Rule of Thirds

This week's photo challenge theme was Rule of Thirds. Photography139 put up this definition from Wikipedia, so I'm going to borrow it to as it seems the simplest definition:

"The rule of thirds is a compositional rule of thumb in visual arts such as painting, photography and design. The rule states that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections."

Sounds simple, right? Thankfully it was, as I blew off trying to find a good shot all week.

This is the photo that I submitted for the challenge. Can you tell I took it in a hurry this morning when I realized that I had a poem for this week but not a photo?

Last week was a busy week, but that's really not an excuse since I had my camera with me quite often. I just didn't happen to shoot anything that fell into that particular category. I really didn't shoot anything worth posting, except:

Bug had his first soccer game of the season last Monday.

Sis had her first softball game too, but that happened to be the one time I didn't have my camera floating around in my purse. There will be plenty of chances for me to get shots of her in full catching gear with her two games per week compared to Bug's one.

With the start of our busy ball season the house repairs haven't been moving along quite as fast as before. I still have motivation though and hope to have some new before and after photos up soon. Today was a rare lazy day for me, which pretty much only consisted of 4 loads of laundry, making supper, and making our summer vacation reservations.

Yep, you read that right! The kids and I now have a cabin booked for a full week just minutes outside of Yellowstone. I think I am more excited than the kids at this point. My next few weeks will be spent planning our itinerary and making list of items to pack (including camera batteries!).

As usual, you can find this week's poem over at Impassioned Versifier. Photography139 is enjoying a vacation of his own this week, but you should find the photo challenge submissions posted later in the week.

Greens & Grays

They tell me it's Earth Day. I have to work late tonight so I won't get the chance to go out and enjoy this beautiful weather and all Mother Earth has to offer.

Instead, I thought I would share a few more snapshots from our latest hike.

"How strange that Nature does not knock, and yet does not intrude!" ~Emily Dickinson, letter to Mrs. J.S. Cooper, 1880

"I can enjoy society in a room; but out of doors, nature is company enough for me." ~William Hazlitt

"Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life." ~Rachel Carson

"I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order." ~John Burroughs

"Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain." ~Henry David Thoreau

"I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.... People think pleasing God is all God care about. But any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back." ~Alice Walker, The Color Purple, 1982

"If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive." ~Eleonora Duse

"The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful." ~e.e. cummings

"I walked barefoot - the only way to walk on a muddy road." ~Laurie Gough, "Light on a Moonless Night"

Long Exposure

While on our trek through Ledges this week, Bug and I took the opportunity to play with my camera. My goal was to find a subject for this week's Random Photo Challenge theme of long exposure. I haven't figured out all the mysterious settings on my cheapy camera yet and wasn't quite sure how to control and slow down the shutter speed. So instead, I decided to take a different route and find something that had experienced a long exposure to the elements.

My submission was this weathered trail marker along the Lost Lake trail.

This close-up was considered as a close second.

At one point during our hike Bug decided he needed a break from walking the dog and asked to switch duties. He was eager to show me the things that caught his eye. So I agreed. I turned the setting to Auto and let him click away. When we got home I loaded our pictures to my computer and we had an enjoyable time reliving our long hike. When I came across Bug's photos I experienced some mild shock and definite pleasure at his artistic and photographic eye. He only had one or two unusable shots in the whole batch. Much better than when I shoot things at random.

When we came across the photo below I commented that it fit perfectly into this week's theme. He asked me if I could use it as my submission for this week. I explained to him that I didn't feel that would be appropriate as this was his work, not mine. But that I would be happy to submit it for him as his own work under his own name.

Bug has earned the distinction of the youngest contributor to date at Photography139's Weekly Random Photo Project.

Bug's closer examination of the effects of long exposure to the elements.

You may recall that the cabin where he took these photos at was mostly underwater during our previous hike at Ledges.

