June 30 Fish in the Pouch

June 30 Fish in the Pouch, originally uploaded by NedraI.

This guy caught a huge fish! If you look carefully you can see part of it still outside his bill. He really struggled to eat it. At times he couldn't keep his beak above the water. There's a whole series of pictures of him on flickr. Another pelican arrived and tried to take it from him. We think in the end that the fish escaped.

Daily Shoot Circular Cropped Square

Daily Shoot Circular Cropped Square, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Make a photograph of something circular and crop it within a square frame.

Lots of wildlife pics today but not much to choose from for the Daily Shoot! This is a gas tank for a tugboat on the Mississippi River in Buffalo IA. I did a lot of cropping for this shot so the quality is not too good.

June 28 Russian Orthodox Monastery

June 28 Russian Orthodox Monastery, originally uploaded by NedraI.

This beautiful Monastery is in the small town of Jordanville, NY. We could only take pictures from outside the gate. To enter the grounds women need to wear a dress and men need to wear long pants. None of us qualified today.

Daily Shoot White

Daily Shoot White , originally uploaded by NedraI.

Go high key today. Make a photograph that's all bright tones or dominated by white.

We took my brother to Cooperstown today so of course that meant a stop at the Ommegang Brewery. Yum!

Daily Shoot Picture within a Picture

Daily Shoot Picture within a Picture, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Sunday challenge: Make a photograph with a photograph. Find a cherished print and compose it in a larger scene.

Here's lots of cherished photographs. This was one of the boards at our daughter's graduation party today. It was hard to limit it to such a few number of photos! Each one brings a smile and a special memory.

June 27-Graduation Party

June 28-Graduation Party, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Today was the graduation party. Our daughter is holding a cake made by her "Meme" who wasn't able to be here to celebrate with us. When my husband was in Iowa last month Meme sent the cake home with him for her to have along with 3 dozen cupcakes. We put them in the garage freezer and kept it as a surprise. The party was a huge success. I think almost everyone she invited from the area attended the party. It was wonderful to see all the friends.

June 26 Graduation

June 26 Graduation, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Today was a special day. Our daughter graduated from high school. To help make this event even more special my brother joined us from OR. She has worked hard through the years and graduated with honors. In the fall she will begin working on her degree to become a physical therapist. We couldn't be more proud of her.

June 24 Kite Flyer

June 24 Kite Flyer, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Today was our last day of school which was followed by our retirement party. We had one 5th grade teacher retire this year. Our art teacher brought his little boy who is some where between 2 and 3. He did not fuss once the whole time he was there. Of course he got to swim and fish and fly a kite! I was amazed at his determination. He ran up and down the hill chasing the kite at first. Then his dad let him try to fly it. It took a couple of tries but he did manage to get it up in the air by running down the hill. He was too far away to get the look on his face when he turned around and saw the kite airborne. I'm sure it showed pure delight.

Daily Shoot-Pea Plant

Daily Shoot-Pea Plant, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Leave something out today. Be visually brief. Shoot tight. Make a photo that's direct and to the point.

I'm not happy with the background but I like the different angle of this shot. If nobody beat me to it today I'll be eating the first pea tomorrow.

June 21 Pea Flower

June 21 Pea Flower, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Not until today had I noticed that pea flowers are rather delicate and pretty.

June 19 Carnival Rides

June 19 Carnival Rides, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Tonight we went to the local Fireman's Field Days carnival. I was excited to try shooting carnival lights for the first time. It was a very quiet night and I spent a lot of time waiting for people to get on the rides. I am pleased with the results from tonight's shoot. This one is my favorite.

June 19 Natural Frame

June 19 Natural Frame, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Frame within a frame. Make a photo that uses an element--window, door, mirror, trees, etc.--to frame your main subject.

Peas are flowering and a few are almost ready to eat!

June 17 Wing Night Group

June 17 Wing Night Group, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Tonight my daughter had some friends over for wings on the deck. My husband gets the deep fryers going and cooks up wings and fries. The kids love them and the food went fast. A few more kids came after this pictures was taken. One of the girls had been asking for months when we'd be doing a wing night. It's one of those special memory events the kids will remember for a long time. I'm hoping we can do it one more time before they all scatter for their first year of college.

July 15 Onion Flower

July 15 Onion Flower, originally uploaded by NedraI.

We have onions left over from last year's garden. (I think) They are flowering and I had taking photos of the different stages of bloom today. This show is my favorite.

