Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree

On our visit to London last Christmas we learned about the Christmas Tree in Trafalgar Square. This tree is a gift each year from the Norwegians as a token of appreciation for the British support to Norway during WWII. The gift has been given every year since 1947.

Trees of the UK

During my first trip to the United Kingdom I found some interesting trees.

A tree at the University of Edinburgh. It was called the Monkey Puzzle tree.
Araucaria araucana (popularly called the Monkey-puzzle Tree or Monkey Tail Tree) is an evergreen tree growing to 40 metres (130 ft) tall with a 2 metres (7 ft) trunk diameter (from Wikipedia)



A tree at Alnwick Castle in England. A tree was planted in this spot over 400 years ago specifically at the request of the Duke of North Umberland by his landscape artist.

This tree is a decedant of the apple tree which dropped an apple on the head of  Isaac Newton. Located in Cambridge England.

Trees

I love how interesting trees can be. I thought I would give you a round of posts with various trees I have taken pictures of starting with ones at my home.

The old saying that moss grows on the north side of the tree is false. This is the east side of this tree. Apparently moss grows mostly on the side of the tree with the most shelter.

The is looking up from the large base of the large oak tree in the back yard that provides the best shade and a great place to play as a child.

Originally purchased as a 4ft Christmas tree, this tree is now gigantic. The corn behind it is about 8ft tall!
Maybe one day it could have a shot at being the Rockafeller tree in NYC?

The Vineyard

These were the last few grapes left of the vine in moms little mini vineyard. These pics were from the beginning of October.

Home "Sweet" Home

When I was back at my parents on a beautiful fall day I took a few picture around the yard. The old shed outback was originally up by the road as a garage.

 One of the best parts of the yard are the 3 large trees along the road in the front yard. Dad taps them and collects the sap to boil into maple syrup in the winter months. The sap is collected in buckets that hang of the trees (which can be a little embarrasing, when the school bus picks you up as a middle schooler). The the collected sap is boiled down and evaperated, then strained to get the syrup. Which my dad enjoys on top of vanilla ice cream.

The Water Tower

Where has this month gone! I got a little busy this month and didn't have a chance to post much. However I was still taking pictures!  Here are a couple of the iconic BG water tower visible off of I-75 inside Carter Park. I wonder what the view is like from the top.

Happy Homecoming BG

It's Homecoming Week at BGSU, so I thought I would post some of my best BGSU pics. When I get my scanner I will be able to share with a you all a great picture of the new falcon by the Stroh Center.

Credit to Greg Lucsko for the idea and prephoto coordination (i.e. RAs running from floor to floor to turn on/off lights :)

Washington Monument

This morning on Sunday Morning was a piece about the Washington Monument and the damage it suffered during the recent earthquake. I thought I would post a pic that I took while in D.C in March of 2009. According to the show construction began on the monument in 1848 and it was completed and opened to the public in 1888. I was lucky enough to visit the top of the monument on a trip in 8th grade. Due to the damage of the earthquake it will be indefinately closed to the public, but is still structurally sound.

The Creason

I never golfed a day in my life until I was married. Reggie bought me clubs and taught me how to play at Forrest Creason Golf Course at the BGSU campus. I am not great, but not terrible either. I think I do pretty decent, for a leisure golfer. I did chip in for birdie this summer. The Creason is also where I go fishing sometimes. There are huge fish in the pond...probably because we throw em all back, I definately do not want to eat fish that swim in golf course run off. Here are just a few pictures from THE Creason.

Gunner Cat

We got our cat over 4 1/2 years ago. It was right as I decided to go back to grad school, and Reggie asked can we have a kid or get a cat? I said lets go to the Humane society! Gunner truely picked us out. We were in the cat room for about 25 minutes and none of them really stuck out to us. We decided to step out in the hall and were chatting next to the window about whether we should just pick out a kitten instead of an adult cat as we had discussed before. Then I looked down and those big green eyes were staring at me. Something made me go oh, look at that one! We went in and he was so lovable. I picked him up and carried him in my arms for a bit and when he fell asleep in my arms I was hooked and couldn't get him fast enough! His full name is Gunner Thor Ramirez Shouse. Reggie thought it would be fun to give him 4 names like his catholic friends had :) So the Ramirez comes from a buddy from grad school (rd. 1)  Here are a few of my favorite pics of him.

