You might be a photographer when (Jeff Foxworthy type one liners)

you show your friend how to use their own camera and then end up taking all their pictures for them

You are in Yosemite and your wife is telling you how beautiful it is and all you can think of is the lights too flat and there is no contrast.

You might be a photographer when you walk around with your left eye closed composing photo shots in your head.when your walking along the beach at sunset with the woman you love and think . . . . . . . . . f8 at 1/200th

For Christmas your kids gets bright clothes and your wife gets a jacket thats 18% gray.

In the RAW has a totally different meaning that most others.

You might be a photographer if you bookmark this thread and put a shortcut on your desktop.

While shopping with the wife, you checked out the local Mall's photographer stand, not because you're interesting in having the pics taken, but want to know where he got all the props.

..If there is a tornado warning and you head outside to see if you will be lucky enough to get a really cool picture instead of going to the basement

When your non-photographer friends show you pictures of their kids, the kid is the last thing you see. Instead you're mind is on the following:* They should have cleared all that clutter in the background.* Don't shoot down at children!* Rule of thirds would have helped this picture.

And Finally...

You ask a friend to join you for some bird shooting.He brings his shotgun, you bring a telephoto.

Texans that were Presidents and Vice Presidents

First let me say that I did not write this myself; it was written by Janna Lewis a staff reporter for the Fort Hood Sentinel. That being said, I think it is definitely blogworthy.

Texans who were presidents, vice-presidents
Upon the inauguration of our 44th president, I’ve been thinking about the roles Texans have played in the government of our nation. The Georges Bush are not the only Texans to have been involved in U.S. government.The "Presidents George Bush" are East Coast by birth and Texans by grace. Being born in Texas is required to be considered a "native" Texan. W was born in New Haven, Conn., while HW was born in Milton, Mass. and grew up in Connecticut. Of course, W grew up here, so he’s a "naturalized" Texan. Laura Bush and daughters, Jenna and Barbara, are native Texans. But the "native versus natural" debate is a whole different column for another time.One of the most notable Texans in history was Lyndon Baines Johnson. He became our 36th president due to a series of unfortunate circumstances about which many Texans find way too painful to talk. So painful, in fact, that if you don’t know how he became president in 1963, I’d just rather you go look it up.Johnson was born near Stonewall, which is somewhere by the Pedernales River. He graduated from Southwest Texas State Teachers’ College, which is now Texas State University-San Marcos, and was a Texas school teacher for awhile. His subject was public speaking and debate, and folks, he was the grand master of persuasion.Johnson joined the Navy reserves after December 1941 and while he was still in Congress. He asked for a combat post, but got sent to inspect shipyards instead. I imagine this ticked him off a whole heck of a lot, too. Texans such as Johnson love a good fight and I’m guessing he was not thrilled with the prospect of poking around docks in Texas and the West Coast, which is where he ended up before a short, albeit exciting, tour of the South Pacific.Johnson was an intelligence-gatherer, a talker and a showman of epic proportions. He had a persuasive style people called "the treatment" which he used depending on his target’s weaknesses, convictions and desires. According to those who knew Johnson, mimicry, humor and the genius of analogy made "the treatment" an almost hypnotic experience and rendered the target stunned and helpless. Some historians called Johnson the most effective Senate majority leader in the history of the United States.He’s also remembered for picking up his beagle, Him, by his ears. Johnson caught a lot of heat for that from the public, but the dog seemed to have forgiven him.Johnson has been remembered for a lot of things, among them that he was the president who signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Higher Education Act of 1965.He credited his years as a public school teacher for his decision to sign these acts."I shall never forget the faces of the boys and the girls in that little Welhausen Mexican School, and I remember even yet the pain of realizing and knowing then that college was closed to practically every one of those children because they were too poor," Johnson said in his address to students at Southwest Texas State after having signed the Higher Education Act. "And I think it was then that I made up my mind that this nation could never rest while the door to knowledge remained closed to any American."I’m rather proud of the fact that it was a Texan who helped open the doors of education to all Americans.A little personal sidebar about Johnson: when he came to Southwest Texas State University for that address, my father presented the president with a photograph of the school’s Old Main building at night with a full moon over it. Daddy took that photo. A copy of it hung over our fireplace until a fire at my parents’ home destroyed it in 2000.I could spend a lot of newspaper space on Johnson, but there is another Texas politician you might not know about and he deserves a little spotlight, too.John Nance Garner, who was the 44th Speaker of the House of U.S. Representatives and the 32nd Vice President of the United States, was born in Detroit, which is in Red River County. He began his career as a lawyer. He had a habit of calling some journalists rather unflattering and profane names that usually were euphemisms for "coward."I don’t know a whole lot about the guy, but I like him already.While a member of the Texas State House of Representatives, Garner supported the prickly pear cactus as the plant to represent Texas. The bluebonnet won out instead, but he earned the nickname "Cactus Jack" as a result. Considering his gift for handing out terse and unflattering monikers to others and his blunt personal style, I think it was appropriate.Garner was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1902 from a newly created congressional district covering tens of thousands of square miles of rural South Texas. He was elected from the district fourteen subsequent times, serving until 1933.Of the things for which he is remembered, if just barely, is that he supported term limits for presidents and opposed executive intervention in the internal business of Congress. He’s also remembered for being somewhat of a burr under Franklin Roosevelt’s presidential saddle. While the two were in office, they clashed over a whole bunch of issues. Roosevelt ran for a third term; Garner said "Enough!" and went home to Uvalde in 1941.Garner spent 46 years in American politics. He died 15 days short of what was to have been his 99th birthday making him the longest-living Vice-President in U.S. history and, at this writing, still holds that record.There are many more Texans who have influenced the way this nation runs, but I can’t fit ‘em all into this column. They’re all colorful characters, whether they mean to be or not. That’s kind of a Texas thing, whether "native" or "natural." I think we’d all be a little disappointed if Texans were anything less that that.

