Artistic Fall Colours Workshop

We also learned some artistic ways of taking photos.   With filters,   slow shutter speeds and movement either camera or of the wind.    Fun Fun.   Just trying new things.    Here are two I liked.  

Fall Colours Photography Workshop on Sunday

Sunday I had 5 beautiful hours to myself to go on a photography workshop.     Time to just take it slow and be creative or learn to be.   I enjoyed it so much and wish I could just do this everyday.    So somehow I'm going to find a way to do this with Owen and still keep him happy.   Weather has been nice so there is no excuse not to get out there.   So after tomorrow mornings Fire Station tour for Owen we are heading out to get some more Fall Colour Shots.

Mine Family Day

Here are some photos of the kids exploring Daddy's work.   Playing in his office,   going around to get candy at different booths and touching equipment and demos.    They had a great time.

It only took 13 years

To go on an underground tour.   It was kind of a let down.  I think the rest of my family has had better tours.   I just saw some of the tunnel they are developing.      It was a very busy day yesterday.  Mine family day at 8am and then I had a Photography course from 2pm until 7pm.   So I have a mountain of photos to wade through before I can post them.    Keep posted.   

Ordinary Day with Hick Ups

Just an ordinary day.  Headed to get groceries after dropping the girls off at school.   We just needed bread and milk.   But......  these gorgeous pumpkins were on for $3 a pumpkin.  So well I couldn't resist.   We headed to a few more shops to get some Asian noodles and the new Tinker Bell movie for Hannah's sleepover Friday night while Ciara was at a birthday sleepover.   
But then the computer when wacky and I could download anything yesterday.   So there was my hick up.   Hopefully all sorted.

New Do

The computer had a hick up yesterday.    On Tuesday Owen and I went to get his hair cut.   We was getting shaggy.    Did awesome and the barber was very impressed.   Usually he gets screaming little ones.   So was surprised that Owen just dealt with it all.   Busy barber.   Went to a different one downtown and it was packed.    Must be a good one!!!    Then we ran around getting things on Daddy's list of things.    After running to four stores to find one thing I noticed it was noon.   So Owen and I went to Milestone's instead of McD's or something.   We sat down ordered and were sipping our drinks when we looked up and noticed Eric walking through.  What's he doing here?   He didn't tell me he had a meeting , who's he with?     So we walked over and said hi.   He was wondering what we were doing there.   Too small of a world.    He had a job interview lunch date.    We left and finished our jobs before getting the girls from school.

Fall has begun

It is starting.   The leaves are changing colour.   It is getting cool in the house at night.   I got my Uggs out instead of turning on the heat.   The leaves are falling on the ground alone with the pine needles.  Jackets and I've had to give up the flip flops.   Oh dear.   I'll have to explore some more to get some fall photos.

Owen's School Morning

Owen goes every Monday morning to one of Kamloops Under 6 programs.   He has  a lot of fun.   I will try to get some more photos next time.  Of his name on the hook and the painting.   One thing about taking photos in a dark hall on a dull rainy day is you do notice it is time to upgrade camera body.   I can see all the grain/blurriness and it irks me to no end.

Ciara

It's not often I can get Ciara to agree to having her photo taken.   She was quite willing a few weeks back.   So I made the most of it.   It's funny how they say you stop taking photos of the third child when they come on.     But I find I stop taking photos of the first child now that she's gotten older.   

MY NUM!!!!!!!!!

My NUM........................ (my gum)  and you ( Baby's   AKA:  Ciara and Hannah)  aren't getting any.   Even if that means I have to sleep with it.     I know I feel the same away about chocolate.   So I stash it around the house so that I don't have to share.   Because we all know if we sleep with it well .....  the work to clean all the melted chocolate up is much worse.

