Sally's World

2010 Challenge - 3/9/2010 - Christmas Cactus

1/160 f/7.1 85mm ISO 400 Bounce flash -2/3

Christmas Cactus doesn't like much water, but flowers with this beautiful flower.

2010 Challenge - 3/8/2010 - Potted Plant

1/160 f/7.1 85mm ISO 400. Bounce +0.

My workplace gave me this wonderful indoor potted plant. It has attracted aphids (I think.) So I brought it home for some treatment. I am using a solution of water and liquid soap and I am spraying the plant to see whether I can get rid of the insects.

2010 Challenge - 3/7/2010 Thaw

1/500 f/9.0 24 mm ISO 200

Today we went to St Vrain's State Park to see the state of the thaw. There was no ice fishing as the ice is now starting to melt and thin.

2010 Challenge 3/6/2010 - Pearl Street, Boulder CO

1/250 f/7.1 24mm ISO 250

Saturday was a beautiful day. Kevin and I went to Boulder to enjoy the day.

It was warm and the crowds were out enjoying it. Street musicians played in the open air. There is a definite feel of spring.

2010 Challenge - 3/5/2010 - Big Sky

1/500 f/7.1 52mm ISO 640. Lens: The Usual, Camera: The Usual

Another beautiful big sky in Colorado!

2010 Challenge - 3/4/2010 - Indoor plants

1/160 f/7.1 85mm ISO 640. Flash: Bounce +0. Lens: The Usual (24mm - 85mm) Camera: The Usual (Nikon D700.)

Didn't have much time to photo today. So here I took a photo of an ivy slip growing happily in a vase of water. I do not have green fingers. But I can grow ivy!

2010 Challenge - 3/3/2010 - Circuit

1/160 f/7.1 85mm ISO 640. Flash - Bounce +0. Lens: The Usual, Camera: The Usual

There is always some gadget lying around. I was intrigued with this so took a quick photo.

2010 Challenge - 3/2/2010 - Doodle

1/160 f/5.6 85mm, ISO 250 Flash: Bounce +0. Lens: The Usual, Camera: The Usual

I did this doodle on the back of an envelope that came in today's mail. I thought it was interesting. I should have put the camera on a tripod and shot at f/8.

2010 Challenge - 3/1/2010 - Indoor Practice Field

1/500 f/6.3 24mm, ISO250. Lens: The Usual, Camera: The Usual

Monday I went for a walk around campus. This is the new indoor practice facility that recently opened.

2010 Challenge - 2/28/2010 - Alpaca Beauty

1/125 f/4.5 85mm, ISO 3200. Lens: The Usual, Camera: The Usual. No flash (so not to upset the Beauties...)

Today we went to the Alpaca show at the Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont. We've been to this show before, and have always enjoyed petting the alpacas and talking to owners and merchants about this fascinating cottage industry.

Alpacas just make you want to touch and hug them. So soft!

Gotta touch!

I couldn't resist these colors.

Yes! The sign says it all!

2010 Challenge - 2/27/2010 - Command Option

1/160 f/4.5 85mm ISO 3200. Lens: The Usual, Camera : The Usual

Finally the photo I've been meaning to take. This is using the natural light from the window. I switched off the light so that I didn't have to diddle with white balance.

2010 Challenge - 2/26/2010 - Winter Olympics Sofa Radish

1/40 f/4.5 66mm ISO 2500. Lens: The usual, Camera: The Usual.

We are really enjoying watching the Winter Olympics. We have been using Tivo. The first Olympics Kevin and I watched together made us go out and spend money on running shoes. Our running together lasted 2 weeks. We managed to avoid taking up anything too active after the Beijing games. Who knows what influence these winter games will have on this Sofa Radish? (And I don't think it will be curling!) Here we are watching the beginning of the four man bobsled.

2010 Challenge - 2/25/2010 - Hot Chocolate Day

1/200 f/6.3 85mm ISO 800 Bounce +0.Lens: The Usual. Camera: The Usual.

I have been suffering from a flu bug that has been going round (not the nauseous kind, but rather the achy achy, don't touch my skin kind). I just haven't been able to do the POD Challenge. So today (boo hoo) I made it to work. But ended up going home early after a conference call at 2pm. When I feel really low there is nothing like Hot Chocolate to make you feel better (and I nice warm cat!) Here I am using the SwissMiss 60 calorie instant Hot Chocolate. 

2010 Challenge - 2/22/2010 - Snow Fall

1/500 f/8.0 55mm ISO 250. Lens: The Usual, Camera: The usual

Today I managed to get out towards the end of the day. After a weekend of snowfall the campus was transformed. I really like the way the snow outlines the trees. As a wind blows it sends snow falling down from the trees. Here I am near the oval looking at snow being blown from the trees.

2010 Challenge - 2/21/2010 - Roses are red...

1/125 f/4.5 125mm ISO 1000. Lens: AF-S Nikkor 70-300 mm 1:4.5-5.6G VR used Nikon Close-Up N0.5T

Camera: Nikon D700.

