Lynn Miracola Photography

Old Barn Window

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-06:00

From the back of the barn in yesterday's photo. I can't believe my husband got me to get out of the car and walk around the property!

Scavenger Hunt 101 {#8 Abandoned Building}

2012-01-12T08:00:00.000-06:00

100 Possibilities project {3/100 and 4/100}

2011-12-05T08:35:00.001-06:00

My aunt sent me an old Kodak camera for my birthday this year. A new buddy for my Argus camera. So I thought I'd take a couple of them together for my 100 possibilities project!

Scavenger Hunt 101 {#16 A Cat}

2011-12-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

100 Possibilities Project {2/100}

2011-11-05T13:42:00.000-05:00

In The Leaves

It's been almost a year since I decided to do this project and I just realized I pretty much deserted it before really getting started. So I had an idea today and decided to get back to it!!

Bird and Prey

2011-10-21T08:05:00.000-05:00

Last week during a walk through a state forest we saw a hawk up in the trees stalking it's prey. I tried to snap a bunch of pics as he swooped down. This is the best of the bunch. It's a bit blurry but dang he was FAST! If you look closely you can see his catch in his claws.

He flew up into another tree and devoured it.

Wind Pump

2011-10-17T13:34:00.000-05:00

Project 52: Week 35 {Lazy}

2011-09-03T21:24:00.000-05:00

This photo is all kinds of lazy. Lazy cat, lazy photographer...I didn't really think much about, just snapped a photo. Lazy family...those balloons have just been sitting there in our way, losing air for about 3 weeks now.

Project 52: Week 34 {Connections}

2011-08-25T22:33:00.000-05:00

Project 52: Week 33 {Slow Down and Look Back}

2011-08-19T15:39:00.000-05:00

It's been such a crazy week I hadn't really even thought about the project for this week. Luckily I took some photos on Sunday......my daughter turned 16 this week. Where has the time gone? She'll be off to college in 2 years! Sometimes I wish time would just "slow down". Needless to say I've been doing some "looking back".

Project 52: Week 32 {Favorite Time of Day}

2011-08-19T15:37:00.000-05:00

I completely forgot to blog my photo from week 32 last week (Favorite Time of Day).

Time to relax and play on the computer.

Project 52: Week 31 {Sky}

2011-08-06T10:25:00.000-05:00

The colors of the sky looked more saturated in the reflection of the jeep's window. Just ignore all the dirt!!

Project 52: Week 30 {A Letter of the Alphabet}

2011-07-29T18:20:00.000-05:00

My initials. I did this in my dark bathroom with a flashlight covered with a piece of a purple plastic bag. I played with the color a bit after to darken up the purple.

Project 52: Week 29 {Get In Close}

2011-07-23T07:25:00.001-05:00

Project 52: Week 28 {Sweet Relief}

2011-07-16T19:27:00.000-05:00

A hot day at the zoo yesterday so this guy decided to take a little swim!

Project 52: Week 27 {Nature's Finest}

2011-07-08T18:44:00.000-05:00

Scavenger Hunt 101 {#38 A National Holiday Celebration}

2011-07-04T10:32:00.000-05:00

It wouldn't be the 4th of July without some fireworks!!

Scavenger Hunt 101 {#32 Spring}

2011-07-03T14:53:00.000-05:00

I know, we're already well into summer!! I'm just a bit behind posting some of my scavenger hunt photos! This was taken back in May when the tulips were in bloom.

Project 52: Week 26 {Hidden Object}

2011-07-01T06:17:00.000-05:00

I know, not an object..... but our new kitty likes to hide behind the blinds. He lays right on the air conditioning vent and hogs all the cool air!

Week 26!! Half way there!

Project 52: Week 25 {Crave}

2011-06-25T08:03:00.000-05:00

I think this one is pretty self explanatory!

Project 52: Week 24 {Make it Tasty}

2011-06-17T11:35:00.000-05:00

Lunch!

