Another Photo Booth Post

Here is another photo booth strip I made from pictures taken at my daughter's house in Florida this past week. The bottom two were taken in "Kayla's Photo Booth" that we made at the end of their hallway by hanging a blanket to create the background. The other two pictures were taken elsewhere or at different times during my visit and I included them in this strip because I thought Kayla would like them.

The top photo in the strip is Kayla with her older sister Anna on Kayla's birthday. The next one is of Luger, their 'puppy'. Kayla loves Luger! Once we started taking pictures for her photo booth strips, Kayla decided she wanted to take a picture of me. I helped her a little but she had to make sure I was in the frame before she clicked the button. She did a pretty darn good job! The tripod helped both of us as I used the optic zoom to make sure we got closeups. Don't ya just love my hair... I didn't expect to be in the pictures and didn't think to run a comb through my hair before I turned the camera over to her! I had fun hamming it up though! I also tried using the timer and I got one really good picture of her alone using the timer when I experimented with it but I managed to change the setting when I tried to get into the picture with her and only had two seconds to get in. I only caught part of one of my arms and part of my chin... too funny! It will be good for out-takes if I ever put together an album of these pictures though! I love the pose Kayla struck in the last picture. She is a natural and we had a great time together doing this. Our photo booth session will be a special memory for me from this trip!

I wanted to see how the black and white would look against the color version. I'm not very happy with the noise I added to make it look more like an old photo strip. I didn't get the effect I was after with that but was too tired of messing with it to change it. I still need to do a final version of the strips to print out and send to her so I'll make corrections then. I will probably do both color and black and white to send her.

I will do my best this week to write up instructions on placing the pictures in the strip for those who asked.

The template I used for the photo strip was downloaded from the web. I failed to give credit for it in the last post but here is where you can get the strip if you decide you want to do this project someday.

Nicole Seitler
www.SugarplumPaperie.com

The zip file has both a black and a white strip available and is a free download.

My Pets Are Worse Than Children

I started coming down with some kind of bug during the day yesterday. Could be a cold, could be a flu or just my allergies / sinuses acting up. The weather has been so crazy here the past week it's a small wonder that everyone here isn't in the hospital.

I assume that was the reason I fell asleep on the couch much earlier in the evening and woke up about an hour ago with a scratchy itchy throat and itchy ears, probably caused by the massive amount of drainage in the back of my throat. When I woke up, the cat and dog were on the sofa with me. The cat was curled up next to me, like he does whenever he decides he wants attention and Ginger was at my feet, where she often sleeps or will lay while I am watching television. Unless there's a thunderstorm, then she's up in my face and won't get but a few inches away from me.

Right now our weather is on the wintry side... after a week of yo-yo-ing temperatures with one day in the 70s the next in the 40s... one day rain, the next sunny, with strong gusty winds during most of that time. Right now it's in the low 30's (feels like temps are listed as low 20s) with a good possibility of freezing precipitation. As a matter of fact, I thought I heard sleet or freezing rain when Mr. Woody K. Nibs, the cat, decided he just had to go outside to investigate and check out potential prey... as if anything would be out in this weather but a stupid cat!

Of course Ginger decided she wanted to go out as well once she saw Woody head that way. At least the cat will stay on the porch when the weather is bad so maybe he's not so dumb after all. Ginger, who hates wet grass and often refuses to go outside when it's raining, took off as soon as the door opened and ran straight into some icy cold water that's standing in the low spots of my yard because our ground is totally saturated from the big rainfall we got last week. Normally, if it's misty or a light rainfall, and I can get her to go out, she will do her business and come right back in but not tonight. She splashed in every bit of standing water she could find. I had to make her come in this time and she was soaked. All that wet fur will not be smelling too good as it starts to dry. She was so energized (I assume by the cold air) that when she finally responded to me and decided to come in, she flew by me before I could get the towel around her to dry her off. My carpet looked better when all three of my children were still at home!

All I had to do was call Woody and he came right back in behind Ginger... only to start whining meowing at the other set of doors five minutes later. I swear my kids weren't as bad as these two. At least by the time they were the age of these animals I could go to the bathroom by myself. The one good thing is that I don't have to worry about boots... and mittens... and coats... and hats!

All I am dealing with now is smelly wet fur!

Ginger's Misery

This was not a good week for Ginger. She cowered most of the day on Tuesday when we had thunderstorms, a tornado watch and mid-seventy degree weather. Rain poured down on us all day long with strong gusts of wind whipping the still falling leaves from one neighbor's yard to another. She didn't get less than inches away from me all day.

