LDS APRIL CONFERENCE - 12 QUOTES FROM SATURDAYS SESSION

On The Banks of the Idaho Falls LDS Temple

President Packer

"The family, the fundamental organization in time and eternity, is under attack from forces seen and unseen. The adversary is about. His objective is to cause injury. If he can weaken and destroy the family, he will have succeeded."

 Bishop Davies

"By anchoring our lives to Jesus Christ and his Atonement … we will be strengthened; we will experience real personal growth and a lasting conversion; we will be better prepared to successfully withstand the storms and calamities of life; we will experience the joy and happiness promised; and we will have the confidence that our lives have been built upon a sure foundation: a foundation that will never fall."

Sister Dalton

"What would the world be like if virtue … were reinstated in our society as a most highly prized value? If immorality, pornography and abuse decreased, would there be fewer broken marriages, broken lives and broken hearts? Would media ennoble and enable rather than objectify and degrade God's precious daughters? If all humanity really understood the importance of the statement, 'We are daughters of our Heavenly Father,' how would women be regarded and treated?"

 Elder Cardon

"By exercising faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the enabling power of his Atonement strengthens us in our moment of need, and His redeeming power sanctifies us as we 'put off the natural man.'"

Elder Ballard

"In our Heavenly Father's great priesthood endowed plan, men have the unique responsibility to administer the priesthood, but they are not the priesthood. Men and women have different but equally valued roles. Just as a woman cannot conceive a child without a man, so a man cannot fully exercise the power of the priesthood to establish an eternal family without a woman. In other words, in the eternal perspective, both the procreative power and the priesthood power are shared by a husband and wife."

President Eyring

"We are under covenant both to lift up those in need and to be witnesses of the Savior as long as we live. We will only be able to do it without fail as we feel love for the Savior and His love for us. As we are faithful to the promises we have made, we will feel our love for Him. It will increase because we will feel His power and drawing near to us in His service."

 Elder Scott

"If you young people would review a verse of scripture as often as some of you send text messages, you could soon have hundreds of passages of scripture memorized. Those passages would prove to be a powerful source of inspiration and guidance by the Holy Ghost in times of need."

Elder Cook

"Peace is not just safety or lack of war, violence, conflict and contention. Peace comes from knowing that the Savior knows who we are, knows that we have faith in Him, love Him, and keep His commandments, even and especially amid life's devastating trials and tragedies."

Elder Ellis

"Again I witness the Lord has the way! Our Heavenly Father knows us, loves us and wants to help. He knows best how to help. We are not spiritual orphans!"

 Elder Dickson

"The gospel in Africa is going to a happy people, very unencumbered by the trappings that affect the lives of many in the West. They are not concerned about having endless material possessions. It has been said of Africans that 'they have very little of that which matters least and a great deal of that which matters most.'"

Elder Bednar

"From the Atonement of the Savior flows the soothing salve that can heal our spiritual wounds and remove guilt. However, this salve can only be applied through the principles of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance and constant obedience. ... I promise that obedience to the law of chastity will increase our happiness in mortality and make possible our progress in eternity."

Elder Nelson

"More of you young men and women will catch this wave as you strive to be worthy of mission calls. You see this as a wave of truth and righteousness. You see your opportunity to be on the crest of that wave."

Rural Life

Not really rural but it's plenty of life.  The  Eiffel Tower on Las Vegas's main drag.
I had forgotten all about even taking this photo while I was there, do you ever do that?  This will probably be the closest I will ever get to viewing the real thing.  Taken straight from the Nikon, to computer, to you.

Rurality Blog Hop #6

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Winter Birding - Barb Phillips

Family
Work
Church Service
Hobbies

All these play an important part in my life right now.  I tend to spend more time in some areas, possible more than I really should.
One area that I have really been neglecting lately is...wait for it.... MY HOBBIES.  I bet you thought I was going to write family didn't you? 
I have quilts that need finished.  I have a crafting room that have spilled over into a wood shed outside.  And for photography, well my camera has been sitting on it's tripod just waiting. 

I finally made of my mind today that no mater the weather, I was going out to get some bird shots.  Birding is so tricky for me as the longest lens I have is a 300mm.  I do have a 1.4X converter that I use but the draw back is that it cuts down on the light coming into the camera, not to mention clarity would be jeopardized.

Never-the-less I needed to get out.  I decided that the Market Lake Wildlife Area would be a grand place to visit.  It's not to cold today, 23 degrees and bearable. I head out.  The sky keeps getting foggier, darker and very flat. I keep going determined to find the rockery of Bohemian Waxwings that I had seen just last week.

