Monday, August 31, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Forty-Three: Just Hanging Out
Sometimes a photo opportunity jumps right out at you.
Fortunately, this one didn't.
This sneaky guy - whose portrait here has been color contrasted to the max - was clinging vertically (turn your computer screen 90° clockwise) to my kitchen wall. I discovered him quite suddenly as I was pouring myself some juice this afternoon.
Since I recently used another photograph of a grasshopper (though not the same one, unless their antennae grow very quickly), I decided to have a little more "Photoshop fun" with today's pic.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Forty-Two: Heavenly Illumination
As Emily and I were packing up music equipment and preparing to head home from church tonight, the sun broke through the clouds and gave an extra illumination to to stained glass window above the choir loft.
The brightness from the light through the window caused everything else to appear pitch black in the photo - as a result, I didn't have to touch this one up at all!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Forty-One: Quinquagenary*
Friday, August 28, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Thirty-Nine: Palm Reading
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Thirty-Eight: Hop To It
This little guy hopped into view just as I was looking around for a picture of the day today.
So, using the skills I acquired as a seven-year-old through diligent practice, I chased him down and coerced him to jump right into my cupped hands...then made him pose for a couple of photographs.
He stuck around just long enough to take a good portrait, and then sprung off to freedom.
I'd like to think that at least once a day we can find an excuse to let our inner seven-year-olds out to play, if only ever so briefly.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Thirty-Seven: Dark Side of the Sparkler
After having a little sparkler fun for Em's picture today, we decided that I needed to put a little spark into my picture of the day, too.
What you are seeing are three overlayed sparkler images, each with it's own hue.
After taking the original image into Photoshop and touching it up a bit, we decided to have a little fun with it, resulting in the tri-tonal picture you see above.
It was such a psychedelic outcome that I felt like popping in some Pink Floyd and watching The Wizard of Oz. Righteous!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Thirty-Six: On the Mark
With the sun just having set and twilight in full effect I thought I had my picture of the day in the bag: a unique cluster of street lights I had noticed driving home a few nights earlier.
However, when Emily and I pulled up to take the picture, we discovered that one of the key lights in the cluster had burnt out. Foiled!
Now faced with the looming darkness and no tripod, the only other option was to find something to photograph that wouldn't need a long exposure, like a prominent light source.
After a few failed attempts we pulled up in front of a popular grocery and retail store and I found my picture...
...right on target.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Thirty-Five: When Dogs Attack, Part 2
A few days ago I shared with you the after-effects of Lucy and her affinity towards chewing things.
We have since named the muppet-like creature "Ace Fortylove" in honor of Lucy's budding tennis prowess.
Well, recently Lucy decided that she wanted to take up basketball as well. You can see the results of her ambition.
When Lucy (or Farley) destroys a toy, you are left with a few options. You can:
1) put the toy on "injured reserve," and hope that it can be mended, patched, or sewn back together;
2) determine it is a lost cause and pitch it (see: the original Mr. Squeaky who, alas, squeaks no more...no more);
3) find some other creative use for it, like, say, an obscurely inconvenient candy dish.
This time around, we went the third route. It was either that, or make a giant clown nose for Lucy. After all, Halloween's coming soon.
Look out Air Bud, here comes Lucy!
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Thirty-Four: A Full Day's Work (and Play)
Today was a busy day for picture taking, and it started at 12:05 a.m. when I wandered into the East Lawrence Train Depot to see what was going on.
What was going on turned out to be a midnight performance to greet the passengers arriving on the Amtrak train.
The performance series is part of an effort by Carey Maynard-Moody and other depot preservationists to raise awareness for the depot in the city and to just have some fun.
I stuck around for a while, as did a small crowd of people gathered around the depot's main room. Even the train conductor enjoyed a few numbers, coffee in hand, before he had to leave to ensure his train's 12:30 departure time.
The performance series is ongoing, so stop by some Friday evening if you're in downtown Lawrence. Come support the depot - you never know who might be playing there!
After a few hours of sleep, it was time to take the dogs out for a run at the dog park. Farley and Lucy both enjoyed a good romp with some other Lawrence dogs and a nice long swim in the Clinton Lake Dam outlet river (and boy, did they get dam dirty!).
