Sunday Stills- Creepy

I actually don't find any of these things creepy. 

But some folks do.

Crawdads are a little bit creepy

But spiders- I love 'em!

30%

 The 2013 Draft Horse Classic was this weekend. Lil Mama and I have been looking forward to it all year. Jr is finally old enough to enjoy himself and sit in the bleachers for the Best Horse Show on the West Coast, (at least as far as we are concerned).

It has been very warm here- just the way we like it. The height of our Indian Summer. Sometimes at this time of year our temperatures have soared to  100 degrees. We have absolutely melted during the day! We seek beer and shade and not necessarily in that order.

Three days ago the Weatherman says,"Some chance of rain."
We say- 'Pfffttt!"

Two days ago the Weather man says "30% chance of rain."

We say," It won't rain! It's September for Heaven Sakes!"

We pack. We do not pack rain gear. We do not pack jackets.

30%

It rained.

And rained...

And RAINED!!!

We waited for it to stop.

It did not stop.
We bought jackets.
We bought Hot Chocolate.
We waited some more.

Finally when the arena was deemed flooded Horse Show was cancelled due to rain.

I did manage to take a few snaps- enough to document the day.

You gotta be Kiddin'

Intrepid Friends

Wet

Waiting

Here are a few snaps from a few years ago.

Gypsy

Hitched

Bleu- eye

Six Horse Up

Baby Sister

What'cha got in the Bag?

Not the Biggest Pony in the Barn

Pretty in Purple

Spokes

BFF

Girl Talk

30% can ruin a day for sure but I am 100 % sure that next year will be much better!

Sunday Stills- Boats

I live on the water. The county I live in is called "Contra Costa' or " Opposite Coast'. I love boats too, though I have never learned to sail and I am a little bit like Natalie Wood in the fact that I am always afraid of drowning-even on dry land.
almost every aspect of my life is surrounded by water- there are seven bridges within a half hour of my home. You can't swing a dead cat without crossing water to do it!

This weeks challenge for Sunday Stills is Boats. I stopped at the Alameda Ferry Crossing on my way home this afternoon.
I parked the truck and grabbed the camera. It was 5:00 and the light was not optimum- too soon for the 'golden hour' and too late for the incoming Ferry.
" Buck up", I thought to myself. " It is a challenge- that means it should be a little bit hard."

 I adjusted my camera and took a few snaps. I am always fascinated by those cranes,so I took a picture of them. To my left were a few boats 'up on blocks'. I walked that way and snapped away there too. I read the informational sign at the end of the path and then returned to my truck.
 
"Epic Fail," I thought,sure that I had just wasted a half hour and gotten myself stuck in rush hour traffic because of it for nothing.
I thought about those snaps all the way home. Too much haze. Not enough clarity. Uninteresting subject matter-especially since some of the posted captures on the Sunday Stills Blog were so damn good!

Here are the captures I made today. 

I was mostly right. There is too much haze in one, not clear enough in another and sort of a boring subject in the last. 

But upon further thought I have decided that they might be 'Fails' on a photography plain, but they are not epic failures by any means. 

Here is why~

  

I got a little out of my comfort zone in an environment in which I wasn't familiar. 

I had to shoot fast and try to find 'something' during my time parameters.

I got some fresh air.

I learned a little bit about Alameda- a place I knew nothing about though I have worked here for three years. 

 I learned a little bit more about my new camera. It is a constant learning process and though I fail sometimes it is alright. 

Failure just gives me another chance to try it again- and do it better- tomorrow. 

Sunday Stills- Water

Capt Tripps sees the Ocean for the first time.

Clydesdale at the Draft Horse Classic getting a bath.

Aunti and Littlest Cowboy fishing for crawdads on his birthday.

The biggest cranes on the West Coast across the estuary in Alameda. That is the OLD Bay Bridge in the background. Slated for demolition soon.

My favorite spot on the Western Seaboard-Blind Beach,Sonoma County.

Blind Beach

                                                               I love water.

                                    My Zodiac sign is Cancer- which is a water sign. 

     I spend as much time in on near the water as I possibly can- which is weird because you can't ride horses                                   in water- and I have NEVER ridden on the beach! 

Sunday Stills-Back sides

You see- he's my favorite subject. 

Seems like I have a lot of pictures of him from the back. 

Or from the side

Maybe that's because I have a hard time keeping up with him

Or maybe it's because I enjoy watching the swagger

And the curiosity

And maybe someday he'll look back on these pictures and remember how much fun we had.