Bill's Car Wash

Bill's Car Wash. This is unbelievable !


Bill owns a company that manufactures and Installs car wash systems. Bill's company installed A car wash system in Frederick , Maryland . The problem started when the new owner complained To Bill that he was losing significant amounts of money From his coin machines each week. He went as far as to accuse Bill's employees of having a Key to the boxes and ripping him off. Bill just couldn't Believe that his people would do that, so they setup a Camera to catch the thief in action. Well, they did catch Him on film! That's a bird sitting on the change slot of The machine The bird had to go down Into the machine, and back up inside to get to the money! That's three quarters he has in his beak! Another amazing thing is that it was not just one bird -- there were several working together. Once they identified the thieves, they found over $4000 in quarters on the roof of the car wash and more under a nearby tree. And you thought you heard of everything by now!!!

Daily Dose of Funny

We were dressed and ready to go out for the New Years Eve Party. We turned on a night light, turned the answering machine on, covered our pet parakeet and put the cat in the backyard. We phoned the local cab company and requested a taxi. The taxi arrived and we opened the front door to leave the house. The cat we put out in the yard, scoots back into the house. We didn't want the cat shut in the house because she always tries to eat the bird. I go out to the taxi, while my husband went inside to get the cat. The cat runs upstairs, with my husband in hot pursuit. Waiting in the cab, I don't want the driver to know that the house will be empty for the night. So, I explain to the taxi driver that he will be out soon, 'He's just going upstairs to say goodbye to my mother.'
A few minutes later, he gets into the cab. 'Sorry I took so long,' he said, as we drove away. 'That stupid bitch was hiding under the bed. I had to poke her with a coat hanger to get her to come out! She tried to take off, so I grabbed her by the neck.Then, I had to wrap her in a blanket to keep her from scratching me. But it worked! I hauled her fat ass downstairs and threw her out into the back yard!' The cab driver hit a parked car.

New Diggs

Not to sure that Bunny and Lola are enjoying their new diggs! But it has been so nice during the day we deciede to let them out to play. I think Lola enjoys it more than Bunny. Bunny just wants to come back in and sleep on the couch. Lola has tripled in size since we got her. She used to be smaller than Bunny, now look at her!

