{Day 97}

Theme #29 Bodies of Water

This is one of my favorite water areas here in Idaho. Easiest way to get there is by horse back. The scenery is great. In the spring of the year you might see wild mountain sheep on the mountain sides. You are assured to see at least one moose eating knee deep in the lake. Fishing is Okay if you dare to venture that far in to the waters edge. The lake along with the one that is high up the trail was made my the side of the mountain sliding of and damming off the creeks natural flow. The water is deep and clear blue/green. The trail is heavily used as the in one of the areas favorite foot hiking trails. As for me I prefer the back of my trusty steed.
Easter Idaho is just full of places like this, some not so well used and a bit more hidden.

{Day 96}

Theme #49 Chores

It's another snowy April Sunday, Cold, Wet and Miserable.

How can you resist those big brown eyes? How can I make her stay outside in weather like this?
Easy!
Squirt, that's her name, is dirty, smells like a wet dog and she is built to handle the cold. Her coat is SO thick I have to almost shave her bald in the summer so that she doesn't cook.
She is just really waiting for the master to come outside to do his CHORES.

{Day 95}

Theme #2 9:00 a.m.

I decided at around 7 a.m. that it was time to bake up some homemade bread. I rounded up my wheat kernels and with 8 cups of them in the grinder, I am ready to start now that it's 9 a.m. Saturday morning.

I've got the wheat kernels all ready for the grinder.

8 cups of wheat kernels makes about 16 cups of flour, that should be just about right.

With some hot water, honey, salt, oil, extra gluten, dough enhancer, yeast and potato flakes I should have some fresh baked bread in not time.

Everybody in the pool well everybody except you salt. He had to wait a bit as he doesn't get along well with the yeast.

Now that looks about right, not to stiff and not to sticky. Now where are those new pans I just bought? The old ones were getting to old and yucky. Ah, here they are.

Anybody for some hot bread and raspberry jam? Now what am I going to do with the rest of the morning?

{Day 94}

Theme #219 Out West

My husband, Dennis, and I make it a point to go to the Dodge National Championship Rodeo when it is in town. This year it looks like the animals won as there were very few riders that got their 8 seconds in.

Here is just a few of the highlight that I was able to capture. I wish that I had taken my better camera so that the shot would have been better, but oh well. Better next time. Enjoy!

Dodge National Championship Rodeo 2009 Highlights

Bull Riden, the #1 event

Bronk Riden

Calf Roping

Kids Mutton Busten
where the trophy is bigger than they are.

{Day 93}

Theme # 281 Show Us Your Bokeh

Bokeh (derived from Japanese, a noun boke 暈け, meaning "blurred or fuzzy") is a photographic term referring to the appearance of point of light sources in an out-of-focus area of an image produced by a camera lens using a shallow depth of field.

I've really tried to get the Depth of Field thing down, blurring the background and getting the Aperture dialed in just so. Took purchasing a new lens to hopefully correcting this and help out on getting better Bokeh in the future.
My old lens couldn't open up enough to get a really good depth of field shot that I was after. My new 50mm f/1.8 shot be a big help and I have really enjoyed it so far.

{Day 92}

Theme #287 Skin

"I am not done till my SKIN is wrinkled", that is what my Granddaughter would say.
She is somewhat older now , thirteen to be exact, and I wonder if she still judges her doneness by her wrinkles?
If I were to do that I would have been done a long time ago if you went by my wrinkled skin. Ü

{Day 91}

Theme #4 A Pair Of . . .

This is Baxter, named after the cowboy poet Baxter Black.
Baxter is a good horse. He's rather tall, a little high spirited and not for the inexperienced rider. He has a tendency not to want to stand still, has to always be moving.
Baxter is really a good trail horse thou and when I say trail I mean climbing up mountains slop that you wouldn't normally find foot traffic on.
He has gone on many a hunting trip which consists of walking or should I say tiptoeing around the edges of some rugged mountain tops.
He's very smart and just Like his name sake "Observer of cracks in the universe".

{Day 90}

Theme #152 Hours, Days, Months, Years

Date: April 23rd, 2009
Time: 10:13 Am
Temp: 60 degrees F.
and it is going to Rain
Yesterday we were 10 degrees warmer, no wind, sun was shinning and you could actually enjoy yourself outdoors. Now look at it, back to jackets, boots, mud and enjoying the outdoors from the indoors, AGAIN!

{Day 89}

Theme # 205 Obsession

I really love Easter time. Its when the weather is finally suppose to start to warming up. Yah Right, tell that to mother nature this year. Flowers are in bloom, birds are busy building nest and the grass is green. Well I can say that I got one out of the four, the birds are building next but not doing it very fast as they are also TOO cold to move.
I also LOVE and the Easter candies, with chocolate being my FAV.
Any way I can get it, I love it, Chocolate eggs, bunnies, M&M's, Malt Balls, kisses.
If it has chocolate as one of the main ingredients, I LOVE IT.
You can keep all those jelly beans, marshmallow bunnies and gummy things, it's all about the Smooth brown Chocolate.

