Showing posts with label friday foto finish fiesta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friday foto finish fiesta. Show all posts

Thursday, 7 May 2009

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta - Let Sleeping Dogs (And Children) Lie...

It's Friday and it's a Fiesta !! At least it is, thanks to Candid Carrie ! :-)


I walked into the living room and found my little friend, Taylor, fast asleep on the couch.

Noticed a little lump, near her, under the blanket ....


I gently lifted the blanket and found Sparky, curled up in a ball, slumbering away, nose to nose with her.... :-)

Too cute for words :-)

Thursday, 30 April 2009

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta - Memories

It's Friday and it's a Fiesta !! At least it is, thanks to Candid Carrie ! :-)

Haven't had much time to post this week. Been getting back into the swing of things at school,so been a bit tired.Plus, allergies have been kicking my butt. The scotch broom is in bloom:-(

These are photos from about 8 years ago.

We took my granddaughter,Sacha, skating for the first time....

Sadly,the photos aren't very good quality .... however, I think the sheer excitement on that little girl's face, absolutely shines through.:-)

Can't believe she's almost 12 now!!!


Skates on and already to get out on that ice !!! Look at that grin !!


Hanging on tight to Grandma's hand...


Still hanging on....


Bit braver now and hanging onto the side on her own. Mum (my daughter Christina)is keeping a watchful eye though....


Getting ready to let go of Mum.....


OOPS !!! This is a favourite photo of mine.I love the laughter on both their faces...

Have a great weekend!!

*Update*.... Off on a field trip,this morning, with 100+ second graders. Wish me luck !!! :-)

Friday, 24 April 2009

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta - My Reno

It's Friday and it's a Fiesta !! At least it is, thanks to Candid Carrie ! :-)

I have a love/hate relationship with the little city that I currently live in.

There are parts of the city that I love and enjoy spending time in. The Truckee River is one such area.

There is a trail beside the river, that enables you to walk or bike from Reno through to Sparks and beyond. Eventually, they are hoping to extend the trail from Pyramid Lake through to Lake Tahoe. That will make for a wonderful ride or hike..

The river in downtown Reno, also has a Kayak park and there are areas for people to picnic and swim. In Summer. it's a very popular place..


This is a view along the Truckee River, looking towards downtown Reno.

It's from a roll of black & white film I shot a couple of weeks ago. I'm not sure what the camera shop did to it, when they were developing it, but the originals ended up all washed out. You could not make out the mountains in the background or the details of the clouds..

I played around with the photo, with some editing software and ended up with a sort of blue-grey tint to the photo. I rather like it, as it sort of gives a moody look to the photo, illustrating the transition from late winter to early spring..


Part of the River walk in downtown Reno.

Clicking on any of the photos in this post, will give you clearer detail. In this one, partially hidden by the trees, are a couple of the homeless characters that spend their days along the river, waiting for the shelter to open at night. When I walked past, they were sharing their food with some of the myriad bird life that also live along the river..


Reno is a city of contrasts in other ways. At one end of a street you can have a million dollar house and at the other end you can find a mobile home park..


Another thing that has always fascinated and repelled, at the same time, me about Reno
is the way that you can very quickly move from a very pretty area to a drab, dirty, run down stretch.

Our city fathers have been wondering why we are losing conventions and why the tourist trade is dropping.

This photo might be one of the answers.

This is an old motel and bar, directly across from one of our big Casinos. It's been in various states of disrepair for years. At one point, many years ago, it was a well known motel, where some of the rich and famous were rumoured to have stayed while waiting for their quickie Reno divorces.

Then it became one of the 'weekly' motels for the homeless and the bar became a biker type hang out.

In more recent years it has been boarded up. There was a tragic fire there about two years ago, in which two homeless men, who had broken into it seeking shelter, died.

They finally pulled it down last week, but the resulting vacant lot is almost just as much an eyesore..

So many contrasts, this city has...

Thursday, 9 April 2009

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta - Down By The River

It's Friday and it's a Fiesta !! At least it is, thanks to Candid Carrie ! :-)

Monday was a beautiful day, so after visiting the DMV, we meandered down to the Truckee River.

I had fun playing with with my 35mm SLR film camera. Still trying to get the hang of it, but I thought some of the shots came out fairly well, despite me having the F-stops wrong...

