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COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
All pictures (and blogposts) are copyrighted and may not be reproduced/used in any manner without my PRIOR approval. Thank you for respecting my hard work.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Ixtapa, Mexico: Part UNO

So, I am back from Mexico!
Quite some time ago, actually, but I had to post-process my photos and I am STILL not done... but here are some previews for you!

I took along my "point and shoot" camera because I was afraid my DSLR camera was in danger
of being broken, or lost, or stolen...
 
I was afraid it wouldn't do a good job, but I was very happy with the images I was able to get without a tripod and just my trusty Panasonic Lumix point and shoot.
 
So, put your pretty pedicured, sandaled feet (and men? Well, just put those luggers up on an ottomon) and let's take a peek, shall we???
 
 
What better to start with then our evening drink at sunset at the beach???:







And?
Let's add a little Mexican mood music...
(I don't know...think "Spanish Eyes"??...I don't know any Mexican songs!):








And, how about a beach vendor or two???:











And maybe a palm tree, for extra measure....



That is all for today...
I have over TWO HUNDRED images to process people....
I can't blog here all day!!!
 
(*smiles*)
 
More to come....
 
(To add insult to injury, the week we got back home we had seventeen degrees BELOW zero farenheit and wind chills in the -30 range!
I have a horrible cold that is getting better today, so I am on the mend.
I am going out of town for 4 days too, so I will be back then and post some more of
my Mexico images.
Until then, stay warm!!!
P.S.  Blogger looks like it got its sh*t together as these images posted fairly quickly for me, thank GOODNESS!) Keep your fingers crossed that I can now blog without further problems.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Operation: "GOT HATTS"???




A reader said to load some photos on Picasa
and see if they could load onto Blogger any easier for me....
and this is working, so far.
 
A pain because it is yet another step I had to take to post a photo, but for now I will use it, I guess.
 
 
But, that is not what this post is about.
 
It is about:
 
OPERATION: "GOT HATTS"  (Getting Out of Town, Hauling Ass To Tropical Sands)
 
 
You see, it all starts every spring, when I take many of my nature photography prints and the Hubs makes homemade lovely birch bark frames for them and we start selling at craft fairs.
 
 
Like this:


And we make homemade stone jewelry too.

Then, after all the spring, autumn and the last Christmas craft fairs,(which is hours and hours of hard labor, but we love it!) we gather up any profits made and pool the money together and plan a tropical winter getaway with the money made from our fruits of labor. 

Thus begins the" Operation: Got Hatts".....

But it isn't a simple process.

Oh. No.

PHASE ONE OF COMMANDO OPERATION: Got Hatts:
My job:
1. Look for hours and hours at vacation deals on line.
2. Call Hubby over to computer to ask him what he thinks of said deals, one by one.
3. Hubby states (one by one): "whatever you want honey, you plan it, I am fine wherever you pick as long as it is warm".
4. Look for hours and hours more and days and days more until I finally see one I think is the "best deal". Second guess myself at least five times and continue the search until I finally settle on ONE.
5. Call Hubby over to computer one last time for final confirmation on price, place, dates. He agrees.
6. Every so many days after reservations are made and paid for, Hubby asks me: "When do we go again? Where are we going again?" at least 10 times.
7. Up to the final few days before departure, (no matter how many months/days before I book it) Hubby will act surprised as I begin Phase Two of the Operation and states: "I didn't realize we were going then." (and repeats #9) (And, just in case you were wondering, he does not have dementia or Alzheimers)...
8. Go on line to make hotel reservations for where we fly from to go to Mexico...again look for hours and hours for "the best park and fly deal". Call Hubby to computer to double check and he says: "whatever you want honey, you plan it, I am fine wherever you pick".

PHASE TWO:
My job:. Packing process begins approximately two weeks before departure. This part is NOT pretty. (Those without strong stomachs may wish to not read the next part). Those of you that already read this on Facebook, I apologize!:
1. Take out every short-sleeved outfit and dress in closet and place them on bed.
2. Take out every lightweight skirt I  own and place them on bed.
3. Take out every swimsuit and coverup I own and place them on the now-mounded bed.
4. Take out every pair of sandals I own, try them all on, declaire they are not cute enough or fit comfortably enough, but pile them anyway by said-bed.
5. Try on said-bed clothes. Sigh.
6. Go shopping for new tropical vacation clothes and shoes.
7. Come home without much, and re-try everything on on said-bed and floor.
8. Put half of the stuff back in closets.
9. Take out every piece of jewelry I own to match chosen clothes (this takes an entire day)
10. Remembers I have to buy new underwear in case someone in customs searches suitcase, rush out to buy some.
11. Remember I have to buy new makeup to match expected tan, rush out to buy some. (Along with travel size deoderant, shampoo, etc.)
12. Finally squishes everything in suitcase and barely gets it shut.

 How Hubby packs:
1. Finds old speedos from 1980's, asks if he can put them in my suitcase, along with 2 shirts, 2 shorts, toothbrush and razor.

