Things have been pretty crazy in the world of the Four-Wheelers. Mom has been pretty sick, but is doing much better. Beth has been going to softball games (mostly out of state) and practice quite often, Stacey has been working her tail off, Zane has been very busy being Zane and I have had a few irons in the fire too.
On top of my volunteer Search and Rescue and Medical First Responder responsiblities (that has REALLY kept me hopping lately - TONS of major stuff from fatality traffic accidents to fatal heart attacks and much more) I have also started taking EMT classes. I don’t expect to work as a full time EMT, but may try and work a few shifts here and there to help out, justify my training and keep sharp. A few extra bucks would be a nice thing too.
So, with all of that, plus a ton of other stuff I won’t bore you with, we’ve been pretty busy. I’m definately not getting to do the amount of photography I’d like, but have been able to sneak in a few session, plus I got to spend some time with a bunch of fellow camera nuts when I spoke at the recent Mid-America Photography Symposium. What a great bunch of folks, I always love working with them!
Anyway, I have been able to do some bluebird shoots as a pair is raising some chicks in one of our boxes. I’ve only gotten to spend a few afternoons with them, but am planning more soon. I’ve not had time to edit and process most of them, but here is a small sample. (Click on the image to enlarge)
Female eastern bluebird emerging from nesting box
I also struck out for a few hours yesterday morning in search of a certain subject I need a photo of. I ended up seeing one all morning and it was too far away to get a good shot of. I really only shot one scene and as often happens, just missed the best part. When I first saw this scene, the fog was up into the trees and the sunbeams were piercing through. I was quite a site to behold. I had to park, gather my gear and quickly walk down to the place to shoot and by then the fog had broken up and was maily just above the water. But, thanks to some very nice June rains this is still a nice scene. I really liked the panoramic crop better than full frame…. (Once again, click on the image to see a larger version.)
Webb Branch, Newton County, Arkansas after a June Rain
So that’s it for now. We are still kicking, just too busy for our own good. We do have a couple of cool new projects we are working on, but I’ll have to tell you about those later.
Until next time, hopefully not as long, enjoy the summer and get out and see some of this cool stuff that surrounds us!
God bless….
