Christmas 2009 Prelude

Merry Christmas everyone!

I have filtered through about 100 pictures today and I still have more in the camera so I have decided to break this down into smaller chunks. I think I have said this before, but just to set the records straight I write these things for myself and for those who happen to enjoy them due to our relationship either friends or family. I am not looking to become some literary novelist or anything else.

Ok, so I will be adding to this as I can for every journey starts with the first step and instead of trying to write the entire experience in one long story with a butt load of pictures I will be breaking it down into separate posts. God Bless you all and Merry Christmas.

Pat, Val, & Lucy

Pre Christmas Sit outs: Christmas 2009

Pre Christmas Sit outs: Christmas 2009

This has been one very busy Christmas season for us. First we had a few nightly sit outs during the warmer evenings in December.

You will note the gas heater we got from Albertson’s. Philip found it on sale for $99 bucks and told us about it. On the day we rode over to Texas Grump’s for me to look at the bike he has for sale and on the way back we stopped at Albertson’s to check out the heater. Sure enough I liked it so I paid for it, asked them to hold it until I came back with a cage. There was no way in heck to get that thing on the bike. In the next shots you have Hoffie, a good friend of ours, Paul and Philip, (if you been following my blog you do not need an introduction there), and my lovely wife Val.






As you might tell it is getting closer to Christmas. On this evening we have Jim, Tammy, Paul, and Val and I. Tonight Val takes the shots.






I hope you all had or if you read this today are having a wonderful Christmas.

Pat & Val

E2E 2009 Chili, Desert, and Side Disk Cook

E2E 2009 Chili, Desert, and Side Disk Cook

We had another very successful 2009 E2E cook and I want to thank everyone for coming and participating in the bringing of some very fine eats, and the companionship sharing. I thought I would share some pictures with you all.

Here is the desert line… Some folks went way out cooking up some real unique deserts. Not all of the deserts made it in the picture and some have not arrived at the time of this shot.



Here are some general shots.







Hey Paul, what you got there?



I do not even want to ask what this discussion is all about. Looks like a bit of a fish tale.



Mental note to self, cover up all white boards when Jay comes to party, you just know he wants to use them. So many white boards in one room, Jay must have just been going nuts.



This isn’t bad stuff!



Not saying all of our stories are believable but we sure know how to tell them.



Now if you down load this picture and zoom in on Mike and Ted, either what ever Jay is saying has them about to spit up their food from laughing. More like ‘what did you say?”.



Elaine, did Paul say something thought provoking?



Here is a couple of football coaches planing the attack, now Jay are you recording the discussion or trying to figure out where you at with the GPS function?



If we all just keep eating and ignore him, he will go away with that dang camera.



George asks to see the camera and walks away to take this shot. I had to replace the lens after this shot. Two moons in one shot just is too much.



Ted, I do not think Mike is buying what your selling.



If you ever need rocko and socko we know where to find them. I know Christa is just not that short.

These are our winners, Ted for the Chili and Pete for the desert. It was a very close race in both categories and everyone was a good sport. Christa’s Wolf Brand Chili even got a “we love you anyway” vote.



Here is a shot of Pete’s desert. Oh and by the way, his wife Marruby actually made it.



Again thanks to all that showed up and enjoyed. And sorry for the few who got caught up in a work emergency at the last minute but that is part of what makes this team great!

Pat

A Happy Ending, owner and pet reunited

A Happy Ending, owner and pet reunited

Ok, I am putting this in my photo blog even though the shot is not worth a hoot but just I like happy endings so I am going to publish this one shot.

Several days ago I was out putting the garbage cans away in lets say early evening when I notice this young lady in my front yard with this big ole dog. Now I have my own dog so I really do not care for folks bringing their dogs into my yard especially if they are going to let a big one down. So I kind of approached her but not directly as like I said she had a big dog but I got close enough that she could tell I was not thrilled about the idea of her being in the grass. She moved on to the driveway and said sir with her cell phone in hand trying to contain her dog. She asked have you seen this cat as she presented the picture on her cell phone. Now I wear trifocals and cell phone pictures play all kind of games on me, but I thought I did recognize the cat so I told her to go into my back yard and look around. She also gave me her number in the event I see the cat so I took it down. Well lately there have been a lot of cat arguments coming out of my back yard at night so I figure either he (her cat) is getting stomped by the other cats in the neighborhood who have clamed this area, my back yard, as theirs. She takes her dog in the back yard looking for this cat, now mind you this dog is big so I know why the cat hit the road. That reminds me I will include a shot of one of the neighborhood cats with Lucy my dog in this story also.

Any way days go by and I do not see that cat, then this afternoon I hear the familiar hissing and such going on in the back yard so I take a look. Well sure enough Rudy (we call him) Blondie (as the owner calls him) has the missing cat cornered in my old shed. First a shot of Lucy and Rudy yesterday in our back yard.



This next shot is Rudy cornering the lost cat.



This all happened very quickly so all shots of the lost cat where done without adjusting settings and I had no idea what I even had the settings set to on the camera. So none of the shots in this story are for any photogenic showing. Once Rudy hears me coming he moves off so the lost cat can make his escape, he came out quickly so I just pointed and shot. I took this shot so I could call the lady who lost the cat and let her see the picture.



I made the call and got voice mail so I explained that I think I saw their lost cat in my back yard, I left my phone number. Later I got a call back from a male who is her boyfriend and he then later came over and sure enough the cat recognized him and the guy was able to put a handle on the cat. Now after I took this next shot they guy asks me to do him a favor, thinking he wanted me to hold this piece of paper in his hand I reached for it and instead he handed me the cat. I have the camera hanging by my neck with the lens cover off, the cat don’t know me from squat, and it had his nails. Do you think I am just a tad reluctant, heck yes, but he just hands him over so I am like ok kitty, you bit or scratch me and its game on. Much to my surprise the cat was very gentile and though moved around in my arms he did not open his claws. Here is the shot of the owner and his cat, a happy ending to what could have been a bad story.



Pj

More Flowers

Oh boy everyones favorate Mushrooms

This first one was shot with my FUJIFILM S1000, I did not center the mushroom as I liked the little plant to the top left.



The next one Val shot with her Cannon SureShot.



The next two shots were with my camera and they are unedited.

Ducks at our park 101809

Here is two shots of a few ducks in the pond in the park behind our house.

A few Photo's 101809

Today was a great day for riding or taking photo's. Since I hit the road yesterday I thought I would shot pictures today. There will be more coming.

Shot this one in the back yard.


This one I shot on my motorcycle ride yesterday.