among the saguaros

I love it when bobcats come to visit...

2012-01-14T10:21:00.015-07:00

He showed up on Thursday. For quite a while, all I saw was his backside. As I tried to watch him, I realized that he may be around a lot more often than I realize. He hid easily among the salvia and later behind the roses. I saw him watching where one of the tortoises is hibernating (at least I think that's where Tillie is). He circled around started pawing into the area. I decided to try to startle him away, something I never do. My knocking on the window didn't bother him at all but he didn't find a tortoise. These were some not very good photos from Thursday:

He was back today. Never even thinking of him, I walked outside this morning to take some shots of the roses. I need to be more aware. I had taken several shots and then I saw some movement to the right of me. There was still plenty of distance between us. He was not aggressive but I need to be smarter. I had been working with the macro so I wasn't set for pictures of him. I grabbed my longer lens from the table (which is why my dining room table is always filled with lenses and cameras, despite the fact I like a pretty table) and went back to find him. By that time, he was on the wall, ready to leave since I had disturbed him. He did pose nicely for a moment or two, without hiding behind the brush. The light was in my favor. Here are a few from today:

At first he paused.

Then he looked at me as I looked at him.

Check out those paws.

Love his tongue in this shot.

Then he plotted his escape or spotted some breakfast.

And then he was gone.

Hope he comes back soon.

my baby girl...

2011-12-23T07:17:00.002-07:00

Today is her birthday. Yes, we had a "just about Christmas" baby. We would never have named her Christmas, although it would have been perfect with our last name. We mentioned this to her when she was four. Without telling us, she announced to her preschool teachers and friends that her real name was Christmas but they could call her Crissy. I didn't find out until I saw the papers she had worked on at school with the name Crissy (her decision on the spelling), in familiar handwriting. She didn't see anything wrong with changing her name to what it really should have been. Eventually, she went back to her given name but it always makes me smile to think of her making the change.

She is exactly as she was as a baby, happy, social, interested and sure of herself. It is amazing the glimpses we get of our adult children when they are young. The things that are so true are there all along. We just don't recognize them until many years later.

Happy birthday, my sweet girl. You are too far away this year.

an iris for Christmas?

2011-12-22T14:44:00.006-07:00

This December may turn out to be one of the coldest on record. We haven't had a high yet this month that has hit the average temperature. While those who love Arizona for its warm winters may not appreciate it, I am loving every bit. Last Christmas Day, we had dinner outside without the need for sweaters or jackets but definitely sunglasses. Tonight, there is a possibility of snow. Yes, snow. I am hoping and hoping.

Meanwhile, there is a little treasure in my yard who is very confused. It is very short and its first bud froze last week. This is its first bloom. As much as I have enjoyed the peek into spring, I am hoping it will understand that it needs to come back in March. In March, it will love being here.

at the street fair...

2011-12-22T13:05:00.024-07:00

One of our favorite events is the street fair, held twice a year, in the spring and in December. The sights, the sounds, the smells and the people watching are a delight for me with camera in hand.

You can eat...

Have your fortune told.

Listen to music.

Find the light in the middle of chaos.

Become inspired.

Gaze into store windows.

Listen to music that is so unique and inspiring that you can't help but buy the cds and take enough pictures that will somehow, you hope, bring that moment back.

This group is called "The Missing Parts" and for the record, we had Navajo tacos for lunch. Yum.

a little gathering of nature for Christmas...

2011-12-13T07:19:00.006-07:00

Pine bough from our Christmas tree, red berries from the nandina bush, pine cone from my birthday picnic on the mountains. Annabelle texture from the 12 Days of Texture by Kim Klassen.

thank you, Kim Klassen...

2011-12-12T08:33:00.005-07:00

As a photographer, I feel like my creativity ebbs and tides. Sometimes I am on a roll, sometimes I feel like things are getting repetitive and stale. Friends introduced me to textures last year. Thanks to Kim Klassen's lovely textures, I am able to jump start my creativity by playing around in Photoshop. Kim is hosting the 12 days of textures right now. Check it out.
I can't stop photographing jingle bells.

keeping spirits bright...

2011-12-06T17:27:00.014-07:00

My children will not be home for Christmas this year. They are adults. This is not a shock nor unexpected. Despite just seeing them at Thanksgiving, it is hard. I love being with my kids. They continue to interest and delight me, even after all these years.

The season is taking a different turn this year. Instead of being filled with expectations and busy plans, it is a little quieter, a little softer. The house isn't filled with every decoration. The tree is purchased but not up yet. The stockings aren't even hung.
So despite a bit of a melancholy feeling, I am keeping spirits bright. I am celebrating the many December birthdays we have. We played in the snow on Sunday. I had lunch today with some of my dearest friends. WB has done his usual bang-up job finding new and fun Christmas music. I even helped - check out the Puppini Sisters doing "All I Want for Christmas is You". Andrew Sisters meet 2011. Amaryllis are in the window, slowly, slowly starting to grow. There are branches filled with tiny white lights.
"He hadn't stopped Christmas from coming, it *came*! Somehow or other... it came just the same."

And we can't wait...

sometimes they just pose for me...

2011-11-16T14:42:00.001-07:00

We're both enjoying a beautiful November day today.

a visit to Tubac...

2011-11-15T10:24:00.017-07:00

Participating in Texture Tuesday. Phoebe texture used in a variety of ways that I can't begin to remember. Thank you, Kim!

Tubac isn't far and we visit once or twice a year. It is a mixture of Mexico, art and cliche. There is always something new and always something fun.

We got a head start on some holiday shopping. I can feel the worry in my friends and family as they look at these photos. Who will get that big chicken?

We even found a little bit of fall.

all souls procession...

2011-11-07T12:57:00.010-07:00

The All Souls Procession is held every November, in conjunction with Dia de los Muertos. It honors the lives of those who have passed on. It is a celebration of life and a mourning of loss. People carried photographs of their loved ones. Participants dressed as giraffes, mourned the death of Watoto, a giraffe who died at the zoo this year. A woman mourned the death of her marriage. People remembered the victims of breast cancer and AIDS. A little boy walked with photos of his dog. The celebration is joyous and respectful.

For all of its faults, Tucson is truly a remarkable town. Although it is a city of 1,000,000+, it still feels like a town. This is one of the reasons. Where else can you see a bagpipe group and the university marching band, all with skeleton faces?

This connects us all. We all have loss. We all mourn our loved ones who are gone. This is a celebration of their lives, our love for them and how we will always remember, hopefully with a smile on our faces.

More photos below. Blogger was giving me fits today.

more from all souls...

2011-11-07T06:12:00.006-07:00

blowing in the wind...

2011-11-04T15:43:00.012-07:00

We have so much sun here that a cloudy day is cause for celebration. I want to get out with my camera and capture that rich, saturated color that only cloudy days can bring. When I saw a monarch butterfly hanging about the garden, I knew I would capture some colorful photos.

I wasn't thinking about the wind. The 30mph winds.

First I got many just like this.

Then I got some like this. There is part of me that likes this one.

I don't know how she hung on.

It was worth being patient.

sunshine...

2011-11-03T12:21:00.015-07:00

When I was a little girl and was feeling under the weather, my father would always tell me to go get some sun. I have been following that advice for many years and it always seems to help. Usually, I have a book, today I had a camera. I was unable to count but there were at least six hummingbirds buzzing around me this morning.

He was enjoying the sunshine too.

This one made me laugh. He was shaking like a wet dog. Maybe trying to keep warm?

Do you see him sticking his tongue out?

All puffed out trying to keep warm.

Peek-a-boo.

I am not sure that I have seen the spotting on the underside before.

It is hard to pick up the amazing color some of these hummingbirds have. Look at the neck on this shot.

This is the very next shot, same bird. He just turned his head a little bit.

I am so glad I had some company this morning.

texture tuesday...

2011-10-31T23:53:00.005-07:00

Leaves from the mountains. Gourd from the store. Weathered table from years of use and abuse. A little bit of late afternoon autumn light. I think I found some autumn in the desert.

