After Thanksgiving Dinner at church
I spent this evening helping in the kitchen at church
16 November 2011 | 365:320 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Gary Fishing , James River, Springfield, Missouri
And all I caught was a load of leaves.
My best catch of the afternoon
James River, Springfield, near the Crighton access point.
Ginger and Lanie near the Crighton access point on the James River
13 November 2011 | 365:317 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Ginger, Gary and Lanie stopped for Lunch on the Sac River Trail
Lanie enjoyed yesterday’s hike so much she wanted to go on another today.
Do I detect dissension in the ranks?
Lanie on the Sac River Trail
12 November 2011 | 365:316 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Day 311
Once more I stand before the wall
07 November 2011 | 365:311 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Trunk or Treat
This evening we went to the Church Hallowed Carnival
I took today’s picture while I was handing out candy. We’ll pass over how I frightened one kid by making them think the candy finger they’d picked out of the box of human body parts was really my finger. Oh how I laughed (later).
Lanie the victim at the Trunk or Treat
Nurse Katie D'eath, box of body parts in hand, tends Lanie the Victim
30 October 2011 | 365:303 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Breakfast at Aunt Martha’s Pancake House
Today we did a lot of running around
Lanie's Halloween Pumpkin
25 October 2011 | 365:298 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
This is what results when one accidentally presses the shutter while struggling to get the camera into position
AKA Parking lot fund raiser wash-out.
Ginger and I volunteered to watch over the Youth Group kids working the Cider Days parking lot fund raiser after church today. Yesterday’s attempt got rained off, and the weather wasn’t any better today. After less than an hour we sent the kids in and Mark and I stayed out and took around six dollars an hour (that’s two cars) for about three hours before throwing in the towel.
Gary at the parking lot fund raiser wash-out.
18 September 2011 | 365:261 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Trying to get out of the parking lot on the way home from the symphony
It took nearly an hour to complete a ten minute journey.
Ginger took Lanie down to church to help with the ‘Cider Days’ parking lot fund raiser, and Katie clothes shopping in a hunt for some classic clothes in the down town flea markets. The fund raiser got washed out, but the shopping trip was a success, and I was treated to an impromptu fashion show when they got back.
John and Marsha are on vacation and very kindly gave us their tickets to this evening’s symphony concert, so we had a Beethoven treat night. I had planned on taking today’s picture either just outside or inside the auditorium, but the light was horrid inside and it was frightfully busy outside.
After the concert we got stuck in traffic trying to exit the parking lot – apparently a rodeo just down the road had finished at the same time, so we spent 50 minutes just sitting in line. I decided to take a safety shot while we were waiting.
We were a bit concerned about our back tyre which currently has a number plate screw, complete with washer, buried in it. It’s been raining heavily all day, and I didn’t fancy changing a tyre in the wet, so we left it in place. It can stay there, probably until after the school run Monday morning if I can get away with it.
17 September 2011 | 365:260 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Gary in the backyard
Yay! Out of the house and no sign of a wall (same basic pose though).
09 September 2011 | 365:252 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
© 2011 Gary Allman
Gary in the van
at church after the Thursday evening service.
11 August 2011 | 365:223 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Processing
Day 200! Only 165 to go.
19 July 2011 | 365:200 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Working late at the computer
This should be titled ‘Dirty Glasses’
On the flight from Dallas Fort Worth to Springfield
Pic
UK June 2011 – Day 31. It was a long day.
We were tired and travel weary by the time I took this picture and it shows. The total door to door travel time was twenty-one hours which wasn’t bad. It helped that the taxi arrived on time and we avoided any traffic delays on the way to Heathrow. The flights were uneventful and on time. One can ask for nothing better on a trans-Atlantic flight. On our final leg from Dallas to Springfield we were treated to some wonderful cloudscapes as the sun went down. We also got to see a rainbow, (a circle when you are flying), complete with the shadow of the ‘plane at its center. Rebbie was waiting at Springfield airport to collect us, and we finally arrived at home around ten pm.
Unfortunately our day wasn’t over. I’d like to say we got home, had a light meal and went to bed. The truth is that our decision to leave the Boy and Getzger in charge of the house wasn’t a good one. The place was an absolute tip and there was no food or milk, not even enough for breakfast, to be found (“I deliberately let it run out.”). While Ginger chewed the Boy a new one, I put air in the tyres of the van and coaxed it into life after its month’s sojourn in the garage. So, after being up nearly twenty-four hours we went out to dinner and then on to buy some essential groceries.
