Day 18: Trick or Treat

I put off my walk until dusk hoping to get photos of Halloween decorations and thinking there would be lots of ghosts and goblins running around.  Instead, I found myself wandering around alone in dark.

"Do you have Tricker-or-Treaters?" the resident of this home asked.

"No,  I just like the decorations.  I'm taking pictures."

"You take some candy," she insisted, pushing a fistful of Reese's in my direction.

I passed most of it to a toddler I bumped into a few minutes later.  She and her parents were the only other souls out and about tonight.  

 

Day 17: Scavenger Hunt

Yes, I know it's not Sunday any more.  I was stuck on machine.    

1) Patterns: The NASA Rd 1 bypass in Webster.   

2)  (Mousing) Machine:  A better mousetrap has never been created.  

3)  Signs:  Not a good place for a dip... 

4)  Rocks:  Small rock/container garden by the mailboxes. 

5)  Sparkle:  Morning sun on the water.

Day 16: Blue Diamonds

It's Macro Monday. 

After watching the movie Blood Diamond, I vowed never to wear them again.  I reconsidered when I saw this set of stack rings on the Shop NBC website.

They're making progress in stemming the flow of conflict diamonds, right?        

Day 15: Home in the Wee Hours

Had to be at work by 8:30.  I didn't get much sleep.  

Day 14: Mississippi

The drive on Friday was rather gloomy, but I woke on Saturday to beautiful blue skies.  Too bad it was a bit windy and cold to spend more time on the beach.  I stayed at the Holiday Inn across the street from the ocean in a small coastal town just west of Biloxi.  I should come back and visit sometime during the summer months.

I'm starting to get some respect at the poker tables.  After a while most wouldn't call me, so I started throwing a nickel out any time I had even a pair of anything to see if they'd fold.  Nine times out of ten, they did.      

            

Day 13: Kenner, Louisiana

Road trip!

I stopped in Kenner on my way to Biloxi.  I don't frequent blackjack tables as often as I used to because no matter how well you play, the house will eventually take your money.  The Treasure Chest didn't have a poker room, though, so I risked a little of my gaming budget and won enough to cover a hotel room for 2 nights.  Woohoo!

I like to take a $1 chip as a souvenir.  I doubt I'll find anything cheaper in the gift chop.  

Day 12: Columbia Insect Blocker Jacket

I played with the timer on my camera today.  I can custom set how long to wait and how many shots to take.  

It's a very thin mesh hoodie treated with repellent that is supposed to last through 70 washes, "the expected life of the garment".    I wore it in the swamp, where the mosquitoes point and laugh at my bug spray, and did not receive any bites to my upper body.  It worked so well, I'm planning to buy some of their pants.

Day 11: Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail

My new project and the reason I invested in a good camera:

With three hundred different sites along 500 miles, it will keep me busy for awhile.  Conveniently, many of them are within an hour's drive of my home.

Why on earth would I start a birding project in January?  Large flocks winter here.  The maps note the best time of year to visit each site and which birds can be found.    

I used my brightest lamp to light the area instead of relying on the flash.  Now I need to create a better stage than my La-Z-Boy.

Day 10: Lollipop

Got my flu shot today and I didn't even cry.

I experimented taking pictures with it in my mouth, but the result seemed...inappropriate...

Day 9: Acorns

I need some help with inspiration.  Luckily, the blogosphere is full of weekly prompts like Macro Monday. 
I kept my eyes peeled during my evening walk, stopping to take a photo of anything that might make an interesting macro subject.  I think this is the best of the bunch.
 

Day 8: Power Station

The point of a project 365 is to use your camera every day.  If you can't post the pics for a few days, that's all right.  This is the photo I took yesterday.

I have a nice apartment, with a beautiful pool, in a wonderful neighborhood...  

...and a hideous view out the bedroom window.  I normally keep the blinds shut.

Day 7: My Street

Been home sick for several days.  Finally well enough to go outside for a walk.  Hooray!

Day 6: Water Tower

See that water tower over there?  That's Nassau Bay.  I've seen signs that the whole town is a bird sanctuary.  We should walk over there and see if we can get some pictures.  What?  You don't see it? 

How about now?  Yes, it does say Nassau Bay.     

I'm loving the zoom lens on this camera.  

Day 5 - Exercising My Brain

Maybe I can solve a few of these now.  Without peeking at any of the answers.

Day 4 - Hooked on QVC jewelry

Three silver rings for $29.95?  I need them!    

Day 3 - Wasp Nest

I thought I was going to label this "wasp nest, residents evicted".  Then I uploaded the photo and realized they were emerging.  Is he watching me?




 

Pool by Jennifer · 365 Project

Pool by Jennifer · 365 Project



What better way to get practice using my new camera than to start a 365 project?  Procrastinating me waited until after 8pm and then had to figure out how to unlock a memory card in the dark, but I'm 2 for 2.

Follow the link to start your own.  

Blue Goose Trail

Look who I caught napping.

I was going to wait until January when I begin my new project to start blogging again.  I invested in a better camera, though, and need to learn to use it so I'll have decent photos.

Armed only with my new camera and a bottle of water, I braved the alligator-infested wetlands of the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge to bring you this photo of a...raccoon???   I took a walk along the Blue Goose Trail and spotted a striped tail near the top of a tree.  They look adorable when they're asleep.  Not so much when they're stealing your food right off the table.  They terrified a little boy who was camping near us at Tyler State Park...but that's another story...

I saw no gators and I was a little early for the winter flocks of geese.  Most of the birds I did see flew away before I could snap a photo.  I wasn't ready for the otter-looking creature that hopped across the path in front of me.  I tried unsuccessfully to capture birds in flight.  This is going to take some practice.

Hints, please!