The next day brought continuing rainfall and much cooler temperatures, plummeting to near freezing levels during the night with a winter storm advisory. The ground was saturated and we had water standing everywhere. I was certainly ready for the rain to end. I knew however, that even if it did snow or sleet that the likelihood of it sticking was slim. As it turned out, there was no need for us to be concerned as the winter precipitation never materialized in our area.

The soggy ground stuck with us through yesterday as the sun finally began to peek out and the temperatures rose little by little which made three days in a row that Ginger was miserable about going outside.

Here are a couple of pictures I took of her as she tried to find ways to entertain herself inside.



Poor Ginger was so bored during our inclement weather this week as she was forced to stay inside most of the day. She doesn't go out much unless someone goes with her on the best days but she still misses her outside time when its rainy. She really hates wet grass.



She played with one of her favorite toys most of the day yesterday and of course that meant that I played with it too! I hate slobbery dog toys as much as she hates wet grass!

Wishing Ginger and all of you all perfect weather.

Never Lacking Excitement!

After I finished running my errands today and had a late lunch, A came down to the house so that I could show her where to find Woody K.'s food and the plants that need to be watered and what to do with the mail. She brought a friend with her, well two friends actually. A and her friend C had a little cat with them that looked something like Woody. He was of similar coloring only this cat was a much softer orange where Woody's color is brighter. He looked to be about six months old or so. Just a neighborhood cat that follows them around.

When we were finished discussing business and how much she thought the job was worth (I think I surprised her on a higher note than she was thinking), the girls left via the front door but were back before I could get it shut behind them. It seems that Woody had chased the cat that they brought with them and he ran up a big 'ol pine tree next to my house. Unfortunately, the lowest limb on the tree is much higher than my ladder.

For the next half hour or so, one of my neighbors, the two girls and two little boys who just wanted to join in on the fun, tried our best to get the cat down. I got out my ladder and we tried to coax the cat to the lower end of the branch which in part hangs over the roof of my garage. My neighbor insisted on climbing the ladder but she never went up high enough so the cat could trust that he could get to her by coming a little farther. We finally gave up, as none of the other neighbors were home or they didn't have a ladder any larger than mine. She went home, the girls went home and I went inside. The young boys decided to stand watch.

About 5 minutes later, they were ringing my front door bell (actually, they must have been pressing it continuously as it never quit dinging), hollering excitedly that the cat was going to fall and die. I went back out and he had gotten way down low on a very small limb and looked near enough that I thought I might be able to coax him on over to the garage roof.

I opened the garage door again and pulled out the ladder and climbed as high as this scared of heights 60ish lady could go (one rung down from the very top actually) and grabbed hold of the branches and started trying to get him to come towards me and on to the roof. Nearly five minutes of this and I was ready to give up again and started down the ladder. Just as I was folding it back up, the boys hollered and when I looked up the cat was hanging by a thread as close to where I might be able to reach him as he had been throughout the ordeal.

So I put the ladder back up, climbed up one more time and started shaking the branch. The poor cat was scared to death and focused on me completely. I felt so sorry for him but still couldn't quite nab him. I inched out a little further than my comfort zone, while on a ladder with two small boys running around underneath, and pulled with all I had in me and the cat finally made the leap onto the roof. I had my reading glasses perched on the top of my head as usual and they were falling onto my face so off they came while I tried to grab the cat and bring him down. It took several tries and I think he left a couple of his claws on the edge of the roof as he really, really didn't want to let go. I finally wrangled both hands around him and yanked him off of the roof and down the ladder. The boys were ecstatic and I noticed that there was now three of them as the younger brother of one of them had joined the crowd.

We spent a couple of moments loving and hugging on the sweet little guy before I put everything away and came back into the house where I promptly sat down at the computer to blog about this event.

That's when I realized my reading glasses were still on the roof!

From The Library

These are the books I'm taking with me to Indiana when I go to visit mom. I'm not sure if I'll have time to read or not but I'm planning on it. 'scuse mefor a secnd!!!!!

*%@#$*%@#$*%@#$*%@#$*%@#$

Please disrgard that blue streak folk... my key board is acting upnd haf of what I'm typing eiher doen't show up orit is wrog. Batterymybe? I'll be righ right bac.

Okay, I'm back and it seems to be working better now so I guess it was the batteries. I'm not sure I've ever changed them in this keyboard... the mouse, many times but the keyboard? hmmmm What's funny is that when I turned my keyboard over, it automatically posted my incomplete entry. lol oh well, back to our regularly scheduled blog post.

The first book is The Shack by William P. Young. It came highly recommended to me by a friend. The book deals with faith but is a mainstream bestseller, having been on the New York Times bestseller list for ages.