I decided to set up a shot using natural light. So on a table by a window I put down some white fabric, and took a couple of mini red rose buds from flowers Kevin had given me for V-Day. Maddie is as always terribly curious when you start fiddling with a set up.

Here she is looking very princess like, before her natural inclinations took over, and she ended up swotting the roses, and putting them in her mouth!

Organ & Tissue Donation

Organ donation is such a personal decision. When we were gathered together at the hospital trying to make sense of "unable to resuscitate" and all those words. Overcome with grief sounds like a cliche, but in all that you have to make decisions.

What about organ & tissue donation? Would we the family allow for Andy to be used for organ and tissue donation? We had to make the decision. The hospital folks were professional, and sensitive to the moment. But life does go on. 

So we tried to think what Andy would have wanted. And we all felt that he would've wanted to help someone else. So we said yes, and the paperwork was completed and forgotten.

Recently Mom received news that Andy's corneas were used in a transplant. I had no idea what that meant.
A corneal transplant is a surgical procedure where a damaged cornea is replaced with a new one from a recently deceased person. For more info about the procedure check out the Wiki entry here.

For more information about Organ and Tissue Donation check out the following resources:

US Organ and Tissue Donation InitiativeDonate Life America

Donate Life America

Donate Life Colorado

For more information about Cornea donations and transplants:

Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank

2010 Challenge - 2/20/2010 - Snow Garden

1/125 f/4.5 85mm ISO 400. Lens: the usual, camera: the usual.

It has been cloudy and snowing lightly on and off the whole weekend. Yesterday (2/20) I peeked out of our front door and took this photo through the railings of some plants in our front flower bed.

2010 Challenge - 2/19/2010 - Snow Clearing

1/1250 f/7.1 85mm ISO 400. Lens: the usual, Camera: The Usual.

Yesterday (Friday) I worked from home. At about lunch time I looked out the window at Kevin clearing our sidewalk. Here he is in action. The trick is to have a really good snow shovel. Most towns and cities have ordinances that make it the responsibility of the home owner to keep the sidewalk clear of snow.

2010 Challenge - 2/18/2010 - Side Mirror Snow

1/125, f/4.5 70mm, ISO 800. Lens: the usual, Camera: the usual.

A storm moved through Colorado today. In Fort Collins snow started falling in the afternoon. I didn't want to get caught waiting too late - because I was afraid it would ice over. Quite heavy snow and rain (very odd) made for slow going just to get out of Ft Collins. I-25 south bound to Erie was slow. The roads were wet, but not (yet) icy. There were spots - near Loveland that the visibility was crap, and couldn't really see the lanes. This is what is known as white knuckle driving. Got home and grabbed this grab shot of the snow on my side mirror. The snow was wet and sticky, and driven by the wind (did I mention there was wind?) this shot shows how the snow starts to accumulate and stick to odd places - side mirrors, front fenders, and in odd place in my wind shield wipers. Snow has continued to fall. I am hoping it will clear up in time for tomorrow's commute. Even if it doesn't it is going to be a slow and icy commute in.

2010 Challenge - 2/17/2010 - Skype Family

1/160 f/6.3 80mm, ISO 250. Lens: the usual, Camera: the usual. Bounce Flash +0.

Tonight we managed to get wifi set up at my father in laws house. Thanks to Arden! This picture is Kevin taking the computer around to show his Dad our very messy house. You can see Sam's image in the computer, with my reflection.

Here Kevin is skyping and showing Sam the contents of our fridge. (The things one does with technology.)

2010 Challenge - 2/16/2010 - Shack

1/640 f/8.0 85mm, ISO 200. Lens the usual. Camera, the usual.

I took the day off today. Kevin and I ran some errands in Longmont. On our way home I stopped to take this photo of an old shack. In the background you can see some of the more modern subdivisions.

2010 Challenge - 2/15/2010 - Winter Patterns

1/125 f/4.5 comm ISO 2500. Lens: The usual. Camera: Nikon D700

Today was President's Day. City, State and County offices including libraries were closed today. Except for CSU. Bummer. I came home from work, missed the after glow in the mountains at sunset - would have been gorgeous with the snow we've had over the weekend. So I turned down a dirt road that leads passed Erie Cemetery. I thought it would be too dark to get anything - sun had already set, just the after glow lighting up the sky. Instead I found these wonderful patterns in the farmer's fields. Had to stop and take a photo.

2010 Challenge - 2/14/2010 - Use for Ice Rescue Only

1/640 f/11.0 85mm ISO 200. Lens: 24mm - 85mm, Camera: Nikon D700

We had a fresh round of snow this morning. But the sun came out with great blue skies. We went to St Vrain State Park after lunch and saw the ice fisherman out and about. The ice was covered with fresh snow. The trucks in the back ground are on the I -25 heading south. For safe ice fishing, the ice has to be about 6 inches thick.

