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.

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.

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.

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.

Awe...some Mondays - Countdown to a Marathon

It's hard to believe, but Friday I will begin posting my 8th Christmas Music Marathon. If you don't know what it is let me explain. Beginning the day after Thanksgiving I will post a photo, a music video or two...maybe three and a devotional thought that attempts to focus our attention on the true meaning of Christmas. You are cordially invited to drop by listen to the music, enjoy the photos and read a short message that will hopefully encourage you during the season. The music will come from traditional hymns, contemporary Christian, Southern Gospel, as well as choirs and orchestras. Here is a sample of the music that will be posted.

It's not Christmas yet, but it will be here before you know it, so join me this Friday to begin celebrating the greatest event in human history, the birth of Jesus Christ. Have a blessed week.

 Click on image to enlarge

Lucy is ready for the 2017 Christmas Music Marathon to begin. The fun starts Friday.

Awe...some Mondays

Last week we spent three days in Branson, MO. It is a short 2hr drive from the house and is one of the places that we visit several times each year. We went to spend a few days near the lake and I intended to photograph some fall foliage. Well, the weather turned cold, the sky turned gray and I only got a few images of the Autumn colors. We did visit an automobile and farm machinery museum. I fell in love. I have always been a fan of Mustangs, Camaros, and muscle cars in general, but while walking down one of the aisles I spotted these two beauties.

 These are 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Barritz convertibles. They are big, bold and beautiful. I am sure that many of today's automobile designers are envious of the freedom that the designers in the 50's and 60's enjoyed. These motorized parade floats were the symbols of the jet age, space age, and freedom of the open road brought about by the interstate highway system.

Cadillac was the epitome of luxury, style and comfort in automotive design. Mercedes, Jaguar, and even Rolls Royce paled in comparison to the luxury of the Caddy and the Eldorado Barritz was the absolute top of the line. These classics now command six figures from prospective buyers. One look at these land yachts and the only word that comes to mind is ...AWESOME!!! Have a blessed week.

Awe...some Mondays

 Recently a local apartment developer completed their third project in our area, a 500 unit complex. To celebrate the grand opening, they commissioned a group of artists to do this sand sculpture. It took four people a week to complete the project and it is impressive.

 The theme is a family taking a vacation in Northwest Arkansas and driving by some of the local attractions.

The family is driving by the Tyson chicken. Tyson is one of the largest food producers in the world. You really don't want to get behind a chicken truck on a two lane road.

Once the sun goes down and the lights come on, the sculpture takes on a whole new look.

 

Day or night, no display in Northwest Arkansas is complete with out an Arkansas Razorback.

Awe...some Mondays - Homecoming 2017

This year the two younger grand daughters attended high school homecoming. The one on the left is a sophomore and the one on the right is a senior. Note, the senior is in 5 inch heels while the sophomore is in Converse tennis shoes. 

Our daughter and son-in-law with their home coming girls. It is a tall family. Our son-in-law is 6'-3" and our daughter is 5'-10". So...with the heels the senior is just over 6'.

All of the siblings were available for one photo. The oldest grand daughter, on the left is a senior in college and was home on fall break while little brother is in the 8th grade.

 

And what's the best part of home coming! Getting a kiss from two of my princesses, of course.

Awe...some Mondays - Steel Horses I

One of the nation's largest motorcycle rallys happens right here in Northwest Arkansas every September. Over 300,000 "Steel Horse" enthusiasts descend on Fayetteville, Arkansas and surrounding communities for threes days of Bikes Blues & BBQ. Needless to say, there are more photographic opportunities than I can attend, so I just pick a day and go shoot some cool bikes. Here is the first installment of what will likely be a multi-post endeavor.

The bikes and their riders come in all shapes and sizes.

The past decade has seen a rise in these three wheel cycles. This particular model is supposed to be faster, safer, and better handling than the traditional trike. Why are these so popular...well the baby boomers are getting older and holding up a traditional bike is just too much on bad knees and ankles. I could fall in love with this bike. I just had to add the text to the image.