The second should be somewhat familiar to me although I've never read this one. It is Fates Worse Than Death by Kurt Vonnegut.
It's been ages since I've read anything by him, so long I can't remember how long ago! I just keep running into quotes by KV or about KV and decided it was time to reacquaint myself with his wit. This one is autobiographical and I'm looking forward to the read.

I have the animal situation under control, or as well as it is going to be controlled. Ginger is going with me and Woody K. will be staying here under the care and loving guidance of the daughter of a friend. I think Miss A. will do a fantastic job. She's coming to the house tomorrow so I can show her where she can find everything for his majesty. I will also warn her about the fun little presents he will be likely to have waiting at the door when she gets here to feed him. She may not be too happy about seeing dead birds, mice, frogs and whatever else he comes up with. But it's all in the name of the hunt and he's so proud of himself. A. will also be watering my little boxes of herbs and the late tomato plants that just might actually produce.

Busy day coming up tomorrow. Church is out as there is too much to do. Guess I'll get off of here and do a few things tonight and save some time tomorrow.

Good night all!

Ain't She Beautiful?

No it's not one of my granddaughters... although they are all beautiful too!

This picture was taken yesterday. We were both bored, Ginger and I, because it rained again so I got my camera out and took pictures of the animals. I could tell just how bored Ginger was because she actually cooperated with me!

Mr. Nibs pictures were cute but he was behind a dirty window that really distracts from the photos so I probably won't post any of his. I would clean the window but I don't think I'm that bored!

And Just Like That...

he's home!
Can you believe that just a few moments ago I heard a tiny mew at my front door and I knew instantly... he's home! The prodigal son (well, in this case the cat) has returned. A full six days after going missing, after drives around the neighborhood loop, windows down, watching and calling for him; the times with Ginger's watchful eyes, ever vigilant, on the lookout as we drove the full length of Wheeler Road behind our house trying in vain to catch sight of him; the infinite times of calling out for him to come while canvassing his favorite haunting places on foot.

Mr. Nibs returned in perfect condition. He did not want to eat or drink. He graciously gave me a full minute of lap time and is now fully entrenched in one of his favorite spots in the house (lying on the floor of the living room in the spot where the sun breaks through the french doors). All of this tells me he was with some kind hearted person(s) who took good care of him while he was gone. How he got back is beyond me. I don't care at this point, I am just grateful that he is home!

The celebration is over and Ginger was as glad to see him as I was. She licked him profusely before giving him a quick chase through the entryway into the family room.

All is well!

Missing!

I'm very concerned about Woody... he went outside late yesterday morning and he hasn't come back in since. I saw him once after he went out, but he didn't want to come back in the house at that time. He seldom stays out very long, but every once in awhile he seems to take his sweet time about getting back inside where I know he is safe and sound.

I am more concerned that something has happened and he is trapped somewhere and scared or frightened and can't get back than I am that perhaps he is dead because there's nothing more I could do if that were the case. We've looked high and low, called and called and yet no signs of him anywhere. Even Ginger has been looking for him since late yesterday.

Woody is an inside cat who likes his little getaways to the 'jungle' behind my neighbors fence or to the other neighbors wooden playset where he loves to sit and sun. He 'hunts' down mice and moles and chases butterflies, birds and squirrels with no success beyond giving me some comic relief.

I've had other cats who have disappeared for periods of time, but Woody seldom stays gone for very long, returning to our yard or to our porch even if he doesn't want to come in the house. I'm really worried about him. I want him home!

'N Sink

I finally caught Woody in one of his favorite places to sleep... the sink in the half bath. Of course the flash woke him up. The picture was rather plain so I decided to 'scrap' it.

(click on picture for larger view)

Ginger Wants To Play

My mom's blogger friend Diane let her dog Scout do an entry to her blog after Scout got tagged! That means that Scout posted 8 random facts/habits about herself. Scout didn't know very many doggies to tag so she said any doggie that wanted to play could consider themselves tagged. So, when I found out about it, I asked my mom if I could do it. She said sure... so here are 8 facts/habits about me:

1. I am also a girl dog. I got my name, Ginger, because of my coloring. My mom thinks I am beautiful!

2. I am part Border Collie and part Australian Shepherd. That means I am a working class dog and that I love to herd. I lead my mom to bed every night but she doesn't always appreciate me doing that. She says she knows the way and that she got there for years without me leading the way! HAH! I'm pretty sure she slept on MY sofa most of the time before I got there to show her how to get to the bedroom.

3. My best friend is Mr. Woody K. Nibs. My mom brought Woody home with her last year. I like Woody and chase him around the house. He belonged to my mom's dad, Paps, who died last year. That was sad.

