Which One?

So I have finally gone through most of my pictures from this weekend. I took a little more than 400 on Saturday at Oakland Cemetery, so it took a while. Of those 400, I came away with around 75ish that I like, some of which are repeat subjects. In some cases, I got several different views/angles on something and honestly came away with multiple results, all of which I was pleased with.  But in other instances, the difference between 2 pictures is really not worth "favorite"-ing both of them. So I'm enlisting your help for a few of those. Let me know which shot you prefer in each of the following pairs. I was going to give an explanation of why I like each, but I think to begin with, I won't and I'll just see who likes what. Then maybe later I'll come back, let you know what the results were and why I was torn between them all.

Some of these are a matter of focus and some differ in composition. This first pair falls in the former category:

The next 2 vary in composition and orientation:

This next pair differs only in exposure:

This pair varies more in composition again:

Another slight composition difference:

This pair differs in composition a little more drastically:

Here is another composition/orientation difference:

And this last pair differs again simply in the focus:

So that's it for now. Let me know which ones you like best!

Today I...

-Went on a photography fieldtrip to Oakland Cemetery (pictures to follow sometime later this weekend)
-Filed a claim with my insurance after my car got broken into while I was on said fieldtrip (nothing important was taken, thank goodness)
- Hit up Ace to get supplies to patch up my window and made an appointment to have it replaced while at work on Monday
-Went grocery shopping and spent enough to then save $.10/gallon when filling my gas tank next
-Chased a roll-away apple juice down the driveway (This is actually what inspired me to post today. It was just too funny that I had to put it out there for someone else to visualize and laugh at with me!)

Next I'll be getting ready for John's show with Corey tonight down in Macon. I'm looking forward to turning my music up on my drive down there in order to drown out the flapping of my temporary plastic window :)

Another Beautiful Spring Afternoon

So this still isn't my catch up posts but I felt very inspired when I got home today and went out to take some pictures in my front yard. I'm going to try and be productive for the rest of the evening as well- get in some exercise, maybe some journaling, maybe painting, or even one of my catch up posts. lol. But for now, here are some of my faves from this afternoon:

The Bend in the Road

I just finished reading Anne of Green Gables, a favorite of a friend of mine and a fun, easy read between book-club books. And it really was a wonderful book. I've still the rest of the series to finish- and I truly do look forward to finding out what other adventures lay in Anne's future- but this book stands alone just fine as is. It definitely makes you think about an older time, when things were simpler but responsibilities came earlier in life. The writing is wonderful and the young girl who went on and on about fairies and other imaginings earlier in the book is speaking sensibly and maturely by the end without you ever noticing the shift. And as she and her peers go on- at the age of 16!- to begin their adult lives as college scholars, farmers or ministers, or even teachers to other children just barely younger than themselves, it really makes you wonder if today's youth could grow up that quickly if the times still called for it!

But more than anything, I just enjoyed reading about a "kindred spirit", as Anne would put it- a young girl who daydreams and loves reading, and has such big plans for herself in the world. And the closing passage touched my heart more than anything... as if it was meant just for me to read it. (And after all, aren't all things truly enjoyable in any innocent way sent by God as gifts to us, and therefore mightn't He include lessons for us among those as well?)

And so, in order to save it for myself as well as put it out there for anyone else that might get some sort of joy from it, I'll include it here:

Anne's horizons had closed in since the night she had sat there after coming home from Queen's; but if the path set before her feet was to be narrow she knew that flowers of quiet happiness would bloom along it. The joy of sincere work and worthy aspiration and congenial friendship were to be hers; nothing could rob her of her birthright of fancy or her ideal world of dreams. And there was always the bend in the road!

"'God's in his heaven, all's right with the world,'" whispered Anne softly. softly.

Best News Ever!!!

Holy crap.... this is the best news I've heard in a really long time!!!! Thanks to Sarah for sharing!!!!

http://www.kidglue.com/2011/03/14/nickeldoeon-brings-back-rugrats-doug-pete-pete-and-more/

And yes, the link in there referencing Thundercats is just as amazing!!!

My day is made!! I'm going to have to seriously consider expanding my basic cable now...

A Good Kind of Southern Evening

So, I know I'm behind. Sorry. In an attempt to get my blog/online journal back on track in as little a daunting way as possible, I've decided to just do one post for each week that I've missed and catch up that way. However, that is not what this is. I just wanted to post real quick about the Corey Crowder show I went to this weekend. I got a few pictures, though it was with my phone and the sun was setting, so they're not very good. But it gives you a little bit of an idea of the setting.

This was a partial band show. So Corey on his guitar, someone on mandolin I believe it was, and then John on just a djembe (pronounced jim-bay. I had to look up the spelling. lol) instead of his whole drum kit. And it also wasn't the typical bar show. It was something put on by the Arts Association in Newton County at The Oaks Golf Course down in Covington.

The weather was gorgeous. Not too hot, not too breezy. Corey got started a little before dusk and it was just perfect. They set up outside, right on the edge of the parking lot, with the golf course behind them. There were tables and chairs set up for everyone to sit on, as well as all the golf carts parked around the edge as extra seating. There were drinks for sale and people coming around to the tables to see if you needed anything.

It was an hour-and-a-half long set, and as the sun went down, the stars came out, and the crickets and cicadas came out to add their music to the songs as well. Off in the distance a great thunderhead hung low over the horizon and added a light show to accompany the evening's concert.

There was just such a sense of peace throughout the evening that made it so enjoyable. I definitely left that show thinking that it was one of my favorites to date. It put me in the mood for similar evenings to come. Nights spent outside- perhaps not always with the live music- but enjoying the weather and all the wonderful little details that make up a true southern night. :) Here's to many more to come...