Hubby and I decided to skip a real lunch on our anniversary and have this instead!

Project 52: Week 23 {Enchantment}

2011-06-11T08:00:00.002-05:00

This week's theme was Enchantment. All I could think of was Enchanted Forest and the lyrics "Some Enchanted Evening"! I of course waited until the last minute again so opted to head to a local nature center today to try creating and enchanted forest photo. I like how it turned out!

Project 52: Week 22 {Reflection}

2011-06-02T06:00:00.004-05:00

My daughter made this mask in her 4th grade art class. I've always loved it and we have it sitting out on our hutch in the dining room.

Scavenger Hunt 101 {#68 Something Rusty}

2011-06-01T15:32:00.000-05:00

Time to get back to my Scavenger Hunt list!!

Project 52: Week 21 {Need for Speed}

2011-05-27T20:38:00.000-05:00

Sneaking in at the last minute this week! I almost forgot about the theme this week. So I snapped a photo of the engine on hubby's project.

Project 52: Week 20 {Spring Fever}

2011-05-20T07:00:00.001-05:00

The flowering tree in our front yard finally bloomed this past weekend! Spring is arriving pretty late around here this year. It usually blooms mid April.

I added a bit of texture to this one and love the way it turned out.

I heart Faces: Flowers

2011-05-16T08:46:00.000-05:00

April showers bring May flowers.
So they say...

That doesn't necessarily hold true in Wisconsin!

Things are just barely starting to come alive here because the weather has been so cold. So I am using a photo of Queen Anne's Lace taken a couple years ago. I can't find that I ever posted this one here on my blog.

Project 52: Week 19 {Window Light}

2011-05-13T14:48:00.000-05:00

Project 52: Week 18 {First Thing in the Morning}

2011-05-06T06:38:00.000-05:00

It's usually hard for me to think about doing much of anything first thing in the morning. I am NOT a morning person. But I did manage to drag myself outside the other day for this!

Project 52: Week 17 {Princess for a Day}

2011-04-29T09:55:00.000-05:00

I pulled out my veil from my wedding for this week's theme, since we really have no princess stuff in our house! I think we may have a had a couple things when the girls were little, but neither of them nor I are very princess-y at all anyway!

Project 52: Week 16 {Furry Friends}

2011-04-22T08:00:00.001-05:00

My daughter's hamster, Wesley. A little surprised I was able to get a decent shot as he is super fast and hard to catch!

Project 52: Week 15 {How Others See You}

2011-04-14T13:54:00.000-05:00

Self Portrait

I think most others see me as a quiet and reserved. I keep to myself. That's kind of what I was going for with this photo.

I think sometimes (more so when I was in school) people see it as arrogance or conceit. It's not. I do want to socialize with you, I just have a hard time with it. I've heard the same thing from others who are like me too.

For the most part that is me. But once I get to know you and feel comfortable around you I will usually loosen up and open up to you.

Project 52: Week 14 {Fusion}

2011-04-08T13:14:00.000-05:00

Fusion (noun): popular music combining different styles (as jazz and rock)

This is my daughter's saxophone that she uses for Jazz Band where they play some fun jazz/rock fusion music.

Project 52: Week 13 {Just for Fun}

2011-04-06T10:32:00.000-05:00

I'm a bit behind in posting it but I did get this photo into the group last week. This was our day at Universal Studios in Orlando last week. It was raining a bit in the morning but we decided to head out anyway and make the best of it. This is when we first arrived so we all are still dry, having fun and just putting our smurf outfits on.

It ended up raining pretty much the whole time we were there. It was a light rain so it wasn't too bad. At least it helped keep the crowds small!

This week's theme is "Fusion". Help. I'm stumped!

Project 52: Week 12 {From the Jewelry Box}

2011-03-24T15:21:00.001-05:00

These are baby rings that were given to me by my aunt and uncle for my christening. They were then put on a chain so that as I got older I could wear them around my neck.