Pritchard BC, and the next step

So on the way to Chase to get sweet corn.   You go past Pritchard.   Which has this very cool wooden road bridge.   Couldn't  find a great place to pull over and get a shot at how long this bridge is.    Another day.
I'm trying to come up with other ideas.    Since my 100 strangers isn't going so well.    I have an idea from my mom and it requires a lot of creative thinking outside the box.   Very hard.   As well as one I found on the internet.   We will see how I go in the next few weeks starting to get some of those ideas going. 

Bear Video

We had the bear come visit us.   My camera was at the shop.    Eric got a great video of him swimming in the pond and then coming to the windows to look in.   (bare with me though this is my first time posting video so it's not great quality - I had to make it smaller- but if you click on it it will get bigger so you might be able to see the blur of the bear better!)

Just a day

It's just a day today.   Groceries,  laundry,  dishes,   dirty floors,   clutter,  a stubborn camera filter that is at the camera repair shop trying to be removed.    So here's just a day photo with my little ones doing what they do on just a day day.    Now to get back to dealing with the just a day stuff that I really don't have any mojo to do!!!

Photography Course

On Sunday morning I had signed up for a photography course with a local photographer Kelly Funk.   It was awesome.   The first part we did a little refresher for me at least.   Playing with depth of field.  ( I will put photos up of the kids explaining as we weren't allowed to use the photos we took of each other on our blogs or websites.)

So depth of field small number and you get your focus on person or wall and then the other parts blur.   Increase the number and you get more stuff in focus.   Large number is good for groups and landscape because whole scene is in focus.   We were working on small depth of fields to tell stories and well play.

The next thing we worked on was using focus tracking and get the speed shots.   Where the person is in focus (I need some more practice  - because Owen isn't)  and then the background is all blurry and gives the impression of person going very fast.    Very fun but hard to get a perfect shot.

After this we played with the same idea only on a swing.   Harder yet to get the speed right because with a swing it is a constant speed so you have to get the shutter speed right.   Haven't had time to practice this with the kids on a swing.   So I'll just show you Owen on a swing.   Fun Fun and I have another course in a few weeks.  

Look at that..........

It's some Australian Cobar people and some Canadian Newbies looking at the British Columbia Salmon Runs.

We being new to British Columbia had never seen the Salmon Run.   Heard about it looked at photos but never witnessed it first hand.    The Wilson's had gone looking a few weeks back and were entertaining Greg Brown and his missus.   So they offered us to show us one of the good spots to see them.   This is a early species of Salmon coming through.  Apparently the good run happens in October so we will have to return and see it when it is wall to wall Salmon.    Salmon swim against the current of the river they were born in to their spawning ground to lay their eggs and then die.    Though a few thousands die just getting to the grounds as well.    It was quite the thing to witness and to smell.   I'm looking forward to seeing it in October as well.   It was a beautiful autumn sunny day on Saturday when we had this adventure.     Then back to the Wilson's for a good old Aussie BBQ.   

Beer and Wings

Friday night we had friends over for beer and wings and a good play with the kids.   It was a great night.  Lots of laughing and just getting the long/short week off our backs.  

First Week of School

Ciara in front of her locker.   Two half sized ones instead of one big one.   A lock and grade 4/5 split with Mr. McDaniel.   She just loves him.   He's so nice she says and she has three good friends in her class.  She loves going to school and enjoyed the first week.   I could tell she loved it as she was up and dressed by 7am.   Which is usually unheard of.    Her favourite thing about this week is that after her work is done for spare time she can read comic books.

Hannah in front of her full sized lockers.  No lock.   In a 1/2 split with Ms. McDougal.   Hannah thinks she is good and does lots of fun stuff with them.   She had a fun  and great first week.    Her absolute favourite activity this week was Math.   She isn't in a class with all her close friends but there are two grade 2's from the other grade 1 class last year that she is trying to befriend so hopefully some new friends as well as playing with her old friends at recess and lunch.

All in all it was a good first week.   With only a few melt downs last night as the tiredness came to head. 

