JP's Photo Journal

May 14, 2008: Ladybug

2008-05-15T06:58:00.000-07:00

DD and I went on a field tip to a dairy farm yesterday. The animal that the kids enjoyed most was not the cows, or even the peacocks that were strolling around, but this ladybug that crawled all over us. Here's a shot of it on DD's hand.

From My Archives: Stained Glass

2008-05-13T17:33:00.001-07:00

This piece of stained glass hangs in the Arms & Armor exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It shows the motto of the English Order of the Garter, Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense.

According to the museum web site, it is the Coat of Arms of Henry Ratcliffe (died 1593) or Robert Ratcliffe (died 1629), Earls of Sussex.

May 5, 2008: A Gaggle

2008-05-05T17:43:00.000-07:00

These little babies were so cute, but their parents wouldn't let me get very close.

May 3, 2008: Darling Dahlia

2008-05-03T17:28:00.000-07:00

DD and I decided to do some gardening today. It was no surprise that every flower she picked out was pink! She had selected some pink petunias as her first choice. I've never really liked petunias all that much, though, and when I saw these dahlias I was able to persuade her to go with these instead. They are so pretty, and I get to see them as soon as I walk out the door!

May 2, 2008: A Sight for Sore Eyes

2008-05-02T20:18:00.000-07:00

I had to go to Washington DC again today. The trip up went well, but the trip back was horrendous. Normally 2.5 hours, it took 4 hours to reach home due to two separate traffic jams of unknown origin. We stopped for gas once we got back in familiar territory, and this was on the land neighboring the gas station. After being in bumper to bumper traffic, it was really good to see some open spaces again.

May 1, 2008: I've Got the Blues

2008-05-02T07:10:00.000-07:00

We went to a charity concert last night. The blues band that provided the music was excellent, and there was a wide variety of musical styles, from traditional blues to pop hits to old time gospel. I couldn't get any decent pictures of the band playing, so here's a shot of the ceiling in the old college auditorium where they played.

April 29, 2008: Misspelled Word of the Day

2008-04-30T15:38:00.000-07:00

Isn't it ironic that a company providing decorative alphabet letters and other text-related items for scrapbookers doesn't know how to spell the word "monograms?"

April 26, 2008: Wedding

2008-04-29T13:13:00.001-07:00

I attended a wedding today and was able to sneak some pre-nuptial shots of the bride. Here she is having a heart-to-heart with the flower girl (her granddaughter).

April 25, 2008: Word Art

2008-04-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

This bit of Scripture was one of two in the church where we attended a wedding this weekend. I thought it was pretty cool because from a distance, it just looked like an abstract swirly design. It was only when you got close to it that you saw it was made of words.

April 24, 2008: UFO (Unidentified Floral Object)

2008-04-24T17:48:00.000-07:00

Saw these very pretty, very small flowers on my walk today. They are roughly the same size and shape as lily of the valley, but with smaller, more grass-like leaves and slightly bigger lavender blooms.

Any idea what it is?

April 24, 2008: Caught in the Act

2008-04-24T17:35:00.000-07:00

Seen on my mid-morning walk.

April 17: An Inviting View

2008-04-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

The Freer Gallery of Art has a large open courtyard in the middle of it. This is a view of it through some of the large doors leading outside.

April 17: In His Mind's Eye

2008-04-20T17:05:00.000-07:00

How we see our itty bitty kitty:

How he sees himself:

(This is a Chinese Tomb Guardian on display at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery/Freer Gallery of Art in Washington DC.)

April 16: Ribit!

2008-04-19T10:24:00.000-07:00

While in DC, I went to the National Geographic Museum and saw an exhibit of frogs. This one was staring at me rather intently.

April 17: Parterre

2008-04-18T15:22:00.000-07:00

At the back of the Smithsonian "castle," there is a Victorian style parterre. It is breathtakingly beautiful, particularly on such a sunny day. (Click image for larger view.)

April 17: Face of an Angry Commuter

2008-04-17T18:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I survived (barely) two days of driving in the big city. Today when I had a few free hours, I decided to go to the museums... and I took the subway there because I was SO done with all the horn blowing, impatient, cursing road ragers. In the first museum I toured, this statue immediately made me think of the angry city folks behind the wheel.

From My Archives: Philadelphia

2008-04-13T15:07:00.000-07:00

This photo of the city of Philadelphia was taken in June 2006, from the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

April 9, 2008: Rain, Day 3

2008-04-09T13:02:00.000-07:00

Today was the third consecutive day of overcast, colder than normal weather. No wonder I'm fighting off the blues! Fortunately, there was some beauty in all of the misty, drippy weather. As my daughter so aptly described it, "it looks like there are diamonds on the grass!" See for yourself:

I could not decide which one of these photos to post. Do you prefer one over the other? If so, which one, and why?

From My Archives: Prize Sunflower

2008-04-07T18:11:00.000-07:00

This was one of the award winning sunflowers at the state fair a few years ago. It was at this particular moment that I fell in love with my camera's macro setting.

I have been absolutely horrible about taking pictures lately. Will try to do better!

Guest Photo by My Hubby!

2008-04-05T20:58:00.000-07:00

DH and DS spent today hiking up a mountain with some men from our church. They arrived home late at night, tired as could be but with a memory card full of great pictures. This one, of our pastor doing his best Moses impression, really tickled me. And the scenery is just beautiful, isn't it?!?

April 2: This Can Be Yours For Just $1,875,000.00

2008-04-02T16:54:00.000-07:00

This real estate gem is currently for sale. It's within walking distance of my house (and in fact I walked over there today to take this picture), but it is about as similar to my house as an apple is to an orange. (Click image to enlarge.)

From the listing: Each bedroom is a private suite - home theatre - marble floors - exercise room - 18X13 office with built-ins - pool house can be in-law living quarters - built in barbecues, fish pond. Oh yes, there's also an attached three car garage.

The living room measures 28 x 18; the family room is slightly larger at 30 x 20. The smallest of the four bedrooms is 16 x 13; the largest is 31 x 21. The house has a total of over 6000 square feet and is located on a waterfront property of 1.4 acres.

Interested?

April 1: Heavenly Host

2008-04-01T13:51:00.000-07:00

I found this collection of angelic garden statuary in our local Tuesday Morning store. I thought it was very nicely arranged.

March 29: Sunshine = Happy Cat

2008-03-31T17:04:00.000-07:00

Fat Cat was enjoying a spot of sunshine Saturday and I thought I would try to use the lighting to my advantage. I'm not really sure what effect I was going for, but this is the end result.

March 28: Open Windows = Happy Cats

2008-03-28T12:47:00.000-07:00

It's in the 70s here for the first time this year and I've opened the window next to my desk. Both cats immediately came over so they could sit on the windowsill.

From My Archives: Giraffe with OCD

2008-03-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

Animals can have mental illness too. Take, for instance, this giraffe that I saw on a trip to a big city zoo in October 2006. She believed that she was a window washer born in a giraffe's body, poor girl. All she did all day was lick the windows of the giraffe house.

I don't know who was worse off -- her for licking a window all day, or me standing there watching in horrified fascination. :-)