But, that's all the fun of learning !!!

For most of the photos, you can get better detail if you click on the photo.


The hubby looking contemplatively at the river.

I messed around with the colour on this one, with a photo editing program and still haven't got it right ...


We stood and watched these kayaks, for ages.


Isn't the water a beautiful blue !!

It was darn cold though as it is snow melt that feeds the river. Despite that there were a couple of kids playing in the river. BRRRRRRRRRRRR !!


Looking across at the kayaks playing in the water. It was fascinating watching them flip in the white water..


This fellow was taking quiet nap in the sun.

Sadly he is one of the many homeless that we have in the area.

Many of them are mentally ill and there are not enough beds in the shelters for them. Programs that were in place to help them, have now been discontinued because of the current economic climate.

Friday, 3 April 2009

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta - Spring Has Sprung !!!

Or has it ?

Yesterday, when I went for walk ...


The sky was a brilliant blue, with white puffy clouds ...


The trees were reclothing themselves in green ..


The blossoms were blooming ...

However, this morning ..


' MUM !!! The white stuff is back !!! '

Oh, what a difference a day makes ....

It's Friday and it's a Fiesta !! At least it is, thanks to Candid Carrie ! :-)

Friday, 30 January 2009

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta - Aquaman !!!

It's Friday and it's a Fiesta !! At least it is, thanks to Candid Carrie ! :-)

When my kids were growing up, back home in Wellington, New Zealand, we were very fortunate to live about a 10 - 20 minute walk from at least three beaches.

There were more to choose from, about a 15 minute car drive away, which meant that many summer days were spent lazing on the sand.

Found this photo of my youngest son, Stephen (one of my twins) trying out one of his Christmas presents. He'd wanted goggles, flippers and a snorkel...


He was rather obsessed about that set. I'd often find him flip flopping around the house, a towel acting as a cape, brandishing a light saber ( Star Wars was a favourite too ) and wearing his water gear .... ready to defend home and hearth, the World and the Universe from any baddies that could be skulking around ...

Do/did your kiddies have any obsessions ??

Do you ?? :-)

Friday, 23 January 2009

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta - Kids Do The Strangest Things..

It's Friday and it's a Fiesta !! At least it is, thanks to Candid Carrie ! :-)

I walked into the living room at Taylor's house, a while back and found this ...


Even Ziggy, the dog, found it a little odd. He got down and observed this peculiar sight a little closer ..


Yep ... those were Taylor's legs and she was sound asleep ...


'I was asleep until you started flashing that thing at me!!'

I asked her why she'd spread a blanket on the floor, pulled the laundry basket over her head and gone to sleep ...

The answer to that will have to remain one of life's small mysteries as I got the usual kiddy answer .... those shrugged shoulders and 'I dunno' .. :-)

Friday, 9 January 2009

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta - A Collection Of Cuties :-)

It's Friday and it's a Fiesta !! At least it is, thanks to Candid Carrie ! :-)


My three Grandsons, from the right Logan, Alexander and Xavier, busily brushing their teeth. Don't they look adorable? :-)


My oldest Granddaughter, looking cool...


Okay, this is one of my grownup twins, Christina. I mentioned in my previous Friday post, that the twins were about to turn 30, this year. She corrected me in the comments, pointing out that she was, in fact, about to turn 31.

She's looking pretty good for 30 and the mother of the four in the above photos, don't you think? :-)

Friday, 2 January 2009

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta .... My *Babies* ..

It's Friday and it's a Fiesta !! At least it is, thanks to Candid Carrie ! :-)


One of my favourite photos of my twins, Stephen and Christina.

I think they were about 5 when this photo was taken. Hard to believe that my *babies* will be turning 30, this year. Where has the time gone !!

They look as though they were deep in serious conversation...

From memory, I think it was taken around Shelley Bay in Wellington, NZ.

Friday, 31 October 2008

Friday's Foto Finish Fiesta ... From Halloween Past

It's Friday and it's a Fiesta !! At least it is, thanks to Candid Carrie ! :-)


My granddaughter , Sacha, in 1999 . It was the first Halloween, where she actually went up to the door by herself ...


Okay, so you knock on the door and then stand and wait ....


