the eyes have it

This last week has been a little pathetic in the photography realm. I've been a
bit busier than normal, and kind of just kept shoving thoughts of Photo Friday to the back of my mind. Procrastination has always been a go-to behavior for me....it served me so well in high school when I wrote my 6th period speeches during lunch, and it's continued to work for me until today, when I have not a single decent photo from this past week to put on my blog.

I'm also in the process of removing a huge amount of photo's from my lap top and transferring them to a portable hard drive, so I've been sorting through a lot of pictures lately.
Sometimes, something catches my eye that I didn't see the first time around, so I thought I'd share a few that I've recently played with a bit.

When I took snow pictures of my little niece a while back, I had a mix of results...some that turned out really good, and some that had an issue or two, (or three or four, but those I usually just delete).

I love eyes and eyelashes, and when I came across this photo again recently, I looked past the fact that it's a bit too dark, and generally just kind of a blah shot.


I did a major crop, and ran a couple different Photoshop actions, and ended up really liking the end result.


I love the softness and the focus on her eyelashes while her sweet little face kind of fades away.

I love baby faces.

This next shot is actually pretty nice....she has a cute expression, and the exposure is good.


In my current close up loving frame of mind, I like it even better cropped in, with her eyes as the star of the show.


Of course the goal is to get the perfect picture straight out of the camera, but when you miss the mark a bit, it's nice to know the vast power of Photoshop is there to help a sister out.

That's all I got! Hopefully, something will cross my camera's path this next week that will knock all our socks off, because I really don't want to have to resort to the calf birth that I photographed last week. I like you guys too much for that.

Have a great weekend!

perennial favorites

Happy March!

Are you making your garden plans yet? I know we still have a way to go, but I have just started really thinking about what I'm going to be doing in the garden this year. Flower successes that I'll repeat again, and things I'd like to change. I'm making lists of seeds, and thinking about bare spots that need filling in the perennial bed.

Bleeding Heart is one of the very first bloomers in my garden. They are so pretty and old fashioned. Last year, we planted some white ones too, and I can't wait to see how they do this spring.


Hardy geraniums are one of my very favorites. Some varieties get huge, leggy and out of control, but this one, Birch's Double, is one of a few varieties that know how to behave.


Peonies. Good gracious, the peonies. I always want to bring bouquets inside, but mine are absolutely filled with ants. I'm always afraid I'll wake up the next morning to find the kitchen crawling with the little buggers.


Dianthus. Pinks. Whatever you call them, they are a treat. Their sweet smell is so fresh and a little bit spicy. Yum.


Black Eyed Susans are everywhere in my herb garden where pretty much anything goes as far as color. Nice because they bloom a bit later in the season after most other perennials are done.


Delphiniums are quite possibly my favorite perennial ever. They have a couple strikes against them where I live, the deer love them and the wind can topple them, but they are so worth the hassle. And usually if you're a flower in my garden you have to be able to totally fend for yourself or you're outta here. Not delphiniums though. I'm willing to coddle those baby blues a bit. They're the favorite child. Shhh. Don't tell.


I'm very torn about what to do with my hollyhock patch. When they are good, they are great, but more often than not, the foliage gets very nasty looking and the ugliness overpowers the beautiful blooms.


Last year I vowed to tear them all out, but of course now I want to give them a second chance. All of my fall tough talk is gone. The birds sing, the bee's buzz, and I am deluded once again, that this year my hollyhocks will be beautiful for more than five minutes.


Another later summer bloomer is Purple Coneflower. It took a long time for me to really start liking this plant, but it blooms till frost, and you just can't say that about your average joe perennial. That reason alone earns it a spot in my heart.


There are many, many new varieties of Coneflower, and I have tried quite a few of them. Big Sky Sundown is a great color and fades to a pretty pinky orange. Very fun.


I could ramble on forever about ye olde garden, but at some point I should probably wrap up and save some for another day. A few last favorites....


Columbine, Sidalcea and Trollius.

