Month: April 2012

Danny ordered me a new (refurbished) lens. He surprised me with it… I DO have the best husband. So today I had to get out and play, play, play. I thought all was lost at lunch time when a freak of a storm blew through. Ohio puts on a good weather show. Thunder, lightening, and heavy rain. By the time Danny arrived home from work, it was dry and ready for a walk. We live right by the Marina and we love to walk down there and play on the beach, fish and swim. I took my camera with the hopes of finding something interesting to photograph. Usually it’s my kids, but I spotted a Great Blue Heron. I looked over my shoulder and took stock of the kids. Emma and Tanner were riding their scooters around the marina buildings talking about the books they are writing, bouncing ideas off of each other. I remember trying to write a book as a kid, hope they are more successful then I was.  Aubrey, Alyssa and Hallie were deeply engrossed in some sort of a sand creation, so I took off on a hike to get closer to the bird.

Sandy Alyssa Toes

Hallie and Aubrey

Carefully placing the shells

My three trouble makers

Off to find my bird. At first he was a little hesitant with me there, but I sat still and waited. It was worth the wait. The bird suddenly went into a pose that reminded me of a cat ready to strike. He stuck out his neck and froze.

In the blink of an eye he struck

I started snapping pictures as fast as I could

He came up with his prize. Pretty cool, I kept snapping. If you look close he actually pierces the fish with his open beak.

He frees it off of his beak and then picks the dead fish back up.

Then down it goes. I LOVE having my camera back!

Off he flies, after some research it’s nesting season, so maybe to his nest to feed a baby.

We walked back home. (rode various scooters/bikes/stroller)

A few flowers in the front yard.

We made some pizza and the kids are all building Lego’s together before bed. It has been the perfect day. I love a good storm and a fun walk. Now I need to find a class on Photo Shop. How I have missed my camera.

Oh and just for fun a really zoomed in picture of the stabbed fish on the Blue Herons beak, just too cool not to see even if it is a bit fuzzy.

The neighborhood put on an egg hunt for the kids on Saturday 3/31. Emma and Tanner were too old this year. If you look at the picture with Aubrey and her good friend Marlee you can see Tanner in the background looking all grumpy that he couldn’t play too. I guess I should cut him some slack today he is pretty sick and he was probable not feeling well yesterday either, but I still made him come with us.

Our neighborhood has two big green spaces, perfect for flying kites, launching rockets and getting a neighborhood ball game going. And yes, the lawn is really this green, I’ve already mowed my lawn twice this spring, and it’s ready for another mowing already 2X a week at least, and no we don’t have sprinklers or water our lawn, splendid I tell ya! Too many years of forcing a lawn to grown in the desert.

A little bit about our new friends. They moved in down the street one week before we did. They came from New Mexico and have 7 year old twins and a 5 year old and are members of the church. It was a perfect fit. As you can see from the 1 group picture I was able to snap, our 5 year olds have similar personalities, look how impressed they weren’t that we were having a photo op moment when egg finding was the main event. Marlee is in Aubrey’s class and her twin brother Sam is in another class. Both Alyssa and Lizzie will be going to kindergarten this year.