My GPS Camera Phone

Today was a great day to go outside and sweat off about 32 pounds in the 96 degree heat. Try as I might, I was only able to fend off my girls until 4pm, at which the temperature dropped to a mild 93 degrees. Outside we went.

After finding a snake skin, a giant caterpillar and a huge banana spider, the kids started riding bikes. I had a beer. And took some photos. Out of them all, this one was the best.

The neat thing about this is that the movement of the bike made the round wheels oval and gave a little bit of blur to accent the motion. No Photoshop here, just me laying in the driveway while kids ride by.

Photo credit: Daughter #1

View more images at the Wordless Wednesday HQ.

Is it me or does this water look like crystals flying through the air? Regardless, I didn’t think a camera phone would stop motion like this.

The water fountain in the image was taken last week at the University of Florida. The day was warm and the kids were looking for something exciting to do. We had to pick up Nancy, who always manages to find the cool things that nobody else seems to find.

After a few loops around campus to find her, we park and walk to this new fountain that is ground-level and barrier-free. The jets of water turn on and off at predictable intervals, but the kids got fooled many times. They were soaked and their fountain antics drew smiles from passing students and faculty.

About 30 minutes later, we packed up the kids and went home to dry clothes and Nintendo DS. I was lucky enough to get to return to work for a few more hours. But at least I got this cool photo. More to come, possibly a big set.

One last thing: Can you locate the angel? Free linkage to the first one to clearly point it out in the comments. “Yes, I can see it,” is not an acceptable response. Chuck at D is for Dad! (Awesome site, BTW. Go check it out.)

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This was the weekend of building the winter wonderland in my front yard. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s also a lot of work. To mark the occasion, I decided that a photo was appropriate. Enjoy.

News and Stuff

I’m stoked that the video tutorial went over so well. Thanks for all of the positive comments. Next up is an easy way to achieve an aged photo look by applying a few simple effects in Picasa2. I hope to have this posted by the end of the week, but paying gigs take priority. Of course, if someone wants it posted tomorrow, I can always give you my Paypal address…

Special thanks to Opal Tribble at Vegan Momma for making me her guest RSS feed last week. I haven’t looked at the incoming traffic yet, but I’m sure I’ve gained some new readers from it. Thanks, Opal!

If you haven’t seen Dan’s totally cool Lucy in the Sky with Dragons image yet, you should. It rawks.

If you’re into street fighting, sullicom is now accepting votes for the final round of the Food Network Battle Royale. It is bound to be explosive, with cold and calculating Alton Brown facing off against the “Everyday Italian,” Giada De Laurentiis. If Alton is not lured into complacency by her hotness, he will destroy her. It will be an uphill battle, for sure. Cast your votes (Alton Brown) now!

Featured MGPSCP (My GPS Camera Phone) blogger, Shiera, is finally going for a custom domain name! On the flip-side, she really misses her kid. I couldn’t imagine working so far away from my kids. Go visit and say hello.

I finally took the Monetizer’s advice and made my first Squidoo lens. It’s easy and could potentially send traffic my way. Check it out if you want, then set one up yourself. It only took me about 45 minutes and it’s free.

Finally, voice-talent mega-star Heather Dugan is back from a computer failure with audio blog posts. It’s like listening to NPR or a television commercial without being sold anything. Totally awesome.

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Closing my eyes, I see water crashing down onto the rocks below, a raging river and a peaceful sky. I hear the flow and feel the mist the waterfall produces, caressing my face and beading on my glasses. The sun burns brightly and sears my outer shell while warming my inner spirit. The sounds of the city are lost in a rush of vivid scenes and the lush backdrop of my mind.

A car horn grates across my eardrums and someone howls to a friend. The freshly-painted blacktop on the asphalt parking lot burns the soles of my feet and the intense heat boils up, carrying with it the smell of tar and exhaust fumes. My eyes open and the cold, metal fencing blocks my view of the waterfall, revealing the prison of my mind. Cooling tower runoff cascades in front of me, transporting the indoor heat back to the outside, creating a comfortable, unnatural environment for the cubicle squatters.

Looking up, the sky beckons my return, hovering overhead in all it’s clear, blue glory. A red-tailed hawk soars high above me and offers a ride to dreamland. I close my eyes and climb aboard as the barrier of reality melts, giving way to my recollections of visits with nature. The waterfall, rocks and river greet me with open arms.

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