Playing with Photoshop

Light - Soft Light - Saturation

The first photograph is the original. The 2nd and the third I played with light and soft light and finally saturation. The middle shot has a low opacity to the light, with a high opacity of the soft light and the last shot is the opposite. Saturation was upped on each one, although the middle more than the last.

Levels - Brightness/Contrast - Color Dodge/Burn

The first photograph is the original. The second and the third photographs, I played with the levels. I pulled in the black and the white and where the gray was just a little bit on the middle shot and really exaggerated it on the third shot. The brightness was lowered a little in the 2nd and even more so on the third, while the contrast was upped on the 2nd and even more on the third. Same with the color dodge/burn. The middle one was just slightly edited with those two, while the third was exaggerated.

Curves - Color Balance - Saturation

The first of these three is the original. The second and third photographs I played with the curves on each color, R,G,B and then as a whole RGB. With the color balance I pulled it more towards one color or another. Finally with saturation, on one I lowered the saturation and the other I upped it.

Playing with Photoshop

The Barnstable Village Ghost Hunt

Jeremy and I had been on the Cape all of last week. We found The Barnstable Village Ghost Hunt. They also do haunted history tours and haunted overnights. We had such a good time we did the Ghost Hunt twice. We are hoping to do the haunted overnight in The Old Jail when we come back in May. I have always loved ghosts and the supernatural and paranormal and this was just way too cool.

The Old JailThe first night we did the ghost hunt, while in The Old Jail, Jeremy got touched. He felt something just kind of push up his sleeve a little bit. We also heard one of the rope stands get picked up and dropped with no one near it.

That same night I heard what I thought was footsteps running across the floor upstairs. The back floor is safe, but not something that can be easily or safely reached quickly. No one else seemed to hear the footsteps as people started to get move and get ready to move on to the next stop.The second night we did the tour, we had the other guide and she had with her a recording of EVP that made my skin crawl. It was not anything scary as far as what was said, merely that there was actual EVP and I know it wasn't something created for a TV show or anything of the like.

The Barnstable House

Also known as The House of 11 Ghosts. This building is creepy once you hear the stories. There is a man named Edmund Hawes who hung himself when he lost all of his money and haunts the building and grounds. He wears a white shirt and dark pants and Jeremy thought he saw him just before the above photo was taken. Jeremy thought he saw him, but when he turned to get a better look he was gone.

There are 11 different ghosts to have said to haunt the house, not sure what we got in the photographs, but I do know that no one was smoking or even near Jeremy when he took these. No one else was taking photographs either. The last two photographs I took, and as everyone else had just about walked off I know that no one else was taking shots either.

Cape Cod Day 2

The elments post is photos from day 1 down here on the Cape.
Jeremy and I spent some time walking the trails at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, something Jeremy had never done before.
It was a lot of fun!

Elements

Element - Texture


Element - Pattern

Element- Space

Element - Lines

Element - Perspective

Element - Space, color, perspective

Filters

Upper Left - No Filer
Upper Right - Nylons
Lower Left - Dryer Sheet
Lower Right - Fishnet Stockings

Upper Left - No Filer
Upper Right - Fishnet Stockings
Lower Left - Dryer Sheet
Lower Right - Nylons

Automatic vs. Manual

Collage of Options

Automatic

Manual Settings

I chose the manual shot that I did because I liked the slightly warmer color that I got. While I tried to get all of the shots from the same viewpoint, they did vary just a little bit. Composition wise this was not my favorite, but since the assignment was about manual settings, this is it. I like how vibrant and white the fence is and how much the pink flower pops out.

Exposure - 1/400
Aperture - f/4.0

Emulation 2

So sorry my post is late. Internet went down at my place and I was unable to get anywhere that had it till now.

Emulation

This is my emulation of Annie Leibovitz. She inspired me in her ability to show emotion in her subjects as well as bring out emotion in her audience. There is a vulnerability to her photos and that is what I was really hoping to achieve.
Here are some examples of her work. http://www.nytimes.com/library/photos/leibovitz/bourgeois.html

This is the photo I would like to submit for critique.

Winter Squash Mock Risotto

The other day Jeremy and I went up to help Mom take care of some of the gardens. The winter squash was ready to be picked, and I was itching to use one of them in a dish of some sort.
Dinner last night was Winter Squash Mock Risotto. I didn't have arborio rice, so I just used the long grain white rice I had at home. It has starches, they do develop, but not in the same was a aroborio. It was an almost exclusively local dish as we grew the squash, the garlic, and the shallots, and the collards that we put in were grown locally.

