Cold Day

Brrrrr, although the thermometer said it was in the mid-30's, it sure didn't feel like it.  The sun was out and all I wanted to do was sit in my chair with the sun shining on me.  I tried to do AWC, but I just have no motivation to do the last assignment.  I'll get it done one of these day....

So just about sunset, I bundled up and headed out figuring the light clouds would make a spectacular sunset.  I wasn't disappointed.

Atten-hut!

Line up the wine glasses, the Foringers are having a party!  Tonite was our turn to host Tables of Fellowship, a rotational dinner that the good people of Peace Lutheran hold every winter.  It's a good time to host and meet wonderful people of the church.

This photo shows the wine glasses all in formation prior to the start of the evening.

Opera

Tonite we went to the Dayton Opera to see Fidelio, Beethoven's only opera.  It's amazing that a town like Dayton, which some have called a 'dying city' can still support not only an opera, but a ballet and an orchestra.  In addition, there is also a classical radio station WDPR, 88.1 FM.  Amazing!

Only thing missing is the opera glasses.  I'm off to Waynesville to look for an antique set of them for next time.

Thursday....yeah!

It's Thursday, so I don't have to think about what to photograph tonite...the question is:  what will Mark make?

Answer:  a Bloody Mary!

I decided to take a close-up of the pepper on top.

Arrrrggggg

I have no creativity tonite....

This is anticipation of the golf season!

Macro

I decided to try some macro work today...I bought the lens last year, but haven't really done much with it macro-wise, as it's my carry around lens for the most part.  It's tougher than I remember (back when I was actually studying photography!)

From iPod

Here's a similar picture from the ipod

Struggling

We got home at a reasonable hour, but I had very little ambition.  Boy was I glad to see the flowers tonite!  I did an experiment.  I'm going to post this picture from my Nikon, then I'll post a similar image from my ipod, let me know which is better.


To keep it fair, I didn't edit the picture at all...

Decisions, decisions

Today was another one of those beautifully cold days...how can it be so pretty outside, yet so #$% cold?

I went wandering outside and got some good hots, but couldn't figure out what to post.  So, I've posted them all for your enjoyment.  I tend to like the first and last the best, but they are all good pictures in my mind.

Flying!

Airplane came out of mx yesterday...and we had one of the few hangars that were plowed.  So since the wx was good, we took the little gal for a few loops around the pattern.  Here's Mark taking off.  I decided to play with the b&w since it was all snow.

Sorry, I fell behind

For those of you wondering, Rita is doing wonderful...thanks for the prayers and love.  She came out of surgery yesterday and has been (according to Tad) opening up like a rose bud... Here's to her going home quickly.

I went to DC on Wed night and due to the snow here in Dayton didn't get home until late last night.  So I decided, that posting could wait.

Tonite (21 jan), Mark chided me into going outside to take pictures despite the cold. The sparkle of the snow combined with the full moon gave a wonderful image of the tree across our front yard.

Last night was Thursday, which means Martini night.  Both of us got home late, me from DC, Mark from work...in fact he was still in uniform shoveling the driveway when i got home.  So after dinner, Mark made Smokey Martini's.  Vodka and scotch...

Some nights....

Are worse than others. I tried to use itouch camera on this trip...may have been a mistake. I didn't have a jacket so couldn't wander too far.

Salmon and Pork Belly Croutons

Dinner tonite was salmon....I had some leftover pork belly that I fried up in cubes.  I used some of the fat in a red wine/honey vinaigrette and grilled some chicory.  I found some frozen roti in the freezer, so I grilled it up to add some whole grain to the mix...  Pretty good!

2 for one...

Well, we arrived home safely from Greenville NC.  Rita is doing well in spirits and body.  As we told her, she didn't have to go through this much trouble to avoid meeting us halfway.  She should have surgery this week, and hopefully be home in a week.  We keep her and a speedy recovery in our thoughts and prayers.

Since I didn't post last night, to keep in order, yesterday's picture is at the bottom.

Today's pic...'it's got sharp pointy teeth...'  My tribute to Monty Python.

We stopped in Asheville, NC last night.   Tad and Rita were telling us of a great restaurant, The Flying Frog.  So we stopped in and made reservations for later in the evening.  We arrived, only to be told the restaurant ceased to be that night and was only serving bar food!  Turns out the staff weren't told of the closing until 5 pm...what a shame, we were really looking forward to dinner there.  Ended up at The Southern.  Really good 'Pigs in a Blanket' with pork belly.... Breakfast at the Easy Girl Eatery and lunch at FatKatz Pizza (Georgetown KY) topped off a long, and tiring, but worth every minute of it, weekend.

 This is from the Grove Arcade in Asheville.