I am continuing to try to learn more about Photoshop. Participating in Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday seems like a good way to do that. Thank you, Kim, for your generosity.

a spooky table for Halloween...

2011-10-31T23:00:00.025-07:00

Welcome. I think I have finally figured a few things out about decorating for the holidays. I like it best when I incorporate what I have and just add a few things. I used to be so happy when I could put the Halloween things away. There was just too much stuff going on, especially the vulture, hung on the pull of the ceiling fan. He went round and around all month.

My sweet WB got these dessert plates from Pottery Barn. I am still pining over the skeletons plates that I didn't buy two years ago but I sure do like these.

This tea set and tray is a bit unusual. It is silverplate over copper. Because of the wear, the copper seems to glow through. Arizona is a big copper producer and I wonder if it was made here.

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your point of view, Home Goods opened near us. He was irresistible to me. Unlike the vulture, I will be sorry to put him away.

Thank you for joining us.

For more tablescapes, join Susan and the others at Between Naps on the Porch.

soup weather, finally...

2011-10-27T14:30:00.015-07:00

So far this week, I've made homemade tomato and tortilla soup and it isn't even Friday yet. Maybe Manhattan clam chowder for the weekend. WB could eat soup for dinner every single night.

I've been on the hunt for vintage silver. It has been fun. I have enough to mix and match now but this is my favorite (well, at least today it is). It is "Century" by Holmes and Edwards, from the 20's. I especially like the vintage soup spoons.

Join Susan and other talented tablescapers at Between Naps on the Porch.

hoot, hoot...

2011-10-23T06:53:00.022-07:00

I woke up this morning to the hooting of great horned owls. Every year, in mid October we start to hear their calls. Most of the time, we hear them. Once in a while, we see them, usually at dusk, impossible photography conditions.

This day was different. The light was perfect. I could catch him with my long lens. He seemed to be posing for me.

I was able to very slowly, get closer and closer.

Then he got a bit camera shy. {or perhaps he was looking for lunch}

Then he told me, in his special owl way, that I had gotten too close. Luckily, I can speak owl. {I have to admit, later I was surprised I got this one. He was scary!)

It's been too long since this special encounter. I keep looking for him in the same mesquite tree, hoping I'll see him again.

I love it when someone's junk is my treasure...

2011-10-17T10:32:00.003-07:00

Kim Klassen texture - "love in layers"

Jane Austen was so smart...

2011-10-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

butterflies...

2011-10-14T21:36:00.011-07:00

I am always happy when they are around. Today, I was photographing them with my zoom lens, from about 6 feet away. They didn't seem bothered by me so I tried my macro lens and was inches away. I photographed them until it got too warm, which by the way, is not supposed to happen in October.

They are on a plant called a "butterfly weed". It indeed attracts the butterflies. It indeed is a weed. It is somehow prettier in pictures than in real life. If not for these photos today, it may have had a short stay in the garden.

it's baby time...

2011-10-13T07:24:00.009-07:00

I have told you about our desert tortoises, Norm, Tillie and T.R. here. It is finally cool enough to be out with my camera again. I was out photographing hummingbirds and look who decided to find me?
We won't know if she/he is a she or a he until he/she is about 10 years old. Meanwhile, there is a lot of growing to do. Right now, he or she is about 2 inches long.

P.S. I want to thank those of you who responded to my letter post below by mailing me a real letter! What a delightful surprise!

Another P.S. My other blog a photo a day keeps the blues away will start again next Tuesday.

write a real letter and mail it... today

2011-09-07T13:38:00.006-07:00

I like getting real letters. My college roommate still writes real letters. M has written me a letter or two. WB wrote me letters when he was in England. I had so many wonderful cards when I was recuperating earlier this year. I get cards on my birthday and at Christmas. Email is wonderful, of course, but nothing beats that excitement of seeing an envelope resting in the mailbox. I am constantly amazed that I can put a 44 cent stamp on a letter and it arrives just where I want it to go in a couple of days. It seems like magic to me. There is nothing else in my life that I can think of that only costs 44 cents.

Reading yesterday that the post office is close to being broke is so sad. I don't want mail to change. I would gladly pay 50¢ (I just found out how to do the cents symbol on the keyboard - alt - 0162 on the keypad with num lock) to keep that magic alive. I want to continue to find wedding invitations, postcards, thank yous, baby announcements, birthday greetings and Christmas wishes in my mailbox.

So in the spirit of helping the post office, send a real letter to someone today. You will sure make someone (and the post office) happy. All for only 44¢.

(Did the cents symbol go away when the typewriter did?)

photoshop...

2011-09-06T07:46:00.003-07:00

cracker jack texture by Kim Klassen

I have a love/hate relationship with Photoshop. When I first started with digital, I didn't want to alter my photos at all. They were what they were. It took me long enough to even think digital was a good idea so altering my photos was never going to happen. I saw photos that were altered so much, previously lovely children almost had an alien plastic doll look with eyes like no one had ever seen. I knew I wasn't interested in that. I saw photos of middle aged women without any smile lines. I knew I wasn't interested in that. I saw photos that had the look of all my faded photos from the bad film of the 70's. I knew I wasn't interested in that. Then I realized that I could change my photos to black and white. I could make them just the kind of black and white I loved - dark blacks, white whites and lots of contrast. Then I realized that I could tone them a bit to look like different eras of black and white film. All of a sudden, I was cropping, sharpening and even popping the color once in a while. I still didn't know much about Photoshop but I could do a few things.

Adding textures to photos has intrigued me for a long time but I really didn't know how to do that. Friends led me to Kim Klassen, queen of the textures and extremely generous with her creations. All of a sudden, I actually liked playing with Photoshop. It was fun to take a photo and then alter it with Kim's textures. It became art for someone like me who can't draw or paint.

These days, I do love Photoshop. I still rather spend my time behind the camera instead of in front of the computer but I do have fun. And I have to admit, once in a while, I change a photo to look just like those faded pictures from the 70's.

blueberry muffins for Sunday...

2011-08-28T16:08:00.012-07:00

I have made these blueberry muffins for years. They are WB's favorite and our kids like them too. I don't like blueberries. I love to photograph them but for some reason, I haven't liked them since I was a kid. When they came out of the oven, I wanted to take a photo. I took several but none of them were really what I wanted. I needed to wait for different light. This afternoon, the light was right. I wanted a bite out the muffin for the photo so I took one. Then something strange happened. As my kids used to say, "My taste buds have changed."

It looks like WB may have to share.

Blueberry Muffins

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup skim milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries (or a few more)

In medium bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, then milk, and vanilla; beat until nearly smooth. In small bowl stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to milk mixture; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened (batter will be lumpy). Toss berries with 1 tablespoon of flour; fold into batter. Spoon into 12 greased muffin cups. Bake in preheated 425° oven for 25 minutes or until evenly golden brown. I usually take them out at 23 minutes.

I love Sunday mornings...

2011-08-21T13:40:00.002-07:00

an anniversary picnic...

2011-08-17T19:49:00.014-07:00

We met when I was thirteen. We started dating when I was fifteen. We were engaged when I was eighteen. We were married when I was nineteen. He is my anchor, my love. We went to the mountains to celebrate.

A too quick hummingbird greeted us. The air was a perfect cool respite from the desert.

It still makes me so happy to see that ring on his finger.

For more tablescapes, join Susan and all the others here.

a little blue, a little light and some daisies

2011-08-05T09:17:00.000-07:00

trying to get back to normal...

2011-08-04T14:27:00.011-07:00

It's been a long time. I am trying to get back to normal life again. I did a simple outside table with a bit of "I deserve it, don't I?" shopping. Fruit plates are from West Elm.

I like simple even when the heat isn't my excuse.

The plates are a little stylized and maybe hard to see in my photos. This is an orange.

watermelon

pear

lemons

Hope you are having a wonderful summer, finding a cool place to enjoy it all. For other tablescapes, join Susan here.

ahhhhh, peaches...

