I is for In Lansing, Michigan #AtoZChallenge

I know.  My "I" is a stretch.

I've only been twice but I love the capital building in Lansing, Michigan. It is set dead-center of a street where I can go stand in the middle of a mini garden to shoot a pic. This one I took on our last trip there in May, after having dinner with our kids at a downtown watering hole. I wish you could see the inside of this historic building. It is worth half a day to venture through. I'd like to think most capital buildings are worth seeing.

 

Have you been to your state's capital building? Did you go inside? Did you think about all the laws that are made there, and how it must feel to have that for a work place?

 

love, susan

Almost Mid April Haven't Finished the Taxes Life List

As I Look Out the Window the sunrise is promising a beautiful day. It's still colder than usual in the mornings but gradually warming every day. Too early to plant but it won't be long now until it's safe.

As I Ponder My week has already started out at a full run. I leave next week for my Nashville trip and have many things to do before now and then. I wish not to stress over any of it. Perhaps today I should make a list of to-do's.

What I'm Learning I got hit hard with allergies last Thursday. I suffered all weekend until a good friend turned me on to a peppermint essential oil she whipped up for me. I place a drop under each nostril and it truly does have amazing healing power. Mostly, it cleared my head. I hate taking chemical for such things so this new cure interests me.

What I'm Creating I took my dog out over the weekend to do a little agility. I'm trying to create a better behaved dog. Working with her makes it easier to have her in the house. She needs the mental stimulation. I also went out to a friend's house last night for a photo shoot with her animals. My friend is an artist and wanted some frames she could use to draw her fur babies. Fun was had!

What I'm Watching Saturday was a movie marathon day as my allergies kept me down. We watched 4 movies: The Untouchable, Take, and I can't remember the other two. Also, we are a couple episodes into Grace & Frankie on Netflix ... loving that!

What's On My Camera Now that the weather is better, I'm getting more time outdoors. This is from my shoot last night out at the farm. 

A Quote I Want to Share

None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm - Henry David Thoreau

 

 

A Final Thought There may not be enough coffee in the world this week as I zip through it. Work is getting busier with spring and drunk drivers. I like to be busy but wanna stay on top of things. New day. Woke up with a good attitude and hoping it lasts me the entire week. That's all.

love, susan

H is for He Who Humors Me #AtoZChallenge

My hubby is a great sport when it comes to having his picture taken. I discovered this location near the airport where the backgrounds are colorful and run down. I wanted to test it before I took a family there for a photo shoot. Since this day, I've taken quite a few people to this great location for a shoot. I keep thinking I should start a file listing my favorite locations but haven't done it yet.

 

Do you have favorite places you go to take photos? Do you have a favorite spot where you write or make art or read?

 

love, susan

 

 

G is for Get the Shot #AtoZChallenge

The Saturday Market in Pasco, Washington is a great place to go for colorful shots. I truly love to capture people randomly but I'm still a big scaredy cat when it comes to asking permission to take a stranger's photo. So, I stand back with a long lens. 

 

What is it about your craft that scares you? 

 

love, susan

F is for Flight #AtoZChallenge

Every April, the pelicans fly in for fishing at a levy near my home in Eastern Washington. I never tire of traveling out to Horn Rapids to watch them eat and fly. I didn't realize how magnificent these birds are until I saw them form a ballet in the sky. My favorite scene is when they come in for landing. By this time of year, the temperatures are perfect for bird watching and definitely a welcome sight after a long week at the office.

 

I'm grateful to have a hobby that takes me outdoors to see the wonders in this world. Sometimes I have to shoot a hundred frames to get one good shot. I don't mind.

 

What is your favorite hobby? Tell me about it!

 

love, susan

 



E is for Evening Shoot #AtoZChallenge

This is a young friend I've been photographing for two years. She loves to find new locations and took me to a sand dune near my house last fall to shoot senior pics. How I have lived here for 8 years and did not know about this spot is beyond me. We had been shooting all afternoon and this was our last stop in a race against sundown. I love how this one turned out. It doesn't hurt that she is the cutest thing on two legs.

 

This day reminded me how important it is to have friends of all ages and from all walks of life. They know things.

 

What have you learned from your friends? Do you find new places where you live and wonder how it escaped you?

