Splashway Water Park July 17 2007

I promised Michael a week ago we'd go to the waterpark this week. Tuesday's are two for one so what better day to go and save money too!! I had bought one of those cheap disposable water cameras to try and this is the result. Compared to my Canon these photos are terrible but I didn't have to worry about ruining the camera in the water....

We have arrived and Michael is waiting patiently for Momma to get her stuff together and head for the water...another words he is jumping all over the place and telling me to hurry UP!!!

Okay Michael wanted to take a photo of Mamma and I obliged...I did help him steady the camera a bit....I wanted to make sure he got my face and not my boobs, lol.

Michael being brave and going under the shower getting his head wet!! Very brave for my little man who hates getting his head wet....

Laughing and splashing...

Keeping your mouth closed keeps the water out, lol....here he is showing me how it is done!!

We had a good time but had to leave early as a storm came in....he is getting really comfortable in the water and loves to swim the river with me!!

Color Accent

Okay this week Helen showed be a new mode on the Cannon camera! She is the teacher this week, lol....You go to your SCN mode and then arrow over to Color accent. Click set on the back of your camera and looking through the viewfinder you put the little square over the color you want to accent and click the left arrow button. The color you want to accent should now be showing in a small square on the bottom. And then take your photos...pretty cool! Thank you madam Helen for sharing this...something new and something to experiment with...How did I do Helen....lol

Ebony with brown accent...I tried to get the color of her eyes to accent but she kept moving so I went with the color on her cheek instead.

I thought this one of Julie was sweet...I'm going to have to do a Layout of this one!!

I thought the one of Michael in the green shirt was pretty cool too!! Except it kind of turned his face a bit green....

This is a really really long stemmed red rose I have growing in my garden. It's 3 ft + and Fred was in love with it...except the bloom wasn't very pretty...Yes my man is a rose person, lol...I'm not sure what type of rose bush this is but the stems have been straight and long and a really red flower....I'm not a rose person but these were a gift.

Tribute to my Uncle Paul

March 1999

March 2000

I recieved a phone call just a bit ago and was told that my Uncle Paul had passed away. He had been having some health problems and Hospice was called in last week to help. I feel sad and that we've lost a great Man! He was a good father and raised 5 children, numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren plus neices, lol...I remember him as a hard-worker and a man that loved to farm, it was his life. I know he is in a much better place and feeling no pain. I honestly feel for my Aunt who was married to him for 60+ years! They seemed to have a good strong marriage and I've always looked up to them for that....Things happened that brought me down here to Texas and I grew apart from My Aunt and Uncle who raised me but I will always remember the good times and my prayers go out to their family. I have decided not to attend the funeral as I want to remember Uncle Paul the way he was and keep those memories forever in my mind.

Saturdays Fill the Frame Photos & Misc

Here are some photos I took for the photo challenge on by SB.com photo group and then some Misc. photos are included...enjoy!!

Silver Leaf Nightshade

Texas Vervain

This wildflower I am not sure about couldn't find it in my books...it looks as if it might be a member of the sage family.

Close-up of a Black-Yellow Argiope spider...the one that looks like it is doing zig-zag stitches in its web...I stopped on the mule to get a photo and Michael was having a fit as we were sitting in the middle of the swale hole and the water was up to the floor boards, lol...Go Mamma, Go!!
This is a bud on some Illinois Bundle flower that I had planted for the deer and birds.

And who's this grinning fool!!

A fungus on a tree branch...it looked kind of alien to me!!

I thought this photo turned out pretty good!! I love those serious, studious looks!!

What we did today

This morning we went into Victoria and ran errands and this afternoon Fred shredded. I took Michael down there with his tractor and he really thought he was something!!

The other day when Fred was running the tractor we heard a peeping noise. We had no clue as to what it was until today! Sigh...it leaked out all the hydralyic fluid! I'll call the tractor place Monday and see what they want to do to repair it!! I also have to call on Michaels tractor as reverse is not working on it!! Seems the boys are having problems!!

I thought Michael was adorable trying to get through the tall grass with his tractor!! He's really concentrating on what he is doing, lol!!