As you can see, the "less is more" philosophy has no place in my garden. When it comes to flowers, more is more. That's my story, and I'm stickin to it.

Every year I try at least one new thing. What are the must have perennials in your garden?

Be an enabler and share your favorites.

sweet senior

Oh. My. Goodness.

I have just had the biggest all out brawl with my laptop. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure I lost. It was ugly, but finally, at ten p.m. I am able to start my Photo Friday post.

Non-cooperative computer? Filled up with photo's hard drive? How do I despise thee? Let me count the ways.

Or not.

Last weekend, I got a call from a from a friend, asking if I would be willing to take her daughter's senior pictures.

Why, yes I would, thank you very much.

While I had never met my subject to be, she is the auntie to this little boy, so we at least knew a little bit about each other.


She was so much fun to work with, and I was very impressed with her fence climbing, brook crossing, and wet ground sitting skills. Montana girls...there's nothing like them.



Pretty darn cute if you ask me.

This was fun. I'm getting a tiny bit more comfortable working with new friends, and I'm ending up with fewer botched shots each time, so I'm encouraged to keep plugging along. Now, as long as I can make peace with my laptop, I'm on my way.

pre-spring fever

This is the time of year that, as winter drags on, I get a bit desperate for spring. It's that same "gotta have it now" feeling you get before your first cup of coffee in the morning.

Can you relate? I have a feeling I'm in good company.

There are a few little mind games I play to get me through these last few months before spring arrives. All these photo's were taken on May 11th, so you can see that spring is quite a latecomer here.


This is the time of year that I start looking at Florida and Arizona real estate online. And the Meadowbrook Farmer always, every single year says, "you find the place and we'll check it out". That's when I realize that I am all talk. Actually, I already know I'm all talk, and so does he. I don't really want to move. I know that if I can just make it through the next few months, I'm home free.


This is the time of year that....I kid you not....I check the expiration date when I buy bacon. I don't check the date any other time of year. I check the date, smile, and as in last week's bacon buying excursion, I think to myself...."when this bacon expires, it will be May 12th." For some extremely bizarre reason, it makes me happy to know that when my bacon expires, spring will be here. It somehow makes it seem less distant. Seeing that date printed on the package lets me know that warm weather and flowers will be here in less time than it takes my pork products to go bad. Of course the bacon will be long gone. No bacon makes it to it's date around here. It's just the idea that makes me happy.

Strange?

Why yes, I believe it is.

There are a few signs, here and there, that winter won't last forever.
The skunks are making their presence known.
Cute little birds are showing up.
My neighbor has new calves almost every day. I actually watched one arrive just last week. Kind of cool, and kind of gross. Let's just say I'm glad my babies didn't have hooves.


This is the view from my front porch. This photo was taken on June 5th. This is what my front garden will look like less than a month after my bacon expires.


These photo's were processed with the Florabella actions and textures. I'd changed them out for the original versions because I'm really not very comfortable with my texture abilities, but then changed them back because I'm fickle. I'm still kind of having a love/like/not sure relationship with textures. I absolutely love them when done by others, but I think I spend so much time analyzing my own, I don't have a clue what to think after a while. Now I'm tempted to post both versions and let you pick, but I will refrain since Photoshop and my computer are having a hate/hate relationship these days, and I don't feel like getting in the middle of a techno spat right now.

So, do you have any spring fever coping tricks to share? Are there signs of spring at your house? Did I make you want to go buy bacon?

Do tell.

this boy

This one's my youngest.


My baby.

Much to my dismay, he's growing up too fast.

Literally.

The other day I noticed I was looking up a bit more when talking to him. So, we got out the tape measure. Six foot two and three quarters. Actually, it was more like nine tenths, but I wasn't ready to admit that. That was a couple days ago, so I'm sure he's reached six three by now. Ridiculous.

Fifteen years old.


He's got a job at the local pizza place, and loves it.


