3 Quarters Today

My Life, my photography, my passions

Nebraska

Day 214/365: Happy 4th of July

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Happy 4th of Julty
Happty 4th of July

Happy 4th of July everyone! Here in Elmwood Nebraska we celebrate just like everyone else, with fireworks, picnics, parades (coming later), softball games, and watermelon. The holiday starts off with a bang ten days before Independence day when the fireworks go on sale.

This year I had an extra challenge. I was going to learn how to photograph fireworks with my point and shoot Fujica camera. This photo was actually taken two houses down from me as I braced the camera steady on the mailboxes. Tonight I’ll take the tripod for the big show in Ashland.

Photography Notes:

Photoshop composite of three shots. Two small bursts I selected the color black, chose the inverse selection so only the colored fireworks was selected, and pasted into main image in different layers.

Main blue fireworks: Aperture priority, f/2.8, Exposure 8 seconds, ISO 400

Gold Burst in top left:  Shutter priority, f/2.8, 1/50 sec ISO 400,

Day 208/365: National FBLA Leadership Conference

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I'm Going to Nationals!
I'm Going to Nationals!

I’ve often bragged about our local high school, with good reason. This time it’s about our Future Business Leaders of America members who qualified for the National FBLA 2011 conference in Orlando Florida. Fourteen students loaded up the bus on Sunday and as you can see above, they were a little excited.

The students must compete and qualify on the state level by winning either first or second place in their division. Categories range from accounting, to community service, information technology, social media, website design, partnership with business, e-business, and dozens more.

This is just the beginning for these students who will learn so much, gain leadership experience and gain friendships that will take them far in life. More updates when my daughter gets back. (She’s in blue on the left by the way. )

Loading the bus!
Loading the bus!

Day 207/365: Sunset Over the Ballfield

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Sunset Over the Ballfield
Sunset Over the Ballfield

Just another view of a legion baseball night. Too dark to get pictures of the players, senior legion baseball starts too late and sometimes, ends too late for me. Last night was a marathon game it seemed like ages before the game finished. Didn’t leave the ballpark until 11:30. Players still had to stay and rake the infield, so it was later for them and the coaches.

Just a simple picture, enjoy the Nebraska sunset.

Day 206/365: Garlic and Parsley New Potatoes

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Garlic New Potatoes
Garlic New Potatoes

Produce Stand Recipe #1 (Nelson Produce Stand, Omaha NE)

I love new potatoes, they are so much more tender and fresh than those Russets that sit in burlap bags and plastic sacks in the store. The skin on new potatoes are clean, tender, and delicious.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb Red new potatoes
  • 1- 2 cloves fresh garlic
  • 4 TBSP Butter
  • 1 TBSP dried parsley
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Cut potatoes into 2-4 pieces depending on size
  2. Cover with water in a small sauce pan
  3. Crush 1-2 cloves of garlic into water
  4. Boil until tender. Drain (can save potato water for soup stock)
  5. Add butter to taste, I like butter so I used a lot. Sprinkle with parsley.
  6. Cover and let flavors meld together

 

Day 204/365: Thor, The Mythological God of Thunder

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Can you see Thor?
Can you see Thor?

 

Phone rings…

Beth driving home from Lincoln: “Have you seen the sky?”

Me: “No, but let me look, OMG, it’s awesome! I gotta get my camera”

Beth: “The clouds are really scary, be careful”

Me: “I’m looking at the storm clouds over your house, very cool”

“Oh, my, one of your cats is on the roof again.”

Beth: “What color is the cat?”

Me: “Black and white”

Beth: “That makes sense, that Thor, the god of thunder”

Can you see him, he’s to the left of basketball hoop on the front roof, a little white smudge.