I've only been able to see Finches and Sparrows around the house lately and the Waxwings proved exciting.

You can only take so many sparrows before it's time to find something new to photograph.

I've reached the spot that I thought perhaps I would be able to find the Waxwings.  I slip on my snow boots, check out my camera for battery power and SD card.  Zip up my thermal coat and head out.  I've walked I figure 2 miles and I spot them, hundreds of them.  My heart races, my step picks up in the snow and I approach cautiously.  I know that these birds are feeding on Russian Olives for winter food and that they will do so in large groups.  I get within a couple hundred feet, not good enough.  Can I get closer without them all scattering?  I move forward 10 feet, they are still there.  Another 20 feet, they notice me but stay put, I grab some quick shots.  Still I am not close enough for anything note worthy.  I move forward, they scatter in an uproar.  Rats!!!  But wait their coming back.  I move forward almost under them.  They watch, eat, chatter and eat some more. I'm ecstatic,  could today get any better?

 The Bohemian Waxwing is similar to the Cedar Waxwing just a little bigger and more colorful.  I wish that I had one of those fancy 500mm about now.

 I'm loving their colors aren't you.  Make the house sparrows look a bit plain don't you think?

 These two were such a comical pare, they must be mates the way they were acting.

 This guy just didn't know what to make of me and all the clicking noises.  I shot some frames he would turn side to side trying to see what or where the noise was coming from.

Doesn't take these birds long to have totally stripped a tree of it's fruit.  No wonder I had to walk in so far to find them.

Side Note - after spending close to two hours watching, listening and photographing Waxwings I decided I had better head for the car as I was loosing light. 

 I begin back tracking the track. I turn to watch a snow owl and a great horned owl, and I've lost the trail I made coming into this place.  Anxiety replaces satisfaction. Thought of tomorrows headlines run through my head "BIRDER LOST".  I do a quick look about and spot the main interstate, I now feel confidant I'll find my way out of this area. 

 NOTE TO SELF - get better barrings and landmarks while out in the wild.

As you can tell I DID make it home, how else would I have been able to share my day with you. Ü  

Until my next photo adventure.

To Textures or Not - Idaho Falls Photography

Adding textures on photo images is something that I do often.  In fact I have to admit that I much prefer the clean, crisp image.  But there are times that you come across an image that just yells out "GIVE ME SOME TEXTURE!"

This is one such image that just needed something more than backlighting.
I remembered a couple textures that I have received while attending Kim Klassen's online texture class.
The only question that I had was, could I remember how to apply it and make the image better than it was?

 I also that this old out building could use some extra help.
I till have the opinion that images should be left to stand on their own.  I like to try to get them right out of camera so that I don't have to spend a lot of time in front of a computer screen.

Perhaps I will change my mind about textures once I have learned how to only apply them with a soft hand. Once I have learned more about what all Photoshop is capable of. Once I have gotten more of my image up for resale on my Etsy shop.  Perhaps THEN I might appreciate textures more.
The following photos have been added to the texture Thursday Photo Challenge.

Week In Review - Idaho Falls, Idaho Area

The weather finally broke enough that I was able to get outdoors and do some much needed photo therapy.  While attending the High Desert Photography Club meeting this week, my photography juices were flowing.  My desire was to be able to capture some new architecture, find some interesting lines and work on my birding skills.
Old architecture is very hard to come across in and around my area due to the fact that I live in a large farming area.  Any piece of ground that becomes vacant is either planted on or grazed.  I am totally envious of all the photographers that have at their disposal the old rustic farm houses and out building.  Someday I hope to take a road trip and find some of my own to photograph.
I've been able to come across some really great restored images of old barns thanks to Pinterest, you can check out my architecture board (which will be continually added to) if you get a chance.  Let me know when and if you drop by.

Now for the reason that you stopped by, to view what I captured this past week.
Life on the Snake Rive is my first photo share.  This time of year the river is packed to the banks with all types of winter migrating birds.  The Canadian Geese happen to be my favorite to photography for two reasons: 1.  they aren't so leery of people and 2.  there are so many of them.  Here's my practice at capturing motion.

Coming In For A Landing
Taken with my Nikon D90 f/4.5 @ 1/1000 ISO 200

Now it's on to practicing my Black and White photo conversions.  There is just something that I find so intriguing about taking the colors from a image. This process is a challenge for me as most times my images come off all muddy and soft looking.  I will have to practice a lot more to get something that has the B&W WOW factor.

