The Old Lion is at rest

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy was laid to rest yesterday after almost 50 years in the Senate. I felt bad for his family. Losing someone is never an easy thing to go thru.

Almost fifty years in office... this shouldn't happen. If the President can only hold office for 8 why should these people be allowed to die in office. I feel like 12 years should be long enough for them.. this would give them 1 1/2 presidents.

Most people in office, like Kennedy, has never had to work for a living they have no idea how it feels to live from paycheck to paycheck to put your kids thru school. Yet they are very fast to get laws passed that tax the working people so those that chose not to work can be cared for...

I feel like it's time that the "Kennedy's" in office are sent home and new blood in brought in with the understanding-- 'you are here but for a short time'. This lust and greed for power is killing us the working people. Our so call leaders -- local, state, and national--- all lead by 'do as I say, not as I do'.... I hope I'm wrong, but I bet everyone of them is willing to sell their souls to stay in office... Special interest groups with deep pockets... buy them... then they come home bragging about what a good job they did... yet because of their bargain with the devil 100's will lost their jobs... and because they did work guess what.. there's no help for them.. oh Mr. Jones I see here you made over $12,000 this year... never mind you had doctor bills, hospital bills and the likes... that YOU, Mr Jones paid out of pocket, we can't help you.... what's right about that??

We've teaching people what?? Why work... the Kennedy's in office will take care of us... all we'll have to do is cry a little louder..

I feel like it's time the crying stops... you know I cry every time I get a paycheck and see that 35% or better is gone before I ever see it... I really don't like the idea of people living the good life off my hard work.. .

What do we do?? I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing.. .VOTING... it's only one vote, but I feel like with that one vote I have the right to complain and voice my feelings.

TGIF

I was trying to get some shots of the lighting yesterday morning, it wasn't lighing enough to get good shots... anyway...


It's Friday.... and I'm thinking ----half day work day--- Mary is coming over and I told her we would go eat and do pretty much what ever she wanted to this afternoon.

Yesterday afternoon Gage had open house at his school so Gee-Gee was keeping Noah for Melissa. Ginger called me and told me that she was keeping Noah and told me to come over if I wanted to.. I went over and Noah and I played and played.... Like all small kids they are much better when they are not together and Mom and Dad aren't around. I hate the way things didn't work out between us, but I'm so gald that we can be friends and share special little times like this with our grandchildren...

Wednesday when Melissa picked Noah up at daycare she said he was so hot they came by here to get something to drink... (you know PawPaw always has something) ....Melissa said when they drove up Noah wanted to know were PawPaw's truck was... you know PawPaw is suppose to always be home...

This boys are something... they are so much smarter than I was at their age---- WATCH IT NOW--- I CAN HERE WHAT YOU'RE THINKING--- like the other day when I took Gage to the zoo... he was telling me things about the animals I didn't think a 5 year old would know. I think it comes from the fact of what Hillary Clinton almost got right... it takes a family to raise a child .. no a village.. The time I spend with the boys I'm always asking them questions... something to make them think and to reason out... more that anything I want the grankids to some day tell their grandkids about what a silly PawPaw they had and the fun we had together as I did with my grandparents.

I'm thinking Gage may walk in my footsteps with photography.. the child likes to take pictures.. and not just pictures of people, but of things most wouldn't see. You can bet that I'm going to do what ever if he so chooses.

Well I need to get a move on this morning ... I've got a couple of reports I need to finish up before I take off at lunch... AUDITS.. you've just got to love them... NOT....that's what I'm working on is detail reports for audits...

Looks like the fog has the sun blocked this morning ...

Going Crazy???

What a day I've had... I think everyone one at the hospital want me to create them a new report today... My fingers are sore from typing so much today... hahaha

There's something going on around here.. I hope no one is trying to make me think I'm going crazy because if you were to ask anyone I work with they would gladly tell ya that I was crazy already...

When I came home yesterday a light was on and I'm sure I turned it off before I walked out the door. I remember turning the lights off and tell Lucy and Cody to stay out of trouble... Lucy will, but Cody has still got a little puppy in him so he gets into things from time to time. Well I just wrote the light being on as Mary had come by the house after she had lunch with me. I called her and she said "no Daddy, I didn't go by" OK...

