Kicking Back on Cloud Nine

After a successful Ninja warrior mission, Joe kicks back on his own bed of cotton balls.  He relishes his accomplishment and feels like he is on Cloud Nine.  Hmmm, he is getting an inspiration for a line of new mattresses.  After all, he is constantly looking for new business ideas to guard his cover and fund his habits.

Kicking back on Cloud Nine

Details:
iPhone 5, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio, cotton balls

Up Periscope

As part of Joe's Ninja warrior training he is honing his surveillance skills.  He is careful not to carry a traceable cell phone.  After all, he never wants the NSA to know where he is or track his movements.  He uses the latest in technology to keep an eye on you.  This stealth periscope lets him look over walls and around corners as he moves about in the shadows.

Up Periscope

Details:
iPhone 5, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio, furnace vent pipe periscope

Ninja Warrior Training

With all the many miniseries programs hitting the airwaves, Joe has been after me to produce a miniseries of his life.  He want even more exposure than just the occasional post in my blog.  After negotiating heavily with his agent we finally agreed to some terms.  I agreed to give the next five daily posts to Joe and get his increased exposure.  Of course the terms of our agreement are confidential so you will never know what Joe agreed to do for me.

This first post starts of the series by peeking in on Joe's top secret Ninja warrior training routine.  Because of the classified nature of this training I had be like a Ninja myself -- sneaking in and grabbing this picture while all the while risking a full-on Q-tip attack by a Ninja army of little Lego warriors....

Ninja warrior training

Details:
iPhone 5, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio, secret Ninja warrior training camp

Flowers are for females

Learn this lesson and learn it early.  Flowers are for females.  Don't you ever forget it!  Flowers of all different kinds make the day and the week of the women in our lives.  Even the youngest love flowers--just get them the frosting versions and you score big points.  Later in life they grow to appreciate and love the real thing.  This girl is already on the path at her young age...

Flowers are for females

Details:
iPhone 5, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio, cake for granddaughter (subtle conditioning by grandparents)

Chocolate cake lifts your mood

Nothing like a piece of chocolate cake to lift your mood.  My granddaughter demonstrates this in spades during a family party.  

Chocolate cake lifts your mood.

Details:
iPhone 5, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio, chocolate cake and granddauthger

Hello! Anyone here?

Today's image is a composite of two photos.  One is photo of a blank piece of typing paper--anyway that is what the unimaginative see.  For those with childlike imagination, it really is a photo of an albino cow in the middle of a blinding snowstorm.  (My elementary school art teacher did not buy that line either.)  The second is an photo of Joe.  I cut out Joe, shrunk him down to size and pasted him into the first photo.

Hello!  Anyone here?

Details:
iPhone 5, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoWizard, PhotoStudio, typing paper and Joe

Big bottle

Looking at this Coke advertisement from this angle does make the bottle look big.  Certainly this is one of the world's most recognized brands.  All the advertising in the world cannot convince me though.  I have never been a big soda drinker and never have liked the taste of Coca-Cola either.  I will talk a tall, cold glass of water anytime over just about any other drink.  Water for me.  Well, except for my real weakness.... If I can get a frozen vanilla yogurt or vanilla ice cream milkshake made with Oreo cookie crumbs and a fresh banana...then all my willpower melts away and I succumb to the temptation every time.  

Big Bottle

Details:
iPhone 5, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio, tabletop at a local sandwich shop

Reach for it...

Our grandkids are in town from all around the country and half way around the world.  That makes for a wonderful and exciting filled time each day.  After a long day at the amusement park it was time for a picnic at the pond for dinner.  The adults, drained of energy, ate and crashed.  A few of the younger kids crashed while the older kids kept up the pace and could not sit still even though they had slowed down a bit.

After dinner is was time to venture down to the pond and explore.  In today's image one of my granddaughters demonstrates a significant life lesson in her childhood innocence.  

Reach for it!  That worth achieving may indeed stretch your capabilities...

Reach for it!

Details:

iPhone 5, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio, 1 granddaughter and a local pond

Mortar

Between a rock and a hard place--the mortar here started out between two hard places and just oozed out as a consequence.  The result is a decorative pattern desired by the maker.  Hmmm, maybe the pressure of being in such tight situations and feeling like I am getting squeezed and oozing out beyond the boundaries is just that too--the ultimate design by my maker to create the end result that he has in mind....

Mortar

Details:
iPhone 5, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio, brick wall

Grandkids are here

The evidence is clear, grandkids are here.  A time for family and celebration--especially since none of the grandkids live close.  They are spread east, west and half-way around the world.  For the first time in quite awhile, they are all together again.  Family time is the best time!