It's tough being a teenager these days. Really tough. But he's doing a great job at being a good kid.


He's decided, once again, to hunker down at school. That's a good thing. Every single conference for the last five years has gone exactly the same way. "Mrs. Meadowbrook....your son is a pleasure to have in class. He makes me laugh. I enjoy having him as one of my students. He's a good kid. I just think there's a chance he's not living up to his full potential."

Well, yes, yes it's hard to live up to your academic potential when you're busy living up to your "life is good, let's have some fun" potential.

Baby of the family, anyone?

Here's his "I am a straight "A" student" look. Let's visualize.


He's a clown.

He's full of it.

He's funny.


He's a schmoozer.

He tells me he loves me in front of his friends.

He's a good kid.

Yes, I said it. You're a good kid, junior. Dad and I are proud of you.

Now go do your homework.

cool things I didn't buy

As part of my "Clean your Closet for a Cause" quest, I have had to make several visits to a local antique store that is consigning some of my things. It's been kind of like an alcoholic visiting the liquor store, just to look at all the pretty bottles. Not a particularly smart idea.

However, my resistance has held.

So far.

In my current frame of mind, I believe the next best thing to buying vintage goodies, is photographing vintage goodies. Actually, it's not the next best thing, it's the better thing. It's better to take pictures than to buy. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I have a birdcage collection. I love my birdcage collection. My collection does not include a black birdcage.


Nor does it include a cute little bird.


In keeping with the bird theme, how about this little cutie?


Back in the day, I wouldn't have thought twice about picking this up. Four dollars. Adorable. However, it would have ended up in a drawer, and that's precisely what I'm trying to avoid.

But it's so cute.

And four dollars.

The road to good intentions apparently shouldn't go past the antique store.

I drool over this little thing every time I stop in. I'm not even sure what it is. I'm thinking cookie jar. It's not really my style, but for some reason I just love it.


And hats. I have a hat collection, and I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it in the purge. This one is kind of funky, but the flowers on it are beautiful.


And a child's hat. Too cute.


The icing on my little window shopping trip was this beauty.


All these things were tempting, some more than others. But it actually feels good to have a little self control. This way, when something really special comes along, it will be just that. Special.

Hopefully, sometime in the next week or two, I will have the purge pretty much wrapped up. I can't wait to share how it's gone. It's fun to collect things. Really fun. But it's been pretty fun getting rid of my stuff too.

So, how about you? What calls your name when you're out and about? Name your kryptonite...vintage or otherwise.

the horse whisperess

Otherwise known as the photo shoot that pretty much wasn't.

Last weekend, I called my favorite photo sidekick to see if she was up for a few pictures. She was game, as always, so armed with my camera and a very particular idea of what I wanted to accomplish, we set out for my in-laws place.

My father-in-law was just getting ready to load up the feed truck when we arrived, so we set off into the pasture ahead of him.

I started booking down the field, carrying an armload of stuff, when I realized Montana's Next Top Model wasn't coming with me. I turned around and saw this.


It turns out hungry horses are friendly horses.

We'd go a little further, they'd come along, and by the time I got my camera turned on, she was surrounded again.




They were especially fond of nibbling on her ponytail....no surprise there...and the fringe of her scarf.

Note to self. Check equine feeding schedule before planning next photo excursion.

This time, we really thought we had ditched them. I took a shot to test my exposure...


and voila...


just like magic, here they come.


I asked very politely if they would leave us alone for just a few minutes, and this was the response I got.


Nice.

With my brilliant plan thwarted, and a much colder day than we were expecting, we went to a very quick plan B at the barn.




Dear Horse Whisperess,
Oh my goodness, are you a good sport! I can't imagine any other teenage girl that could possibly be more fun to have as my photo buddy than you. Please keep taking my phone calls....I promise next time it will be warmer, and I'll make sure we don't have any extra friends following us around. By the time you're a senior, we should have this picture taking thing figured out.
Thanks for being my go-to photo girl.
You're the best!