This morning I was running a bit late (late for me is getting to work at 7am... when everyone else comes in at 8... that's another story) so I didn't have time to feed the birds. I had some cornbread left from Sunday that I've been putting a little out each day and there were 2 pieces left... Well I was about to wash my coffee cup and a few other things when I saw the plate with the bread gone... OK.. now I'm kinda thinking..... I was talking to Melissa and she told me that she and the boys had come by and got a drink, but they didn't move anything...

Well when the dogs jump up in the middle of the night one night and start to bark at NOTHING you can bet I want be here to write about it... hahahaha

Anyway Debbie got the pictures posted from the wedding I helped shoot from the 15th. I enjoy shooting weddings.. I like all the stress and emotions... I've been looking over the pictures and going over every shot thinking what I could have done to make better.... I've said it over and over when I stop worring about my work that's the day I need to stop... I look at some of my pictures today and some from a few years ago it's like day and night... each shoot I gain more and each shoot I push myself to do better than the last... I like looking for the simple detail that otherwise would never be seen...

I'm always the happiest when I've got a camera in my hands...

the picture is of a White Wing Dove one of many that come to my feeders... both the birds and I get something from me feeding them

What can I say??

It's amazing how things come about and the timing of these events. I guess it's been almost 3 months now that I've been getting up and shooting the morning sky and posting the picture on my Face Book page. I was doing it just for fun and the fact that I enjoyed sharing my work with others... never did I think it would draw so much attention. I've got people that work in the hospital coming up to me now talking about my sunrise pictures and how much they enjoy looking at them... I just don't know what to say... it's been great.

I got an e-mail yesterday from someone wanting me to shoot portraits of the board of directors... oh I'll do it but believe me I'll be scared to death... Give me a bride and a room full of patents and friends and I'm at ease... Guess I've shot so many weddings that it's just another shoot ... well I really don't mean it that way... each wedding to me is very special and each has it's on set of little problems... but I enjoy weddings... I like looking for that one shot that tells a story or ask a question... That's the way I shoot... I go unnoticed....

I did my first maternity shoot last year... talk about being nervous, but the pictures turned out great.... the Mom and Dad to be had me come back and do a session when the baby got came... I just worry about things when there is nothing to worry about.

I just wish I could take the worry from Gage.. bless his little heart.. I got to eat with Melissa yesterday, that's the good thing of both of us working at the hospital, and she told me Gage got up crying yesterday morning... Once he's at school he's ok, but he doesn't like to ride the bus.. PawPaw wishes he could make things all better for him.

Sunday Afternoon

It's such a pretty day today... it's cool for a change and there's not a cloud in the sky.

The Melissa and the boys come by after church to eat lunch with me and after we ate Gage and Noah wanted to play in the back yard. I went along also and shot some pictures of the bees and butterflies on the flowers.

I was going to see if Gage wanted to go over to the flea market, but before I could ask him he told me that he was going over to Gee-Gee's to go swimming... so I didn't say anything.

He and I had the best time yesterday. We didn't do a lot but Melissa told me he had fun. What more could PawPaw ask for. I remember the things I did with my grandparents and how much fun I had at their house and we never really did anything big, but they gave me something that no money could ever buy.. they gave me their time. No matter what I wanted to do they would always find a way to fit it into the day and now 45 - 50 years latter I still remember those little things we did.

On Sunday afternoons a lot of times Grandpaw would take us riding down old country roads and tell me who lived in the houses we passed... A while back, Jean, my first cousin and I were talking about a time Grandpaw took us to get some watermelons... we didn't know he HAD NOT ASKED... hahahaha... Jean laughed and said that was the best melon she had ever had.. and went we got home she told Granny about it and Granny got all over Grandpaw... This is something no amount of money could ever buy. I'm so lucky that I had Grandparents on both sides that took up time with me. They didn't tell me that maybe someday I too would be a PawPaw and this is what you should do.... No they lived it... and I hope that some how they can look down and see what they did for me... I'm now doing for my grandsons.. it's nothing special.. all I do is try to spend time with them.. talk to them and I try to listen and answer their little questions...

