Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Well, I'm squeaking this in last minute and missed last week

entirely due to having way too much fun people watching in Galveston

on Saturday night, on a date with the hubby and some friends.

I missed you all, now on to the prompts.....

[ travel ]

This little sanderling crossed my path on his travels . . .

[ silly ]

From the archives....my husband's family has a family olympics and this was the 'bobsled' event.

Over and then under with a wet sponge to see who could fill the bucket with the most water by the end.

There were sillier events, like the oreo cookie from the forehead into the mouth with no hands, but

that might have been more silly than anyone would have wanted me to share! haha

[ black & white ]

Yes, I'm sharing this one again from Friday but like I said I'm squeaking this together....this is the Texas

Tall Ship Elissa, and not a replica but a survivor. She was built in 1877 in Scotland, finally coming to rest

after 90 years of commercial history in Greece, where she was found in a scrap yard and not allowed to die. She is an incredible piece of history and is still a fully functioning three masted, iron-hulled sailing ship that continues to sail annually during sea trials in the Gulf of Mexico. 

[ spots ]

Lucky for me when we were at the garden center today I just happened to have my camera, imagine that!

Thank you Miss Butterfly...

[ paper ]

This is the cover to one of my favorite notebooks, with paper . . .  I know, not so creative,

but I was desperate!

Hope your all having a wonderful weekend!!

Love, Kim

xo

Galveston, oh the night life . . .

Yep, Galveston is just as interesting by night as it is by day and definitely just as more entertaining!

This past weekend we went out with some friends, had a blast and even stayed up past our bedtime.

But boy it sure is getting harder to fly with those eagles when you've been hootin' with the owls.

The island's night life is a tropical eclectic mix of jazzy blues, and Texas rock and roll with a little

bit o' country, of course. Oh, and the people are just as diverse! You'll find places for romance, clubs for dance, and bars for cigars. And at the Saengerfest Park on The Strand you'll even find free monthly movie and music nights, along with a life size chess set.

We even ran into our buddy Dan T. Chandler, remember him from my post "Chicken Fried Streak and Gravy" ? Well, actually he told me he was going to be there playing again. Long story short, he found me
on facebook, through that post that showed up on his reverbnation page. Amazing how interconnected
technology has allowed us to become, because when we first met I didn't give him my name. I even got
my very own personal serenade of his new song called, "Artists". You all will love this one, and as soon
as I can figure out how to get the video off my phone I will share it with you!

A night in Galveston might go something like this . . .

You might start out with a carriage ride, or watch someone else taking one.

That will probably drive stroll past the Wedding Garden at the Tremont Hotel.

And you'll find art in unexpected places...

". . . irrational need to express oneself through color, shape and brushstrokes." 

That's how I feel about photography, so I would change that last word to light strokes!

Then you might make your way over to The Fisherman's Warf on the water's edge where you are pleasantly surprised there isn't a huge wait. Well, and you're just glad that the people who were sitting there just got called to their table. While you are there, you'll talk and laugh hysterically with your friends and before you know it, the day has turned into night....

Before you leave the restaurant you'll want to get a shot of Elissa's dinghy,

(Elissa is the baroque Tall Ship of Texas) but you will wonder where the ship went.

Then you will find her around the corner where she was part of a fundraising party to help

keep her well maintained and to get her hurricane ready.

And dating back to 1877 I would say she has aged beautifully! 

{ Sharing with Photo Art Friday - Black and White }

And who needs a Harley when you can have a John Deer tractor!

{ Flower Art Friday, Shoot. Edit. Submit }

Have a fabulous weekend!

Love, Kim

XO

 

Photo-heart connection, number V

"I haven't a clue as to how my story will end.

But that's all right, when you set out on a journey and

night covers the road, you don't conclude the road

has vanished. And how else could we discover the stars?"

- unknown

I started backward in my monthly file of photos and as soon as I saw this one it was a heart connection

at first sight. I immediately felt its pull, not just the ocean pulling my spirit, but the path pulling me

into my future.  And as uncertain as the future can be it can also be just as much about the anticipation.
That was a journey in itself for me to learn.

And that's what I feel when I look at this image, anticipation.

Four years ago we moved, and I kicked and I screamed and I cried . . . and I kicked some more. I couldn't see the anticipation of the road, only the night. But that road has led me straight to where I am right now.

That road has led me to a better understanding of myself and along the way I discovered a deep passion for capturing life with a camera and sharing that with others. I can't imagine myself on any other road.

But it's not just the path that pulls me forward. It's the encouragement I have gotten from you and so 

many others and some times it is the only thing that has kept me going, because some days the path is clouded. Clouded with self-doubt and uncertainty.

But today, the path feels full of light and unobstructed as I feel the anticipation of so many ideas

swirling in my head. And on the path when day turns into night I hope I will remember that the road is

still there and that I will wonder about the discoveries I may find.

Love, Kim

XO

P.S. What is your photo-heart connection?

Something about an oyster?

While at the beach this week, discovering, well maybe not in the sense of something

that has never been seen before but in the discovery of something I have never seen before,

this popped into my head:

"The world is my oyster"

It's certainly not something I hear very often, and I'm not even sure where I first heard it.

But apparently it comes from Shakespeare, and yes I googled it.

The Merry Wives of Windsor Act 2, scene 2, 2-5

Falstaff: I will not lend thee a penny

Pistol: Why then the world's mine oyster,

which with sword I will open.

Falstaff: Not a penny

Hmmm, I'm thinking Pistol is threatening to steal from Falstaff and everyone else. Just a thought

but then again I've never really understood Shakespeare. I don't really like this version very much.

So I'm going with my original thought, and that's probably not original either, that the world

is my oyster, that life is full of treasures just waiting for us to notice. And these treasures aren't

even something we need to steal from anyone, they are just simply the gifts of the earth.

"The world is my oyster clam"

Sometimes you have to improvise . . .

{Photo Art Friday - Golden Bokeh, hardlight 32%}

The ocean seems to be throwing a lot of gifts my way lately . . . okay it might also be with

the help of my handy dandy blue kids net we bought when they were little. It seems to be my lucky charm.

SO,

the other day I had this idea and thought how cool would it be to actually see the things I find in their

natural habitat rather than in my handy dandy blue net.

Welcome to Kim's aquarium....

Can you hear me squeal with joy! I found the best glass container, AND it was on sale, to take with

me to the beach for my blue net finds. Oh but the squeal wasn't because of the container. . . I found a new kind of fish in the seaweed. They look like their tails were cut off but really the tail and their pectoral fin is completely see through, and why at first I didn't notice them in my net. They looked like a small brown frond, that and they aren't even the size of a dime. Aren't they cute!!

These aren't the greatest pictures, it's hard to shoot through glass and less than clear water and well,

they never stop moving.

And Mr. Crab, I think I may know where "crabby" comes from. He definitely needed an attitude adjustment as he wasn't playing very nice with the others. And perhaps it was his cousin Vinny that stabbed my ankle

whilst standing knee deep with my net, and gosh it hurt and broke the skin. Well at least I'm going with that 'cause the thought of it being something else kinds freaks me out a bit.

I had another first . . . a water spout!

And this storm formed fast, and it wasn't just one, but at one time there were five trying to start.

If you look really closely you can see where the water spout is touching the water as it sprays out.

But the excitement dwindled after about 20 minutes....

And this one, I can't seem to get enough of these wildflowers that grow along the road to "my oyster". 

{Flower Art Friday}

The world is an oyster . . . pearls are found in oysters. Some pearls are very valuable.

The. World. Is. An. Oyster!!

Have a wonderful weekend!

(School's ...out...for...summer)

Love, Kim

XO