2011-07-20T15:11:00.005-07:00

I wait all year for peaches. I eat them on my cereal, for snacks, for dessert and sometimes, if WB is lucky, I will make a pie with them. For me, I am happier with just a ripe, juicy peach. Nothing else needed.

Fooling around with Photoshop and textures. I really don't have a clue but it sure is fun. Aurora texture by Kim Klassen.

getting ready for the big day...

2011-07-02T05:15:00.002-07:00

The 4th is quickly approaching. Here are some tips for getting great photos of the celebration. Unfortunately, Arizona has been besieged with wildfires. To avoid any more, fireworks have been banned in most of the state. I won't be out shooting fireworks this year but I would love to see what you capture! Leave me a link.

Shooting Fireworks by Barbara Carroll

1. Bring a small flashlight with you. This will allow you to check your camera settings in the dark. I have a small one with a ring on it that I keep attached to my camera bag. It comes in handy.
2. Turn off your flash. It will be useless in this situation. If you are unsure about turning off your flash, check your manual.
3. Use a tripod. If you don’t have one, use the top of your car, a tree stump, anything that won’t move and will keep your camera safe. Be careful of crowds. I have used the top of my car and some crumpled up t-shirts to get my camera in just the right position. Handholding in this instance will give you a lot of blurry photos. If you have a cable release, a remote or a self timer, use it. This will help to eliminate camera shake.

4. Be aware of your background. This, of course, is according to your taste. I like to have only the sky. I have seen some remarkable photographs taken in city settings with beautiful buildings included in the photograph. Certainly fireworks pictures taken at Disneyland wouldn’t be complete without Cinderella’s castle. Cars, fences, trees, telephone poles etc. can detract from the photograph. A simple background is usually the best. Try to be in a dark area, free of street or car lights.
5. Set your ISO to 100 or 200. Although it seems natural to set it as high as it will go, you will be more successful using a low ISO and keeping your shutter open for a longer period of time. Graininess in photos can look really cool but in photos of fireworks, it is a distraction and hard to remove effectively. If you are unsure about changing your ISO, check your manual.
6. Anticipate the action. You can usually hear the launch and then click the shutter when you expect the burst.
7. Try these settings:
a. ISO 100, shutter speed 1 second, aperture f/8 or f/11 or f/16, set your focus at infinity. Most cameras will have to hunt to focus in the dark, so put your lens on manual focus (there should be a switch on the lens). Vary your shutter speeds from 1 – 5 seconds.
b. Use the same settings and if you have a B (bulb) setting on your camera, set it on B. Then you can keep your shutter open for as long as you like. Keep your finger on the shutter (or use a cable release) during a burst. It is fun to keep it open for 5 seconds to get lots of fireworks.
c. Bracket your exposures. This means trying different settings to see which works the best. Look up bracketing in your manual for a quick explanation. I would suggest only varying the shutter speed.

8. Choose your lens. If you are close to the action, choose your wide angle lens. If you are further away, use your telephoto lens. Try vertical and horizontal shots.
9. Take advantage of your digital camera. Take plenty of pictures. Every one won’t be a keeper in these changing circumstances. Try a variety of settings and continue to check your pictures to see if you are getting what you want.
10. Be safe! Fireworks can cause injury so make sure you don’t get so wrapped up in your photography that you forget about safety!

I am so happy to be back. Thanks for all your good wishes!

sometimes there is a struggle...

2011-05-15T17:32:00.007-07:00

My apologies to all of you who are kind enough to make "among the saguaros" a stop in your blog reading. I appreciate your kind words so much. It has been a struggle to be able to get to the things I love the last few weeks. I am hopeful that things will be improving in the weeks to come. So if you can, stick with me a little while longer. I look forward to "seeing" you all soon!

Barbara

poor neglected blog...

2011-04-10T16:13:00.010-07:00

Winter came back for just a quick goodbye yesterday. It was wondrous. The rain was steady all day and some of the night. We hunkered down with a fire, good food and lots to read. Okay, I was reading and poor WB was working on our taxes. Because wet city reflections are hard to find around here, after it got dark we headed downtown. I don't have much more to say about these photos but I couldn't get enough of the reflection and sparkle.

{I used a 16-35 lens at 2.8 for these.}

look who's been hanging out among the saguaros today...

2011-03-28T18:34:00.005-07:00

{I feel the need to say these colors aren't enhanced. They are just as Mother Nature intended them to be.}

How could I possibly be lonely?

among the hummingbirds...

2011-03-25T09:53:00.015-07:00

Have to start this post with a "GO WILDCATS!" "ELITE EIGHT, BABY!" said in my very best Dick Vitale voice. Moving on now...

As you know, this winter was a c-o-l-d one for us. I know many of you would scoff at that description, especially my friend, Debbie, who spent 26 winters in North Dakota. For us though, it was cold and our normal way of gardening was thrown for a loop. We are still in a wait-and-see mode. Will the lemon tree survive? Did the bougainvilleas make it? Will that silk oak ever come back? Almost every day in the last two weeks, I see something new making its appearance again. The hummingbirds really don't care about the lemon tree, the bougainvillea or the silk oak but they sure are happy about the salvia.

On any given day, I can usually sit for a few minutes and soon will see a hummingbird or three. Happy hummingbirds make me and my camera happy too. They barely notice me. They are sometimes so close that I need to step back because my lens won't focus so closely. Yesterday, I tried to read outside. The sun felt so good, the garden showing such signs of life and the temperature just perfect. How could I read when the hummingbirds were posing for me?

Look who is out of hibernation and HUNGRY!

Hope spring is finding you too.

the cutest Wildcat fans ever...

2011-03-20T19:01:00.003-07:00

We made the Sweet Sixteen today! To celebrate, I'll share a picture of the cutest fans in town. I wish you could hear how great these four are at singing "Bear Down, Arizona".

hope you enjoyed the supermoon...

2011-03-19T20:38:00.002-07:00

I sure did! (click on it to make it larger)

shooting the moon...

2011-03-19T16:38:00.014-07:00

Tonight is a supermoon. If you want to try to capture it with your camera, here is a reprint of an article that I wrote for the Mortal Muses.

Ah, the moon. Mankind has been endlessly fascinated with it. Photographers always want to capture it. It can be a frustrating process. What we see, often isn’t what we capture. Normal rules of getting a good exposure just don’t apply. It can be difficult to get an accurate meter reading when you are metering on a very bright object in a very dark sky. I finally gave up metering and just started experimenting. Your equipment, your location, your sky conditions will all play into getting a good shot.

Here are a few tips to help make that process a little easier:

1. Make sure your flash is off. If you don’t know how to turn it off, check your manual.

2. Use a tripod. Your exposures are apt to be long ones and you won’t be able to handhold your camera without some camera shake. If you don’t have a tripod, use any flat, steady surface, like the top of your car or the top of a wall. Don’t forget that long exposures can drain batteries more quickly so make sure your battery is fully charged or you have a back up.

3. If you have a filter on your lens, take it off. A filter may cause a ghosting effect.

4. Use the longest focal length you have. In most cases, the bigger you can make the moon look, the better. These shots were taken with focal lengths of 150mm (shots that included more scenery) to 400mm.

5. If you are comfortable shooting in manual, do so. The higher the f/stop, the sharper your photo will be.

6. Use manual focus, if needed (there is a switch on the side of your lens to turn the auto focus off). Some lenses really have to hunt in low light and may not be able grab a good focus. Since the moon is so far away, you will be able to set your lens on infinity and get a sharp focus.

7. Bracket your exposures. It is possible to over or underexpose by more than two stops by shooting manually. I recommend starting with your meter reading and underexposing from there. I usually shoot at -1/2 stop intervals to ensure that I get exactly what I want.

8. Use the lowest ISO possible, especially if your camera has noise issues.

Remember that it doesn’t have to be in the middle of the night when you shoot the moon. It is often up early in the morning or before it is quite dark. During the blue hour (more info here), the moon can look quite dramatic.

