The decade birthday!

Holy cow! Claire is 10! She actually had an over-night party with friends at the end of the school year, and we had a proper family party yesterday. The chow was especially good. Claire picked out an ice cream cake from Cold Stone Creamery called "Peanut Butter Playground." Lucky for us it was their special low calorie, low fat ice cream cake. This way, we didn't feel too guilty about washing it down with additional devils food cake and ice cream. It's nice how things work out like that sometimes.

Is it just me, or has Claire gotten bigger in the last 10 years?

At least we haven't really been aging at the same time. I still feel 27!

Locks gone for love

Claire decided that her hair was finally long enough and that it was time to get it clipped off for Locks of Love. I can't be certain, but I'm pretty confident that the multiple days of 100+ degree heat may have convinced her it was time for a change.

We got a few pictures of her before she headed off to the salon. The post prior to this one shows her new length.

A couple of drips

Keith and I got together again to take some pictures. This time, we weren't in them. This should make them, overall, more pleasant to look at.

I saw this drip photography idea on the strobist site a few weeks ago and I thought it looked like a pretty cool thing to try. We tried a few different variations with clear vs. blue water, and straight vs. gelled flash. One of the keys to getting these shots (besides a macro lens) is to set up the flash to bounce off of a white card behind the water. Getting the shots is an interesting process. You basically try to time the drips (which were coming from a punctured sandwich bag taped to the light above Keith's dining room table-- I knew the gaffer tape I bought a while back would come in handy soon) and hope for something interesting. I was really hoping to get a shot with a new drip colliding with the splash of the current drip. This can create an interesting flat splash above the water column that is really difficult to figure out unless you know what you are looking at. We do plan to try this again sometime with the drips falling into a container that is completely filled. This should eliminate the line of the container edge that is visible in most of the shots we took today.

Another thing that is entertaining about making these shots is the almost unlimited latitude you have when adjusting the white balance. Working within the presets or experimenting with custom white balances produces some vastly different results. Because there is no "right" white balance for these shots its all up to what looks interesting.

That cool rainbow cap

From time to time, April appears in our home wearing this jaunty little rainbow-colored knit cap. No one seems to know where it goes when it is not in use and, although I am sure there is a perfectly good explanation as to its origins, I am unaware of how it came to be in April's possesion. The last few times it has shown up, I thought it would be cute to take a few pictures of her wearing it. Unfortunately, each time I try this, in the time it takes me to collect the camera, the cap disappears. No amount of questioning or finagling can convince her to produce it. She simply gives a blank stare and affects an air of ignorance that isn't the least bit believable, but is irresistible. After a slew of near misses, today I finally got the hat, the kid, and the camera in the same room. The pictures below are an illustration of the challenges one might encounter when photographing a two-year-old in a cool rainbow cap.

This goes to show that there is a limited number of pictures that can be taken in our house before the interlopers begin to show up...

Along came a spider

This funky little spider has taken up residence in the upper corner of the doorway between the kitchen and dining room. Word must have spread through the neighborhood that we have had loads of flies invading our house. The rumors are that the flies have let themselves in through the frequently open garage door, but no one will admit to leaving that door open, so it must not be the point of entry. Anyway, being the opportunist that he/she is, this industrious arachnid has woven a lovely and delicate web and has been awaiting patiently his/her first fly supper.



A recent topic of conversation has been whether frogs eat spiders...

Hands

I must have too much time on Audrey's hands. Last night, while we were relaxing with our thoughts and contemplating Jolie's new arrangement of teeth, I noticed that Audrey was settling into the evening by observing her hands in the stark sliver of light formed by the window near the front door. I remembered from the Einstein biography I recently read that Mr. Einstein attributed his life-long pursuit of knowledge to his never having lost the sense of wonder for simple things around him that he had as a child. With this in mind, I'm hoping that continually showing this picture to Audrey will go a long way toward fostering the next Einstein in the person of Audrey Anna. I'll be sure to post an update here if it works...

All I want for Christmas...

Weeks of careful eating to avoid her lone front tooth are now over for Jolie. After much cajoling and needling, she finally yielded to the pressure and yanked out her own front tooth last night. Now we all can take great joy in listening to her say words like thistle and theocracy.

Finding the occasion an appropriate time for an impromptu photo shoot, we sat down and got a few shots at the dining room table. Of course, if I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times, "Taking lost tooth pictures is an irresistible way to attract camera muggers."

4th of July at the beach

Hey! On the fourth of July we went to the beach. It was a nice day. It was about 20 degrees cooler on the coast. We played on the beach at Devil's Punchbowl and ate at the nearby Mo's. For the uninitiated, about the best meal that can be had at Mo's is the Brucewich sandwich with a side of clam chowder. It's a good thing they don't offer a side of slumgullion with the Brucewich, otherwise I'd have to drive to the coast every day for lunch. That would be somewhat inconvenient.

We selected an interesting spot at the beach at the bottom of the 103 stairs that swoop you from the parking lot to the sand. It was a sufficiently windy day that a good number of visitors would park in front of the punchbowl, exit their cars, take in the view for a few minutes, and drive hastily away. A knowledgeable beach goer sidesteps this scenario, descends the stairs, and finds themselves in the calm protection of the cliffs above. Comfortable, if not a bit smug in our cozy environs, it did not take long after having set up the various umbrellas and blankets to notice a somewhat less than delicate odor wafting over our little stretch of sand. For a time, the conversation centered on the root cause of the problem. There are no port-a-potties on the beach. Sewage has not been dumped there for a generation. Everyone was properly bathed (this was considered inwardly among all present I'm sure) and the only diaper to be changed was fresh and new. After all of this careful consideration, it was decided that the fetid air must certainly be a result of the rotting sea lion carcass a few yards from our carefully chosen beach spot. It's always something...

On a related note, while we were gathering up our things at the end of the day, I observed a handsome brown retriever dog as it investigated the carcass. What a delightful find for a canine! I could plainly see, in the expression on his face, the near overwhelming desire to have a luxurious roll in that treasure. Years of experience with furious owners wielding the threat of untold baths must have been the only thing staying the urge. Of course there was but one thing for a self-respecting dog to do. He looked so proud and regal as he lifted his leg to pee on the rotting flesh and bones. After taking a few steps away and almost as if by afterthought, he turned back, repositioned himself and took a healthy dump in just the right spot. You've got to love dogs...

A time to camp

Somewhere, buried deep the Diamond Lake post, is a mention of a second camping trip to Klamath Lake. Well, we went. It would be a stretch to call it "Camping" per se, but we did stay a few days in the woods, near a lake. Some might argue that residing in a cabin (equipped with full kitchen and bathroom) in said woods, next to said lake would stretch the boundaries of camping, but let them talk. If anyone asks, we were camping.












The trip itself was very enjoyable. The resort we stayed at rents canoes and is located near a spectacular wetland area featuring canoe trails. The water was still high for this time of year, so we were able to make a few canoe trail of our own among the reeds and lily pads. The only annoyance of the trip were the abundant mosquitoes. We all returned with multiple bites on our legs, arms, and faces. Audrey looked like she had a case of chicken pox on her face for the next week. I recently became aware of a small repellent device that is worn on a belt loop. I think I'll try one (or 10) next time and see how it goes. On the way back, as evidenced by the photos, we passed through Crater Lake as well.