My Cousin Regina

 

My cousin Regina died on March 29, 2016. She was great! Feisty & full of fun. She loved her family & was very proud of her three sons, Stephen, Kenneth & David. Regina was always very straight- forward & gave everyone in her life her unconditional love. I hope she knew that I was one of her biggest fans!!!  Love & miss her xoxo

Boston Marathon -Awesome!

Remembering My Mom September 7, 1926- February 5, 2002

No matter how old I get,  I still miss being able to ask my mom for advice, know that if all else failed, I could move back home, borrow money, ask her what to do, pick up the phone & tell her about my day. It was nice having that sense of security; to know I had a fail- safe backup plan. I had someone who thought that everything I did was great, who always told me I was doing a good job whenever I felt like I wasn't accomplishing enough. The reality was, moving in with her & my step-dad would've been a last resort but I knew I was always welcome if that's what I needed to do. I would  borrow money from her but  I'd wait until I had no other options & then I'd pay her back as soon as possible. I'd ask her for advice but now wish I'd taken it more often...We had a complicated relationship. My favorite memories are of the years that I worked for her/with her & of the times we spent together with my son while he was growing up...she had a huge impact on his life & made sure to tell him that she loved him & was proud of him. My son was very lucky to have not only my mom, but his other Grandmother, who is still wonderful to him & 3 Grandfather's who were a big influence on him & showed their love for him every day.
My mom died in 2002 & today, February 5th is her anniversary. This year feels different...  she's been on my mind more than ever & in my dreams... has it really been 12 years since she died? It  feels like it was yesterday.
She was my best friend. She died of Cancer & never accepted it when the doctor's told her she was terminal. My mother tried everything in hopes of getting a reprieve, getting one more test result that said the Cancer was in remission....if sheer will & determination decided the outcome of her Cancer treatments she would still be here with us now & that's what I remember when I need inspiration to tackle something tough, that compared to Cancer, isn't tough at all!
I love this picture of us ...I wish I could remember the exact moment we were sharing when it was taken; to me, it looks like she might be telling me to behave/share/listen, etc. but maybe not...
anyway, I love her ankle socks!                                                                                                                      
Regina , my mom; September 7, 1926-February 5, 2002                                                                             I love you Mom xoxo

My mother, Regina & me around 1954

Levonne Gaddy with Camera, Computer & Ink

Levonne Gaddy just gets more amazing all of the time!.Levonne Gaddy with Camera, Computer & Ink

Me And My Shadow

Griswald

Griswald Monday

"Almost home"...."Thank goodness, this tongue is getting kind of heavy..."

I took this picture of Grizzy a few weeks ago on the ride home from the veterinarian's....Griswald' s tongue has always been too big for his mouth and the more tired he gets the more it hangs out....by the time we got home that day, his tongue was as long as a necktie...just try to picture that...um, no, on second thought don't go there!

Photoshop CC Special Rate @$9.99 a Month

I'm so excited that I now have a subscription to Photoshop CC...The Photoshop Photography Program is priced at $9.99 a month; to get this rate you need to already have Photoshop CS3 or later... this special, limited time offer is available thru December 31st....I enrolled last night for $9.99 and Adobe will continue to debit my credit card automatically every month...The download took about 20 minutes; I  got PS CC, Bridge, Camera Raw, LR5,  20 GB of Cloud Storage and a Behance Pro Site. I had the option to download other apps too but I didn't know enough about them so I just downloaded the programs that I need right now....I think that this is a great deal; I get to learn about the cloud and know that my versions of PS and LR will always be up- to- date....I'm just happy that I heard about the special price since I was going to wait until next year to subscribe...I'm looking forward to using all of the new PS/LR features and to finally  stop worrying that" I'll get left behind"....even if you're a photographer who does most of her/his work in LR and only occasionally uses an older version of PS, it's worth subscribing at this price to be able to use the newest version of PS...with PS available, the possibilities for your images are endless....so if you're interested in finding out more, visit Adobe and see if subscribing to the PS CC makes sense for you http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html

Griswald Monday....Goodbye Kya Always Miss & Love You

Kya, Grizzy's longtime housemate, sometime nemesis, died around 8:30 last night...Kya was 12 years old & had been sick with Cushings Syndrome & struggling with arthritis...the blessing was that everyone was home when Kya died so unexpectedly; my son & his girlfriend were getting ready to eat dinner in the kitchen & I was right next to Kya on the floor in my bedroom... she was watching tv with me & Grizzy was nearby, laying on my bed; it happened so fast, I still can't believe she's gone...death is so heartbreaking & emotional but you still have to make arrangements, pay for things, follow rules.... around 10:00 p.m. my son & I wrapped Kya in a sheet & brought her to the veterinarian's office; Kya's body would be kept over- night in a freezer, in the morning someone would take her to the crematorium. I'll be able to pick up Kya's ashes at  my vets office in approximately 4 weeks. It was so hard to leave her there & nothing at home is the same without her but I know from experience how it goes...we'll all be fine...we are so very grateful that we had Kya in our lives...my son believes that she's playing ball with Gramp, my Dad, in heaven along with Daisy, the dog he had when he was growing up & Fuzzy& Flopsy our cats ....his girlfriend blessed Kya with the holy water she blessed her dog, Dusky with, when he died of cancer & said a little prayer for her & Grizzy's not quite sure where Kya is & keeps looking for her...what I know for sure is that we all miss her & love her...forever & ever xoxoxo

