Loki

Meet my dog, Loki. A 1 year old (almost 18 months), long hair, German Shepherd.

I have had several dogs through the years. Each one has their own personality. One was independent and had to be trained more strictly, one was much more interested in watching and making sure all was well in "her" pack. Training is different with each one in order to integrate them into our family.

Loki has been, by far, the easiest to live with. He wants to be with us and is more loyal than any of our other dogs. I would say, too, that he lacks more upstairs than our other dogs. But he wants to please - he's got that going for him.

The other day I was walking with him and watching all the exploring and adventuring (not unlike walking with my son).

As we walked he ran this way and that way. First chasing a squirrel, then chasing a bird. There were great scents to follow and wonderful things to explore.

Watching him explore his world was entertaining and carefree.

Always while he was exploring he would watch and listen to where I was and we moved in the same relative direction, him always circling and exploring around me.

If for some reason he didn't see me move on I would call to him and, out from under a bush or behind a rock, Loki would come running.

As I walked God said, "Keep walking with me and we will go in the right direction. Walk through life, have fun, explore and adventure. But always listen for me. I will call to you when you wander too far and I will set the direction. Always keep listening for Me."

SNL

Because there is updating happening on my computer and I can't get to the photos that I wanted to post, I thought I would share these videos instead. They have made me laugh out loud. No matter who you support this November I hope you get a laugh from Tina Fey and Amy Poehler...

If you don't see both videos follow these links...
http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/palin-hillary-open/656281/

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/couric-palin-open/704042/

Bye-Bye Summer

It's hard to believe that this was just last week. We went to a friend's house and Brian had a blast playing with the three kids and waterslide...





Now our weather has turned cold. We have the heat on and wood in the fireplace.

It's turned to this...

It's beautiful in a very different way.

The Blues

I've been meaning to get this post up. The Blue Angels come to Seattle every year for Seafair. It's great fun and we have gone every year that we have lived in Washington.

This year was no different.

We figured that Brian was old enough to get a bit closer to the action and so we hiked up to the over look of I90 that looks out over the I90 floating bridge (for those of you from out of state, yes, the bridge really does float).

I90 is just off the center point for the airshow, so it's a great spot to watch from. Next year we will probably go out on the bridge. Those should be some great photos! Because that's how I think of everything we do - what kind of photos can I get?!

Here was the view from this year...


Brian was not as excited as he could have been. But, it was a long walk and a hot day...

HDR

I've been playing with a photography technique. HDR or High Dynamic Range imaging.

It's fascinating. I've always been frustrated that I could either capture detail or light, but in most cases not both. So here is my first try...

My bracketed photos:
Correctly exposed (taken on aperture priority mode)


Under exposed (-2 automatic bracketing)


Over exposed (+2 automatic bracketing)


Now the image created by merging the photos using Photomatix (which you can get the free trial, it just has the watermark - as seen on my photo below)...


It's a fun technique. To see some amazing photos taken using this see here.

Out of the Mouths...

The other night I was getting ready to tuck my son into bed. He was saying his goodnights and giving hugs. He asked me, "Mama, can I play my game in the morning?" *he has a leapster that some mornings (especially Saturdays) we let him play so we can catch just a bit more sleep. It works out well for everyone involved.

I replied, "We'll see."

He turns to his Daddy and says, "She almost said 'Yes'."

Wordless Week - Friday

Wordless Week - Thursday

Wordless Week - Wednesday

Wordless Week - Tuesday

Wordless Week - Monday

Yum

This was going to be a Wordless Wednesday post, but I felt the need to share all about my new cook book. I think I'm slowly becoming a foodie. My brother would be so proud!

While out and about with my mom this weekend we popped into Tuesday Morning. If you don't have a Tuesday Morning or have no idea what I'm talking about, I feel sad for you. I picked up a Cat Cora cook book, Cooking From The Hip. Love it! Plus I got a screaming good deal on the book - $7! Whoo Hoo


So far I've made the Sweet Potato and Chive Latkes. So good. Tonight I made the Salmon on Hash. My husband always enjoys showing off the amazing leftovers at the lunch table the day after a meal like that.

The best was the Brownie Cupcakes with Honey Almond Icing. The icing was made with egg whites and beat over a double boiler for an almost marshmallow like consistency. Oh, so heavenly...


See that empty cupcake paper? I came back to ice the cupcakes and found this. Hmmm, I'm sure my husband knows nothing about that.


Mine didn't turn out as pretty as the ones in the photo in the book, but they sure tasted pretty good.

Bloom Where You Are Planted

We have had several bonsai trees over the years. My favorite are the Serissa. We have had a couple of them. First, we tried to have one in Alaska - not it's native climate. While the tree did okay (until we housed it next to a diseased tree we were "tree sitting" for) it never bloomed.

We have been unable to get any blooms from any Serissa we've had. Until now. My tree is blooming!

Somehow, it makes everything feel like it will be okay.