Kaseys Korner

Gardening by Letter project

Maybe you've noticed the pretty mailbox photo on my sidebar that reads "Gardening by Letter project??"  If you've clicked on it, you've also noticed some lame blog designer (moi) added no further information about what this means.  How frustrating, right?  Today I'm offering an explanation (if you aren't already familiar with it) and hopefully (with a kick in the rump) it'll be enough to motivate me into updating my sidebar.  Anna of the beautiful FlowerGardenGirl blog is the wonderful blogger who organized this project.  Each month the participants send a card to her and she in turn, mails the collection to that months designated recipient.  There are twelve of us signed up to participate so at your turn, you'll receive eleven cards.  My month is not until November.  I hope I can stand the wait!  I signed up to participate because I can almost make cards in my sleep and I thought it would be wonderful to receive mail from other gardeners.  I also thought maybe you'd like to see some of the cards I've created and contributed.  Hopefully that's okay to share?? 

 

The card above is the third card I made after which I decided to use my own photos on all further creations.  I thought that might make it a little more personal??

 

The poppy photo is one of my favorites so it was a lot of fun to create with.  The same with the iris photo included in the card below:

 

Now that it's on the screen, that card looks a little tipsy, doesn't it??  I promise it's not that way in real life!  Let's just say the photographer was in a hurry, shall we?  How about one more?? 

 

I haven't been so good at posting paper craft creations lately so this was a way for me to combine the garden with a few projects.  If Anna, or anyone else hosts another, please consider joining.  It's been so much fun to participate in and so kind of Anna to offer her time, energy and expense (mailing costs).  Thank you Anna, for everything!  You can bet I'll be waiting by the mailbox every day in November until I get my package.  :-)

a restless night

was had at Paper Posy Cottage, self-inflicted, the result of a careless act.  There is no one to blame but myself.  In the garden, last evening, taking photos, I got distracted by a phone call and set my camera down.  During the conversation, it started raining so I moved inside, still talking, forgetting the camera.  Two hours later, rain falling the whole time, I remembered it was outside.  At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, I really believe my heart stopped beating for a second.  I know a pit instantly formed in my stomach and I literally felt sick.  My expensive 100mm macro lens is what adorned the camera body, wouldn't you know?  I spent over an hour drying every part of the body & lens I could, by hand & with my hair dryer on the low heat setting.  At 1:00 AM, I finally went to bed but certainly not to sleep.  I wondered what the morning would bring.  Would my camera work?  I really did not want cannot purchase another right now. 

I am relieved to say, all is not lost.  I took the photo above at 6:30 AM.  I don't think it's quite as sharp as usual but I'm hoping (praying, pleading, etc.) as the camera continues to dry out, things will improve.  Is that wishful thinking?

Yet another photo from this morning.  Oh, how could I have been so careless?  My camera is like another appendage to me.  Such an integral part of my life, I can't imagine going even a few days without it.  I know I will continue to "test" it and question/compare the results with previous photos.  Is it performing as well as before or not?  Only time will tell....   For comparison purposes, here's a photo from the other day:

 

You tell me.  I can barely stand to look.

February thaw

Check out the interesting landscape shot I snapped yesterday while walking my dog:

The weather couldn't make up it's mind.  Cloudy one minute, sunny the next but definitely snowing over the Rocky Mountains.  See that line of clouds concealing their jagged peaks?  What was interesting is how those contrasts were reflected in the lake.  Around the edges, the water is open, but the middle is covered in ice yet.  The blue sky & cloud bank were reflected back in that open water, stopping where the ice begins and making for a very interesting picture.  Don't you think??

Freedom & Liberty

I can't believe how fast time flies.  I know that's a cliche but almost three months ago I had the privilege of photographing two beautiful Chow Chows for one of my friends.  It seems like two weeks ago.  How does that happen??  Freedom (a gorgeous butterscotch color) is a couple years old and came to them by way of a Rescue group.   The second Chow, Liberty, was still a puppy (maybe 16 wks old???) and she's the one who gave me the biggest challenge.  Not because she wouldn't follow direction, but because of her black coloring.  I have yet to master the trick to photographing black.....  With permission from the family, I thought I would share a couple photos from that shoot:

 

