Day Three Hundred and Sixty-Five: Resolution

One picture a day...where has the year gone?


Time certainly has flown by from behind the camera lens.

This project has been a blast, and Emily and I have learned so much (most importantly we have learned that there is much more to discover on our journey to become better photographers!).

Thanks to everybody who has kept up with our blogs for the past year. It has been very encouraging to have the support, comments, and feedback from people following our 365 days of work.

So, what's next? Well, for starters we encourage you to visit and bookmark our newest blog site: Belltower Photography. This is our joint effort to take our hobby that we love and turn it into something more.

Check back at belltowerphoto.blogspot.com often for new posts. And here's how you can help us out:

If you like what you've seen on these blogs or what we're doing on the new site, keep us in mind and when someone you know could use a photographer, show them to our site. That's it! (See, I didn't even ask you for any money!)

Thank you for your support, and for giving us more of a reason to see this project through to the end.

Happy New Year to everybody - I'll leave you with this parting shot:

Day Three Hundred and Sixty-Four: Best Buds

It took 364 days, but I finally found an excuse to talk about my favorite comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes. (I recommend bookmarking the site - each day brings a different installment!)

In the cartoon, a perpetually-six-year-old boy Calvin captures and befriends a playful tiger, Hobbes. While Hobbes was originally lured into captivity with some tuna fish ("tigers will do anything for a tuna fish sandwich"), the feline manages to lure Calvin into plenty of other mischief.

I have often noticed Hobbes-like characteristics in the behavior and expressions of my dog Farley.

When Lucy joined the family, she became the "Calvin" to Farley's "Hobbes." Together the two eat, play, sleep, and romp the days away.


I didn't intend to have two days in a row of dog-playing-on-lake shots to round out this year's blog. But the idea is to capture the theme of the day each day, and today's theme was winter travel.

Driving up or down I-35, my favorite place to get out and stretch my legs is Myre - Big Island State Park in southern Minnesota. During the summer there are plenty of trails to explore throughout the islands situated on Albert Lea Lake.

But during the winter, the potential play area multiplies exponentially. The lake freezes over creating miles of open running space.

Today Emily and I ventured into the frozen tundra (we were the park's only visitors), and our canine Calvin and Hobbes duo took full advantage of the room to run.

Here's hoping we all can find the Calvin to our own inner Hobbes!

Day Three Hundred and Sixty-Three: Doggone Good

Anybody that knows Emily and me probably also knows that we treat our dogs (Farley and Lucy) as if they walked on water.

Today they lived up to our expectations.


Emily and I ventured down to Islands of Peace park in Minneapolis this morning to see the Mississippi River up close and perhaps capture a photo-of-the-day.

The Mighty Mississippi was covered in ice, and while we humans were a little hesitant to stand on the frozen river (lest we find ourselves swimming in it), our faithful four-legged companions had no such reservations.

Here they are looking downstream, standing atop the seasonally solid river.

Lucy and Farley have been good sports throughout our picture project, and they continue to bring joy to our lives...whether or not they can really walk on water.

Day Three Hundred and Sixty-Two: Away in a Manger

After falling asleep in the reclining chair in my parents' living room (a holiday tradition of sorts) while watching the Vikings battle the Bears in Monday Night Football (the Vikes lost in overtime, but I was already off in dreamland), I woke up in a quiet, dark room.

The only light still on in the house was that from the créche, which gave a warm glow from across the room.

I thought it made for a nice picture and a nice reminder of what is really important this holiday season.

Day Three Hundred and Sixty-One: Old Man Winter

Old Man Winter showed up in Wisconsin this weekend, and I was able to catch him looking over a snowy front yard in this picture...can you spot him? (look for the big nose.)

Brrrrr!

Day Three Hundred and Sixty: Tropical Snow

Two days ago the random strand of Christmas lights stretched out across the ground outside my neighbor's door seemed a bit tacky and out of place.

36 hours and six inches of powdery precipitation later that same strand of lights has been transformed into a brilliant display of colors that bleeds through the newly fallen snow.


