Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Driller's Place Has Moved - It's Official



After 10 years on EBlogger, I am making the move to WordPress. I have been testing the site for a couple of weeks now and I am satisfied that WordPress is where my blog will now reside.  I have never had any major issues with blogger and I have enjoyed sharing my adventures here, but the time has come for me to move in a different direction. Since my blog contains a large number of photos, WordPress seems to do a better job of displaying the images. You will notice that my new address is www.drillersplace.wordpress.com.  Come on over and see what I'm doing now.

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Inspiration Thursday

My Inspiration Thursday post can be found at Driller's Place on WordPress. Click on the link to go to the new site. Thank you.

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Wordless Wednesday

Indoor Track & Field 

Fly Like an Eagle

 Cleared for Landing

Testing on WordPress is going well. You can click on Driller's Place and the link will take you to the other site. The content will be the same, but the layout will be quite different. Let me know what you think on either site. Decision time is approaching.
 

Sunday, March 4, 2018

Awe...some Mondays

We interrupt this blog for the following announcement. I am still testing my site over on WordPress so you can find similar content to this post over at Driller's Place on WordPress. Stop by and see what you think, then let me know which site you prefer. We now return to our regularly scheduled programming.
Spring soccer is here!!! I love high school soccer. Our daughter played when she was in high school, our oldest grand daughter played the sport during her high school years, and now the youngest grand daughter is a sophomore and playing on the high school JV team.

 She is the one in the center of the frame in the white uniform. Last Tuesday the JV team opened their season with a double header. Our granddaughter scored four goals in the two matches. We didn't get to see the first match, but here are the photos of the two goals she scored in the second contest.

This is the first year she has had the opportunity to play the center forward position and she is making the most of it. This shot finds the lower left corner of the goal.

A little later in the match she finds that lower left corner open again and beats the goal tender to the spot for her second score. Something tells me that this is going to be a fun season to watch.

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Wordless Wednesday

Hurdling Through Space

 Men in Motion

Sunday, February 25, 2018

Awe...some Mondays

Saturday I headed out to Fayetteville to watch the high school indoor track and field state championships. Our youngest granddaughter competes in the high jump as a sophomore. It was a long but exciting day at the track. The highlight of the day was this young man.

This competitor won the pole vault by being the only one to clear 15'-6". The bar was moved to 16'-0" and he cleared that height as well. Again the bar was raised and set at 16'-6"! This photo is the successful vault at the height of 16'-6". The state record for pole vault is 17'-1", so the bar was raised to 17'-2". After several hours of competition, there just wasn't enough left in the tank to clear the record setting height. Still, it was an Awe...some day at the track.

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Inspiration Thursday - I Need Thee Every Hour


How often have you found yourself in a difficult situation and turned to God in prayer? When the difficulties of this life find their way into our existence, it is easy to look toward heaven and proclaim to the Creator that we cannot handle the situation and we are turning the issue over to Him. We are turning loose of the reigns and allowing God to fix the problem. Once the thing that has caused us so much anguish is resolved, we say, "Thank you Lord, I'll take it from here." God has a plan for our life. His plan is detailed and complete. It encompasses every moment that we live, whether we are awake or asleep. God's plan is not just for the difficult times or for those events that seem to spiral our life out of control. No, God's plan is more complete than that. While we may acknowledge that we need Him in the bad times, the truth is, I Need Thee Every Hour. Have a blessed day.

Sunday, February 18, 2018

Awe...some Mondays

Every week I link up with Aww Mondays hosted by fellow blogger Sandee over at Comedy Plus. I also check in on her Feline Friday posts that focuses on photos of kittens and cats. Personally, I like kittens and cats, but in my heart of hearts I am a dog person so when I see a photo of little felines with the question, "What is cuter than a basket of kittens?", my response is...
 A Wagon Load of Cocker Spaniels


Of course, I have one special cocker in mind, Lucy. There are few things sweeter in this world that a pup taking a nap. They make it look so easy.

Lucy is ready to play at the drop of a hat...well the drop of a frisbee in her case. She will fetch it as long as you're willing to throw it. Catching the frisbee is a different story. We're working on it, but she is not a fan of snatching things out of the air.

She makes a great model.

Finally, there is that unconditional love thing that puppies have. Lucy loves everybody and every thing. So, while a wagon full of cockers is very cute, the cutest thing is the one we own. Have a blessed week.

Sunday, February 11, 2018

Awe...some Mondays - Lady Hoops

High school basket ball season is drawing to a close and state tournaments will be starting in the next couple of weeks. I took the opportunity to go to a local contest Friday night. I got there in time to capture a few images of the girls contest.

The girls can be just a competitive as their male counterparts, they just don't play as close to the rim as the guys.

There are usually no easy baskets in the girls game.

Sometimes it takes a little contact to get an open shot.

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Sunday, February 4, 2018

Awe...some Mondays

I took this image last Tuesday evening prior to the Super Blue Blood Moon lunar eclipse. There was a bit of overcast on Wednesday morning and I was not in a good location to get a clean image of the eclipse, so I skipped that opportunity and just captured these images.

