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4th of July Traditions

July 4, 2015 by info@3QuartersToday.com

It is during the holidays you miss your family being all together and the traditions of the 4th of July. Parades, watermelon, laying in the grass watching the fireworks and then going home to set off your own. Happy 4th of July, where ever you and your family may be this year. I celebrated in the town of Murdock Nebraska, who celebrated their 125th birthday in style with a parade, breakfast, a road race, pie and ice cream at the church, BBQ, and a fireworks display.

4th of July parade in Murdock Nebraska
4th of July parade in Murdock Nebraska.

My oldest son, I hope, will be watching the fireworks off Navy Pier in Chicago. Last year I spent a weekend in July and a trip down to Navy Pier to watch the fireworks is definitely worth staying up late.

Chicago 4th of July
Chicago 4th of July

My youngest son, an active Marine unfortunately posted a message on Facebook. “Don’t remember a 4th of July that I haven’t worked these past few years. What are fireworks?” He’s on duty tonight, just like last year. Even my youngest daughter will have to work tonight, but at least she watched the parade this morning and had some “Flag Cake” to celebrate.

This is the first year I’ve made a flag cake, but it reminds me of a tradition when I was in high school. My best friend always had a 4th of July Party at the lake and she always brought the flag cake for dessert. So now, after 40 years I think I’ll start a new tradition. It’s super easy to make. Bake a white cake in a 9 x 13 inch pan, frost with Cool Whip, decorate with blueberries and sliced strawberries.

A 4th of July Tradition, Flag Cake
4th of July Flag Cake

 

No matter where you are you can still appreciate the patriotic spirit of the day, the red, white, and blue decor and even pull up the Patriotic station on Pandora to recognize Independence Day when we declared our Independence from our “Mother Country” England and decided to become our own country in 1776. The United States is a young country in comparison to the rest of the world and let us never become jaded and forget our countries birthday.

United States of America Flag Vintage T-shirt Flag Shirts #13500ASHERANGEL Women’s Sexy Lace Floral Sleeveless Camisole Crop Tank Top Shirts

Happy 4th of July, enjoy your family and enjoy creating new traditions.

4th of July Traditions

A look at July 4th traditions across the US

July 3, 2014: Fair St. Louis fireworks illuminate the sky in front of the St. Louis Art Museum. (AP/St. Louis Post-Dispatch). The United States marks 238 years as an independent nation as it celebrates the Fourth of July with fireworks, food and music …

4th Of July Traditions: Eight Ways Americans Celebrate Independence

4th Of July Traditions: Eight Ways Americans Celebrate Independence. Eight Traditions For Independence Day. The 4th of July is often filled with parades, barbecues, fireworks, and impromptu baseball games. Families, friends, and neighbors often get …

The Best Places to Watch Fireworks Across America

Plans or traditions for the 4th of July… 4th of July traditions have always included lots of grilling, watermelon, sparklers and being outside! We usually watch fireworks the night before the 4th and then head into the woods for a …

Creating 4th of July Traditions and Frozen Graham Cracker …

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Honey Maid. All thoughts and experiences shared are our own. Sparklers, sprinklers, and cool treats were the highlights of my childhood 4th of …

Sisters Marie: Top Five 4th of July Traditions

Top Five 4th of July Traditions. Our annual 4th of July party is one of those traditions that’s been happening for so long, we can’t even remember life before it. Each year, the excitement begins after the out of office message …

 

Filed Under: Events, Small Town Living Tagged With: 4th of july traditions, country, family, Holiday, patriotic, rural

Patriotic Horses at the County Fair

August 10, 2014 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Patriotic Horse Stole My Heart

The social event of the year in many rural communities is the county fair and in Cass County Nebraska this is no exception. Saturday night at the horse arena is the 4-H Horse fun event which includes a costume contest, ribbon ride, egg and spoon, and sit-a-buck. This painted patriotic horse was my favorite horse of the night and I had to get more of their story.