Anyone else in the mood for a snow cone?

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-Nine: Christmas Montage

There are plenty of houses lighting up with Christmas spirit in Lawrence this holiday season.

Hopefully the same is true in your neck of the woods, but if not, I thought I'd spell it out for you.

Here is a collection of images from fifteen different houses around Lawrence. No fancy post-production effects here - just some applied geometry and creative perspectives.


Merry Christmas to you!

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-Eight: It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

24 hours ago the chances of a white Christmas in Lawrence seemed slim...unless you heard the weather reports.

What a difference a day made (again!), as six inches of snow fell tonight, just in time for Christmas.

Here is a shot from outside my bedroom door of light pouring across the freshly fallen powder.

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-Seven: December Rain

With wide temperature shifts in this region, sometimes the skies over Lawrence can't decide whether to throw down rain, sleet, snow or hail.

Today's mixture started with one drop.


That one drop quickly grew to a steady rainfall. And though the precipitation may have played some tricks on visibility, it didn't keep many holiday travelers off of the roads.


(no effects added to this picture, aside from the natural effect of headlights refracted through moisture in the air.)

Emily and I braved the weather as well, and made it to Prairie Village just in time for dinner hosted by friends Kelly and Dan.

The meal was magnificent, as were the Christmas decorations...including this wine glass ornamentation put together by one Ms. Kari Kennedy (who promised to read my blog if I posted this picture!).

(If you look closely you can see Kari in the reflection of the bulb - just to the left of the funny looking guy with the camera.)

Day Three-Hundred and Fifty-Six: More Expectations

In nearing the end of 365 days worth of pictures, I'm finding it difficult not to revisit themes that have been previously explored on this blog. I can look around most of my "usual" places in Lawrence and think, "I've already taken that picture."

On the other hand, I'm also finding that you can never really take the same picture twice.

Take today's picture, for instance. Marcus Morris at the free throw line, ball in midair, all the fans in the stands (and Sherron Collins behind him) waiting in anticipation for the shot to drop. Look familiar? Check out this photo from my blog entry over eleven months ago.

If expectations were high then (and they were), they are even higher now with the 'Hawks ranked number one in the nation and the majority of analysts predicting them to be in the Final Four.

It's a new season, it's a new picture, but it's a familiar scene that speaks to the loyalty and support these fans have for their basketball team year in and year out.

Also around eleven months ago I found a rather amusing portrait of a tuba player (thanks to a nice, high polish on the brass).

I thought I'd revisit that technique today as well, courtesy of the sousaphone section of the KU men's basketball pep band:

I've learned a lot from this blog project, but more than anything I've discovered that there is always more than one way to view a scene...and thanks to that I will always be looking for unique perspectives in photography...and life!

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-Five: Music is King

Someone once told me that if you're a musician and you can't find a place to play in Lawrence, then you're just not trying.

There are many music venues in this town. Some regular spots with dedicated stages host music nightly (The Bottleneck, The Jackpot Saloon, The Jazzhaus). Other bars and coffee shops may have live music once or twice a week.

And then there's...Burger King?

I met Tom, the guitarist on the far left, while playing music at a church function a few nights ago.

It can be a nerve-racking experience as a musician finding out that there is a better guitarist than you sitting in the audience you are about to entertain. But Tom (a guitarist of at least 40 years) had nice things to say, and after we talked shop for a while he invited me to hear his classic-country-style group play.

At the Burger King.

Like I was told before, if you can't find a place to play in Lawrence, then you're just not trying.

I'll leave you with one last picture from the Burger King dance floor:

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-Four: Winter Wonerland?

Though Lawrence has had a few fleeting snowfalls so far this year, it is not looking much like a winter wonderland outside these days, with hopes of a white Christmas being dashed quicker than a one-horse open sleigh gliding through the snow.

The bluebird may have gone away, but this bird pictured below is here to stay, singing a love song outside my frosted window pane this afternoon, nestled up cozy in a thicket of wheat.