This is bad news. Bad news because we had planned to leave the Boy and Cat in charge again later in the summer and go camping. It looks like that won’t be happening.
Today’s alternate shot
Feet up during our layover at Dallas Fort Worth
15 July 2011 | 365:196 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Back to the wall
A new camera doesn’t mean more creativity,
yet. Let’s hope once I’ve started to master it the creative juices will commence flowing. Just one more day until we get on the ‘plane and head to the UK.
I’ve not really thought about how I’ll keep my 365 Days postings going while we’re away. We’ll have to see.
Today’s extras
Pines Overlook, Red Bluff Campsite, Missouri
Pines Overlook, Red Bluff Campsite, Missouri
13 June 2011 | 365:164 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Breakfast at Anton’s
Time for a ‘Hungry Student’ and lots of coffee.
Today we ‘did’ a few yard sales and treated ourselves to breakfast.
Today’s alternate shot
Breakfast at Anton's Coffee Shop
4 June 2011 | 365:155 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Pumping Gas
Is no longer a gas,
it’s darned expensive, even though the price has now dropped back slightly to $3.53 a gallon.
I took this on my way back from a meeting at church. The rest of my day was spent in preparations for our upcoming trip to the UK.
I managed to spend some time on the ‘phone to my son Keith, whose birthday was over the weekend while we were away. It was nice to chat. That and the preparations have put me in a better frame of mind about the trip, which I admit I have quite mixed feelings about.
1 June 2011 | 365:152 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Studying in the back yard
The yard needs to be mowed, we’ll have to get a kid on to it.
After the recent rain the grass really is that green, stunning. That’s it for today.
17 May 2011 | 365:137 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Gary and a milling machine
Today I visited an engineer’s playground.
Ginger’s parents were back in town again today, and they took us for lunch to celebrate Carol’s birthday. After lunch they had things to do, and I ought to have got some more pictures done, but instead I fell asleep. They were back later in the afternoon, and Jim and I went off to a fantastic place. It was like an engineer’s yard sale; full of lathes, milling machines, drill presses, drill bits, gears, belts, bearings, motors, hydraulic actuators, compressors, welding equipment and lots of useful metal offcuts. I am very glad my wallet is empty, my workshop is tiny and I stick (generally) to our wanted list because there were loads of cool things to buy. Fortunately we came away empty handed. I couldn’t even find a small off-cut of sheet aluminium to make a lid for my backpacking cooking pot, which was the only thing on my list I might have found there.
I may not look that enthused in the picture, but I’d probably just wiped the drool off my chin, and I was most likely trying not to look too pleased at all the wonderful goodies scattered around the place.
11 May 2011 | 365:131 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Saké
This might be one of the last pictures taken on my Nikon.
Had I planned ahead I’d have taken a picture of me taking the baby pictures, I didn’t so I thought of I’d take a picture of Ginger and I enjoying the warmer weather and some end of the evening Saké, that Ginger’s parents left with us when they popped in earlier in the day.
This isn’t bad for a three second exposure.
Today’s extra
A sneak preview - one of today's shots of Natalie Anne in the 124 year old family Christening gown
09 May 2011 | 365:129 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Gary and Ginger watch the running commentary on the Royal Wedding on Facebook
And it was absolutely hilarious.
We both had tears of laughter streaming down our faces at one point. Don’t get me wrong, I’m pro monarchy. I think the monarchy does a great job of marketing Great Britain plc, encourages tourism and there’s something to be said for maintaining tradition; no surprises I’m an Episcopalian then.What I do object to is the rabid hype, hysteria, tackiness and pure bad taste events such as royal weddings seem to encourage.
Several people I know here (Springfield, Missouri) got up at the crack of dawn to watch drool over the events back in Blighty. They seemed much more interested in the event than the few ex-pats I know around the world.
We spent some time exchanging irreverent and ribald facebook comments on the wedding. Comments of note included: “Why is no one in work today…” – my brother. “Today is a good day to travel” – a friend who is popping over to France, and pictures of another contact in her own wedding dress waving a couple of union jacks semaphore style while her bemused hubby ignores her and reads the newspaper. Should any of them stumble upon this rambling; you all know who you are. One of my sons claimed he was playing Mario on the SNES and posted “If he wasn’t getting married today, this is definitely what William would’ve been doing.” the other has just posted “I think that Sky Sports played a blinder today… Premier League Years versus the Royal Wedding. Only ever going to be one winner.” and then there was a whole string of comments about the frock which were so funny and inappropriate I won’t repeat any of them here or they won’t let me back in the UK ever again.
