We have a winner! There is a photography website, http://www.pixoto.com that you can submit your photos to and they will be placed in one on one competition with other images in a similar category. People come to the site and pick which photo they like best. During the day your image may have 25 or 30 head to head competitions. Each win earns points. It’s fun just to see how your skills may be improving. Two weeks ago I entered this image and it finished as the 6th highest rated image for the day in its category and in the top 20% for the week. So far this is my fourth best entry ever. I haven’t done this is several years. My highest rating was a sports photo that finished first for the day and the week and in the top 5% for the year. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good and catching a butterfly in flight with wings spread certainly has a “lucky” component to it.

Well high school football is just around the corner so sport photography is about to blossom. The first game is Friday night, but I think I’ll just go as a spectator to the season opener. Have a blessed week all.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

The theme this week at 4M is there is no theme. We get to pick whatever music we prefer. I am going to go back to the underappreciated ladies of the 60’s & 70’s. Every time I pick up an Emmy Lou Harris album, I am amazed at just how talented she is. Perhaps my favorite effort was her collaboration with Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton that produced the Grammy winning Trio album. If you have never listened to this album, you musical experience is just not complete.

Moving right along, I’m going to close this post with a little Southern Gospel from Jason Crabb. Be blessed.

Best Large Scale Mural In Town

Aww…some Mondays

The blooms of spring are long gone and the blossoms of summer are fading fast. Soon, the leaves will be changing, mums will be the flower of choice and autumn will be in the air. Last week I visited the local farmers market on the town square. The square has several planters with ever-changing displays of flowers. The images here may be the final burst of summer color for the season.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

September has arrived and that means that the kids are back in school. Our middle grand daughter has started graduate school in sports therapy. The youngest grand daughter is a junior this year and pursuing the same degree as her older sibling. The grandson has decided that trade school is much more to his liking so he is training to be an electrical lineman. The theme this week at 4M is school/education oriented songs. I decided to do a bit of a search for lesser known songs.

The first song speaks to education in general and the need to recognize the fact that every child is different and sees the world in a different light. One of the problems with public education is that the system wants everyone to be the same. This goes all the way through college. A student can attend a liberal college where any conservative viewpoint is shunned and grades will suffer. Likewise, a student may attend a conservative institution of higher learning and any hint of a liberal mindset is penalized. Students are not taught to think for themselves, they are taught to think like their instructors.

During early childhood education, parents must realize that they are the most important factor in the quality of education their child obtains. Reading to the child and encouraging the child to read, even through the summer, will pay untold benefits for a lifetime. Setting schedules for study, play, and rest are vital to the full development of a young mind and body. Every child is a flower and they need proper care to bloom. Not all flowers are red. Okay, I’m through preachin’ now. On with the music.

Aww Mondays

Friday was National Dog Day so I thought I would post a photo of our House Princess for the occasion. Saturday I got up and went to the local farmers market on the town square. There are always lots of people with canines wandering the vendor booths. I sat down on a bench, pulled out my camera and captured a few other furry friends.

One of the most popular breeds today are “Doodles”. A doodle is almost any breed that has been crossbred with a poodle to produce a curly, soft coated, hypo-allergenic, non shedding designer dog. There are labra doodles, golden doodles, irish doodles, and cockapoo(dle). One surprise is that not all doodles are non shedding. If the native breed sheds, chances are the doodle will shed as well. That should be a caution to prospective labra doodle owners, because labs shed twice a year and you can fill a pillow a day with what they shed. Anyway, doodles generally are easy going, friendly critters and make excellent pets. As for me…well, once a cocker spaniel lover, always a cocker spaniel lover.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

The theme this week at 4M is NO theme. We can post whatever music we like. I think I will dig into the archives and feature a few male country vocalists that may have been a little under appreciated when they were recording and touring. What most people consider classic or pure country music is filled with songs about broken hearts, broken dreams, and broken cowboys. So get your boot scootn’ shoes on and lets two-step into the way-back machine. Here we go.

Let’s wrap this post up with a country gospel tune from Josh Turner. Have a blessed week.

This is my first attempt at Feline Friday and since I am not really a cat person, it may be my last. I just found this image too good not to share.

Each Thursday Ellen of 15andmeowing and Lorianne of Four-Legged Furballs, provide Friendly Fill-in questions.

Ellen came up with the first two questions and Lorianne came up with the last two questions.

If you need help, please let either Ellen or Lorianne know.

Here are this weeks questions:
1. I’d like to peek into Melania’s closet. Never mind, the FBI has already done that.
2, I secretly enjoy fresh strawberries on chocolate ice cream.
3. There’s no use crying over the past. Live for a better future.
4. If I don’t take the picture, I have failed to capture the moment.

Butterfly Bush Scores Again

Remembering Spring – Redbud Blossoms

Aww Mondays – Back at the Butterfly Bush

Monday’s Music Moves Me

This week the theme at 4M is a freedom of choice week. I am taking a trip in the “Way-back” machine to the late sixties. One of the popular groups of the day was Crosby, Stills and Nash. Their harmonies are reminiscent of The Eagles. I’ll include one of their songs for reference. At one point, singer/songwriter Neil Young joined the group and they became Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Each of the guys had a solo career after the the group broke up. Here are a couple of Neil Young songs. I liked his sound back in that day. Enjoy.

Have a blessed week y’all!

Planter Box Blooms