I Believe In...

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On the way home from dinner last night, I asked Donnie to take me through downtown Fuquay-Varina so that I could take some pictures of a store window that I'd been admiring for a few weeks during the daytime.  Of course he obliged...and smiled and waved very nicely at the police officer that drove by while we were 'casing the joint' out front.  The winds were high all day yesterday (gusts around 35mph), and it really was quite chilly to be getting out of the car.  Donnie insists that I stay warm especially while my immunity is low from the chemo.  So, I stayed put rolling down the window and using the frame as a tripod.  I wasn't sure if I got any decent shots, but they were the only pics I took yesterday.  On the computer this morning, I decided to merge three of the shots and make a card.  Looking quite pink, romantic, and Valentine's Day again:-)

Here's a collage of the storefront including the shots I used to create the card:

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The store btw is called The Shoppes on Main.  Apparently it's a place where 25 merchants each have a both of interesting items.  I'd like to go back during the day.  Maybe they'll even put up a St. Patrick's Day or Easter window sometime soon for me to go back and take pics of.

Behind the Window OR This Old House

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I've been sitting on images of this old house that I took over two afternoons this past week.  Just seemed like I couldn't quite get the image I wanted and/or I had something prettier to post.  Yet, I'd still like to share these images and talk about this house.  They are all hdr.

This is the house as posted in a prior daily from November 2010.

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The kids used to talk about the spooky house when we'd drive by and make up stories about it.

The house as it sits by itself isn't what really attracts me to it.  I think it's more the stories it would tell if it could and the curiosity about what's behind each window and door.

Yesterday I noted when I drove to/from the boys' school that the curtain now covers the window again (the glass is broken).  However, with it blown back, it's very interesting.  I like how the branch on the curtain ties back in to the branch of the real tree.

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Not only is the bed still there, but as you can see in my daily picture, there's also a beautiful mirror.

This window with the strong tree branch reflections also really catches my curiosity.  There's such a beautiful texture to the curtain fabric.

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The tree in the front yard is beautiful although maybe not completely placed conveniently for photos.

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What inspired me to stop for pictures again this week was 3 turkey vultures on the roofline. They didn't improve the composition like I'd hoped, but I enjoyed watching them for a few minutes.

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I never got out of my car for any of these shots.  I drove up the dirt drive, parked in front, and used the car window frame as a tripod.  I didn't want to get into trouble yet couldn't resist taking a few more pics from the outside.  No signs posted but no trespassing seems implied.

Tulip and Bokeh

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Donnie and I went to follow-up doctor appointments for me yesterday, and all is going OK.  One more chemo to go early March.

We walked around West Point Mill on the Eno River again and had another of our lovely picnic lunches..  I sure wish the mill was open so that we could go in.  I sure did enjoy my handsome lunch date:-)

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And the view of the dam:

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The tulip was a 99 cent flower buy at the grocery store on the way home.  Clearance you know;-)  I had a lady in the checkout tell me I was nuts.  We explained I wanted to take a picture with it and knew it wouldn't last.  She still thought I was nuts.

Here's a shot of it not modified.  Obviously I changed the background for my daily.  I thought pink and orange clashed.  Donnie said the green was so springlike plus green is his favorite color.

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In a rush to get the kids to school but I think that's the gist of yesterday and the shots that I took.

Northern Flicker

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A couple of times each winter, I see a Northern Flicker (woodpecker) in the yard adjacent to mine.  That yard is on a neighborhood street corner and had most of the trees removed years ago.  So, it's forest fringe whereas my yard is total forest.  I saw a Northern Flicker on Sunday but did not have my camera, and then as we were leaving the neighborhood for school today, I stopped to look at the frost in the ditch of that yard and noticed the flicker looking for insects in the lawn.  I took a few shots and then rolled down the window to take a few more and was very pleased that he did not immediately fly away.  Yep, this is a yellow-shafted adult male Northern Flicker as best as I can tell.  To date, this is the best shot I've gotten of one.  Woo hoo!

I did see him catch at least two insects.  This woodpecker prefers to look for bugs in grass and not on dead trees.  He's a ground feeder.  I wish this shot was better.  I don't know why the exposure was so off on this one.  I tried to darken up the over exposed areas using a graduated tint from the bottom up.

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Here's the frost that I stopped for:

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At this point, the kids were getting uneasy that I was going to make them late for school and coaxing me to get back in the car.  Geez...

I'm working on some images of an old house that's not far from my house, but I can't quite seem to nail or pp what I want.  I'll keep trying.

Pink Blooms Skyward Bound

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Sorry to do this to you two days in a row, Art, but I just couldn't resist stopping along Main Street in Fuquay-Varina yesterday to take pictures of these pretty pink blooms.  Cherry?  I think so...

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We were in the high 20's low 30's here last night but for just a short while.  Wish I had time to go out and shoot frost pics on leaves.  Looks like hoarfrost this AM which I don't see here often.  Hopefully the blooms were not harmed.  We've got until April 15th though, for frost season, so it's risky business this spring for all the very early blooming flowers.

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Last year I took pics of these trees on 2/27.  So, they are out at least a week early this year.  Enjoy!

The Smiling Faces of WM

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I've shopped at the local Wal-Mart in Fuquay -Varina since it opened. Best as I can remember, it opened while I was pregnant with Joey in 2002.  I had a serious need for Coke Icees, and they had them at the snack bar, so I was stopping in often!  I know some folks aren't Wal-Mart fans, but we love our Wal-Mart most of the time.  Let's not talk about the wait time at the check-out yesterday with 3 kids under foot, but I try to be patient:-)  At any point, I'm sure some of you have seen e-mails and links to some not so kind photos of people who shop at Wal-Mart.  I guess in some cases the people in the shots kindof asked for the extra attention...  And, let's face it, some of the shots are hilarious.  Today, I thought I'd put a smiling, happy, good looking twist on yesterday's WM shoppers.

And, yes, I must confess Johnny got that marked down teddy bear.  Really?  I was supposed to resist?

Yesterday we put away the Valentine's Day decorations and got out the green for St. Patrick's Day.  I had help decorating the house from some very cute leprechauns!

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I did try to get you a serious shot yesterday but it just didn't light me up the way I was hoping:

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It's a new piece of crystal from the thrift store.  I'll try again some other day.

Spring Sprouts

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I don't have as many daffodils in my yard as I used to.  I guess rodents, shade, and tree roots have taken their toll.  Still, I have a few that bloom to my delight each year, and I always try to capture some photos of them.  I snuck outside for a quick photo shoot yesterday morning while the boys were watching a cartoon and had a very nice date with not only the daffodils but also the helleborus that are flowering in my yard.  The helleborus seems to spread farther each year in the flower bed where I have it planted, and I'm so glad to see that!

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I ran with the kids, including Madi, the rest of the day.  We stopped in to see Mr. Henry at Blinmpies:

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We ran around at the Carroll Howard Johnson Environmental Park in Fuquay:

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Never underestimate the power of play with rocks, water, and mud:-)  I love, love, love that top picture of Johnny in his Docker corduroy pants (only ones he can do the button himself), cuffs rolled up, and bare feet showing, with that ready to go do more mischief look on his face.

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We also stopped by to see Donnie for a bit so the kids could practice throwing the baseball.

Snowflakes are in the forecast for tonight.  Well, we might see one, but it was around 65 yesterday and the ground and asphalt are quite warm.  Surely nothing will stick.  Maybe a photo op in the AM light?  I hope so...and the time to do something about it.