Super Moon

2011-03-19T22:51:00.000-05:00

Yay! I finally got a shot of the moon that I'm happy with. I guess tonight it is the closest it's been to the earth in about 18 years at about 220,000 miles away.

I used my 75-300mm zoom at 300mm, but still cropped it a bit afterward.

Project 52: Week 11 {Darks and Lights}

2011-03-18T06:52:00.000-05:00

{sigh} This is what you get when you wait until the last day to do your photo. I wish I would have put more thought and effort into this one.

Project 52: Week 10 {Childhood Toys}

2011-03-11T15:31:00.002-06:00

This is one of my first ever toys. You can tell it's old by the dirt and dust! It feels kinda sticky too! I don't specifically remember playing with it when I was little but as I got older I always remember it being around. Even had it sitting in my room as a teen.

Project 52: Week 9 {Express Yourself}

2011-03-04T14:51:00.001-06:00

I just told my daughter to sit on the bench and this is what she did! Lately she seems to be trying to "express herself" more with the way she dresses. She has been "borrowing" some of her sister's stuff. She has also been trying new things with her hair.

I heart Faces: Anything but a Face

2011-03-01T06:38:00.000-06:00

I did at least 3 edits on this photo and probably could have kept going. I couldn't decide how I wanted it to look. I finally asked my husband to pick his favorite.

Project 52: Week 8 {The View From Here}

2011-02-24T14:00:00.000-06:00

The weather this past Sunday was awful. Rain, Sleet, and snow. This was my view of our neighbors tree through our patio door.

New participants are always welcome, click on the button below to find out how to join in.

Project 52: Week 7 {Open Your Heart}

2011-02-18T06:00:00.001-06:00

I had ours names engraved on this little mirror back when my husband and I were first dating. To make a relationship and marriage work you really need to "open your hearts" to each other.

Scavenger Hunt 101 {#17 Fire}

2011-02-15T07:00:00.001-06:00

Sometimes you need a little firebon* to warm you up on those cold Wisconsin nights!

*Firebon is the "term" we've used since my youngest daughter started talking. The elementary school my kids went to had an annual bonfire in October to kick off the school year. When we first started going she would call it a firebon instead of a bonfire. We couldn't get her to say it the right way and it has just been a part of our family ever since!

Project 52: Week 6 {Words}

2011-02-11T15:58:00.000-06:00

So I think I jinxed myself last week when I said that the themes have been easier than I thought. Because this week when I saw the theme I figured it would be so easy! Well, turns out it's the one that gave me the most grief so far! lol

I had a couple ideas but ultimately went with the words on my vintage camera. I also thought it would be a great opportunity to finally start my 100 possibilities project that I decided to do.

Basically, you pick one object and photograph it in 100 different ways. When I received this camera for Christmas from hubby I finally knew this was the object to use!

Here is a photo of me he took Christmas Day 2010 with the camera.

Project 52: Week 5 {Muse}

2011-02-04T07:00:00.001-06:00

This weeks theme was "muse". I always seem to panic when I see the theme thinking "what am I gonna do for that?". But so far so good, I've been able to come up with something each week. Hopefully I can keep it up. Only 47 more to go!

There are a few different definitions of the word muse. These are the two that go with what I was thinking with this photo.

verb: to become absorbed in thought; especially : to turn something over in the mind meditatively and often inconclusively

She had gone outside to help daddy shovel and when I looked out to check on her she was staring at the icicles hanging from the roof. Trying to figure out a way to reach them!

noun: : a source of inspiration; especially : a guiding genius

She (along with her sister) has always been a source of inspiration.

Scavenger Hunt 101 {#6 Winter}

2011-02-02T20:00:00.000-06:00

Took this right outside my front door. It was warm and sunny enough over the weekend for a bit of snow to melt and drip off the house and form these icicles on our bush.