 

love, susan



D is for Day Trips #AtoZChallenge

 

 

This image is from a day trip my buddy and I took to Spokane. She hadn't been up there for at least 20 years and I don't need much of an excuse to get in the car to go. We visited the riverfront in downtown Spokane as well as Manito Park, Trader Joe's, and the downtown U.S. Post Office (great old federal building). She loved going to Trader Joe's maybe the most.

On this day, we went into the old post office to see what kind of photos we could capture. This post office has those original vintage mailbox doors with gold colored combination locks on them. They don't make them like that anymore.

This photo conjures up great memories of that day.

 

Do you ever take day trips?
 

love, susan

 

C is for Cemeteries #AtoZChallenge

My photo walking buddy and I visited several cemeteries in October one year. It may seem odd to some but we're always looking for new ideas and since Halloween was upon us, the thought didn't seem too far fetched. We had a blast!

 

I've always been intrigued by morbid things. The most frightening thing to me are the tall statues at cemeteries that seem to be looking right at me. I still get the chills when I view this one.

 

Did you ever watch Dark Shadows back in the day? Do you ever visit cemeteries to read the old head stones?

 

love, susan

First Week of April ~ Life List

Outside it is almost light at 6:15am. The mornings are still crisp but the temperatures are climbing into the 60's here in eastern Washington. The tulips are almost blooming.

 

As I Ponder My life has gotten busy all of a sudden. We were out every night last week doing something. I don't mind. I'd rather be busy.

 

What I'm Learning I finished all my posts for the April A to Z Challenge so now I can sit back and read a lot of other blogs. Saturday was the first day for posting and I added several blogs to my reading list. In the past, I've tried to write my posts the day it was due and it was a struggle. Much better to be prepared ahead of time.

 

What I'm Creating I've been outside every day cleaning up the old, dead leaves and trimming down the dead stems on my herb plants. I'm dreaming about what I'll plant this year.

 

What I'm Watching We finished Season 2 of Better Call Saul (loved it!). I started Frankie & Grace, which looks like it is going to be good. The first episode had me laughing and crying.

What's On My Camera We went to Pendleton, Oregon yesterday on a Sunday drive. We took a short walk on the river front because it is still slightly chilly. I got 3 shots with my camera and called it good.

 

 A Quote I Want to Share

Spring is nature's way of saying 'Let's Party'. ~ the late Robin Williams

 

A Peek Into My Week My hubby has to do a stress test this morning. He had a heart attack 3 years ago and I'm glad this doctor is pro-active with his treatment. The nuclear stress test is the best technology available to give the doctor a look at the heart and arteries. No caffeine for 24 hours.

 

A Final Thought I'm getting pretty jazzed about my trip to Nashville in a couple weeks. My step-daughter suggested I look at Pinterest for ideas about restaurants and things to do while there. I never thought about looking there but it was a great suggestion. You can find anything on Pinterest! Who knew.

 

That's all.

love, susan

 

B for Butterfly Times Two #AtoZChallenge

One of my favorite places to visit nearby is the Manito Park and Botanical Gardens in Spokane, Washington. After my first trip to the gardens with an old friend from high school, I've been making the 2 hour drive to this lovely place at different seasons of the year to capture the magic.

 

We've been all over our area in every direction and I'm still discovering new places to take my camera on Sunday drives.
 

Do you a favorite Sunday drive? Where do you go?

love, susan

A is for A Miracle #AtoZChallenge

First, let me thank you for dropping by. The fact that you dropped in to read my blog post means a  great deal to me.

 

This image is of a walking miracle. My good friend and photo walking partner suffers from a long battle with Guillain Barre Syndrome. She was hospitalized for several weeks and we weren't sure she would walk again without aid. 

 

When I shot this image, I wasn't really thinking about her being a miracle. It was later, when I was editing the shots we took that day, that I realized it was truly a miracle that she is upright and walking, much less keeping her balance on this narrow cement path.

 

Photography is a great love of mine. When I get home after a photo walk or shoot, it is like Christmas morning when I open up the files to see what I got.

 

Do you document your life with photos? Have you ever witnessed a miracle?  Tell me about it!

 

love, susan