As I started the poem for this week's challenge I realized that the first several lines were calling for it to be written in the form of a Sestina. Sestinas are not my favorite structure form to write but I do feel that the challenge of composing one is good every once in a while, so I followed that whim.

For those who are asking what a Sestina is, it's a very structured poem consisting of 6 sextets followed by a tercet making a total of 39 lines of prose. The end words of the first sextet are used in the following verses in a particular order as follows:

1 2 3 4 5 6 - End words of lines in first sextet.
6 1 5 2 4 3 - End words of lines in second sextet.
3 6 4 1 2 5 - End words of lines in third sextet.
5 3 2 6 1 4 - End words of lines in fourth sextet.
4 5 1 3 6 2 - End words of lines in fifth sextet.
2 4 6 5 3 1 - End words of lines in sixth sextet.
(6 2) (1 4) (5 3) - Middle and end words of lines in tercet

It's exhausting work to use the same words repeatedly while keeping to the underlying theme. It is well worth the feeling of accomplishment when completed though. You can read this week's contribution at Impassioned Versifier.

A boy & his dog

The last week has been pretty busy around here. Bug and I have spent an awesome amount of time together, and Sis managed to find a little bit of time to fit us into her busiest (softball) season of the year too. Bug & I went fishing, to the VEISHA parade, and soccer practice. Sis joined us for Cub Scout bowling and met a friend and I for dinner one night. Plus I managed to fit in a manicure with a friend this week. And that's not all:

I spent some time working on home improvement projects. This is my new bedroom door. Bug has a new door as well. Next up are the bathroom and my closet doors.

Bug and I spent one evening playing with Legos. We made a bank building, complete with teller window and ATM. The teller kind of spooks me. I think I will stick with using the ATM.

Bug and I enjoyed the beautiful weather Saturday evening and took Buster dog for a walk. Buster loves going on walks with Bug, and the two of them tend to forget about me.

We ventured to Bug's favorite spot in the park, Lost Lake. The trail is fairly easy and has constantly changing scenery.

Buster enjoys stopping to investigate his surroundings quite frequently, but gets impatient if Bug stops for any reason.

It seems a family of beavers has taken up residence at the lake this year. They seemed to take advantage of the waters while they were high as well.

I wonder what made the beaver quit when he was so close?

The creek that runs through lower Ledges is still swollen, but hopefully soon the canyon will be open for our enjoyment.

Today Bug got to try his hand at rock climbing with his Cub Scout troop. He has only tried this once before and didn't do as well.

This time he conquered his fear and made it halfway up before he couldn't find anymore purchase. Good job Bug!

So tonight I am a little worn out and still have my poem to finish for tomorrow's challenge submission. I hope you all had a great week too!

Symmetry & Patterns

Bug has been playing with the few remaining pieces of my old Spirograph lately. His latest piece of artwork seemed a fitting submission for this week's Random Photo Challenge as the theme was symmetry & patterns.

My knitting bag called to be part of the theme as well.

What can have more symmetry and pattern than my life during ball season?

Amazingly, this week's poem came quite easily to me. That hasn't happened in a few weeks, so I am welcoming the warm feeling of creativity flowing in me again. Be sure to check out the other creative photo submissions at Photography139. Next week's theme is sure to bring a ton of interesting submissions!

My Week on the Web

Most of my last couple weeks surfing the net have involved shopping for catcher's mitts (yep, softball season is here!) and watching how-to videos on DIY (I'm hoping to tackle my drywall project in the next couple weeks). I did find a few interesting tidbits along the way though:

Green Sex? Ok, I have seriously been living alone way too long. It is an interesting concept though, sex to save the environment.

