Week 25 Summary

Okay, so I'm waaaaay off schedule this week.  The trip to Boston this weekend has my days all messed up.  And I'm still pretty tired from being in a van for about 28 hours over a 3 day stretch.  If I never see the inside of that church van again, it will be soon enough.  :)

But the kids all did great in Bible Quizzing.  We came home with a gold, a silver, and a bronze medal.  Congrats Rachel, Keira, and Lexi!

Anyway, here's what last week looked like ... in pictures ...

19 - A milkweed beetle - taken with the help of my 10X macro filter.

20 - Muddy-faced kids.  I told them I'd let them get all muddy if they'd let me photograph them all together.  :)

21 - Keira and I went on a little photo shooot.

22 - A juvenile Robin that the kids caught then set free.

23 - Honey had her first visit to the groomer's.  She came home so pretty and fuzzy.  :)

24 - The hills/mountains of Pennsylvania ... taken out the van window on our way to Boston.

25 - Quincy Bay, Massachusetts.  We had time before our girls started quizzing and the beach was only a few blocks from the college where the quiz was taking place, so we walked over to put our toes in the sand/ocean.

2011-06-26

ISO 200, f/8, 1/320s, 18-105mm lens

This photo is also from the 25th because I literally only took one photo on the 26th on the way home from Massachusetts and it didn't turn out very well through the van window.  :)  Exhaustion will do that, I guess.

This photo shows all the dead jellyfish along the coast at Quincy Bay, MA.  We had to be careful walking around so we didn't step on them and all their squishyness.  :)  I really only took this photo to show my son, Nick, because he likes stuff like this.  :)

2011-06-25

ISO 400, f/11, 1/250s, 18-105mm lens

Once we got to the college where the Bible Quizzing was taking place, the girls had some time to kill before quizzing started for their level.  (The younger kids quizzed in the morning - the older kids in the afternoon).  So we decided to walk a few blocks over to the beach at Quincy Bay.  It was a gray, overcast day and a bit chilly, but we all still enjoyed sticking our feet in the ocean and finding a few seashells.

2011-06-22

ISO 1600, f/8, 1/40s, 18-105mm lens

While walking around our property tonight, I noticed this little bird struggling among some trees/brush.  The kids took on the challenge of trying to catch it to see why it was struggling.  I was very surprised when they succeeded.  They put it in a big cardboard box and gave it some bird seed, which it refused to eat.  It just wanted out of the box.  They only kept him captive for a few minutes.  (Mean mom wouldn't let them keep it.)  :)  He managed to fly into some nearby pine trees where he stayed for quite a while.  I haven't researched what kind of bird it is yet, so if you happen to know, you could save me some time by leaving a comment.  :)  I thought it might be a juvenile robin?

2011-06-18

ISO 800, f/8.0, 1/800, 18-105mm lens

Yeah, I probably should have lowered my ISO, but I had to move quickly to capture this mama turkey and her two babies on the bike trail this morning.  So glad I decided to bring my camera along.  Although I do wish now that I had brought the 55-200mm zoom lens.  As it was, I really had to crop to get them this close.  If I crop anymore, they just get fuzzy.  :(

2011-06-10

ISO 800, f/5.6, 1/250s, 55-200mm lens

The kids and I ordered pizza and went to the park to eat it so they could play afterward.  While we were eating, we had a visitor ... this beautiful Blue Jay.  The kids gladly shared their pizza crust with him.  He would swoop in, grab a bite, then fly off quickly.

2011-05-27

ISO 800, f/8.0, 1/200s, 55-200mm lens
Doug hung our new hummingbird feeder yesterday and we already had a visitor this morning!  So instead of going to the gym to exercise, I have been staking out my scrapbook room window watching this fascinating bird.  :)


Misty from Through a Photographer's Eyes is starting a new link up called Favorite Photo of the Week.  Go check it out!

I WON!!!!  CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!  INCREDIBLE!

2011-05-15

ISO 1600, f/5.6, 1/400s, 55-200mm lens

Not a great photo today, but it's as good as it is going to get.  Such a rainy, miserable day.  Despite the rain we had plenty of visitors to the bird feeder ... cardinals, blue jays, goldfinches, chickadees, wrens, a woodpecker, morning doves, a white breasted nuthatch, and a couple of cute little chipmunks.  I need to buy more bird food though!  :)

Also, I am starting to feel better.  Thank you to everyone for your get well wishes!

2011-05-04

ISO 400, f/5.3, 1/500s, D3100 w/55-200mm lens

On the way home from preschool today, we drove past a local water reservoir, as we often do ... looking for geese and other birds and seeing how high/low the water is.  We saw what we think is a Blue Heron as we drove over the bridge, so we parked the car, I changed to my 55-200mm zoom lens, and we quietly walked back to the bridge.  However, we weren't quiet enough because he flew away before I could even get a shot off (too many bushes/trees in the way).  So we went back to the car disappointed.  

While I was putting my camera back in the bag, Alex says, "Look Mommy!" because this little guy had appeared in the woods right beside where we were parked.  I believe it is a Ruffed Grouse, which is Pennsylvania's state bird.  He was pretty curious about us as we sat there for a few minutes and watched him and took pictures.  When I finally started my car to leave, he quickly made his way over to check us out.  I had to wait to drive away until I could see him again, as he had gone in front of/under my car.  I thought that was odd. You would think the car starting would have sent him running.  Anyway, I was excited that he came so near because I got some really close shots of him.

2011-05-01

ISO 3200 (forgot to lower it once outside - oops!), f/5.6, 1/400s, D3100 w/18-105mm lens

On Sunday Doug and I visited the Erie Zoo.  It's not nearly as big as the Pittsburgh Zoo where we usually visit, but it had this really cool bird exhibit.  You were inside the big cage with all these parrots.  They landed on us and crawled up our arms.  One crawled all the way up to my shoulder then proceeded to try to eat the zipper of my jacket.  When he wasn't getting any food from it, he squawked in my ear ... a lot.  I loved it!  I could have spent all day in there!  :)

More photos from our mini vacation coming soon on my other blog, My Perspective.  Just gotta get them edited.


This photo was chosen as a Top 5 photo this week!

2011-04-25

ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/100s, D3100 w/55-200mm lens

I know this isn't the greatest picture, but I had to show that the goslings have hatched!  In between rain drops today Alex and I took a hike down to our neighbor's pond in the hopes of seeing them.  They were moving away from us quickly, but we were able to catch a glimpse.  There are five babies ... see them on the left behind their Mama.  Hopefully we'll get to see them a little closer before they leave.

2011-03-30

ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/160s, D3100 w/55-200mm lens

This poor Robin is probably wondering what in the world is going on lately.  What were once warm, sunny days just last week have become frigid and now snowy days this week.  Where are you Spring?!  Come back!  We love you!  :)


Linking up with the new Watchful Wednesdays ... since Winter returned for a day.  Or more.  :)