This second icicle was one hanging from the roof. Yes we still have our Christmas light up. It's Wisconsin, they won't come down until June. That is if it warms up by then!

I was shocked that I actually captured the droplets falling from it!

Project 52: Week 4 {Soothing Repetition}

2011-01-28T07:00:00.001-06:00

I had trouble with an idea for this weeks theme. The patterns the lights made outside the movie theater caught my eye so I went with it! I only had my little point and shoot with me though, but it works in a pinch.

Scavenger Hunt 101 {#9 A junk car}

2011-01-24T07:00:00.002-06:00

We took the kids to Monster Jam 2011 last week. These are a few of the junk cars they used during the show.

Project 52: Week 3 {Shades of Grey}

2011-01-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

Alphabet Photography {Letter C}

2011-01-19T08:00:00.001-06:00

Project 52: Week 2 {Illustrate a Song}

2011-01-14T07:30:00.001-06:00

"Catch A Wave" by The Beach Boys

When I first saw the weekly theme I had no idea what to do. I tried asking my family what their favorite songs were and they were just being goofy. I got a little frustrated.

Then while driving near Milwaukee's lakefront we came across 4 guys doing a little surfing and it came to me! Though I never expected to be illustrating this particular song with a photo taken in Wisconsin in the middle of January!! The temperature that day was 22 degrees with a wind chill of 7 degrees. I have no idea what the water temperature was but I'm sure it was way too cold for me!

Scavenger Hunt 101 {#22 Your Bed}

2011-01-12T13:02:00.000-06:00

For some reason this was harder than I expected. Took me awhile to get something I liked.

Scavenger Hunt 101 {Master List}

2011-01-10T20:27:00.006-06:00

Here is the list for the Scavenger Hunt 101. As I complete items on it I will update this post. Any ones that I have completed will be clickable so you can see the photo I submitted.

1. Boat without a motor
2. Home of a non-human creature
3. A flag other than your native country's
4. Waterfall
5. Rain
6. Winter
7. A puddle
8. An abandoned building/ruin
9. A junk car
10. An extravagant food
11. A handmade for sale sign
12. A cliche
13. Someone wearing polka dots
14. A locally owned store (non-chain)
15. A toy
16. A cat
17. Fire
18. A child laughing
19. Inside a foreign food restaurant
20. A beach
21. A flying machine
22. Your bed
23. A flower
24. A map
25. An extravagant drink
26. A car with a flat tire
27. A live performance
28. An absurd predicament
29. A motorcycle
30. A person having a bad hair day
31. Sunset
32. Spring
33. A locally owned restaurant (non-chain)
34. A police car
35. Your Vacuum or Broom
36. Someone meditating or praying
37. A work of art
38. A national holiday celebration (a holiday that celebrates a nation, such as 4th of July or Canada Day)
39. Your favorite food
40. Fall/Autumn
41. Someone you love
42. A tattoo
43. A sporting event
44. A knick-knack / bric-a-brac
45. A fish
46. An ambulance
47. A place of worship
48. The tallest building in your town/village/city
49. Your favorite color
50. Somewhere you feel uncomfortable
51. A commercial truck
52. Graffiti
53. An insect or arachnid
54. A stamp
55. Someone with bare feet
56. A bookshelf
57. Something that represents your country or region
58. Money
59. A billboard/sign
60. A bridge
61. The utilization of an alternative energy source
62. A public display of affection
63. A kitchen appliance
64. A water source
65. A bicycle
66. A dog
67. Barbequed or grilled food
68. Something rusty
69. A beast of burden
70. Construction equipment
71. Summer
72. A fire engine
73. Sunrise
74. Food growing
75. Your most comfortable place to sit
76. Wind
77. Wrinkles
78. A musical instrument
79. An exotic animal (use your judgment)
80. Your favorite shade-tree
81. The place where you bathe
82. A statue
83. Your camera
84. The place where you eat most your meals
85. Your favorite pastime/hobby/interest
86. A shadow
87. An interesting sky
88. A license plate
89. A tool
90. A road sign
91. Something dirty (as in a "white horse fell in the mud" not sexual)
92. Something clean (as in "it got washed off again" not sexual)
93. A train
94. An interesting or unusual rock
95. A traffic signal/a traffic control device
96. An interesting view
97. A method of communication
98. Your favorite article of clothing
99. A child crying
100. A funny hat
101. A self portrait (must be final submission)