Wellness and milking for all it's worth

He seems to be his own cheeky self again.     Had some toast a drink and nagged me to death at dinner time for food where he polished off 3 cobs of corn and two pieces of homemade pizza.     Then some magic button must have been pushed as he ran around the house like a mad man jabbering up a storm and chasing his sisters.   What just happened here?    So little man is back to normal.   Hannah on the other hand is complaining of tummy pains.   Hmmmm is it the 4 cobs of corn she had last night,   the upset feelings of not being picked yet in her class to be a helper,  or something Owen had?   Shipped her off to school saying that she wasn't sick only to get a call at 10am saying that she was lying in the nurses room because her tummy was upset and she had had some diarrhea!! (bad mommy feelings)  So off I go to pick her up where she looks pitiful until we get her stuff out of the locker and then the bouncing step starts to the car.   Hmmmm......
So home for some lunch on the couch and now no tummy pain.   Running around feeding the fish and playing with Owen.    Did the school just get milked with her little pitiful face or what!!!!   (Must have been those 4 cobs of corn!!!)

The Flu Bug

We went from this yesterday to this........... today.

His little footsteps up the steps at 5am then crawling into our bed only to seconds later gag and hack and well it must have been a sight to see two adults bolt out of bed grabbing pillows removing pillow cases at the speed of sound and shove under heaving child!!  So we now alternate between throwing up,  passing out to sleep ,  asking for a bowl (he's so cute asking for a bowl since he doesn't say many words this is pretty monumental!!! and sad at the same time because he's so sick)  and then repeat.   He's got a temperature too.    My plans to take some more photos of the girls and then tell you all about the first day of school will have to wait until tomorrow or maybe it will be the end of the week post and you'll see it Saturday.   Since we just ran to the school dropped the girls off and ran home before the next bought came on.   Got to go throw some laundry in the machine and maybe eat something now that he's having a little snooze.   See you tomorrow.

Real First Day of School

The first day of school.   All day.   8:30 am to 2:30 pm.    They got dressed up.   Backpacks and lunches packed.   Now to hopefully see which teacher they have.    Hannah one of two female teachers in either a 1/2 split or a 2/3 split.    Ciara either a male or female teacher and both a 4/5 split.    So mommy can hardly wait until 2:30pm to hear the news.    But until that time.   Owen and I are planning a play day in the play room.   Owen with toys and me with scrapbooking to hopefully make this rainy cold day go by faster.

Summer Vacation Ends - School Starts

The weather has gotten cooler,   the beaches are empty and lonely,   and the kids have bought new backpacks, sneakers and lunch kits.    The first day of school.   The big 1 and a half hours worth of the first day of school!!!!   Tomorrow I would consider to be the first day of school because they actually go the whole day.   But.......  Whatever.      (photos tomorrow as they are wearing their good clothes tomorrow they say!  I don't even think they need to bring their backpacks today!)

Mara Lake, BC

It has been a wet, cold, and overcast long weekend here in BC.    Summer seems to have come to a fast end.   Our neighbours up the street invited us to their camp on Mara Lake.     Beautiful little spot and even with the cold and rain.  Hannah went for a last dip in the lake.   We all decided we need to take a week off next summer and rent a cabin and just relax and enjoy the summer next year.    Ciara was cold she ventured out to make some sand castles but I didn't have the camera out.   We had a nice picnic and visit with our neighbours.   Her sister and brother in law were there visiting from Australia.  They have lived there for 40 years.  (Well brother in law in Aussie. )  So it was a great chat and a revisit of some good memories of Australia.   Our neighbours are really neat people.   They remind me a little of a episode from Packed to the Rafters.   As the grandma is living with them as well as their two kids and little grandaughter.    Anyway a nice break and finally another couple that is welcoming and fun to be around here in Kamloops.     Like our friends the Watsons.

Corn Beautiful Corn

Eating it,   husking it,   freezing it ,   Just plan loving Eating it!!!!