Not what I planned on doing today...

but it was like losing an old friend. I had to go take pictures. I'm so glad my sister called me to let me know this was happening. It was worth leaving a fresh cup of coffee to go and take photos. This mill was an active, feed producing mill with an attached feed store when we first moved to Midland. So sad to see it go. It was an eyesore and a haven for crackheads and bums, but it was also a major icon in the Midland landscape. I just picked a bunch of random pics for this blog. The whole set is over at my Flickr account.



What greeted me as I arrived.



What used to be the front of the feed store.



At work.



Team effort.



Discussing options.



As the flames creep out. They put this out and it came back four times.



Bill, the firefighter, wanted me to take a picture of his pal up on the rig. I forgot to ask the pal's name.



Attacking an outbreak of flame.



Billowing smoke.



Going to check it out.



Letting it burn to collapse the roof so they can get the water inside.



Bill (on the right) and his pal, cheesing for the camera. This is while they were waiting for the fire to bring down the roof so they could get the water inside.



Bill's pal actually working. Trying to put out that flame that came back four times.



Letting it burn.



I did Bill a favor by taking pics of him and his pal, so he did me a favor by letting me get a picture for my nephew's little boy, AJ.

Mother's Day rose.

This beautiful rose was at my work on Mother's Day. I'm still not sure who brought them, but I intend to find out, not only who brought it, but where they got it, because look at it. It is so beautiful and it has lasted so long. None of these pictures give an accurate picture of the color of this rose. It is a beautiful deep red, but, even with flash, I was not able to accurately capture it. Still it is very beautiful.


The night I brought it home. Mother's Day. May 9, 2010.


I put it on this fabric in an attempt to capture the true color. This picture most closely reflects the true color.


A close up to show its beautiful form. Taken 5/17.


Taken 5/18


Taken today, 5/23. It is just now starting to darken around the edges! I have had it for two weeks! It is still in the same water bottle. I haven't added any water.

Tulips (picture heavy)

I love tulips. My daughter, Laurie, got me tulips for Mother's Day and naturally I photographed them. And photographed them again. And again. I have a real sickness. Is there a twelve step program for excessive photo taking?

I personally think that the insides of tulips are even more beautiful than the outsides. They are like little clips from a kaleidoscope. Here are some of the 100's of photos that I took of the tulips. Some of these are soft focus and some are just plain out of focus, but I liked the outcome. Most of them are taken with macro or super macro settings.

I didn't upload them in any particular order or rearrange them to be in order.

Nearing the end.



Lavender pair.
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Creamy, peachy beauty.



Stamina.



There were three white ones. They were delicate and beautiful and almost translucent near the end of their time.



Kaleidoscope.



Worship the pistil.


Stamens and pistil.


Pink and purple kaleidoscope.


Pink, yellow and red kaleidoscope.



Soft and peachy!



Blurry kaleidoscope.



Pastel.



The bunch, slightly doctored.



A few of the bunch, slightly doctored.

For those of you who have missed me...(Roni)

Photos taken while sitting in the lawn swing.


Under the trampoline.



Dandelions under the trampoline.



Dandelions under the trampoline after playing with features in my photo program.



Too far away to get the detail.



Dandelion going to seed.



My trees. Well, some of them.



This is sitting on the trampoline.



Baseball on the sidewalk.