Scavenger Hunt 101 {#82 A Statue}

2011-01-10T20:01:00.000-06:00

I have also joined the Scavenger Hunt 101 group on flickr. It provides a list of 101 items for you to find and photograph. There is no time limit so I can work at my own pace which is perfect for me! Though I'm hoping to finish it within the year. We shall see.

The first photograph I submitted is #82 A Statue

Brigadier General Erastus B Wolcott

This stands in a park near the lakefront in Milwaukee.

Colored Windows

2011-01-09T09:00:00.002-06:00

Found this building with all the windows painted a different color while driving around in Milwaukee. Turns out my husband used to work in this building when he was a teen. A family member owned a restaurant that he worked in.

Project 52: Week 1 {Around the House}

2011-01-07T22:16:00.000-06:00

Like I said, since the project 365 last year was a bit too much for me I've decided to scale it down for this year. So I joined the MCP Project 52: Photo a Week group on flickr. Each week will have a theme that you can follow. Or not. This week I went with it.

Our bedroom hallway is pretty much a family photo wall. At the top are these two photos of my maternal grandparents or "Babci & Dziadziu" as we called them. My grandfather was polish.

They met while serving in the army. She was a mechanic and he was a driver and would bring vehicles in to be serviced.

Back to Blogging

2011-01-06T14:42:00.001-06:00

*Sigh* I took another unintentional bit of a break from blogging here. I've barely touched my camera in the past few months and I hate it! I'm itching to get in the groove again and post some photos.

I will not be attempting a 365 project again like last year. That was ~~a bit~~ way too ambitious for me! So I have some others that I've been tossing around in my head and with a friend. I'll post about them as I get them going.

To start I've wanted to do some alphabet photography and see how many letters I can find. I don't mean photographing the actual letter on a sign or anything though. I'm looking to see how many I can find in nature or can be seen in part of another object or structure.

Here's my first example. Though I took this photo over 2 years ago! One letter down, 25 to go!

This is part of an iron fence that forms the Letter E.

iPad Speck Case Design contest at Zazzle.com

2010-12-07T15:51:00.001-06:00

I entered the iPad case design contest at Zazzle

Feathered Frenzy iPad Speck Case by lynnsphotos
Browse other cases for the iphone

I'd appreciate any votes. The contest is on facebook and runs through December 19 and you can vote once per day! Click the following link to go directly to my design for voting. Thanks!!
http://apps.facebook.com/designandvote/item.php?id=158

Kaleidoscope Fun

2010-11-27T19:47:00.000-06:00

Got a cool new program for my birthday!
Kaleidoscope Kreator 3 Cd

I love it!

I think I'm going to get addicted to creating these!

Pumpkin Guts

2010-10-27T22:41:00.000-05:00

New Camera!

2010-10-11T11:22:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting a small pocket sized camera for quite some time now. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Canon DSLR and have even had thoughts of upgrading it. But there are just some times when I want to have a camera but don't want to lug that one along. Like last summer when we went to Six Flags, I didn't bring my big one in because it's just not feasible if we all want to go on a ride. But having one like this that I could put in my pocket would have been perfect! It's small enough to put in my purse so I can always have it with me.

And it's PURPLE! Can't get any better than that.

Here are a couple of the first shots I took the day it came...

Not too bad! Though I did have to adjust the coloring a bit. Not sure if I need to adjust the settings on camera a little, the menu is a little different and I still need to find everything!

