Firefighter

That's the name of this rose. Firefighter. I used to be married to one. I was very proud of his service to the community. While it frustrated me the amount of time he put into it and not into our marriage, I remained proud and know it was not the reason for our divorce. Firefighters, police, EMT's have a very difficult job and many times a thankless one. They are expected to rise in the middle of the night to face anything from helping an ailing elder back to bed to cleaning up pieces of what was once a living being off a highway.
There was a firefighter discovered in a burning home last night. Firefighters were called to a structure fire arriving to discover the structures completely gone and a body of a fellow firefighter inside. I've not heard the details on the cause of the fire. I find it ironic that this first year rose of mine bloomed the same day a firefighter was lost. I didn't know him beyond a voice on the scanner from time to time but can't help but pray for his family and those that responded to find him.
To everyone else that serves and reads this I'll offer a thanks that you may not hear at the right time. Your services are needed, and a blessing in the roughest of times. Thank you!

Are you tired....

of photos of my Squirt?



I tried to get him to turn just a bit to improve my angle but by then he was tired of being mom's photography subject.

The Dare Devil

Determination

This is my cousin as he competes in one of a few of the track events yesterday. He has a very determined look and I hope he makes it to state this year, I'll have the pleasure of photographing him there!

Busy athletes

This gal was one of several yesterday that competed in a track meet during the day and played soccer yesterday evening!

Feed my people garden

Our church has started a couple of new ministries in the recent weeks with a "Feed My People" theme. We have a free community dinner every Thursday open to everyone at no costs, donations accepted. The menu has been stew, beans, spaggetti, and a rice/chicken casserole. Plans are in the works to do hamburgers and hotdogs and other meals. We've been serving an average of 80 each Thursday.

A second project is a community garden. The church owns an empty grassy lot and thanks to a kind gentleman and his tractor and tiller we've tilled it to begin planting. The food harvested will go back into the Feed My People Thursday dinner as well as to families that need the help.

Little League

We did our first Little League team photos this week! I designed our "Snap Shot Mom Mat" that includes the team photo and the team member photos. This time around for team pictures we took preorders rather than them purchasing everything off the site. So far it seems smoother but we haven't placed the order yet. Our goal is to have all the "Mats" done and other photos edited for posting and ordering by tomorrow.

Swing batta batta

I actually caught the ball better while shooting baseball yesterday. I'm a bit behind in editing and hope to post the others to my website tomorrow.

Green thumb, fingers, hand, shirt.......

I spent much of my weekend outside. While it did rain some it was a wonderful weekend. I got three of my last four roses planted. My honey suckle pruned back a bit and just hung out. A great man and friend built me a trellis out of scrap metal. It kind of looks like branches. I saw something like it in a magazine and asked if he could make it, and he did wonderfully well. I painted it green. I nearly got all of it with one spray can of sage green satin finish rustolium. My mom and dad took Squirt with them grocery shopping Saturday morning giving me the opportunity to scrub my bathroom and kitchen. While they were at Wally World I asked them to pick me up one more can. I had some extra paint, and still do, so I painted my mail box green too.
My son is a wonderful boy. Always wanting to help his momma. He decided to help me by closing the lid to the mail box even though I had intended to leave it open for a bit to dry. His face was very funny when he looked down at his fingers and they were green.
"I shut the mail box for you mom!" he was so proud of himself. Then he promply wiped his green fingers on his white shirt!

Loving the things that bloom

I'm enjoying very much the colors of spring. My roses are starting to get buds on them and I'm patiently waiting their colors to shine through. Until they do I'm photographing other blooming things! These tulips are at my mom's house. It's supposed to rain tomorrow. I'm hoping to plant the remaining four rose bushes I need to plant before it does.

Blow flower

That's what Squirt calls these flowers. He was in soooo much trouble yesterday. I had to take him to work for the afternoon and he tested every limit and pushed every button. At one point he darted out the front door. We work out in the country and pretty far from the road so this wouldn't have been a HUGE deal most of the time as long as I was quick behind him. BUT, my boss had his baseball team coming and going! He went straight to bed after getting home and dinner over with.