  The Big Stretch

 f4.5 @ 1/1250 ISO 200

Summers Final Harvest

Nikon D90 f/11 @ 1/50 ISO 400

Bottles On The Window  f/11 @ 1/30 ISO 1250  Woops note to self ALWAYS check your ISO before shooting. LDS Temple By The River f/9 @ 1/400 ISO 200  See what I mean about B&W images looking a bit muddy when converted?  I am after the crisp definition between the blacks and whites, I want the focal point to really POP of the page.  This is still a technique in search and training. Trumpeter Swans Over The Snake River f/5.6 @ 1/1000 ISO 200 One thing that I've learned while trying to capture birds in flight is you need a very FAST shutter speed, spot metering, long lens and patience. Line Sight Sparrow Hawk f/8 @ 1/500 ISO 200

Country Lane f/10 @ 1/60 ISO 200 White On White f/8 @ 1/1000 ISO 200 +2/3 EV

And Now for my persona favorite out all this weeks photos- Birds On A Wire f/10 @ 1/200 ISO 2100 I was shooting with pure luck having my shutter speed so slow, good thing these guys never attempted to make a move.  I am really liking the brown on brown effect of the Dove against the fall foliage. Well that does it for this weeks photo review.  I still have lots to learn and don't mind sharing what I've learned in the process of photo practice.  If you have a photo question, ask away and I'll go out and pratice the photo concept and come back with the answer. Thanks for dropping by and your comments are always appreciated. Note to self - CHECK YOU ISO before shooting!

Pinterests Inspirations

Most of my fans and friends know about Pinterest, the new age way to bookmark.  I have to admit that I hadn't heard of if until recently, and now I am hooked.  I like so many others use Pinterest for ideas.  Ideas for cooking, home decorating, photo editing, clothing styles.......

I personally use it for photography ideas.  Here is a sample of what inspired me today.

Sunset Vineyard, Santa Maria, California
photo by jefftangen
I love the leading line that draw you into the image, up to the sun and then back.  It's a great way to use the rule of thirds and composition. 

Red Delicious, Japan
photo by Katsumi Oyamada
Red and Green have always been a favorite color combination of mine.  Great use of shallow DOF (depth of field).  The back-lighting helps to frame the red apples making them the center of attention.

Niagra Falls Frozen Solid in 1911
photo via ellishouse

Can you just feel the cold?  This is a great B&W, wouldn't get the same feelings if it were in color.

Mountain Train, Rocky Mountains, Colorado
photo via alcoholo

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the sense of motion. The overpass makes a great leading line as well as the tracks.   One amazing image.

I am not the photographer of any of the above photos, wish that I really was the one that had been there and taken that.  Check out each of the links for more amazing images and get some inspiration of your own.  

Until next time.  Keep your batteries charged and don't forget to remove your lens cap.

Side Note: you can follow my Pinterest Pins HERE.  

It Takes Courage
by Author Unknown

It takes strength to be firm,
It takes courage to be gentle.

It takes strength to conquer,
It takes courage to surrender.

It takes strength to be certain,
It takes courage to have doubt.

It takes strength to fit in,
It takes courage to stand out.

It takes strength to feel a friend's pain,
It takes courage to feel your own pain.

It takes strength to endure abuse,
It takes courage to stop it.

It takes strength to stand alone,
It takes courage to lean on another.

It takes strength to love,
It takes courage to be loved.

It takes strength to survive,
It takes courage to live.

Idaho Spring Snow - Idaho Photography

Really? Can we be done all ready?
I have yard work to do. I have plants that need put in the ground. I have cattle that need summer grass!
Enough all ready!
I need some warmth, sunny skies and sun.

Outside My Window - Idaho Photography

Sparrow Hawk waiting patiently for a mid-day snack.

1.7.11 Primitive Elegance

While taking a drive up the canyon, I spotted a what is left of the COX family homestead.

I was totally surprised the this cabin/house was even still standing.  Over grown by brush and towered by trees it still stands.   The creek still runs past, ice covered but running.  This must have been really upscale and considered elegant in its day.  Three rooms, a bedroom for the little ones.  Protected by the winter wind and today vandals.  Going to make it a point to go back and take in some more history.
Old buildings, rustic barns, vacated warehouses, abandoned machines, they all have a story and are my most loved photo subjects.