They even posed just long enough for me to snap a couple of pictures on a haystack. (In this one, Emily has just given them the Okay! command).
That night Em and I drove out to our friend Jeff's house near Baldwin City to take some family pictures.
On the way back we were driving towards the kind of open-country sunset that begs for you to pull off the side of the road and either 1) take some pictures, or 2) put the camera down already and just enjoy the view!
I opted for choice number one.
All in all it was a full day of picture taking, and a great day to be out experiencing Lawrence to the fullest!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Thirty-Three: Playing to the Crowd
This weekend brings the Lawrence Busker Festival to town.
What is a busker, and how does one busk, you ask?
Dictionary.com offers this explanation:
busk
[buhsk]
1. | Chiefly British. to entertain by dancing, singing, or reciting on the street or in a public place. |
2. | Canadian. to make a showy or noisy appeal. |
To Lawrence, it means a weekend of entertainment for kids of all ages, whether you're watching a cowboy demonstrate proper whip techniques (pictured above) - he later snapped a flower out of his mouth with the crack of his whip - or applauding a unicycling fire juggler, or staring eye-to-eye at a living statue, or any of the other unique performances that will travel down Mass Street this weekend.
Hope you can enjoy some of the action. And remember (as the fire-eater says), don't try this at home!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Thirty-Two: Gated Community
These days in Lawrence it seems like you can't throw a rock - or a wadded-up rental contract - without hitting a different apartment complex.
Every day a new one is sprouting up, and with all of the competition this creates in the student-housing market, every place has a gimmick.
For some it's a new pool. For others it's lofted ceilings. Or a 24-hour weight room. Or a complimentary weekend breakfast.
But my favorite has to be the "gated community."
Guaranteed to be as effective at keeping the weirdos out as a George Lucas Fan Club, these iron-girded apartment complexes are rarely secure.
Pass by a closed entry gate in town and I can probably name a half-dozen entry codes that will open it, leftovers from residents who moved out five years earlier.
Of course, half of the gates in town are simply left open, either for blatant convenience to apartment burglars or because they are somehow jammed and stuck that way.
So, here's to you, Gated Community, for keeping the streets of Lawrence safe. (After all, if the criminals are busy robbing your apartments, they're not out wandering the streets!)
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Thirty-One: Rain Delay
With 80 days of rain in Lawrence so far this year, there is no joy in Mudville - but it's not because Might Casey has struck out.
Mighty Casey doesn't even have a field where he can play ball yet.
Rains have delayed the construction of Lawrence High School's new on-campus sports complex.
The football stadium should be finished in time for the first home game, and the baseball stadium will almost certainly be ready for the Lions to take the field in the spring.
But the current condition of the soccer field (pictured above) is leaving this year's team uncertain of what location they will call home this fall.
Meanwhile, the current plethora of puddles allowed this photographer a chance for a self-portrait from a different perspective:
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Thirty: Along Came A Spider
Although it was dark when I came home tonight, my outdoor light was able to cast a strong, spidery shadow on the side of my neighbor's house - just in time for me to grab my picture of the day.
Because it was a bit breezy, the spider - who was at this point eight legs to the wind - came out a bit blurry and undefined.
However, because he was moving perpendicular to the light source (there is the math teacher in me coming out), his shadow did not move much at all, giving a nice, dark, two-dimensional reflection of the arachnid.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Twenty-Nine: Home Stretch
I came home today to find my border collie/black lab (or "blabber clab" for short) Farley sprawled out and resting on the carpet, front paws stretched as far forward as caninely possible, head tucked comfortably in the middle.
Farley was only too willing to roll his eyes and oblige as I set up my camera to get a picture of my uber-lounging dog.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Twenty-Eight: Tennis Bald
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Twenty-Seven: Homecoming
There was music, there was celebration....
...and there was rain.
But despite the wet weather (eventually the rain subsided and the sun appeared), a good time was had by all at 1631 Crescent Road this afternoon as the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center officially welcomed back its founding father, Monsignor Vince Krische.
