Life's most embarrassing moments?

I'm into a mad dash to finish up my speech and present it on Sunday to some wonderful neighbors of mine.
Thank goodness I started two weeks ahead of time for doing this speech. I started recording in front of my flip video. Oh boy oh boy did I ever stink the first try. I'm putting in a tiny clip of the very first try. Go ahead and laugh! I did!
It was so awful I was so embarrassed...but this is how a person learns...at least that is how I am learning.

One interesting detail to note though. If I go from my basic key outline and do a little ad lib it goes much much smoother.



I promise not to publish my speech here...yawn...!!!

Thanks Dad...

I just had this roll of film developed. Yes 'film'. It was too cold last weekend to take my digital camera [the larger one] out to take photos of the woods. I had to depend on my brains and what my dad had taught me about exposures and reflections of snow. I had one shot that did not come out the way I wanted it too. Not bad for an old Pentax K1000. Someone on Flickr commented that the Pentax K1000 was the 'tank' of film cameras.
I also need to thank dad for instilling creativity in me.
This week I have to do a speech for school. We had to post the titles for our speeches on the discussion board.
Our teacher had suggested we use a hobby or a passion of ours to 'do the speech' with. And I picked photography. My Title is: Take Your Best Shot.

My fellow classmates are posting things like~ Blood Pressure and You
???
Creative thinking and writing came from Dad. It will help me get through my presentation. Not only that, I had to round up 5 adults to use as an audience. They will be scanned into my video of my speech. When I called up some neighbors to inquire if they would help me out...they found out the topic and said yes, of course they would come!

So I have two very good reasons to thank my dad. His passion for photography has passed on, and his creative flair is helping me!
Love you dad.

Play Time

Last weekend it was severely cold utterly cold..so cold that they advised people NOT to go out, not to drive, but to stay home. If you were to go out, the weather service advised that people actually wear of all things: a hat and gloves.
Well, I did go outside. I wore hat, mittens--double mittens [ones made by my Grandma Lind!], a scarf, coveralls, and a windbreaker over the coveralls.
I had tried a face mask but all it did was take my breath and freeze the moisture on my glasses.
However, I recalled an old trick from a runner's magazine published years ago, that advised putting vaseline on your face to prevent windburn. Ick. But it does help. And your face doesn't feel like raw meat after the outside trek.

Of course I ended up in the creek bottom, but this time I had 'film' in the camera, not like the day before. I am so pleased with my film photos. Tickled beyond believe when I looked at them. I'd used an old Pentax K1000 manual camera with a 8--200mm lens and did all the manual exposures and compensations for the snow and the sunlight!I was truly fascinated by the sparkles in the snow. This weekend is supposed to be much warmer, so I'm going to get back out and take Mr. Morris for some exercise.
Recess has begun!
Below are the way our young mules deal with the cold weather!
Enjoy! Oh ... there is music added to the video...haha!

New Toy!

I probably shouldn't have gotten it...but I couldn't resist! A new toy for me...
It is called the Flip Video Camera. A pocket sized video camera ... low end videos not super high quality stuff.
But, it is easy to send a video via email or upload to YouTube for sharing. It is a handy little thing that is easy to turn on and off with no more than a flick of the thumb.

I'm going to add a little bit of footage I took today so you all can appreciate the snow and cold we are experiencing...
Oh it was -25 degrees here this morning. When I took this footage, it was still subzero, but by now we are used to it so it doesn't feel so bad.
Enjoy our little bit of Wisconsin!
Moving hay:

My Lover...

I'm supposed to do an informative speech for my next task in my Speech Class. A week or so ago I posted my Introductory Speech--Speech! Speech!-- I am happy to say that I got 100% on it! I take that as a good sign.

Our instructions are to use an attention grabbing statement. I'll give you my attention grabber and see if you like it...

"I have a lover, she can make me forget time. She can cause me to get lost with her, she makes me a worshiper of weather, nature, the sky, and the woods. She can make me go out in rainstorms and snowstorms—she can amaze me and she humbles me.

‘She’ is a camera."

This is just the rough draft to my opening statement. But I look at it, and it really is true. My thinking is...this oughta grab 'em!

Below is my road as I came home tonight....

Snow? Snow?

We are in Wisconsin, we are supposed to love winters and enjoy snow! Well actually I do. I do love snowstorms. I do love snowfalls, but I like to play in it and not drive in it.
Okay let me rephrase. I don't mind the driving part except when it looks like this:

Then it gets hairy. Road? What road. Yes I know there is one there somewhere. I did drive the big old gas hog 454 4 wheel drive pickup today which is some comfort on these backroads from 'hades'.
Would I move to town for better ease of travel?
Are you nuts?
Heck no!

After all, when I got home from work I was able to appreciate the quiet beauty of the snow falling gently.
And promptly set into doing my homework after taking a few pictures!

How not to Photograph!

The air temperature is -1 degree. There is a small breeze blowing that chills your cheeks. You know it is cold! More than likely it is too cold for a digital camera to handle. Meaning--when you bring it in it will get wet from the moisture!
Trick to use: Before you go inside, drop your camera, film or digital into a zip lock bag. The moisture will accumulate on the inside of the bag...let the camera sit until it reaches room temp.

Okay with that said, I bundled up and took Morris with me on a hike down to the creek with a promise to hubby that I wouldn't stay out too long! I got engrossed in using my Pentax K1000, figuring aperatures, fstops, trying a polarizing filter...
I was so proud of myself for finding and taking some awesome photos!
Especially when the great big buck came running past followed by a doe and another buck....Wow was I good! I got them!

I was tickled with my accomplishments, but noticed that poor Morris was trying to stand on 'no' feet. He was shaking and shivering. So I headed back just as smug as all get out.
Until I got to shot 24. Well if you've ever used a film camera...that is where the film is supposed to not advance any further...

Today when I go back out, I'm taking film.
Hmmm.