Winter Squash Mock Risotto

1 winter squash (I used Buttercup)
2 1/4 cups rice
2 bouillon cubes
5 cloves of garlic
1 large shallot
8 cups of water
Olive Oil
Butter
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Ground Clove
Italian seasoning
Salt and Pepper
Parmesean Cheese
Peel and cube the winter squash, cook until soft. Mince the garlic and the shallot and saute with olive oil till soft and fragrant. Disolve the bouillion cubes in hot water. Add the italian seasoning and some salt and pepper, pour in the rice. Once everything is heated through, add 1-2 cups of the liquid and simmer until absorbed. Follow this process until the rice is cooked. Use only enough liquid to cook the rice through, if you have left over its ok, if you need more, go ahead and grab it.
Mix the squash with the cinnamon, nutmeg, ground clove, and butter. Once the rice is cooked, mix the squash into the rice.
Saute the greens with a touch of olive oil, then mix into the rice as well.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, serve with Parmesean Cheese.

Dinner tonight...

Trying to decide what to make for dinner tonight. I really want to use some greens and a squash from the garden, perhaps a winter squash risotto.... hmmm...

Cape Cod May 2009

London 2005

Ireland 2005

Bermuda 2005

Summer got away with me!

I can't believe that it has been over 2 weeks since I last posted!
A lot has been going on. Working of course, waiting for the big move. We are so close to being in the new space.
There was Paddle Power, fundraiser and awareness event for suicide prevention. Lots of fun, some rain, some shine, good food, good friends. It was a blast. Joseph won a kayak at the raffle, and he and Jeremy have been fishing non-stop.
Classes started for me, The Novels and Films of Stephen King at VTC on Wednesdays, and Digital Photography 2 through CCV online. Volleyball is going for just a big longer on Thursdays.
Jeremy, Joseph, Mel, and I all went kayaking and fishing in the pouring rain one Saturday, had a blast doing it. Had a BBQ on another Saturday, Mel and I cooked and relaxed, Joseph and Jeremy went fishing in kayaks. Jeremy got a nice 3 pound bass, we fried it up and HOLY YUM. Made great fish sandwiches for lunch the next day as well.
Another holiday party on Sunday, and then work for me early Monday morning.
I will be posting my assignments for Digital Photography 2 here. It will be fun to share my photos with a bit of a story to everyone.

Blight

I know I touched on the blight in my last post, but it has really been eating at me.

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This year Jeremy, Mom, and I took on gardening. This is not a new task, but we took on some new ideas and steps. We wanted tomatoes, lots of them! Tomatoes were going to be diced, crushed, made into plain sauce, spaghetti sauce, canned and frozen.

There were romas, heirlooms, cherries, and now, we have none. Just the other day we checking out the plants looking for green fruits. It was so exciting to find them, small ones at first, then big ones, clusters of them, cherries and heirloom uglies, we couldn't wait for them to start turning yellow and red and orange.

Blight hit. It hit hard. It took out ALL of our tomatoes. We had them planted in several different locations, up at the house, down the hill, and by the pond, not even "close" to each other, and yet they were all destroyed.

It was very sad. We had to pull them all. Because blight is a spore, we can't burn them, it will spread the blight to others. We can't just compost/bury them, because that won't necessarily kill off the spores, and it could get reintroduced next summer. We have been working so hard to help lower our dependency on corporate farming, as well as finding ways to help keep things out of the landfill. With no tomatoes to put up, and the only way to get rid of the blight and the plants is to bag them up and take them to the landfill.

Camping & Tomato Blight

Friday after work, Jeremy and I took off for a weekend of camping at Stillwater State Park at Lake Groton. The trip was fantastic! Lots of paddling, fishing, relaxing, good food, and even greater company!
We took Sammy (Dad's dog) for the weekend, as Dad and Deb were going away as well and couldn't bring him with them. Sam had such a good time, he was acting just like a puppy.
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Yesterday I went up to help Mom with the gardens for a bit and we had to finish pulling ALL of the tomato plants. The late blight hit them, and while we were able to salvage some of the green tomatoes for Mom to make green tomato relish. It was incredibly sad. We started the plants from seeds and were really enjoying the process of watching the seeds grow into seedlings, into plants, putting them in the ground, and watching the fruits begin to grow. Probably the hardest thing I have ever had to do gardening.

