Action...Around the House

My Photography Challenge this week is "action". So, I tried to capture some of the action around the house. Bailey surely performs well in this category!! Cliff working on the trailer sink passes by with some of the pipe work in hand, and then it was time to harvest some of the Thompson Grapes!!

Sunday Picnic

Sometimes it's just nice to get away even if it's not too far from home. Cliff and I went on a picnic Sunday to Lake McSwain. We found a little bit of shade under a eucalyptus tree...enjoyed our meal...watched the people around us...enjoyed the cool breeze coming off the water...and enjoyed each other's company!

Brief Cool Off

Whew! It's been an absolutely gorgeous last couple of days with cool breezes and a reprieve from the heat. We are enjoying it!! Guess we better as the 100s will be back Monday and for many days after. Thank you, God, for the break!

Be Ready

Today while in the grocery store, a young man (high schooler) by the name of Bret came up to me, extended his arms and gave me a hello side hug. I was kind of surprised...after all we weren't in church and he didn't have to do that. We had a brief conversation. My heart strings were tugging for this young man as I know he has struggles. Perhaps more than most at his age. Brief words were probably exactly what he needed along with that hug. As parents we often throw are arms up to the heavens to relent to God when we just have no more answers in parenting. We aren't giving up, but giving in and really, isn't that the only way Jesus can shine through a person? I've been there as a parent and have had lots of practice!! (I'm a very slow learner.) I see Bret's parents struggle with discernment issues and feel their fight to get it right. Today, Bret just needed a hug. It profoundly spoke to me that we need to be ready...ready to be used of God in perhaps the smallest ways. Hugs are underestimated and can be a healing source for a hurting soul. Be ready to be used.

Our Weekend!

We started our weekend remembering when...when Cliff and I met 34 years ago this month at Divine Gardens in Turlock. Cliff use to be a rodeo cowboy riding bulls and was wearing this very hat the night we met. It still has the same rope band, sweat stains and cow poo on it. I'm pretty blessed to have this cowboy in my life!

We help celebrate a friend's birthday (Dave, in center)!

I got to spend some time with a friend and we shot some photography in a cemetery in a little country town not too far from home. We are both in a photography challenge group and our assignment/challenge was still life photography. I got a couple of shots.

Then to top off our weekend, we heard our little terrier dog yappin' and barkin' tonight, and she really doesn't do that unless something is outside. I asked Cliff if it could be an opossum as they seem to love our redwood tree and grapes!! Sure enough this little fellow was playing possum on the ground. Cliff asked, "should I put him out of his misery?" I looked at him in horror, "You're going to kill it?" I asked with sad ol puppy dog eyes. I left as I was not going to be a witness!

Okay, so don't tell anyone, but Cliff is an old softy! He came back into the house and said, "I put him in the small metal trash can and will take him out to the country before work tomorrow." Hopefully he will not die of stress until that time. Look at the teeth on this guy!! Click the photo to enlarge if you like. Well, that's enough excitement for a while.

Space Shuttle Sighting

So, like we heard on the news tonight that we would be able to see the space shuttle on the horizon looking west at 8:45 pm tonight! I set our timer to remind us, because I did not want to miss this opportunity. Wow, that would be something, aye? The timer went off and we started out the door and down the street to an area where we could actually see the "horizon".

We watched...could see that it was raining in the distance (probably dissipated before hitting the ground...)

Oh, is that it? No, it's the moon!

One of our neighbor's flies his flag 24/7...awesome reminder of what a great country we live in!

"Oh, look, Cliff!! It's coming! See it? It's coming right toward us!!!" We were amazed...in awe...petrified by it's blinding light!! Funny thing, it didn't sound anything like we thought it would. It got closer and closer... "Gayle! Gayle!! GAYLE!!" My heart was beating, faster and faster and faster. I was so excited! "GAYLE!" Cliff said. I looked again and it was...was...why it was a little Cessna puttering over head. It was not the space shuttle. We laughed and a little later, we laughed again at our enthusiasm!


I was very stubborn and wanted to wait just a little bit longer. I wanted so to see the space shuttle so badly. We waited, but a sighting for us just wasn't going to happen. So, we ventured back home.

Rats! That's all I can say about the whole thing! Oh, I think I hear that Cessna again. Nothing like pouring salt on the wound!

By the way, we are still laughing!

Gilbert & Ashlee's 7th Wedding Anniversary Today!

