The 2010 Reindog Parade

Yesterday, Toby, Ed and I went to the Reindog Parade at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. (Fox doesn’t like this sort of event, so he stayed home.) Basically, it’s an excuse to dress up your dog (and, sometimes, yourself) and take your dog to the Gardens, the only day they’re allowed.

Victoria Stilwell of “It’s Me or the Dog” was our emcee. (I’ve never seen the show, but I hope to catch its next season.)

There were more than 100 dogs in the parade.

Hey! It’s Toby!

Victoria said that Cavalier King Charles Spaniels make excellent Reindogs. A judge agreed, apparently, and took his photo.

Here’s another Cavalier. We saw six or seven throughout the day.

This gal won an award.

As did this dog.

And this one.

Lots of other dogs won as well, including a group of rescue dogs who, along with their humans, dressed as the folks from A Christmas Carol. They also took the Best in Show prize.

After the parade, we put Toby in a Santa hat for a few minutes.

Then we looked at some of the other sights at the Garden.

All of the photos from the day are on my Flickr page in their own set.

If Toby’s up to it next year, we’ll take him again. And if he’s not, we’ll go without dogs. It was that much fun.

A beautiful day at Cloudland Canyon and Rock City

Ed has wanted to go to Cloudland Canyon State Park forever. Actually, we went last year, but for reasons I can’t remember, we weren’t able to really hike.

The park is about three hours from our house, so I haven’t been much inclined to go. However, my parents went last weekend and reported it was GORGEOUS. So, I decided to surprise him, and we went yesterday.

It WAS gorgeous!

I was pooped after the five-mile hike. We were glad we hadn’t brought the dogs, as it was pretty strenuous, and we have old dogs. In fact, parts of it reminded me of the Panther Creek hike. There were some STEEP drop-offs, which made me nervous, especially on the way back when I was so tired. When I get tired, I get stupid — and clumsy.

Next, we went back to Rock City. It was also gorgeous.

(This self-portrait was taken on the swinging bridge. A couple of years ago, I took one with our shadow on the rock in the photo above this one. You can see that photo here. Also, the “pooch” you might notice? It’s my terribly attractive fanny pack/two sweatshirts tied around my waist, NOT a baby bump. 🙂

You can see the rest of my photos from the day on Flickr. These are also my Weekly Winners. Go see Lotus for more. 🙂

It was a fun day. 🙂

A few photos… and hi! (And a week late Weekly Winners)

In addition to not blogging much (at all), I’ve not been taking many photos. Last Saturday, however, I was suddenly all sorts of inspired at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

When I finally got around to uploading them today, I realized that apart from one photo I uploaded to Flickr when Toby passed his Canine Good Citizen test in June, the last time I uploaded photos was MARCH — my cousin’s wedding when I was the photographer. That it had been so long shouldn’t have been shocking since I knew I hadn’t taken photos off my card since March. And, I went two months between taking photos with my SLR (though I took a few with my point and shoot). But it still was somehow…

Here are a few of my favorites from last Saturday (assuming I can remember how to embed photos in a post, and I’m not even kidding). 🙂

(I shot this photo of a Splendid Leaf Frog through glass, so I am particularly pleased with how it came out.)

I cropped a couple of these (the first one for sure, and MAYBE the third), but I didn’t do any other editing. With the exception of the first shot, all were shot using a telephoto lens. As close as I was to the water, I’m really surprised I didn’t fall into the pond. All it would have taken was someone brushing up against me accidentally.

Since it’s been so long, I’ll say that we’re all well in the Casa de Ramblings by Reba. I ran my 5K I mentioned in April and then ran/walked the Peachtree Road Race on July 5. I also injured my calf at the Peachtree, which I’m STILL recovering from (so no running since then, except for an ill-fated mile when I thought I was better — ha). Work is good, but crazy. My 10-year work anniversary is next month. Ed is good. Dogs and cats are good. My nephew Francis, who I saw last December for the first time in more than three years, skipped kindergarten entirely and is a first grader.

What’s up with you?

