November 30 Cass Park Rink

November 30 Cass Park Rink, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Today my daughter had a hockey game in Ithaca at Cass Park Rink. Cass Park is an outside rink although it has a roof and tarps around part of it. Today it was in the 50s so it was a delightful day for a game there. But on days when it's near zero and the wind is blowing it's an entirely different story! The rink must have just opened. These brightly colored tags from open skating covered a post outside the rink. Last year's tags are all faded. Here's to a new season of skating.

November 28 Picking Pictures

November 28 Picking Pictures, originally uploaded by NedraI.

This weekend I started looking through the photo albums trying to decide which picture to put in my daughter's yearbook. The one of her standing on the chair in the kitchen is in the final running. She's had an interest in helping in the kitchen from a young age! Now to pick the final one and then write something to go along with it. My husband and son will be doing the same job this week.

November 27 Getting Ready for the Holidays

November 27 Getting Ready for the Holidays, originally uploaded by NedraI.

My daughter and I spent the day decorating the house for Christmas. Our dog seemed out of sorts all day. She just laid around with her head down and no tail wagging. We decided she must think we're getting ready to go somewhere without her. The next day she seemed back to her old self. Thank goodness!

November 26 Thanksgiving for the Birds

November 26 Thanksgiving for the Birds, originally uploaded by NedraI.

I'm thankful for the birds that visit my yard so yesterday I bought some peanuts for them. Peanuts are very expensive right now so they won't get this treat as often as they have in the past. It looks like they were having some trouble removing them. Not sure if the peanuts are larger or small birds were trying to get them out of the ring.

November 25 Putting up the Rink

November 25 Putting up the Rink, originally uploaded by NedraI.

This morning my husband and the kids headed out to the backyard to begin the process of putting up the ice rink. It's pretty much an all day endeavor. When my son was a preschooler my husband built a small 8' rink. The next year it was a little bigger. Eventually we had this sport court put in so it's used year round. There's a lot of good memories out there. This year we were lucky that the huge sheet of plastic that goes over the small white pieces seemed to be hole free. Some years the mice chew it up. So that was a huge cost savings! As I type the hose is running to begin filling it up. My son is hoping to get a lot of use out of it over Christmas break. So we're all keeping our fingers crossed for a nice cold December and January.

November 24 Time for Bed

November 24 Time for Bed, originally uploaded by NedraI.

While my son is at college I keep his bedroom door closed unless I'm in there using the iron that I set up there in his absence. Tonight as my son opened the door to prepare to go to bed Gertie ran in and was quick to claim her spot first!

November 23 Barn

November 23 Barn, originally uploaded by NedraI.

I drive by this barn every other day on my way to work and since I got out early today I decided today was the day to stop a take a picture. I've often debated whether I should take it on a day that it was clear or stormy. I settled for a typical New York dreary day. I love the look of the old barns and I think it would turn out nice no matter what the sky looks like.

November 22 Cheering Squad

November 22 Cheering Squad, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Today we traveled to Fairport, NY for my daughter's hockey game against the Rochester Edge. Last week they came to our rink and totally dominated the game, outshooting us 60-10 and winning 4-1. Our goalie was outstanding. I went expecting a repeat but our team did so much better the first two periods. We were actually winning for the first half of the game. But they wore us down in the 3rd period and they ended up with a solid win against us. But the best part of today's game was our team had a cheering squad! My son attends Brockport so he and his friends made the trip down for the game. My son has played an integral role in increasing student attendance and getting them involved in the games at the college. He recently got 60 kids to make a road trip to an away game. Because of that the student union is going to provide buses next year. So, when they arrived today they had noise makers, a sign and one friend decked out in pink-the team colors are black and pink. They made noise and cheered throughout much of the game. I took some video as well. I was sorry I wasn't prepared with the video when my daughter received a penalty and they started chanting We love you Kira. Kira ducked her head down but I knew she was secretly loving it, and she did. After the game the coach came right over and shook their hands and thanked them for coming. The good news is Kira has a tournament in Ithaca in two weeks and the boys were already planning on going to Cortland for a game so they're coming down early to root for another girls' game.

November 21 Reflection

November 21 Reflection, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Just before midnight I was hurriedly trying to take my picture of the day. I grabbed my daughter's point and shoot to take a picture of my camera. I need a picture of it for a podcast I'm working on for Art Snacks. As I looked at the pictures I noticed this reflection. I thought it was kind of cool.

November 20 Leaf Print

November 20 Leaf Print, originally uploaded by NedraI.

During lunch I went out to my car to get my camera. On the way down the steps I noticed this one leaf. I like how the wet spot underneath from last night's rain is the same shape as the leaf. I couldn't resist snapping a quick shot on my way back into the building.

November 19 Art Show

November 19 Art Show, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Tonight our school had it's first art show. We have some pretty talented artists and the show was well attended. This was one of my favorites. It looks like such a peaceful place. The theme of the show was Beauty. Each piece had a sentence or two by the artist about how the picture showed beauty. This student wrote: "I think sunsets are beautiful because of the bright colors. Sunsets are also beautiful when they shine on the water and make the water sparkle."

