Just a shadow of its former glory...

We took the kids to the county fair tonight, mainly because I have been thinking about those authentic corn dogs they sell (not the soggy ones you get from the freezer section) and because it's summer and that is what you do in the summer--you go to the fair. I went to the fair as a kid with my family and then as a teenager. It was a grand fair, with the two headed animals, bearded lady, hypnotists, parades, cat/dog/quilt shows, 4-H animals, live bands, venders on the streets selling the "Chop-o-matics", toe rings, train sets, balloons. Oh and all the food food food and rides...need I go on?  

But I had heard that the fair was nothing like it used to be. I kind of surmised that it might be true when I went online and discovered that there was free entry and free parking. (Hmm...anything to get people to come?) We parked out in the dirt parking lot and walked right in and realized we were four people out of hundred visitors there. I felt like I was at a school carnival. It was like a ghost town...a mere shadow of its former glory. 

No lines at the ticket booths.

She was the only one riding the swings.

Thank you God...they still had the corn dogs.

And the silly, expensive games...

at which you could win random prizes.

Of course you can never get rid of the cotton candy.

Or the 4-H animals. This is a prize winning cow. 

Meet Osos and his owner. Sweet cow. 

His days are numbered. Next week he's being sold to a slaughter house.

(I will never look at a hamburger the same again. Could be Osos.)

The pigs were still there. Getting their beauty rest.

Hey, it's how you spend your last days at the fair.

And yes, the goats were there. Meet Cinnamon, the ribbon-winning dairy goat. 

Here she's waiting to be milked. It keeps her utter producing milk so that when she's being shown in front of the judges she's "plump". 

(You learn something new every day.)

Yes, a shadow of its former glory, fading away. Made me sad to think of the history that has gone with it, only memories, like lost snapshots, left to remind us of what it once was. My kids loved going and it was nice to have a quiet evening, but I think I would have rather taken them back in time to walk the fair in all of its sights, sounds, smells, and craziness that it was. 

p.s. Can't stop thinking about Osos. Can one rescue a cow?

Great GrandDaughters

Lolli Bug and McFruity Bean

(Lauren and Michaela)

First cousins.

Born 4 days apart.

They were actually due on the same day, 

but Lauren was a bit anxious to meet the world.

Today...they said goodbye to their great grandmother, Oma.

Here they are standing on the stoop of Oma's house.

I'll share more later about Oma (my husband's German grandmother) and the spit fire of a great grandma that she was. We just got home from the memorial service and though I spent the last 5 hours mingling with her friends and loved ones (standing in the kitchen where she used to make her famous green jello and potato salad) it is still not real to me that she is gone. When you are a great grandmother, you are a legend. 

Every Easter and Christmas she would buy these girls dresses. Michaela has mentioned several times that she will miss Oma and her outfits. 

(I know sweetie, I will miss those frilly things too.)

Here's my niece and her beautiful green eyes. 

She's got a bit of her Oma's spunk in her for sure.

Uno, Dos, Tres...

Today I met a friend after dinner and followed her three children around. 

I quickly snapped a picture of all three of them together before they took off.

Meet the most adorable 5 year old triplets...from left to right:

Megan---Carter---Anna

Ummm, Janie...she's a spittin' image of you!

You must get that a lot. :) 

So the sweetest story behind the picture below: 

As we were walking through the park, little Megan says, "I have a good idea! Let's sit on this tree branch right here and you can take our picture!" She plopped down smack in the middle of a sun puddle. I loved her excitement and creativity but was afraid to tell her that the picture might not turn out due to the extreme sun/shadow thing going on. 

Look at her! She's all lit up like something from heaven. 

This shot is straight out of my camera--not a drop of editing.

Sister Secrets...

I pulled an idea out of somewhere in my brain to bring some bubbles.

I know I owe someone somewhere credit, but this was the best thing I have ever done while taking pictures of kids. Totally occupied them and they wanted me to take a picture of every bubble. (Bubbles are hard to capture on film!)

I have this thing for catching back light. I love it when it when the light outlines a child's face. 

Love love love Carter's nose. (Janie, he's going to be a heart breaker!)

Megan's bubble...

Expressions on each of the faces...priceless.