Patriotic Horse
Meet Willy the Red, White, and Blue patriotic horse

So meet Willy, the Red, White, and Blue horse and his little owner Courtney. This is what 4-H, friends, family, and the fair is all about, fun, smiles and horsing around, literally. According to her Mom, Micki, Courtney couldn’t decide how to decorate Willy for the costume contest, Pegasus was the first idea, but the thought of trying to create wings and attach them to the horse was just too challenging.

Tail Tamers PPNTS-TURQ Pony Paints Grooming Chalk for Horses, TurquoiseJacks Twinkle Mane & Tail Glitter Gel 4 oz Tube Horse Paint Parade Costume Paint Fun Color Sparkles (Pink)

Patriotic Horse Costume
A girl and her horse (photo by Mom)

Courtney’s Dad was in the Air Force, and still works at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue Nebraska, so when her Mom saw this idea on line Courtney was very excited. Her friend didn’t have a horse to decorate so they went together as a team, one painted the stars and the other the red and white stripes.

God Bless America
God Bless America

They decided the opposite side should say “God Bless America” and tie red, white, and blue ribbons in WIlly’s mane and tail.  The red leg wraps gave the whole presentation a patriotic “pop” and although they didn’t win, they turned some heads and made more than a few people smile.

American Flag Star Equine Body BlingDerby Originals Nylon Patriotic Horse Headstall & Breast Collar Set Full Size

These girls have quite a number of years showing ahead and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next year. Fun night is held the last night of the fair after all the “serious” show competitions and events. It’s time to unwind and have some fun. Thank you Micki for texting me pictures from earlier in the evening. By the time I got to the arena Willy’s paint was starting to rub off from the saddle and reins. Patriotic Horse I love watching the 4-H horse kids. I was a horse crazy when I was a kid and rode my bike into the country just to look at horses. Even though I didn’t own a horse, I joined 4-H and “borrowed” horses from club members, my first was a Quarter horse mare, Wimpy’s Kelly. I entered a few shows, but never really learned to “ride” and get a “seat” until college when a friend and I exercised roping horses at the local stable one summer.

The Soul of a Horse: Life Lessons from the HerdRiding Lessons: Everything That Matters in Life I Learned from Horses

Riding 3-4 horses a day taught you more in one day than a months worth of lessons. We even borrowed a cowboys horses an brought them to school one semester. When I became an adult and bought an acreage buying a horse was the first thing I did, her name was Tomcat Pat and she was a feisty energetic barrel and poles horse that loved to go trail riding. I was lucky enough to have her until she died at age 32, wish she were still around.

Patriotic Horse Costume Ideas and Resources

The Patriotic Horse – Stayton (Oregon) Daily Photo

Patriotic horse is patriotic. Or it’s just a coincidence it’s standing next to an American flag. Or is it? Yes, it is. Or not. This photo was taken along Sublimity Rd. SE, just outside of nearby Sublimity. In other news… Tomorrow is the …

Patriotic Horse Wear | Velvet Rider

Patriotic Horse Wear. July 3, 2014. Bookmark and Share. In honor of Independence Day, I decided to do a post on equestrian gear that celebrates our patriotism. There are options from subtle red, white, and blue to obvious flag references.

Patriotic Plume Browbands, Saddle Blankets and Rein Covers

WishPony.com to order your patriotic horse costume today! If placing custom orders for 4th of July (2011): Order by 5PM PST Wednesday June 15, 2011 for Standard Service Time and delivery by Saturday, July 2, 2011.

 

Filed Under: Small Town Living Tagged With: 4-H, animals, country, county fair, equine, horse show, Horses, kids, Nebraska, patriotic, patriotic horse, pony

Western Nebraska Sky Country

June 22, 2014 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Who needs mountains and oceans when the skies of Western Nebraska can give you all the scenery  and glorious vistas you could want. So many people drive down I-80 through Iowa and Nebraska and say they don’t see anything except cornfields and flat land.  I say slow down, take a detour on a country road where and actually look at the world around you. The open skies of the Midwest give a 360 panorama of blue sky combined with the action of the clouds.

Western Nebraska
Western Nebraska

This is the view from the back of my in-laws farm house outside of Palisade Nebraska. Every night the pheasants fly overhead and you can hear the male roosters crowing in the CRP grass surrounding the house.

