Fall has arrived! 

  Sunrise comes later, which for me is a great thing because I am now up early enough to take photos of them.  I love the mornings, sitting on my deck as the sun rises and listening to the birds is a piece of heaven.  

I just love the little smiles on the frog and grasshopper...could not resist posting their photos.

The grapes are ripening, but so much different from usual...the bunches of them are in all colors and stages...some are ripe and some are still green.  Normally they all ripen at once.

All summer long I have been keeping my eyes open for a praying mantis.  They are such interesting little critters and I really wanted to get some photos of one.  I pretty much had given up, when one found ME!  Inside the house! I saw his silhouette sitting there on the railing and ran for my camera.  When I had gotten enough shots, I took the little guy outside and let him free.  The next morning, I went outside to see if he was still there.  Of course he was gone.  But!!!  a while later, I opened the front door to let in some fresh air...and there he was! This time he was waiting for me on the porch railing.  I ran for the camera and got some more shots of him outside.  Then he flew away. I have not seen him since.

I have had fun with shooting the stars and moon too.

 

I had a goal to shoot some long exposure star trails...this was my first real attempt.  I had the camera on for 30 minutes to get this.  I didn't sit there and wait and when I went out to turn off the camera, I realized the moon had risen and so it is overexposed, but it has a good amount of trailing and so for my first try, I am pretty excited how it turned out.  It even has kind of a rainbow along the line where the moon interfered.  Do you think it will pass for the Aurora Borealis?  

The Blue Moon...which of course is not blue.

The Big Dipper, just over the house.  

Arianna is growing fast!  Finally we get to see her eyes open more and more, but she still loves her naps.

Josiah is wearing a little suit that my Dad wore when he was this age.  My Grandmother carefully saved it and passed it on to my Mom.  It was fun to put him in it for some photos and now it is safely packed away again.

Yesterday, I went with Bonnie to the St. John's Bridge to take some photos.  The shot on the top right  is a shot that I have noticed some other photographers taking and posting.  I really wanted a chance to shoot it too.  I ended up liking the shot, but the one that really made me happy was the one I processed in Black and White at the top left.  When we arrived they were blocking off an area for filming of the series Grimm.  I have never seen it, but if you watch it, watch for the bridge.

Arianna Sofia

August 27 8:12am

7lbs 9 oz

20 ins

I was blessed once again to be able to go into the delivery room with Jessi and Ariel to photograph the birth of our newest little grandbaby.  So thankful that this time Ariel was here to be at Jessi's side where he belongs.  I was ready to step aside, knowing that my being able to be there to hold her hand and wipe her tears when Josiah was born was a privilege that most likely was not going to be repeated.  But working in the hospital where you are going to deliver your baby has many privileges.  She personally picked out her complete delivery crew!  She had a cesarean because the last one was and she knows from experience that the reason you have to have the first one, most likely will cause you to have the second one as well, so she took the advice of her doctor and planned out the date.  The nurses she works with were all around her, they decorated her recovery room and tended to her every need.  She was given the royal treatment!

So there Ariel and I were at her side, behind the drape...one last look at the belly, Ariel gave the doctor a thumbs up and at the first whimper from our new baby girl, we shed tears of joy. It is pretty hard to focus a camera when you can't see!

As soon as they pulled her out, they dropped the drape and held her up for photos and inspection.

A quick wipe down and into their arms she went.

As soon as they wheeled her into recovery, Grandpa and Josiah were ready to meet her.  I expected Josiah not to even take much notice of her.  But he shocked me!  He is so fascinated, he stares and stares at her, wants to touch her and hold her and smothers her with kisses and hugs.  How he knew to hug and kiss her, I have no idea, he just did it on his own...over and over and over!

Still in my scrubs, I finally put the camera down and took a chance to cuddle her...and reluctantly, I passed her on to John.

Later on, Great Grandpa and Grandma McCool came to visit and got to watch her first bath.  John and Rachel and Emily and Joshua came by.  Emily is so happy that she finally has a girl cousin!  Uncle Dan and Aunt Cyndi and Aunt Lindy and Karely stopped in too!  A few days later, Great Grandpa and Grandma Dixon stopped over for a visit.

I made this little hat for her and was pretty proud that she has already wowed everyone with her pretty pink daintiness in it.