Being PawPaw is the 'BESTEST' job in the world and the pay... what can I say.. when they put those little arms around your neck and say 'Love you PawPaw'... what's that worth?? there's no money in the world that can buy that....

Rainy Sat morning

It's one of those rainly Saturdays outside and inside. I'm going to go get Gage in a bit so maybe once I get him I'll start to feel better.

Gage is having a problem riding the bus to school.. he's only 5 and he doesn't know anyone at the new school. Paw Paw understands how he feels so maybe I can make him forget about everything for a little while this morning.

Today - July 30 -- years ago

This is the sunrise from this morning- 07/30/2009.

It was a year ago I started this blog and I look back now and wonder where this past year has gone.

All day today I when I would look at the clock I had memories of the time on the clock from many years ago and thinking what I was doing at that time.. around 10 or so I remember washing my car... around 12 Doug made it to Moms... and so on. I can't remember what I did 10 minutes ago most times, yet I remember this date as if it were unfolding before me...

I try to let the pass go, but something’s aren't that easy to forget. Maybe this date next year will be a little easier. Here it is barely pass 6pm and all I want to do is just go to bed.

I went out on the GEO site and got some new hides and wanted to go hunting this afternoon. I even got new batteries for my GPS, but I can't get out. I can't explain it... I just don't want to do anything. I had planned on going to watch the Battle of Mobile Bay this weekend ... but the whole time I was planning it I knew I wasn't going to go. If it were possible I don't think I would ever leave the house. My friends tell me to go do things... I know they mean well, but I can't... I find no pleasure in doing anything. I don't know what's to become of me.... I'm afraid if I retire like I want to I'll really go down hill. I just don't know what I want anymore and that is a bad feeling.

Erase?

Off and on all day today my mind has drifted back to a Friday many years ago. I try not to think about the past to much, but same dates just bring things to mind.

I've wondered if it was possible to erase memories would I do it? I really don't know if I would or not.

I'm going to try and not think about it to much tomorrow, but here again some things aren't that easy to... We'll see....

Our Playing Field

I'm so tired of the playing field we have to live on... It's really amazing what some people can get away with while others are call racist.

Can anyone imagine what would have been said if President Bush had made the same comment that Barack Obama said at a White House news conference last week that Cambridge police "acted stupidly" in arresting Gates.

I’m tired of people like Gates playing the race card every time something comes up. It’s always we must not look at color, but just let something happen and boy then the color thing come into play big time. So what Gates has nearly 50 honorary degrees … hey I bet I can but the same ones online and they would carry the same weight.

We’re never going to get over the race thing because of things like this. Take a long hard look at this and you will see who the true racist is and it’s not the cops that Obama said "acted stupidly". BE SURE TO REMEMBER THOSE WORKS "acted stupidly" AND WHO SAID THEM.... and above all remember it's not about race....

33 and counting

It was 33 years ago today that I started working for Singing River Hospital as a third shift computer operator. The computer was a Honeywell 3200 and I think all the memory it had was less than 500k. Really... Those were the days...

Yesterday I shot a wedding with Debbie in Gulfport at a little place call Magnolia Plantation. We had the best time and the couple was just great... very easy going and anything we suggested they went along with it.... and some of the shots we did outside and let me tell you it was hot and never once did we hear any of the wedding party complain... I can't wait to see the pictures once Debbie get them edited and posted.

Like I was telling Debbie yesterday, anytime I'm behind the camera I'm happy. It may be shooting a sunrise at 6am or bees on flowers or something as special as yesterday....

I've had people tell me that there's no way they would shot a wedding... well me I enjoy it... you never know what the wedding will bring with it... like yesterday when Dad had his dance.. both almost started to cry... it's the little things like this I try to capture and save for all times...

I wish I could just step out and start my own business, but for some reason I just can't take that first step.. I know I keep saying I'm going to do it, but I'm afraid I'm going to wake up one morning and realize that my dream will never be because I waited to long and I've become to old..

I have a hard enough time as it is without charging people.. if I were to charge I never would do any pictures.. hahaha .... How do I get people to take me serious??... maybe if I were to set a price and I mean one at meant something that would help... that's kinda what I've heard anyway.

Oh Well ... we'll see want we....