(Edited to add: even though these photos were taken LAST week, I’m going to use them for Lotus’s Weekly Winners. I had some technical difficulties last week, which is why I didn’t get them up for the actual week of Weekly Winners.)

Forgive me, Internet, for I have neglected my camera…

Between the craziness of December (which has nothing to do with the holidays for me), my company’s annual conference in January, the dreariness of the winter landscape and a good old-fashioned case of the Winter Blues/depression, the camera’s barely gotten any use in months.

But, as I discovered last Sunday, spring is definitely coming, and, partially as a result, I remembered that I CAN take a photo (or 200). Here are some of my favorite from our day out in about Athens, Georgia.

Seriously, I was beginning to wonder if I was ever going to photograph anything other than our dogs ever again. I felt REALLY out of practice shooting on Sunday, but I definitely think I’m getting my photographic groove back. Hooray!

I’m also using these as my Weekly Winners. (Remember the olden days when I did that EVERY WEEK?) For more, visit the lovely and talented Sarcastic Mom.

Weekly Winner (yes, singular)

Between my having vertigo (feeling better, but still can’t move around too much and especially not too fast), Thanksgiving, and other photo-related projects, I didn’t take many photos at ALL!

I took 13 total shots for the week, all early Thursday evening. I didn’t take ANY photos at Thanksgiving dinner (was feeling particularly dizzy), but I did take a few of Toby when we got home. He’d had a bit of a Thanksgiving dinner himself (a little turkey, some green beans), and he was definitely feeling the effects of the turkey.

So I didn’t TAKE many photos, but in other photographic respects, I’ve been busy, busy, busy.

I’m getting ready for a craft fair at work Thursday. It’s the first time I’m putting my work for sale, and I’m curious to see if anything sells. Also…

Over the last few months, several of you have mentioned wishing there were a good way to order a print from me. I’ve considered several options as a way to make this possible. This is still a bit of a work in progress (what isn’t?), but www.photosbyreba.photoreflect.com is now available if you do wish to buy prints from me. I’d love for you to take a look and let me know what you think about ease of use, about the price of the prints (particularly of the 5x7s and 8x10s) and what else you’d like to see me sell (postcards? puzzles? other images?). I can sell virtually ANYTHING, as long as I can find a vendor to make it.

I’m not looking to make photography a second job, but if it makes a few people happy, I’m happy.

Now go see Sarcastic Mom for more Weekly Winners (not singular).

Our trip to the Zoo…

Ed and I went to Zoo Atlanta yesterday with some friends. It was a COLD day (high temperature in the 40s), and a lot of the animals weren’t out when we got there. But slowly but surely many of them emerged.

The focus on this is a little… um… soft. Between my having vertigo and the cold, manual focus wasn’t fun… and not so easy at times. Still, I liked how that eye peered out.

I loved the abstract nature of this one. I got some non-abstracts of this creature (which I think is an alligator), but this was my favorite.

We ended up buying a season pass, so we’ll be able to go a few times when the weather is warmer.

These are also my Weekly Winners for the week. Go see Lotus at Sarcastic Mom for more weekly winners.

Weekly Winners: the “I’m back” edition

I’ve missed the last two weeks of Weekly Winners. I’ve been too busy TAKING photos to POST photos. I’ve been working on a few projects, some of which I’ll be sharing on ye olde blogge in the next few days or weeks.

But I’m back on the Weekly Winners horse and glad to be here…

First, here’s a photo that’s actually from last Saturday night about 11:45 p.m., about 12 hours after Fox got in a fight, and it’s so stinkin’ cute I have to post it here.

Now then…

Last Sunday, Ed and I and another photographer and her husband went to (say it with me) Stone Mountain as part of one of the projects I’ll be telling you about one of these days. 🙂

(Yes, they grow broccoli at one of the exhibits.)

The 9th Indian Festival and Pow-Pow was at Stone Mountain last weekend (a main reason we went).

On the way home from work Tuesday, I noticed some neighbors raking leaves. I couldn’t help myself and asked if I could photograph their leaf piles. 🙂

Last night we went BACK to Stone Mountain to see Stone Mountain Christmas. A man was making HUGE soap bubbles. I love all the Christmas lights reflected (if that’s the right term) in the bubble.