Found this

I found this while sorting through my much unorganized photos today. I need to find a better work flow. I took this a few weeks ago. I wasn't very close so I cropped it from a wider view.

My Cowboy

My Cowboy in his Easter clothes!

Saturday evening working cattle

I came home from the track meet Saturday and found my parents working cattle along with the help of a neighbor and his son. Squirt had spent the day with Papa an Grandma while I was at the track meet so he was helping as well. The cattle have to be vaccinated in order to prevent illness every year. Non of us like this job but it has to be done. I'm glad the neighbor came to help. I think it forced my dad to be a bit more patient than he usually is with us. We've been doing it so long I think he wants us to read his mind. The only problem is that about the time we think we figure out what he wants he changes his mind. And they say women can't make up their mind.

Telling a very serious story! We were in the front yard waiting on Papa and Mr Jim to return with the next load to vaccinate.

There's Papa on the four wheeleleleler!

He has to watch from the safe side of the corral and we try and keep him close to the truck so we know and can see where he is.

Papa cutting off the old faded eartags.

This boy can't live without his Bug Juice! He was so filthy after we were all done. He didn't have a nap and was so tired he skipped supper. I had to stop at the grocrey store on the way home. He fell asleep before we hit town and despite being carried out of the van into and around the store and back out to the van. Let me tell you 35 pounds of dead wait feels like fifty pretty darn fast!

Stopping to smell the tulips

My son stopped his play to smell grandma's tulips. I'm still finding harsh sunlight challenging to set my camera correctly. I've been challenging myself to use manual mode. I've been shooting in raw for quite some time now. Guess it's one challenge at a time.

Happy Easter everyone!

White girl at a track meet equals red face

I went to a track meet for much of the afternoon to capture my cousin and some of the local schools competeting. I'm a white girl so white when I was younger and had more time then common sense sometimes I tanned to loose the glow in the dark effect. I'm very white! Well an afternoon at a track meet and I'm red faced. For being raised in the country and always getting sunburned I always forget the sun screen early in the season. Between the camera strap and the strap of my slingbag camera bag, I've got some pretty nifty tan lines. Wait I mean sun burn lines.... all in time for Easter!

Need a tow?

My son loaded up his fire truck on his big yellow dump truck Sunday.

12 days

When took this on Monday it had been 12 days this "friend" had laid unused. I'm still going though fighing cravings, especially emotionally stressful days like today. I've been pretty much a social smoker off and one. At one time I quit for over a year. I started up again when my uncle was murdered. I know it's weak but the emotions of loosing a friend and my uncle in such a heinous way and worrying about my dad either having a heart attack or trying to kill someone himself was too much.

Honeysuckle Sunset

These were taken during a seting sun with a tripod and flash. Though you really can't tell with the vingette background the sunset was very close to the same color as these honeysuckle buds.

I'll try to post tomorrow some of the action shots I've gotten over the last week. I'm going to bed now though.

Redbuds

I took these two this evening. It was almost dusk and the wind was finally still. I got the cheap tripod out and a flash pointed almost straight up and used my hand to help direct the bounce of the flash back down.

Doing it again

I'm playing catch up again it seems.

Saturday we were hanging out inside. This hound dog sings "You Make Me Want to Shout" while the ears move up and down. It's really cute especially during the phrase "Now WAAAAIIITTTT a Minute!" My son was letting the ears tickle his nose.

Soccer

There's only one school in the county that has soccer teams, but they only have five games. I have a goal and an order to try and capture all the seniors in action in those five games.
They want the photos to put in their plaque's for senior banquet.
The light is so weird. It's really good on one side of the field for all of 30 or so. If you shoot the other side your shooting into a setting sun. The boy's game is dark, so I'm still working on those. Hopefully the sun will last longer and I can grab some "daylight" boys shots.
I would appreciate CC.

EXIF - F/7.1; 1/800 sec; ISO 400; 123 mm. I'm shooting in manual and raw.

EXIF - F/8; 1/1000 sec; ISO 400; 146mm

EXIF - f/5.6; 1/1000 sec; ISO 400; 179mm

More photos www.SnapShotMoms.com

Baseball Season

Baseball season around here. I don't particularly care for baseball but I'll pray it makes me money!

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