Farewell 2010 Tennis Season

2010-10-04T11:14:00.000-05:00

The school tennis season ended for my daughter last week. She is sad to see it go. I had to send some photos in for a slide show they are putting together for the end of season banquet so I thought I'd put together this collage while I was at it.

Photographing Lines

2010-09-27T15:27:00.000-05:00

Went to a Brewer game at Miller Park Saturday. Surely I'm not the only one who takes photos of the windows and the roof!

Couple more from MN Zoo

2010-08-10T22:40:00.000-05:00

I entered a couple photos in a contest at the MN Zoo. I'll know in a couple weeks if I make it to the finals. Then voting starts on facebook.

My new favorite photo

2010-08-09T22:43:00.000-05:00

Took this over the weekend when we were out checking out some lighthouses. It's got a little bit of GREEN snuck in there!

Through the leaves

2010-08-08T20:43:00.000-05:00

Tennis court

2010-08-07T21:43:00.000-05:00

More from the Capitol

2010-08-06T22:14:00.000-05:00

The building......

And more GREEN.....

Wisconsin Capitol

2010-08-05T21:12:00.000-05:00

We visited the Wisconsin Capitol Building in Madison last weekend. I found some green there too.....

They plant this star shaped flowerbed on the north lawn every year to honor those lost at war.

Octopus

2010-08-04T22:41:00.000-05:00

Came across this GREEN critter outside a car wash in our travels this weekend.

And the trees

2010-08-03T21:27:00.000-05:00

The trees that surround that lake in yesterday's photo.

A little pink....

2010-08-02T22:03:00.000-05:00

But mostly GREEN muck in the lake at the zoo.

Going Green for August!

2010-08-01T21:23:00.000-05:00

During the month of August I am participating in National Blog Posting Month's challenge.

The theme this month is GREEN so I'll be attempting to post a daily photo of something green on my blog.

While riding on the freeway today I was determined to get a photo of an exit sign. I finally did after about 10 tries. But what I had planned to do while editing wasn't turning out like I'd hoped so I changed it up a bit and went with neon green.

Sunflowers

2010-07-27T19:30:00.000-05:00

Flowers aren't usually a favorite subject of mine but since we have some sunflowers in the yard this year I decided to take a few. The bees were just a bonus, I guess!

Minnesota Zoo

2010-07-08T21:17:00.000-05:00

We went to the Minnesota Zoo on the 4th of July. Thought I'd share a few pics.

The dolphin wasn't the best SOOC but I really liked the texture of the wall and the marks on the dolphin itself. So I played with it a bit and came up with this. Kinda looks like denim.

I didn't take too many because there weren't all that many animals, but you can see the rest in my smug mug gallery.

Iheartfaces Week 25: "Celebrating Teens"

2010-06-21T17:01:00.000-05:00

I haven't entered a photo at iheartfaces for quite some time. But when I saw this weeks theme was Teens I decided it was about time to try again cuz I have one of those!! Here she is....

This is one of my absolute favorite photos of her. She hates having her photo taken.
hates.it.
So it's great when she'll sit for me to get something like this.

Clouds at sunset

2010-06-20T23:19:00.000-05:00

Went down by the lake this evening. Hubby and the girls did some fishing. I, of course, took photos!

Coca-Cola bench

2010-06-11T11:05:00.000-05:00

This is from a while back. I really need to get out shooting again! My blog is getting lonely.

Happy Memorial Day

2010-05-31T07:00:00.001-05:00

I love this truck

2010-05-26T21:52:00.001-05:00

Montly Photo Theme Challenge: New

2010-05-06T22:01:00.000-05:00

Posting the challenge a little late this week...I've got too many things going on! Anyway, we've decided to do things a little different and not necessarily post a photo every week for the theme. We will still have a monthly theme and will post on Thursdays as time and available photos allow. Feel free to join in at any time!

I was just in Tennessee for my cousin's (the groom) wedding so I thought a few wedding photos would be perfect for the "New" theme. Not only are they beginning a new chapter in their lives, we got to welcome a new member to the family!

