Welcome

Hi,
I know that doesn't have the most welcoming sound for the first post of a new blog, but I say it with a big cheesy grin while I scratch my head on how else to sound inviting. I have had a personal blog before, and although I will strive to keep this more professional, it is about ME. I won't say that my occasional witty sarcasm won't surface from time to time, but I hope this will be an enjoyable stop while perusing for something interesting to read and maybe I'll just make you laugh ~ or smile.  Or, you can skip it all and just look at the pictures.. I do that too.  Regardless, welcome and enjoy!

I decided it might be fun to try the 365 project so many people are raving about. With a new career, two kids, (a daughter who's 11 and thinks she's 15 and a son who's 16 and thinks he's 20), a husband, 2 dogs, 1 cat, 4 horses and a handful of cattle, I'm not promising that I will post every detail of this crazy life that is constantly on the change. But, I promise to try. You can't fault me for trying, right? Then I won't get freaked out when I fail to report all things disrupting the normal flow of my life. I hope however, to report all the exciting new adventures in photography this year will bring.
So here goes, the first 3 days of the more personal view of the 365 Project for 2011.

 Jan 1. My job most mornings when everyone is headed off to school or work is to feed the critters. Who am I kidding? Most of the time it's because I'm the only one that will get up in the morning, because as a mom, I can feel the hungry stares of the animals outside and just can't help it.  So why a picture of rubber boots? Because I made the mistake of wearing them to feed New Year's Day in 26 degree weather when they are meant to be worn in 40+ degree weather for irrigating or muddy feeding. My toes were frozen by the time I got back inside. Don't do that. Take the time to bundle up.

Jan 2.  Just to pre-warn those reading this that don't know me, I am a pumpkin psycho. Yes, I love pumpkins and gourds of all shapes and sizes.... me and Martha (except her garden is much nicer than mine).  Spring of 2010 I jumped into my photography with the gusto stored up from years of dreaming and sort of forgot about my garden. I blame my alter ego Penelope Pumpkin Weather for not doing a better job of reminding me to get out to the garden and weed. And water. *cringe* . Well, the hubs came in New Years Day after he had gone out to inspect my feeding technique (no, not really. He was on some kind of man mission) and informed me I still had two big round gourds left in the garden. They are called Bushel Gourds but okay, they are big and round. As you can see from the tall frozen weeds there was probably a good reason I did not see them during my small harvest season.  The good news is they look like they will dry and I can make them into bowls or something interesting. The bad news is I don't think I can free them until spring....

 Jan 3.  So for today's picture I really wanted to get a picture of my son driving himself to school for the first time in his new/old pickup. He's been waiting 2 weeks for vacation to get over while he and his dad fixed some radiator issues.  But it was very dark and very cold and I was still in my pj's so I decided to wait and see what else might come available to report for today. Then my daughter came out in her new vest from her Aunt and Uncle.  She became the target. Look how warm she looks! I want one.  And of course I couldn't make up my mind between the color and black & white. It's a mom's prerogative....