June 14-Flag

June 14-Flag, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Make a photo of a flag today: national, state, or otherwise. Try to compose it in a unique way. (@kterhaar)

June 13 Yellow Flower Fly

June 13 Yellow Flower Fly, originally uploaded by NedraI.

We were at a car show near Albany today. It was a foggy morning and the dew looked great on the flowers. I love the detail is this picture. The fly was pretty slow moving on this cool cloudy day. Unfortunately when I tried printing this the fly is not in very good focus. I needed my tripod.

June 12 Scholarship Award

June 12 Scholarship Award, originally uploaded by NedraI.

This morning we went to the Senior's Award Breakfast. Many students received awards including our daughter. She received the Sarah Nelson McManus Memorial Award for someone going into PT/OT. Our daughter is pursuing a degree in PT. At times it was an emotional morning as parents/grandparents talked about a loved one they were honoring with a reward.

June 11 Chickadee

Chickadee, originally uploaded by NedraI.

We've had fun watching the pair of chickadees keep busy feeding their young. This house is on the edge of a flower garden. They make a lot of noise to let me know they don't like it when I'm working in that garden but eventually they get over it and get back to tending the babies.

Daily Shoot Wheelbarrow

Daily Shoot Wheelbarrow, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Daily Shoot-Reduce, reuse, recycle. Look for an object that has been repurposed to give it new life, and make a photo. (@muffett68)

Many years ago my husband picked this wheelbarrow out of a neighbor's garbage. The handles were broken so my husband fixed it up with a new set and we turned it into a planter for the front lawn, Many times the neighbor has walked by and commented on how she wished she had thought of that idea.
Getting it planted is on this weekend's list of jobs. Right now it's mainly weeds.
www.flickr.com/photos/nedrai/4691820191/

June 5 Otto & Kira

June 5 Otto & Kira, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Both of my children participated in the Relay for Life this year although on different teams. My husband and I went out in the evening for the Luminary Ceremony. Always a very moving tribute. Cancer has touched so many of our friends and family members. My son''s shirt Craving a Cure sums up my feelings pretty well.

Daily Shoot High Contrast

Daily Shoot High Contrast, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Using contrast in your photography can give you very artistic shots. Make a color photo with high contrast today.

This shot was taken at the Relay for Life luminary ceremony. I did not notice the photographer up there when I took the picture.

Daily Shoot Old Toy

Daily Shoot Old Toy, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Think of a favorite childhood sport, game, or activity. Make a nostalgic photo today. (@muffett68)

Badminton is one of the few activities in which I remember our entire family participating. It's an activity that I passed onto my own children as well although we haven't played it in years.

Daily Shoot Plant Life

Daily Shoot Plant Life, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Get down and get your knees dirty today. Find some plant life, get low to its level (close and wide), and make a photo.

June 3 Favorite Peony

June 3 Favorite Peony, originally uploaded by NedraI.

I have three peony plants in my back garden. They are fairly fancy which means they aren't real strong smelling but they sure are pretty. I was happy to get this wasp in focus. I like its shadow.

May 31 Columbine

May 31 Columbine, originally uploaded by NedraI.

I bought several new plants last year and this is one of the few that survived the winter. I love the deep purple color.

Dailyshoot-Wildlife

Dailyshoot-Wildlife, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Sunday challenge time! Find any sort of wildlife today, and make a photo. Get in close if you can and focus on the eyes.

I'm not sure if a bee counts as wildlife but it's going to have to do. This was my first shot and the best. I chased the bees around the garden trying to get shots of them. I also spent time on the deck waiting for birds to come to the feeders but I seemed to scare them away.

May 30 Reflection

May 30 Reflection, originally uploaded by NedraI.

My husband and I attended our fist car show of the season today in Norwich, NY. Since I'm so far behind on editing pictures I didn't take many today. But we did have fun with this one on this beauty.

Daily Shoot-Sky

Daily Shoot-Sky, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Look up today and make a photograph of the sky. Cloudy, clear, or somewhere in between? Tell the story of your sky today.

The sky today was a deep blue with occasional fluffy clouds.

May 29 Moth

May 29 Moth, originally uploaded by NedraI.