I was able to get through the swale hole to the creek and this is what it looked like today. It's still above normal but not anywhere near what it was like.

This is what is left of our culvert bridge! The water is gone but so is the bridge! I was standing in the dry creek when I took these photos.

We had company come visit this evening while we were down at the property! They wanted us to go to dinner and since the tractor was down we thought why not!!

I wanted to note too that I was able to check the Hog trap finally...And my worst fears were true! One of our does had gotten into and yes she was dead. I felt just awful!! Now I have to figure out how to get the rotting carcass out of it, ugh!! I was so upset and mad too!! I should have figured out a way to check it after the flood and then I might have been able to save her. I've caught deer in it before and managed to get them out with out them dieing...sigh!! It's sad but honestly there wasn't much I could do....I've decided if the forecast calls for any type of rain I'm closing the trap....

Fill the Frame

Our challenge for next week in the SB.com photo group I am in is Fill the Frame!! Here are some photos I took this evening. Some I thought were hilarous and didn't post to the Photo blog as I didn't want to offend anyone...of course on here I don't care if I offend anyone, lol...Others I didn't think were good enough for the photo blog...But thought I'd share them on here. Enjoy!! Karen and Helen this is your assignment for the week...Fill the Frame photos! Can't wait to see what ya'll come up with!! Remember have fun and no you don't have to use Macro either!!

Gillardia bloom, I think!! Couldn't find it in my wildflower books but it looks like it's from that family!
Fred's favorite work shirt!! He had this made up for him personally years ago and has had many request for them! This is a one of a kind and of course his attitude sometimes!! I'm just glad we work well together and I don't get told this....I even got him to stop working for a bit and let me get a photo, unbelievable!! Fred posed for me, lol!!
This is a Rabid Wolf Spider...I was doing closeup shots of flowers when I happen to look down and there he sat! Thank goodness it wasn't a snake because I wasn't paying very close attention. He let me get pretty close and didn't move and for everyone's information he is harmless. Michael had to stick his nose down close to him to see what I was photography too, lol!! If you look closely (click on the photo) you can see he/she has 4 eyes, cool!! They are fairly large, 2 inches in diameter or bigger. I found one in the house today while I was vacuuming and was unable to catch it, so it's still here somewhere! Just don't tell Fred as he is deathly afraid of spiders! I'm sure he wouldn't sleep until I found it and I am not tearing the house apart looking...The bug guy is coming tomorrow to spray for scorpions again and I'm sure after that the spider will be gone! It seems like ever since it flooded these spiders have moved up closer to the house and are all over outside, I've seen quiet a few when I mowed the yard the other day!
This is a Golden Crownbeard bloom. Everytime I think I've seen all the wildflowers I'm going to see this year another one comes along that I haven't seen yet. I found another one this evening but didn't get a decent photo of it and I couldn't identify it...I'll try for another photo of it tomorrow and maybe I'll try the internet to find out what exactly it is...so stay tuned for more flowers, lol....
Okay I saved the cutest and funniest for last....Does anyone know who this sexy guy is in the black bug-eye shades?... lol!! It was pretty bright this evening when we went out to help Daddy fill potholes in the driveway so Michael of course had to wear his shades...I had to bribe him to get this photo! He actually let me take two photos and this was the best one out of the two....sigh!! He cracks me up when he wears his shades, he acts like he is really something!! One cool dude!!

Kit~Cat and me playing with my camera and flash

I went to bed early last night but sat in there reading my digital photography book! I then decided to play with my camera and adjust the settings while using the flash! I actually wanted photos of Kit with out the flash doing weird things to his eyes...didn't work out well but here is one photo of him with his eyes open...Didn't even see the crud in his left eye until I pulled the photo up on the computer...Wow I can't believe how crisp this photo was and how clear it showed the peice of crud in his eye...lol....the others are of him cat-napping! He is such a beautiful fluffy cat. I love the one where he is cat-napping and you can see the reflection of his nose in the chair...His eyes are green most of the time but these photos showed them as yellow.