2010 photos

i wanted to share some of my favorite photos i have taken this year...

this one i love so much as it shows such a joy on her little face, such an innocent joy of just being... being with her favorite friend that moment.. in the sunshine... rolling in the grass... and giggling without a care in the world.

the simplicity of this shot
with all the curves and shape is very interesting to me..
i love the way the sun picks up details in the leaves.

who wouldn't love this in their back yard...

the texture and color of this shot just relaxes me...

this one is very restful and relaxing as well.
the way the sun reflects off the stem...

who can resist a rainbow..
especially with sun reflecting off a red mountain
in the foreground
playing up the colors.

waterfalls one after another can grab some sunshine also..

this one captured the memories of finding all those
wonderful wild mushrooms...
all in the freezer awaiting a big steaming bowl of wild mushroom
soup with wildrice..

i take photos of the Crystal Mill every year...
this years shots are my favorites..
the wildflowers do something wonderful
and of course the sun is playing along very well..

there is something so serene with this one...

and this one...

trying to get a group shot with a crazy family is always
a challenge.. but lots of fun..
love the action...

flowers and flowers..
i can never take enough shots ..
the butterfly is of course a visit from Gma...

campfires and roasting marshmallows in the yard!!!

there is such a softness to this photo...

a brilliance to the colors here...
mother nature is amazing...

the waves of the ocean at a new angle..

wonder what this guy is up too...

the random things you find walking around your mom's property...
no idea who's boot this was..
or how and when it got here.

34th anniversary and jam...

102 jars of jam later ...
we were beat.
Jamie and I spent one whole day making...
organic raspberry jam,
blackberry jam,
raspberry blueberry jam,
raspberry blackberry jam...
I have to say that it beats shopping for gifts...
and who doesn't love jam...

I want to blog about a contest I entered as well, and the prize is $150 visa card.. yeah I never win anything but it's always fun to try... Nicole at pinch my salt is taking entries and all you have to do is leave a comment ect. at pinch my salt reviews telling how you eat healthy during the holidays...
it's really fun to read all the other entries and see what everyone else is up to as far as staying in shape.. it's always good to get new ideas..

speaking of food...


this was our anniversary dinner...
delish...
spinach salad with caramelized red onion and corn,
caramelized with orange infused olive oil and turbinado sugar.
plump blackberries,
blue cheese crumbles,
toasted pine nuts,
and a drizzle of the orange infused olive oil and 15 year aged balsamic...

the shrimp was sauteed in red pepper olive oil with finely chopped
jalapeno and whole garlic cloves, with a little finely chopped onion...
and a splash of fresh lemon juice right at the end.

this was a great dinner and very healthy.

we also went downtown for first Friday and the lighting of main street...




I love small town life...


main street was closed down and everyone walked along with the horses
and enjoyed the lights...


merry merry christmas

I wonder where summer has gone

I wonder where
summer has gone...
to the heavens above with a whisper ...
the days have grown short
and fall is long gone
only winter days are ahead of us...

don't think about the beauty of summer
for it has passed
only to return with color and song
after winter colors have faded....

for now lets rejoice
in the colors of cold..
blues of the colorado sky
shades of white
mounding on the green of pines...

the leaves have all fallen
with the passing of seasons
returning next spring
with the promise of lazy days in the hammock

the icicles will form
on the eaves all around...
the sun will reflect the colors
of the rainbow from within them

all we have left of summer
are the warm memories of flowers
and buds bursting alive with life
of family and friends relaxing.....outside....

for now lets gear up
and go out for a hike in the snow
the sun will be blasting
to warm our hearts and our bodies...

I welcome winter snow.........

one day at a time

one day at a time...
this is enough...
do not look back
and grieve over the past,
for it is gone...
and do not be troubled about the future,
for it has not yet come...
live in the present,
and make it so beautiful
it will be worth remembering...

people

the theme for sunday shutterbugs this week
people

this is our crazy family trying to take a picture together...

In Memory of
Beryl Eileen Antoniou
Gramma Eileen
2.22.32
8.1.10

she stares into the blankness

until she sees my face
the sparkle in her eyes
can never be erased

what goes thru her mind
when no ones there
does she know where she is
does she know we care

each time i visit her
she thinks it’s the first
her expression tells me
she knows it could be worse

that's all I could give her
i excepted the job
brings me joy
no time to sob

trips to the park
make her happy for awhile
a new lipstick and tiarra
will bring a smile

her stories have entertained
i wonder where they come from
small specks of memory
webs of truth in some

she always lived life her way
until the very end
she cheated the last stages
and we all must mend

her spirit couldn’t survive
being locked in a shell
i believe she knew that
and she thought what the hell

anyone that knew her
knows her quirky ways
and in her loving style
took charge that day

she’s looking down upon us
and knowing we all cared
each and everyone of us
with the last years shared

always remember her smiles
hugs and kisses given so free
smart quick remarks
was her way to be

the helping hand always lent
small gestures of love
the smile on her face
now comes from above

she never forgot the words
to her favorite songs
and what a blessing it is
that we can now sing along


we will miss you

nature

sunday shutterbugs theme also for this week
nature

noun

sunday shutterbugs theme this week
noun

macro

sunday shutterbugs this week
macro

two perspectives

I woke up early on july 4th and decided i would go for a hike up mushroom rock before floating down the river that day. This is the view from the top of mushroom rock. From the top you can see where the Crystal river flows into the Roaring fork river.
One of my favorite places to be early in the morning is this rock. The view of Mnt. Sopris, the roaring fork valley and crystal valley and of course the rivers are beautiful from this perspective.


A few hours later we were floating the Crystal river from our house to Glenwood Springs, as we were getting closer to where to two rivers converge I had to get a photo of mushroom rock from this perspective as well. Two amazing perspectives of the same spot within hours of each other made for a pretty complete day.

Of course it doesn't take much effort to have a complete day when you live in Colorado, there are so many amazing visual feasts for your eyes just driving to work in the morning.
We also got a treat on our float from some Blue Herons nesting high in the trees.

geese everywhere, with babies that were getting big and a bald eagle perched in a tree floating through Aspen Glen.

The graffiti under the bridges i have to say are works of art, the colors just pop as you float by and you wonder who took the time to create something under a bridge for rafters passing by to see. I would have to suspect the private school up the hill had some fairly artistic students over the years that had some free time on their hands, and a creative streak just waiting for an opportunity to be set free. I love the pop of color suddenly in your line of vision after hours of trees and water.

Another sight that always amazes me on the river is the stuff that banks are made of...
you see concrete slabs from old construction sites and rusted iron and there is even an old washing machine half buried on the bank. Old cars are a fairly common thing to see buried on the bank. Anything to try and keep the bank from eroding and washing away with the winter snowmelt. This year we had quite a runoff season in our back yard and lost a little property.. We are thinking we need to throw our old hot water heater we just replaced onto the bank and let it become part of our history... probably won't but we had a great conversation about what could become a part of our river bank.

The whole day was so relaxing.. ahhh.. and after months of far to many hours of yard work it was just what i needed.. no fireworks, no bbq, just relaxing with the scenery floating by as i enjoyed the day wander aimlessly along with no agenda.


And of course i can't blog about a day on the river in our valley without a photo of Mnt Sopris...
I can't count all the different perspectives you can get of this mountain when you live in the Roaring Fork Valley.