HAPPY 7th ANNIVERSARY GILBERT & ASHLEE!!

White Nectarines

Since we have returned from our Oregon trip 3 weeks ago, we have been munching on nectarines from our trees. They are VERY sweet and VERY crunchy, just how I like them!! We have had a bumper crop this year and I eat 2-3 a day.

We are getting closer to the end of our season for our backyard nectarines and Cliff picked a few before we would lose them to the ground. Lacee brought them in.

They almost look like an apple, don't they?!

Believe me, these won't last long before we eat them all up!!

My Cow Poo Hero!

Immediately after Cliff arrived home from a long and very hot day (triple digit) at work today, he settled onto the coffee table (not the sofa...remember where he's been...cow poo) with a new issue of Sunset Magazine. Sunset has been an all time favorite of both of ours. We actually have been to many places they suggest visiting and seeing. We have not been disappointed yet. Today, Cliff needed a refreshing getaway even though it was just for a moment, and a moment in his mind.

As a photographer (and I use that title loosely), I see things as photographs and photographs with stories. The natural light coming through the window brought shadows and emotion to Cliff and I just had to shoot him! He was so intently consumed by his literary dreaming.

My family are my favorite subjects to photograph and they have learned to just ignore me and go on with their life. I especially like those wild stash hairs jetting out from Cliff's left lip! Don't you?!


Cliff tries to avoid eye contact with me and allows himself to glance at the TV even though he really wasn't interested in the programing. Kind of a sign that says, "yes, I know you are here, but if I ignore you long enough, you just might go away," sign.

But the truth is, I never go away...no siree! I just keep shooting no matter what direction my subject is looking!!

Although, I do love that my family ignores me as I shoot them, I also like to get just one shot of them looking at me. In my gratitude I said, "Honey, I love you!" And, his response, "You and a million other people!" Now that's a guy with confidence or perhaps a guy putting up with his wife's obsession. I vote confidence!

Stooges or Musketeers?

I hosted a little coffee and coffee cake morning with my good friends, Cherie and Judy. Only, I think I need to learn to host better as they brought their own coffee, coffee-mate and soda. But, check it out...they did a number on the coffee cake! I'll give myself 50% on hostess points!!

Oh Cherie, are you nuts or what?

Yikes, Judy! Get a grip!!

Awwww, now that's better...they're not so strange after all!

There we are! Although I would love to have a beautiful patio set of furniture, my friends were quite happy in my little fold up lawn chairs. We did have a conversation about our priority list, after all...

I will never make a good "Valken".

Or gangsta (Cherie, pay attention!! Where's your "peace" sign, girl?)

We are so darn cute lookin', aint we???

Thanks, Cherie and Judy, for the fun morning!

Weekend Bliss

Sometimes weekends feel like resort vacationing with no agenda, great scenery and fabulous food! Take a close look and you will see Master Fish (the big...got his name from Maycin) peeking up at us from the pond. Cliff is settled into eating mode and has a good start on the two types of grilled steak (Tri-tip and Rib-eye), green salad, bake potato (from our garden...Yukon Gold), grilled white nectarines right off of our tree, topped with red wine for Cliff and blush for me. I'm not a wine connoisseur and appreciate ice in my wine when all possible!!

Although this was near perfect of a dinner meal, the flies came to visit and the white paper towel in the foreground was covering my plate up while I took the shot.

Done! And...a few scraps (steak fat) for Bailey. Please no hate mail for feeding our dog table scraps. Oh and I might add the company was pretty fantastic!!

Oregon 2009

I guess I could post all kinds of photos that I took when traveling to and from Eastern Oregon (returning a week ago), but I decided to choose just one photo. This is Phillips Reservoir near Sumpter Oregon (in Eastern Oregon). Cliff and I have passed this lake many, many times from our trips to visit my parents, and most times it would be very low. But, not this year! This year it was not only very full, but very green and it was just so beautiful! I have grown to appreciate what I don't have oh so much more than I did in my youth. Living in the Central Valley, California, we just don't have anything that comes close to this kind of beauty. I could have just pulled out my lawn chair in the trunk of the car, planted my bum in it and just enjoyed the smells, sights and sounds here...well, for the entire year!! But, we needed to hit the road. Thank goodness for digital imagery... It pulls me back to this place...and it brings a certain joy knowing these beautiful places were placed here by God for us to enjoy. God is so awesome, isn't He?!