Take Down Johnny Reb

Day 195



I travelled back to the past to the year 1864 to photograph the Battle of the Monocacy. You can tell this is really in the past because of the sepia. There is just no way to fake that.

Let the Moonlight Take the Lid Off Your Dreams

Day 185



For more than six years this nightlight has been illuminating my children when they sleep and keeping the monsters safely contained under the bed or in the closet.

Half Way

Day 183



Since this is the 183rd day of my photo-a-day odyssey, that means I have reached the half way point. I am surprised and pleased to have taken at least one decent shot every day so far this year. The reason I set out on this project was to get better at seeing and recording all those things and moments in my life and world that might otherwise go unnoticed and unremembered. I think I've done well enough with this goal so far, but I hope to keep getting better in the next 183 days.

Crazy Steve

Day 179



This guy's name is Steve, and he is crazy. Well, not really crazy. Actually, I don't know him that well, but he seems sane enough. We played his team in backyard volleyball, and since he was cool enough to mug for the shot, he has earned all the glory that comes with being today's photo.

Mary Birthday

Day 174



I am not much into taking pictures of people posing for pictures. Sometimes I get asked to do it anyway. Since this time it was for my mother-in-law for her birthday, I was happy to oblige, and not just because she is one of the few people who reads this blog. Mary, I hope you like how it came out, and happy birthday!

Salesman

Day 171

Salesman where you gonna go to sell all of your goods today
Yup, salesman, gonna walk along the street, see friends along the way
Hey, salesman, with your wooden cart that you push along while you
walk
Hey, salesman with your secret goods that you push while you talk
You always wear a smile,Even though you've gotta walk a hundred ten
miles
Short life span - but the whole thing's grand

From "Salesman" by The Monkees

Wing Fighter

Day 170



One of the coolest things about having kids is the toys. Not only do you get to see the joy they have in playing with them, but you can also play with them yourself. This is some random mismash fighter (Imperial - since the pilot is a Storm Trooper) that my son is obviously quite pleased with.

Hey Summer, Where You Been?

Day 165



This is the scene right after my son got off the bus from his last day of Kindergarten. He was glad to be done, and his younger sister was glad to have him back for the summer.

Hot Dog

Day 159



The kids have been bugging me to setting up their slide pool since about January, and I finally got around to doing it. Since it had been sitting outside in a heap all winter, it was a bit of a project to get it clean (enough) and functional, especially with the temperature near 100 degrees F. Their enjoyment made it (nearly) worth the effort.

The Question

Day 151



This is a shot of my son making some flashlight art. He did not realize he was sketching punctuation. Or did he?

Bullock's

Day 145



I used to live in North Carolina, and one of the things I miss most is barbecue. My favorite restaurant at which to get said BBQ is Bullock's BBQ in Durham, NC. We managed to visit Bullock's on Saturday, and got family style - which is all you can eat BBQ, Brunswick Stew, fried chicken, hush puppies, french fries, green beans, and cole slaw. It was even better than I'd remembered, and I ate so much I needed a designated driver. Even so, it was only the second best BBQ I had this weekend. Stay tuned.

Non Chameleon

Day 138



We spent the weekend in PA, and my brother and I did a mini-photowalk at our old high school. Owen J. Roberts (the name of the school, not of my brother) has really been cleaned up since we attended there in the 1980's.

Two Feet In a Yard

Day 136



The taking of this shot probably caused whatever neighbor who was looking out their window at the time to question their choice of neighborhoods. The subject and I were both laying in the grass, while I had a camera pointed at his feet. There goes the old property value.

Water Color

Day 132



My dad is in town for the yesterday's birthday party. His gift to my son was a fishing rod. The two of them, along with my daughter were out it the back yard practicing their casting. Though it has been raining a good bit, they did not catch anything.

Finish

Day 125



Congrats to Shelley on finishing her first marathon and turning 36 all in one weekend. Details here.

American Spirit

Day 121



Taking pictures of people is not a strength of mine, especially if I don't know the people. Since one of the main reasons I am doing this photo-a-day thing is to improve, it makes sense that I should work on stuff at which I am weak. When I was walking to work on my third day in NYC and took an accidental detour through Chinatown, I saw this scene. I figured it was worth a shot.

And So It Goes

Day 117



We discovered this cool fountain in the Sculpture Garden in The Mall in D.C. I like this picture because I think it accurately conveys each kids respective personality. Shelley got a nice shot from this same spot:

Butterfly Tickle Nose

Day 116



This may or may not be the same butterfly from Day 106. All three were set free, but this one returned a few minutes later and was captured. At this point this shot was taken, it could no longer fly, which made it a much more manageable plaything.

Puddle Jumper

Day 111



Puddles are near the top of the list of Things My Kids Can't Walk Past. Other things on the list include carousels, cotton candy vendors, and sliding boards.

Melting

Day 110



The kids and I were left to our own devices (or is that just vices?) tonight, so that meant burgers, fries, and Ben & Jerry's. Not one of us can eat an ice cream cone without a bit of mess ensuing, so the kids got their cones, then this happened.