Back in the Saddle

"I'm back in the saddle again, back where a friend is a friend.....lalalalala!" Oh I can't remember how the song goes, but I am back in saddle! After about a year off, I'm finally getting back to the business of barrel racing. Just finished an hour or so workout with "D"! I'm gonna be sore tomorrow, but no pain no gain. Right? Hopefully we will be back in sync enough to compete in the first NBHA of the year next month. This picture was taken on Halloween of "07" Didn't do to much competing after that!

2009 Goals (update)

I'm on a roll! This week I have attendend not ONE; but TWO photography meet-ups! One in Plano and the other in Mckinny that Lea and I went to together! Rueben was very informative as usual, and I learned more about what all those little buttons and dials on my Canon 40D are for!

I have been doing well with my low cholesterol diet; haven't quite got the work-out routine down yet, but I will! Four pounds gone and counting!

No, I have not "organized" my cropping room, but I pushed things out of the way enough for me to crank out 4 pages today! Go Me!!!

Squirrelly Friends

Finnegan the squirrel The moral of this story is the best part!!!Debby Cantlon, who plans to release Finnegan, the young squirrel, back into the wild, bottle-fed the infant squirrel after it was brought to her house.When Cantlon took in the tiny creature and began caring for him, she found herself with an unlikely nurse's aide: her pregnant Papillion, Mademoiselle Giselle.Finnegan was resting in a nest in a cage just days before Giselle was due to deliver her puppies.Cantlon and her husband watched as the dog dragged the squirrel's cage twice to her own bedside before she gave birth.Cantlon was concerned, yet ultimately decided to allow the squirrel out and the inter-species bonding began.Finnegan rides a puppy mosh pit of sorts, burrowing in for warmth after feeding, eventually working his way beneath his new litter mates.?Two days after giving birth, mama dog Giselle allowed Finnegan to nurse; family photos and a videotape show her encouraging him to suckle alongside her litter of five pups.Now, Finnegan mostly uses a bottle, but still snuggles with his 'siblings' in a mosh pit of puppies, rolling atop their bodies, and sinking in deeply for a nap.Finnegan and his new litter mates, five Papillion puppies, get along together as if they were meant to.Finnegan naps after feeding.Finnegan makes himself at home with his new litter mates, nuzzling nose-to-nose for a nap after feeding.Send this along to brighten someone's day!Wouldn't it be nice if we could all get along like Fi nnegan and the gang?MORAL OF THE STORY: Keep loving everyone,even the squirrelly ones !

No Riding Today

Though the icicles have since melted, it is still a bit to cold and muddy for riding today. Much to Danielle's dismay the horses will have to stay warm and dry in the barn for another day!

2009

Well, were 5 days into 2009 and it is frigid! Amazingly enough, just 2 days ago we were in the 80's. Never in my life have I lived anywhere where the temps can vary 40 degrees or more in a matter of hours. Like they say, if you don't like the weather in Texas, wait awhile, it'll change!

I guess since it is a new year, I should be thinking about my New Year's Resolutions! I'm thinking that this year I will call them my "Goals for '09' instead of resolutions, I never did well with those anyway! My "goals" will include most of my past years resolutions; but this time I will also have a plan on how to achieve these "goals". So here it is, my list of "Goals for o9"

1. Start back on the South Beach Diet Plan and include 30 minutes of exercise everyday. I will also tune into Oprah as she and I are kinda in the same boat this year! As she said and I agree for myself " I can't believe I'm still talking about weight! And that everything else that you do great in your life dosen't matter if you can't control your being! All your achievements don't matter if you can't fit in your clothes.

2. Attend as many photo meet-ups as possible (I have a better chance this year since I will be carpooling witha friend)

3. Organize my scrapbooking room!

4. Attend more scrapbooking meet-ups!

5. Make an honest effort to put money aside in a savings account for a "Rainy Day"

6. And this should have been 2nd on the list; lower my cholesterol, get my boobs squished and go in for a pap!

This is my "short list" of goals for 2009. I'm sure there will be many more "goals" along the way.