July '09

This is my last 12 of 12 from Arkansas. I'm moving to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, at the end of this month and am feeling rather nostalgic. I'm leaving lots of good friends behind. I'm also leaving lots of good memories behind, many of which took place in the homes I shot pictures of this morning. So, let's go.

What I've been walking around for the past few weeks, as I've been getting things packed.

Broken pinkie finger, a casualty of packing.

You didn't think I'd do a 12 of 12 without a flower, did you?

Detour to water flowers at Chris & Estella's house. This cute little gnome resides in their garden.

Baer Street house, first house we bought in Mountain Home. We lived here until our house in Florida sold and we could build on Driftwood Drive.

Driftwood Drive house; the first house we built.

Stonegate house, about a quarter of a mile from the Driftwood Drive house.

Corner of Lake Lane & Driftwood Drive. Are you seeing the pattern here? We loved this part of town. Are you also seeing the pattern of multiple new homes? That's what happens when your husband works for or is a contractor.

Surrey Lane house. I never could warm up to Southern Meadows. It stinks when you have two houses for sale (this one and Lake Lane) and your preferred house sells first!

Northpointe Drive house. A modified version of the Stonegate house. I finally unpacked the wine glasses and china. This was supposed to be the last move for us. We added extra bathrooms, an extra family room, and a big playroom for the grand kids. We built a pool. We were home. Then colon cancer and death entered my world. Time to move on.

Turnberry Court condo. I had it built in 2004, and it has been my home for the last five years. I've loved living here.

Last shot out my back door. I know you've seen it before, but I like it.

Thanks for walking down memory lane with me. Next month, I'll start making lots of new memories in Oklahoma. See you there. Sunny

Bonus picture of the office of the vet that has taken care of all my critters over the past 25 years. For all his bluster, he's a big softie at heart. He's turning 66........too bad his phone number isn't on the sign. I bet you can Google it! Don't you think he'd just love to get tons of birthday wishes from strangers? If you call, just tell him Sunny sent you. ROFLMBO.

June '09

First things first: Major thumbs up to Kimi Boustany for my awesome new background and header!

Another month, another 12th, another opportunity for me to practice photography. What a treat for me. I hope it brings you some pleasure.

First flower of the day - 7:02 a.m.

Magnolia in my front yard - 7:30 a.m.

On my way to work - 7:57 a.m.

Very cool old wagon at a sewing shop, of all places - 7:59 a.m.

These were also at the sewing shop - 8:00 a.m.

Last of the old house - 10:10 a.m.

A weed, but a pretty one - 10:15 a.m.

Another shot of the magnolia in my front yard - 12:22 p.m.

Same magnolia; different flower - 12:25 p.m.

Think my friend needs to repaint this sign? - 12:44 p.m.

Love, love, love this old barn - 12:45 p.m.

Same rose after a late afternoon storm - 6:30 p.m.

Bye until next month.


PS - if any of you are texture lovers, you can snag some here:
http://www.4shared.com/file/11147236...MG_8323-1.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/11146808...MG_8324-2.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/11147235...MG_8325-3.html

May '09

I'm playing with a new toy this month, and I came about it in a serendipitous way. A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned on Facebook that I wanted to get a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens. A friend who rarely gets on Facebook happened to be on that day and saw my post. He let me know that he just happened to have the lens I was coveting and was thinking of selling it. Imagine that! We made a deal within an hour, and it was delivered within a week! I love it already and don't really know how to use it yet. Here's what I saw with it today.

Early morning light - 6:55 a.m.

After a brief rain shower - 6:59 a.m.

I'm loving the light beams - 7:24 a.m.

Yes, I'm a sucker, and bought one of those hanging tomato growing things - 7:33 a.m

The old house across the street from work has been condemned and is being dismantled, piece by piece. You can see that the porch deck has already been removed and the supports are hanging in mid-air.
8:01 a.m.

One of the piers supporting the old house - 10:51 a.m.

Tommy somebody and his helper; he's salvaging what he can - 1:05 p.m.

I'll miss all the photo ops this house provided - 1:06 p.m.

Notice what's supporting the roof - 2:15 p.m.

Sage flowers in my herb garden - 5:18 p.m.