Fear not, blog followers: with plans to travel to both Minnesota and Iowa this holiday season, surely Emily and I will bring you a picture or two of that white Christmas of which you are dreaming!

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-Three: Man's Best Friend

Meet Farley.


Farley has been the subject of several other blog entries this year (most notably here, here and here).

Today Farley is in the spotlight once again, because today Farley turns six years old! (As his birthday cookie will tell you, this is 42 in dog years).

I wasn't sure I could handle a dog when I first picked him up from the humane society, but Farley has made it very easy being a pet owner for these past six years.

Happy birthday, Farley. I'm sure your sister Lucy would agree that any future puppy successors will have some big paws to fill.

When it comes to good dogs, Farley has definitely raised the bark of expectation!

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-Two: Talk the Talk, Walk the Walk

Of all the people, places, and things Emily and I have featured on our blogs this year in over 350 days of pictures, one thing that we have not had is a picture of a "celebrity sighting."

In Lawrence, you won't find a much bigger celebrity (all Mark Mangino jokes aside) than KU head basketball coach Bill Self, seen here signing his latest book, At Home in the Phog.

Besides Emily and I not being able to spot a lot of celebrities in the past year (thus cementing the fact that we will never be tabloid photographers), I think these types of pictures haven't made their way onto the blog because, typically, celebrity spotting photographs are more "snapshots" than they are "artwork."

Though we may not always hit the mark, we are definitely trying for the latter, not the former, in this blog project. And while they may not all be considered artwork, we want our pictures - as much as possible - to tell a story.

Book signings are pretty common on the KU campus. Every year or so you can expect someone from the athletic department to publish their memoirs and make a few extra dollars attracting a long line of people to the bookstore to wait for a personalized, autographed copy for their own bookshelves.

Two years ago it was legendary Jayhawk announcer Max Falkenstien with his offering, A Good Place to Stop, 60 Seasons with Max and the Jayhawks. Last year Danny Manning sat with pen in hand, giving signatures and boosting sales of the book, What it Means to be a Jayhawk.

Coach Self's line this year required a little more waiting: Bill is very much a people's person, not refusing a little chat with anybody patient enough to stand in line to see him.

The line of people, though not quite like the day after Thanksgiving, did wrap around the KU Bookstore (unlike Black Friday, I decided it was worth my time waiting in this line).

I think what makes this picture more than just the average celebrity snapshot is Bill's positioning underneath his own "READ" poster in the bookstore. I'm sure it's something he preaches to his #1 ranked basketball team in one form or another:

If you're going to talk the talk, you have to walk the walk.

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-One: Mass Street Music

You won't hear any Taylor Swift being played here.

The musicians that passers-by will hear (whether they ackowledge them or not) on Mass St. in downtown Lawrence will play two types of songs: old or original.

And whether they are old country ballads (and we're not talking "Brad Paisley from 2004" old, here), or self-penned blues, if you stop to listen for a little while you are bound to hear honest stories told in ways that only people who earn their livelihood in tips and spare change can tell.

From a musician's aspect, I'd like to give everybody with an open guitar case and a story to tell a few extra dollars...but from a musician's aspect, I don't have enough money to spare - not with the amount of performers lined up and down the pedestrain-friendly strip on a given night.

So, in some cases I choose to keep walking by, like the couple in today's picture. But if I find somebody whose story speaks to me, I'll stop and have a listen, my offering in hand.

Tonight's mandolineer caught my attention by growling through some old blues. As I paused to listen, he attempted a more recognizable and complex piece (perhaps for my benefit), but he needn't bother:

Sometimes all you need are three chords and a story to tell.

Day Three Hundred and Fifty: Saved By The Bell

From the mirror ball in the ceiling above the intersection of four hallways outside my classroom at LHS (that was six prepositional phrases, in case you English majors were counting), here is a look at the metamorphosis of a school's traffic ways from 1 minute before the bell to one minute after...


