February Wrap Up

February was a busy month. I visited Camp McDowell in Nauvoo for Icicle Retreat. Gus and I went to Diocesan Convention in Florence, Alabama, the following week, where I got to visit with my friend, Katie, and her family. I started coughing while we were in Florence and my health went downhill from there. I was sick for over a week and stayed out of work for a whole week. Then, I recovered enough to go back to work, but was still very tired and tried to keep resting when I felt worn out. I got a little behind on my Picture a Day but I made up for it and managed to post a picture a day for February. So now I am up to 59 days of pictures! Wow!

2-28-10 A stream by the riverbank

This picture was taken at the Riverwalk by the Black Warrior River. I had just been reading about negative space online and on the same photography site was reminded of the rule of thirds. I tried to use my scenic view option on my Nikon CoolPix to adjust for the rule of thirds instead of centering the stream. I am big on symmetry and always having to have everything balanced. (that could be due to my Type A personality and control issues!) I think the picture is more interesting with the shift to the side. What do you think?

2-27-10 On the Horizon

I know that most folks today looked for a great sunrise or sunset or other amazing horizon shot, but, hey, I live in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, home of the National Champion Crimson Tide football team. And Tuscaloosa's horizon, such as it is, is dominated by Bryant Denny Stadium. And, oh yeah, over to the right you can see Denny Chimes. Hey, you have to shoot what you have!

2-26-10 Somewhere I have never been

The assignment today was to find something novel to "goose" our creativity. It was suggested that we go somewhere we have never been. I choose the playground at RISE to do my shoot. I liked the train and the ambulance and the RISE building and house.I thought it was cool that the playground was empty but still seemed to vibrate with kids and play and noise and fun.

2-25-10 Negative Space

This assignment from the Daily Shoot was to find negative space. I had to look up negative space on line because I wasn't really clear on what exactly that meant in photography. And I am still not sure I know, but then I asked Gus and he made it a bit clearer for me. So here is my attempt at tackling negative space. This was on the Riverwalk by the Black Warrior River on a great sunny day in Februrary.

2-24-10 Traditional and Contemporary

I wanted to show the traditional paper book and an audiobook on my iPod, but when I took the first shot, my iPod was out of juice. I charged it and I took the second picture. I couldn't decide which was better so I included both.

Feb. 23, 2010 Monochrome Picture

Today's daily shoot challenge was to find a monochrome picture and shoot it. It wasn't exactly monochrome, but I noticed lots of red in my office and most of it emblazoned with UWA, so I went with this pic.

Feb. 22, 2010 Don't be a square--Be a lot of them!

Today's daily shoot was to find some squares or a grid and take a shot of it. I chose the door from our living room to our deck because this is what I have seen a lot of in the last 10 days and not much else since I have been confined to the house with pneumonia. And in the shot you can see our bedroom window which is the other room I have spent most of my time in. So these were my little windows on the world for last week. I hope this week's vistas improve drastically!

Feb. 21, 2010

Today's daily shoot suggestion was to find an interesting background. Mission accomplished. This is our neighbor's wrought iron ornamental railing right over our fence. The plants you see are mostly in our yard. Kind of a nice layering effect on the wrought iron, I thought.

Feb. 20, 2010 Red, red berries

These holly berries are on a Grape Holly bush that I swear Gus calls the Gray Polly bush just to annoy me. They caught the sun in a nice way and were a reminder that things are just as they should be.

Feb. 19, 2010 More piles

Today's picture is the pile of bricks that sits beside the parking place that Gus so thoughtfully made for me. They have been there a while as evidenced by the moss and other growth. But they are now a fixture in the drive way.

Feb. 18, 2010 Lichens

This log sits precariously on top of the wood pile. Yes, that's the same pile we made of the tree that fell on my previous car in November 2006. The lichens were especially cool today.

Feb. 17, 2010 Ash Wednesday

I was too sick to go to services on Ash Wednesday and so I am using our crown of thorns that Gus made that is hanging on a tree in our drive way to get the somberness of the day captured. I was pretty somber; I went to the doctor, got more meds, and slept. I think that may be the first time I have ever not had trouble fasting on Ash Wednesday.

Feb. 17, 2010 Griff and Momma

This was a great shot of Katie getting some Griff sugar. Love those kinda pix!

Feb. 16, 2010 Mary Cole and her new Ariel

I took this shot of Mary Cole playing with her new Ariel bath toy and barbie doll that I brought her when I visited. She loves gifts of all kinds and loves to show them off. She also loved the outfit I gave her--a pink skirt and a brown and pink flowered shirt. In fact she loved it so much she had an accident when trying to go to the bathroom and thus, we ended up in the bathtub.