You can see the drama of the blue sky but the moon has little detail and looks small in the sky. Many (probably most) of the photos you see in magazines that have the huge moon in a cityscape are actually two photos put together either as a double exposure (using film) or in Photoshop (using digital). It is very difficult (and often impossible) to get a crisp edge and proper exposure on the moon while getting the proper exposure on a building. For me, I don’t like putting together photos like this. I’d rather get what I get. To show you a hastily put together example, here is the moon from my first photo with the picture above.

This shot was exposed for the scenery. It was taken near dusk. The moon is sharp but over exposed. A graduated neutral density filter (and lots of practice) can help with this problem. For more information go here.

This was taken right before sunrise in January. The moon is in the western sky and the light just starting behind me in the east. The mountains and cactus are in silhouette. If I had exposed for the scenery, the moon would have been overexposed with no detail.

This was the view a bit later with a wider look, exposing more for the scenery than the moon.

This image was taken at night. The variety of the colors lit by the moon in the clouds drew my eye.

This shot was taken with the moon purposely over in the corner like this so I would have room for text. I have used this image for cards, changing the text to fit the recipient.

For more information of moonrise and set times, these sites are helpful:
http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astronomical-applications/data-services/rs-one-year-us
http://stardate.org/nightsky/moon

Remember the key to shooting the moon is experimentation. Bracketing is key. Try different exposures. Most importantly, have fun!

it's all about the light...

2011-03-18T08:04:00.010-07:00

Some of you have been asking me about my lighting technique to get black background photos. Since it seems impossible for me to answer your questions without photos, I thought I would write about it here.

If I am photographing one object, I often do it on my dining room table, in the morning. I have a big glass door in there so the light just pours in. It is east facing, so in the mornings, there is strong light (eastern and northern light are the best for photography - not as overly strong as west and south can be). My dining room furniture is rather dark.
You can see in this picture that I have exposed for the whole room. Because the lighting is so streaky, anything in the room that is in that strong light is over-exposed. The exposure is made for the darker parts of the room. If I wanted to get a properly exposed photo of my overall dining room, I would not take it this time of the day. Notice the bowl on the table. You can see that it is overexposed in that light (click on the photo to make it larger). If you look at the rim and what you can see of the part of the bowl that is in the light, it looks almost white with this exposure. I can use this light to my advantage to photograph single objects like this.
When I want to get a photo like this, I get in close and expose for the object. This works in the opposite way of the first photo. By exposing for the bowl instead of the dark objects, the bowl is properly exposed and everything else is underexposed. Everything that is underexposed goes black. I use a wide aperture. In this case, f/2.8.

Now I know you may not have a set up just like this but I bet you will be able to find one. Look at the light that comes through the windows in your home. Our eyes don't really see things like this but our cameras do. Look at different times of the day. It will change during the day and also as the seasons change. My "dining room studio" works best during the spring and fall.

Hope this helps and you can find your spot! I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Mother Nature works quickly...

2011-03-16T09:46:00.005-07:00

I know, I know. I have no right to talk about how cold our winter was. It wasn't that we didn't enjoy it. Nights with a bowl of soup for dinner in front of the fire are perfect for us. We love having a chance to wear cold weather clothes. We were filled with wonder when we actually had snow. This spring has just been so different than usual. We are inspecting all the plants to see if they made it through the rare string of freezing nights we had. I feel like every day I go out and see more and more. We didn't lose as much as we thought we had. I have been waiting for the salvia to pop back. I knew they had made it through the winter but the blooms are what make the hummingbirds happy. A week ago, I could count five blossoms. Today, there are thousands. And look who is back to hang out with us again:

here comes the sun...

2011-03-06T14:25:00.017-07:00

After a much colder winter than usual, spring needs a little help around here. Our bulbs are doing well, daffodils, hyacinth and our first tulips, but not much else survived. Even the iris are looking a bit surprised at the unexpected string of low temperatures.

It was snowing last Sunday and the garden is getting planted this Sunday.

"The smiles are returning to their places."

Thank you, George Harrison, for a song that never fails to make me smile.

Find more flower photos here.

march forth...

2011-03-04T08:37:00.012-07:00

Today is my son's birthday. He has grown from a shy little boy, interested in so many things into a man, interested in so many things. He holds his friends and his family close with an open, loving heart. He loves books, music, basketball and the outdoors. He makes me laugh and think. I would love hanging out with him, even if he wasn't my son. He has traveled the world and dedicated his life to the public service of our country. March forth, indeed.

This is one of his photos (I believe from London), taken on film with my father's old camera.

we had snow!

2011-03-01T16:28:00.007-07:00

Snow in the desert is rare and indeed, a sight to behold. It is rather surreal seeing cactus covered in snow. This is what we woke up to Sunday morning. I can't begin to describe it with words so will share a few pictures instead.

Even the skies were amazing.

Most of it was gone by mid-morning but oh, it was wonderful while it lasted.

February treasure...

2011-02-24T09:39:00.009-07:00

This month, my mother gave me a very special gift. These silver hurricanes were a wedding gift for my parents from Dr. Horowitz. He delivered my father. I like thinking of the days when family doctors were considered part of the family, invited to weddings.
My parents were married February 12, 1953. Upon announcing their engagement, my grandmother had one request. Please don’t get married in February, like your sister. February can be a brutal month in the east but a honeymoon waited in Bermuda so that February date promised the tropics.

These candlesticks survived moving from New Jersey to Arizona to Indiana to Arizona, and then to three different houses in southern Arizona. But I was nervous to move them the five minutes between my house and my mother’s. I waited until WB could drive so I could keep them on my lap from her house to ours. They were wrapped in every dish towel I own. As you can see, they survived just like they always have.

So these lovely hurricanes have not left my table since she gave them to me. I like them unpolished and my mother is okay with that. So far they have flanked hydrangeas, pink tulips, red tulips and now these. For me, silver works with anything, even a casual table like this.

Please join Susan and other wonderful tablescapers at Between Naps on the Porch.

so happy he's mine...

2011-02-14T14:58:00.006-07:00

He asked me to the Valentine's Day dance when we were sophomores in high school.
He still remembers the dress I wore.
I don't.

I made him a cake.
Twice.
My brothers were happy that the first one wasn't perfect enough.

I am so very thankful that he is still my Valentine
and I am still his...

Happy Valentine's Day.

a change in plans...

2011-02-13T14:16:00.025-07:00

This morning, we bundled up early to go watch the blue herons. It is nest building season and we love watching them fly with branches in their beaks. We left the house and headed west. There in the sky was another sight. The herons would still be there next weekend.

We were going to chase balloons.

While I keep my eyes peeled to the sky, WB is excellent at translating:

"Turn this way."

"I need to get beyond those wires."

"I need to have my back to the sun."

"I like the colors on that balloon better than this balloon."

He always manages to get me in just the right place and at just the right time.

a bowl of tomatoes...

2011-02-11T07:33:00.007-07:00

While I was taking pictures of tomatoes yesterday, all I could think of was "The Four Seasons", a movie from the '80's. There was a character who was an obsessed photographer, working to get just the right shot. "For a year and a half, all we talked about was zucchini. Then for another year it was green peppers - that was a nice change."

I am always surprised when I hear people who enjoy photography say that they have nothing to shoot. My problem seems to be just the opposite. Everything catches my eye. Too much catches my eye. I notice the shape of the lamp. I see my husband's hands as he works in the garden. The light falls on the clean stack of dishes. Or I walk by a bowl of tomatoes.

I am hoping, unlike Anne in "The Four Seasons", that I will be able to move on from the tomatoes. Should not be a problem since we will be eating these tonight.

will you be another statistic?

2011-02-05T08:46:00.003-07:00

From NPR: Avocado consumption during the Super Bowl has become the stuff of urban legend. Most of the statistics are probably exaggerated, but that's not going to stop us from repeating them. Because one says Americans will consume about 50 million pounds of the fruit as they sit on their couches watching the game. A more graphic claim comes from the California Avocado Commission. The California Avocado Commission has been quoted saying the amount of guacamole that Americans will eat this Sunday is enough to cover a football field - end-zone to end-zone, waist deep.

