

Thanks for stopping in.  

I hope your weekend was amazing.

Oh, and by the way,

the image is a CD

with water droplets on it.

By placing it in the sunlight

coming through the kitchen window, 

I was able to achieve the rainbow.

I owe the idea to my friend, Dawn. 

She did this same shot a while back 

and I wanted to give it a try ;0)

Day 106/365- Nature's Little Helper

Canon 100mm f/2.8L macro lens, manual exposure, pattern metering, ISO 200, f/3.2, 1/250

If you are interested, I have posted the Week in Review with lots of farm pictures over at Nine Acres Designs.  I thought I would mix it up a bit.

Lovin' my new lens...

Enough said.

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend.

Day 105/365- Dusty at Sunset

EF75-300mm f/4-5.6, 190mm focal length, pattern metering, manual exposure, ISO 1600, f/5.6, 1/250, auto white balance, no flash (I know someone will ask, so I will answer now...no I didn't do any editing to the color.  That was the real sunset the other night.  It looked like the sky was bleeding.)

I've been in a blah mood lately.

Not much to say.

Just the normal, mundane

ups

and 

downs

of rural, 

American life.

No complaints.

No excitement.

Just existing from

one day to the next.

Ever get in a mood like that?

How do you kick it to the curb?

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

Isn't Dusty cute?

I love that darn cat.

As soon as we go outside

he rubs against us and purrs.

I had to push him away

from me so I could get his picture.

I swear he knew what I was doing.

He always poses for me.

For instance, this image, was originally

taken without Dusty.  

Then, he rubbed against my leg, 

walked over to the corner of the fence,

and jumped up

as if to say, 

"There. Take the picture now.  It is complete with me in it."

Maybe he was a runway model

in a previous life.

Day 104/365- The Fog Comes on Little Cat Feet

EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM, 24mm focal length, manual exposure, ISO 50, f/10, 1/100, spot metering, auto white balance, no flash

The fog comes

on little cat feet.

It sits looking

over harbor and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on.

~Carl Sandburg

Day 103/365- Beauty

EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM,  70mm focal length, manual exposure, ISO 800, f/3.2, 1/50, auto white balance, no flash

Cancer sucks.

Everyone knows that.

But you know what doesn't suck?

The amazing spirit of

L, 

my dear friend,

who, despite being exhausted

and sometimes down,

and maybe even terrified at times,

marches on to raise her wonderful

brood of boys.

She stands firm and continues to be

a wonderful wife, daughter, sister, aunt...

And to me and many others she is

a 

loving friend.

The craziest part of the story behind this photo

is that I was terrified to ask her

permission

to take her portrait.

Terrified.

I thought I might offend her

somehow

since she is currently 

dealing with the loss of her hair.

I didn't want her to feel like I was making 

a spectacle of her because

of her changed appearance.

I was uncomfortable and nervous

and she was the one who confidently 

told me she would be happy for me to 

take her photo.

She is the one dealing with 

cancer 

and she

was making ME feel better. 

L is beautiful.

Inside and out.

Hair or no hair.

Despite hard times,

she keeps smiling

and making others feel comfortable

when they might otherwise feel awkward.

She talks openly about the disease

she is so bravely conquering

and is not afraid to take off her hat

and smile for the camera.

I love that about her.

I can learn a lot

about what is important in life

from L.

And that will be a gift she gives to me.

L is getting ready to go into 

surgery mid May to remove the 

remaining cancerous and scar tissue.

Please keep her in your 

thoughts,

prayers,

and meditations.

I truly believe the positive energy put

out into the universe can 

make a difference.

Hugs from the timid, wimpy, and awkard me.

xoxo

Day 102/365- Robo-Eye?

EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens, 50mm focal length, manual exposure, ISO 800, f/3.2, 1/25, auto white balance, no flash

Ty and I had our annual eye exam yesterday.

He was fine...only a minuscule change in his eyes.

Not enough to result in any changes to his prescription.

This is good news because for a while there 

he was getting worse and worse each year.

I have a slight case of myopia, 

or near sightedness.

