hope for tomorrow...

Took this photo during our short weekend trip to Childress. Sometimes an accidental occurrence, such as this lens flare, can make the photo. It also helps that the crop on the sign just leave the one phrase for the photo. 

The year 2013 has been a good year, albeit with many mountains and valleys. I look forward to the year 2014 and all of the hope that it brings for my life and the people's lives that I will have the opportunity to influence...

christmas basketball...

Had a great time in Childress America over Christmas!  Took a few pictures, but these first two had to be my favorite.  Not necessarily because they are the best pictures, but because they were fun to take and the story behind them.  Stratton and Sawyer always seem to have great ideas, but they don't always pan out.  Well, during this visit they had plans for a much-hyped tennis match against me and grand plans for a family basketball game.  The tennis match was Monday afternoon.  I came out on top as far as score goes but I was way too sore/stiff to play in the basketball game scheduled for that night, so I took pictures and videos.  When all of the plans came together for the game Stratton, Sawyer and Tyler all three decided to "dress the part".  They all put on jerseys, but Stratton and Sawyer carried it a step farther.  Stratton combed his hair straight back, which looked more like a 'fro and added NBA ankle socks and very short shorts.  Sawyer parted his hair, combed it over, greased it down (the schoolboy look) and added tube socks.  Unfortunately, I only got individual pictures of Stratton.  Next year (this is now the start of a family tradition) I will get individuals of all team members.  I also posted the team pictures (winners first, losers second).  Sadi and Maci kept score in the stands with me.  All of the pictures were taken with my Leica M8 in a dimly lit gym using a 1250 ISO and no flash.

another sign...

For the most part, I will let this one speak for itself...  

Taken in Childress America at the old farmer's co-op.  Adjusted the color in Color Efex Pro.

gloom...

It is amazing what black and white can do...  One of my first pictures on my blog was taken of this old house, which I posted in color ("is anybody home" posted in June 2009)?  I never thought about it too much but color vs black and white definitely sets the mood.  To me this picture presents itself as very gloomy...  No hope... Despair...  Not exactly a place you would want to live.  I used the new software to modify this picture.  After removing the color, I was able to "polarize" the sky separate from the rest of the picture to make it more ominous.  In the rest of the picture I adjusted the color, contrast and exposure.

happy trails...

A picture of me and the girls leaving Childress on Sunday afternoon and coming home to Greenville.  Boredom had already set in about 10 minutes into the trip, so I started trying to set the camera on the dash to take a picture (using the camera timer).  Unfortunately it worked the first time, so it didn't take up too much time.  I have to keep reminding myself that all trips are great trips compared to the Christmas Eve disaster when we slept in this same vehicle stuck on hwy 287 (still need to blog on this one someday)...

The Man...

Now this is something that I would love to buy and bring home for our backyard... However, I have been married to Sherri long enough to know that this would not be a good idea. There are certain things that you just know that are not worth an argument (unlike a very expensive coffee maker). You can spot these guys at a gift/coffee shop in Childress America along Highway 287, almost right in the middle of town. The coffee shop serves Seattle's Best Coffee. I would consider this some of the best coffee out there, even better than Starbucks... Ok, so back to the picture. There are several of the little guys tied to the posts, just waiting on someone like me (or you) to come along and take them home. I had to settle for the picture. :( Let me know if you travel through Childress America and see them...

An Intersection

So this intersection is outside of Childress, actually in Kirkland, TX.  Interesting in the pattern.  Notice the intersection of Road 22 and Road BB (hopefully, you can click on the picture to enlarge it to make the signs big enough to see).  Coincidence that it was a repeating second number and a repeating second letter (kinda like having to explain the blonde joke to the brunette)?  Looked for the intersection of Road 21 and Road BA.  No luck...

It's lonely out there...

Another picture from nowhere.  That seems to be one of my favorite things to do.  I remember being out in the middle of nowhere, walking through another cemetary with prairie grass and mesquite trees (and let's not forget the occasional headstone).  So I was not exactly in an area where you would expect a phone call.  Absolute quiet; the only noise was the wind.  My cell phone ringtone blares an intro to the David Crowder song "Everybody wants to go to heaven... but nobody wants to die".  It was as if someone jumped out of the grave next to me.  It was Sherri (on the phone, not in the grave), calling to see if I was ok...

Flowers...

Ok, so I was really bored in Childress this past time.  I went out looking for flowers to take pictures of for a photo contest at work.  Didn't want it to be a total waste, so I thought that I would post some of them here.  Amazing that flowers even grow in the barren ground of West Texas.  Most people think that it is all tumbleweeds and mesquite trees.

Here is another one...

Got a little artistic with this one...

Is anybody home?

Taken right off from a Farm-to-Market road near Childress, TX. The contrast between the colors makes the picture. Unfortunately, there are lots of old abandoned homes in this area. Makes you wonder what this home looked like when it was built new...