Day 193: Dragonfly Mating Season

 

Up here in Wisconsin, it is dragonfly mating season.  I think this is the first time I have actually even seen a dragonfly, not to mention hundreds of them flying around in pairs making babies.  What I do like about these little guys is that they stay out of your way, unlike other pesky insects.

Day 192: Relaxing in the Northwoods

Ahhh... to sit on the couch with the windows open, the breeze blowing in and watching... The Bachelorette.  What a great Monday!

Day 190: Windy City

It's my first trip up to Chicago and WOW... look at that architecture.  Many of these building have such interesting and ornate detail.  It's so new and exciting. 

Day 189: Keys

Assignment:  Make a photo of a tool today. Screwdriver. Pliers. Computer. What's the tool you find most important on a daily basis?

Day 187: The Grass is Greener

Assignment: Make a photograph of something very green.  Don't settle for vaguely green.  Go for saturation. 

Day 186: More Progress in the Classroom

It may not look like it but the classroom is getting closer and closer to being ready for my little first graders.  Most of the cabinets are finally cleaned out and next I am going to try to tackle my library. Phew! I can see the end!

Day 185: All American Boy

We did a lot of this on the Fourth of July.

Day 184: Kitty Love

Sadie is obsessed with Jonny.  I think she secretly thinks she is his girlfriend.  She will just lay there like a human and cuddle with him.  It's pretty funny.

Day 183: Flower Garden

Assignment: Take a photograph of a plant today. Domestic, wild or anything in between is fair game.

Day 180: Out of Control

My hair is getting SO long and so out of control! Ask me how long it takes to straighten it.  Way too long? It may be time to cut it. 

Day 179: White Legs

Assignment: Make a photograph that features white in a dominant manner.  Use a white subject.  Blow out the sky.  Use your imagination.  

Hence the photo of the white legs.  Not sure what is going on with these lines.  No, I do not have stretch marks... yet.

Day 178: I Saw Three Rocks Just Sitting There

Assignment: Make a photograph around the number three today.  Three subjects.  Three colors.  The number three.

Day 176: Apple Pie

Went shopping today and these were in the "impulse buys" section.  They reminded me of my dad.  We used to eat these on a daily basis.  Are they coated in wax?? I think so. 

Day 175: Payoff

I had to take a picture of this doughnut because it has a history.  I started something called the Mary-thon, which is an incentive to exercise and change my lifestyle.  I promised myself at the half-way point, I could reward myself with a doughnut-- a chocolate frosted cake doughnut with sprinkles on top. 

Well, I successfully reached my half-way point and I was ready for my doughnut.  Since moving out here, I hadn't seen a great bakery that makes delicious doughnuts.  Well, I went to google and it led me to a Dunkin' Donuts.  I went there early one morning before work, stood in line, only to realize that they did not have the chocolate frosted cake doughnut with sprinkles on top that I wanted-- that I needed.  But, since I already committed to standing in line, I bought some glazed doughnuts for some of my co-workers, left for work (arrived late from waiting in line), and ate my treat.  It was not Krispy Kreme... it was not even WalMart quality... it was a waste of calories. 

My craving was not satisfied.  The next day, I was BOUND and determined to get that doughnut.  I woke up this morning, ran a couple miles, and went to a doctor's appointment all with a doughnut on my mind.  I found another doughnut shop and I was ready for my payoff.  I drove to the shop and get to the doors... only to realize that they were locked.  There was a sign saying that it was already closed (I was 30 minutes late), but there was another one open but it was on the other side of town.  I called Jonny, told him my sob story and he said he would pick it up on his way home from school.  So, he called the shop to ensure they had my chocolate frosted cake doughnut with sprinkles on top.  They had one left.  He told them to put it in the back until he could get there.  

Well... long story... here is my doughnut.  And it was TASTY delicious.

Day 173: Pair of Feet

Assignment: Make a photo of a pair of subjects today. People or inanimate objects are both fair game!

Day 172: Sprinklers

Assignment: Make a photograph of water in one form or another. 

The sprinklers at our complex are crazy.  They are always going at the most inconvenient time... like when you are getting home from work.  And they spray all over every walkway making it impossible to get from your car to our place without being doused with water. 

Day 171: Bug Bites

I realize this is not a CLEAR picture... but look at these gross bug bites (not to mention the 6 other mosquito bites I have)! It's bug season out here.  Jonny thinks they are chigger bites.  If you don't know what a chigger is, read here. Talk about NASTY! 