Today this bell released students from their last official day of classes (less finals) for the first semester.

Truly, these students were Saved By The Bell.*

---

*you didn't think I was going to go 365 days without posting a link to this, did you?

Day Three-Hundred and Forty-Nine: Fire and Ice

Lawrence is usually good for one good ice storm per year - the kind that leaves a coat of ice on every branch of every tree, every telephone wire, every car antenna, and - well - everything.

After such a storm (which is rarely an actual storm, but rather a gentle rain right around 32°F), scenes like this one below are not uncommon:

However, this ice-coated tree branch was not the result of the weather.

Nor did a storm turn these bicycles to icicles...

This man-made ice storm was produced courtesy of the Lawrence Fire Department, who was called into action late last night to battle a blaze at 17th and Tennessee Streets.

The fire was started by unattended cooking and engulfed the entire house (which was serving as multiple apartments). Nobody was injured, but the building was totaled.

Here are a few more images of the "fire and ice:"

(click to enlarge)

Day Three Hundred and Forty-Eight: The Christmas Song

Tonight my beloved Taylor guitar accompanied me as I accompanied a group of about fifty churchgoing folk in some good, old-fashioned Christmas carols.

Not much else to say about the evening, except that today's picture brings the return of the Santa cap to the photo-a-day blog.

You may notice the amp in the background...about halfway through the "performance" I unplugged and started walking around the crowd, which made for a much better sing-along atmosphere!

...It also provided me some much needed practice for my next career as a wandering minstrel. So if you see me strolling by your neighborhood someday, grab your lute and join in the fun!

Day Three Hundred and Forty-Seven: Ornamental Music

Sitting in my living room, enjoying a cup of hot chocolate and the warm glow of my Christmas tree, I notice a solitary ornament, this little wooden guitar, back lit amongst the shadows.

For some reason this picture makes me think of a tropical holiday - maybe Christmas in Hawaii?

Did you know? The Hawaiian alphabet contains only twelve letters: five vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and seven consonants (h, k, l, m, n, p, w).

Therefore translations - or more correctly, transliterations - from English to Hawaiian will replace letters from the English alphabet with those available in the Hawaiian alphabet (for instance, "R" is replaced with "L," and "S" with "K").

As a result, the English "Merry Christmas" becomes Hawaii's "Mele Kalikimaka."

So, Mele Kalikimaka to you!

Day Three Hundred and Forty-Six: He's Comin' To Town

You'd better watch out...

Several Santa caps are lying around my house these days, in anticipation of the big man's arrival.

Look for more appearances of the cap in future photos of the day!

Day Three Hundred and Forty-Five: Winter Frost

I caught this image of a "frost-covered winter morn" on my way to work earlier today.

This is a picture of my windshield (which has been featured before on my blog - only with H₂O of a different form) taken while I was stopped at a red light.

The frost left on my window from the night before left such a nice design I wanted to feature it on the blog. However, the only way I could grab a photo and still make it to work on time was to pull my camera out while the car was momentarily stopped, and take a quick picture.

The challenge was this: the only way to get the proper angle of the windshield with sky in the background was to take a picture by holding the camera in my lap - meaning I had to take my best aim blindly and let autofocus do the rest.

The whole process took about 28 seconds, which left me two seconds to put the camera away before the light turned green and I moved along down Mass Street.

I'm sure the people in the car beside me were a bit curious as to what was happening next to them.

(One thing this project has taught me is that you can't always be concerned with what others think of you...getting good photos sometimes means getting over your own insecurities or embarrassment.)

With a little fine tuning, the pic-of-the-day turned out: a snowy, frosty winter glow!

Day Three Hundred and Forty-Four: The Games We Play

This little blog o' mine turned 5000 today, with the lucky 5000^th hit coming from a viewer in Rochester, NY (was it you??).

This project has been both a blessing and a curse...but mostly a blessing.

It has been a challenge to develop my photography skills (which I think I am accomplishing).

It has been a challenge to come up with clever puns (see previous line).

