Elephant in the Wild

Some people don't understand why I carry my camera with me just about everywhere I go, but I'm worried that if I don't have my camera, that will be the time an elephant riding a unicycle will go by and I'll miss it. I sometimes go on personal photowalks around the neighborhood. On one of my photowalks, I ran across a rare sight in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia: an elephant in the wild, and I have the photo to prove it.

Church

An outside view of the church from this weekend's wedding. To see a sneak preview of the couple go to Worley Arts Blog

Quiet, he's hunting rabbit

I saw this rabbit in our yard and snuck out he front door and crawled along the sidewalk to get this photo. The dog in the background was just out for a walk, but I like the fact that it's in the photo. I have more photos for the rabbit that I may post later.

Self Portrait

Here is the second Assignments from Readers post, this suggestion is one of the two from Dot. She said that self portraits challenge a person. I decide to take my self portrait without a tripod, hand held. I used a hot shoe flash on camera, but did bounce it of the wall next to me. I'll tell you this, my arm is almost too short when holding the camera with a 50mm lens attached to still have a nice framing of my head. I guess you could call this a self head shot. Thank you Dot for the suggestion, I'll have to give your other idea a try soon.

Chess

This is the first in the Assignments form Readers posts that I will be doing. Debbie had the idea of "Joy". This picture reminds me of the joy Kathryn had when I recently taught her how to play chess. She was especially excited when she captured my queen, I was the black chess pieces and that is my queen sitting closest to the camera off the board. I better watch out or she will be teaching me how to win games before long.

Thank you Debbie for the idea. I have about five more assignments already some are more difficult than others, but I will get through them, so keep them coming.

Fun Fund Raising

We are going to Botswana in August. I never thought that would be writing those words in a post. Jamie is not very fond of flying (read this for her own words about it). I felt a calling to go on a mission trip a few years ago. I didn't have a passport at the time nor did I really want to leave Jamie for a week to fly to another country. There is a time and a place for everything, and it just was not the time.

Now is the time. Our Sunday school teacher, who is also an associate pastor at our church, asked us if we would be interest in going on the Botswana trip. At first we said maybe and kind of shrugged it off, but after Jamie and I prayed about it, we knew it was what God wanted us to do. This trip is to help married couples in Botswana. We will be assisting Denise and David Glenn with a "Freedom for Mothers/Freedom for Fathers" conference. And you know I will be taking photographs to document the trip.

In order to go we have to raise some money. Don't worry I'm not going to hit you up for a donation, at least not yet. But if you just feel led to donate I'm not going to stop you either; there is even a nice little airplane at the bottom of the blog that you can click on to donate.

This post is more about a cool fund raising event that we are doing on June 5th 2009. We're having a Dinner, Dancing and Auction for Missions. There will be a great pot luck dinner. After all what kind of Baptist Church would it be if we didn't have a pot luck dinner ever now and then? There will be dance lessons, taught by Jamie and me (yes, just one of the many other things we have in our box of tricks). And there will be an auction of stuff and services from members of our Sunday school class. That is why it is called "the night of Dinner, Dancing and Auction for Mission" (we're more creative with what we are auctioning than in coming up with a name for it). So if you are in the Atlanta area and would like to come just leave me a comment and I'll get you more information.

New Blog Idea

Now that I've had a Photograph a Day for a year now it's time to try something a little different. I still want this blog to be mainly around photos, because I'm a man of few words. Just ask Jamie, but that might have to be another post.

I would like a little help from my blog readers out there. Call it class participation without the awkward looks from the others in class, maybe that was just me in school. I would like for you to give me photography assignment ideas to work on during the week and post them when completed. I will try to do at least one a week but that would depend on how tough y'all make it on me. It can be a simple as one word or as complex as a scene that you have in your head. Remember I have a budget, which is very low, so don't go too elaborate on me.

To help with using more words part of blogging, I will try to write more about the photographs that are going to be posted here.

Thank you everyone in advance,

Remembering a Great Man

Today was the memorial service for Jamie's Grandfather, Cullen Sykes. I had the honor of being a pallbearer and getting the chance to know him. He was 91 when he left us to be with the Lord. This man loved the Lord and placed Him first in his life. It was very interesting to learn a few of the things he had done in his life.

He served in WWII in the Army Air Corp a division of the Army before the Air Force was established. He also served in the Navy Reserves for about five years after WWII. He worked for Lockheed for thirty years and invented a lift for the C-130, that is very impressive to me.

The Reverend asked him about five days before he left us if he had any regrets, after thinking about it a while he said that his only regret was that he did become a Christian sooner in life. Now that is an awesome answer, and shows that as a Christian, we want to spend as much time with our Lord as we can.

At the funeral home there was singing, stories told and a short sermon to give people a chance to accept Jesus as their personal savior. There is not much more that a Christian could ask for at the memorial service in honor of his life here on earth.

At the graveside service there was more singing, a Military flag ceremony with the playing of taps, and a Masonic ceremony.

Mr. Sykes last wish was "Just Love Me". Believe me, after watching the memorial today, there is not doubt that this great man of God was loved.

Check out Jamie's blog to see old photos of the family.

Mothers Day 2009

The ladies in my life enjoying time together on Mothers Day. I'm blessed and thankful to have them in my life. I love you girls.

#366 - Honeysuckles

Photograph a Day number three-hundred sixty-six.
It has been one year since I started Photograph a Day post. I'm working on a new idea now. I'll keep you posted as it comes along, don't worry I'll still be posting photographs they just might not be everyday. I might even need the help and input from you, my blog readers.

#365 - Botswana

Photograph a Day number three-hundred sixty-five.
We are going on a mission trip to Botswana in August, that was the inspiration for today's photo.
Only one more day and there will be a year of Photograph a Day post on this blog, last year was a leap year.

#364 - Gazebo and Fountain

Photograph a Day number three-hundred sixty-four.

I know this is not a very interesting photograph, but because we have been in a drought the fountain has been dry for a long time, and it's nice to see it running again.

#363 - Slow and Steady

Photography a Day number three-hundred sixty-three.

#362 - Cinco De Mayo

Photograph a Day number three-hundred sixty-two.

#361 - Found It First

Photograph a Day number three-hundred sixty-one.

He looked at me as to say I found it first and you can't have it, just before he ran away.

#360 - Tea Party

Photograph a Day number three-hundred sixty.

Kathryn and her Great-Gran enjoying tea. It's nice to see different generation bonding over something they both enjoy.

#359 - Wikki Stix Frisbee

Photograph a Day number three-hundred fifty-nine.

#358 - God's Canvas

Photograph a Day number three-hundred fifty-eight.
When I looked up and saw a sky full of white fluffy clouds it looked like God had a large paint brush adding the clouds as I watched.