Griswald and Kya

Kya

Kya

Kya

Griswald Monday/Tuesday

"Goodnight Griswald, Sweet Dreams!"xoxo

Green Iguana's Outside My Window

A few years ago, we had a cold snap in South Florida that caused almost all of the Iguana's in the area to freeze to death, including a four foot iguana that spent several hours a week in my backyard sunbathing, eating my plants (only the Sunshine Mimosa's) & swimming occasional laps in the pool ....a lot of people set out poison to kill them because 1.they do a lot of pooping, ruining outdoor furniture & pool decks 2.some iguana's can be aggressive &  will lash out with their tails if they feel threatened or will bite 3. their poop can contain salmonella

Yesterday, when I went outside to get my mail, I saw these two small iguana's in the firebush tree in my front yard...they blend in so easily with the green leaves, the brown branches & the shade that I don't know how I saw them & then found them again after I went inside  to get my camera since they moved a few times from when I first spotted them....I have lots of cats that visit my yard for hours at a time so I'm not sure if the Iguana's will move on to a different neighborhood or if I'll be seeing more of them....one of them has a damaged tail; the end is missing but it looks like it healed itself....

Two Together

Griswald Monday

Griswald, My little Dude!!!

No Paw Left Behind: Buster, Rescue Bunnies need our help!

Can you make a small contribution to help support medical care for this rescued Rabbit....this is a reputable  South Florida non-profit that does great work:No Paw Left Behind: Buster, Rescue Bunnies need our help!

My New Think Tank Airport TakeOff Rolling Backpack

Griswald guarding my Fed Ex delivery

Hurray! I'm so happy! Yesterday my Think Tank Airport TakeOff Rolling Backpack was delivered and last night I was able to fit just about all of my camera gear into it...plus Griswald gave it his sniff of approval! I'll write a review after I've used it this week-end....I only have 3 lenses and 1 Digital SLR camera but my Lowepro backpack is too small for everything to fit...

 My brand new, still in the bag, Think Tank Photo Airport TakeOff Rolling Backpack

Grizzy giving the Think Tank Airport TakeOff Rolling Backpack his sniff test of approval

Griswald Monday

"I know you like me as much as I like you, just say it, I can wait all day..."

Lubber Grasshoppers

There were so many Lubber Grasshoppers at Loxahatchee a few weeks ago when I took these pictures, I had to be careful not to step on them.

"Papi"

This is Griswalds' friend and temporary houseguest, Papi, a little french gentleman who is the opposite of Griswald in every way!!!

Having fun just before bath-time!

Are we done, yet?

Did you fix it so I look like I have a Mohawk?

Griswald Monday

Burrowing Owls

Last Saturday, I went to Brian Piccolo Park in Hollywood, Florida, to photograph Burrowing Owls . I was one of  a small group of photographers led by Elizabeth Martin, a Moderator of The South Florida Wildlife Photography Meetup Group. It was an amazing morning followed by lunch and a chance to share our images and the fun we had spending time with these beautiful birds.

Burrowing Owls can be found year- round in Florida. They mate in early Spring and lay a clutch of 3-12 egg . Gestation takes 28 days. Burrowing owls eat moles, mice, grasshoppers, beetles, birds, amphibians and reptiles. (You can never know enough about Burrowing Owls!!!)

They're great to take pictures of because they're very active... they bob their heads a lot while hopping and flying  around their  burrows. 

Burrowing Owls are protected by State law in Florida. Once a nest has been found, the area around it is taped off with yellow tape creating a visual barrier reminding people not to disturb them. The owls sometimes perch  on the poles/posts that the tape is tied to, while guarding their babies.

Besides Florida, Burrowing Owls can be found in The Caribbean Islands, from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean and from the Canadian Provinces to South America.

You can find out  if you live near any  burrowing owls by calling your local Audubon Society. If you get the chance to photograph them, you will love it!!!

I cropped two of these pictures but didn't do any work in Lightroom or Photoshop yet. If anyone has  any suggestions on adjustments that they need or criticisms of the pictures themselves, I would love the feedback. Thanks!

I think that this owl looks like one of the Muppets! 

Griswald Monday

Griswald Monday

I'm not gonna drop this rope, I'm not gonna drop this rope...almost there!!!