Nebraska Off the Beaten Path®: A Guide To Unique Places (Off the Beaten Path Series)Along the Edge of Daylight: Photographic Travels from Nebraska and the Great Plains (Great Plains Photography)

Nebraska wheat field
Nebraska wheat field

In June the wheat fields of Nebraska start to ripen and turn green. Rain is critical at this point, it helps fill out the berries and increases the yields. The farmers in Nebraska have been luckier in 2014 than the wheat farmers of Texas and Oklahoma. It seems the drought has broken. Southwestern Nebraska had 3 inches of rain one day, it was the most rain they have received at one time in over five years. To say my father in law was happy and smiling was an understatement.

Many people think of Nebraska as fly over country, a place not worth stopping as there is nothing to see. That couldn’t be further from the truth. What makes an ocean awe inspiring? The waves and the sky. Nebraska has waves of wheat and corn and a sky with personality and magnificent clouds. There is plenty to do and see in Nebraska if you just look: Omaha Zoo, Holy Family Shrine, rodeos, country fairs, football games, apple jack festival, and plenty more.

The Complete Roadside Guide to Nebraska, Second EditionNebraska Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff (Curiosities Series)

IMG_8266-307You can even see road tracks in the dirt road. I’ve been visiting my in laws for many years during the summer and have never gotten mud on the car. We drove around through the canyons and it was very apparent the wildlife enjoyed the moisture as well. We spotted over 30 deer, a coyote, turkeys, and TWO jack rabbits. My husbands hasn’t seen jack rabbits out there in many years.  IMG_8363-313 Here is just one of the mule deer we saw that night. Notice the deer path on the ridge. This is a sight you never see driving 75 mph down the interstate. So next time you take a cross country trip. Take the road less traveled, slow down and enjoy the sights. The countryside has a lot to offer if you just want to look.  Bring your camera, don’t be shy. Most people in the area are proud to show off their lovely state and are friendly as can be, as long as you smile and say “I didn’t realize Nebraska was so beautiful!”

Fun Things to Do in Nebraska

Nebraska event puts bison pies in the hands of determined competitors – Omaha …

CHADRON, Nebraska — LaRissa McKean walked into the competition circle in a pink dress, open-toed platform shoes, a Miss Northwest Nebraska sash and a generous portion of bison excrement in her hand. Earlier in the year, McKean, of Omaha, had won …

Fair keeps focus on all Nebraska has to offer – The Grand Island Independent …

UNL Extension staff members and volunteers have been transforming the outside of the Nebraska Building into a visual representation of the various crops, plants and trees the state has to offer. Inside an outline of Nebraska, all the state’s major …

State Games: Speer family continues tradition with Nebraska stop – Lincoln …

Shannon Evans and her daughter, Ava Haimes, and son, Dylan Evans, carry on a family tradition by participating in the State Games of America, this year with Shannon as a coach, Ava competing in gymnastics and Dylan in skateboarding.

Nebraska fun | Nebraska Passport 2015

Nebraska fun. Posted on May 29, 2015. My daughter lives in Minnesota. I always vow to stop at points of interest when traveling to see her. After receiving my passport I made up an agenda. Before leaving I visited the local attractions, Sew …

Chadron Intermediate School: Nebraska Fun Facts

Nebraska Fun Facts. Nebraska was once called “The Great American Desert”. In 1927, Edwin E. Perkins of Hastings invented the powered soft drink Kool-Aid. J. Sterling Morton founded Arbor Day in Nebraska City in 1872.