Creepy neighbor

This little guy was hanging out between the bushes next to our patio a few weeks ago. It was kind of gross taking the picture, good thing I'm not afraid of spiders. I actually was trying to get a picture of a different web when I noticed the spider was right in the middle of this web on the other side of the patio.

Sunsets

Sunsets are one of the most beautiful things in nature. I am not a morning person so you will probably never see a sunrise picture from me.

I remember hearing to old adage, "Red sky at night, sailors delight, Red sky in morning sailors take warning." I never really knew if it was true or not, but thanks to Google I know know that it does have some merit. Check out http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/weather-sailor.html

This is a view from the 10th floor of Offenhauer towers at BGSU zoomed into distant woods.

There is nothing like the sunset at home. I grew up with the perfect sunset out my bedroom window each night. Most of the year the sun would set perfectly in between our woods and our neighboors wood far beyondthe railroad tracks that lay close to us.

Another Sunset from Rawson.

The sun setting behind the convention center in Boston, MA.

Night time at the fall festival.



When the sun goes down at Luckey campfires roar and sparks fly.

More from Luckey



Various Gourds
Mom even decorates outside the camper.



All lit up.

My Official Start of Fall

Luckey Fall Festival is coming up this weekend.
It's one of my favorite weekends of the year, its the first weekend of fall, it includes gas engines, fair food, flea markets and pumpkins!
Here are a few pictures of Luckey from years past, I'll add more through out the week.

This is the spark show from one of the steam engines. The longer exposure also captured a passing tractor's lights.

My dad's Colman Lantern collection...at least some of them.

The beginning...

That's me...I am usually behind the camera, instead of in front.
So what does my husband do when he gets a camera, takes a picture of me taking a picture.  

Photography for me is a hobby. I took a class in college and have learned the basics of how to take manual photgraphs, using aperature, shutter speed and depth of field to manipulate a photo, but I am no where near a hard core photographer. I think some of my pictures are good and want to share. I love using film, but often find the convienence of digital to be easier in this digital age. I do not yet own a scanner, so for now you will not see any of my film work. (It's part of my Christmas wish list, so hopefully as soon as January). I do not do digital art, if I edit a digital picture it is only to crop, or change overall color balance.

The beginning...here are some thoughts as to why I may have developed an interest in photography.

1. Great Uncle Gerald - I remember being a child and looking at the West Virginia Magazine at my Grandam and Grandpa's house. Uncle Gerald was a photographer and I thought it was amazing to see someone in my family with picture credits in a real magazine. We lived almost 5 hours away so I didn't get to see Uncle Gerald much, so I think that may have added to the allure of the art.

2. A 4-H project - I joined 4-H in third grade, since we were not allowed to take animals as projects my sister and I would choose simpler projects. I chose photography and I carried with me a disposable camera for and entire summer taking pictures and learning about the basics. I also took plants and still find phototropism one of the amazing oddities of the plant kingdom.

3. Great Grandma and Grandpa Cooper's House - Each major holiday as a kid would be spent at my great grandparents house. The basement space was the largest area of the house, so when the weather wouldn't allow us to be outside we would congregate together downstairs. Grandma had kept large bulletin boards and would post pictures of the ever growing family as large collages on the wall. I loved being able to look at the pictures, see the family way before I became a part of it and laugh at the fashion and hair style choices of my aunts, uncles and older cousins.

4. Smiles - There is almost nothing greater that having someone look at a picture I took and smile...I simply like making people happy.

So, welcome to my blog...I hope you enjoy your moments with my moments.