Home Again

We are back home. The trip sure flew by. We had a great time visiting with family. It's a good thing we didn't have too many excursions planned. Especially during the first few days. As most of you know, I had surgery to remove my gall bladder on Aug 5. We took 2 days to drive up since we didn't know how Lily would do on the long drive. By the time we got to Oregon last Wednesday, I was not feeling quite right. As soon as we arrived I called the doctor-on-call back home and explained some of my symptoms. He suggested I get to the ER. The attack I had experienced the night prior to traveling was not the upset stomach I had hoped it was. It seems one of the gall stones escaped the gall bladder prior to the first surgery and was stuck in my bile duct which was hindering the function of my liver. I was yellow with jaundice as a result. Here's a rundown of my first few days in Oregon:

Day 1: Upon arrival I promptly headed to the ER for a 5 hour stay.
Day 2: Met with a Gastroenterologist and scheduled surgery for the next day.
Day 3: Checked into the hospital (outpatient) for an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)

The procedure was really quite interesting. Since they went in through my mouth, no new incisions were needed. I felt better almost immediately. And since I'm almost back to normal from my first surgery, I should be able to start working out again next week!

I did manage to shoot a few hundred pictures which I'll load and start editing tonight. So unless you want a picture of my gall stone, I have nothing for you tonight. Look for some fun shots from the vacation beginning tomorrow. It's nice to be home. :)

Greetings from our state capitol

I missed one day of posting and feel like I'm out of the loop. After a meeting with the surgeon yesterday and getting the green light for our trip, I had quite the bad night before we were to travel. I'm hoping it was just an upset stomach but it felt like another attack that led me to have the gallbladder surgery. I was down and out all night. Feeling much better this morning, we packed up and headed out. We are taking 2 days to get to Oregon so we are staying tonight in Sacramento. I specifically chose Sacramento because I really wanted a picture of the State Capitol Building. So here are three (out of about 50) images I got tonight. First, your typical postcard shot. Next, with mommy and baby. And then I just had to try out my newest toy-my lensbaby. I've got much to learn with this thing but I know I'm really going to like it once I get the hang of it. Also, I have no editing software on this computer so these are sooc.

I'm not sure what internet access will be like moving forward. I'll post and comment as able.

A big thank you to Rick for watching (and keeping secure!) our house while we're gone.

Mean People Suck

This morning at 3:30 a.m. we were awakened by a phone call. Never a good sign. My mother's alarm company was calling to inform me that her home alarm had been triggered at zone one, the front door. Knowing she was still out of town on a weekend getaway with her friends, we were not worried for her safety. The police were dispatched and I reached my mother via cell phone. At just after 6:00 a.m. I received a follow up call from the police department. Her home had in fact been broken into and the front door would no longer secure the residence. So I needed to go there until my mother could get home. The sound of the alarm and the phone call from the alarm company on my mother's answering machine seemed to do the trick getting the thieves out of her home quickly. They did run off with all of my mother's jewelery it seems. It's only stuff. She's ok. Her door is now secure. But mean people sure do suck.

A willing subject

Spending so much time at home, I'm not getting out and about much to shoot. I actually did go out for the first time today since the surgery. Julianne was hosting a Stampin Up open house event so I took Lily out to lunch and for frozen yogurt afterwards. We had a great time but I didn't bring my camera. So here you see our dog Shayna. I had attached my new flash diffuser the other day and Shayna was more than willing to pose for me. Thanks puppy dog.

As for the music, since I can't, I was in the mood for something that really moves. Gotta love Stevie Ray.

Blessed by a visitor

Resting at home while recovering from surgery can get a bit routine. When Julianne and Lily go out do go about their business, I have the opportunity to rest. But I didn't really get any sleep. So it was a blessing yesterday to get a visit from a friend of ours. He even came with Starbucks drinks in tote. I wasn't up to coffee (that tells you I'm still not up to par right there) but I did have him bring something for Julianne. Anyhow, it was a nice visit and we were blessed by his company and hospitality. I didn't get a picture of him but I did get a picture of a visitor to our yard today. What pretty colors.

A funny thing happened...