Grand kids are here

Details:
iPhone 5, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio, living room

Ode to Tour de France

The 2013 Tour de France wraps up today.  This image wraps up the symbolism of what it all means to me.  A sleek image of a heads-down bicycle racer representing the dedicated and world premier bike racers racing through France for weeks.  Combined with a stationary bike, parked, helmet hanging off the handlebars while its rider is enjoying a casual meal in a nearby air-conditioned restaurant--not paying much attention to the race except for the headlines the last few days as the race wraps up.  Yep, there are different types of folks--those who participate with gusto, those who stand-by and watch the action and those who just don't even pay attention.

Ode to Tour de France

Details:
iPhone 5, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio, city street bike rack

Sticky Door

Went out to eat last night at a famous, eclectic, local Mexican food restaurant.  This one has been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network. Even though we arrived late, we had to wait outside in the 99 degree heat for 45 minutes just to get in.  Food was good, Even got serenaded by the Mariachi band.  The inside of the exit door is plastered with a thick layer of these random stickers--just begging to be captured in today's image.

Sticky Door

Details:
iPhone 5, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio, local restaurant

Fill'er up

Ever find yourself too busy to stop and get gas?  Sometimes life is like that.  However, the car does not go very far if you don't feed it properly.  Are you taking the time to feed yourself what you need?  You can go a lot further by stopping before the gas tank is empty and filling it up than you can by letting it run out during the trip.  What kind of gas feeds your tank?  Exercise, diet, sleep, personal time, relationships......

Fill'er up

Details:
iPhone 5, ProCamera, Filterstorm, LensLight, Snapseed, Glaze, PhotoStudio, gas station

Warm Brownies

Warm homemade brownies fresh from the oven, 3 people, 5 minutes and over half gone.  Another 10 minutes and they were all gone.  Nothing like fresh brownies, still warm from the oven--especially when someone else makes them and all I have to do is cut and eat.  Mmmmmm........

Warm Brownies

Details:
iPhone 5, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio, brownies on kitchen counter

The One

You are the one and only.  There is no one else just like you anywhere in the universe.  You have your own unique talents, personality, gifts, abilities, skills, characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, flaws, etc., etc.  The list is endless.  You are indeed unique.  What are you going to do today to make the world a better place?  It really does begin with me, with you, with all of us, one by one....

The One

Details:
iPhone 5, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio, retail display

Squeezed for time

In a hurry?  Squeezed for time?  Too much to do, too little time?  Late?

Time marches on regardless.

 Life offers you two precious gifts; one is time (we all have the same amount each day) and the other is freedom of choice.  The freedom to buy what you will with your time.  You are free to exchange your time, trade your time, invest your time, or spend your time however you choose.  Choose wisely as time marches on.....

Squeezed for time

Details:
iPhone 5, ProCamera, Olloclip fisheye lens, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio, grandfather clock face

Stepping Down

Going down step-by-step.  Yep, one can tell I am aging by comparing the way I go down the stairs to the way children go down.  Me, I take one step at a time.  Kids, they take a flying leap and don't even see the steps.  Hmmmm, youth or experience.....  Sometimes I yearn for that which I don't have.  You?

Stepping Down

Details:
iPhone 5, ProCamera, Olloclip fisheye lens, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio, family room entrance

Chasing the Rainbow

Drove through a heavy rainstorm--a veritable Noah style deluge.  Coming out the other end the setting sun broke through, the rainfall decreased, and the most incredible rainbow came alive.

The unique aspect of this rainbow was that it ended right on the road in front of us.  We could almost see the pot of gold just down the road.  Unfortunately, with all the traffic headed to the same place, the gold was gone by the time we got there...

However, the reward was all ours!  Never, in all my years, do I ever remember seeing such a sight as we headed right into the rainbow base at 70 mph.  The point at which the rainbow hit the road looked like a fantasy land fairy tale scene.  It was truly breathtaking!

Chasing the Rainbow

Details:
iPhone 5, ProCamera, Filterstorm (for cropping, curves, saturation and sharpness adjustments), PhotoStudio (for vignette and frame), rainstorm, setting sun

Bead Bird

Just strolling by an store isle and this bead bird caught my eye.  Whipped out the camera I always have with me and snapped a couple of pictures for processing later.  Hardly 10 seconds delay.

Anyway, I suppose this intrigued me because we raised four girls and saw a lot of beading and little dot work like this.  In fact, one of our daughters eventually started up her own business making customer jewelry--sort of an offshoot of her bead work interest earlier in her life.  Another reason to always keep the camera close-by.