Specifically, I have nocturnal myopia 

where I have difficulty seeing far away

in low light situations.

I am able to see close just fine.

I only wear a weak prescription as needed

such as driving at night,

watching a movie in a dark theater,

or watching television from a distance in a dim room.

I probably only wear my glasses once a month, 

if that.

Well, yesterday I found out that my eyes

have actually gotten BETTER over the year.

My eyes are now almost perfect.

The doctor explained that sometimes that happens...

the shape of the eye can correct itself and the 

myopia can get better over time.

I told him that I prefer to think of it this way:

I am aging gracefully and I am becoming

*better* over time.

Like fine wine, as some say.

He laughed at me.

But I don't care.

I am still going to tell myself that.

Even if it is a lie ;0)

***********

Head over to Nine Acres Designs blog
for a money saving coupon code
to purchase some great (if I do say so myself)
note cards and greeting cards!
Purchase a set of 10 to make a great
gift for your mom on Mother's Day!
Hurry, coupon code expires tomorrow!

Day 101/365- Orchard Road

EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens; 32mm focal length, manual exposure, ISO 400, f/6.3; 1/2500, auto white balance, no flash

This image,

of a local orchard in spring bloom,

has nothing to do with 

the story I am about to tell.

There is not a picture that could 

capture the craziness and beauty

of this story.

About 15 years ago

I almost died.

I went into anaphylactic shock

after taking Ceclor and I 

collapsed, unconscious and

barely breathing on the floor,

alone in my apartment.

When the EMT's got there

they injected me with an epi pen

and I came to.  

All I remember is it feeling like

every inch of my swollen body

itched and burned.

When I was able to open my eyes

I saw a female and a male paramedic

leaning over me screaming something

in my face.

I remember thinking, 

"Why are they screaming at me?"

They explained what happened, 

loaded me up in the ambulance and

took me to the hospital.

That was the last I ever saw of them.

I never really had a chance to say thank you

to the two heroes who saved my life.

If they had been a few minutes delayed,

I would not be here right now.

Fifteen or so years passed, 

I move out of the area and 

relocate to the teeny-tiny town

in which I now reside.

I meet new friends

and life resumed as usual.

Then, last Friday, I was on my way to

teach a workshop at Longwood Gardens

and I started talking with two of my friends in the car.

We were discussing medical issues and the topic of 

fainting and passing out came up.

I told the above story to the two ladies 

in my car 

and one of them became very quiet.

She asked me in what year this occurred.

I told her.

She asked me where I lived.

I told her.

She asked me details of the event.

I told her.

It slowly dawned on me that she was being 

awfully specific in her line of questioning.

Just as this was occuring to me she said in a quiet voice,

"I think I was the female EMT. 

I remember that call really well.  

It stuck in my mind."

I had chills spread across my body

as I realized I was looking into the eyes

of one of my best friends

who, unbeknown to me,

had saved my life 15 years ago.

Now that, my friends, 

is amazing.

I am so thankful that we discovered this connection

and that I am able to say thank you to her.

Thank you, Allison, for saving my life and

letting me have these beautiful years.

If it were not for you I would not have my husband,

my children, my amazing home in the country, my career.

Without you my parents would have had to bury a child.

There is nothing I can do or say to explain

the gratitude I feel for your actions that day.

Please know that I will forever be in dept to you.

Love you!

P.S.  This amazing story should so be on Oprah! ;0
Call me, Oprah...I am waiting by the phone.

Day 100/365- Landing

EF75-300mm f/4-5.6 lens; 300mm focal length, spot metering, manual exposure, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/3200, auto white balance, no flash

Saturday was such a beautiful day here 

on

These Nine Acres.

The sun was shining,

the temperatures were warm

but 

not too hot.

The birds were chirping,

the kids played outdoors,

the farm animals all seemed to be

happy

and

content.

I had a bit of stir craziness,

however,

since I spent much of the day indoors 

spring cleaning and organizing.

So, after dinner I took a stroll

all by myself to center my brain.

At my neighbor's Welsh pony farm

I heard a clattering of bird screeches

and my attention was drawn to a 

group of five birds...not sure what kind,

who were either playing, mating,

or settling some kind of territory fight.