{Day 88}

Theme #282 Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign

While taking pictures at the Zoo the other day I wondered over to where the amusement ride are, they are closed down this time of year, and saw this sign.
Amongst the ride is a miniature golf course and this is what is posted at the entrance.
What were they thinking when they wrote this up? Did they really think that someone would really stand at, nearby or on a target waiting to get their clubs? Not me, that for sure.

{Day 86}

Theme #300 Spring

I love this time of the year. I finally get to see some color outdoors after the very long winter. Nice to get rid of the dull gray skies. Dead looking lawn and barren flower beds. My daffodil are in full bloom, tulips aren't far behind and my bleeding heart (that's a flowering plant) is growing almost 6 inches a day.
Did I say I love this time of the year?
Can you say, (say it with me now) "SPRING IS FINALLY HERE"?

{Day 87}

Theme #295 Something Missing

Yup, something is missing and what could it be. WATER, thats what.
It wont be long tho and this creek bed behind my house will be filled with water. Water for my dry lawn, the newly planted grain fields and my herd of thirsty horses.

{Day 84}

Theme #331 Time Goes By

Oh boy has it! I haven't been by the home I grew up in for many years. I doesn't even look the same. The farm ground is all gone, been subdivided with HUGE homes planted instead of the famous IDAHO potatoes that my family use to grow.
Can you say LAYS Potato Chips? No one can eat just one. That is what we grew here, potatoes, lots and lots of potatoes.
What a shock to see the ol homestead so run down. Every once in a while I think it is good to step back in time and just remember the good times.

{Day 85}

Theme #324 There's No Place Like Home

All that is needed is a fresh coat of paint, a new door hinge, a little shingle work and a few pains of glass. This is old playhouse that has seen better days but what little girl wouldn't love to call it home again. Come on DAD, it just a little fixer-upper.

{Day 83}

Theme #262 Road or Street

Really? I don't think so. This is the ground level view looking up a horse trail going up a very small hill. Gotcha-ya. Looking at it from this angle it looks like it would take all day to get to the top in where in reality on a hop, skip and a jump to the top. Did ya notice the jet trail in the sky?

{Day 82}

Theme #188 Monuments or Memorials

This cemetery headstone just made me chuckle when I came across it the other day. Seems the Snodgrasses have gotten such a bad rap, name wise. Nice to see that they are remembered in style.

{Day 81}

Theme #182 Memories of Childhood

My grandmothers always had houseplant, perhaps that is the reason that I have to have them. African Violets were a favorite. Easy to grow, needing little care and always showy. This one reminds me of my Grandma E, perhaps its the name.

{Day 80}

Theme #177 Looking Down

Now what are you doing up that tree? You know that turkeys can't fly, or can they? Dumb bird. I am so glad that the U.S. decided to have the Bald Eagle for the national bird and not a turkey.
Can you imagine the fun that the other countries would have had with that, if we had had a turkey for the national bird?

{Day 79}

Theme #153 How About This Weather?

Looking out my backdoor April 5th 2009. Yes that is a stink'n snow storm! Here it is April and we're having another blizzard. I swear that Idaho is the only place where you actually ware out your winter coat and snow shovel each year.

{Day 78}

Theme #20 Baked Goods

Blueberry, Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies. These don't stay around long as they are SO GOOD. Not your ordinary sugar cookie here and so easy and fast to make up.

{Day 76}

Theme #111 From Ground Level

I got some pretty strange looks from the shoppers at the local garden shop as I was down on all fours getting this shot. I was trying to get the daffodils framed just right between the white fence posts. White and yellow just looks so clean and fresh.

{Day 77}

Theme #20 Baked Goods
Baking blueberry cream cheese sugar cookies. I needed something sweet and tart. Rummaged through the pantry and found dried blueberries, what are they doing in there? Also found raw sugar and in the fridge, cream cheese. Sounds like a good cookie to me.

{Day 74}

Theme #103 Flowers

More Spring flowers from the local greenhouse. Red, yellow and green what a interesting contrast. I am going to have to remember this combination when I put my flower pots together.

{Day 75}

Theme #103 Flowers

Spring flowers, got to love um. Just love the peachy coral color against the green.

{Day 71}

Theme #91 Fair or Amusement Park

Pour little train no children in line to take for a ride. You've gotten your fresh coat of paint, the track is a laid, even if it is only in a small circle and your whistle has been installed.
I remember riding on you when I was a small child, the only different being your track was a lot longer with tunnels and ponds. Must be the effects of downsizing.

{Day 72}

Theme #103 Flowers

Now these are my absolute favorite outdoor flower, Lobilia. So dainty and small. They make great ground cover as well as hanging pots. Dark blue almost purple against the dark green stems. LOVE, LOVE these.

{Day 73}

Theme #103 Flowers

Purple and Coral, going to have to remember this combination for summer.