If you'd like join in the Monthly Photo Theme Challenge just grab our button and include it in your post containing photos representing the current monthly theme. The theme for May is "New". Then come back here and leave me a comment so I can check it out. And be sure to check out Amy at Snap To It to see if she played along this week too. New photos for the theme will be posted on Thursdays.

Montly Photo Theme Challenge: OLD {week 5}

2010-04-29T07:00:00.002-05:00

The past few weeks I've been looking all over for "old" items and all along we've had a few right at home to photograph. These are items that belonged to my great grandmother and my grandmother.

An old iron. This thing is heavy! They must have really gotten a workout while ironing clothes.

And this is an old meat grinder my grandmother used to use.

Smoky Mountains

2010-04-28T18:53:00.000-05:00

Montly Photo Theme Challenge: OLD {week 4}

2010-04-22T07:00:00.001-05:00

Both of these pairs of shoes have seen better days!

If you'd like join in the Monthly Photo Theme Challenge just grab our button and include it in your post containing photos representing the current monthly theme. The theme for April is "OLD". Then come back here and add your link to the MckLinky below. New photos for the theme will be posted each Thursday of the month.

*Since I'm preposting these because I may not have the time to get online this week, please head over to Amy at Snap to It to add your link.

Montly Photo Theme Challenge: OLD {week 3}

2010-04-15T06:27:00.002-05:00

Only one photo for me this week....I need to step it up a bit if I wanna keep up with Amy! There are tons of farms in our area with old barns and farm equipment. I would love to be able to walk through some of these places and get some close up shots of the rusty equipment or worn windows and doors of the barns. But for now I'll have to just settle for looking from afar....no trespassing for me!

If you'd like join in the Monthly Photo Theme Challenge just grab our button and include it in your post containing photos representing the current monthly theme. The theme for April is "OLD". Then come back here and add your link to the MckLinky below. New photos for the theme will be posted each Thursday of the month.

Monthly Photo Theme Challenge: OLD {week 2}

2010-04-07T21:28:00.000-05:00

This week I'm going with a couple old vehicles that I passed sitting on the side of the road.

Zoo time

2010-04-07T16:36:00.000-05:00

It's Spring break for my kids this week. Since my high schooler is off living it up on a band trip I've been able to have some alone time with my other daughter. We decided to hit the Milwaukee County Zoo on Monday. One of our favorite spots.

So what do you think I took photos of??

Well, squirrels of course. Duh!

Who goes to the zoo for actual zoo animals?

Seriously, I took a few others. Though this wasn't one of my better zoo days photographically speaking.

But I was able to get a nice one of the male lion...

But why is it that the last two times we've gone to the zoo and checked out the lions, that the "daddy" lion wants to get something going with the "mommy" lion? Seriously can't he wait until we all go home?

Also got one of the cheetahs...

This one was just chilling right in front of the glass. They don't normally do that.....at least that I've seen.

Monthly Photo Theme Challenge: OLD

2010-04-01T09:24:00.000-05:00

My mom and I went to lunch last week and took a walk back around the building because it looked like it may be interesting. It was...there was a river that ran back there and in the middle of all the overgrowth were these old drums and I'm not sure what the other square thing is. My hubby told me what he thought it was and now I can't remember what he said!

Don't forget to head on over to see Amy at Snap To It to see what she posted for the theme today.

It was all I could do to even get this photo posted today. My laptop is acting up again. I tried for over an hour last night to get this photo uploaded and to schedule the post but couldn't get the computer to stay on long enough.
I got on long enough this morning to get it uploaded to smugmug. Now I'm on my moms posting this. Time to take it in I guess.

Anyway, for this week if you play along just leave your link in the comments so I can check it out. Next week I'll see what I can do about getting a Mr. Linky going. Never done it before but I'm sure it can't be too hard.