15 Jan...long drive

We headed out early today to see Rita at the hospital in Greenville. It was a long drive from Dayton, but it's family. Surgery may be as late as Thursday, so she's got a wait ahead of her. Much love and prayers.

For Rita

Two days worth...work's been rough

We had an exercise this week at work, not the normal exercise that most would think of...someone decided that a new capability was needed on the aircraft in the next six months.  Off we go to work a plan to get it.  I'd say it was fun, but add this on top of all the other work I have to do, and no it wasn't...

So I didn't get around to yesterday's picture till late, and was too tired to post.  To keep things in order, you will find them lower in this post.








Since today is  Thurs....it's martini night!  Mark made a slightly modified version of a Manhattan we enjoyed at OXO in Charlottesville, VA.  They use Maker's Mark and Port, he used Cherry wine and Old Bullit Bourbon.  Not bad....

As I mentioned, we got in late last night, so instead of dinner, Mark got hotdogs...only they were gourmet hotdogs!  Poblano pepper and tomatillo salsa, with melted pepperjack and feta.  Yummm....










I was originally not happy with the hotdog photos so caught Peppy with the champagne cork.  I couldn't decide which to post, so here's both.

Snow day

Well, not a full snow day, but we got to leave work early.

Help!

Impossible puzzle. At least for me.

NCR Country Club from the Air

We went flying today...needed to get the little bird airborne.  So we went up to Dayton International to do some instrument approaches.  On the way home, we slid the canopy back and took some pictures of the club as well as home.

That's the North Course in the foreground, with the South in the back and left.  Moraine CC is at the far top right.

We are thinking the hawk is a Cooper's. What's your opinion?

Easy Day -- Yeah!

It's miserably cold out there today (at least for me)...it was actually warmer at 9 am than it was at 11 am.  So I'm sitting after lunch in the kitchen contemplating what I am going to do today for a photo, when I spot a big bird in the tree outside my window.  At first I thought it was a crow, but upon further investigation saw that it was a hawk!  Only he was facing the wrong way, so I put on a coat and approached him from the side.  I must have looked funny to the neighbors in shorts and a long coat stalking down the sidewalk...

I was particularly proud of Peppy for not even noticing the hawk sitting outside her window.

Thunderbird

From yesterday, it was late when we got home.

Party at Terri's... Thunderbird wine for the C-27 crowd. At least my homebrew was a hit!

Thursday's Challenge: Martini Night

We always look forward to Thursday evenings, because it's Martini night.  As we were sitting down to enjoy a classic gin martini with Hendrick's Gin, Vermouth and olives, Mark suggested taking a picture of the martini.  So, I did...

Then, I turned the tables...I suggested that he make an new martini a week, so I could photograph each one.  He agreed, so that's 51 less photos that I have to design.  YEAH!

This will get easier

I'm struggling, and it's only the 5th of Jan...it really doesn't help that there's only so much I can shoot in the house. Nothing stirs my imagination or catches my eye. I tried to get some photos of dinner, but I wasn't happy with the result.  However, this was a nice portrait of Mark.

Day 4: There's no way I'm giving up this early

When you leave for work at 0700 and don't get home till after 1830, it makes for a challenge to come up with ideas.  Here's tonite's effort:

The effect is cool:  just a few letters the title from each magazine is in focus...Gourmet was a good magazine that ceased being last year.  Although I had long ago stopped subscribing (too many to read) it was sad to see a good magazine go.  It was indeed 'Beautiful Living'

Day 3: First Weekday Attempt

This is not going to be easy when you go to work five days a week.  I couldn't convince Mark to let me retire today...I tried to take some photos from my office window, to no avail.  We left a bit earlier than usual and got to see a beautiful sunset.  This was interesting site.  While Mark drove, I was able to get this really cool photo of the strange cloud formation (no that's not a thumbprint on the lens, it was actually the clouds).

Day 2...what to do?

While it was beautiful out, it was also bitterly cold.  I tried to get some outside shots, but gave up.   While enjoying my martini, I looked over and saw the sun glinting off the crystal ornaments perfectly.  The 1996 was center of the tree, so it was an obvious choice.

Day 1, this is going to be tough

Wow, I'm glad I started this yesterday... otherwise, I might already have broken my resolution!

After going to be way to late (or early) after finishing the novel I got absorbed into, we woke up to rain.  I was kicking myself for attempting this already.  So, I made breakfast, combining Mark's favorites into one..buttermilk pancakes with BACON!  They were pretty tasty.  However, it definitely shows that I need to work on my food photography skills.  I have 364 more days to do that!

Finally, the sun came out, so off I went to find an interesting subject.  Near the river at Germantown Metropark, I found this wonderful drift wood.  I loved the textures and features.  What do you see?

Interestingly enough I see a bird on the right and a gator on the left...