...on the way into the garage today. I had asked Julianne to get me a drink from the fridge in the garage and she came back a little startled. "There's a baby bird under the door of the refrigerator," she said. We have a nest outside the garage under the eaves. Well it seems that two of the babies found their way into the garage from their nest and couldn't find their way out. I scooped the lil fellas up and put them into a cardboard box with some food and water and moved them to the backyard. With all their squawking it didn't take momma bird long to find them. They seem like they'll be ready to fly away any day now so hopefully they're well cared for enough to make it until then. Today's pictures are purely documentary style as there is nothing too fascinating about them artistically. I just thought some images would help the story. :)

Momma bird waiting for me to leave so she could tend to her babies

Waiting for Momma to comfort them

I'm not giving up

With so many guests frequenting our feeder, I have had plenty of opportunities to get it right. I'm still trying to get a hummingbird, in flight, yet SHARP. In the meantime, I really like how these came out. Maybe I shouldn't admit that I wasn't going for silhouettes here. But the underexposure turned out great. Sometimes it pays to not know what you're doing. :)

As for me, I'm still quite sore but getting better. Julianne and Lily are both being so wonderful to me. I truly appreciate all the prayers and well wishes.

Ouch

I'm home. The surgery is over and was apparently a success. I thought it was supposed to end the pain! I'm fine as long as I don't move or breathe. Otherwise, ouch. And I'm afraid my pain meds are still working. Julianne and Lily have been so wonderful and such a blessing. Thanks to all of you that have sent your well wishes and prayers through comments, email, and even a phone call. It all means so much.


Sorry. No pictures. :(

When all else fails...

I was drawing a blank on what to post. I was scanning through shots I've made the past few days and had this gem. I guess I can never really go wrong posting shots of Lily. After all, this is a blog about my thoughts as a father. I've added quite a bit more. Some have suggested having separate blogs; one for photography and one for fatherhood and so on. But for me it's all part of who I am. So, at least for the time being I prefer to keep it all together in one place. Soon (hopefully) I'll have a pro-site up for my photography. But that will be more of a portfolio and price list kind of thing. Anyhow, here's a shot I got of Lily in the backyard a couple of days ago. She is just precious.

Surgery is set for tomorrow. Originally it was supposed to be 9:00 a.m. But it seems I get to enjoy my gall bladder for an extra 3 hours as surgery was rescheduled for tomorrow at noon. I asked Julianne if surgery was like going to the auto mechanic. "Do they let you keep the old parts?" I asked. "Why would you want to?" was her response. "For blogging! But I don't think they'd let me have it." was my obvious reply. "There's a reason" was her conclusion. Be glad I have a voice of sanity behind me. :)

Finally, if you photograph children, you've got to try this fun idea (attaching a pez dispenser to your hot shoe attachment). A friend emailed me this a long time ago and I just put it to use. Actually I just set it up. I'll give it a go as soon as Lily gets up from her nap. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Update: I just had to add this picture. Lily loved it and kept reaching out and saying, "Pooh, Pooh." But I think it's cause she knew candy was inside.

I should have stored up some pics for blogging this week. I'm not sure how up to posting, much less shooting, I'll be. We shall see.

L.A. Landmark

Today we celebrated my sister's birthday. She typically likes to choose a location where we can spend time together whether it be shopping, dining, or going to an event. This year she chose going to one of L.A.'s landmark locations - The Farmer's Market on Third and Fairfax. It was packed full of people which made for some interesting people watching. I felt like I was the only one without a tattoo for a while (excluding my family). Here are a few images from the day. Happy Birthday, Ellen!

A very L.A. site

At the entrance to a shop that sold ONLY hot sauce we were greeted by this very unwelcoming sign. The rebel in me shot at it...from outside so I was still safe.

A local shop that has been on site for years

People watching

I shot this sunglasses vendor through their display mirror. I was soon after scolded by her coworker for taking pictures of their merchandise.

A hat vendor passing the time between customers with a good book

Lily holding on

As I was looking around, there I was reflecting

Runaway Lily

Peaceful Easy Feeling

Something about this image that I shot a few months ago is soothing and relaxing to me. After four days of having Lily to myself, I need soothing. These four days have proven that God has great work to do in my heart. I'm am not a patient man. Maybe more so than others, but not where I desire to be. We actually ended the day on a really good note. She played while I cooked dinner. Since it was such a lovely evening, we ate dinner on the patio on Lily's request. We had a great time with lots of giggling from both of us. As I'm writing, Julianne is on her way back to us. Welcome home Sweetie. We missed you. :)

Look Who Showed Up For Dinner

While playing in the backyard with Lily late this afternoon, we were greeted by this hungry lil fellow. He chased away any competition for his dinner before settling in. He even hung around long enough for me to get a great profile portrait.