NO-Nebraska : Fun Facts

Nebraska is a really interesting state! There are a ton of facts that I didn’t know about Nebraska. I’m going to list a few of them right here! Did you know that 911 was developed in Lincoln, Nebraska? Now it’s used all over the …

Guide of 10 Things to Do with Kids in Omaha, Nebraska …

It is the largest amusement park in Nebraska, and the site of the only roller coaster in Nebraska. Fun-Plex is established in 1987. Rides at Fun-Plex include a slick track, bumper boats, and go-gator kiddie coaster. There is a …

Filed Under: Photography, Travel Adventures Tagged With: big sky, big sky country, clouds, country, deer, midwest, Nebraska, nebraska fun, palisade, photographs, travel, western nebraska

Correcting White Balance in Snow Photography

January 6, 2014 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Winter in Nebraska can be fickle. We can have a season of blizzards, or just a couple of big snow storms that dump 8-12 inches a few times during the season. This year we have had no big snow storms, just a slight dusting at Christmas time, enough to say we had a white Christmas and nothing more.

The news is full of winter storm watches, bitter cold and above average snow falls from Chicago to New England, but nothing in Nebraska. So I’ve gone back into my archive photography files to get a taste of a snowy winter. The year is 2012 and in February we had a really nice, slow snowfall that coated everything. I went out with a camera I just got for Christmas, my oldest Marine son gave me his Canon Rebel before he deployed, and took photo after photo of the amazing scenery.

I have since started shooting in RAW and editing in Lightroom, so I thought I would rework a photo to see how I can improve on it now.

Winter snow on the plow
1. Before SOOC
Snow on the plow
2. After: crop, white balance, edited in Lightroom
Lightroom photo edit: snow on the plow
Click on image to see Lightroom details in editing.

First I cropped the original to a 5×7 and zoomed in a little closer. Then set the white balance in Lightroom by using the eyedropper on the snow, this eliminated the greenish cast. I also increased the highlights, clarity and contrast to give more texture. Below is horizontal crop version where I applied noise reduction. Since this image was originally a JPG shot at 400 ISO I thought it could use some smoothing out.

Which do you like the best, 1,2 or 3?

Winter farm storage
3. Horizontal crop with Lightroom noise reduction

Related Lightroom articles

  • Lily Pads in Lightroom
  • Using Lightroom to convert Photos to Black and White
  • Cleaning up an Overcast Day in Lightroom
  • My Favorite barn Edited in Lightroom

Filed Under: Photography Tagged With: adobe lightroom, Black-and-white, country, elmwood, Lightroom, photo editing, Photography, rural, scenery, snow, snowscapes, winter

Thankful November: My 30 Day Photo Challenge

November 3, 2013 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Thankful November seems to be the trend as I’ve been seeing thankful postings on Facebook and on Twitter the past couple of days. I think we should say thank you everyday, but there is something powerful about saying “thank you” out loud and counting your blessings during the month of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving tends to disappear between Halloween and Christmas, the holiday has all but disappeared in the consumerism and holiday hoopla. So yes, I think I will participate in Thankful November.

When I think of all I have, all God has provided, it’s really amazing. Life could be so much harder, and as I look back on my life there have been some years that pushed me to the limit physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I learned to appreciate the little things in life, see the positive instead of the negative and “Let God.”

So the photographer in me is going to merge two projects, a 30 Day Photo Challenge and 30 Days of Thankfulness.  Those who have followed my blog might remember my 365 project. I’ve come a long ways in my photography since then and I’d like to start sharing again. Photography is my way of documenting and recording what is important to me, so in essence, it’s what I’m thankful for in life.

Harvest in Nebraska, Combines in the fields
Day: 1 Harvest in Nebraska (Commute to work)

Day 1: I am thankful for my commute to work every day. The twenty-eight miles takes me about 35 minutes when I don’t stop to take photographs. During the fall the farmers are in their fields picking corn and combining soybeans. Harvest is a reward for a year’s work.

Fall color, red maple leaves in Nebraska
Day 2: Fall Color (Flowers or Nature)

Day 2: I am thankful for the little things, leaves on the trees, the change of seasons, it makes me happy.

My Boxer Leah
Day 3: My Puppy Dog

Day 3: My dogs make me happy, animals love unconditionally and Leah my Boxer is always happy to see me when I come home, she wiggles her tail so hard her whole body wiggles.

Filed Under: Photography Tagged With: 30 day photo challenge, 30 Days of Thankfulness, autumn, country, dogs, fall, Gratitude, Nebraska, Photography, scenery, thanksgiving

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