The Museum of Flight

Some days, when I'm out shooting photos, I get a good feeling. Like, "some of these shots might be good..." I look forward to uploading them to the computer when I get home, and opening them up with Windows Live Photo Gallery. I prefer the simplicity of the Windows program to the my Photoshop software because there are less bells and whistles to figure out. The focus is more on the photo itself.
I went to the Museum of Flight before it opened this morning, thinking I might get some good shots of planes, and/or the walkway overpass.

Black and White

The theme next month for the photo blog 'Visual Halo Halo' http://visualhalohalo.wordpress.com/ is Black and White. It's been interesting, shooting without color, or rather, trying to shoot something that might look good when converted to B&W. It's been fun looking over old photos, and converting them to B&W, but the challenge I've given myself is to go out with the idea of "Black and White". "Will that look good without the color?" Etc. It should be interesting.

A few converted photos:

Honey Buckets galore...

There were about a million 'Honey Buckets' lined up along Interurban yesterday, awaiting all the Rock n'Roll Marathoners expected today...

raindrop patterns on the windshield...

visually interesting?
or just something to focus on while I'm waiting?

I just noticed this when I was washing dishes, just outside the window by our sink:

I just can't seem to get enough raindrops on leaves...

bottle of wine uncorked
water drops in a frying pan

riverside vines and flowers
bumble bee zeroing in on a flower
bumble bee in a pink flower
bumble bee in another pink flower - a busy bumble bee

Andrea news...

Andrea just got the news that's she been hired for next year by the UW's EEU (Experimental Education Unit)http://www.haringcenter.washington.edu/, the Haring Center for Applied Research and Training in Education. It's associated with UW's School of Education, and there are several big perks:
1. the tuition for her second year of Grad School will be paid in full
2. she will receive a good monthly 'stipend' (it's a paid job)
3. the second half of the year, she will take over the main teacher's job to do her 'student teaching', which is usually a Volunteer position (no pay)
4. she has already spent a lot of time at the EEU, and she has enjoyed the challenges and rewards...
Yeah Andrea!

Nate's Graduation

Of the 200+ students in the 8th Grade , there were only a dozen or so 'Awards'. Nate got the male "Best in Tech(nology)" award. Several of his friends received awards too, including Language Arts, Math and P.E.

Nate's graduation was a blur of activity... Lots of cheering and laughter. A bunch of kids went to BJs at the Mall that afternoon, and there was a dance that evening. Fun, fun... Summer, here we come!

Our 8th Grade Graduate this morning, before I drove him to school.

Dad had his eye on me

Dad had his eye on me the other day, when I was visiting Mom...

As I approached the river, I remember thinking "I wonder if I'll see any of the new ducklings today". Sure enough, I looked to my left, and there were three duck families.
The parents had their eyes on me.flat wet leaf on concretefly on a leaf
leaf patterns

more flowers, and raindrop closeups

quiet
sleeping cats
fireplace flickering
looking out through the shutters
morning sunshine
quiet

flowers, foliage and raindrops

Some photos from along the Green River, and some from the Volunteer Park Conservatory.