I promise, my guacamole recipe is worth trying.

Happy Super Bowl. In honor of my dad and my brother, GO PACKERS!

baby, it's cold outside!

2011-02-03T15:43:00.007-07:00

I admit it. We desert dwellers are wimps. We do not have real winter and when it actually does come, we really don't know what to do with it. Our temperatures, both lows and highs in the last 24 hours are breaking records. There are broken water pipes all over town. My car is in for service today and they called to say the windshield water system wasn't working and how much it would be to fix. They called back a few hours later to tell me it had been frozen and nothing was wrong. We aren't used to checking for things that may be frozen. We haven't reached 40 degrees today and with the wind chill, it was 4 degrees early this morning. My garden looks like nothing will ever bloom again. Gardenias, geraniums and hibiscus have given up. Bougainvilleas, blue plumbago, my lime tree, my lemon tree. They all look gone. Despite the fact that it sounds like I am complaining about the cold, I am not. We are only allowed to complain about the heat around here.

So, tonight, there is soup for supper. Our beloved Wildcats are playing in California and we'll be watching. We are hunkering down with a blazing fire and bowls of chowder. Life is good. Indeed.

It's been a while and for that, I apologize.

Check out Susan and others for beautiful tablescapes.

in sorrow...

2011-01-13T12:23:00.004-07:00

"...what matters is not wealth, or status, or power, or fame — but rather, how well we have loved — and what small part we have played in making the lives of other people better."

President Obama, in remarks to the people of Tucson, Arizona. 1/12/11

looking for hope...

2011-01-11T08:44:00.002-07:00

We are grieving. We mourn for the loss of our people. We are at a loss how to explain it. We feel like we will never be the same. Hope is all we have to hang on to.

We find hope in the many heroes of the day – the young intern who stayed with his boss until medical personnel could get to her, the husband who lost his life saving his wife, the four who sprang into action preventing even more chaos, doctors, paramedics; there are so many. We find hope in optimistic reports from doctors. We find hope in the many memorials of candles and flowers that have sprung up all over town. We find hope that as life goes on, as it always does, that we are all a little kinder, a little more understanding. We find hope that underneath it all, Tucson is, indeed, love.

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. We still need them.

out of tragedy, comes hope...

2011-01-10T20:36:00.003-07:00

"Doctors treating U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords said Monday the congresswoman was responding to verbal commands by raising two fingers of her left hand and even managed to give a thumbs-up."

Thank you for your prayers.

if you are the praying kind...

2011-01-08T12:13:00.002-07:00

Please send your prayers to Gabrielle Giffords and the others. She is an amazing woman who works so hard for our community and state.

Our beautiful state is being ravaged by political extremists.

It breaks my heart...

better days...

2011-01-08T07:54:00.007-07:00

Imagine my delight when I saw this old truck in the snow. We desert dwellers don't get to see snow very often. Finding this truck made my photographic heart sing with excitement. When I got closer and saw the inside, also covered with snow, it was even better. I could have stayed for hours. I'll be back again some day to photograph this beauty in the sunshine.

welcome 2011...

2011-01-05T17:59:00.013-07:00

I like clocks. I like dishes. I like candles. I like cozy.

A year ago all these clocks were set to the proper time. I may like clocks but perhaps it is time to get some that keep time better than these!

Happy New Year!

Join Susan and other tablescapers at Between Naps on the Porch.

frosting...

2011-01-04T08:31:00.007-07:00

love the days of early morning freeze we have been getting...
hoping my garden will survive...
spotting this little woodpecker feather on fallen saguaro ribs...

"Frederick Days" indeed.

among the blue herons...

2011-01-02T12:36:00.021-07:00

We went to the lake this morning, despite the cold. We have heavy jackets that get used a few times a year. I have gloves. WB actually brought along a new pair of garden gloves because he doesn't have any proper ones. It is a treat for us to wear cold weather clothing, even if we don't do it well. I am guessing that all of you who do not live in the southwest part of the United States would call this a pond. It is big enough that people fish in it and once in a while, you will see someone in a kayak but it isn't very big at all. The best part of the lake is the birds. We really don't know what blue herons and great egrets are doing in the desert, but we are happy to have them. Click on any image to make it larger.

Coming in for a landing.

"I could have danced all night."

"What are you looking at?"

Excuse the large amount of shots but I couldn't narrow it down any more than this. There are so many other things I should be doing right now but looking at photos and drinking my tea seemed like a much better idea.

why nothing gets done in my kitchen...

2011-01-01T10:50:00.008-07:00

I decided to make some tomato soup for lunch today. I knew it would taste good after all the holiday foods. As I was gathering the ingredients, I heard the "something wicked this way comes" screaming from all the birds. Our Cooper's hawk had decided to pay a New Year's Day visit.
Photos before soup.

a few images from December...

2010-12-31T15:16:00.006-07:00

and a toast to the new year:

Happy New Year, everyone!

weighing in on 2010...

2010-12-30T08:33:00.009-07:00

Despite the struggles of 2010, all the important things are still good and true. I have a roof over my head. I have enough to eat. I love my husband and he loves me back. My mother is close. I have children who delight me and friends with whom I can laugh and cry.

Does anything else really matter?

Here's to 2011!

he gave me autumn...

2010-12-26T08:31:00.006-07:00

I love autumn. I feel like I come alive again when that first cool day comes. We take a day trip or three every fall to spend some time among the changing leaves. It is never enough for me. I love living in the desert but the one thing I always wish for is changing leaves right here. I have some deciduous plants but I want color. I want red and gold.

WB is a magical gift giver. He never fails to delight me. There are oak trees that are happy in the desert and he found them. Never, EVER did I think he could give me autumn for Christmas but he did.

let heaven and nature sing...

2010-12-25T06:52:00.000-07:00

she's home...

2010-12-21T20:04:00.005-07:00

and we're settling in. A fire, soup, White Christmas and later, some cocoa. WB is carving. K & I are knitting.

Life is good...

indeed.

holiday sweets...

2010-12-20T16:16:00.013-07:00

The mortal muses are musing on sweets today.

I thought that if I photographed the sweets in a Williams Sonoma window, I would not need to bring any home.

I tried to follow that rule. Really, I did.

It worked ...

for a little while.

A very little while...

she's coming home...

2010-12-20T10:07:00.000-07:00

TONIGHT!

Make me so happy to be wrapping presents for her!

a special visitor...

2010-12-19T10:01:00.003-07:00

He didn't pose for me.

He didn't move into the good light.

He barely looked my way.

He terrorized the bunnies and birds

He just paused for a moment or two.

We are hoping he will be back soon.

ring Christmas bells, merrily ring . . .

2010-12-17T08:47:00.010-07:00

Beautiful, cold, wet, foggy morning today. I had to photograph my bell in the wonderful weather.

I am so happy that it is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

The Mortal Muses are musing on bells today.

holiday reflections

2010-12-16T14:09:00.012-07:00

Oh, dear camera, you had me at "holiday".

Check out some wonderful light photos at Mortal Muses.

a Christmas soup party...

2010-12-15T16:46:00.018-07:00

This is going to be a picture heavy rather than word heavy post. Things are crazy around here and about to get crazier. That's okay though because it means that all the people I love are coming home.

This was inspired by my parents’ wool blanket. They got it the first Christmas after they were married. It was part of my childhood and I have always loved it. I borrowed it for this because I just wanted to get my hands on it again. It still makes me happy to see all that lovely red and green plaid.

Full disclaimer: This soup party did happen but not like this. It ended up being for a birthday so I didn’t make it have such a Christmassy feel. I would have worried about spilling soup on the blanket although it has been through much worse. At the actual soup party, in addition to the tomato soup and posole, we also had albondigas and turkey noodle. We happily ate soup leftovers for a week. We also had rosemary and rustic breads. Birthday cake, of course, for dessert.

Soup tureen and mugs are from years ago. I wish I could find the potter again.

