Aww…some Monday
We recently spent four days with my cousins in Illinois. They are the cousins I grew up with and are like my little brother and sisters. One cousin lives on a lake and there were boat races during our stay. We took a boat up to the site and spent an afternoon watching the races. I had taken my small camera and a short zoom lens for some family photography, which I didn’t really do. I captured some images of the races but the lens was totally inadequate for the task. As a result these images are heavily cropped and not as sharp as I like, but the day was good. Next time I will take my good camera and the appropriate lens.
The smallest class was open cockpit V-Hulls. Just imagine taking your grandpa’s 16′ aluminum fishing boat and make it go eighty miles and hour on choppy water. It’s a lot like bull riding at the rodeo.
Open cockpit hydroplanes put on a great show. You just gotta love that rooster tail of water trailing behind the boat.
The showstoppers were the closed cockpit hydroplanes. The scoot across the waves in excess of 100 mph. If you’re not in first place, I’m not convinced you can see anything. Great fun.
Monday’s Music Moves Me
This is a whatever music moves you week at 4M. Last time I featured the group, Red Clay Strays. Well, their newest music just dropped this week and the title song of the album is Grateful. Despite all of our troubles, we live in the greatest country on the planet. Despite decades of problems in government, we live in freedom that is the envy of the world. Americans seem to be focused on their troubles and not grateful for the benefits of living in this great nation. When it comes to our individual lives, we can focus on every daily problem, but if we look over our lives we can see where God has been good to us in the middle of our trials. Red Clay Strays hit the nail on the head with Grateful. Have a very blessed week.
Driller's Place 
I know I’d much rather watch those races than be in them.
Beautiful song, thank you!
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I might enjoy a lap around the lake in one of the closed cockpit hydroplanes, but the open cockpit V-hulls would just beat you to death.
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I would so enjoy watching those races. Definitely wouldn’t want to participate in them. I recently was also able to reunite with some cousins from my younger years for a family wedding. It was so short. Too short! Alana ramblinwitham
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It is special to have family members that have always been a part of your life, even though they are not part of your immediate family.
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That would be a lot of fun to see and photograph. The photos are still fun even if they are not perfect.
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You’re right, it was fun and the photos were the least important part. Fun with family was the best. I chose to travel light, with one lens, instead of taking the equipment required to cover any situation.
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How fun. Still great shots. Reminds me of boating on the California Delta. See these muscle boats all the time. They do a lot of poker runs too. Amazing to watch.
Love the video. Beautiful.
Thank you for joining the Awww Mondays Blog Hop.
Have a fabulous Awww Monday and week, my friend. 🙂
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I’m pretty sure this was my first time as a boat race spectator. It can be exciting.
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that must have been fun to watch. Yes, you are right…we need to be more grateful than gripe. I am a proud Canadian and am so happy for our health care system. We show our card, in we go to see the Dr. There is a waiting period but the majority of people may wait a couple of months, not years and everything is clean and im good shape. I gor in pretty fast…4 months but it was not an.emergency. I had a total hysterectomy, no scar and treated very well. They did find pre cancer cells so I am glad its out. All I showed was my health card. I had a roo. To my own..not sure how that happened because my work insurance covers for a.double. I gor lucky. How many people get 0 health care? We are not being bombed and we have not lost anyone e to war. Thank Goodness.
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Complaining and griping only make one angry and depressed while gratefulness makes us thankful, peaceful, and instills joy. I pick grateful.
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What fun! That would be awesome to see these boats in action. You did a nice job capturing the moment with the equipment you had. It’s always good to spend time with family. I’m the oldest grand. My cousins are a lot younger than me, so we weren’t close growing up. The last time most if not all were congregated was when my grandma passed in 2012. I didn’t recognize some and I had no idea whose kids belonged to my cousins.
I agree with your views on how ungrateful many Americans for all they have going for them here. This country isn’t perfect, but for citizens around the world America represents hope. Liberals want very much to take that away from us and all people. Beautiful song choice!
Have a boogietastic week, my friend.
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I try to travel light in the photo department so I don’t look like the Associated Press is coming to town, but I really need to carry two lenses instead of one or an all-in-one lens. All I had was my 17-50 mm when I left my 18-200 mm at home. That 200mm would have made all the difference. I could have taken my larger camera with an 18-400mm and that lens would have practically put us in the boat. Lesson learned.
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