Monthly Photo Theme Challenge

2010-03-31T20:46:00.000-05:00

Starting tomorrow by blog buddy Amy and I will be co-hosting a monthly photo challenge.

Between the two of us, we will come up with a theme for the month and then challenge ourselves, and each other, to go out and photograph whatever we can that fits that particular month's theme. We will then post the photos on Thursdays throughout the month.

We invite anyone who may be interested to join us. Whether it be to share your own photos that fit the theme or suggest ideas for future themes. Grab the button over on the right if you'd like to participate.

Theme for the month of April: Old

Hawks

2010-03-28T22:09:00.000-05:00

There are some hawks in our area that we see near the highway right next to our subdivision. My mom and I saw one the other day sitting on the speed limit sign so we swung around the block to come back and try to get some shots. He was still there when we got back but decided to take off just as I went to snap a few. Here's what I ended up with.

No more Project 365

2010-03-22T15:49:00.005-05:00

I'm sad to say I will no longer be doing the Project 365.

I had the best intentions and was determined when I started to make it through the entire year. It was fun in the beginning and I was looking forward to deciding on a photo each day.

But unfortunately that started to change. Instead of being excited about what photo I was going to take for the day I started feeling pressure to get a photo taken each day. I wanted to be creative with the photos I was taking and not just snap something for the sake of having a photo for the project. I wanted it to be fun and not feel like I was being forced to get it done. So I'm trying hard not to feel bad about "quitting". I gave it a try and found it didn't work for me.

I'm not giving up on my blog though! I will continue to post here. Just not daily. I'm hoping to come up with some other projects or themes to work on. So if you've got any ideas or suggestions I'm all ears. I do have something in the works with a fellow blogger to have a monthly theme where we post photos we came up with at the end of each month.

I'm hoping that my followers will stick around even though I'm not doing the project anymore. :)

Here's one of the last photos I took for the project but hadn't posted yet. A family portrait reflection in the window of our jeep.

Getting Ready for Track {65/365}

2010-03-12T21:32:00.000-06:00

{65/365} March 6

Light {64/365}

2010-03-12T21:21:00.000-06:00

{64/365} March 5

American Flag {63/365}

2010-03-12T21:17:00.003-06:00

{63/365} March 4

Reading and squirrels {61,62/365}

2010-03-08T09:19:00.004-06:00

{61/365} March 2

She loves to read

{62/365} March 3

Squirrel!!

This guy would not stay to pose for me! I snapped this photo and tried to get closer but he took off! I had zoomed in as much as I could with the lens I had on and then cropped it a bit after.

{59,60/365}

2010-03-04T18:16:00.002-06:00

{59/365} February 28

Water tower

My kids spent the night with Grandma on Saturday. She took them to a hotel with a pool and out to eat. This water tower marked the meeting place to pick them up.

{60/365} March 1

Drink of choice

I promised my daughter I'd give up soda for lent. That's what she did also and she's keeping her eye on me! So instead I've been trying to drink more water but I've also been drinking some Snapple. Still has sugar but not quite as much.

Winter Tree {58/365}

2010-03-04T14:56:00.003-06:00

{58/365} February 27

This tree is out in the middle of a field kind of all by itself so it just caught my eye to get a photograph. As we were driving away I was thinking how it might be fun to try to get the same shot of that tree during all four seasons. So, that's what I plan to do provided my memory doesn't fail me!

Jammies, Anchors and Guitars {55,56,57/365}

2010-03-04T06:52:00.004-06:00

{55/365} February 24

My Favorite Jammies

{56/365} February 25

Ahoy!

{57/365} February 26

Guitar Hero!

Wild Turkey {54/365}

2010-03-02T13:56:00.004-06:00

{54/365} February 23

We have some wild turkeys that wander the field near our house. They were close enough to get some photos from the side of the road this day.

At the Movies {53/365}

2010-03-02T13:28:00.000-06:00

{53/365} February 22