It has challenged my creativity, both in picture-taking and writing.

It has challenged me to keep to a schedule and stay updated on entries (an ongoing battle).

It has been a welcome distraction from work when I need a break.

It has been an excuse for too much procrastination from work!

It has kept me in touch with old friends, and introduced me to new friends.

It has helped me share time with the people I love, doing something I love.

All in all it has been a most enjoyable way to pass the time, like many of the games we play.

(Below is a shot taken from my iPhone - the only camera I had available at the time - of Emily speeding by some of the other games we play, on display at Target.)

Thank you to all of our loyal viewers, and to those who just happen to stop by!

(Only 21 days remaining...)

Day Three Hundred and Forty-Three: Cookie Cutter

I can't pass this house on Michigan Street in Lawrence (on the way to Emily's place) without getting in the Christmas spirit!

The fact that it is a "cookie cutter" house is only emphasized with the large lights that outline it this time of year...they might as well be colorful candy pieces on a gingerbread house.

It seems like everybody has their own preference on how to decorate their house for the winter season. Of course, not everybody's preferences are "correct."

As far back in my childhood as 5th grade, my friend (turned "best man") Matt and I formulated a list of Christmas light do's-and-don'ts.

The list has been refined over the years, with the dawn of "net lights" and LED lights.

What follows is a summary of that list, as best I can remember (for some reason, we have never written this down and made it official):

1. No net lights. Ever.

2. "Chaser" lights are usually a bad idea. Blinking lights aren't much better. Lights strands with entire blinking sections should be avoided at all costs.

3. If you do feel the need to use any of the above-mentioned blinking or chasing lights, they should never be used in combination with non-blinking/chasing lights. I mean, come on, you're not even trying now.

4. Icicle lights can be a good thing. That can also be a very, very bad thing.

5. Blinking icicle lights? Are you serious?

6. There is a lot of debate on large bulbs versus small bulbs. It ends here. Large bulbs look best when lining a house or features of the house. Take care to see that all bulbs are oriented on the same side of the cord, or it starts to look sloppy. One disoriented bulb can ruin the entire scene.

This is not as big a problem with smaller bulbs, which should generally be used as "filler" for things like bushes, trees, garland, etc. Take care when using large and small bulbs in combination - again, it can be a good thing, but it can very easily be a bad thing.

7. There is room for debate on color versus white lights. Should one be used over the other indoors or outdoors? Should the Christmas tree be decorate with white lights, color lights, or both? These are questions on which Matt and I couldn't reach a consensus. And if we couldn't come to a conclusion on what is best, what hope do you have?

For my money, nothing beats the glow of soft white lights through a fresh layer of snow on the bushes and small trees outside my house. As for the indoor tree, currently it is decorated with color lights that give the room a nice, warm glow at night.

8. Speaking of "for my money," I'm all about being energy efficient. But I just can't come around to the LED bulbs. There is something that is just too "in your face" about there brightness and color that distracts from the whole scene.

LED lights are still relatively new on the market and Matt and I have not convened lately to discuss an official ruling on their use for Christmas decorating. But for the moment I am issuing a temporary injunction on the use of LED lights. So knock it off.

Any other rules or guidelines not discussed here can be found in Matt and Pete's Official Christmas Decorating Handbook.

If you would like a personal consultation from either Matt or Pete on the appropriateness of your own decorating scheme, please leave a comment.

There. Now it's official.

Day Three Hundred and Forty-Two: Chilled Pumpkin

A fresh layer of snow on the Halloween-turned-Thanksgiving pumpkins outside my door reminds me that I am officially a season or two behind the times.

While I love (read: LOVE!!) me some pumpkin bread, I have yet to cook with actual pumpkin innards.

Emily and I talked about doing that this year, but I'm pretty sure (following a night of sub-zero temperature) we missed our window of opportunity for these particular gords.

In lieu of a better picture today (I'm not particularly fond of this one) I will now offer you the pumpkin bread recipe that I use frequently this time of year (and of which I am very fond). Enjoy.