4. I love to travel (see 5,6 and 7). Actually, I just love to go anywhere and my mom takes me lots of places with her. We go to the dump and to the store. If I am really good, mom takes me to the recreation center and I get to run all over the fields there, until I get so tired that I go home and sleep for hours. Sometimes, she even takes me to get ice cream. I looooooove ice cream.

5. I've been to Indiana with my mom and visited with our family there. When I was a puppy, Paps let me sit in his lap. That was when he felt better. Paps liked to watch me do tricks and told everybody that I was the smartest dog he ever knew.

6. I've been to Bossier City with my mom. That is where our granddaughters, Erin, Emily and Sarah Grace, live with their mommy Dee. They used to have a doggie named Hailey. She is a pretty yellow lab and bigger than me but she doesn't live with them anymore. That's okay because she has a good home now somewhere else. I miss her.

7. I have been to Florida, where our other granddaughters, Anna and Kayla live with their mommy Jamie. One time when I was there, they had a new puppy named Winston and a foster doggie named Zolton but we called him Zoloft, because he just laid around and hardly ever moved. He was a rescue greyhound that Jamie only kept for a few weeks. We found out later that he had heartworms and he had to get treatment. Me and Winston had lots of fun though, running inside and out and even swimming in the pool, which I liked to do, but Winston got scared in the pool.

8. I love John. My mom calls John her baby boy but he looks big to me. John gave me to my mom for Christmas when I was a puppy the year she retired. He lives close to us and sometimes he takes me to his house to play in his backyard. He keeps me when my mom goes places that I can't go. Like now. She is in Indiana with Granny and I couldn't go so me and Mr. Nibs are staying at my house and John comes every day to take care of us. I miss my mom but it's okay because I love John... ooooops, I already said that didn't I?

9. (this is an extra cause I am a diva, a real prima dona and can't stop where I am supposed to but I wanted to mention this one for Scout) Scout said she is going to help her mom plan a service for Blessing of Animals this fall. I was blessed at my mom's church by Weldon and Betty. That was really special. Scout, all your animal friends will like that service. You are a good doggie and a good friend.

I don't know any doggies with blogs so I am not going to tag anybody. I will just do what Scout did and tell anybody who wants to play that they can consider themselves tagged.

Mr. Woody K. Nibs

(now playing: Lord Of The Pounce) which can be found here Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers

Sit Pretty!

Taking pictures of one of my favorite subjects is not easy. In fact, Ginger is a reluctant model. Yesterday was another example of why Ginger will never be a supermodel and why I will never be a world famous photographer. Here's what happened as she saw the camera pointed in her direction (the ones in the strip were only as good as they were because I either used my hand or my knees and legs to try to control her position):

1) She turns her head to the left and sticks out her tongue.
2) To the left again making sure this time she moves fast enough to blur the picture.
3) To the right, this time managing to look like a mugshot profile.
4) She gave me a full face on, could have been a beautiful head shot BUT not with her tongue stuck out AGAIN, not to mention my big fat knees AGAIN and more of them this time!
5) Ginger says, "You might make me look at you but you ain't gonna like it when I do (besides, this time you've got your arm and hand in the picture)."

6) One way to get a good shot of Ginger - catch her sleeping!

7) and finally success. I won't mention how many shots it took to get this picture.

Ginger

Ginger is my constant companion. She goes almost everywhere I go. She loves to ride in the car, even on very long trips. If I don't take her on trips with me, she still wins as my son John takes care of her and she loves John as much as she loves traveling and as much or more than she loves me.

She is by far the smartest dog I've ever had. She is half Australian Shepherd and half Border Collie. She does tricks and loves to perform. My granddaughter Emily loves to set up obstacles and jumps for Ginger when she is here. She has had Ginger jump well over four feet high many times.

Ginger is a beautiful and loving dog. She is easily bored and a real prima dona. She loves attention and expects it from everyone. She is jealous of Mr. Woody K. Nibs, the kitten I brought home after Dad died last year. She tolerates him well most of the time and will even kiss him if told to do so but he is not allowed anywhere near any of Ginger's possessions, especially her food and water bowls. If he comes to me for attention, Ginger immediately gets a ball or other toy for me to play with. She loves to chase him and often tries to herd him which is deep rooted in her nature. He has nothing to do with that of course.

Ginger tries to dominate other animals so strongly that she scares me sometimes. I always give her a lot of time to get used to other critters. She is terrific with people though, including children. I think she sees herself as an equal to us and above the animals she works so hard to intimidate.

Ginger is now 3 1/2 years old, a Christmas gift from John the year I retired.

Isn't she beautiful!


(now playing - Elvis Presley Hound Dog)