One of my favorite roses, mainly because it never fails to bloom - 5:19 p.m.

Clematis bud just starting to open - 5:21 p.m.

Bonus picture, just because they're such pretty flowers - 5:22 p.m.

See you next month!

This joyous Easter Sunday turned out to be rainy and dreary. I had to make the six hour drive from Oklahoma City to Mountain Home this afternoon in that rainy, dreary weather. Some of these shots were taken from inside the car while driving down the interstate........maybe I shouldn't admit that, huh?

Feeding the beast - 1:25 p.m.

Really? - 1:26 p.m.

Heading home on I-44 - 1:47 p.m.

Terrible wildfires hit Oklahoma last Thursday; this was taken
near Wellston - 1:51 p.m.

Power lines all in a row - 3:14 p.m.

Nasty pollution near Chouteau, Oklahoma - 3:25 p.m.

Dogwoods along the side of the road - 3:38 p.m.

Saying goodbye to Oklahoma - 4:06 p.m.

Cool old barn with a Holga preset
from Presets Heaven - 4:53 p.m.

This barn has seen better days - 5:13 p.m.

My wisteria blooms opened while I was away - 7:03 p.m.

Clematis buds (hurry up, flowers) - 7:04 p.m.

However you spent your day, I hope you found happiness in it. See you next month.

I'm playing with a new lens this month, a Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM, and I'm loving it. I received it Monday, and it hasn't been off my camera since I put it on immediately after opening the box. Did I say I'm loving it?

Feeding time at the zoo - 7:26 a.m.

A tulip tree at the branch library, taken on my way to work - 7:57 a.m.

Closeup of blooms on the tulip tree - 7:58 a.m.

I'm pretty sure this is phlox. It's at the library, too - 7:59 a.m.

A casualty of the ice storm we had in late January - 8:02 a.m.

Forsythia (oops, I'm late) - 8:05 a.m.

All the snow that missed us - lucky us - 9:04 a.m.

Flowers at the old house (loving the lens) - 11:04 a.m.

Still at the old house - 11:05 a.m.

Love the textures here - 11:08 a.m.

My wisteria, loaded with buds - 12:53 p.m.

Holly outside the back door at work - 1:02 p.m.

I hope this little bit of early spring brightened your day. See you next month.

Another month......another 12 of 12 on a work day. The weather was gorgeous, and I'm so ready for spring. Here's a glimpse into what I saw today:

Viburnum bud - 7:37 a.m.

Billboard I pass on the way to work - 7:54 a.m.

Old wagon in front of an antique store - 7:54 a.m.



Book I'm reading; I think Mr. Kelby needs to know
there's a typo on page 155 - 10:10 a.m.

Rose bush getting a head start on spring - 12:25 p.m.

Don't you just love Italian Pottery? 12:32 p.m.

Healthy food I need to eat more of - 12:47 p.m.



Taken at an abandoned house - 1:54 p.m.



Oops. Trespassing - 1:55 p.m.



On the porch of that old house - 1:56 p.m.

Still at the old house - 1:57 p.m.

Unhealthy food that I eat too much of - 5:49 p.m.

See you next month.

I've been on vacation in Europe with my daughter Shannon and her family. We went on a cruise and saw wondrous things in the southern Mediterranean. The 12th happened to fall on my first day back in the States. Better late than never, here's my 12 of 12 of the first month of this new year.

View from the window of my room at the Marriott Courtyard
in Springfield, Missouri - 9:10 a.m.

Comfy Marriott Pillows - 9:11 a.m.



Antidote to airplane food - 9:12 a.m.



Breakfast on the road home - 9:58 a.m.



3 weeks of junk mail - 12:21 p.m.



Poor Gerbera Daisy - I wonder why the house/dog sitter
didn't give it a drink.........12:22 p.m.



Thank you careless baggage handler,
wherever you are - 12:25 p.m.



Look at my cute new Harrod's shopping
bag - 12:25 p.m.



My entry stamp into Egypt - seeing the pyramids
was amazing - 12:25 p.m.



Cartouche of my name - souvenir from Cairo - 3:16 p.m.


Cute little bowls from Sicily - 3:18 p.m.



Bowl from Sidi Bou Said (just love saying that), Tunisia - 3:19 p.m.