2 Things Challenge: Portrait/Round

The 2 Things Challenge this week is Portrait/Round.

Three year old Mason LOVES toy trains, but I'm not sure he knows exactly what to make of the full sized versions at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum in Calera, Alabama.  He does look pretty confident in this pose, though.  We all took a ride on Thomas the Tank Engine as part of his birthday celebration last April.

Weekend Reflections: Downtown Birmingham

Some of the downtown Birmingham department store buildings have been restored and re-purposed, but alas, this one has not.  Seems a shame, but I'm sure it's all economics.  See more Weekend Reflections here.

Dove Update

I recently showed you a dove that had built her nest next to the window at church (here).  Well, now, two weeks later, we have one egg shoved to the edge of the nest and apparently abandoned.

But we also have a young dove sitting in the bushes close to the nest.

Ugly little fellow, but life goes on.

2 Things Challenge: Focus/Here

The 2 Things Challenge this week is Focus/Here.

"Dave, will you open your eyes and look at me a minute?" 

 "Okay, Dawn, what is it?"

"I'm over HERE, Dave."

 "Okay, what . . . ooooh, oh, that really itches."

"FOCUS DAVE!"

"Okay, that's much better.  Now where were we?"

"Never mind."

2 Things Challenge: Flat/Flagpole

The 2 Things Challenge this week is Flat/Flagpole.

Foggy

After a couple of good rain showers the last couple of days, and with the temperature down slightly, this morning was quite foggy when we looked down the driveway.

I got dressed, packed up the camera, and headed out to see what I could see and show you.  I stopped at the corner in the drive and looked into the neighbor's garden.  Fortunately, the barbed wire caught only my eye.

I knew a great deal of our fog was caused by Lay Lake, which is less than two miles away, so I headed that way.

Near the lake there are some beautiful horse farms.  These two were enjoying their early morning breakfast.

The fog was really thick at the boat launch and dock.

I wouldn't want to speed off into this.  Who knows what's out there?

I decided to try this one on Weekend Reflections, my first entry there.  Really it's only the last two photos.

Coooo

This young dove chose to build her nest in a quiet courtyard at church.  Unfortunately, she chose a window ledge behind the rosemary bush, hidden from view for anyone in the courtyard (seldom does anyone actually go out there), but in plain view of anyone walking down the hallway.  People frequently walk down the hallway, especially on Sunday morning, but she seems to realize they cannot get to her or her precious eggs through the window, so she just sits there.  This lets people get quite close for a good view, but she doesn't seem to mind, even when I have the camera less than a foot from her.  That leads to some really good close ups, but I didn't want to bother her too much.

I hope she's able to raise her brood there.  I'll keep you posted.

2 Things Challenge: Value/New

The 2 Things Challenge this week is Value/New.

The value (relatively lightness or darkness) of the new growth on the roses since the rain came is definitely different than the value of the old leaves from during the drought.  I can never find a reference as to which way is up on the value scale (if there is one), and being an engineer that's discomforting.  Therefore, in keeping with the numbers in Photoshop and other programs, I'm going to assume that closer to white is higher value; so the new growth has a higher value than the older growth.

2 Things Challenge: Z/Abstract

The 2 Things Challenge this week is Z/Abstract.