My niece was fascinated with the candles which for the birthday did not include jingle bells. They are so easy – mason jars, Epson salt, tea lights and a bit of twine.

Still too warm but it is fun having a soup party outdoors. As it got dark, the chiminea kept us warm.

Have I mentioned how much I love this blanket?

Please join Susan and the other tablescapers at Between Naps on the Porch.

reflecting on giving...

2010-12-15T15:15:00.003-07:00

Mother Nature gives and gives to me. I only hope that by trying to capture her with my camera, I am giving a bit in return.

amaryllis for Christmas...

2010-12-14T16:33:00.004-07:00

It is actually going to bloom! 16 days ago, it was a brown, dried up bulb. Next year, I am taking a day by day photo. I've never seen anything grow so fast. Why didn't I buy more?

fa la la la la la la la la...

2010-12-14T08:57:00.013-07:00

A little musical list for Christmas

1. Favorite traditional carol – “Silent Night” tied with “O Holy Night”
2. First childhood song that actually rocked – “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” by Bruce Springsteen
3. Favorite song – “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (it can make me smile or cry, depending on my mood)
4. Favorite song that I didn’t think I liked much until I heard it by Olivia Olson in Love Actually – “All I Want for Christmas is You”. While you have that on, be sure to listen to Otis Redding doing “White Christmas”. Sigh…
5. Song that always makes me think of my father – “Silver Bells”
6. Favorite musical holiday tradition – playing Christmas music after dessert is finished on Thanksgiving and K playing “Carol of the Bells” and sounding exactly like George Winston
7. Speaking of George Winston, album that I have bought so many times for gifts and the perfect relaxation after a crazy day, be sure to listen with a cup cocoa – “December” by George Winston
8. Album I waited years for – “James Taylor at Christmas”
9. Sexiest Christmas song – “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”
10. Best remake of a song for Christmas that I never even thought of as a Christmas song (composed and recorded by Gordon Lightfoot) and it was barely on my radar – “Song for a Winter’s Night” by Sarah McLachlan
11. Only version of “Rudolph” I can stand – Jack Johnson but I still don’t want to hear it
12. Song that Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas if I didn’t hear at least once but please, don’t make me listen to any other version – “12 Days of Christmas” by John Denver and the Muppets –“ ba-dum, bum, bum”
13. The most poignant Christmas song - “River” by Joni Mitchell.
14. Best Christmas album my son ever gave me –“I Pray on Christmas” by the Blind Boys of Alabama
15. Best Christmas album my daughter ever gave me – “Snow Angels”, an album put out years ago by the Nature Company
16. Song that just hearing the first few notes, instantly makes you know it is Christmas time – “The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole
17. Worst Christmas album WB ever bought – Leon Redbone’s Christmas Island but I had to take it all back when I heard his duet with Zooey Dechanel of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” on the Elf soundtrack. It’s wonderful!
18. Song WB likes but I don’t – Feliz Navidad. Actually this is probably the best song that he likes and I don’t. This category could be a whole other list.
19. Best song for dancing in the kitchen with WB at Christmastime – Eugene Ruffalo’s “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

20. Will making this list make me realize the ridiculous amount of Christmas music I have and how I don’t need any more? Probably not.

I'd love to hear about your favorites and not so favorites.

lots of visitors...

2010-12-13T08:30:00.005-07:00

He decided to come out of hibernation, about 3 months too early.

He decided to terrorize all the little birds that live around here.

He decided that some purple sage was just what sounded good for lunch.

an outdoor table for Christmas...

2010-12-08T17:59:00.025-07:00

I know that a lot of you would enjoy our temperatures right now. I am ready to trade. I would like some cold and snow, please. Send it as quickly as possible. Please.

In the meantime, we’ll be eating outside.

I like bringing a bit of nature to the table whenever possible. We found the fallen aspen branch in northern Arizona. The pinecones are from northern Arizona and our local favorite spot in the mountains. The pine boughs are from our Christmas tree. It always helps to buy a tree just a little bit taller than the ceiling. It makes for some boughs all season long.

The silver is my mother’s. She told me that it was customary for a bride to have her silver engraved with her maiden initial. She decided she wanted her married initial, despite her mother's objection. What surprised me was the placement of the monogram. It seems like it is upside down. Again, this is tradition and my grandmother’s silver is engraved with the same placement of the initial.

Please tell me why I keep buying candles that say they are dripless and somehow they are not. I will try the freezer trick to see if that will help.

These plates were so hard for me to photograph, much harder than a squirmy toddler. They are so reflective that the sky just seemed to wash them out. They seem to go back and forth from gold to silver, more on the gold side.

And a bit of the night...

Please join the Susan and everyone else for more tablescapes at Between Naps on the Porch.

phototgraphy fun with holiday lights...

2010-12-06T09:23:00.025-07:00

Don’t you love the lights of the holidays? They give a lovely glow and set the mood for the festivities. I am pretty much a white lights kind of girl. I don’t especially like them to flicker or race. I just like the quiet, peaceful look. That is not to say that I don’t appreciate seeing all other kinds at other people’s houses, because I do. We have what our kids call “old school” lights across our roof – the big bulbed multi-colored lights. I would rather have a peaceful white there too but I bow to tradition.

Starry lights
It is possible to get a star effect on holiday lights without using a filter. Set a very small aperture (higher number, I know, I know, SO confusing!). For these photos, I used an aperture of f/22. Because you are using such a narrow aperture, you will need to have a long shutter speed which will mean a long exposure. Your pictures will be blurred if you handhold these shots, so use a tripod or some other steady surface. A table, a chair, a stack of books, a step stool, anything that is flat and steady will do. Obviously, tripods are easier because of the mobility but don’t let the lack of a tripod stop you. Set your camera to aperture priority and set the number to f/22. The camera will figure out how fast to make the shutter speed. Be sure not to use a flash. That will spoil the whole effect. Bracket your exposures, trying different settings. You may have click to make these photos larger to see the star effect.

Even the traffic lights are a lovely Christmas red and green.

Look at the star effect on the lights on top of the armoire. These are just ordinary small white lights.

Crazy lights
The holidays give us lights that we don’t normally have available the rest of the year. It gives us a lot of opportunity to play.
This first image is a shot of the tree in front of our downtown library, taken in a standard way.

This image uses the zoom technique. For this shot, I had my camera on a tripod and zoomed in and out with my lens while the shutter remained open, again for four seconds. To get your shutter speed slow enough, set a small aperture (remember, larger numbers) and keep a low ISO number (which will also help prevent a lot of grain). I was using a 24-78 zoom on this but any zoom lens would work.

This is a shot of a front entry. The zoom light effect is from color lights across the roof line and little white lights around the arch and on a small tree.

For this one I twirled the camera while my shutter remained open for 4 seconds. You can see the streaks from the big bulb kind of lights and the smaller white ones.

Hope you have a chance to play around with holiday lights. You'll never know what you will get.

don't forget...

2010-12-05T12:11:00.003-07:00

I know it is a busy, busy time but take those pictures. You will never, ever regret it. Pick up your camera and catch that twinkle, that tradition, that smile, that treat, that candle. Capture it.

a simple Christmas table...

2010-12-01T16:10:00.019-07:00

Thanksgiving was wonderful and here it is the first of December. I love this season. I want to enjoy every moment.

I could not resist these plates. They had birds AND music. They called my name for weeks and I ended up buying the last they had in the store. I pictured them on an elegant table but decided to try a more simple approach first.

Canning jar candles, burlap, twine and of course, a few jingle bells.

Lists are made. Some presents have been bought. Others are being made. The weather is colder. The music is playing.

Bring on the season!

For more tablescapes, join Susan and everyone else at Between Naps on the Porch.

shoot the moon...

2010-11-20T02:43:00.007-07:00

There is a full moon tonight. Did you know it is a "blue moon"? There are actually two definitions of a blue moon. The more modern definition is the second full moon that occurs during a month. The Farmers' Almanac definition is an extra full moon that occurs during a season. One season normally has three full moons. If a season has four, the third full moon of that season is considered a blue moon. For 2010, the time between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice, will have four full moons. Tonight's is the third so it is called a blue moon.

