Macro Magic

Dew on a blade of grass

The center of a flower after the petals have blown off

 

Dew on Clover - looks like diamonds

One tiny bloom on a basil plant

The center of an impatien bloom

An impatien bud

A tiny clover flower

Purple Alyssum

A gem of water in the center of a clover leaf

A single bloom of lavender

I had a little fun in the yard with my new photo lenses this morning.  I really love the photos of the water, it looks like diamonds or something, glittering on the green background. 

The flowers are so tiny.  I had no idea the individual blooms on a basil stalk were so exquisite!  They look like orchids or something. 

Gadget Love

I love gadgets and I really love getting gadgets for Christmas.  This year Carl got me the BEST gift - this set of 3 high quality, lens for the camera on my iPhone!  Yes, camera lens for my PHONE!  (You can get yours at Photojojo.com .)

They attach with a small magnetic ring that you stick to the outside of the lens on your phone.  There is a wide angle/macro, fisheye, and a telephoto lens included in the set. /They are just so cool.  I've been playing with them all afternoon.  Facetime is interesting with the different effects. Everyone wants to see the family pet through a fisheye lens, right? 

I took this portrait of my new dino friend with the Macro lens.  Pretty crazy cool, huh?

 (Go to Prehistoricparty.photojojo.com if you want to understand the deal with the dinosaurs.  I think it is awesome marketing, a great, FUN way to incorporate social media into a business that actually makes sense.)

Lost

Laie Falls Hike 12/15/2012

This guy is pretty serious about his coconuts.  No even ask .. .

Official Trail Head Sign

Going Up - Sans Shoes

Another Trail Head Sign - Laie Falls or Malekuhana Falls?  or No Falls? are we Lost?

Jen and Quincie - Not even anywhere close to the top

Quincie and Wendy under a leanto we found at a campsite somewhere not even close to the top

Are we in a labyrinth? Where's the Minotaur?

Picking Strawberry Guava

Tasting some strawberry guava

Still not the top

still not

Jen, Wendy, Quincie - A proximately at the top, before the downward climb to the supposed falls and pool.

Narrow path through the trees

Down with the help of the rope

It was wet and steep

Down

Those trees were so helpful

Climbing through the jungle

Quincie climbed down to the pool.

The pool at the end of the hike - no waterfall :(

Pool at the end of the hike

The rope was a life saver going back UP!

A rainbow over the ocean, viewed from a mountain top - That's what it's all about!

Wild Orchid Along the Trail

I Don't Do Christmas Letters

I don't do the traditional family update Christmas letter.  I have nothing against receiving them, I just don't write them. I like hearing about what everyone else has been up to all year.  I especially enjoy them when they come with photos.   I have tried a few times to write one. I think I did send one out, back in the 90's.  It had a typo.  I was modified, and have never recovered.  Anyway, I just can't do it.  I get all hung up on format and content.  Just what do you say in that letter, and how do you say it?  Whatever I write comes out sounding contrived, and just dumb, even without any typos. 
 
First of all, what is the proper Christmas letter format?  Does the author of the letter identify them self as such, and write about all of their personal accomplishments, ailments, or musings on the year in first person, and all of the aforementioned details about the other family members in 3rd person?

"Merry Christmas one and all.  This is Wendy, I'm writing this letter to tell all of you what my family has been doing over the last 12 months.  I am going to brag about my kids, tell jokes about my husband, and then demurely decline to mention many details about myself out of feigned modestly."

 Or do you pretend you are not really the author and write the entire thing as news story, as if it were written by a reporter?  In that case, who signs the thing, or do you just include a by line??  You can really let go of the modesty and brag about yourself, since you didn't write it. 

 "So, 2012 was a good year for the Minks family.   Ryker and Taylor are awesome.  They have awesome jobs, and live an awesome life.  Quincie is amazing and stunningly beautiful.  She does amazing things and is very humble about them.  Several major awards were won by the family for various feats of amazing awesomeness.  Carl is great, he does great things, and is a great success.  We did great things all year, and had great fun.  Life is great!   Wendy is as wonderful as always.  She has wonderful adventures, wonderful success, and is wonderful.   It really has been an awesomely, amazing, wonderfully, great year for this awesome, amazing, wonderful, great family....." [boring .... and weird...]

  Do you write it as if "the family" wrote it as an entity?  Like the letter is from all of you, and you wrote it with all of your hands on they keyboard?

"Merry Christmas from the Minks family!  We had such a good year and are so happy to tell you about how good it was.  We had a family vacation, it was really fun.  Everyone had a great time!  We wish you could have been there!  A couple of us moved out of the house and left the nest a little empty, but then one of us came back again.  We took some trips, did some work, and did some fun things too."       [This is just too weird, writing as if the entity of  the family is writing this.  How do you say, Ryker did this... if Ryker is one of the authors?  It's just goofy ... ]

 As you can tell, I also have an issue with content.  I don't like to complain, or tell negative tales. I really don't like to tell of "struggles" in a letter that is supposed to be uplifting, and a means to wish loved ones a Merry Christmas.   But then, if it is all sunshine and roses, it sounds so fake, and like I am bragging.  My kids are great, I'm great, blah, blah, blah ...... who believes that???   Do you really want to hear the summarized, candy-coated version of our year?  How close are we if it takes a Christmas letter to find out what we have been up to for the last 12 months?  Are we not friends on Facebook and therefore, know all of each other's triumphs and woes on a daily basis?

I'm just not sure what to say, or how to say it, so I don't, and now you know why.  I still send an actual Christmas card, with a hand written letter to my Grandmother.  She is in her 80's and not on Facebook.  She deserves a hand written letter.  But as for the rest of you?  Well .... if you are reading this, then you know how my year went.  You have seen the pictures, and read the stuff I wrote about as it happened. 

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

San Antonio

Riverwalk - The street and all car traffic are a level above

Riverwalk - We took a ride on one of these boats

World's Fair Park and Tower

Hemisfair Park (World's Fair)

Wendy & Cathy about to go eat steak at Salt Grass on the Riverwalk

This horse is wearing a hat - (Howl at the Moon is on the corner to the left)

Good Morning San Antonio!  Without mountains the sunrise is HUGE!

The Alamo

Plaque outside the Alamo

Me at the Alamo

The grounds of the Alamo

Cool tree on the grounds of the Alamo

The Alamo

Outside of the Alamo

A very cool hotel across the street from the Alamo

Cathy and Sally on the boat ride

Outdoor stage along the Riverwalk - seats are on the other side of the river

Outdoor stage along the Riverwalk

Waterfall along the Riverwalk (& me)

Cathedral of San Fernando - There was live entertainment outside  - music, fire twirling