Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Some Seriously Screwy Weather!

I can't seem to be able to get myself motivated enough to post more often! Not sure why, cause Lord knows, I don't do anything else around here! LOL
Glenna and Tim were home last week. They flew in from Anchorage on Easter Sunday and stayed with another classmate that lives near Indianapolis that night. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights, Glenna stayed with me. She wasn't feeling well most of the time that they were here. On Friday night, Glenna, Tim, Chuck and I went out to eat in Decatur, Indiana. A restaurant called The Back 40 Junction. Glenna has been there several times, but it was a first for Chuck & I. It's located in an old train station and is set up as a buffet-only place. Friday is all you can eat crab legs. That's all it took to get Chuck there! I'm not much for crab, so I had shrimp, my favorite seafood. It was really good! The picture above is me(left) and Glenna.
This is a round barn on State Road1 in Jay County, Indiana. I had to take a slight detour last week to go to Portland to Walmart to get my new glasses. I'm really feeling old now because my new glasses have bifocals! The only part that is hard to get used to is, strangely enough, when I'm eating. When I look at my plate, I have to go back and forth looking between my bifocals and the regular part of the lens.
This old barn is over in Berne. I drive over there every once in a while taking pictures of the Amish farms and buggies. I think the filter I used on this barn is High Pass.
This old wagon was in a yard of one of the Amish farms. I would love to spend a day at an Amish household just observing their ways, and taking pictures of the homes, implements and different things that they use. When I was there last week taking these pictures, I passed two teen aged Amish boys rollerblading to and from town. Quite odd watching that. I was going down the country roads shooting the farms and such, and I got behind a buggy going quite slow. There was a farm where three or four Amish boys were out playing ball. I was just barely moving because I didn't want to pass the buggy and spook the horse. My camera is always in my hand, ready to shoot whatever catches my fancy. The boys started waving at me and motioning like they wanted me to stop. I did and rolled my passenger side window down. I asked one of them if he minded if I took his picture. He said no, so just as I got ready to focus, the mother walked out onto the porch and the boys hollered "DON'T", so I didn't get my picture. Even if I would have gotten the picture, I wouldn't have done anything with it except keep it for my own personal collection. I know that they don't like having their pictures taken. Some don't mind it. When I rode over with Lori a couple of weeks ago, we stopped on the side of the road and an Amish family was coming toward us. A man and woman, holding a baby in the front, and three young children in the back. Lori shot a picture of the children and as she did, the mother was looking backward, looking straight at Lori and smiling.
This is the head of the Civil War monument in the courthouse square here in town. I used the reticulation filter to get this effect.
This is the clock tower of our courthouse. The setting sun was hitting it.
This is the same monument as the head shot above. The main focus was on the rising moon.
This is just a robin in the back yard, sitting on my next-door neighbor's fence.
Believe it or not, this is a sunset. I've been playing with Photoshop quite a bit. I finally had to buy the version that I had the trial version of. I loved it. This was the "twirl" filter. I bought Photoshop Elements 7. To me, Elements is so much more user friendly than regular Photoshop.
This is one of the Amish farms in Berne. I just played around with the shadows to get this effect, the same as I did on the Mallard duck on a previous post. I took this on our way home from Decatur Friday night. I couldn't believe the picture came out as clear as it did, because Chuck was driving and I was taking the picture as we were flying down the highway at 55 MPH!
I'm really getting tired of this weather. It just won't make up it's mind. Saturday, I was wearing shorts and it was beautiful out. Since then, it has gotten progressively colder and rainy and they are calling for snow showers tomorrow(Tuesday) then in the 80's this weekend! It's no wonder my allergies are going crazy!
Chuck is still doing well. He still hasn't had a drink, thank goodness! He has been doing a lot of work around the house. Last weekend, he installed a new kitchen ceiling light. Before, all we had in the kitchen was a small hanging lamp in one corner and small fluorescent lights above the sink and under the cabinet. Then he ripped the carpet and old ceramic tile from the master bathroom floor and put lenolium down instead. He has been landscaping the yard as well. We still need to do the guest bathroom floor the same as the master. I don't know why people put carpeting in a bathroom. It just soaks up water from getting out of the tub or shower and steam and eventually will cause mold to grow. He also had to fix or replace the faucets in the bathroom sinks and shower/tub. They were all leaking pretty badly.
Time to get off here and take my happy hiney to bed! I still don't have enough sense to go to bed at a decent time!
TTYL
Love Ya
Lisa

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lisa, always fascinates me your way of expressing themselves through the photo lens - indeed you are, but honestly, special-in that - congratulations steven may

flydragon said...

Hi Lisa,
Love that sunset picture. I have photoshop 7 too, but always use the other one. But after seeing this pic, I'm going to give 7 a shot!!
Boy, Chuck sure has been busy around the house. GOOD!! When he's done with all your chores, I have a few things that need fixing. Does he hire out:))

Susie said...

Hi Lisa,

You always have the neatest pictures. That one of the sunset is really cool looking.

Don't worry about the bifocals. You'll get use to them soon. I've been wearing them for many years now.

Have a great week!

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed having a look about. I like your work in photoshop.

Lib said...

Hi Lisa,
Great to see you posting:o)
Hope you're doing good these days!
Love the photos.
I'm with you Shrimp please.lol
Our weather is the same as yours.
Allergies too!
Have a great wk.
Love,hugs, Blessins',Lib

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Lisa: You captured some beautiful photos from your area of the country.
Thanks for guessing and you did really well.

Lydia said...

That shot of the building at sunset is stupendous, Lisa. Well, they are all good (as usual). You have such a knack for photography, and it seems that you and Photoshop are becoming friends. I've still never seen that program in the works (don't have it myself) but I have read that it is serious studying to get good at it.

Also, I love the Amish shots in the other post and the one of the rusted out truck is wonderful.

Nancy said...

I had to drop by to see what you were up to!!! I have misplaced your phone number somewhere! Oh, I think it's on email yet!

I see you are still getting some great shots! Keep up the good work!!! I especially loved the one of that old round barn! I remember one like that when I was a kid....memories!!! LOL

((( HUGS )))

Merle said...

Dear Lisa ~~ Thank you for an interesting post and the great photos. You always have such good
pics to show us.
Thanks for your comments on my post, glad you enjoyed, especially the
shopping spree joke. Take great care,
dear friend. Love, Merle

Unknown said...

So many beautiful photos! You don't look very happy though. ;) I love the clock!

GMG said...

Hi Lisa! Photoshop Elements 7? That sunset is awesome! I'm going to buy...

After the green, Blogtrotter entered the old town... ;)
Enjoy and have a great weekend! I’m going to be busy at the Music Fest (Bach’s legacy… ;))

Lori Schmidt (LoriProPhoto) said...

Lisa, I have released a monster!!!! It is so good to see how your photography is evolving you definitely have the eye. I am glad that we became friends, I can't remember how it was that we started talking about photos, I know it was at SAL.

Everything happens for a reason, the photographer in you was just waiting to burst out.

Anonymous said...

Lisa how are you? Regards Steven May