They were screeching and hollering like 

nobody's business.

As they yelled at each other, they kept 

flying back and forth from tree to tree...

tree to the hill...

the hill to the barn...

and back again.  

Of course I had my camera, and luckily,

my long zoom lens handy.

I was able to catch this bird coming in for a landing.

After a while the screeching subsided

and all was back to normal.

I continued my short walk

and when I returned home, 

I was happy and content again.

Having some sort of creative outlet

paired with a physical activity like walking

does a soul 

(and body)

good.

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

I almost forgot...
I just posted another free texture
over at Nine Acres Design blog
along with an example image.
Head on over and check it out!

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

Weigh In:  Speaking of physical activity...did you all put on the "winter five" this year like I did?  Time to work it off!

Day 99/365- A Rose is Just a Rose

100mm macro IS, manual exposure, spot metering, ISO 640, f/4, 1/400, auto white balance, no flash

Sorry for two flower pictures in a row ;0)

I just couldn't help this one as I 

taught a photography workshop 

at Longwood Gardens on Friday.

How can I teach a photography workshop

on Floral Photography and 

NOT

pick a flower picture for the day?

Exactly...

I can't.

So, a rose it is today.

To read more about the workshop,

to see a different version of this picuture,

and to see a really cool macro feather shot,

please visit Nine Acres Designs blog!

This picture was taken with a lens

one of the workshop attendees rented...

a 100mm macro IS lens

that she was nice enough to let me borrow 

and test out.

It turns out I was itching to get this lens

and was planning on buying it before this workshop,

only I ran out of time.

So, imagine my excitement when

I found out she had rented one and was 

bringing it with her!  Ach!

Well, needless to say,

I fell head over heels in love with it

and

IT WILL BE MINE

sometime in the near future ;0)

I hope your weekend is going well!

Hugs,

Tracey

Day 98/365- For the Love of Spring

EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens; 54mm focal length; spot metering; manual exposure, ISO 250, f/3.2, 1/1000, auto white balance, no flash

I have fallen in love with spring all over again

since my beautiful bleeding hearts have bloomed

in my garden.

These beautiful and unique flowers

are always the first to welcome me to spring

as I do not have any bulbs planted.

I hope to change that this fall, 

but until then,

these bleeding hearts will keep their

firm hold on my heart as my favorite way

to usher in spring.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!  

I know I plan on it.

Thank you for coming to visit me here

on These Nine Acres...my little humble spot in the world.

I love having you here.

Hugs,

Tracey

Day 97/365- Book Club

EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM; 70mm focal length; manual exposure; spot metering; ISO 800, f/3.2, 1/20; tungsten white balance; no flash

I belong to a book club.

Well, we call it a book club and 

most of the time we read the books

we say we will,

but if we don't read them,

we still go out to dinner 

and have grand adventures.

Last summer we went to Western Maryland

and stayed for the weekend 

exploring

Frank Llyod Wright homes after reading

a novel about Mr. Wright.

It was a blast.

We have even flown to San Francisco

and stayed for 5 days just because

one of our members has a brother

who lives there and was willing to

put us up for the week.

We may have read something about 

San Francisco...

or not.

I don't rightly remember

to tell the truth.

The two books here, 

Shanghai Girls

and 

Jarrettsville

have been our last two picks.

Both are fabulous.

I am inclined to say that I 

LOVED 

Jarrettsville

because the setting is 

in a small, neighboring town

to where I live.

Some of the buildings mentioned in the book,

which takes place a few years after the Civil War,

are still standing.

And some of the graves of the characters

are still accessible at local churches.

I didn't know the little known piece of history

that the book is based on, so I found it to be

truly 

fascinating.

Even if you don't live near here,

the story and characters are great.

I would recommend it to anyone.

I am not finished quite yet with Shanghai Girls

just yet,

but I really like it so far!


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

Just a quick note that there is a sale going on
over at my Gallery...
Purchase a print for $20.00 or more
and save $5.00.
For coupon code and more details,
check out this post on my business blog.

