All prepped and ready to go.

Surgery is sweet when it works!

Checked in

All checked in, got my bracelets, paid my deductibles, signed my paperwork, and anxious to get on with it.  I can hardly wait for modern medicine to "fix me up" and change my life (hmmmm, that covers it both ways, right?).  I'm looking for the positive changes and a future with no more of the pain that has afflicted me.  Break out the scalpels.....

Checked in

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


Original image:

Original Image

Looking for bridge trolls

I am searching under the bridge.  Searching for those elusive bridge trolls.  I don't see any.  Maybe I need to come back after dark.  Or maybe I need to find a bridge in Hollywood to look under....  Good thing there are no trolls here.  My grandkids are playing in the creek.

Looking for bridge trolls

Details:
iPhone 5S, vividHDR, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


Original image:

Original Image

Keep an eye on those kids

Rainy afternoon, seven grandkids cooped up in the house bored out of their minds.  I know, let's take them to the "jumpy toys!"  Off we go to the warehouse full of inflatable play toys.  Only problem with this diversion lasting hours is that the toys have a weight limit of 150 pounds.  Hey, what about us big kids?

Keep an eye on those kids

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


Original image:

Original Image

Dust stencil

You might think I should dust my furniture more often.  However, I have been working on a new art project so there is a clear reason that this furniture piece avoided the dust cloth for so long.  Just think of the possibilities...  With a little more practice I could develop some real fine art work here while at the same time reducing the household chore burden.  Stay tuned....

Dust stencil

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


Original image:

Original Image

Homeless

This singular dried up leaf is lost, alone, dehydrated and moving with the wind.  Even the gentle breeze carries it along the ground, never staying long in the same place.  A homeless leaf...

Homeless

Details:

iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Snapseed, Retouch, PhotoStudio

Original image:

Original Image

Nails--last day of these angels in the home

Today is the last day of having these little visiting angels around the house.  They wrap up their summer vacation visit and head back out of state.  It has been a wonderful visit and we certainly are going to miss them.  No more of these sweet times, nails and all.....

Nails

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


Original image:

Original Image

Country Sunflowers

Another walk in the country and view of the gorgeous sky and the remaining sunflowers.

Country Sunflowers

Details:
iPhone 5S, vividHDR, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


Original image:

Original Image

FAA Radar Ball

I always thought this was a water tower out in the distant flat farm land.  Upon closer inspection, and reading the signs around the fenced in area, I now understand--it is an FAA radar ball helping to control flights and keep our airspace safe with all the air traffic and airports nearby.  Guess I should get out more....

FAA Radar Ball

Details:
iPhone 5S, Native Camera, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


Original image:

Original Image

Quiet Afternoon

Afternoon sun settles over our quiet mountainside community.  The clear blue sky is reflected in this bird refuge pond which is really much muddier than the surface reflection suggests.  The vividHDR camera app saturates the colors and contributes to the quiet afternoon feeling captured so well.  Enjoy!

Quiet Afternoon

Details:
iPhone 5S, vividHDR, Snapseed, Retouch, PhotoStudio


Original image:

Original Image

Scorched Earth

Lots of mud.  No water.

P.S. Don't forget to check out the CONTEST to win a new Rockwell watch!  See the CONTEST post on August 11th.  Entry deadline is tomorrow night!

Scorched Earth

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


Original image:

Original Image

Water? What water?

This spot reminded me of all the recent news stories of the major drought conditions and water shortages in the Southwest and California.  What happens when all water disappears?  In some spots this is exactly what happens....

Water?  What water?

Details:
iPhone 5S, Native Camera app, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


Original image:

Original Image

Farm Country Sunset

I was out in farm country (land, buildings, smells, bugs and all...) near sunset and could not resist switching to the vividHDR camera app taking a few photos.  The only post processing needed was to straighten the horizon, add a slight vignette and a frame.  What a beautiful sunset it was.

Farm Country Sunset

Details:
iPhone 5S, vividHDR, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


Original image:

Original Image

Fly Early, Fly Often

What a way to start the day!  A little early morning, calm air flight around the valley in a home-built (a 7 year labor of love) airplane.  Wow!  What a great experience!  Thanks Austin and Richard for the best way to start the day...

Fly Early, Fly Often

Details:
iPhone 5S, vivid HDR, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


Original image:

Original Image

Put a little sparkle in your step

Put a little sparkle in your step.  It might be a little easier with these shoes.

Put a little sparkle in your step

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Snapseed, Photo fx Ultra, PhotoStudio


Original image:

Original Image

River Rat

When the older kids get to play in the river, what do you do?  Just scream and squirm until you get stripped down and put into the river to play yourself, right?  This little river rat (well more like an almost dry creek rat...) loved sitting and playing in the freezing cold water.

River Rat

Details:
iPhone 5S, Native Camera, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


Original image:

Original Image

Splitting tomatoes

Every year we have this tomato garden challenge--trying to minimize the splitting of the tomatoes.  We have 10 tomato plants this year and the harvest is giving us more fruit that we can use.  After all these years we still have not perfected the process enough to avoid these cracks in some of the fruit.  Some come out great while others end up looking like this.  We focus on consistent watering patterns and volumes but just don't have the right touch somewhere.  However, with as many plants as we have we get plenty of perfect garden tomatoes and even these are good--we just cut out the cracked parts.  Oh well, maybe next year...

P.S. Don't forget the CONTEST to win a Rockwell watch.  See the CONTEST post on August 11th.

