Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Compassion Canada in Haiti



Canadians can donate HERE
Come, join us help the little ones in Haiti.
Thank you!

Monday, February 8, 2010

More Mexico

I'm home and have been for over a week, but some time ago I promised photos of Puerto Morales..... so here they are.

 
It is a 45min walk down the beach to Puerto Morales. But what a beautiful walk.
 
 
 
A Mexican life guard stand.
 
  
 
  
  
  
  
 
Wish I had views like this at the end of my street. 

And I will leave you with this today...

A woman has twins and gives them up for adoption. One of them goes to a family in Egypt and is named "Ahmal." The other goes to a family in Spain; they name him "Juan." Year's later; Juan sends a picture of himself to his birth mother. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband that she wishes she also had a picture of Ahmal. Her husband responds, "They're twins! If you've seen Juan, you've seen Ahmal."

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Instructions

 
In case you think it is easy to get photos of the two of you (which I posted on my 365 blog for the week we were away), I thought I would share the process with you. These are the instructins for people who remember their tripod but forget the fancy attachment part for their camera so they can put the camera on the tripod.

Step 1. Place husband and tell him to stay put so the focus doesn't mess up. 
  
Step 2. Set the camera to remote trigger. 
Step 3. Focus on husband and remind him not to move. He's getting distracted...
  
Step 3. Promise husband wonderful things if he will please be patient as you balance and prop the camera on a chair that is sitting within inches of the water. 
Step 4. Jump into pool and position yourself making sure that the camera can see and sense the remote trigger. 
Step 5. Try that again because it is not sensing the trigger.Okay and one more time.
Step 6. Assure your husband that yes you did set the remote trigger.
  
or maybe you didn't.....



yup, you did! It just wanted you closer... a lot closer. 

husband is getting bored with staying in the same spot.

Step 7. Abandon the remote trigger and set it on a 12 sec delay. 
Step 8. Promise husband good things again. 
Step 9. Refocus and check aperature settings
Step 10 - Click the shutter release, jump in the pool, get in place and smile like you are super relaxed before the shutter goes off - you have 12 seconds.


Voila!

Sunday, January 31, 2010

This is for my four children.


My thanks to Thelma for sending this on to me.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

More Mexico

 
  
 
Mexico is so beautiful, even in B&W. I am reading a B&W photography mag today and yesterday and having a bit of fun finding some good subjects for the camera.

But the food has to be photographed in colour!

and for those of you who do not visit my 365 Blog...




Will post photos of Porto Morales when I have time to upload. The old laptop is taking forever to work. It is on Mexican time I think.
It has been very peaceful and quiet here - round the pool and in the evenings.
.... but a planeload from an unnamed state arrived yesterday and the party atmosphere has erupted.
Too bad.
People... just because the drink is free(or so it feels that way) does not mean you have to go at it all day!
..... then get loud and obnoxious.
sigh
Tonight we are eating at The Barcelona.... French Cuisine.....

Thanks for letting me share our week of R&R with you.
I hope one day you get a chance to run away to a warm, wonderful place with someone special. The someone special is the best part!
We are blessed and very thankful.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

More Mexico...

Hope I am not making you all feel miserable with these photos of Caribbean splendor. Especially those of you back home who just came in from shovelling the driveway for the second time this morning.
Just show them to your sweetheart and say "See? That's what we need to do!"
Really, it took us over 25 years before we finally bit the bullet and went on an all inclusive vacation - just the two of us. Actually it took us 25 years before we went anywhere without all the kids.
We've been doing it every year since... we have been married 30 years.
I will warn you. Once you've been, you will want to return - as often as the bank account lets you!
So on to warmer views then your snowed in driveway...



This one was for you Jess - it's called a Blue Hawaiian
Hope the day went smoothly. I thought of you and was momentarily sorry I couldn't be there to help out.





Iguana - he was about 12-16 inches long and let me get right up close.
He's probably used to nosy tourists.

We walk a lot - every day. Sometimes over and hour on the beach. You have to with all this fantastic food.

