Seven Big Ones

55/365
It kind of breaks my heart that this kid turned seven years old today.
She's fine with it, though.

Boo-kay

54/365
Somebody got me flowers today...

Self Portrait or Management Tool?

53/365

I was working on another plan for today's photo, when PG tagged me with this self-portrait challenge:

As soon as you learn you have been tagged to play, you take a photo right away, no cleaning up, no primping, no preening. Just grab the camera and shoot. No cleaning up the photo in post either.

To be honest, I was actually working on this Fribble in the Friendly's parking lot when I got tagged... But, I needed its creamy mocha frozen goodness today - for many reasons, not least of which is it's 90 degrees out there! Is it a self-portrait? Or just another tool in the Crap Manager's arsenal? I say: it's both!

So, who's up next...? I tag Rupe!

Horsin' Around

52/365
These ponies live less than a mile away, but it's almost a different world.

Earthworm

51/365
I love a girl who doesn't mind picking up a worm! She is a great gardener, and today she helped me fluff the flower beds by pulling out the dead stuff, plucking out the weeds, adding fertilizer and looking for night crawlers.

M.A.K. Attack

50/365
The sprinkler came on today. 'Nuff said.

Sharpening

49/365
Today is the day, Mr. Crapmgt decided, to sharpen the lawn mower blade. Another opportunity to teach some basic life skills...we find the boy more amenable to these lessons when power tools are involved.

Quack

48/365
Mr. & Mrs. Mallard were hanging out in Cambridge today. They are very bold city ducks, who come right up to you and demand snacks. Peanuts they like, grapes not so much.

Hibiscus

47/365
This winter, I managed to NOT kill this beautiful plant. I brought him inside when the fall winds blew, and kept it safe in the loo, the sunniest (and most humid) spot in the house. He's dropped a lot of leaves since September, but it looks like he's going to make it to see another sunny season on the patio. Hooray!

Lady's Mantle

46/365
Around here, it helps if the plants look good in the rain.

Bills' Marathon

45/365
This is Bill Rodgers, four-time winner of the Boston Marathon, just as he was about to crest the infamous "Heartbreak Hill".

This is my brother Bill. Today he ran his first marathon. He is also reaching the top of Heartbreak Hill in this photo, and looking pretty good! Congrats to both.

Carbo Loading

44/365
I understand the shop that sells these was wall-to-wall with would-be marathoners last night. Lucky us, we had to neither run 26.2 miles nor push through the crowd to enjoy these. Thanks, Maggie & Jim!

Soccer

43/365
What I love about this scene is that everyone's feet -- and the ball - are suspended in mid-air. That, and that's my girl closing in on the ball...

No Hands

42/365
That's a unicycle, folks.
Her solo was brief, but if she keeps practicing, she'll be ready for the circus in no time.

One Daffodil

41/365
Our fifty or so feet of driveway is bordered with daffodils. Just one is in bloom, though. This guy has been at it for several days now, a single flower at the end of a long line of tightly closed buds.

Superfudge

40/365
Just pennies per day could buy this child a decent-quality secondhand paperback...won't you please help?

Trunk l'oeil

39/365

Chart

38/365
We found this taped to the wall in the kids' playroom. It's like stumbling upon a cave painting...But what did it mean to the artist? Are they anxious about the current economic climate? Are we raising little social scientists, who delight in charts & graphs? (Maybe there's a little Chicago in them after all!) Will 2009 really be that bad?!?

Easter

37/365
This child is contemplating the mysteries of Easter, while enjoying brunch with the family. She has had a full day already, having awoken at 4:15am to hunt for eggs.

Algebra

36/365
Some of us spent the rainy afternoon doing Algebra review. Sigh.

Speaking of math...I'm 10% of the way to 365 photos!

Eggs

35/365
Mina came over today to help us with a project. And, she brought chowder for lunch. Thanks, Mina! A good Friday, I'd say.

Lawn Envy

34/365
Those are scilla. This has to be the most photographed lawn in town. When I passed by the other day, I saw a woman with a camera lying down in the driveway, trying to get a shot. I am not that bold. Not yet, anyway. As it was, the teenager in my minivan cringed as I pulled over & got out to have a go...

Jump!

33/365
When I tell my kids to jump, they ask: How high?

Lunch

32/365
Must be a slow day if I'm taking pictures of my lunch. It was a great sammich, though. Sprouts, tomato, avocado and bacon... S.T.A.B., for short. Plus, that's a nearly perfect imprint from the mickey mouse toaster.

Correction: It has been brought to my attention that I failed to properly credit my sources for this photo...so, Elise & Tony, thanks for the sprouts! I apologize for the oversight. While others may debate their merit (see comments), I loved 'em, and they look fabulous!

Conch

31/365
This shell is a favorite souvenir from our last vacation...it helps to look at it when I need to get a hold of that "vacation feeling" now and then.
Yesterday, I popped a 50mm lens from my old slr onto my digital camera. I was after a larger aperture and smaller depth of field than I could get with my regular zoom lens. Here, the DOF is so small the point of the conch isn't quite in focus...But I like how much light the wider aperture lets in, even on a rainy, gray day like today. I think I'll keep playing with it.

Soccer Season

30/365
Another sign of spring...

Caution

29/365

You've been warned.

My View

28/365
This is what I see from my kitchen window. I considered trying to get a different shot, but this one seems to sum up the day (the week, springtime so far...) pretty well.

Bug Day

27/365
I spent the afternoon in first grade, studying bugs. This is a Bess Beetle. Here's a stunning fact for you: beetles comprise 1/4 of all living organisms on the planet, and 1/3 of all animals.

Blondie

26/365
You might think she cheezed here...but, no. She's just this way. Mostly.
We had a rare afternoon with nothing going on and her siblings out of the house, so we decided to treat ourselves. Coffee, hot chocolate, and a blondie to share. What's not to like?