We all loved this series, with their images reflected in the water.  I'm not sure if this is the best photo, I am just sharing the few images I still have downloaded on my computer.  Next is a gorgeous side-view of Freedom:

 

Isn't he beautiful? (and just as nice as he can be too).  I know some people are wary about adopting from a rescue or shelter but with some patience and a lot of love, look what the reward is.  I hate to think how many abused animals never experience love, safety or security.  They get started on the wrong foot and it never goes right from thereon.  Freedom is such a lucky boy in that respect and my hat is off to them for working with him.  Okay, okay, moving on.  Let's give little Liberty her time in the spotlight too:

 

Isn't she the cutest?  She reminded me of a little black bear cub except her disposition couldn't be any sweeter.  As a photographer, I look at these pictures and think I didn't do her justice.  In so many of them she appeared to be a dark shape next Freedom, her black eyes and nose lost in the identical coloring of her coat.  Someday I'll figure out the trick and we'll repeat the shoot so that you can really shine little girl!  Such a fun experience on a beautiful fall afternoon.  I still can't believe it was three months ago tho!!!

proof positive

This past week I've spent a little time taking senior portraits for the daughter of a friend.  We had a lot of fun taking some chances and trying some different poses and I thank her for indulging me.  This one was just for fun and I'm only sharing because her face is turned away.  Today's digital world makes it easy to play with photos and get some fun results.  This one for example became instantly more dramatic and edgy just by taking it from color to black and white.  It looks like we had a wind machine on site and we sorta did ~ the mother nature variety!  Not the best time for a photo shoot, in the dead center of the day with the wind howling but we made the best of it.  Congrats MacKenzie on your new senior status! 

May Remembered

Sharing another layout from my garden scrapbook this morning.  This one created a year ago with a grouping of three favorite photos from the month.  All taken in my garden and all make an interesting comparision of what a different year 2008 has been.  This May, the burr oak is barely beginning to leaf out, I haven't seen a western tiger swallowtail yet and my centranthus ruber (Jupiter's Beard) is certainly not blooming.  Looking at the layout, I am happy I took the time to scrap it and for the information it provides.  Pictures, paper & decorative tidbits are my preferred way of documentation.  It's a little surprising to me that another May will have come and gone in seven more days.  I don't know how it slipped by so fast... I will spend some time this holiday weekend making sure I have the month recorded.  How will you preserve the memories of May 2008?

Refreshing Friday

After violent weather yesterday, (a tornado touched down & caused tremendous destruction very nearby) it's nice to start the holiday weekend off on a calmer note.  Skies are blue and cloudless, hopefully the atmosphere is more stable too.  I have finally gotten all my plants (well, there are a few stragglers but that won't take long to remedy) settled in the ground or in containers.  Now I'm hoping to enjoy a quiet Memorial Day weekend.   Enjoy!

Whiskers

The neighbors cat.  A shot from my latest pet sitting.  I have to say he was most cooperative, which is more than can be said about my own fur baby.  All I had to do was tell him how handsome he was and he was putty for my lens.  Lapping it up and giving me exactly what I wanted.  I LOVE it when that happens, don't you?!!

Cheerio

How are things??  Life is good here.  Busy, but good.  Been planting and trying to fit work in around that.  Priorities you know!  This time of year is really busy, isn't it??  I feel like I have a better handle on my yard once I get all my purchased & seed started plants in the ground or in containers.  Otherwise, I'm watering a zillion places, the garden, the containers & the trays (with the seedlings & plants left to be grouped in containers).  It's taking me longer this year because I'm trying really hard to think outside the box with my containers.  Considering texture, color, height, etc., before settling them in a pot.  oh, and putting thought into the actual pot shape, size, color, etc., too.  It's enough to wear a girl out.  A good kind of exhaustion, I hope it pans out.   I plan to post some photos once they all get settled in.  On that note, I better get back at it.  Toodles!

Ladybug Limbo

I interrupted an intimate moment yesterday when I spied a speck of red on my fence.  The red spot turned out to be two little ladybugs lost in the "limbo."  They didn't even budge when I put my camera lens scant inches from their teeny bodies.  I took my photo then backed away gently although it didn't appear I could disturb them.  Go ahead and do your thing ladybugs.  It's all good.  I want as many of you in my garden as possible!  :-)