I'm posting March's Calendar download a couple days early, not because I'm super organized, but because I have the time now and thought folks might be "planning ahead" or anxiously arriving a new month (a month where we hope for definitive signs of Spring and hopefully, no snow).
hello soccer tryouts | it's what we've been waiting for all winter long - the official start of spring sports, specifically girl's soccer.
hello new lens | I plan to hit the buy button and finally replace the 70-300mm lens that I sold back in November. On tap, a 70-200mm f/4.
hello zappos | last week, my daughter and I got into a big boot buying frenzy - they are on sale at Zappos. We are still trying to get a pair that will properly fit my daughter. Right now, we are 0 for 2, but hopeful the pair that is scheduled to arrive today will work. Thank goodness for Zappos' wonderful return policy and super speedy delivery.
hello black oil sunflower seeds | they are the only seed that consistently attracts birds to the feeder. The window mounted one was a Christmas gift from my friend, Jill and it is so much fun for us to watch the cats watching the birds. We have another platform feeder further out which needs to be replaced, and I'm trying to decide what style to go with. Or maybe I'll just add another one instead of replacing.
hello photo canvas prints | after seeing three of my photos enlarged to 11x14, my daughter selected several photos of her and the horse to be mounted as canvas wraps.
hello smash | the show is much better this season than last. Hoping it will continue in a positive way (unlike Glee, which really needs to retire all the post high school characters). And no, I don't watch Downton Abbey, although I feel great peer pressure to do so....
hello monday | looking forward to what the week has in store for us.
Inspired by my friend, Lee at Embrace Life, Hello Monday provides a peek into the coming week - in all its glory. Join us and Lisa for the Hello Monday fun
Last Saturday evening, Scott and I attended a local a cappella concert. This concert benefits the local school district's music program and features the best music you can make without instruments. Yes, I'm one of those a cappella geeks - a previous college a cappella singer - so I love seeing these groups perform and I'm always amazed at how mere voices can mimic a fully instrumented band.
It's been two years since I attended this annual concert (last year, I was out of commission due to knee surgery) and I am glad the inertia of a lazy weekend didn't keep us at home (because, you know, at our age, it is easier to just hang out at home on a Saturday evening).
All of the groups I took photos of are from the University of Illinois.
First up - No Strings Attached
Their sound was the most rooted in jazz, with complex chords and that veritable swing.
Most of these groups compete in the International Championships of A Cappella (ICCA), and the next two groups took the first and second place honors at the Midwest Quarterfinal competition. Both groups will advance to the Semi Final Round at the end of March.
They didn't sing this one last week, but it was their closer for the ICCA competition: Clarity
And finally, the Xtension Chords, a perennial favorite. I was glad that they mixed up their performance set with some new songs. They opened with Some Nights from Fun.
As always, I close my a cappella posts with a recommendation - if you live near a college, find out about their a cappella groups and go to a concert - the YouTube Videos just aren't the same. You will be blown away by the talent and music.
Can you tell I'm still reliving my short trip to the Bahamas? Fellow blogger Jeanne will be going there in a couple of weeks, so I'm getting her psyched for her trip by posting more of the photos I took while there.
I am fortunate to have good friends who have a timeshare the Atlantis property - Lisa invites several girl friends to stay with her the first part of the week. Later on in the week, her husband and kids join her. Atlantis is a beautiful vacation resort with numerous hotels, pools, water slides, aquariums, beaches, casinos, nightclubs, restaurants and shops. My family previously visited for a half day for a Dolphin encounter at the property's Dolphin Cay.
But we didn't have time to explore the numerous aquariums - and they are pretty amazing, as I found out last week:
Like birds that fly in formation, schools of fish do the same.
Can you hear the roar?
These guys below reminded me of ghosts:
The jellyfish almost hypnotized me with their movement:
The fish over head as I walked through the under water tunnel:
hello photos and lightroom | I'm still playing catch up. The long weekend helped and all the photos I took in the Bahamas are done. Now on to what I took when I got back!
hello pool | it's been three weeks since my last swim and dare I say I missed the back and forth, back and forth rhythm of lap swimming?
hello best in show 2013 | I submitted a couple of pieces to the local photography competition which finishes up this week. I plan to check out the exhibit this week.
hello farrier | Caesar is due for a hoof trim this Thursday. He's been nursing a cough and we hope that clears up soon.
hello book club selection night | I will be bringing a couple books for our group to vote on: Gone Girl, which I read while in the Bahamas (yes, it is really good) and Pitch Perfect (yes, this book was the basis for the movie).
hello monday | looking forward to what the week has in store for us.
Inspired by my friend, Lee at Embrace Life, Hello Monday provides a peek into the coming week - in all its glory. Join us and Lisa for the Hello Monday fun
I'm always trying to improve at "street photography". I find it really hard to do well, and opportunities for practice are somewhat limited since I live in a mostly rural area.
But I had a unique opportunity just a week ago, on vacation in the warm, friendly Bahamas - in the touristy downtown area of Nassau, close to the cruise ship dock, Senor Frogs and the Straw Market.
I used my Oly OM-D E-M5 camera for these photos. The smaller size of the camera makes me less conscious of taking photos of strangers on the street. But after I downloaded the photos from the memory card, I immediately wished I had taken more photos. That's something I'll keep in mind the next time I venture out (not that I'll be in the Bahamas any time soon - that would be wishful thinking....)
Like an Ad for Atlantis - Paradise Island on Nassau
I'm changing things up a little bit, since I just said good-bye to the wonderfully warm people and weather in the Bahamas...
good bye azure waters | I enjoyed your soothing color, the sound of the surf, the salt spray on my legs and the white sea shell sand between my toes
good bye Kelly, Robin, Jaymie, Chrissy and Lisa | I had a wonderful time with you all! I'll see you gals soon around town
good bye norovirus | I don't know how I managed not to catch you while the rest of the family did. You need to stay away!
hello salads, veggies, fruit and lean meats | I may have over-indulged during the trip...
hello to another long weekend | I think I'm getting spoiled with these short work weeks
hello photos | I'll need the long weekend to download and get through all the photos I took during the trip to Nassau
hello monday | looking forward to what the week has in store for us.
Inspired by my friend, Lee at Embrace Life, Hello Monday provides a peek into the coming week - in all its glory. Join us and Lisa for the Hello Monday fun
And since we can't get enough horsey love, here are [more] photos of the horses I get to see on a regular basis. These guys are always out in the pasture on Sunday afternoons. The snow didn't deter them from finding something to graze on. I love their snow covered muzzles.
Finally, the entire Landslide song, performed impeccably by Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac.
I took my love and I took it down
I climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
'Till the landslide brought me down
Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail thru the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?
Mmm Mmm...
Well, I've been afraid of changing
'Cause I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I'm getting older too
Well, I've been afraid of changing
'Cause I, I built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I'm getting older too
I'm getting older too
So, take my love, take it down
Oh climb a mountain and turn around
If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well the landslide will bring you down, down
And If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well maybe the landslide will bring it down
Oh oh, the landslide will bring it down