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

Weigh In:  What good books have you read recently?

Day 96/365- Masked

EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens; 48mm focal length; manual exposure; ISO 320, f/2.8, 1/60; auto white balance; spot metering; no flash

When my daughter put on this

mask

from New Orleans

that my mother brought back for her,

I started thinking about how we 

mask ourselves in our daily lives.

Take for instance, work.

Are you your true self at work?

If you are feeling weak and vulnerable, 

do you show it

or 

do you pretend you know what you are doing

and press on?

What about online?

Is your blog persona your true

authentic

self 

or

are we looking through rosey glasses

at your life?

At the PTA meetings, 

are you the real you

or are you putting on a show

for all the other parents?

For me,

it is so difficult to be my authentic self.

I have issues with self esteem that stem from

childhood

and I tend to create a public persona 

that is way more confident 

than I truly am.

When I meet people and then 

become friends with them at a future date

they often times tell me how surprised they are

about my lack of confidence.

I must pretend really well. ;0)

Weigh In:  Really thing about it...are you your authentic self all the time or do you find you put on a mask in different situations?

Day 95/365- Virginia Redbud Tree

EF24-70mmL f/2.8L USM lens; 70 mm focal length; manual exposure; spot metering; ISO 500; f/2.8; 1/1000; auto white balance; no flash; taken in between thunderstorm squalls with the afternoon sun shining through the clouds.

Scientifically known as

Cercis Canadensis,

the Redbud tree is a beautiful

sight to behold!

Its pinkish-lavender 

flowers are a salve for sore eyes

at this time of year when we all

yearn for a bit of color after

the long, gray winter.

While traveling in Virginia, 

I spotted these beautiful trees

throughout the landscape and 

they, by far, stole Mother Nature's prize

for "best dressed" tree.

Growing as the understory in the forest,

these showy favorites make the

spring woods something to behold.

The Redbud Tree is the 

state tree of Oklahoma

and is abundant in the

eastern states as far north

as New Jersey.

I find this to be a beautiful 

tree ranking high on

my favorite arbor friends list ;0)

I have no idea who named this tree, 

but whoever it was 

was colorblind.

There is nothing red about it.

Weigh In:  What is your favorite tree?

Day 94/365- Easter Treasure

EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens; 30mm focal length; manual exposure; spot metering; ISO 250, f/6.3, 1/250; auto white balance, no flash

Isn't it funny how one very small treat

inside a plastic egg can cause

so much joy and excitement?

The world would be a much

better place

if everyone appreciated the very

small things in life

with the heart and mind

of a young child.

"A three year old child

is a being who gets almost as much

fun out of a fifty-six dollar

set of swings as

it does of finding a 

small green worm."

~Bill Vaughan

Day 93/365- Hope is Green

EF24-70mm f/2.8 USM lens; 28mm focal length; manual exposure, ISO 160, f/2.8, 1/640; auto white balance, spot metering, no flash

Hope, in my mind is green.

Near my parents' house in Virginia

there are a lot of dead trees along the

edge of the woods.

There is a lot of white, gray branches

in a tangled mass, but

not a lot of 

green.

It is very eerie and mysterious...

those woods.

Arms reaching out to grab you

from every direction.

I never thought it particularly

pretty or interesting until

I opened my mind a bit more.

Amazing what can be beautiful

when you see it in a different light.

I was outside one day when

I noticed the sun filtering 

through the dry, dead branches.

The sun highlighted the green sprouts

forming from the trunk of a 

tree I previously had thought was dead.

Apparently, the tree has not given up

on life just yet.

The green of the new growth 

almost glowed

in its bleak, gray surroundings and

it called to me.

I am alive!

Weigh In:  What color represents hope to you?

Day 92/365- Light Show

Light Painting-  EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens; 70mm focal length; manual exposure; ISO 50, f/22, 25 seconds; auto white balance; no flash; self timer mode; laser light in completely black room

I am back from visiting

my parents in Virginia.

It is bittersweet being home.

I truly am a homebody at heart

and I am not as comfortable anywhere

as I am at home.

With that said,

I miss my parents very much.