The impact Msgr. Vince has had on the church and the community could be seen in the eyes, the smiles, and the sheer number of the people who came out to support him in his return to Lawrence.
Welcome home, Msgr. Vince!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Twenty-Six: Blinded Light
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Twenty-Five: Tall Order
I was lucky enough to have two great houseguests with me this week: my niece Bailey and her friend Jamie, who were taking a break from a cool Wisconsin summer to visit Lawrence before school starts back up for the fall.
While they found plenty of time for sight-seeing, shopping, hanging out with friends, shopping, swimming, and, well, shopping (Lawrence has a lot of cool stores), they also teamed up to cook dinner for Emily and me tonight.
Cooking dinner in my kitchen can be a challenge for two reasons:
1) My kitchen is about as long and wide as, say, a small bathroom. Like a small bathroom, it can get a little uncomfortable with two people in there.
2) What it lacks for in horizontal size it makes up for vertically.
This means that when a recipe calls for olive oil (conveniently tucked behind two bottles of vinegar in the top corner cabinet), a little teamwork might be necessary:
I'd say the girls both reached new heights in their cooking abilities - the spaghetti dinner was fantastic.
And with ample leftovers, I should be eating good for days to come.
Thanks Jamie and Bailey!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Twenty-Four: Catch A Tiger By The Tail
As Emily's blog will tell you, Lucy turns one (people)year old on Friday.
Lucy, though undeniably clever at times, still has several quirky qualities that might just keep her out of Doggie Mensa consideration for the time being...
...And even though she has finally managed to catch that most persistent pest (her own tail), 20 minutes later she'll be running in circles trying to chase down that elusive offender one more time.
Oh, well. I hope the next seven doggie years are as enjoyable and entertaining as the first seven.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Twenty-Three: Silhouettes
Monday, August 10, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Twenty-Two: Next Year, Baby
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Twenty-One: Dollar Wall
Got a buck? Feeling creative?
Decorate a one-dollar bill and Jefferson's restaurant in downtown Lawrence will pin it to their wall.
And as I sitting there tonight enjoying a burger with my favorite lawyer and fiancée Emily and our friend Mike, who also happens to be a lawyer, I couldn't help but think of Title 18, Part 1, Chapter 17, Section 333 of the United States Code, "Mutilation of national bank obligations," which states:
"Whoever mutilates, cuts, defaces, disfigures, or perforates, or unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking association, or Federal Reserve bank, or the Federal Reserve System, with intent to render such bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt unfit to be reissued, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both."
Oh, well. At least I know where I can find some fast cash if I ever need to pay the fine!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Twenty: Country Roads
I don't have to wander far from my front door to escape the city life.
For the past few days I've found myself driving around just east of Lawrence with my camera in the passenger seat. She's not much for conversation, but she's a heckuva lot better than that set of golf clubs I have in the trunk...talk about a back-seat driver.
(Sorry, couldn't resist.)
Travel just a few minutes east this college town (or west from Kansas City, for that matter) and you will feel instantly transported from Big City, USA to smack-dab in the middle of America's heartland.
It can be a pretty peaceful feeling, coasting along that gravel road with the windows rolled down and the radio turned up.
And although this four-legged friend was probably coming out to greet someone more familiar, he managed to make me feel quite welcome as I passed by.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Nineteen: 'Round She Goes
I had the idea for a merry-go-round picture months ago. The problem is, you can't find any parks these days that still have'em.
Go ahead, look around you. They're not there! (I've looked.)
But recently Emily found one in Topeka, and, though it meant I would have to go to Topeka, I thought it was a small price to pay to get the picture I wanted.
Plus it meant I would get to see Emily - and she agreed to be the subject of the photo!
We took a few pictures with a variety of faces and poses - but this was the only one I could see and actually think, I feel dizzy.
You know, we joke a lot about what a bad place Topeka is to visit...
(No, really, that's all I had to say.)
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Eighteen: Rooftop Warriors
School is almost back in session (already!) and there is still much maintenance and construction work being done on the Lawrence High School grounds.
A new football stadium and construction of other sports facilities on campus has meant a lot of hard work in the summer sun for many employees.