1.5.11 Treasures From My Past

While cleaning up the holiday after math and putting back photos on the wall I happened upon this old new clipping.  I’ve seen this photo of my Granddad before but never really new the story behind it other than he was Grassman of the year.  Today I took the time to read the write up.  Fond memories came rushing back as I recalled time spent on the summer cattle ranch. 

Named Bingham County's “Grassman of the Year” for 1963, L. D. Cox, farmer and stockman near Shelly, Idaho is here pictured up in the high basin country range herding his cattle.  His love for cattle accounts for his whole hearted attention to the development and improving of his cattle range as a means of making more grass available to his herd of over 1000.

It was one of my dreams, to be able to have my children and grandchildren experience the life on a working cattle ranch.  Thanks to a good husband, they are able to.

My time spent on the COX ranch with my granddad will always be my most treasured times.  I may not have the cattle numbers or the land mass as the COX Family ,  all I can do is start where I am and build my new memories of times spent on the PHILLIPS ranch.

86 - 03.27.10 - Nighttime

Nighttime
I have found by doing this theme this week that taking night shots is very hard. Fighting with lots of noise, low light and trying to find something that is photo worth has been a struggle.  Just when I get things figured out it's time to move on to a new theme.

Anyway, I have learned that -
I need to work for on focusing.  That's really hard as night photography has to been done, IMHI, in manual. 
Got to get better and remember my trusty tripod.  Hate haling it around, don't like people wondering what I am up to and asking dumb questions like, "Are you taking pictures?'
I really need to get out more and not hibernate once the sun goes down.

f/4.8 @ .5 800ISO -2/3EV 48mm  no flash used
Taylors Crossing fountain downtown Idaho Falls, ID at night.  Wind was blowing about 35mph and that gives the photo the hazy look, water spray.
Next weeks theme - Green With Envy if anyone wants to play along.  I will be mixing packages and umbrellas.

15/365

Sun

Another sun photo.  I have been waiting all week to be able to get the sun as it is setting in the west.
No I am all caught up with my photos and I hope to stay that way.

View of Idaho Range Land

I have been gone for awhile due to working on the ranch.  It's time to finally bring the cows home for the winter.  They have been on summer pasture since May.  Grass is gone and the snow is coming.  We have found all but 8 pair.  Got to get them all home or I wont be able to sleep at night.

When there isn't alot of time to waste you have to get out the faster horse power.  Thanks Honda.
Above is a view of the Ranch where we send the cows for the summer.

How did that get here?

Have you ever stopped to think, "Just where does all the food come from that we have in the grocery store?"
Before I get into that, I just want to say that we really are blessed here in the states. So blessed in fact that our Government even pay some farmers NOT TO GROW any crops just so the prices can keep stable and we don't over produce.
Now back to "WHERE ALL THAT FOOD" comes from.
What would happen if the farmers, producers or truckers decided that they were going to go on strike for higher wages, better working conditions or they decided they needed to fomr a union to get these benefits? Would you be able to feed your family tonight?
My husband met a woman just this past month that told him, "go ahead and let the farmers strike, I can get what ever I need at the grocery store." Gosh what was she thinking?
Or how about this one, a woman's objection to the way milk cows were handled. She thought this was inhuman and wanted her local dairy to discontinue milking. When asked where she would get her milk, she said "She would just purchase it at the local store just like anyone else".
So where am I going with this, what's your point, you ask?
I know and appreciate that when I need a gallon of milk I can go to the local grocer and get it just like the next guy, thanks to the early morning milkers that made sure that it got there. The farmer that raised the grain so that I could have my cereal. The trucker that runs long and sometimes stressful hours to get the product to the store. Last but not least, my husband that works so hard so that I can afford to put it all on the table.
Thank to this great country, I don't think I will go hungry anytime soon.

{Day 102}

Theme #123 Go Fish!

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw these two guys down at the river fishing. Water was way too high, too fast and way TOO muddy. I don't know what they were thinking. No it has been sometime since I have had a fishing pole in my hand but this I don know, YOU CAN'T CATCH FISH WHEN THE WATERS RUNNING FAST!.
Not that said I wonder if they had any luck?

{Day 100}

Theme #1 One Hundred

List is my 100th picture so I figured that it was only fitting to have it be for theme #1.
This is a picture of the Snake River as is runs over the falls in the middle of town. Not much fall as there is way too much water coming down the river this spring.

Where I am standing taking the picture the water should normally be a couple 100ft below me but is only about 5ft from me.

There is a cement embankment on the far top which makes the water channel through an electrical turbine for the city, hence making most of the falls. I love Idaho Falls.

{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 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 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.