Julianne has been away since Wednesday and won't be home til late tomorrow evening. She is at the Stampin' Up Convention in Salt Lake City. Fortunately my mother helped out and watched Lily while I was at work. She stayed later on Wednesday and Thursday as I had some unscheduled and unexpected doctor visits. As it turns out, I've got gall stones. So this means I go in for surgery next Tuesday. Since today was the last day of summer school, the timing couldn't be more perfect. I've never had surgery before so I'm just a little bit anxious. They make it sound like not too big of a deal though. I'm hoping for a quick recovery so I can enjoy my remaining month off of work and our upcoming vacation to Oregon.

Learning As I Go

So this is all a learning process, right? Here are a few more shots from the pool party on Saturday. I really like the sequence. I had to crop which tells me I didn't get it right in the camera as I like to. But they were also action shots so I'm giving myself some slack. I also know to use a faster shutter speed next time. But overall, they're just plain fun I think.

As for the James Taylor concert, it was fantastic. He is such a talent. All the classics were played of course. And he included lots of cover tunes. We had a great time visiting with our friends, but the concert setting didn't allow enough time to sit and talk.

Special Delivery

Before I begin, we are fine. As some of you have heard, we had a little earthquake here today. It was one of the rolling types so it was kinda (dare I say it) fun. This was the first one I experienced while teaching. The kids did really great. When I told them to drop, they listened right away. For many of them, this was their first earthquake ever. Julianne had a fun experience with it too.

Ok, onto the post. It arrived today! I had been anxiously awaiting the print of the picture you see above. No no no, it's not one of my pictures. My blogging friend, Christy, posted this quite a while back and I loved it. Still do. She took the picture in Venice and edited it to look like a painting. Take a look at her work on her blog, Christy Thomas Photography. She just shot her first wedding and did an amazing job. I was honored to be Christy's first paying client. The print looks wonderful. Thanks Christy!

Julianne and I are hitting the town once again tonight. We are on our way to go see James Taylor at the Greek Theatre with some good friends of ours that we hardly see enough of. It should be a great show.

Kept on Ice

Here are some more images I've sat on for a while. These are from our trip to Alaska four years ago next week. Although it's not too hot here (only mid 90's) I thought I'd offer a few more cooling images.

Below is an iceberg that broke off from the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau

Below is the Hubbard Glacier. The sun shining through shows off the blue tones in the ice.

The following three images were taken in Saxman Totem Village in Skagway. I was teaching 3rd grade at the time and one of our stories was about building totem poles so this excursion was perfect!

Below are some of the colorful shops in Ketchikan

This lil guy was our token Alaskan Husky guide through Ketchikan.

If pizza is their specialty what does this say about their Mexican food? Although I couldn't pass up the shot, we gladly passed on the food!

We Interrupt This Summer...

...to bring you a taste of winter. These were taken with my very first digital camera on a trip to Lake Tahoe in January 2003. And to think this Olympus point n shoot cost as much as my dSLR body. Eeeeek! It had an amazing 3.1 megapixel sensor and I used a high capacity 128MB Smartmedia memory card! I can't believe how photography has changed in the last decade. I can also see how my photography has changed over the years. Three of the four images here needed to be cropped tonight as opposed to in camera composition which I try to attain these days. Anyhow, I hope these images are cooling to you in the midst of our hot (and humid for some of you) summer.

A Trio of Parties

Today was a long day. But a good day. We had three birthday parties to attend. First was a 12 year old's pool party. Then a 5 year old's flamingo themed party. And finally another party for my friend's son that turned 7. Lily did really well going from party to party. She had a great time entertaining everyone. She was quite playful and didn't want to leave. She even got her first taste ever of cotton candy.

Lying in Wait

I've been sitting on this image for a couple of years now. I took it out and edited it (color, grain, and contrast) and now I really like it. So I thought now was a good time to unleash it. Hope you like it.

We're off to see MercyMe and The David Crowder Band tonight. Wooo Hoooo!

Digging up the Past

Another trip through the archives led me to find these. About 2 years ago I went with some friends to join a group of photographers that gathered for monthly "field trips". It was my first such outing. I had a good time talking shop and learning learning learning. I still have so much to learn but am loving the ride. These were taken at the Getty museum in Los Angeles.

I've got lots going on right now so I'll probably keep pulling pictures from the archives for a little while.