abandoned in the country

andoned in the country, originally uploaded by michelle*sibley

barn and fence

barn and fence, originally uploaded by michelle*sibley.

This is certainly not a derelict barn. I used this one because every time I saw a barn or something that I would like to capture, Terry zoomed on past. There is no turn around gear on his truck if you know what I mean! So, finally I got this picture and put some rough texture on it. I have a long way to go to become proficent in photoshop. I am having fun playing around with it for now.

p.s. I am complaining about Terry's complaining but I really had a good time. I actually love to hang out with him. We just enjoy getting on each other's nerves!

old dirt road

Day 43 of 365, 2004 DERBY CHAMPION

Day 43 of 365, I went to Mom and Dad's house. I had wanted to go to St. Francisville today because there was an event going on that I was interested in. Terry told me we could go. First, he wanted to watch something on tv. Well, by 4 or 5 pm, we still had not left the house. I picked up my keys and phone and told him I was going to find something to take a picture of. I need a blog post for goodness sakes!

Here I go, driving my car. No direction. No idea where to go. I really wished that Terry was with me. So, I was driving along. hohum....dumdedummmm...I didn't want to go far from home. I ended up turning down my parent's street and went to visit with them for a bit. It was getting late so I asked Mama if she had any ideas for my blog. We thought a few seconds. I noticed some cool figurines. I had seen them a million times before, but I thought..hey, photograph her collection! yes! I was onto something. The only problem I had was lack of lighting. I went ahead and put my camera on the tripod and we lined up her Musical Melodies collection that she has had for about 6 years. While we were working with that, daddy came along said, "You can take a picture of my award!" He was holding his trophy belt buckle so proudly. I told him that I would like to take a picture of it when we were finished. After we put away the Musical Melodies, I asked Dad to hold the buckle so that I could take a picture. I am so glad that I did get this picture. It means alot to him, therefore, it means alot to me too. When I got home, I realized just as I suspected, I needed more light on the figurines. I talked to Mom and we are going to work on getting some really sharp pictures at a later date. So, that will be a blog post to come... As for this post, I have a subject....My Daddy's Derby Champion Buckle!

Daddy is a hunter from way back. All my life, I have heard this phrase, "I am headed to the woods." Then, we see a rolling plume of dust behind his truck tires after he throws it in drive and punches the gas. Off he goes! At one time, he was owner of a 500 acre hunting camp. He always referred to the camp as 'The Fox Pen'. This is where men would bring their Fox Hounds and turn them loose at night to run the fox. Those hunters love to listen to the dogs barking and bawling as they follow the scent of the fox. Hunters can identify their dogs by the sound of their bark. It is pretty amazing. I remember one bumper sticker that said, "When the tailgate drops, the BS stops." That is funny huh? But, that just about sums it up. Those guys get together and yack it up about how their dog is the greatest of all time. But, when they drop their truck tailgates, the dogs are off and running and the best dog wins the race!

My dad entered his Walker Fox Hound dog named Cricket in a Fox Hunt Field Trial in Enon, LA. A field trial is a judged event by standers (men keeping score) on the trails. They score the dogs by watching where the fox crosses and whichever dog is leading on the fox trail, gets high score. The numerous scorekeepers come together when the field trial fox hunt is considered over so they can tally their high scores. On this particular hunt, Daddy's Cricket took 1st place and became the 2004 DERBY CHAMPION of the Southeastern Louisiana Hunter's Association. They presented him with a very valuable silver trophy belt buckle as 1st place award to the champion.

Day 42 of 365, Roses are Red

Day 42 of 365, Self Portrait, I took the two pictures below of my climbing rose bush. It is full of little leaves now because it is getting ready to bud soon. That rose bush is very prolific with roses throughout the year and is super hardy. It was started from a cutting from my brother-in-law's dad's rose garden.

This will be a rose one day soon.
Does this remind you of the the song "Every rose has it's thorns"? Those prickly little devils look like shark teeth to me. And, I have been stuck many times.

Day 41 of 365, Stave off Winter Colds

Day 41 of 365, I went to the produce stand. Here I am picking Tangelos. I set my camera in the pears and pressed the self timer to get this. I was not going to keep propping my camera up on all the fruit to try to get a descent pic. So, this is it. I have not been feeling well for the last couple weeks. That is why I have not been motivated to take pics of myself. ugh! My ear hurts every morning probably from a sinus infection. I really need to just go to the doctor and get it over with or try to pump up with Vitamin C!

Today's daily photo challenge Subject: Something from your Medicine Cabinet. I chose to photograph Ester-C. My mom and dad have been eating tons of the citrus fruit that is grown locally. I am referring to what are called satsumas, a small orange. They are super sweet and extremely easy to peel. One day, she said that she thought the reason they have not caught a cold was because they ate so many satsumas. If we can't eat tons of satsumas, we can at least take Ester-C to help stave off those winter colds.

My PawPaw John swears by garlic's medicinal properties. Garlic has long been considered an herbal "wonder drug", with a reputation in folklore for preventing everything from the common cold to the Plague! It is also said to be an effective mosquito repellant. Go figure!

Day 40 of 365, Remembering both MawMaws

Day 40 of 365, Today's photo Subject: Size of a Pin. I decided to take a picture of my Byetta pen. I began using Byetta because I am insulin resistant. I think that is a term that I use because I really wish to deny the term diabetic. Both of my grandmothers had diabetes. Both of them died due to a massive coronary when I was 18. Yes, both died in the same year of my life. It was a very sad year for our family. They were very different women but I loved them both the same.

Maw Maw Lena was a very gentle, soft spoken lady. She always wore house dresses. I never saw her in a pair of pants. She gardened, she read her bible and attended church every Sunday. She loved her home church and congregation. My cousin, Barbara and I would love to spend the night with her. She would let us part her hair down the middle. Barbara on one side and I on the other, and we rolled her hair. We had those curlers and pins going in every direction but Maw Maw said it was perfect! MawMaw never had much in terms of worldly possessions, but she possessed the love of her huge family. Get togethers at her house was a crowded room of people sitting/standing shoulder to shoulder in her little house. But, that little house rocked with love and laughter. I remember Mama coming into my room and telling me to wake up because they had just received word that MawMaw had died. My aunt and her two children lived with MawMaw at that time. They said that she had fixed a cup of coffee for herself and turned around to get sugar. Then, she checked out of this world and went to the feet of Jesus. I will see my sweet MawMaw again someday. She was poor on earth but she is walking on streets of gold! I loved her and she loved everyone.

MawMaw Ethel was my other grandma. She was a fun lovin', laughin', boisterous cajun lady. She could cook like 'nobody's business' as we say down south. Her cookin' will "make you wanna slap ya Mama!" I remember that she used to keep those Big Giant Sized glass bottles of Coca Cola at her house. My brother and I would treat ourselves to coke and sliced cheese parties when we were supposed to be sleeping. Maw Maw said she knew this because she found the cheese wrappers all over the top of the bed. Isn't it funny how something so silly would stick in your memory bank? MawMaw loved to play cards with her weekly card group, fishing with PawPaw at their Lake Verrett camp, sewing, crafts & shopping. She lived large. I was at work when I received the call that MawMaw Ethel had been taken to the hospital. I got to the hospital before she died but could not get in to see her. She was getting ready to be transported to a larger hospital. I think she died on the way. Before she died, she gave me a 1/2 carot cluster diamond ring. She told me that when I look at the ring, remember that I wore her heart. She also made for me a crocheted afghan. When I look at those stitches, I know she was thinking of me as she worked on her labor of love. I am counting on seeing both of my grandmas one day. What a reunion it will be!