Stand back for Carter's bubble.

After bubbles, Megan just wanted me to get a picture of her running. 

She did a few circles around us all and I seriously got dizzy.

Janie--I so loved capturing your kids today. They were truly a joy to be with.

I would do it all over again, anytime! Just call me...

Yesterday continued...

So this is the beautiful scenery a few steps away from my friend's house.  (Read yesterday's post.) The first time I saw it was in early spring and I was driving away from their house and these hills were green and the mist hung low and cows were out. 

I about cried for the beauty of it. 

The following are just a continuation from yesterday's post...

To get the inside joke on this one, you have to know that we were trying to get Ashton to "liven up a bit" and so he began to yell, "I LOVE BACON!". This is is "bacon shot".

See he can be quite the class clown...

Golden Light

This evening I went and took some family pictures for my friends, Brad and Piper. (I had taken pictures of their boys before and especially focused on one of their sons, Ashton, for my first art show I was involved in this past spring. Past posts of him are here and here.)  They live up in the hills of Gilroy and I could not ignore the beautiful hills and setting sun, so we walked up the street to climb the small trail by their house and sit under the oaks. The light was golden, the sun washed over everything like a fading dream. The cows called to one another in the distance and the air was perfectly cool. It was a golden moment.

I think I'll post more pictures tomorrow, it's late and my own light is fading...

A little Harry Potter inspiration

My son and I went to see the newest Harry Potter film today. Love Harry Potter. Have faithfully read each unfolding book. And while I have enjoyed the films, one can simply not compare them to them to the actual stories. No, of course not.

But today as the opening scenes of the film played upon the screen I was immediately entranced with the scene, not for the story line, but for the beautiful cinematography: the soft, yet grainy, blue-white light, Harry and Dumbledore set upon a dark, shallow depth of field, the intimate camera angles and perspectives...all of which carried such emotion and weight that I actually cried.

Unless you have seen the film it is hard to describe. If you did, perhaps you were entranced by it too? Or...most likely, you saw the film, are trying to remember the opening scenes and cannot remember what was so special about it. (What the heck are you talking about Tracey?!) Well, when I close my eyes to remember it I am still emotionally moved by it. (I admit, I am a bit geeky about such stuff.) I snapped myself out of my trance so that I could pay attention to the movie and then found myself once again entranced during the intimate scenes of Dumbledore's death. Again, the soft beautiful side lit light that gently illuminated his face paired with an intimate photographic camera angle swept me away again. (I know, I know... such a geek. And so sad to me that when I see it on dvd later that my tv will not do it justice. There's just something about seeing it on a big screen.)

I have always been moved by beautiful cinematography. It has always oddly touched my soul. I am drawn to pictures that capture beautiful light and use it to evoke emotion and story. I think this is why I first picked up a camera, because I have such a desire to capture life, a moment, a sliver of time, in such a way that it captures not just the image of it, or the memory of it, but the soul of it, leaving me and the viewer moved. I have sooooo far to go in my skills in doing this but it is my one singular goal for which I pick up my camera every day...so that I can get better at it.

Last Light

The view from my front lawn: the last fading light of my day. 

Hope you had a good weekend.

Pinata anxiety

With a blind fold on and a few spins to dizzy us up, we are then given a bat to swing at a paper animal that is stuffed with...well...stuff. A treasure that awaits, when and if our swing is the lucky one that hits its target. We get a few shots and then the blind fold comes off and we wait until its our turn again, or until someone else shreds the thing and then we dive into the crowd and grab for whatever "stuff" we can swipe up until it is all gone.  

Too much anxiety for me--stirs up my noncomptitive spirit just a bit. I know, I am such a democrat when it comes to party games. Can't we just sit down and evenly divide up the spoils?

Wings

Oh to fly!

Even after a bath, with hair dripping wet, 

she picks up where she left off.

I just kissed her good night, praying for dreams that fly her off

to soar where only little girl dreams go.

These are the things that caught my eye...

...These baby blues. 

(If eyes could speak!)

...A neighbor's flower caught in the golden light from a setting sun.

...And my curious son, aptly titled: the "Explorer".

Yes, these are the things that caught my eye today.