Bead Bird

Details:
iPhone 5, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio, decorative glass

Remember when...?

Remember when cell phones were a little different?  I do.  Smartphones?  Nah, we were just thrilled to carry around a brick that could connect to telephone service in some limited areas.

Remember when...?

Details:
iPhone 5, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio, antique phone

Daytime companion

Yep, in today's world--at least my working world--successful activity would not be possible without my trusty computer companion.  You all know what I mean.  It's the connection to the world, the email and chat pipeline, the filing cabinet and virtual storage room, the word processor, the analytic tool facilitator, the news delivery channel, the calendar, the task list, the tickler file, the project management facilitator, the roll-a-dex (the old man's term for the repository of all your contacts), the photo and video viewer, the password keeper, etc., etc., etc.  And yes, I like Apple too. Unfortunately it does not work for me as my main computer in my environment--I tried.  Without my trusty Dell, productivity would drop like a rock.  

Daytime companion

Details:
iPhone 5, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio, moment of boredom during an office meeting

Kitchen stand

Standing at attention in the middle of my kitchen floor?  Yep, just playing with the Olloclip fisheye lens on my iPhone 5 camera and this is one of the results.  A fun camera accessory that makes for some very unique views.  Reminds me a little of the life lesson--the view you see depends on the lens through which you look.  Some folks take charge of their life lens collections and others just default to the  most comfortable default setting.  Once you take charge, the possibilities are limitless...

Kitchen stand

Details:  iPhone 5, ProCamera, Olloclip fisheye lens, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio

Warped Window

Sitting inside watching a thunderous summer downpour through my Olloclip fisheye lens.  I love summer rainstorms, especially when they bring cooler temperatures.  This one is a fast moving storm and it was over after a brief period of heavy, heavy rain.  Now I can shut off the sprinklers for a few days.  It was perfect timing that I applied some fertilizer to the lawn only a few days ago.

Warped window

Details:
iPhone 5, ProCamera, Olloclip fisheye lens, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio, window view

Quilt in the making...

Piece by piece, color by color, a quilt begins to emerge from the many colorful patches of fabric.  All the creativity and design work happens at this stage of the project.  Who says you never use math again once you get out of school?  This quilt takes over the bedroom floor during its design stage.  The real challenge is getting to my sock drawer in the nearby dresser drawer.  I have to wait until my wife isn't looking.  Even then I must step carefully so as to leave no trace.

Quilt in the making...

Details:
iPhone 5, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio, bedroom floor this week.

Lincoln is watching

Yep, Lincoln is watching from both sides of a penny.  Wonder what he is thinking as he looks down on us today.  He sure had his challenges and he was a real leader through some difficult times.  Sure wish we had more like him today--on all sides.

Lincoln is watching

E is for Excellent

Playing with my new Olloclip macro lens does indeed open up a different and new world of photography.  Although it is hard to get the focus right and the depth of field is really, really shallow, when it works it is fun. It certainly is not the sharpest lens setup however it does enable new opportunities.  For instance, today's image is a close-up of the letter "E" on one of my credit cards.

E is for Excellent!  Plus I love the color blue.  Have an excellent day!

E is for Excellent

Set up for the crowd

Set'm up and they will come.  All neatly arranged in orderly rows.  Not a chair out of place.  All dead giveaways that these chairs are set up for the crowd that has not yet arrived.  The concert in the park is coming soon...

Set up for the crowd

Happy Independence Day

Celebrate, celebrate, dance to the music.....  Today we celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence of our country.  May you enjoy the magic of the celebration yet remember the solemn importance of all that this commemoration truly means and all that it has meant throughout our history.

Happy Independence Day

Been around a bit

This old fellow has seen a few things since his debut.  He has been around a bit and has his battle scars and life events etched into his very being.  Yet he is still solid and good for all that life has yet to bring.  Bring it on......

Been around a bit

All cracked up

Whoops!  Guess I should have been a little more careful.  Just like my mother used to tell me all the time...."Be careful where you throw that thing."  Wait, we used to tell that to our kids. Now we tell that to our grandkids.  Some things never change...

All cracked up

Being watched

Being watched through drones, spycams, webcams, Google Earth cars, webcams, neighbors, email monitoring, cell phone tracking and recording, GPS tracking of cellphones, internet tracking, computer hacking, etc.  Gives an entire new meaning to the "Eye of Providence" symbol on the reverse side of the Great Seal of the United States found on the back of a one dollar bill....  Now we can call it the All Seeing, All Monitoring eye of government.

Being watched