Did someone say "Blue Moon"? Blue moon actually refers to the second full moon in any given month. There are several of these each year. The moon isn't actually blue, I just put a filter to it.
No, the moon hasn't created it's own halo. I've just added a mild white vignette filter. It looks a little like the moon is peeking through a hole in the clouds.

Ever wonder what a mosaic tile wall mural of the moon might look like? Well, here ya go.

Of course, if you missed the total lunar eclipse Wednesday morning, you can always create your own. All you need is a good editing program and the right filter. Have an Awe...some Monday.

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Inspiration Thursday - Even If

It's been a very long time since I posted an Inspiration Thursday. And while I am not saying that I intend to bring back the weekly post, I believe that there will be the occasional song or Scripture passage that will trigger an inspirational thought that I feel prompted to share. That happened recently as I was watching a video by Mercy Me.




We've all been where this song is. Things aren't going well, in fact our life is a mess on some level. We've heard all of the cliche verses from friends and loved ones, intending to encourage us and and give us hope. The fact is we are just putting one foot in front of the other, trying to get to the next day, hoping it will be better. Our faith is challenged and it takes all the faith we have just to move forward. God's people are not immune from difficulties. We suffer the same calamities as the world around us. As the song says, it's easy to sing praises to God when we're on the mountain top, but not so much when we are walking through the valley. Regardless of where we find ourselves in this journey called life, the Christian must always trust in the providence of God. Our life is not a surprise to Him. In Jeremiah 1:5 God says, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you." It is okay to weep over our circumstances. It is okay to take time to consider our place in this world. It's okay to cry out to God to release us from our difficulty. The question is, what is our response if He says "No, or Not right now." It is in those times that we must say to our Creator, "Even if You don't, my hope is in You alone." Regardless of the trials and tribulations that this expedition called life may contain, as long as I have my Savior, "It is Well With My Soul." Have blessed day.

Sunday, January 28, 2018

Awe...some Mondays

Portrait Practice
 These three figures are a part of the permanent outdoor exhibits at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, AR. Occasionally I like to use them for portrait practice. After the last cold spell, the sun came out the temperature warmed up to 40 degrees and I headed out to visit the museum. 

 I sit like this a lot, especially in church.  I know it's not the most receptive of body language postures, but it's a habit and I am comfortable in this position, just like my model.

 On the other hand, these ladies seem to be in a more receptive mood than the gentleman beyond. I'm sure he will speak, if spoken to, but he probably isn't one to start a conversation. I can relate. 
Enough practice on inanimate objects, what about photographing a live person. Hmm...I didn't bring a subject with me sooo...

 Break out the tripod and see what happens. The background is an area at the museum that our middle grand daughter wants for some of her senior portraits. I need to make sure that I could get the effect that she wanted. Then, off to the woods.

 I've got a few more backgrounds in mind, but I think I'll wait until the grand daughter is available. 

 She's much more photogenic and I'd rather be behind the lens. Have a blessed week.

Thursday, January 25, 2018

Skywatch Friday

I try to make a visit to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art several times a year. I made my first visit of the year on Wednesday. Part of the galleries are closed while new installations are being placed. However the outdoor art and trail system are open. This guy is one of the permanent works in the collection. This is the first time I have captured him without the sun directly at his back. Ride 'em Cowboy!



Sunday, January 21, 2018

Aww...some Mondays

This is Lucy's first winter. She celebrated her first birthday in December so all of this cold weather and snow is new to her. We don't get a lot of cold weather or snow here in Northwest Arkansas, but last Tuesday the temperature reached -1 with a windchill of -16 and we got around one inch of snow.

Lucy did not let the snow deter her from checking the fence line for bunnies. There are a lot of rabbits in our area due to new home construction that is displacing the cottontails. They come through our yard all of the time, leaving their unique deposits. Lucy follows the trail to one of several low spots in the fence that the bunnies use as escape routes. She checks those spots every time she goes outside. I have also mounted a couple of bird feeders on the fence and Lucy believes that what ever the birds kick out of the feeder and on to the ground belongs to her.

Lucy has also decided that eating snow is more fun than drinking water from her bowl, so she sniffs, snorts, then hydrates herself with some fresh snow. Once Lucy has checked the fence line, done her business, and gotten a snow snack, she is ready to return to the warmth of the living room. Dogs are funny people. Have a blessed day.

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Friday, January 12, 2018

Aww...some Mondays

Lucy: "Dad, I want my own Facebook page. Would you take my profile pic?"

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Hoopty Doo!

Winter sports are now in full swing and the conference games have started. Tuesday night I wandered over to one of the local high schools to photograph a game.

One thing that has changed about the game in the past 50 years is that these kids play above the rim...a lot! I believe that the tallest player on our team was 6'-4" and I don't believe anybody could actually dunk the ball.

On this night the home team, in white, lost. It was competitive for about three quarters before the visitors pulled away for good. Still, it was a good photo adventure.

If you have a local high school team near by, get out and go to a couple of games. It is good cheap entertainment. Take your camera and practice your action photography.

In our community senior citizens, age 65+, get free all sports passes. We can go to any home game in any sport for free. Now that is cheap entertainment. See you on the court, or in the pool, maybe at the indoor track, or on the wrestling mat.