Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Once again I have let too much time pass since my last Scavenger Hunt Sunday post.  So here are a my thoughts for this week's promts.

Paint

One of the most challenging tasks, when  building a new home or updating your existing abode, is deciding what colors to paint the walls.  You want colors that are fresh and current, but you also want colors that  you can live with for quite some time because you probably aren't going to be excited about painting again in the near future.  Like everything else paint prices have gone through the roof.  I used to use flat white as a primer for everything, just to be sure that my color coat would be true.  I can remember when a gallon of flat white was $4.99-$7.99 per gallon.  Now, the cheapest paint you can get is going to be north of $20.00 per gallon.  Fortunately many of the quality brands now have formulas that are paint and primer in a single coat.  I don't know if I'm entirely sold on that concept.

 



Pumpkin

Okay, so these aren't real pumpkins, they do represent what many people do with pumpkins this time of year.  I found these at a local craft fair.  Most craft fairs do not allow photography of the products, but I was asked by the fair directors to take photos of the craft booths for judging to determine which vendors would be invited back next year.  That gave me access to some unique photo opportunities.  I thought these light fixtures were pretty cool.

 



Family

You guessed it, I didn't take this image.  Most of our family photos are taken during the holidays, Christmas, Easter, summer vacation, Mother's Day, etc. and include the entire brood.  This image is just my wife and I on our Alaskan Cruise.  We were on our way to our 40th Annivesary dinner and there were several photographers stationed around the ship to capture images for the passengers.  It's about the only way that I work my way into the photo.  Usually I am behind the lens.

 

 

Looking Cute

Time flies.  The first image is our oldest grand daughter when she was almost two years old.  She was a very cute baby and had a personality to match.  The second image was taken a couple of years ago and she has grown into a beautiful young lady.  Now she is in her freshman year of college.  One thing that hasn't changed is the sparkle in those eyes and her outgoing personality.

 



Photographers Choice

In keeping with the season I have chosen to feature the colors of fall here in Northwest Arkansas.  The next couple of weeks will be the peak season for fall foilage so I will be taking numerous photos.  I hope to grab a few of the grandcrew and photograph them as well.  That's it for this edition of Scavenger Hunt Sunday.  Have a blessed week.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday - Books & Details

 

Back To School

On the last official week-end of their summer, the last thing on the minds of the grand crew was going back to school.  Swimming in a local lake and fishing is all that occupied the mind of the grand son.

 

Family

This is my wife and I with the grandcrew.  That's about as close to getting the whole family in the photo as we can get unless someone else takes the photo.  My daugher is taking this photo and her husband is assisting her.

 



Books

 

I have a collection of books that reflect my interests.  I have several translations of the Bible and numerous commentaries.  I have a number of books on photography and some day they may actually help me become a better photographer.  And, I have a collection of books that reflect the profession that I practiced for over thirty years.  These three books are special in that collection.  Architectural Graphic Standards was considered the bible of architectural details and information.  When I got my first drafting job in 1969 the 5th edition was the most current version.  Several years later the Sixth edition was released, followed by the Seventh.  I think that the Seventh edition was the last release that was widely used.  Computers became the method of drawing and electronic details became the source of information.  I believe that the 11th edition was the last printed version of the book, but you got a CD of the information with it.  I have managed to collect the 3rd through the 9th editions.

 



Details

Here is an example of the deatils in the 5th edition. They were hand drawn and lettered. They were actually a joy to look at. I would find myself just looking through the book for enjoyment.

Here is some of the same information from the 9th edition.  All of the details are computer generated.  I never opened this book unless it was absolutely necessary.  It was purely for reference.  While the computer drawings were clean and easy to read, somehow, they had taken the soul out of the book.

Portrait

 

Last fall my daughter asked me to take some "Senior Photos" of our oldest grand daughter.  This young lady is now a freshman in college and writing the next chapter of her life.  Love her to pieces.

Skywatch Friday

Recently my wife and I spent an evening at the ball park.  There is a minor league team in the area and we go to the games occasionally.  Warm weather and puffy clouds make a perfect back drop for America's pastime. It's a very relaxing evening and a great place to people watch.  During the course of the game I watched a family spend enough money on concessions to send a couple of them to Disney World.  Whether we realize it or not, people are watching us from afar.  They notice what we do, how we react to situations, and how we treat others that are under our influence.
The Bible has a lot to say about human relationships.  In fact, of the Ten Commandments, the last five are about our relationships with other humans.  Not the least of those commandments is "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you (Exodus 20:12).  Elsewhere in scripture parents are instructed, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).  Since the father is supposed to be the spiritual leader of the family, he is specifically instructed, "And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4).  God spends a lot of time telling us how the family is supposed to relate to one another.  We are to treat one another with love, honor, and respect.  Many of us have difficulty in this area and we often treat our friends better than we do our family.  I think part of the reason, for this difficulty, is that we choose our friends, we have no choice in picking our family.  Just remember, God gave you your family and the Bible tells us that, "All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)  God gave you your family, immediate and extended, for your benefit, and that you might be a blessing to them.  Embrace your family and allow God to bring the joy into your life that only a family can produce.  Have a blessed week-end.