Then someone comes out...you say 'Twick or Tweat' (we spent hours teaching her that!)...looks at you and says 'Ooohhh ..how cute' ...than hands you candy...


Then you climb down the stairs and head off to the next house with Mum and Grandma in hot pursuit. You got the idea, after the first two houses, that knocking on front doors gets you candy.


Time for a pit stop !!!!


Mum decided it might be a good idea to remove some of the treats .... sort of, out of sight and out of mind !!

Unfortunately the night came to an abrupt end, when we went to one house, that was very nicely decorated. However, when Sacha knocked on the door, this Alien (looked like one of those from Area 51), appeared. Sacha took one look ... let out a piercing scream ... dropped all her candy ... and took off running. When we asked her if she wanted to go and knock on any more doors, we just got a loud 'NOOOOOOOOOOO' in response. Poor kid, but it was quite funny at the time...

As to this Halloween and why I've been MIA for the last week or so......


There was yards and yards of black net .... oh, and yards and yards of teal fabric ..


And 14 sleeve petals ....


Plus 15 waist petals ...


A corset with boning, sequins, etc ....


An under dress ..


Which , eventually, all came together to look like this..

A Halloween costume for my friend's teenage daughter !!!

I'm quite pleased with the way it's turned out. :-)

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!!!

Thursday, 23 October 2008

Friday's Foto Finish Fiesta - Awwww , They Grow Up Too Quickly .... and GORGEOUS GOWN Giveaway Link ..

It's Friday and it's a Fiesta !! At least it is, thanks to Candid Carrie ! :-)



My youngest grandson, Xavier, proudly showing off his new school uniform and 'Speed Racer' shoes !

He starts at RUSSLEY School, in two weeks, when he turns a grownup 5.

In New Zealand, kids start school on their fifth birthday, irrespective of where that birthday falls in the school year. He will be starting school, about a month or so, before the year ends. The school year , over there, runs from February through to December.

Judging by the photos, I suspect that he is pretty excited, wouldn't you say ? :-)

Congratulations on starting school, Xavier. You have a whole, new and exciting world ahead of you !!!


Isn't this the most gorgeous gown that you've ever seen ???

Can't you just imagine a little girl proudly wearing it on Halloween?

Pop over to KATHLEEN'S
and enter her giveaway to win this FABULOUS gown. You'll need to be quick as it ends today. I've been sick, so hence the delay in posting the link and info. :-(

Her site itself is worth visiting and bookmarking for future visits, especially if you love sewing, like I do :-)

Thursday, 16 October 2008

Friday's Foto Finish Fiesta - Random Stuff

WOW !!!!!!

What a day yesterday was!!! I'm really feeling the bloggy love. :-) Thanks to one and all. I'll be thanking you all personally, over the next day or so.

Just one thing. I found this under the couch when I was cleaning up this evening. Did anyone see anybody limping down the driveway, wearing one red shoe? Just curious ...

I can't say it enough SITS rocks as do all of you !! Hugs and Smooches and many thanks. :-)


Now, on to my Fave Fing to do on Friday !!

It's Friday and it's a Fiesta !! At least it is, thanks to Candid Carrie ! :-)

Snapped these today, while taking Taylor to her karate lesson. My camera's battery went terminal on me yesterday, so I took these using the hubby's camera. Still finding my way round his.


Can you imagine what it must have been like to push this plow behind an ox or a horse? Farm work, was definitely work in those days...


I used filtered Black and White for this photo. I rather liked the effect it had on all the shadows. That saw looks as if it must have been wicked sharp !!!

Amazing to think that it was probably crafted by hand..


I like the old fashioned look that sepia gives this pump and wagon wheel. If it wasn't for the car passing by, you'd almost think this was taken way back when...


They really must have had well padded derrieres in those days. Just imagine bouncing along a rutted road on one of those seats.

Not sure what this is. It appears to have a seat in front. Some type of covered box in the middle and a seat sticking out behind.


There were actually seven old bathtubs sitting in a row. These are just two of them.

They're kind of cute, in a faded way..


There is something aboutthis photo that appeals to me. The shadows ... the marking on the stones ... the colour of the grass....

Have a great day all, and go check out the rest of the participants at CANDID CARRIE'S !!:-)