the doors of christmas day...

we went out to walk the pup in the snow and i grabbed my camera on the way. i have been noticing the doors in my boyfriend's neighborhood. here are a few that caught my eye that day.

my happy place...

the title says it all.

stranger in the park...

i was out shooting a location when i stumbled upon this woman and little girl...

first flurries...

we had our first snow flurries here in the lou on thanksgiving. as soon as i see flakes, i think of hiking in the snow and sledding art hill in forest park.

art hill is a wondrous place. in the blanket of silence a good snow offers, there is nothing better than to hear the laughter of young and old alike as they sled on everything from cardboard to sassy snow boards.

those first snow flakes have me looking to the skies... will i actually sled the hill this year? i never have, and being born and raised in the lou, it's a crime that i've not. maybe this year.

skies of far away places...

i have many photos from prince edward island and like little hidden treasures, i keep stumbling upon them in my files.

i love to travel, so the world around me is always changing. in contrast, i have my home base, my hub, my zen zone. i cherish my roots.

but, a large part of my heart is out there... out where the skies make heaven seem only a whisper away.

a light

just a little light at missiouri botanical gardens...

i am a mexican hairless...

i am a mexican hairless, originally uploaded by MisfitHue.

we went to a dog parade this summer. it was crazy hot, but the fire department kindly opened some hydrants for the super thirsty puppies.

this is one of the pups we met. a mexican hairless feels really funny, but this dude was soooo friendly. he kissed the camera.

graceland...

IMG_2687, originally uploaded by MisfitHue.

there is no place like graceland. it's mythic, iconic, legendary.

the dude and i were there in august, and this is the living room... it's simply gorgeous.

we are leaving right now... the dude is calling me from the car. we are heading to memphis for the flipping of the switch--the christmas lights at graceland!

in the beginning there was sun...

IMG_2478, originally uploaded by MisfitHue.

this lovely girl led our tour through sun studios in memphis--and she was a great storyteller too.

i hope you get to meet her if you make it to sun. her enthusiasm for the studio and its history was contagious.

standing in the studio where so much musical history was created was a truly stellar experience and, well, insanely cool.

big boy...

IMG_7298, originally uploaded by MisfitHue.

i took the day off and the dude took me to the zoo. it was a blast and a real treat to be there on what was declared by the weather folks as the last warm day of the year.

this gorilla is presently acknowledging the dude who was insisting on his attention. in the next shot, the gorilla stuck out his tongue at him! it was a riot!

casablanca

casablanca, originally uploaded by MisfitHue.

a fan to keep you cool at the boathouse in forest park... a place that, for me, is like a little slice of fairy tale.

veterans and star-spangled icons

star-spangled icon, originally uploaded by MisfitHue.

you know that giant flag that the fireman hang for events? i walked up to it and shot this at the Obama rally in st louis on october 18, 2008. that is the st louis arch, gateway to the west, behind it.

i see perseverance, endurance, commitment and change in this shot. that is what both of these individual icons means to me.

today, i post it for the veterans that we celebrate today.

thank you.

snow burst or snow globe?

snowburst, originally uploaded by MisfitHue.

another random shot, and most of the time, i like my randoms best!

i took this while i was out eagle watching 2 years ago with my beat-to-hell, hand-me-down sony cybershot.

after working with my 50d, which i love, i often think my shots with this gimpy little guy were some of my best. just proves, the camera does NOT make the photographer.

the weather that day was incredibly random with extremes from brilliant sun to snow bursts. every time i look at this, i feel like i'm peering into a snow globe.

and now, i'm excited to take the 50d out in january to see what eagle shots i can get. hurry up winter!!

what do words say...

i have a word fetish. yup, i'm admitting it. i sometimes write a word on a scrap of paper and slip it into my pocket. it can make a profound impact on my day and the way i perceive things. it works for me. :)

my favourite word is "plethora." i like the way it sounds, its definition, the way it is spelled and the way it makes me feel when i say it. a friend, knowing this, gave me a necklace with word on it, and it's one of my prize possessions.

i also take photos of words. there is a fountain in tower grove park that has a couple of quotes on it... i chose the word in the quotes that most struck me in the moment i was there shooting on a steamy july evening at twilight.

between the extremes, i found peace. it is the middle way.

bike in belfast...

on the last day in Maine, i shot a lot of things randomly. i think it is rather amazing that neither i nor that rental car were injured on that trip. every time i saw something interesting, i took the opportunity to pull over, whip a u-turn, stop on a dime... and sometimes, i was rather close to cliffs, ditches and the ocean.

it was absolutely the most incredible feeling to be lead along the coast by only my eyes, and on this last day, i milked the very last strands of light from the horizon and pushed my camera to its limits. i don't think i ate or drank or used the bathroom till the light was completely, utterly gone.

precious hours.

drum-ography

IMG_5911, originally uploaded by MisfitHue.

i took these at the people's parade during cinco de mayo on cherokee street. i loved the drummer's performance, their choreography.

día de los muertos

yup, that's me and the dude celebrating all hallow's eve... and day of the dead. i was a go-go dancer. :)

forgotten...

i carried my summer clothes to the basement of my building on a brilliant friday afternoon. autumn light is something not to be missed, especially when it is lighting up forgotten items in the corners.

10.10.10

i participated in a flickr group that asked you to document where you were on october 10, 2010. after posting to the site, i thought i'd share with you.

do you remember where you were or what you were doing? it's not like where were you when they walked on the moon, but participating reminded me to try to be present daily, not just on a nifty date.

our day.... started with me hanging out the window taking pictures of tower grove park. i love that my boyfriend drives a lot so i get to look around and enjoy the world.

our first stop of the day was at schnucks grocery where i was immediately smitten by a giant display of halloween captain crunch. ohhhh i wanted some so much!!
 

a missing stud in his belt.

next we stopped at Petsmart for Chopper goodies and i met Felix the cat... i really want another kitty. 


















a quick hello to the birdies.

before we pick up our lunch, i need a pumpkin latte. tis the season and all. 

on our way into Jimmy Johns, i spotted these murals and had to photograph them.

Gotta get us home in time for kick off! Can't be late for the RAMS game!

with the game over, it's time to walk Chopper. here are some shots from around the neighborhood...

 

last shot of the evening... it was a wonderful day! maybe we can do this next year on 11.11.11? 

playing in the highway

IMG_2880, originally uploaded by MisfitHue.

the weekend 40/64 opened, we all went out to play in the street. we grabbed our friends, our skateboards, our bikes, our inlines, our big wheels and flyer wagons. it was cold. oh, so very cold, but nothing. nothing could stop us from playing in the brand new highway!

on the run

on the run, originally uploaded by MisfitHue.

sometimes, you just gotta get up and get to the dance floor!

wooohooo

wooohooo, originally uploaded by MisfitHue.

expressions... it's all in the face!