Gearing myself up again....

The new year is around the corner. I am still enjoying the camera, and taking tons of pictures. Lots of them end up on the Bell Palace Blog. Tons end up on Flickr. Many make it out to friends through email. I have been visiting groups that are making plans for a 365 project. I started last year, but burnt out on it quickly. Sometimes kids and housework take hold and I do not find that time for me. I have decided to give it a go again. I am going to start on January 1st, because it seems like a good spring board. I may just give it a running start though and try to build up some steam.

Here it goes:

Today we went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks in McKinney. I went to buy the tickets this morning, after getting them we drove around Downtown McKinney. I loved the old houses and Churches. Here are the details of one of the house roofs. Pretty ornate.

Because I could not choose just one, this is a stained glass window on a Methodist Church just off of the town Square. I bet it is just gorgeous from the inside.

TEST

JUST CHECKING

Random pictures

Just off of our campsite at Cooper Lake.

A red Dahlia at my neighbors house.

I see you!

Slipping on the blogging, but I am still taking pictures.

Mushrooms!

All of the rain for the past week or so is making the ground all mushy. Mushrooms are popping up everywhere.

Pictures from Colorado

I got tons of pictures from our trip, but I did not want to fill the family blog up with all of them. These are a few of my favorites

Odds and Ends

We got a new grill. The old one was on its way out of commission. It rained a bunch right after we got it put together, but that has not kept us from using it.

Playing with raindrops and my flowers.

Not the best moon shot, but the best ones I have taken so far.

Alison's Eyes

DSCF1310a
Originally uploaded by chpabell

We are still calling them green, but I am thinking Hazel may fit a bit better, they sure do change color. The time in the sun has put beautiful highlights in her hair. I found her crying the other day because the red was gone. My silly girl.

Cap Rock Canyon

I took over 500 pictures! There were so many neat things, I missed the chance at a skunk picture, we were trying to get the skunk out of the campsite without getting sprayed. But I did get a few other favorites.

Dragonfly

I caught one, well with the camera. I think he looks pretty cool.

Summer

We are getting out and about more now that the kids are on break. I am finding lots of places to drag the camera out.

I am still working with the adaptor lens, it does help magnify the macros, but I have not been terribly successful using at as the telephoto.

Stained Glass

I thought these turned out decently. Would have loved time to explore.