NASA on Mars This is going to really reveal my inner geek. I admit it, I'm a geek at heart. The first link explains the amazing technology that NASA has. Not only is it amazing, but a little scary in some regards too. This stuff is being put to use right now. Maybe I've watched too many sci-fi's but after reading that I suddenly had visions of a small little HAL running rampant on Mars. Anywho, I digress, the whole reason you need to read that article is so that you can understand this next article a little deeper. I'm sort of glad that our dear little Endeavor isn't gathering samples to bring back. While neat to look at I have visions of it turning us all into Ompah Lompah Blueberry Sandwiches

Keeping House This blog post sums my perception of housekeeping and the unreal expectations of myself and society on a working mom. My house has never been in a completely organized, immaculate, ready for company at all times state. I have kids, I hate housekeeping, and I enjoy doing the activities that fulfill me. I would rather spend my time enjoying time with my children as they grow up rather than chase them around with a dust pan. Of course, I also hate total chaos and disarray, so I begrudgingly do the chores anyway (just don't expect me to be in a good mood while I do... there are just so many other fantastic things to be doing!)

When I was younger I used to find garden Gnomes to be rather creepy. However, I think I would enjoy going to see this Gnome, especially since it's at one of my favorite reflecting spots, Reiman Gardens.

Easter at the Lake

What a lovely Easter weekend the kids and I had! We were very ready for a vacation, so we headed to my Auntie's house on the lake. We had a perfectly relaxing time just visiting, eating, and enjoying the company of loving family. We came back refreshed and motivated.

Enjoy some photos from our trip:

Sis trying out her new fishing pole. Later in the day she & Ricky wandered down to the grade to try their hand against the seasoned fishermen. They quickly found out that their lack of bites resulted from using minnows instead of mill worms. I didn't really feel like cleaning fish for the anyway. Better luck next time kids!

Saturday was cool and windy, but Sunday was warm & sunny. It didn't take Bug long to kick off his flip flops.

Bug enjoyed watching the waves roll in.

But he enjoyed climbing the rocks even more...

from one side of the property to the other.

After convincing him that he should really change into play clothes, he decided to break in his new pole.

Bug didn't get any bites on his Mister Twisters either, but he had a lot of fun practicing his casting.

I spent 2 hours out on the deck reading. I was so comfortable and relaxed that I didn't even realize until much later in the day that I had developed a slight sunburn.

On the way home we planned to stop at my cousin Jill's house but I knew we had a little time to kill before we were expected to be there. I decided to take the kids on an impromptu detour to the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend. I hadn't been there since I was about Bug's age.

Easter was the perfect day to visit especially since we had missed church due to our mini-vacation.

On the way home Bug asked me if there were any other amazing places in the world that I can show him.

This is the display that moves me the most in the Grotto

Sis wondered how many people thought Dobberstein was insane rather than inspired when he first started his Grotto project. She was amazed by every little stone and needed constant reminding not to touch.

The Stations of the Cross glittered with all their colored mosaics in the setting sun, setting off another wave of awe.

Macro

This week's challenge was actually a bit of a challenge for me, both in photography and poetry. The subject was Macro, which in simple terms is to photograph something small so that it fills the whole frame.

The photography part of the challenge showed me just how cheap my "cheap" ($150) camera really is. It takes great photos at the ball park and when out and about with the kids. Apparently it wasn't made to do anything fancy though. I have now declared that my camera must be far-sighted as it takes great close ups from a distance but not a good close-up from close up.

Still, I had fun experimenting with different techniques and came up with interesting shots.

Macro, not to be confused with Micro

This is the lovely display at my Aunt's house that inspired the close-up

Blow are a few of the shots that came close to decent while I was experimenting with my camera:

A screw hanging out way up on Auntie's garage

A nail in the wood pile

Oriental blossoms residing in a vase

Chocolate Easter eggs

Mudding anyone?

The poem proved to be a challenge too. Not only did I not have time to concentrate on it with getting ready for Easter at the lake, how in the heck does one go about incorporating the idea of Macro into a poem? I came up with a very short 4 line piece that seems to apply how Macro fits into our lives. I may sit down and tinker with it some more though when I actually have time for editing and revisions. You can read my interpretation of Macro here. And be sure to check out Photography139 for the rest of this week's photo submissions.