We have a close relationship 

and I wish they lived closer. 

It was so fun chatting with them,

seeing them interact with their grandkids,

playing cards with them, 

telling old stories,

watching new movies...

all the stuff I don't normally

get to do.

But, life moves on and so 

we are home again preparing 

the family to go back to normalcy again.

School, work, family, sports...

the hamster wheel that

just keeps turning.

Normally when I am away

I obsess about the blog

and try to sneak in a bit of

mobile blogging.

But not this time.

I was content to sit and be still...

enjoy the ones I enjoy the most

and I hardly thought about the blog 

at all.

I even forgot to take a picture of the day

until about 11PM the first night

we were there, which

is why I decided to grab

Ty's laser light 

and do a light painting.

It was too dark to much more of

anything else at that point.

Sometimes it is nice to forget for awhile.

I didn't forget, though, and in the end

I made sure to keep my streak going

and took a picture a day while I was gone ;0)

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend

whether you celebrate Easter

or not.

I can't wait to stop in to all of your blogs to 

see what I have missed 

and to see what you all have been up to.

Hugs,

Tracey

Weigh In:  How did you spend your weekend?

Day 91/365- Left Behind

Taken through 

an open window 

of an old one room school house 

near where my daughter takes riding lessons. 

Have I mentioned

how much I love 

old buildings?

Oh?

I have?

Okay, no need to go there then.

I plan on learning a lot more 

about this building and when 

I have a chance, 

I will return to take 

more shots.

Since I now know who the owner

of this magnificent structure is,

I have been given permission to go 

INSIDE!

I can't wait to go back.

And go back I will

Sometime very soon!

I didn't have the time or ability

to go inside this time,

but be sure next time 

I will plan for it!

**********

On a blog note,

I will not be posting 

Project 365 images 

for several days.

I am taking a break

from posting 

as I take a trip to see 

my parents for Easter.

I will still be taking a picture

a

day

but will not have the ability

to edit or post them

until I get back.

So, keep watching for a few 

short mobile blog

posts and pics, 

but no 365 pics

for a few days.

I will take this time to say 

to everyone 

Happy Easter

to those who celebrate 

the holiday

and to those who don't,

happy weekend!

xoxo,

Tracey

P.S.  Week in Review didn't happen this week since I didn't have time

to prepare it.  I will resume the Week in Review 

next week and will include photos

from the past 2 weeks to catch up.

Day 90/365- Driving the Super Duty

Living in a rural place has some fun

advantages.

Like driving a huge truck.

I call it my BA truck.  

BA= (Bad @ss)

Living on a small farm 

and having various

animals

requires us to haul 

hay,

straw,

feed,

bedding,

and other bulk sized

necessities.

Having a pick-up truck 

in our situation is not an option.

In addition to hauling things, 

there are many, many unpaved roads

around here.

I find myself on a near daily basis

trying to navigate these dirt roads

and since the record breaking,

CRAZY

winter we just had,

the potholes in the dirt roads 

have tripled in size.

So, now I frequently drive the

Ford Super Duty truck

instead of my 

delicate 

and 

feminine

Daisy,

my metallic,

baby blue,

Ford Fled.

The funniest thing about

driving the truck

is stopping to fill it with gas.

When a woman all done up 

with make-up on,

hair in place,

dress clothes

and

high heels

on

 steps out of a

dirty,

grimy,

loud,

HUGE

pickup truck

to gas up with diesel,

there are many a head that turn.

It us just a funny sight

I guess.

**********

I took this image safely...

setting up the camera by attaching 

and propping it up in place 

by using boxes and the headrest

and then set the settings before beginning to drive.

I hit the self timer and away I went.

It isn't the exact image I wanted as I 

couldn't get the camera high enough

without a tripod,

but it turned out unique to say the least.

Weigh In:  What kind of vehicle do you drive and have you ever been looked at strangely when you are getting in or out of the vehicle?

Second Weigh In:  Is the camera setting info below the pictures helpful or is it okay with everyone that I just post the picture?  I don't want to bore anyone with tech info if it is not interesting to everyone.