And because I’m a sucker for it, here’s another photo of frit. And I love that there’s a blown glass piece in the shot. 🙂

That’s all for now. For more Weekly Winners, visit Sarcastic Mom. 🙂

The Week in Wardrobe…

I’ve had a tired week, combined with a side of “sick,” so photos have been fairly slim pickings. In fact, I realized that most of the photos centered around my wardrobe choices.

This is the freakishly comfortable bed I slept in last Saturday night after a full, fun day of bloggy talk at BlissDom ’08. These are my BEDclothes. 🙂

The day Ed photographed me in my suit, I’d spent a few minutes at lunch photographing mySELF in my suit.

I must say I like my legs.

I wore a variation of the same suit on Thursday, and when I came home Ed was wearing HIS suit, so I had to take a photo. I don’t think we’ve both been that dressed up since our wedding 2 1/2 years ago.

And on Saturday, I did the “comfy” I’m-sick-and-just-want-to-sleep look.

Lots of other people photograph things other than their clothes. Go check some out over at Sarcastic Mom.

Weekly Winners: October 5-11

This was a week of sunsets and moon shots.

Wednesday night’s sunset.

Thursday night’s sunset, taken from virtually the same spot.

This was Friday’s sunset, taken at a local shopping center.

The moon about 6:20 on Thursday night… This is the shot I was trying to post for Sky Watch Friday… when I ended up posting my drawing of the moon instead. 🙂

…and about about six minutes later a few feet away from our house.

We briefly interrupt these moon shots for a couple of other beauties.

I found these flowers outside my office building on Friday. The leaves next to them will give you an idea how small the flowers are.

This “fluffball” was also asking to be photographed. This is what I was on my way to photograph when I saw the little flowers above.

Now, back to the moon.

This is my favorite photo of the week, taken about 30 minutes after sunset on Friday.

The uncropped version is here. I would have used the uncropped version usually, but I was proud of the detail I captured (especially considering that the camera wasn’t on a tripod), and the detail can’t be seen in the original. You can see some “little” craters near the bottom. Ahhhh…

Now, I have a question. Do you have anything in particular you’d like to see covered at Blissfully Domestic’s Photo Bliss section?

I’m asking for suggestions for two reasons:

1. I often have trouble deciding what to write about.
2. If you ask me something I don’t know the answer to, I’ll want to find out the answer, which is a “win” for both of us.

So let me know what you’d be interested in seeing at Photo Bliss, and I’ll see what I can come up with.

Oh, and next weekend I likely won’t do Weekly Winners. I’ll be in Nashville for BlissDom ’08. SQUEE!

I know Lotus, and Colleen, and Secret Agent Mama will be there. (Secret Agent Mama and her family are giving me a ride up there, as well as letting me spend the night in their home Friday night. Awwwww… I think the time I’ll get to spend with them is the thing I’m most excited about.) Who else is going? This will be my first trip to meet bloggy friends. I can’t wait.

And getting back on topic, now…

For more Weekly Winners, visit Sarcastic Mom.

Atlanta Botanical Garden: Early Fall Edition

I took the day off Friday, and Ed and I went to the Atlanta Botanical Garden where we have a membership. This is only our second visit.

I found this beauty before we entered the garden.

Same with this…

…and this.

Now we’re in the courtyard just inside the gardens.

In the garden proper now, we found this frog.

This is a Chihuly, I think. He had an exhibit here a few years ago, and this may be a “leftover.”

He loves me; he loves me not.

COOL lily pads!

A flower among the lily pads.

These next three were taken in the orchid house…

This was in the desert exhibit.

This one IS a Chihuly.

The sculptures in the next photos are from the Sculpture in Motion exhibit.

Another autumn display shot on our way out.

We had a nice day. I was POOPED by the time we left, much to Ed’s dismay. He would have run around town for hours more if I’d given him a chance. We’re not recreationally compatible, sadly. Oh well… he loves me anyway. 🙂

I’m also using this for Sarcastic Mom’s Weekly Winners. Go take a look for more photos.