PHASE THREE:
Again, MY JOB!! (Are you getting the identified trend here?):
1. Call insurance company to insure we get health coverage on foreign lands.
2. Call credit card companies to inform them of where and when we are traveling to a foreign country so they don't think our credit card is stolen while we are there. At time of call, Hubby states he doesn't realize we are leaving THIS Thursday.
3. I call and make arrangements to have house checked, papers collected, mail held while we are away.
4. I clean the house so if we die in a horrible plane accident or get kidnapped and held as slaves in the back fields of Mexico forevermore, when they come to have the wake at our house they don't see how messy we really were when we were alive....
5. I wash clothes to get ready for the trip.
6. This immediately triggers feelings of doubt and insecurity that perhaps I did not pack the correct wardrobe for the trip, which sends me straight to my packed suitcase to switch out some of the things I had previously settled on. (and of course the matching jewelry).
7. Look at our passports for the umpteenth time to make sure they haven't expired since five minutes ago when I previously checked them.
8. Go to bank to get cash for the trip. Agonize over the correct amount and how to distribute it between the two of us at the airport.
9. Find carry-on bag and place plane itenary/tickets, passport, cash now-charged electronic gadgets such as tablet, Kindle, camera and then add  a zillion MORE other things like bandaides, Tylenol, safety pins, and oh-my-God-if-you-need-ANYTHING-in-Mexico-come-find-me-and-I-will-have-IT!.

Hubby's Phase Three job:
1. Calls out for me in the house when he doesn't see me in the immediate area.  When I tell him where I am, he asks what I am doing. When I tell him I am getting ready for our trip, he says: "That's TOMORROW? I thought that was NEXT week!"

*************************************************************************************

But you see. I am fine with all the above.
Because we will have fun.
 We will be swimming in the ocean. 
 
We will be drinking Pina Coladas at the swim up pool bar. 
 
 
 
We will hold hands watching the tropical sunset every single night.
 
 
And?
The last night we are there?
 
I will be turning to him and saying: "You mean we are leaving TOMORROW??" "I thought that was NEXT week!!"

*********************************
If you don't see posts from me for about 10 or so days, don't be alarmed...
I either crashed in the plane, got kidnapped in Mexico
or
am just recuperating from all of the above.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Remembering Autumn.....


I do not know what is going on with Blogger!

When I went on the past few days to try and load my photos, it would not let me.
No way, no how.

I finally tried through Google Chrome and now it will only let me
go through a back door way and only through HTML
posting of my photos...
anyone else having these problems???

It is SO frustrating, especially since I paid for the extra program
to have my photos published!

There, now that I have vented, let's move on, shall we?

I have a ton of pictures to still show you from spring through fall of last year...
as you remember I took some time off from blogging as I was doing so much photography 
that I just didn't have time to post-process the shots, much less blog them.

So, here we go with some fall shots for you!


I just loved these seed pods....I don't know the name of the bush that gives us them, but they are few and far between in the woods and when I see some in the autumn, I just have to stop and take some shots!:







A storm 'abrewin':








If you look reallll close, you can see two wild swans in the left side of the photo:







I doubt if these were edible, but these sure were colorful and full of texture!:







Here are the swans a bit closer up!:

If you are having my frustrations with loading your photos, or have any suggestions to help me through, let me know....
and, I am leaving for a tropical vacation to Mexico in a few days, so will be gone again for a week or so, but I shall return and will be reading your comments when I get back..
until then, stay warm and we will talk again soon!


HELP!

I purchased the new Google plan for more picture storage.
Now?
I cannot load ANY photos onto my blog!

Is anyone else having problems loading photos on their blogspot.com blog account through Google????

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Parts of 2012 were for the birds.......

As everyone else, the New Year causes one to reflect on the past year
and muse on the upcoming one.
 
Like you, I had highlights and down parts of 2012, but I am
happy to say, the highlights outnumbered the downs.
 
And as far as "for the birds"?  Well, I was honored
to see some to photograph...and
want to share these autumn bird shots with you today.
 
It is to wish you a Happy New Year...
one that I hope "takes flight" for you
and allows you to soar to the happiest year of your life yet.
 
Because remember....a lot of your friends and loved ones
did not get the privilege to see 2013.
 
 









We read on line that if you take a hollow log (or in our case a hollow piece of birch bark) and put seeds inside, the birds like it...as they will get out of the wind, snow and rain and go inside the log to eat.
 
Sometimes, they stand on top of it and act as the "look out"...
like this blue jay:










Or just OUTSIDE of it...
as the "look out":

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This little Junco had the right idea...just crawl right in there and pig out!:
 









A male mallard in the golden fall leaves reflections:
























A woodpecker having a feast:

 


I hope you feast on life as you enjoy 2013...
and that you spread your wings and soar this coming year....
don't be "the lookout".............
just fly, fly, fly!!!!!!

REMINDER: All photographs on this blog are COPYRIGHTED.

REMINDER: All photographs on this blog are COPYRIGHTED.
Please do not copy any of my photographs (or narratives) without my permission! All pictures will be tracked for copyright violations.

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About Me

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I retired in June 2008 and started my blog in November 2008. I worked at several jobs as a Registered Nurse prior to retirement. I LOVE being retired! Blogging has offered me a whole new venue to start writing again and to share new hobbies such as gardening, birdwatching and sharing my nature photography. If you like my blog, PLEASE click on "follow this blog". Having a lot of followers reading my blog gives me incentive to continue to do photography and to continue to write. I also LOVE comments, so I encourage you to leave me a comment after you read my posts. Thanks everyone, for taking the time to read me!!

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