A pair of these tiny fliers were fluttering around the garden all afternoon as I planted new flowers

May 28 Geese at Hamilton College Pond

May 28 Geese at Hamilton College Pond, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Today was a busy day for taking pictures. I started out at 9 Mile Creek for a trout release with the 5th graders. Then it was off the the orthopedic dr. in Hamilton. Every time I go there I stop by the pond at Hamilton College to check on the swans. Then on the way home I took pictures of a covered bridge, a round barn and a few other scenes but they didn't turn out very well so I'll try again when I return next month for my final dr. visit.

Today was fun at the pond. One swan was doing its best to keep these geese out of the pond. Once I'm caught up on all my photo editing I want to come back and do some sort of digital story with this set of photos.

May 24 Poppy

May 24 Poppy, originally uploaded by NedraI.

I took flower photos with the macro lens but most turned out a little blurry today. I think a slight breeze caused the problem. However, I love looking inside the poppies. The center always reminds me of a starfish.

Daily Shoot-Purple

Daily Shoot-Purple May 24, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Today's color is purple. Maybe you'll find it on a fruit. Maybe a flower. Or, maybe a sign. Make a photo and post it.

This is an iris in the front yard. They smell like Grape Ne-HI! Delicious.....

May 23 Senior Night Flowers

May 23 Senior Night Flowers, originally uploaded by NedraI.

The flowers I received at Senior Night last week are staying nice and fresh. It's a beautiful bouquet.

Daily Shoot-Container

Daily Shoot-Container, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Baskets, bags, and boxes: containers often go unnoticed. Make a photo focused on the container rather than the contents.
This is one of my daughter's friends wating for the Grand March at Senior Ball tonight.

May 22 Kira and Gertie

May 22 Kira and Gertie, originally uploaded by NedraI.

About a week ago when our daughter was sitting with me at the hospital when I had hand surgery, she received a text from a good friend asking her to go to Senior Ball. His girlfriend broken up with him the night before and he had tickets to use. She said she'd go as long as she could find a dress. On our way home we dropped her off at the mall with my charge card in hand and she was met by her brother's girlfriend. They did some quick shopping and found a great dress on sale! It's been a busy week getting flowers and hair appointments and such taken care of. Today was the big day. My little girl looked beautiful as she headed out for an evening of fun with her good friends. (She also had fun posing for pictures.)

May 21 Why We Ride

May 21 Why We Ride, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Today was my second Ride for Missing Children. Since I broke my hand during a training ride and ended up having surgery a week before The Ride I had to go in the volunteer bus today. I could still take pictures so I was thankful that I still got to take part in the activities of the day.

This is one of my favorite pictures of the day. We ride to help increase awareness of the plight of missing children, to help raise money so posters can be printed to bring the missing children home to their families and to help keep our children safer....one child at a time.

May 20-Senior Night

Senior Night, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Tonight was my daughter's Senior Night of lacrosse and her final game as well. The game was well attended by friends and family. My son, letter I, is home from college so he and his friends came to support her. It was a fun evening.

Daily Shoot Angle

Daily Shoot Angle, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Work the angles today. Make a photo that gives us a unique perspective on an otherwise ordinary scene.

Looking at a columbine from the top.

May 17 Columbine

May 17 Columbine, originally uploaded by NedraI.

I liked this picture but I didn't care for the background so I went into PhotoShop and played with the special effects and decided on glowing edges.

Daily Shoot-Black

Daily Shoot-Black, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Black can be dramatic. Go for as much black in a photo as you can with lots of oomph, character, and depth. (@melhutch)

June 16-Daily Shoot Self Portrait

June 16-Daily Shoot Self Portrait, originally uploaded by NedraI.

Sunday Challenge (by popular request): Make a self-portrait, with or without the camera in the frame.

My daughter's glasses offered some great reflections today. She was kind enough to drive me to The Herkimer Home to take pictures at their spring festival. She doesn't like me driving with one hand since I just had surgery. She was very patient as a I took pictures for a couple of hours. It was a beautiful day to be outside.

May 16 Herkimer Home

May 16 Herkimer Home, originally uploaded by NedraI.

The Herkimer Home in Little Falls, NY was hosting their spring festival today. My daughter was kind enough to drive me to the event. Docents were shearing sheep, washing laundry, tending the garden, playing music as well as other tasks. I enjoyed wandering around taking pictures of the different events. They served some yummy food as well.

May 15-Cleaning the Rink

May 15-Cleaning the Rink, originally uploaded by NedraI.

My son wants to clean up the rink and boards this summer so he and my husband began their project today. After cleaning the boards and asphalt they applied a new layer of asphalt. Then they replaced some boards. Next job is to the the boards scraped and painted.