Feb. 15, 2010 Griff Kinney Linebacker to Be

I became a good friend of Griff Kinney when I visited last week because I fed the boy. He is a great eater as you can tell from his physique and has a great easy-going, laid-back personality. Quite the opposite of his drama queen sister! :)

Feb, 14, 2010 My sweetie and me

This picture was also taken at Camp McDowell. After our celebration of the Eucharist together in the new chapel, the few Canterburians left for Sunday Lunch gathered around the fireplace in Stough Lodge to wait. So here is a picture of me and my sweetie.

Feb. 13, 2010 Cross at the New Chapel

This is a picture of the wooden cross that hangs suspended over the altar at the new chapel at Camp McDowell. The chapel space is wonderful, lots of light, wood, and good acoustics.

Feb. 12, 2010 To toe or not to toe?

Graham Mullen, our church mouse, (person who lives in the student center and is a caretaker of sorts) was sporting some of those new neoprene "toe" shoes. They looked kind of like gorilla feet from costume, but Graham assured all of us curious onlookers that they were indeed very comfortable. But he did note--you have to have toe socks to wear!

Feb. 11, 2010 A knot on a tree

I was experimenting with my close up setting on my Nikon Cool Pix 4 mega pixel at camp and found this interesting knot on a tree outside our cabin. I can sort of see a face in the wood. What do you see?

Feb. 10, 2010 Mexican Train Dominoes rock!

I had never heard of Mexican Train Dominoes but Margaret Cooper, Martin, and Millie Hudson introduced me to them at Camp during Icicle Retreat and it was lots of fun. Some strategy is involved but it doesn't require as much thought as cards.

Feb. 9, 2010 Making up for Lost Time

I have had pneumonia for over a week and was already behind on my pictures so I am going to cheat a little and "catch" up by using some of my older pictures. Here is another picture from Camp McDowell.

WHO DAT??

Yay for the New Orleans Saints winning their first Super Bowl! I never really knew a Saints fan until I started working with Jodie Winship at UWA last fall. She loves dem Saints and even admitted that she went to games with a bag on her head in the dark years. I put her picture with her bling and bobblehead into a Photofunia Times Square pic. Enjoy!

February 7, 2010 Fork in the Road

No, really, there is a fork in the road at Camp McDowell! So the next time someone tells you to go left or right at the fork in the road, you can pull up this image. Have a great day!

February 6, 2010 Rocking Chair Meditation

I love rocking chairs. I guess I was rocked in one as a baby by my mom. And I rocked in them on my Mamaw's porch. I had my own child-sized rocking chair when I was a little girl. I love the gentle back and forth motion and the calm it brings.

I have rocked lots of babies in rocking chairs--my cousins: Matthew and Andrew, kids I used to babysit: Frank, Madeleine, Grace, Alexandra, Niccolo, Natalie, Lee, Henry, Edie, Brooklyn, Parker, Patrick, Peyton, and Lindy's kids--Hallie Grace, Luke, and Eli. And I have Baby Girl Hamner to look forward to rocking this summer.

This rocking chair at Camp McDowell reminds me of the gentleness, the calmness, and the repetition that rocking provides. It's almost like being hugged in the arms of God. There is just a sense of comfort there.

February 5, 2010 Camp McDowell

This weekend was the Icicle Retreat for my church, Canterbury Chapel. We trekked up to Camp McDowell in Nauvoo, Alabama, and had a great time! Good friends, good food, good fellowship! We spent time together talking, laughing, playing games, and just having fun together in general. My picture today is our priest, Marc Burnette, leading one of our retreat sessions. It was a wonderful way to start the weekend.

Contrasts Feb. 4, 2010

I did a collage of these shots of the lab I teach in--two during class and two empty. It really looks different and certainly sounds different without anyone there. During classes, there is chatter and the rhythmic sound of keyboards being used. It was so quiet when I took the empty picture I could hear the raindrops on the window.

Something sharp--Feb. 3, 2010

Okay, I actually took this picture on Feb. 4, but I just noticed these sharp screws on the 3 (not 4) feet to either a piece of furniture or a chair. They sit on the chalk/marker tray of the whiteboard in the lab I use to teach my classes at UWA. I used the close-up feature of my Nikon Cool Pix 4 mega pixel and thought it turned out pretty well. What do you think? Post a comment and let me know.

Spring or Winter? Feb. 2, 2010

Today's challenge from the Daily Shoot was to find something that illustrated whether it was more like spring or winter where you live. I took this picture as the sun was going down in Livingston. I think this shot makes me feel hopeful towards spring. Forget what the darn groundhog saw!

My favorite waitress February 1, 2010

I am a little slow getting off the blocks for my February picture of the day. I have taken pictures everyday, but have not had time to post so here goes. Today's photo is of my favorite waitress, Lisa, at Mr. Bill's Country Cooking in Northport. She remembers Gus and me and our drink orders and usually our food orders, too. She cuts up with us and will work hard to get us a table in her section. We are also pretty good tippers so it's a great relationship all around. Here's to you Lisa!