Pool Party Panorama

Still playing around with the panorama option on the iPhone to capture the pool at night.

The weather has cooled down considerably so when you get out of the water, and the air hits you, it feels like fall. Brrrr. Last day of July.

Diving Board Silhouettes, a Lifeguard, and Clear the Pool for Lightning

Swim and Dive Team Pool Party Celebration Tuesday July 16th A hot, humid day so the water felt refreshing.

Lifeguard on Duty

The whistles blew and everyone got out of the pool due to lightning. Time to go home.

Dear Followers, Readers, Friends and Family,

Thanks for all the lovely comments and emails. I appreciate the good words and your cheering me on.

It was fun to share celebrating the four year mark of the blog.

I think my headline/title confused some people as I meant I was just starting the fifth year of blogging as the four year anniversary occurred.

xxooxx

Ruth

Jumping into Year Five of Blogging

Dear Blog Readers,

Just after midnight, WordPress notified me of the blog’s anniversary. Four years.

So today’s post is the beginning of year five!

The blogging effort got off to a slow start, I didn’t exactly know what to post and wondered if anyone would look at the posts, let alone follow the blog.

There were spaces between days of blogging.

I’d taken a Purposeful Blogging class with photographer John Craig at the Silver Eye Center for Photography and at the end of the class, I wasn’t sure what my purpose was but I plunged in anyway. A photo. A thought. Something My first post was just a photograph of my grandson Michael in “time out” and the family dog Murphy the Airedale, waiting for him to get out of the corner. You can see the very first post by clicking here. Michael’s going to be 8 next month. And Murphy passed this Spring.

Thanks to everyone for your support and encouragement, your taking time to look at my photographs and leave some good words now and again, for clicking the “like” button and for understanding my not being the best replier. Being part of the WordPress Blogging Community has added much to my life.

Grateful for family, friends, fellow bloggers, guest bloggers, readers and followers. xxooxx Ruth

Anna jumps in the pool to get on her mark for the back stroke heat.

What the Kids Saw When They Got Home From the Pool

Jack, Anna, Maura and Michael got out of the van after swimming practice.

The sound of a chain saw goes right through me. The sound that is…..

Shot with the iPhone camera- the kids counted twenty rings

The men are coming back to grind up the trunk. Mark and Erika are thinking of planting a Dogwood Tree.

The firewood shot with the iPhone camera.

and the before photo of the Ash Tree in the front yard

Mark and Erika said the tree had been hit by lightning.

My dad used to play The Ash Grove on the piano.

Mini-Celebration in the Midst of Sadness

When we gathered in to Aunt Linda’s and Uncle Frank’s to mourn the passing of Aunt Theresa, there was lots of food to share and it kept pouring in from generous neighbors and friends and relatives.

Anna’s other Grandma, Marlene, sister of Aunt Theresa, Aunt Linda and Aunt Georgeann wanted to acknowledge the excitement and accomplishment of Anna(9) qualifying to swim Freestyle and Breaststroke in the Junior Olympics in Ohio next weekend. Marlene bought a cake- a 3 pound 12 ounce cake! (We read the label, didn’t we Aunt Linda?)

Because the occasion was the gathering in and remembering Theresa who had passed, I never took my camera out of the car.

It didn’t seem like a time to take photos. But of course when the cake came out and Marlene was videoing our singing Happy Junior Olympics to you, I felt compelled to take a photo and slipped out the trusty old iPhone and took one shot. This is it. Of course we are so proud of Anna. On the left standing up and smiling is her Mom, Erika. And cousin Shannon, in the red on the right was very gracious. Lots of love and affection over this past week.

BUCKEYES Reflection- Guest Blog

My son Mark sent this to me from his phone today. He was with Anna at an Invitational Swim Meet, Ohio State University – The Bill and Mae McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion to be exact. The text he had written to me with the photo was:

Photo Challenge Reflection.

No matter that the Weekly Photo Challenge for Reflection was the beginning of December. I thought it was fun to receive the photo he took with the accompanying words. He saw that and thought of the Photo Challenge Reflection. And he thought of the blog. It was nice to receive and so I’m sharing it you.

Thanks Mark. Continue reading “BUCKEYES Reflection- Guest Blog” →

One Minute It’s Summer- Now the Pool’s Drained

Officially summer on the calendar but nothing like Back-to-School to bring it to a close. Summer vacation has been wonderful. Relaxing and lots of time with the family. Reading a book, flipping through a magazine, lazing about on the hammock, getting things done or not. Fresh sliced tomatoes with salt and pepper. Summer’s grand.

Then school started with meetings and room set up and although it was a short week of actual teaching(2 days), the back to school feeling is in earnest and a new cycle has begun

A bit hot and muggy tonight from the rain, I can’t hear the cicadas but the change of season is impending. The earlier sunsets. Something about the feel of the air. Today we saw swarms of students shopping for wastebaskets and bedding, eating ice cream as they crossed the street. The city has a different feel since they’ve returned to campuses.

I converted both images to black and white to unify them for the thought of swimming in summer and then a different pool, just drained for the season. You get ideas. Some work. Some don’t.

Swimming at Aunt Linda’s neighbor’s pool-

St. Basils on Brownsville Road in the background. Phillips Park Pool in Carrick. Shot at the Corn Festival.

Happy 7th Birthday

Seven years ago I was in Florida watching Anna while Erika and Mark went to the hospital. Happy Birthday Michael Joseph! He just lost his first tooth and is starting First Grade on Wednesday so your last day of summer vacation you don’t have to go to school. Bet you’ll find time to build something with your new Star Wars Lego today.

Blogging from Aunt Mary’s computer in NYC at 3 AM so when you wake up you can see your birthday post. Love, FF Ruthie

Cool Pool and Walk Around the Neighborhood at Sunset

High 80s and no thunderstorms in sight. The pool was practically empty!

We got home for a late supper. Took a walk/ride around the neighborhood. You can see glimpses of the setting sun.

Pool Party Evening Light

The setting sun and the lights coming up from the pool made an interesting contrast of color and light. The photograph has limitations in illustrating the mood.