Day 170: Too Much To Do

Assignment:  Lists guide an eye in a linear way: menus, recipes, etc. As you're out and about today, find a list and make a photo.

Day 169: Cruisin'

Scratch the assignment today! We are crusin' around with the top down! 

Day 168: Tree Shadow

Assignment: Make a photograph that features a shadow as your subject today.

Day 167: Weird Orange Cowboy Sculpture Man

Assignment: The color of the day is orange. Make a photograph that is full of orange today.

Day 166: Blurry Vision

Assignment: Make a photograph today that either contains motion blur or conveys motion in some other way. 

I just downloaded the Instagram app for my iPhone and I was just playing around with it.  Pretty fun!

Day 165: Way Up High

Assignment: Make a photograph from a high point of view. Get on top of a building, use a ladder, or just look down at a small object.

Day 164: Weeds

Assignment: Make another photograph of something beautiful.

Grass in the park.

Day 163: Dream House

Assignment: Take a photograph of something beautiful.

I love this house.  It reminds me of Fantasyland in Disneyland with all the kiddie rides like Snow White's Scary Adventure (this really is a frightening ride), Pinnochio's Daring Journey and Peter Pan's Flight.  I think this is what houses might look like in Switzerland or somewhere else in the Alps.  Except this house is right on the lake.  It could use some updates I'm sure, but I would definitely live there.  

Day 162: Warm Squares

Assignment: Make a photograph emphasizing a square or a grid today.

Day 161: I Spy

Assignment: Parallel lines draw the eye. Make a photograph with parallel lines today.

This is where I spent the bulk of my day... in my new classroom.  It looks like a war zone.  This is the before picture.  I'll post after shots when it is all cleaned up.  It is like one of those I Spy books. Can you find the parallel lines?

Day 160: Glassy Waters

Assignment: Make a photograph of something smooth today.

Day 159: Missing Keys

Assignment: Illustrate time in a photograph today.

Let me tell you how I spent my time today.  Wasted... that's how. Scavenging through my purse.  Rifling through my laundry basket.  Upturning every basket and box.  Rummaging through closets, drawers and shelves.  Looking for my lost keys.  Without success.

Day 158: Shiny Sun

Assignment: Make a photograph of something shiny today

Day 157: Gridlock

Assignment: Make a photograph that features a grid of some sort. 

Day 156: Kitty Cat

Assignment: Make a photograph from an unusual point of view.

Day 155: Me and My Shadow

Assignment: Make a low contrast photo today.

In other news... we saw a TON of these nasty things.  One actually landed in my hair. GROSS!

Day 154: Shelly

My assignment was to take pictures of symmetry, but I saw this little guy and thought it was way more interesting. 

Day 153: Too Darn Hot

We have to keep this thing going on all night because of this crazy Illinois heat wave going on. 

Day 152: H is for Honda

Assignment: Make a photograph of a symbol today.

After a trip up north, this bad boy needs a serious car wash.  And yes, that is bird poop right below on the grill.

Day 151: Baby Audrey

This is Baby Audrey.  She was born on Sunday.  And I love her!!! Look at her tiny little hands. 

This is as good as I could do with a camera phone. 

Day 150: I love Pilots

Assignment: Illustrate attraction in a photograph today.

Birds of a feather flock together... and so do Pilots.  Look at the 4 Pilots in a row... 3 in fronts and us behind them.

Day 149: Fishing

Assignment: Make a photograph that features metal or a metallic surface.

Day 148: Lake Living

Assignment: Make a photograph today with a central point of interest in it.

Day 147: Blue Jeans

Assignment: Make a photograph dominated by the color blue today.

Blue jeans = Wisconsin lake attire

Day 146: Wisconsin Sunset

Assignment: Make a photograph dominated by horizontal lines.

Day 145: Storm's a Comin'

I have no idea what the assignment is today because I was so busy worrying about the Tornado Watches and Tornado Warnings.  It doesn't really look like it, but the wind was blowing like crazy right before the storm rolled in.

Day 144: Cleanliness

A clean bathroom is a happy bathroom.  Happy cleaning to me!

Day 143: Spring Vista

Assignment: Make a photograph of a vista today.

Day 142: Strawberry Fields Forever

Do these look like heaven to you? Because they were.  Jonny and I made 200 of these today.  Absolutely delicious!

Here's another picture.  

Don't you just want to run to the store and buy some strawberries and chocolate? Why is it that chocolate and strawberries are the perfect combination?