Tag Archives: old photos

Old photos of Red

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I’m sad to say I haven’t had a Red or Mrs. sighting in a few weeks! Where did they go? Maybe they aren’t enjoying the cold weather with lows at night down to 30 degrees and highs in the low 50s during the day? Just like me. I’m not liking it either. This Red photo is from last March.

I took a few photos of squirrels and quail over the weekend. I was looking at them in Adobe Bridge. Then I thought, I wonder what else is on this card? I discovered it was from my intro to photography class I took January through May last year. In that class we weren’t allowed to crop or make changes. The professor’s point was for us to learn composition and our camera’s settings. I spent a few hours opening last year’s photos in Adobe Camera Raw and improving what I had originally captured. I discovered some photos of Red and friends that needed little touching up.

A new photo of a quail and squirrel I took over the weekend.

Here is one I took a year ago of birds in flight at my Bird Buddy feeder.

Old photos of Red and his House Finch friend. Here’s a series of them looking this way and that.

I had fun looking through old photos, cropping and brightening them up. I have a few more to share in upcoming posts.

Hopefully it will warm up and Red and Mrs. will return. Red was a bachelor when I took these photos last January.

Do you have a favorite photo out of these?

What are you working on as a new project for the New Year?

Hazy Shade of Winter

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This is a pen and ink drawing I made of my home I lived in from second grade until I went to college. I took several art classes for the fun of it in college. I gave this to my mom, who had to sell the house after she and dad divorced. She couldn’t afford to live there on her own. When she moved into assisted living years ago, my brother mailed it to me along with a box of her journals and photo albums.

My dad was visiting our house in Palm Springs when the box arrived and we went through it together. He grabbed this framed sketch of mine and it’s been hanging on a wall of his home ever since. Ever since this past weekend that is — we moved him into assisted living. I told him I was taking it back. In fact, I wasn’t happy when he took it, because I didn’t give him permission. But I realized someday I would get it back, rather than make a stink over it.

He had it on a wall that got lots of sun and it is badly faded. I scanned it and used Adobe Camera Raw to get some life back into it.

Do I have a funny story about an art class in college! In addition to art, I took ballet. I was taking a drawing class and we were introduced to sketching nudes. Was I surprised when a male model was a fellow dancer from my ballet class! Did I turn red when he walked over to me during a 10-minute break stark naked and wanted to chat. I think I ran out of the room!

Here are a few other photos I scanned from “back in the day”:

A view of the Snohomish valley from our living room window.

A view from a living room window looking towards the road going down the hill. We lived on Lord’s Hill, Snohomish, Washington.

Our dog Hondo. I couldn’t find the photos of Hondo in our International Tractor trailer. I learned how to drive on the tractor and loved to carry Hondo along. Funny, I just showed those photos to my husband, which is most likely why I can’t find them.

Me and mom in matching dresses she sewed. I had a closet of more than 30 dresses that she whipped up for me. I wanted to wear jeans…

Nothing like putting a thick pair of glasses on a girl to turn her into an introvert. Oh well, I had my books as friends.

Contact lenses changed my life!

This looking back in time reminded me of a Simon and Garfunkel song:

Time, time, time
See what’s become of me

Time, time, time
See what’s become of me
While I looked around for my possibilities

I was so hard to please
Look around
Leaves are brown
And the sky is a hazy shade of winter

Have a wonderful weekend! Any big plans for the weekend or Christmas?

Views from my trip

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The house I grew up in from second grade on. No we didn’t have a blue garage! What were these people thinking!

I grabbed the front of the house photo from Redfin.

After my aunt and I left Robe Valley and my mother’s ashes, we drove to my hometown, Snohomish, Wash. During our journey we detoured up Lord’s Hill to my old house that I lived in from second grade until I left for college. My mom sold it after “the divorce.” It was too expensive for her to keep up on alimony payments.

First street Snohomish
First Street, the touristy part of my hometown.
Snohomish first street
Another view of First Street Snohomish.

We stopped for lunch at Andy’s Fish House. The Pacific Northwest has the best seafood. I had chowder, salad and a piece of cod. My aunt had fish and chips. It was delish!

Oto Sushi
While I’m posting about food, I had sushi with my BFF from college at Oto Sushi near my brother’s house. This was called “Skinny Girl Roll” because it didn’t have rice. It was so fresh and yummy.
View from my brother's patio.
View from my brother’s patio overlooking a small lake. It’s a gorgeous home and location. Notice they have one of my flamingos in the backyard!
Nephew playing piano

My nephew played Moonlight Sonata and Für Elise as a tribute to my mom. He used his Covid shutdown days to learn piano!

13 Coins Seatac
The counter at 13 Coins, one of my mom and dad’s favorite restaurants when I was growing up.

My aunt and I spent the night at SeaTac airport after our adventure in Robe Valley and Snohomish. Next door to our hotel was 13 Coins which was a favorite memory of mine with my mom. My aunt said it was a place she and her husband frequented in the 1970s. Sitting at the counter is more exciting than in the booths, because it’s where all the cooking takes place.

13 Coins Seatac
The line action at 13 Coins by the Seattle airport.
brother with two sisters
Mom, her older brother and my aunt who is 11 years younger than Mom.

My aunt shared a small scrapbook she made for my mom’s 70th birthday. This was a photo in it that I loved.

cat on a suitcase
Olive immediately attacked my suitcase when I came home. She made the suitcase her perch for hours.

Thanks for taking a look at my week in the Pacific Northwest.