Finally Friday

Strangely this week has passed at a snails pace, but FINALLY its Friday. The theme is following through quite nicely as it is taking forever for today to pass as well.
Extremely excited about camping this weekend with Jeremy, Mom and Lynda, and Joe and Mel. Gilligan, Sophie, and Sammy will be with us as well. Looking forward to lots of kayaking, fishing, swimming, hiking, and game playing.
Got stuff for s'mores, can't wait to sit around a fire and relax.

Mountain Biking

I have really missed mountain biking! Biking to Bethel on the main road is just not the same. It is a great workout, I enjoy it a lot, but biking in the woods is a blast.
We went up to explore Milstone Hill in Barre. Knowing I am slow and inexperienced with biking in the woods, Jeremy's brother Vince made sure to go up ahead of us and log a good 6-7 miles before we got there. I had to do a fair share of walking, but was able to do some of the hills, up and down, but corners and rocky passes got me. I would say I was able to bike half of it.
Next Monday we are planning to go again!

Enduro!

Lately, Jeremy and I have been finding ways to use the abundance of swiss chard we are getting from the garden. Our favorite way thus far seems to be to wilt it down with a bit of EVOO and fresh garlic and topping a pizza or stuffing a calzone with it. It has such great flavor!

Today was day 2 with Jeremy not smoking. He is on the patch, and going strong.

Tonight was the M&M Enduro at Thunder Road. My favorite race of the year! Can't wait till we have the money and time so I can race it too. Approximately 130 races went 250 laps vying for a $5000 purse! Very exciting. A few flips, a few fires, lots of excitement.

I don't work tomorrow or Tuesday, great for me, sucky for the pocket book. I can't wait to be able to sleep in and have nothing on the schedule for a change.

Advance Directives

Here's the deal. I am not old, not even close. Yet I have a legal document in my possession that many people who are 3 times as old as me do not have.
An Advance Directive is a legal document that lists and a health care agent as well as your wishes should you become unable to do so. I have pretty specific wishes that I really want carried out, and don't want it to be left to chance.
They then get filed with the Vermont Advance Directive Registry so that no matter where I am my wishes can be followed.
I urge you to do the same within your state.

Links for Vermonters
Vermont Advance Directive Registry - http://healthvermont.gov/vadr/
Vermont Ethics Network - http://www.vtethicsnetwork.org/

Camels Hump

Saturday, Mom, Jeremy, and I embarked on an adventure. We took on Camels Hump in all its glory.
With all the rain we have, it has been wetter than ever. The streams had water in them, there was a beautiful little water fall. It made it extremely buggy as well.













This was a little more than a third of the way up the mountain. We were still feeling great at this point. There was another couple who we were going back and forth with in the "lead."




The closer we got to the top, the harder it became. Breathing was harder, muscles were getting tight, we could really feel the burn. It was totally worth it when we rounded the corner and were at the summit.


It as a bit hazy, but the view was magnificent. I have been to the top one other time and was clearer but cold and windy. This day was breezy, very light thought, and warm! We put long sleeves on due to the breeze on our sweaty skin.

We had a great snack, spent some time wandering around looking from each angle, and marveling at the beauty. We had to be careful to stay on the rocks, because the alpine vegetation is very delicate.









The hike down was just as challenging! I managed to somehow tweak my knee just as we started the hike back down, which slowed me down. It hurt, the pain did not make the hike down as much fun as it could have been. We all slowed a lot the farther down the hill we got, all but limping to the car at the end.










The hike was fantastic. Jeremy had been up multiple times, I had been up one other time. Mom had never been up Camels Hump which made it all the better. Can't wait to do it again, only from the other side this time.

Typical Thursday

Yesterday was a wondeful typical Thursday. After work, I changed and hoped on my bike and took off for Bethel. The sky was blue, the sun was warm, a gentle breeze, I made the best time ever! Normally I would say it takes me approximately 55 minutes to ride the 7.5 miles from the hospital to the woodlot. Yesterday I made it in about 40 minutes. I was flying. It was wonderful.
At the woodlot, Jed was mowing and Abby was getting the volleyball from the camper. I was the first one, that never happens! It took a little while for people to show, but when they finally did, we had some great games of volleyball.
I tried to take a picture with my phone, only to realize the card was full! It took me a minute to get in and get some space freed up and by then it was too late to get a good picture, as the sun had just dipped down behind the trees. Next week!

and the Tree falls down...

