Pics O' The Week #22

Last Friday one of our dogs learned a very important lesson:


Sometimes it's easier to get up than it is to get down.

I had gotten home from work a bit early, and the weather was finally nice for a change, so I left the patio door open. The dogs like to wander in and out, or lounge on the patio in the sun if they get the chance.

I was inside, minding my own business, when I heard a slight dog whine. Sera's a bit of a whiny dog, so I didn't pay much attention. After a few moments she whined again, this time a bit more urgently, so I figured I had better check it out. This is the sight that greeted me in the back yard - I have no idea how she got up there without making a sound, but she had no idea how to get down!

She looked a bit perturbed when I told her to "wait" and headed back inside for the camera, but I think our dogs understand by now.....pics first, THEN you get helped. Gotta have priorities.

Pics O' The Week #21

I'd like to introduce my new little friend....a birthday gift from my parents that they got in Albuquerque. The trick is that there isn't one drop of paint on this little guy - the patterns you see are produced by mixing, folding, and stretching polymer clay to create the design. There's a better description of the technique on the artist's website at www.fimocreations.com - it's pretty amazing.














After the formal photo shoot I let him out in the yard for a more natural look.

Pic O' The Week #19

More catch-up....this was actually taken a week ago, at my mom-in-law's house. Just a smudge of spring green, as the trees finally decided that it was safe to leaf out.

Pic O' The Week #20

Yup, playing catch-up here - even a picture a week is proving challenging!

The weather has just been goofy this year....winter was dry dry dry, spring has been cool and dry, and we are just now (this is May, mind you) getting the warm wet spring snows that we should have been getting in March or mid-April. I guess it's better late then never, though, and the dogs love snow regardless of the time of year.



Maybe that's the lesson from the dog for today....if it's sunny, enjoy the sun, and if it's snowy, enjoy the snow!

Project 365, Day 114. Digital slight of hand.

So I'm in Dubai...

I'm at the offices of the company I am working for, outside shooting a couple of quick pics, which happen to be at the airport.

Well, they don't permit photography at the airport.

I got hauled in to the security office and was asked to delete the images. Fine, at least they didn't try to take my camera.

So I pushed the "format card" button on the camera, which erases every image on the card. Look, see? No more pictures.

Fine, everyone is happy. Except me...

Thing is, I had some images I shot while I was at the hotel that I wanted. They were the only images I shot for the previous day and had to be used for my project.

Not a problem. The second I got done formatting the card and left the security office, I took out the card out of the camera and switched it for another one.

You see, I have invested a few dollars in data recovery software. As long as the card isn't overwritten by new data, the deleted pictures are still on that card. It just LOOKS like they aren't on the card.

Now you see them, now you don't.



Now you see them again.

Turns out the pictures I wanted to use didn't really turn out how I was hoping, but some of the ones security wanted gone sure did...

The software did a good job, there appears to be no degradation of the images or data quality. In fact, I stitched together a panorama from the deleted images and Photoshop was able to accomplish it without difficulty.

Pics O' The Week #17

A simple post tonight....not only am I not keeping up the blog while Brian's gone, I'm not even keeping up with my own Picture of the Week! But, moving on...



I'm in the middle of an internship as a family therapist, which means that toys and crayons have now become serious job-related tools. I kinda like that. These are the happy residents of the barn playset I took on a home visit this afternoon - which the kids loved. I was instructed to bring it back next week or else. I had better hope no one else in the office checks it out or I'm in big trouble!



Our dogs spent a while this evening trying to figure out just what I had brought home and it any of it was edible. Sera gave up after a while and wandered off, but not before looking like the giant beast that had come to destroy the entire farm. Eek!

Project 365, Day 113. Why I love flying Emirates Airlines

First off, you're probably wondering what happened to Day 112. Ok, be honest, did you even notice I skipped that day?

I didn't think so.

I was so busy getting ready to deploy to Africa that I only got one shot taken on that day and it was with my iPhone.

It was Emily, still in bed, snuggled up with Sera. Emily forbid me to post it up here.

Fair enough.

It will be published in the book I am going to put together if I can complete this project.

So, if you want to see it, you'll have to buy the book! (How's that for marketing? I think they call that a hard sell)

Anyway, the shot for today was also taken with my iPhone. Trying to take gear out of a bag on the plane is such a hassle.

This is one of the reasons I love flying on this airline.



If you'll notice... my iPod is plugged in. That's right, it's plugged into the electrical socket build into the seat. Nope, I'm not in business class, I'm in steerage with the rest of the poor slobs. I don't know any airline in the states that has that available.

It's a lifesaver in this digital age. I was able to watch movies on my iPod for my entire trip.

The screen is too small though... I think it's time to get an iPod Touch with a bigger screen!