Three Corners~Circle in a Square

For the month of June, Lindy chose the theme "circles in squares." Going into it, I knew it was going to be difficult. As daunting as the task seemed, I was a bit excited to set forth in the hunt. I was pleased to find that even though I didn't see many circles surrounded by squares, I did look at my world in a way I don't normally do. As I wandered through my days, I kept a constant eye out for my prize. The challenge opened my eyes to the shapes of my world. I am grateful that this simple little exercise encouraged me to slow down....and look around.

The first circle in a square to catch my eye was something I see nearly everyday, but hadn't really noticed. The back end of a Jeep.




Then, one day while taking a route through town that I rarely venture on, I saw this sign. I thought it was a good choice for the theme...as fuel prices are such a hot topic these days.



Lastly, I resorted to getting creative. I had a few ideas rolling around in my head, but this is the only one I had time to pull off. It fits within the theme, but is sort of a loose interpretation.



Be sure to head on over to the other two corners of the earth (Jeanette and Lindy, and check out their finds for the theme.

Clam Diggity-DOG!!!

Okay....relax....you aren't having deja vu, this is just part two of our clam digging experience. Last week I shared the story of our day, and photos of Hubby working hard while Sugar Bear and I fooled around.





Today's photos feature our Dog, Daisy. She is a Black Laborador Retreiver, and if you know Labs......they are a bit fond of water. Over the Winter months, Daisy added quite a few pounds to her little frame, and we are slowly trying to help her slim down. The best way to get her up and moving is to take her somewhere that there is water. She is like a kid in a candy shop.





Sugar bear is usually very pleased to throw sticks and things in the water for Miss Daisy to retrieve, but this particular day, she was a little put out that Daisy kept retrieving the shells that she sent back to sea. It was a bit comical, actually.

Sugar would throw it......

Daisy would retrieve it.....

and Sugar Bear would cry!

After much consoling, and discussion, Sugar Bear finally decided it was okay for Daisy to get the shells. Luckily, they were able to continue their play, and BOTH were pleased with the process.











It was a wonderful morning. Lucky for me....Hubby did all the work when we got home as well. He cleaned and cooked the clams himself. woo hooooo...Now that is what I'm talking about.

Camera Critters~ Odds and Ends

For the last.....ummmmm......5 Sunday's (I think....I've lost count), we've been exploring the Wild Game Park Sugar and I visited in May. You can click on the "Camera Critters" tag in my side bar to see all the previous posts, if you have missed them.

This post is the final in the series. Today we have a variety of animals seen that day.



Even though we see ducks on a pretty regular basis, sugar bear was very interested in this pair, and they were quite taken with her as well.



Earlier, I wrote about the sadness I feel when visiting animals in cages. No animal tugs my heartstrings as much as the primate species. They are so expressive, and it is hard to ignore the sadness in their eyes.



This fellow has been featured at this park for a long long time. He certainly bored....and it is hard to get very close to him, as he is known to throw feces. Luckily he wasn't in that sort of mood the day we were there.



This turkey was quite a character. There were two female turkeys roaming the park with him, and although they were quite friendly, he was a bit protective of "his ladies". As the females ran to hide behind our legs, this grumpy guy came at us fluffing his feathers, and looking none too happy.



But what pretty feather to ruffle, huh?



Next we have a Capybara, who happens to be the largest rodent in the world. The baby ones were adorable, but my photos of them didn't turn out well.



I am not certain, but I think these are wild pigs. I can't remember the actual name of them, though. Sugar loved these guys!



This pretty fella is a Roosevelt Elk. What a beautiful animal. So sleek.



Lastly, we have a camel. Sugar Bear is a big fan of Camels. They make her giggle with their expressive faces, and fuzzy hair.



Thank you for visiting my blog this week. I appreciate it so very much. Have a great day!

Photo Hunters~ Bright

It was a BRIGHT and sunny day, a year ago this week, when Sugar Bear and I took a little trip up to my parents farm. It is usually fairly cool and breezy where we live, so the hot temperatures had us begging for relief.



I took Sugar Bear down to the family creek to have a little splish splashing fun.



The sun was harsh....



The water was cold....



Sugar's cheeks were flush with heat....



It was a bit of a photographic challenge, but I was up for it.



What a beautiful way to spend a late afternoon in the BRIGHT, BRIGHT sun!



Later that evening, we sat in lawn chairs enjoying the slight breeze.....the sound of the sprinklers watering the lawn...