Here a four-man crew performs some midday upkeep on the roof of the west gym at LHS - although they might rather be taking a dip in the swimming pool directly below.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Seventeen: Sun Spot
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Sixteen: Rock Chalk
Today I ventured back out there with Lucy to take a closer look at the new KU Women's Rowing boathouse, constructed last year in the park alongside the Kansas River.
While we romped around the area a bit - at one point Lucy was one energetic bound away from floating down the river - we came across these painted KU decorations, reminding us that, while rowing season is still months away, other KU sports will soon be back in session (including the football team whose camp begins Thursday).
However, if you can't wait until spring for the rowing season, come by Burcham park this Thursday or the following Wednesday and learn how you could be a walk-on for the team!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Fifteen: Hot Pants
One of my favorite pictures of my dog Farley (and believe me, there are plenty) is a shot taken from the ground looking up at him flying in a magnificent leap, legs stretched before him and behind him like wings guiding him through the air.
There is a spot in Burcham Park in Lawrence, near my house, where I thought we could recreate that picture for today's blog entry.
As far as dogs go, Farley is pretty good about working for a camera: he'll stay in almost any position, and faithfully (or at least grudgingly) do most anything I ask him to do.
And so I thought today's picture would be a breeze.
What I did not factor into the equation, however, was the effect that the warm summer sun (and indeed a lack of any kind of breeze) combined with Farley's black fur coat would have on his body temperature and corresponding energy level.
By the time I got my camera all propped up and ready to go, with temperatures creeping up into the mid-90s, Farley was about as willing to jump as an acrophobic skydiver without a parachute.
I managed to coax him into a few lethargic jumps, but in the end it seemed that the best way to capture the theme of this hot day was to take it straight from the horse's -- er, make that dog's -- mouth.
Mission somewhat accomplished, I packed up the camera and headed out with my faithful friend in search of air conditioning, vowing to return to take the "great leap" photo on another, cooler day.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Fourteen: Traffic Jam
Interstate-35 stretches 450 miles north and south between Kansas and Minnesota.
It is a stretch of road that I have traveled many times, and have come to know well.
I have had tire blow-outs, breaking belts, and engine troubles leave me stranded on its shoulder.
I have driven through blinding blizzards and waved at ten-foot snow drifts as I glided by. I have sought shelter from pelting rain beneath overpasses. I have sung James Taylor songs while seeing fire and rain and sunny days that I thought would never end.
And, more than any other thing, I have seen road construction.
When you're driving on an interstate for over seven hours, it's a given that you will at some point pass the familiar bright-orange triangular signs, blinking arrow lights, or barrels in the road, all foreshadowing an eminent application of the brakes and readjustment of the cruise control down to a sludgy 55 miles per hour.
It is rare, however, that traffic ever comes to a halt on this road.
The only other time I can remember being at a complete stand-still was the night before the dorms opened on my sophomore year of college. An accident miles ahead had caused such a back-up that students everywhere (the roads were full of them at this time of year) were getting out of their cars to stretch their legs, talk to other drivers, and even play a game of catch with a light-up football.
Eventually, ahead in the distance, taillights started blinking and traffic started crawling forward. The game of catch ended and everyone returned to their vehicles, content in the delay because it had given them a story they could recount later, gathered around the dining room table with their dorm buddies.
Today's road-construction delay was not that long - only a brief moment when the tires weren't rolling.
But it gave me a chance to capture this shot of the traffic jam:
See you further on down the road!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Day Two Hundred and Thirteen: On the Lake
It was Saturday afternoon, and all was calm on the Rice Lake.
Only the gentle breeze could cajole an occasional flap from a lily pad, and in the distance another lily pad would respond.
Not a ripple could be seen....
That is, until the Haack family entered the water!
A reunion at the lake wouldn't have been complete without an afternoon of tearing up the water with boats, skis, tubes, and any other water toy the family could find to make some waves.
Above: Dennis cuts a mighty fine rooster tail with one ski (which is one more than he often uses).
Below: Tubing proves fun for the kids and the adults!
The night was topped off with a pontoon boat ride around the lake, dogs included.
And man's best friend enjoyed it all, right down to the last lick.