2010 Challenge - 2/13/2010 - Western Skies

1/250 f/9.0 24mm ISO 320. Lens : 24mm - 85mm, Camera: Nikon D700

Today Mom and Dad drove up from Littleton and we had lunch at the Cheese Importers in Longmont. The Cheese Importers is a bit of a surprise - a little bit of French bistro in the middle of the West. Longmont Cheese Importers keeps every kind of cheese from around the world. It also has a gourmet food shop (I've never seen so many different kinds of balsamic vinegar!) We had lunch at the little bistro on the premises. On the way back we took one of the many back country roads to get to Erie. We stopped for a quick photo of this corn field and some interesting weather happening out on the eastern plains. (To see the Rockies, you would have to turn around - but today the Rockies were cloaked in clouds.)

2010 Challenge - 2/12/2010 - Catfinder

Friday was not a good day for photos. I felt sick in the afternoon so I headed home early. Too many pistachios? On my way into bed (and feeling sorry for myself) I took this quick snap of the Catfinder sticker.

1/200 f/8.0 ISO 400 70mm. Lens: 24mm - 85mm, Camera: Nikon D700

2010 Challenge - 2/11/2010 - Cam the Ram

1/250 f/8.0 ISO 200 85mm. Lens: 24mm - 85mm, Camera: Nikon D700

Today was CSU's 140th Birthday. Happy Birthday CSU. So today I grabbed the camera and headed out to photograph the festivities. Here is Cam the Ram greeting his fans. What a handsome boy!

2010 Challenge - 2/10/2010 - Waiting

1/320 f/7.1 ISO 400 85mm. Lens: 24mm - 85mm, Camera: Nikon D700

I was heading East on Prospect in Fort Collins this afternoon on my way to North Denver for a meeting. There are a number of rail tracks bisecting the City, (including the track that goes through campus.) At any time of day, traffic comes to a stop while we wait for the trains to pass. Some of these trains are very long, and it can take quite a wait. In those situations - switch off, and get out the Sudoku book. Today, the train was quite small, and it didn't take us long to get going.

2010 Challenge - 2/9/2010 - Dismount Zone

1/400 f/9.0 ISO 200 24mm. Lens: 24mm - 85mm, Camera: Nikon D700

I popped out at lunch to take this photo of the Lory Student Center (facing East) and a Dismount Zone in the foreground. While it was blue sky and sunny it was a balmy -3C. The dismount zone is for bicycles, roller blades, skate boards, in other words anything with wheels.

2010 Challenge - 2/8/2010 - Car Icicle

1/100 f/8.0 ISO 1250 58mm. Lens: 24mm - 85mm, Camera: Nikon D700

Today the NWS forecast snow until 11am. Well, someone didn't tell the weather system. It snowed all day. This photo was taken of my car at the parking lot at CSU after a day of cold and snow. Check out those icicles.

2010 Challenge - 2/7/2010- Benched

1/800 f/8.0 42mm ISO 500. Lens: 24mm - 85mm. Camera: Nikon D700.

We stopped in Prospect, Longmont after lunch. It has been snowing lightly all day and it has been overcast. Gorgeous to take photos in - it is like a giant nature soft box.

Superbowl XLIV Saints v Colts 31-17 Ad roundup

So very exciting. I wanted to support the underdog Saints. And they won. 31 -17.

Now for the Superbowl Ads...

I usually don't bother with the vehicle ads - they never do anything creative, so they don't deserve any mention. Except this year. I thought the Sonata ad with Favre wining MVP in 2020 was very clever. I also think Dodge's "Man's last stand" deserves Honorable Mention.

So here is the ad round up... drumroll please!!

Third place goes to Dove for Men - comfortable in your own skin. Loved the way this ad showed a story of a man's life from conception onwards.

Second place goes to Google. This ad tells a story in such a simple way all through search queries. Must have been the one Superbowl ad that cost the least to make.

First place goes to Coke - Sleepwalker in Africa. Loved seeing where the sleepwalker was going to go next - bumping into elephants, cozying up to hyenas. Superb.

As always Kevin's favorite ad is the GoDaddy ad. They played off the "Too Hot for TV" theme. Funny and clever but not enough to make the top three. As always the beer ads were much in evidence. Didn't think any were clever enough to make it. I liked the Bud Light ad of the house build by bud lights. I thought the Motorola "sexting" ad was quite inappropriate and not a bit funny or clever. Fire your ad agency Motorola!

The Doritos ads were on the whole quite amusing. My favorite was the Funeral - "It's a miracle!" ad. Major thumbs down to the Denny Chicken ads. High irritation factor. Bridgestone did a decent job. The ad that was simply bizarre enough to remember (but not to remember what it was advertising) was the odd popcorn people performing as dolphins. Where do they get such odd looking people?

I thought the Focus For the Family ad that caused such controversy was very mild and subtle - in fact without the fuss before hand, I wouldn't have remembered it. (Perhaps that's why we had a controversy?)

So the Superbowl is over. Congratulations Saints. Let the party begin.

To watch your favorite ads CBS is repeating them. And no, I am not linking to them - just Google it.