Splitting tomatoes

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Retouch, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


Original image:

Original Image

It's Time

Love my Luminox watch.  It is the only one that has a stainless steel band and glows all night long without needing to be charged by exposure to light.  And it is waterproof.  All criteria I looked for after my previous Luminox got crushed and destroyed.  The glow lasts for 25 years they say.  After wearing it for that long I may start to glow too.  Good think I love this watch.

It's Time

Details:
iPhone 5S, OlloClip camera app, OlloClip macro lens, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


Original image:

Original Image

Pocket Pal

Meet my best pocket pal.  This little keychain Swiss Army Knife is by far the most used, most useful, most capable, and sometimes surprising little pal I have.  I rarely go anywhere without out it.  As you can tell by the wear marks and scratches, this little guy has been around living in my pocket for years and years.  In fact, the only thing on my key ring is my car key fob and this knife.  I am kind of a minimalist that way--not liking extraneous things in my pockets.  In fact, my wallet is minimalist too consisting of one credit card and a drivers license held together by a rubber band.  Sometimes a $20 bill will find its way into my wallet when I know cash is needed.  Anyway, back to my pocket pal.  This little baby has a sharp knife blade, a file, a flat-tipped screwdriver, scissors, tweezers and a toothpick.  The toothpick is used most often and I am sure the germaphobes cringe at the thought of all the bacteria living on the toothpick and its sheath that never get washed with soap.  Oh well, maybe that helps keep my immune system strong.  But hey, I do wipe off the toothpick often with my shirt tail before putting it back into it's knifehandle sheath.  Whether its cutting open packages or those stupid transparent hard plastic wraps around so many consumer products, or cutting wires, strings, skin flaps off wounds, removing splinters, tightening small screws, filing down hangnails, picking food out of teeth, pulling ingrown whiskers, cutting cardboard....just to name a few...it is just the most handy tool around and has earned its place as my pocket pal.  My first version was red.  They come in all kinds of colors.  Here is an Amazon link to the best pocket buddy I have ever found: Swiss Army Knife Pocket Buddy.

Pocket Pal

Details:
iPhone 5S, OlloClip camera, OlloClip macro lens, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


Original image:

Original Image

All in a row

Bannister spindles lined up all in a row.  This is the view from my home computer chair and it has only taken me 15 years to finally take a picture of it.  Photo opportunities are everywhere...

Don't forget to check out the contest going for a new watch--see the August 11th Contest blog post for details.

All in a row

Detail:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


Original image:

Original Image

CONTEST TIME!

Okay, time for that contest I have been contemplating.

THE PRIZE

Yep, a nice man's Rockwell watch.  It is "The Apostle" model.  I received it at a corporate event, wore it once and it just isn't me.  So the lucky winner gets this prize shipped to them (yes you will have to send me your shipping address) and I will pay the postage. 

THE CONTEST

In a shameless promotion of views into my daily iPhoneography blog here is the contest.  I have been posting a daily photo taken by my iPhone since March 27, 2012.  During that time my Lego friend has appeared in many a daily post.  His name is Lego Man Joe.  Lego Man Joe appeared again in today's daily post--see the post immediately prior to this contest post.

So the contest is in two parts.

Part 1:  To qualify in Part 1 participants must correctly state the number of daily posts in this blog that have contained Lego Man Joe since the beginning of this blog--from the beginning through today which is August 11, 2014.

Those who correctly guess the number (as counted by me using this blog as the data source) will qualify to move to Part 2.  

If there is only one correct answer in Part 1 that person becomes the default contest winner.  

If there are no takers or no correct guesses then I will have to figure out some other way to find a home for this fine watch.

If there is a tie--more than one correct answer, we move to the tie-breaker in Part 2.

Part 2:  The Part 2 tie-breaker will consist of a photo contest on Instagram.  Those who qualify will have 2 weeks to post a picture on Instagram with a "later to be named" unique hashtag and at the end of those two weeks whichever posted photo has the most Likes will be declared the contest winner.

THE TIMING

Part 1 begins today and ends at midnight MST on August 22nd.

If we need a Part 2, qualifying contestants will be notified in the comments section of this blog post on August 23.  Then Part 2 will begin when the unique hashtag is distributed and last for two weeks.

THE FINE PRINT

It is my contest.  I am the final arbitrator of any judgement calls.  I just want this fine watch to find a good home and get a few new faces to take a look through my blog.  I did mention that this was all a shameless (and obligation free) promotion of views into my daily blog, right?

Good luck and thanks for playing!

Stuck to the ceiling

Crazy Lego Man Joe hangs on -- with what I don't know.  Have you ever tried to do this "Spiderman" trick of hanging onto the ceiling?  Must be a ninja plank type maneuver.

Actually it is not really that hard if you just do a headstand and then turn the photo over 180 degrees as you can see from the original image below.

Stuck to the ceiling

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


Original image:

Original Image

I'm back! Did you miss me?

Lego Man Joe was gone for a few weeks and missing from his semi-regular appearances in this blog.  He took some time off for a long, well-deserved summer vacation.  When asked where he went all I get are evasive answers as he turns and tries to quickly disappear.  Personally, I think he was at some secret ninja training camp...

I'm back!  Did you miss me?

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


Original image:

Original image

E.T. Call Home

A little post-processing and the inside of this shade umbrella begins to look like an extraterrestrial radio antenna dish aimed up at the stars--reminiscent of the movie E.T.  Remember that classic?  E.T. call home...

E.T. Call Home

Details:
iPhone 5S, Native Camera, Snapseed, PhotoStudio


Original image:

Original Image