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 5 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 (15 ounce) can Pumpkin
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil

Mix, stir, and bake in two loaf pans at 350° for about an hour or until done.

Day Three Hundred and Forty-One: Paws To Rest

Lucy was all paws this evening as she napped on the couch.

Our puppy started Christmas dreaming

earlier today

Sugar plums danced in her head

as on the couch she lay

Dreams of open fields to run forever

without stopping

Dreams of jumping up to steal our popcorn

while it's popping

Naughty or nice, we love this dog

from nose to tail to claws

And soon her favorite guest will come to town:

Santa Paws!

Day Three Hundred and Forty: Stumped!

Today Emily and I "kicked off our fun old fashioned family Christmas by heading out into the country in the old front-wheel drive sleigh to embrace the frosty majesty of the winter landscape and select that most important of Christmas symbols." (Christmas Vacation, 1989)

No, it wasn't one of those "stupid ties with the Santa Clauses on it."

Much like the Griswold's from the beloved Christmas movie, Emily and I went out searching for the perfect tree. We even marveled at a few pines that looked great, but wouldn't fit in my yard. ("It's not going in our yard, Russ, it's going in our living room.")

Eventually we settled on the best looking 7-foot white pine we could find, although the lot had already been pretty well picked over.

Fortunately (unlike the Griswolds) we remembered a saw.

On a side note, it has been pointed out to me that I tend to quote Christmas Vacation a lot...perhaps too much. If you watched/listened to/recited this movie as many times I did as a kid, you'd know why I'm not really surprised to hear that.

In fact, "if I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet I wouldn't be any more surprised than I am right now."

From the rings, we estimated this tree is around 7 years old.

Did you know: A tree's rings are formed from periods of moisture and drought throughout the year. Early in the growing season when there is a larger amount of rainfall and ground moisture, the tree produces healthy, larger (and usually lighter colored) cells as it grows outward from the core. Later in the year when dry weather sets in, the cells produced by the tree have less moisture in side them, and thus are more densely packed with proportionally more cell wall material, which produces the darker, more compact ring that signals the end of a growing period.

Thith tree ith a thymbol of the thpirit of the Haack family Chrithmith.

Day Three Hundred and Thirty-Nine: Everyone Loves a Parade

This Saturday morning brought with it the Downtown Lawrence Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade.

And a lot of horses.

The parade included over one hundred participants from across the country - most either on horseback or riding atop horse-drawn carriages.

In the photo above a red carriage is being pulled by eight majestically adorned creatures (hardly tiny reindeer, though).

In honor of the festivities this image was given an old-fashioned feel. Click on the picture to see the image in its original colors.

Day Three-Hundred and Thirty-Eight: Gingerbread Art

These aren't your parents' gingerbread houses.

This Jayhawk-themed space shuttle (equipped with a bag of athletic toys for speedy global delivery) was one of the dozens of award-winning gingerbread houses (and other creations) on display today at the Eldridge Extended building in downtown Lawrence.

The edible artwork was created for the Gingerbread Festival and Auction to benefit Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Douglas County. The pieces had a variety of themes ranging from patriotic to cinematic to Santariffic.

Click on any of the pictures below to see some highlights of the display. See if you can spot Snoopy's birdpal Woodstock, the Wicked Witch of the East, and the house from the recent animated movie, Up.

The pieces will be auctioned off to the highest bidders at the Eldridge Hotel Tuesday night.

In the meantime, for a small donation the public was welcome to take in a viewing of the gingerbread houses, castles, igloos, sleighs, creatures, cars and more, all side by side in a display that was as pleasing to smell as it was to view.

The festival brought viewers of all ages, and while the adults discussed the creativity and structural engineering of the pieces, the children were content expressing their approval with simple oohs and aahs.

And as the afternoon carried on, it seemed like every chold in lawrence had a chance to pass through the winter wonderland.

Well, all but one:


This boy could see what he was missing. But at least he couldn't smell it.