November 18 Cornstalk

November 18 Cornstalk , originally uploaded by NedraI.

The cornstalks around the front light post will be coming down after Thanksgiving. I tried to get a shot of the light on them tonight. I really needed a tripod!

November 17 Christmas Cactus Bloom

November 17 Christmas Cactus Bloom, originally uploaded by NedraI.

The Christmas Cactus is starting to bloom! I love these delicate flowers.

November 16 Birthday Cake

November 16 Birthday Cake, originally uploaded by NedraI.

It's hard to believe this teacher turned 26 today. It seems she's been teaching in our school for a long time. I think part of that reason is that she's an excellent teacher. Our school is finally moving forward with technology and she is embracing it and pushing her colleagues to join her. Her co-teachers brought in this cute cake. Happy birthday you young thing!

November 15 West Canada Creek

November 15 West Canada Creek, originally uploaded by NedraI.

My husband's friend wanted him to drive his '06 Corvette this weekend, the gentleman has five of them! So we took it for a late afternoon drive. We just made one quick stop along the West Canada Creek. My husband loved the car for its speed but feels his own '82 is nicer looking and I agree.

November 14 Hockey

November 14 Hockey, originally uploaded by NedraI.

My husband had open house at the college today so instead of whining about how I don't like shooting sports because I feel I miss the game I just grabbed the camera and shot. I did a good job of deleting shots during the game so I only ended up with 97 total shots. Pretty good for me! I'm still not happy with the image quality. My husband says it's due to the poor lighting. This was my favorite shot. And surprise it's not a shot of my daughter for a change. :-)

November 13 Delta Lake Sunset

November 13 Delta Lake Sunset, originally uploaded by NedraI.

The sunset the past two nights was spectacular. Everything seemed to turn red. So tonight when I walked in the door I grabbed my camera and told my husband we had to get out somewhere to catch the sunset, just in case it was another beautiful one. So, we made a mad dash for Lake Delta, a 30 minute drive. We made it just in time. The sunset was not near as nice as the past two nights but I was thankful we went. It was quiet, peaceful and so relaxing. Just what I needed at the end of another hectic week.

November 12 Running on Empty

November 12 Running on Empty, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Can you guess where I was sitting while taking this picture? If you guessed the gas station you are correct. I don't often let my car get this empty and I know it's foolish. I was wishing they weren't putting in new gas tanks and pumps in the village where I work. Luckily I made it the 10 miles back to town! Sometimes I let my body run on empty as well-by feeding it too much junk and not getting enough rest. This too is foolish. What about you, are you running on empty?

November 11 Pixley Falls

November 11 Pixley Falls, originally uploaded by NedraI.

After a relaxing lunch with two former teaching buddies, along the shores of Lake Delta, I took off to take some photos. I wanted to spend the afternoon enjoying "me" time and staying far away from my computer. I headed up the highway to Pixley Falls State Park. I hadn't been there in many years. I wandered around the falls taking many different shots. I actually like this one of a stream better than the actual shots of the falls. It was a delightful afternoon.

November 10 Geraniumn Leaf

November 10 Geraniumn Leaf, originally uploaded by NedraI.

I grabbed my camera and took a few shots in the garden when I got home today. I was surprised that they were all very poor shots. With the help of Photoshop I was able to make this one acceptable. These geraniums have spread over much of the garden and give it some late fall color. I wonder how long it will be until the garden is covered in that white stuff!

November 9 No Place to Sit

November 9 No Place to Sit, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Most of the time I sit at the dining room room table to browse the computer in the evenings. Sometimes it's because the couch looks like this!

Nov 8 Glens Falls Park-Shadows

Nov 8 Glens Falls Park-Shadows, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Our daughter had a hockey game in Glens Falls this afternoon. We arrived an hour before the game so my husband and I set off with our cameras for the park right across the road. There were lots of huge pine trees in the park and since the sun was getting low in the sky it was a little too dark in most places for picture taking. But at one point we discovered we were both trying to take pictures of our long shadows so we joined hands and tried one together. The result was a fun picture for the day!

November 7 Dunham Library

November 7 Dunham Library, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Recently I saw an editorial question asking if schools still needed brick and mortar libraries. I haven't taken the time to read the responses but my answer would be yes! At least at the elementary level. I always hate to see funding cut for our local libraries. They provide such an important service in our neighborhoods. Our area is blessed with wonderful community libraries like this one. I started using this library when we moved to the area in 1984. As soon as my kids could write their names they came to this library to sign up for their own library card. I brought them as babies and sat read board books to them and showed them the stuffed animals. We checked out not only books, but movies, music, books on tapes and magazines. As a teacher every time I did a theme I came here and checked out books by the bagful to take back to the classroom to add to the collection of books I already owned. I love technology but when it comes to children and books I hope devices like the Kindle never replace children's books. I just don't think having a future grandchild climb into my lap to hear a favorite story on a Kindle would be near as special as holding a real picture book.

