Farmer's Market Photography

Ahhh...August 31st...the last day of August.  Is tomorrow REALLY September?  It's hard to believe that summer is almost over...and I haven't even posted some of my favorite summer pictures yet!  So this morning I'm playing a little catch-up.  Last week my Digital Photography School challenge was to take a picture of one of my "addictions".  It's been a challenge to narrow it down to just one.  If you were to ask my children if their mom has an oddball "addiction", they will tell you that ever since I got to know my Canon 7D way back in May, I've had an unusual hobby of taking pictures of fruit. I love taking pictures of food, in general, but taking pictures of fresh fruit in beautiful bowls really does something for me!  And, yes, I've been breaking the bank account by purchasing random bowls (I have a few very favorite ones from Anthropology).

Even though I already have numerous photos of fruit taken throughout this past summer, I wanted to do the assignment right and take the photo THIS week, during the week of the assignment.  This photo came about last weekend while my mom, daughter and I were at the farmer's market in Old Colorado City.  I really intended to BUY fruit (and I did buy some), but I had too much fun snapping photos of all the delicious-looking produce harvested right out of our Colorado soil!

So, here's my "addiction" photo:  Cherries...simple bowls of cherries.  YUM!

Here are some other photos taken on the same trip!  I am a Colorado Girl, so Palisade Peaches and Rocky Ford Cantelope are up my alley!  Love, love, love supporting the local farmers (and pretzel makers)!

I LOVE these baskets of beans!Well, I hope you enjoyed these!  Have a happy, fruity, vegetable-y kind of day!

The Scooter

Yesterday was the start of the third week of my 7th grade son playing on the middle school football team.  This is HUGE because my son has never played on an organized football team before - ever.  Knowing he has always had an interest in the sport, I nudged him up to the "Athletics" table at his school's open house a few weeks ago and picked up some paperwork.  He was horrified and said, "No way!  I can't be on the football team!"  BUT...he thought about it for two days and then decided to GO FOR IT!!  I couldn't have been more proud of him!  And not because I want to have a football player for a kid, but because he chose to challenge himself.  To enter unknown territory.  To be the kid who didn't know how to play football among many kids who did.  He chose to be intimidated by something he's never done before.

Dear Will,
     I couldn't be prouder of you.  Well, until tonight, that is...

So flash back to tonight at 5:15, when I picked up my son at the school after practice.  He was holding a shiny, purple football jersey that had just been given to him by the coaches.  But...G.R.U.M.P. was written all over his face when he got in the car.  This actually isn't so unusual for him at this age, but I suspected it was for a good reason.  I knew without him even telling me that he wasn't picked to play in tomorrow's first football game.  He knew this would probably be the case since he's never played before, but it was still disappointing.  All through dinner I could tell he was sad...feeling defeated...a little low on self confidence.  But he didn't scream, cry or throw things (he never does).  He just sat...quiet...no words...and slowly ate his dinner.  Times like this really pull at a mom's heart strings, you know?

After dinner, I retired to the front porch to enjoy another gorgeous (and warm) Colorado evening.  You can imagine my surprise when I eventually saw this:

What was going on?  Why was my grumpy son sitting on a stack of books while riding his scooter?  I began to laugh out loud!  His big, 13-year-old body looked ridiculous riding down the street on this makeshift ride!  BUT...he had a smile on his face.  And I did, too.  As it turns out, the "books" weren't books at all, but small pieces of stacked wood...and they were trying to topple all over the place.

A design that needed some improvement.  But I didn't have to tell him that!  Before I knew it he had disappeared to find himself some duct tape.  Of course!  Duct tape fixes everything!

After a quick design modification, he was back on that scooter again!  His smile continued to get bigger and bigger.  He didn't even mind my photography antics (this WAS the perfect opportunity to practice in TV mode!!)  Another moment for me to be proud of!  Will turned a lemon-of-a-day into, well, a comfortable scooter ride. 

Dear Will,

     Enjoy your ride into the sunset.  You deserve it!  And if you always turn your disappointments into something constructive (and maybe even fun) you will have so much happiness and success in your life! I love you!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate

Today was a  Simple Like Peanut Butter and Chocolate kind of day.

Recipe found here.

Campin' at the Lake

This summer we found a great campground located just a few miles outside of Grand Lake, Colorado:  the Green Ridge Campground.  We ended up really loving it!  The campground is situated within short walking distance of Shadow Mountain Lake, making it super convenient for the family with a boat or canoe!  The quaint town of Grand Lake is one of my very favorite Colorado mountain towns, so I won't be suprised if our family heads back to Green Ridge over and over again!

Shadow Mountain Lake

A view of part of Green Ridge Campground from a road near the lake.

Our friends brought this rad canoe!  My kids got to go canoeing for their first time!  I think my husband and I will need one of these someday...

I must admit, I'm pretty proud of the following portrait.  I took this just as the sun was going down.  I think the lighting is gorgeous!  This is my friend's daughter...she's so adorable.  I love taking photographs of her because her bright blue eyes glow beautifully when photographed.  She's also a fairly willing subject in that she responds to my constant photography antics with huge, toothy (or not-so-toothy since losing a front tooth) smiles! 

ISO 125  f/1.8

A Simple Like Fruit camping blog post just wouldn't be complete without a picture of my beloved camp dog, Ruby!

I attempted a silhouette here, but didn't quite make it.

Now this is one I'm pretty proud of:  my first sucessful silhouette!

Taken shortly after the sun went down, I think it worked!

ISO 6400  1/166 sec.  f/9.0

 

I mentioned that the Green Ridge Campground is only a few miles away from Grand Lake, my very favorite Colorado mountain town (well, my favorite mountain town, period.)  We enjoyed a nice hike right outside of town, then hung out lakeside for a bit to let the kids and dogs play in the water.  I found this neat stack of boats sitting near the water.

Another adorable grin.

Lupine in Grand Lake.

I heart vintage campers!

Digital Photography School

This was the week my kids went Back To School.  A bittersweet week for me.  On the one hand, I'm dazed and confused as to how I got to be the mom of a 7th grader, a 5th grader and twin 1st graders...time is flying!  It feels like I just gave birth to them all!  On the other hand, this is a monumental time in my life...I (finally) have ALL FOUR of my kids in school FULL DAY for the first time EVER!  I feel liberated and like it might be time for ME!!  I have a list as long as a yard stick of things I'd like to DO and BECOME.  I started with doing something about my messy house.  This lasted two days and then I got a huge itch to work on becoming something...a better photographer.  I signed up for the FREE emails from Digital Photography School and tackled my first Weekly Challenge!  The assignment is to take pictures of shoes.  Here's my first shot...my son's basketball shoes.  Do you like it in black and white?  Or color?

Images from the Pitkin Fish Hatchery

Pitkin, Colorado

On our most recent trip to Pitkin, CO, my parents and husband and I took the kids to visit the Pitkin State Trout Hatchery and Rearing Unit.  Built in 1891, this hatchery is one of Colorado's oldest fish hatcheries and is home to a variety of sport trout, salmon and native cutthroat.  The hatchery is responsible for hatching and raising these varieties and then releasing them into lakes and streams throughout southwestern Colorado.