Yesterday with all the wind and rain, a tree fell down in the back of the house. Not on any cars or buildings, but enough to be heard in the apartment.
The storm didn't start until just before 5pm, of course. I had been looking out the window all day dreaming of a walk or bike ride, some swimming, and while the person I was going to go with had to cancel last minute (which worked out really well considering), it was such a let down!
We did end up going swimming later in the evening, it was still sprinkling, the river hadn't risen a whole lot yet, boy did it feel good. Especially after spending so long in the kitchen with the oven and the stove going. Of course in the heat and humidity we would decide to make pizza for dinner. My pizza was excellent! A smear of red sauce, some ricotta, sauteed zuccini and tomatoes and swiss chard, with mozzerella cheese. YUM YUM YUM

I had leftovers for lunch today! Work is a bit slow, although never boring.

OMG I need PICTURES

Last night Jeremy and I went up to Mom's to visit. There were no less than 5 times I wish I had brought the camera with me. This means that I have no photos to show you the new miniature ponies they got, Miss Dixie Chick and Humperdink. No photos to show you how big Mr Top Hat, the baby chicken, is getting and how big his top hat is getting. No photos to show you all the CHERRIES we picked (more than enough for a pie). No photos of us swimming in the pond, thanks to all the rain, it was full enough and fresh enough. A couple more days and it will be a bit too slimy and stagnant for any swimming. And lastly, no photos to show the onions, garlic, and shallots we harvested from the garden, along with the beats!

Needless to say I was a bit disappointed in myself, but thrilled at the same time for all that we got to do last night.

Pictures will be coming of the new ponies next time I am at Mom's. Miss Dixie Chick also drives, so I cannot wait to spend some time learning to drive.

Dinner and Fishing

I have totally been slacking on my posting! With a goal of once a day, I am barely making once a week!

Last night Jeremy and I got subs from McCulloughs Quick Stop, our favorite place for subs, and went fishing.

Jeremy got his usual turkey bacon, and I decided on a BLT. What really makes their subs so good is the rolls that they use.
Forgot to take pictures of the subs, but man were they good.

We also tried this new juice drink.

Incredibly tasty. Not overly sweet, no carbonation, and very thirst quenching for a juice beverage.

Fishing was great, although neither of us caught anything. I had a couple of bites, and they ate my worms, but no catches. Towards the end of the evening we were watching them jump left and right, but still no catches. Oh well, another day perhaps.

View of were we where fishing. I love my phones panaramic option.

Cape Cod Weekend

The last summer Mammam was with us was the last time I ventured to the Cape in peak season, 3 years ago. I forgot how wonderful and awful Cape Cod is in the summer time. I love the heat, walking out on the flats and swimming in the channel, Sheeps Pond, and the quiet of the early mornings. I forgot how awful the traffic is and how rude some of the vacationers can be, although those are the only downfalls.

My cousin was getting married, and my Mom got all of us kids rooms at The Old Manse Inn. It was a 4 day weekend that was an incredible amount of fun.

Thursday I had to get up and work a 3 hour shift, then Jeremy and I hit the road! He picked me up and we stopped for a visit with Mel before venturing onto the highway. We set cruise control and leisurely made our way to Michelles (until she called and told us to step on it and step on it we did). We stayed perhaps a half an hour too long as we hit traffic going through Boston. It wasn't stop and go, it was all go, but at 5mph.

We "left" Vermont at 10am, and arrived at The Manse at 7pm! Longest trip to the Cape ever I do believe, but lots of fun was had in between.

We arrived at The Old Manse Inn and were greeted by Richard and Karen and made to feel right at home. I have driven by The Manse countless times over the years, and would often give it as a landmark if I was giving someone directions, however I had never been inside the Inn. We were given a quick tour and shown to our room. Our room was BEAUTIFUL! I loved it, especially the toile wallpaper.

Not long before midnight, all of us had arrived. There were 7 couples staying at the Inn for the first few nights (all of us for the wedding) and over the next few nights, there were other random guests and for one last night we had another couple over for the wedding.

It was wonderful to see Uncle Jack and Aunt Abby, Cousin Jane and Chris, Uncle Scott and Mary, Auntie Lynne and Uncle Craig, and of course Mom and Lynda, and Joe and Mel.