If you are interested in learning more about photographing the moon, I was a guest writer with the Mortal Muses. You can find my article here.

Even if you don't plan to photograph the moon, take a step outside tonight to enjoy the view. It never gets old.

thinking about Thanksgiving...

2010-11-17T17:22:00.011-07:00

Just a quick post tonight. I am playing around with tables, planning for Thanksgiving. It is hard to pick a favorite holiday but Thanksgiving is right up there. It is such a pure holiday for me. It is all about being grateful, spending time with family and the food. Oh, how I love Thanksgiving food!
The pumpkins are resting on slices of a fallen aspen limb.

Playing around with placecards. I don't think this will make the final cut but it got me thinking.

Thank you to Sherry for reminding me last week that I had these plates. I bought them when it was a gazillion degrees out, thinking they would be perfect for fall and maybe Thanksgiving. Apparently, the heat got to me because I had forgotten all about them until I saw Sherry's post.

Our plan is to have Thanksgiving outside. The weather has been perfect so far this month but who knows what next Thursday will bring.

Whatever the weather, we have much to be thankful for.

Join Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for many other tablescapes.

an unexpected visitor for dinner...

2010-11-10T13:31:00.032-07:00

We are so happy to be eating outdoors again. The weather is perfect and we enjoy the visitors that join us. My first step was to cut some sage to use on the table. I was completely influenced by this lovely table that Jain shared. I have had this sage but for some reason have never cut some to enjoy on the table. As I was cutting it, there were others who were enjoying it even more.

I just took a little bit to enjoy on the table.

I wasn’t very happy with the light when I first photographed this table. When I decided to try again, I was surprised to see that we had an unexpected visitor. Can you spot her? (hint: look at the top of the flowers in the vase.)

We enjoyed this table after dark.

And during the blue hour.

And you would think this is the end of the story. It isn’t.

I brought in everything off the table except the vase of sage. I decided to leave it outside. Because we sometimes have bobcats that visit, I decided to put the vase on the table that was under the patio roof so it wouldn’t get bothered. Imagine my surprise the next morning to see a hummingbird at the vase enjoying her breakfast. I startled her a bit when I went outside with my camera but soon she was back allowing me to shoot as much as I wanted.
It was as if I set up a photo shoot with a hummingbird; perfect light, perfect distance and even a comfy place to sit. If I had only known it was this easy…

The sage was gathered on Saturday. It is still on the table four days later and the hummingbirds are still enjoying it. I can't get over their tiny little feet!

Please join Susan and the other tablescapers for some lovely tables at Between Naps on the Porch.

we love soup...

2010-11-07T16:35:00.011-07:00

I have a habit of tearing recipes out of magazines and putting them in a desk drawer to “try later”. They languish at the bottom of the drawer, never to be seen again. I finally needed to clean out my desk. I was determined to continue my purging of the unnecessary (goal for 2010, but obviously does not include important things like books, music, camera equipment and dishes). Many recipes were thrown out. I am so glad this wasn’t one of them. WB loves this soup. I love this soup. I must share. We make a lot of homemade soups but neither of us has tried tomato before. I am not sure why. Maybe it is because there is beef and barley, Manhattan clam chowder, albondigas, posole, tortilla soup – well, the list could go on and on. The weather turns cool and we are ready for soup. Actually WB could eat soup every single day, even during the heat of the summer. I first made this soup two weeks ago and the third batch is cooking right now. It is easy. It is cheap. It is fast. But most importantly, it really is good.
(I don’t know which magazine to attribute it to and for that, I apologize. It may be Cooking Light.)

Creamy Tomato Balsamic Soup

1 cup beef broth, divided
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
5 garlic cloves
2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes, drained
cooking spray
3/4 cup half and half
cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 500°.
Combine 1/2 cup broth, sugar, vinegar and soy sauce in a small bowl.
Place onion, garlic and tomatoes in a 13x9 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray.
Pour broth mixture over tomato mixture.
Bake at 500° for 50 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned (don’t worry if there are some dark spots – the flavor is still wonderful).
Place tomato mixture in a blender (I used a food processor).
Add remaining 1/2 cup broth and half and half and process until smooth.
Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids (I didn't do this).
Garnish with cracked black pepper, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings

First time, I added some homemade croutons. So good with a quesadilla on the side.

I can't get enough...

2010-11-05T10:53:00.017-07:00

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.
-George Eliot

Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.
-Stanley Horowitz

Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn. -
Elizabeth Lawrence

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.
-Albert Camus

picture fall, the end...

2010-11-01T09:23:00.007-07:00

The last three days of Picture Fall.

As always, click on the photo to see a larger view.

"sweet"

"fantasy" No Halloween costumes around here.

"thankful" This was taken yesterday in the mountains near our home.

a table for Halloween...

2010-10-29T10:52:00.017-07:00

Yikes! Two posts in one day. There must be something spooky going on.

I'm not sure when purple and bright green became Halloween colors in addition to the traditional orange and black but I like it.

The bottles were made with labels printed on my computer. The labels were from this generous person who shared them on flicker. So talented! I just used whatever bottles I could find. My daughter found some for me. I also admit to spending too much on a bottle of olive oil for the long skinny black bottle. I love a good olive oil.

Hope you all have a wonderful Halloween!

For other tables, many with a fall or Halloween theme, check out this.

picture fall, week four...

2010-10-29T07:34:00.019-07:00

This workshop has been so good for me. It has forced me to get out with my camera every day. You can see I had trouble deciding on just one photo for some of the challenges this week.

"darks and lights"

"repetition"

"family matters" This was a exercsie to use the auto timer and get a family portrait. Our portrait was rather empty. I thought about holding up a photo of our kids.

"fall colors"
This take on fall colors was from the mountains close to home.

Fall colors in the desert are a little hard to find but this was the sunrise I woke up to this morning. It was certainly colorful.

"open heart, open mind" The first light of the morning gave this a rather magical look. I am a bit clueless about Photoshop so I have to depend on the light helping me out.

"leafy love" I put the camera on the ground for this one.

The blurred background is aspen leaves. This was a crop of an old photo.

"the great pumpkin" Okay, my pumpkin is just a little one but who could resist that stem? I always pick out pumpkins based on the stems. I really want to try growing some of these mini ones next year.

I will be sorry to have this workshop ending on Sunday.

picture fall, week three...

2010-10-22T05:07:00.014-07:00

These are the images for week three. There are days that I definitely have to think about the prompt for a while before something comes to me.

"messages" - my father's favorite expression:

"juxtaposition" - things have changed a bit since I saved my allowance to buy my first Beatles album when I was nine.

"bounty" - my nephew so happy to be able to collect fall leaves

"muse" - since my children grew up, my muse is nature. This butterfly let me get so close with the macro that her spots are bokeh.

"scattered" - wanted an authentic scattered rather than setting something up. This box of candles seems to follow us around from table to table when we are outside.

"connections"

"serving up kindness" - a night meeting for WB so we met for a very early dinner.

all is right in my world...

2010-10-21T05:47:00.003-07:00

I love October.

I never thought it would happen...

2010-10-19T09:57:00.016-07:00

{WARNING: turn away now if you are squeamish about spiders}
My daughter has been interested in all kinds of bugs (okay, insects and spiders, excuse me, archanids - see, I have been listening!) for years. She has a degree in biology and her favorite classes were entomology. She rescues every bug ever seen in the house, sometimes upending furniture to find them and then stepping outside during a thunderstorm to let them free. We all tease her a bit but this week, I am joining her ranks. I am obsessed about the behavior of our resident spider, (I want to insert the name, Charlotte, here but I will try to refrain). She lives outside (thank goodness!) and I am finding myself checking her every morning to see how she is doing. She is there, kindly allowing me to photograph her, from all angles. She never complains about the posing and allows me to find just the right light to bring out her good side. This morning I was able to watch her take care of breakfast, a bumble bee who left the security of his favorite lavender salvia and flew inadvertently, I am sure, into her territory, an amazing web. She is fascinating.

and even spiders can make a little magic:

I am so behind at visiting many of you. Life has been a bit crazy lately but I look forward to "seeing" you soon. I do appreciate your comments so much.

picture fall, week two...

