(This is a slideshow, hover your mouse over the bottom of the image for the controls.  Open up to full screen – awesome!)

And busy!!  I’ve tried to get some blog visits in, but the last few days have been pretty busy.  I’m working on a client’s order and designing some holiday card templates.  Plus this weekend is our local Fall Festival, where I entered some photography and two of my glass pieces in the art show.  I was fortunate enough to win the blue ribbon for my horse sunset (minus the framing I added) and my two glass pieces were awarded the blue and red ribbons.  Yay me!

The participating artists are asked to man a one-hour shift to make sure the art work doesn’t walk away in the wrong hands.  The person relieving me happened to be a photographer, as well — a retired portrait photographer by trade, and he got a red ribbon for one of his entries.  We talked quite a bit and he was very generous in his compliments on my work, which really made me feel pretty dang good, I have to say.

More blog visits to come today.  I promise!

[Edit to add]  Oops!  I just realized I already used that detail shot on the mosaic post.  Sorry!

I’m trying to get the processing done on the organic farm shoot and I’m about two-thirds of the way there.  Hopefully tonight will finish it up and then I can get back to regular blog visits.  Fingers crossed!

Peas from the organic farm.  They look scrumptious!

Sunday Spotlight

• Liss at Memory Forever shares what makes her soul sing.  I LOVE the capture of her daughter sleeping peacefully.
• Marcie Scudder at Daily Practice has a knack for capturing that special shot, such as this Hop on Pop - it had me laughing out loud.
• Candace at Glenrosa Journeys has some fun with her fisheye lens, which really makes me kind of want one.

The farm for which I had the photo shoot is a certified organic farm.  They don’t use the usual chemicals that the typical farms applies and they are constantly seeking out new, safer, approved methods for control of weeds, insects, fungus, as well as fertilizer application.  This is a potato beetle, the adult version of yesterday’s bug.  He obviously escaped the bug killer that was released a few days prior.

It really was quite interesting to see the different control methods used.  Such things as beetle banks, beds of mixed flowers separating different fields, introduction of beneficial insects such as praying mantis and lady bugs – 10 different types, no less, to eat the not so beneficial bugs.  Truthfully, I didn’t listen to a whole lot of what was being talked about – I was too busy taking photos of two photogenic little girls, bugs, flowers, and the different crops that are planted. 

I really should have paid a little better attention to the speakers, though.  We were given hay rides from field to field and at one point a nice gentleman was sitting next to me as we were headed back to the rallying point, so I asked him if he was an organic farmer.  He politely said no, that he was a researcher in Prosser.  When I got home and started reviewing the photos, there he was giving a presentation.  I took two or three photos of him, too.  You’d think I would have remembered.  I’m blaming it on my lack of sleep (I’m feeling much better, after getting to bed earlier than usual).

Very few words, just a bug.  A potato beetle, before he turns into a beetle.  From what I understand from the meeting the other night, these things can decimate a potato field in short order.