It was about then that my bright idea for today’s picture came to me. So today you see Ginger and I sitting in bed with our respective laptops, laughing ourselves silly.
Today’s alternate shot
Royal wedding watching on Facebook. It must have been the mention of a gratuitous nipple that did it
29 April 2011 | 365:119 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Gary and Ginger in ‘Urban Market’
Slight change of plan today.
To prevent rampant purchasing we maintain ‘to buy’ lists, the idea being that stuff not on the list doesn’t get bought, scotching most impulse purchases. On the whole it works, though I spent $4 on $30 worth of audio cables that wasn’t on the list. I don’t think we got anything that was on the list, which was annoying as I wanted to find a small aluminium pan to go on my wood burning backpacking stove.
We dropped off our goodies at home and decided to go out again and check out a couple of flea markets. I was waiting to find out if I was cooking dinner for class tonight, so we had time to spare. We went round three flea markets and today’s picture was taken in the third – Urban Market. Ginger has this habit of standing behind me when I take a picture of both of us – she says it’s so that she doesn’t look bigger then me, but the normal result is that I’m in focus and she isn’t. Anyway I’m taller by half an inch, I just choose to wear very flat shoes, so there.
I found an aluminium pitcher just the right size for the wood burner at the rather worryingly named STD. Now I’ll need to fire up the stove again and test it.
I made cottage pie for eight in the afternoon which seemed to be well received at class (no green beans or mushroom soup in my recipe). Mary’s cheesecake was much better than the cottage pie though – yum! Hopefully I haven’t poisoned anyone.
Today’s extras
Useless Hammer. At least they are honest - though I doubt they'll ever get their 88 cents for it.
All things sixties and seventies - One of the booths at Urban Market, downtown Springfield.
28 April 2011 | 365:118 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
You’ll always find me in the kitchen at lock-ins
I managed around three hour’s sleep,
which I guess isn’t too bad. I was up at seven fifteen and helping out with breakfast. Before the end of the lock-in we held a short service in the church, and left for home at ten am. Instead of getting a nap, we went shopping, I spent some time at the computer and we had a visit from Dash and Leslie.
At seven pm Lanie and I were back at church for the Easter vigil. Either we didn’t do these back in my days as a choir boy, or the choir never attended, as this was my first. It was a wonderful but long service; we didn’t get home until after nine. At one point I was concerned that Lanie would burn the church down with her candle. That, fortunately turned out to not be the case.
Once the kids were all in their rooms for the night Ginger and I settled down to watch Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. We’re slowly going through all the Star Wars movies in episodic order.
Tomorrow we have another early start for Church and hopefully I’ll get a chance for a nap.
Today’s extras
Breakfast at the Youth Group lock-in April 2011
Breakfast at the Youth Group lock-in April 2011
Breakfast at the Youth Group lock-in April 2011
Breakfast at the Youth Group lock-in April 2011
How can Donya, our Youth Minister be so chripy on so little sleep? Donya with Dan.
Cindy and Edith serve the breakfast they and Donya prepared.
23 April 2011 | 365:113 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
2.25am Youth group lock-in
I was foolish enough to volunteer to chaperon at tonight’s Youth Group lock-in.
At seven pm Lanie and I went to church for the Youth Group lock-in which started with Friday night’s Good Friday service. The lock-in that followed was an enjoyable, tiring, late night. Some of us watched the movie – The Passion of the Christ, there was a less challenging movie available for the others and I honed my dish washing skills; not that they need any honing. By the time I took this photograph I was thinking that maybe we should have brought bed time forward by a couple of hours.
Note: A lot of people taking part in the 365 Days project make sure they take their pictures before twelve midnight each day. I’ve always considered that my day isn’t over until I’ve gone to bed for the night. I have no problem posting this photograph taken after midnight as my previous day’s picture.
22 April 2011 | 365:112 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Slideshow
Today I’ve been spring cleaning my PC.
Setting it up was a trial, the screen we have is rather high, so boxes and things were needed to get the projector high enough. The projector also has to be operated by hand because the little rubber belt inside that provides the motive power to remotely change the slides has perished.
We persevered and got it all sorted out. I had a great time going through pictures I’ve probably not looked at in at least ten years, and certainly not since I’ve moved to the US. It was good to be able to share some of the pictures with Ginger and give her a glimpse of my previous life. All in all it was a good night, and I can’t wait to look at the rest of them.
The slides are starting to fade so I need to scan them all, and quite soon. That is going to be a huge job.
Today’s alternate & extra shots
Discussing the slides
Slideshow
Curious clouds seen on this afternoon's school run
21 April 2011 | 365:111 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
