10 Minutes

My days and nights lately have been consumed with learning. I rarely leave my computer, if I do, I'm taking pictures. Until my classes start in the fall I'm trying to learn just by looking at photos, reading photography blogs and pretty much any article or how-to on photography.

One website I frequent gave an assignment to head 10 minutes from home using whatever mode of transportation you want and click away. I chose to walk and this is what I came up with. I felt a little bit uneasy in the graveyard but I have to admit some of the headstones are quite beautiful. 

Creepy? Morbid? Maybe, but I still kind of like them.

I would also like to say thank you to everyone who has left me comments!

I have gotten SO much support lately. It makes me supremely happy that my friends and family have given me such overwhelming encouragement. Also, the motivation from a few photographers that I HIGHLY respect has just made my little heart swell with gratitude. Thanks guys, I hope to make everyone proud one day :-)

Best Friends

Awww, I couldn't help but post this. Aren't they sweet? 

Goals

I'm feeling particularly motivated. Very unlike me. I'm leery of posting anything regarding my goals, hopes, dreams, aspirations or things of that nature. I feel like if I send it out into the world (i.e blog that all of 3 or 4 people read) I will be held accountable if I don't follow through. Follow through for me is not always guaranteed - call it laziness, boredom, disinterest or whatever you want. 

I've never been type A. Never will be. I could not be a workaholic constantly stressed about deadlines or status. But, being a easy going and relaxed type B does have a downside. I've never been a goal setter. Some people have an idea of what they want to be when they "grow up" when they graduate high school. Some have it all figured out when they graduate college. I've always envied these people. I couldn't even pick a major in college. I figured "undecided" couldn't be my major forever so I left. I look back and somedays I regret it but most days I shudder to think about going back. I hated every single minute of it. 

So here I am, thirty. Thirty... really? I don't feel thirty. I feel like I'm still in my twenties. But I do feel motivated. Motivated to learn and motivate to try.  I have a goal. Me!  A goal! So here it is world (all 3 of you).

I want my own photography business! 

I want to do what I love and I want to get paid for it! There it is. Feel free to hold me accountable. 

Down on the Farm

During the six hours of boredom while Todd was working on the Jeep on Sunday I took a nice walk in the woods behind my grandma's house. Lots of mosquitoes and spiders but it was nice and peaceful. And I got to practice some photography techniques I've been working. Sadly, those did not turn out they way I planned.  But here are some that aren't blurry catastrophes.

They all remind me of when I was little, traipsing through the woods without a care. It's a little different now, I basically went catatonic every time I saw a spider web.  I wonder what happened to make me so mortified of bugs and spiders when I used to pick them up and play with them. I guess it was just before I knew to be afraid of them. 

You Wouldn't Understand

So from what I've heard...

It's a Jeep thing and I totally wouldn't understand.

Until three weeks ago, I would've totally believed this statement.

For some reason this 1976 Jeep has consumed our weekends.  I kind of understand.  Scary right? 

Buddies

Oh So Inviting

Every five years or so on the land across from my parents house the farmers plant wheat instead of the usual corn.  Someday when we build on our land this will be what we could sit on our porch and watch sway in the wind till we're old and gray. When it's not ugly ole corn. If it was always wheat I'd insist we build now. I think it's just gorgeous.  

It scares me to think what would happen if the farmers sold the land. I'm sure it would be turned into a cookie cutter subdivision even uglier than the corn fields. That's a depressing thought. 

It will inevitably happen as soon as we break ground on my 4 bedroom 2-1/2 bath country farmhouse I already have picked out down to the wide plank floors and the clawfoot tub. You know, just as soon as my lotto numbers hit. Or 10 years, whichever happens first. Until then I can visit my wheat fields about once a decade.  

Actually about 10 minutes after I took these pictures they starting firing up their tractors to hack it all down. Dammit. 

Comments

For some unknown reason my blogger account was set up so only fellow bloggers could leave me comments. I made the change so that anyone can leave me comments now - so everyone feel free to make fun of my rantings :-)

Boredom Blogging

I should probably be doing something productive with my extra day off but today I'm feeling particularly lazy. Well maybe not lazy, maybe unmotivated. I went to two concerts in a row and I'm feeling it today. My ears are ringing, my feet and legs are exhausted and even after numerous showers I still probably smell like cigarettes and beer.

Eric Church is I'd say one of my top five favorite singers and top two that I like to see live (Buble obviously holds the top spot). Unfortunately Eric was at 4th Street for Hot Country Nights - a free concert. So about 15% of the thousands of people there were actually there to see him. The rest of the people were just there to hang out and socialize and make me feel like I'm 80 years old. So not the best concert but thanks to some good friends the night wasn't a total loss.

Last night was Gary Allan, which despite my hung over state and the threatening of thunderstorms we made the trip to the waterfront. Another free one. Blech. I love Gary Allan, and Todd has a huge man crush on him but when I say it was a trying night that would be an understatement. We got there about two hours before he was set to perform. We got a great spot right by the stage and waited and waited. The crowd was... diverse. Mostly, it was what you'd expect at a free waterfront concert with a couple of normal people here and there (counting yours truly). It was a freak show. Fantastic people watching which is one of my favorite things to do. But about a half an hour before the show some drunk guys came barreling up toward the stage to claim their front row spots. Now some people had been there literally all day to stand close to the stage so needless to say these people were pissed. So you can guess what happened next. Two guys got into a massive beer throwing, drunk punching, shirt ripping fight. Right next to us. I was mortified. Todd was protecting small children, I was smashed up against the metal divider in front of the stage. The little girl next to me started crying and I felt like joining in. Security (all two of them) eventually made there way to the fight and broke it up. The escorted the two guys out and all was well again - unless you count I could barely stand cause my legs were shaking so bad. I'm such a wuss, but I could just imagine one of the guys missing his intended target and hitting me, knocking out all my teeth. Anyway, about 20 minutes later the concert started and it made up for the whole ordeal. It was fabulous. There was the issue of the amazon drunk lady that decided to push me out of the way and stand directly in front of me but she moved eventually. But, all in all - good show. He played a few songs with just him and an acoustic guitar - fantastic. Worth the trouble but definitely made me realize how much better paid shows are.