And the Bright sunlight fading behind the hills.



Life was GOOD!

Thank you for stopping by my blog this week. Have a great weekend! I look forward to seeing all your BRIGHT posts!

Bloggity Changes!

Okay....so it recently came to my attention that people HATE blogs with black backgrounds. SIGH! I love my black background. It really makes the photos POP! But....if my black background is hurting my reader's eyes.....I have to find a solution, now don't I? I'm sensitive to your needs like that.

So.....please....do tell.....is this new look better? Did you even notice the black background bothering you in the past? Are you jumping for joy that I made the change? Or do you miss my black? Come on...spill!

I want to keep the background color basic, as my photos are very important to me. I don't want a colored background clashing with the photos. So....for me...it is either black, white or grey.

Please be sure to weigh in on this issue. I was shocked to see that when asked....nearly EVERYONE hates the dark background with light lettering. OOPS! Sorry for hurting your eyes for over a year my friends!

If the concensus....is to ditch the black...I'll update my signature. First...I have to remember how I made it. tee hee

Thanks for the input in advance.

ETA***** I just changed it to Off white....for those of you who saw the white....and didn't like it....is THIS better? I like it better than white....but now as well as black, but I think this can grow on me.

***ETA on June30, 2008***** I am now extremely confused and frustrated with the look of my blog. I have no idea which direction to go, as I can't please everyone....and trying is about to drive me over the edge. Pray for me!

Photo Story Friday~ Fourth Of July Princess

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Last summer, I tried my hand at making a tutu or two. tee hee... My favorite by FAR was the Fourth of July tutu I made for the Sugar. The feeling was mutual. Sugar Bear quickly dubbed the tutu her, "Princess Dress", and happily trounced around in it the evening of July 4th. I had BIG ideas of what the photos might look like, and even bigger ideas of the PERFECT portrait, but alas....it wasn't meant to be.



As you can see....Sugar Bear tends to be a bit of a "ham sandwich!" She is a goofy young lady with lots and lots of comical expressions. She is very expressive. This photo cracks me up because it is soooooooooooooooooo Sugar Bear. Even though it isn't portrait worthy.....it is a favorite of mine, as it depicts her so well. You can go HERE to see some of the other photos I took that evening.

The reason I chose this photo to share today has everything to do with my continued search for the PERFECT portrait. Two days ago, I grabbed the tutu, a tank top, and of course Sugar Bear, and set out on a photo shoot. Again....I had big plans...and big ideas......you'll just have to check back next week to see if we were successful....or NOT.

Have a great weekend!

Oh and I am entering this in a contest over at Are We There Yet Mom! I'll be letting you know when the voting starts!

Wordless Wednesday~ Come FLY With Me!

For more Wordless Wednesday go HERE and HERE!

*** oh and don't forget I'm on Top Momma! CLICK HERE!!!!! I know.....It's getting a bit old, but I am so thrilled to have lasted 4 months on there. What a blessing. Thank you all who have clicked on the link and helped me achieve this accomplishment.***

Clam Diggity!

A few weeks back, after a week straight of RAIN, I decided whether rain or shine, we needed to get out of the house. Despite the cool misty weather, we headed off to the harbor to try our hand at clam digging. It had been several years since either Hubby or I had been, and Sugar Bear had yet to meet a clam.



The Hubby did all the work. As he dug.....



And dug.....Sugar and I wandered around "playing". She with all the shells she could possibly find....



...and I with my new zoom lens.



Again...there was much to photograph, but with Hubby busy digging, I had to keep a close eye on Sugar Bear to make sure she didn't go into the water too far.



She had fun testing exactly how deep the water was. It only took one time of the water going a bit over her rubber boot for her to realize that Mama indeed knows what she is talking about.



With a sloshy boot, she headed back to the rocks where she continued her search for shells.



The low tide made it easy to find all sorts of treasures. It was a Sugar Bear's dream. Lots to investigate, and an opportunity to ask plenty of questions.



Shortly, the water beckoned......the immersed shells were calling.



It appears that these particular shells were begging to be tossed into deeper waters.



Sugar Bear happily obliged.



Unless something slimy was attached....



Those were quickly dropped, and proclaimed, "yuckidy!"



The entire time we were there, a seagull carefully watched, and waited patiently for this disruption to leave his turf.



Once we left, I'm sure he continued his own investigating of the treasures the low tide brings.