Friday was a beach day. We couldn't have picked a better day. The sun was shinning, the tide was out, PERFECTION. We walked the mile or so out to the chanel, stopping to check out the crabs burrying in the sand and a lobster in the bay. Swimming in the chanel was great, the current kept pulling us farther and farther from our starting point, but we were able to get back to the start with no troubles. On the walk back in, we used the tide to float and carry us a fair amount of the way back.

Friday ended with a family dinner back at The Manse. Dana and Gayle made lasagna and man was it GOOD. There was a vegetarian and a meat, and the veggie was the best!

Saturday was a hot muggy day with a walk, cleaning the cottage, and a swim before getting ready for the wedding.

Mel helped me with my hair, and my makeup, no way could I have gotten it up looking that good. Both of us look fabulous, obviously!

The highlight was Melissa driving in on a tractor before walking down the aisle to Jason. The wedding was short and really sweet. The reception was awesome. Raw bar, open bar, lots of dancing, incredible food, and not a single Condit Family Feud!

Launi we missed you!

Sunday was pack up and head out day. I didn't want to leave! We stopped and helped Dana and Gayle pick up the tables before hitting the road back to VT.

Sunshine and Weekends

It was a beautiful weekend, with actual blue sky and sunshine. The weekend started early on Thursday with blue sky and sunshine and a nice breeze. I biked to volleyball, 7 miles with ups, downs, and flats. Volleyball went until 8:30 and I played every game. It was awesome!
Friday afterwork I spent some time with Mom, picking peas, and visiting. Sitting on the porch and relaxing was wonderful.
Saturday, Jeremy and I headed up to Camp Rob Mac for the rest of the weekend. We hiked to the pinnacle and were eaten alive by bugs on Saturday. We made dinner for us and Jeremy's neice Sara and her husband Brent, and Jeremy's parents. Joseph and Mel stopped to visit, as did Dad and Sammy. Sunday, Mom came up with Gilligan and Sophie and we hiked to the pinnacle again, this time remembering the bug spray. We didn't follow the trail home, instead bushwacking through the woods. It was something none of us had done in a while and it was so much fun.
The weekend ended with a fun cookout up at Moms.

Camp Rob Mac here we come!

This weekend Jeremy and I are going up to camp. We hope to go hiking, fishing, relax by a fire, and just enjoy being away!

It is only 20 minutes from home, but without electricity or running water, it is a great getaway.

Hopefully we won't get rained out!

Lethargic and HATING It

With my history of depression, I take a lot of care daily to get what I need to remain healthy.

I make sure to get enough sleep, but not too much. Once in a while getting too little or too much doesn't hurt me, but when it becomes a pattern, I get in trouble. The prime amount seems to be anywhere from 7 hours to 8 hours.

Eating right is another big one for me. While my mood is impacted more by the choices I eat than the amount I eat, both do affect me. The more fruits, vegetables, and meat I eat, the better I feel. The more dairy and grains I ingest, the worse I feel. I am strongly challenged with dairy and grains because I love them so much. Push come to shove, I will select a steak and greens over a bowl of spaghetti, but its a very close margin.

Exercise is another big part of keeping myself healthy. It can be a simple walk around the block, or a full blown workout. Being active is integral to keeping healthy. I am working on getting yoga into my daily routine, and have really enjoyed walking and biking when the weather allows. I'm trying to find a way to add videos to my daily workout, but I just seem to lack the motivation to pop it in and give it it a go.

The other big key factor in keeping myself healthy is getting enough sunshine. With all the rain we have, I am sorely lacking in the vitamin D department. If we could just get a few days each week of sunshine, I would be way happier and healthier. I know there are alternatives such as taning, but if I can at all avoid that, I prefer too.

I am keeping my fingers crossed today that the blue sky stays out and I can bike to volleyball. I am ok with clouds, as long as their is some blue sky and a bit of sun peaking out once in a while. The plan is to head up to Moms after work to pick some veggies and visit for a few minutes, before biking off to Bethel. The route is a bit different biking from Moms as it is from my place, although I feel like it is an equal workout either way.

Yay for Yoga

I spent a wonderful few hours with Cori yesterday afternoon in a mini yoga class. She has been practicing yoga for years and has taught it many times in her past.
Having never really practiced yoga, I only knew the little bits that I have gotten from workshops and books. To be able to work with someone and have them explain how to properly work the body was amazing. My body really felt it, in a good way.
I am working my way to integrating Yoga into my weekly life, then perhaps daily. It feels so great to be barefoot and connecting with the earth. The grounded feeling is very powerful!