Go Go Gadgets

I really like how you can have "Gadgets" on your desktop in Windows 7.  I love the Facebook Gadget that lets me see what all the new posts are without having to log in all of the time, and I can quickly "like" and comment on things without having to log in.  I also LOVE the Pandora gadget as I like to have a variety of music available at my fingertips.  The clock one is practical, and for some reason someone put the CPU usage one up and I never took it down.  The kids thought it was hilarious when they downloaded the "HAL" Gadget and like to randomly push the Hal button and get the Computer from the movie " 2010 a Space Odyssey" to say random things from the movie.
  I recently purchased a number of wireless Sony S-air speakers and have placed them throughout my home so that I may enjoy music, Recorded books and such throughout my home.  My younger two kids had the idea that I should play what we refer to as "sleepy time music" when it was time to go to bed.  New age and instrumental stuff that is relaxing.  This worked pretty well, except I thought it would be great to find a gadget that was a timer that turned off the computer.  It was a good idea in theory.  It was pretty easy to find a gadget online, download and install it.  I entered the countdown  and selected the sleepy station I had set up in Pandora.  This was going to be great.  I could slip into bed, relax and the computer would turn itself off in half an hour.  Soon I was drifting off to sleep in a calm and soothing musical environment breathing deeply and being nearly engulfed in waves of sleep.

BWEEP BWEEP BWEEP BWEEP BWEEP!!!!! Sirens like something from a star Trek episode made me jump out of bed looking for attacking Klingon's.  The darn timer had an alarm to warn that it was about ready to shut down It was about three times the volume of the music playing.  So much for drifting off to a sound slumber.
 

Seeing Clearly Again

I finally took Natalie in to the eye doctor last month (she had been squinting alot) and her glasses came today.  Horray!!! she wanted these new ones that you can turn the sides to show a different design.  What will they think of next!

Click photo to see what the other design is 

I think it is good to get a clear perspective on the world once in a while and see things as they really are.

Toys in the Yard



My yard is under construction... it has been for the last 40 years, I suppose, judging from an ariel photo taken in the '70's. that it has never really been all landscaped.  It's OK we kind of live in the country, but for a photographer who dreams of being able to take portraits in her back yard there is allot of work to do before we get there.  That said, we just put in a pond in our back yard, and I have been having a great time playing back there.  I pulled out some of my Old-School toys  and went out back to play.



Pond with reflection



With Polarizing Filter You can see the fish and rocks



You can also use a polarizing filter like a ND filter to slow your shutter speed





Normal shot

What the sky does with a polarized filter

close up of water lily



favorite front yard flower



Had to mess around with the aperture to get the focus right