November 6 W'boro Victory

November 6 W'boro Victory, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Tonight I headed to a hockey game to see our local college team play. I should have taken at least a point and shoot camera and taken a picture. It was Pink the Rink night and the guys were wearing pink jerseys that were auctioned off with the money going to a breast cancer charity. But since I forgot I'm once again using one of my husband's photos. He took our daughter to The Dome in Syracuse for the Section III football finals. She's probably in the crowd of fans somewhere. She's a loyal fan to the various high school sports. My husband got some great action shots but I decided to go with this shot showing the supportive fans and the guys rushing together for the big group hug and jump! They played the local rivals whom they lost to earlier in the season. Not so tonight with a 60-30 victory! Good luck to the team next weekend.

November 5 Four Seasons

November 5 Four Seasons, originally uploaded by NedraI.

I've taken these four photos as a part of the 365 challenge. It started when I posted the winter picture and Gracekat, from Australia, asked me to take a picture of the same spot in each season so she could see the changes. I thought it sounded like a great idea and I actually remembered to do it! Last week I worked on editing the pictures during my photo class and tonight I learned how to put them all in one picture. I'm pleased with the end result. Later this month the camera's club competition is "Trees". I'll be ready for that one.

November 4 Thanksgiving Cactus Bud

November 4 Thanksgiving Cactus Bud, originally uploaded by NedraI.

We refer to this plant as our Thanksgiving Cactus. Every year it is full of lovely blooms for the holiday. It's preparing itself now. for the big day!

November 3 Pomegranate

Pomegranate, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Tonight my daughter went with me to pick up a few groceries. We came home with a few unplanned items, isn't that the way it always goes? We've never had a fresh pomegranate before so she asked if we could try it. I remember someone on Plurk this week commented on how much work it was for so little fruit. Luckily it came with a How To guide, seen in the background. So, while I fixed dinner she worked on preparing this fruit. It's very juicy-juice on the counter, cupboards, appliances and floor! Once she got it done she decided she didn't like it, too seedy. When my husband came home from work he said he didn't like them. Luckily, I think it's delicious! I love the tart flavor. I'll be trying some in my yogurt tomorrow. I wonder if I'll be able to talk her in to fixing another one for me some day....

November 2 Frosty Morning

November 2 Frosty Morning, originally uploaded by NedraI.

I've been wanting to get some pictures of frost so this morning I had a few extra minutes and the conditions were right, I think the time change helped. I headed out to the front garden. My goal was to get frost on the cornstalks but those pics didn't turn out very good. But I am happy with this selection. I like the sun shining through the maple seed. In the spring I pull many young maple seedlings out of the garden. It was a chilly but beautiful sunny morning.

November 1 Jack O' Lanterns

November 1 Jack O' Lanterns, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Yesterday I didn't have much time to photograph the pumpkins and I hadn't read an article I had seen pass through my email on Halloween photo tips. So today I read the article and once it got dark I went out and tried some photos. One tip was to place 2 or 3 candles in the pumpkin to give off more light. I went with 2. That was hard enough without burning my fingers. Then I tried some different settings. Nothing terrific but it was a full moon and I like the shadows in the background. My daughter did the traditional pumpkin and my husband carved Iowa Hawkeye. We sent pictures of it to our son who is a huge Hawkeye fan. He loved it!

October 31 Breakfast at the Diner

October 31 Breakfast at the Diner, originally uploaded by NedraI.

This morning my daughter was up at breakfast time and suggested we go out for breakfast. We hadn't done that for awhile so out the door we went. She suggested this diner. I was happy because I new I could work on my picture of the day! The waitresses asked if the pics were going to be in the paper. Then they wanted to know why I was taking them. I explained and said they'd be on flickr later. They look at each other and answered "What's flickr?" I'll be posting a few more shots later.

October 30 Army vs Colgate

October 30 Army vs Colgate, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Tonight we headed down to Colgate to attend a tailgate party before the start of the Colgate/Army game. A friend of our son's is a freshman at Army and a member of the hockey team. The tailgate party was a huge hockey reunion seeing kids and parents we hadn't seen in a long time. They were/are a great group of kids. 168 people came down to see Andy play-pretty impressive! Andy started the game, had a goal and an assist was was 3rd star of the game. Way to go Andy and good luck to you and Army. Photo by my husband.

October 29 Cookies

October 29 Cookies, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Tomorrow night there is the first annual Fall Fest at one of my elementary schools. I won't be attending since I'm going to see a hockey game instead. But to help out my daughter mixed up a batch of sugar cookies. We both baked a batch-she did one before she left for hockey practice and I did one after photo class and then I decorated them. The school will use the cookies in their Monster Walk aka cake walk. I hope the night is a success and I hope to attend next year.