There are several "trade shows" associated with the rally and some of the vendors bring show bikes for everyone to drool over. These bikes can be ridden, but they are really more for show and less for go. The Dixie Chopper company makes zero-turn riding lawn mowing equipment, mostly for industrial/commercial use.

Anybody who knows me, knows I like the details and those can be found in the parking lot. I don't even have a photo of the full bike, just the front and rear fenders with this classic pen stripe work. I love this stuff. Okay, that's enough for today. Stay tuned, I'll be posting more in the near future.

Awe...some Mondays...USS Yorktown

While on vacation in Charleston, SC we spent an afternoon touring the USS Yorktown. The Yorktown was commissioned in 1943 and served in WWII. It was an essex-class carrier, which were the largest ships in the war. What made this ship special to me was the fact that it was a sister ship to the USS Bunker Hill that my father served on in the South Pacific. You can take several self-guided tours of this great lady so that's exactly what we did. One of the tours takes you inside the ship and you pass the radio room that has been restored and set up with mannequins to give a sense of realism. My dad was a radioman on the Bunker Hill. I spent  couple of minutes just imagining what it was like to work in that environment. It was a special moment that I will never forget. I still get a chill thinking about it.

When you board the Yorktown, the first thing you enter is the hanger deck and there are a number of planes on display. I love the war birds.

Who doesn't want their photo taken with a carrier based war bird from WWII?

Even though the P-51 Mustang is considered the best and most famous of WWII aircraft, my favorite plane from the era is the F4-U Corsair. I think those gull wings are just too cool for words. They make this fighter beautiful and evil at the same time. This plane dominated the skies in the South Pacific as a carrier based fighter.

The Yorktown was retrofitted to accommodate jets and actually served in Vietnam from 1965-68. There are a variety of aircraft displayed on her flight deck.

These 40mm "Pom-Pom" guns served to deter incoming enemy aircraft. The Yorktown and other carriers bristled with anti-aircraft weapons. My wife makes a great gunner's mate. If you spend any time in Charleston, go out to Patriots Point and see the displays. There is a destroyer moored next to the Yorktown and there is a "Vietnam Experience" presentation as well. have a blessed week.

Awe...some Mondays

Lucy @ 4-1/2 Months

Awe...some Monday

The Boys of Summer

Temperatures are warming up, spring is in the air and baseball in on everyone's mind. Saturday the grand son played a game at one of the local parks. He's thirteen now, so it's not really "Little League" anymore. You get a reality check when you walk past the dugout and half of the players are bigger than their parents. They really do look like young men playing a boys game. 

 It was a good day for the home team and the grand son. He got two hits, drove in two runs and scored two runs in a 13-9 victory. I don't know what I'm going to do when all of the grandcrew graduate high school and there are no more games for me to watch. Just enjoying the moment.

 

Awe...some Mondays

Last Thursday was National Puppy Day. Who knew? Well aparently some of my Facebook friends knew and were posting photos of their dogs. So, I took Lucy out on the patio, set her on the box that we store the cushions in and snapped a few images. Since Lucy is a Black & White parti-color Cocker Spaniel, there was no real need for color.

What's not to love about a face like this?

You're only a puppy once, but you can be Awesome for a lifetime!

Awe...some Monday

It's spring soccer season!!! The youngest granddaughter, now fifteen, made the high school Junior Varsity as a freshman. They played their first conference match last Thursday and captured an 8-1 victory.

Here she is passing the ball toward the center of the field, in front of the goal, hoping to assist a team mate for the score. I love watching and photographing this sport at the high school level. Some of these kids are really good. Both the boys and girls local high school teams have won the state championship multiple times. Here is hoping that the grand daughter gets to be a part of that winning tradition.

Meanwhile, it was a long day for the opposing goal keeper. Some days you're the windshield and some days you're the bug.