2010-10-14T13:37:00.016-07:00

This is the second installment on my photos for Picture Fall. I take one photo each day, following the prompt that is given to us. For example, the prompt for the last picture of the glass was "unexpected enchantment", finding the magic in an ordinary object. I actually take many photos each day, but only post the one or two that I think are the best on the workshop site. Tracey's next workshop is "Picture the Holidays".

When I took this glass outside, I was surprised to see all the color and reflections.

picture fall, week one...

2010-10-07T17:11:00.013-07:00

I am participating in a photo sharing workshop called “Picture Fall”. It was just what I needed to jump start my photography after a long, hot summer. Tracey gives us a prompt and we photograph it. Sounds simple, doesn't it? I find myself thinking and thinking about these as I go about my day. I pick up my camera many times as something else comes to mind. I love it! Here are this week’s images:

have a little faith...

2010-10-06T12:32:00.020-07:00

We spent some time in Santa Fe a few years ago. On the last day of our trip, we walked to into an antique store, finding many treasures that we would have gladly taken home. One that was actually affordable and would fit in the car was a lavadera (wash basin). I knew I would fill it with leaves in the autumn and pine cones in the winter. We brought it up to the cash register to pay for it. The owner told us that she didn’t take credit cards. We asked if she would hold it so we could go find an ATM and pay cash. She said not to bother. She would give us the lavadera and we could send her a check when we got home. We were a bit flustered by her offer and again said that we would be glad to hunt down an ATM. She insisted we just take it. I thanked her profusely and asked if this was an offer that she made routinely. She said that in all of her years of business, only one person hadn’t sent her a check. We left her store feeling so happy to know that someone had such faith in people and it had been rewarded. Of course, we immediately sent a check when we got home.

I always am happy when it is time to set an autumn table around the lavadera. You can see this one went through quite a few changes. It may change again before we actually sit down to dinner.

So the lavadera does sit on our dining room table most of the year. M and K have given me many of the treasures that find their way into the lavadera – an autumn leaf from Paris, a pinecone from Oregon, a cone of some sort from Washington D.C. There are some sticks from my beloved aspen trees. Yesterday, I picked seed pods from the ground in front of the library.

Hmmmm, I am starting to see why my kids tell me that I like to bring the outdoors in and the indoors out.

In addition to the beauty of the piece and the vacation memories it evokes, it reminds us that even when it starts to seem impossible, it is really a good thing to have faith in people.

autumn officially arrived yesterday...

2010-10-06T09:25:00.008-07:00

Not a moment too soon...

(photo taken in the mountains last year)

hope ahead...

2010-10-04T11:22:00.014-07:00

When our children were small, we often read “Frederick” by Leo Lionni. “Frederick” is a fable about a little field mouse and his friends. All the field mice, but Frederick, work all day and night to collect food for the winter. They don’t understand why Frederick isn’t working too. Frederick explains to them that he is gathering the sun’s rays, colors and words for the long, cold winter ahead. “Aren’t we lucky the seasons are four? Think of a year with one less… or one more.”

So we have “Frederick” days. Instead of storing up for the winter, we store up for the summer. This time of year is when I need my “Frederick” days the most. It is still too hot. I want autumn and I want it now.

I need to remember our cool, wet spring that was such a delight.

I need to remember an unexpected dinner outside during an unexpected cool spell in mid-June. I need to remember nights around the fire.

I need to remember cool mornings at the lake watching the herons and egrets.
I need to remember the cold day watching the sandhill cranes last winter.

As I write this, the breeze is picking up. Clouds are forming. The temperature is dropping ever so slightly. Hope ahead…

Edited: Wind brought in a beautiful evening! We ate dinner outside and it was perfect. Hope, indeed.

at last...October

2010-10-01T09:40:00.005-07:00

We may live among the saguaros but there is glorious autumn surrounding us in the mountains.

a little night photography...

2010-09-30T10:36:00.011-07:00

I love shooting at night. The world just looks so different, so magical. My friend, Kat, has some great night time photos you will want to check out. I don't have the lovely, far away places to explore that she does but you can find wonderful night, no matter where you are.

Most of these were taken with my favorite night lens, 35mm 1.4. The only tripod shot is the first one. The tripod gives you so many opportunities but you can still capture things without it, as long as you can up your ISO and not mind the accompanying graininess. Different cameras and lenses handle graininess in different ways. A little grain never bothers me much. You can use a fence post, the top of your car or a ledge as a tripod.
In this shot you can see that the bike is blurry but the rest of the picture is rather sharp. This is due to the movement of the bike rider and a slow enough shutter speed that doesn't stop the action. Don't forget that you can click on any image to make it larger.
This shot uses a technique called panning. As I took the shot, I followed the car so that the car stays in focus while the background blurs. This is often a hit and miss technique with me. The color and style of the car really caught my eye but obviously I didn't have much time to set this up. I was going for the angle but if I had a redo, I probably would have shot it a little bit differently. Sometimes, you get what you get.

What may look dull and dirty in the daylight, can look amazing at night. Give it a try.

and a matching sunset...

2010-09-30T07:46:00.005-07:00

You have to love a man who is driving home after a long day at work who calls to tell you the sunset deserves a peek.

this morning's sunrise...

2010-09-28T06:29:00.005-07:00

"There was never a night or a problem that could defeat a sunrise or hope." (Bern Williams)

it's finally pumpkin time...

2010-09-22T13:25:00.017-07:00

Pumpkins make me happy. I don't know if it is because it means the beginning of fall or it is just inborn if one happens to have an October birthday. I have been to Trader Joe's three times to get them and I haven't even spotted the white ones yet. They will make me happy all the way through Thanksgiving weekend. Then we'll roast the seeds and leave the rest for the bunnies to enjoy.

Lovely leaves from my lovely, too-far-away daughter who collected and preserved them for my birthday last year. She knows her mama well.

Pumpkins make me happy.

sunflowers while waiting for fall...

2010-09-16T14:07:00.014-07:00

We are waiting for fall. We had a bit of a glimpse last weekend with some lovely night time temperatures but as usual for us in September, we are waiting and know we must be patient just a little while longer. I found some pumpkins yesterday and as always, they were irresistible to me. I always pick them out based on the shape of the stem. Just putting some on the hearth helped me forget how hot it still is outside. Is it bad that the thing that attracted me most to these plates was the word “solstice”? I like the sunflowers. I like the textures. I like the colors but it was that word that made them impossible for me to resist.

Slowly, I am bringing a little bit of autumn inside – changing the quilts on the beds, filling the lavadera with bits of leaves, gourds and pumpkins and there was even some soup made. So we will try to be patient, though we never are. We will enjoy the sunflowers, look for the changes in the light and hope that the changes in the temperature are not far behind.

Please join Susan and all the other tablescapers here.

simple indulgence...

2010-09-09T15:44:00.012-07:00

2009 was a difficult year for me, maybe the most difficult ever. My New Year’s resolutions for 2010 were different than they have been in the past. I only had one - feel free to indulge in the little pleasures of life. I have no idea why I thought denying myself a $6 bouquet seemed like the right thing to do, but it did. No longer. Spending an afternoon reading when there is laundry to be done? That’s okay too. A morning behind the lens, photographing butterflies and hummingbirds, is not a waste of time. It feeds the soul. Many times, this new attitude goes against my pragmatic nature but never once have I regretted following it.

In addition to pining for peonies, I’ve been hoping for hydrangeas. Trader Joe’s came through for me again and here is my little pleasure for this week. Find one for yourself. You will be glad you did.

like fire...

2010-09-07T13:23:00.001-07:00

Our summer rains make the desert bloom, again.