Not bad for grandparents!
Gosh, I love this guy!!

I'm always keeping my eye out for a good spot for a photo of the two of us. AND it has to have a place to perch the DSLR too. So far I have not had the camera go crashing down to the ground. Sometimes people pass by and offer to take the photo but when they can't see the picture on the back of the camera they get confused. No one knows how to look through a viewfinder anymore.


Last night. The camera is on a table and the table is balanced on one of the lounge chairs. The exposure is 6 seconds. It is hard to stay perfectly still for six seconds....... sweetheart is saying with non moving lips "LAST one dear.... LAST one"

He truly is the most patient husband in the whole world.

If it is not too windy today we plan the 45 min beach walk into Porto Morales.
Good photo ops there!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Doing Nothing and loving it!

Yes, we are doing a lot of walking, hand holding, eating incredible food, dressing up, playing in the pool, taking photos and nothing. It is perfect and I am trying not to think about returning to work in a week (or 6 days that is). We dream of cashing in, abandoning the jobs and the kid and moving down here and being beach bums... but I'm not sure we really know what that life would be like since we are used to some mysterious person turning down our bed and leaving us fruit and delectable chocolates every evening. We might also miss the chilled champaign on the table and the jacuzzi on the balcony overlooking the ocean. So I suppose we will have to get on that plane next Saturday and make the trek home. We will just stare at our photos for the next few years and remember and giggle and hold hands again. sigh.....

This is the view from our balcony.... breath taking
Seriously can you imagine waking up and seeing this every morning?

The view across the table at the Grill for lunch.....sigh. Sorry he is all mine!

The view on the table in front of me..... all mine too! Except I do share with the guy across the table.

Me on the beach with my new turquoise hat. See how it matches perfectly with the ocean?

Me at lunch with my new white hat which I exchanged the turquoise hat for after it turned my white blouse and hair turquoise! It was kind of funky but I was thankful it washed out - of my hair anyways,
That is a contemplative look, not an angry look. I am thinking... hmmmm how can we stay here forever?

This is the spa by night. After much deliberation and encouragement from my sweetheart, I decided to pack the big  tripod for some of the spectacular night shots here.
But I forgot the attachment for my camera....so this is hand held (I think the martini helped) and my big tripod is in the closet. Dang!

More spa by night and no one seems to notice (or care) if you lie on the ground for a photo.
Actually almost anything goes at an adult all inclusive but this is a family friendly blog. :)

Monday night was Caribbean night. I thought we were crashing a wedding.
Wild music - we danced.

If you are a bit squeamish (or vegetarian), you might want to bypass the next photo.



Back to prettier stuff... the main bar - Martini's where we like to hang out before our evening dining.

We sat here Sunday evening before supper at the Barcelona....


Perfect dress for dancing.....

Today we will lie by the pool and I will have a Mojito for Jess my work partner because Jess has a very busy day today at work and I am sort of sorry I am not there to help, but perhaps the Mojito will help a little.
I could have two if you thought it would help Jess. Just let me know.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

It's been three years. Nice to be back!



 Feeling spoiled and pampered already.

This is a picture of us trying to eat supper last night after being up for 21 hrs. I think what we really needed was sleep.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Been busy

Yeah, this work thing keeps getting in the way of the fun things in life so I haven't been bloggin lately. Just no time. I have been posting to my 365 blog, so if you want to know what I am up to take a look there. I post every day - because them thars the rules on a 365 blog.


Took this on the way home from work on Tuesday. I love the sun, the sky, the wheat, the wire fence and the snow. It is so very 'winter in Saskatchewan'. I may have to scrapbook this one.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

A Time To Talk

When a friend calls to me from the road
And slows his horse to a meaning walk,
I don't stand still and look around
On all the hills I haven't hoed,
And shout from where I am, What is it?
No, not as there is a time to talk.
I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,
Blade-end up and five feet tall,
And plod: I go up to the stone wall
For a friendly visit.



Robert Frost