Abandoned

Today's post is a collection of photos I took at the Missouri Mines National Historic site.  It's a huge building just south of Bonne Terre... not well advertised but easy to find right off the highway.  The building was an old lead mine that was abandoned.  The state turned it into a museum that tells the story of the mining industries of southern Missouri.  When we went there we had the pleasure of getting a private tour from an amazing elderly woman who grew up in the area and had family that worked the mine.  She didn't make it far in her education but life turns out funny sometimes and she ended up becoming a teacher for children in the area.  The stories she had were fascinating.  On the other side of the museum there is an extensive rock and mineral museum.  I had to drag my kids out of the phosphlorescent room!  If you ever get a chance to go, I highly recommend it. 

When you enter the place you get an eerie feeling like you shouldn't be there.  Everything is rusty and broken.  There are danger signs all around about lead tailing restricted areas.  But when you really look the place is like a wonderland for a photographer.  The texture and grittiness translate to interesting pictures.

 

 

Sky

This week I keep running into photo opportunities that go along with past themes.  The best part is I actually have my camera in hand and ready when they come along!  During the sky week we never really had anything going on in my neck of the woods other than overcast.  This week we celebrated July birthdays at my Aunt's house and she has this amazing deck that overlooks a huge area.  We were lucky to witness a storm rolling in with big beautiful clouds in it's path.  So, here we have the best of "sky".  Enjoy.

 

The sky is the daily bread of the eyes. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Independence Day!

Yesterday I took the kids to their first close up fireworks display.  Most of the time on the 4th we end up watching fireworks from inside because the sound scares them but this year they were game and they loved every minute of it.  Sitting on a blanket, watching fireworks has always been one of my favorite childhood memories.  I love the thump you feel in your chest when the finale starts and the sport of oohing and ahhing at every one.  This week my project 52 theme was photographing fireworks so I set up my camera on a tripod and programmed it to click away on its own and the result turned out super cool.  I was so excited about it I edited as soon as I got home from the display :) 

 

 

 

 Happy 4th of July to my fellow Americans and God bless all the men and women of the military today and in years past. I thank you for my freedom and the rights you protect!

 

"This, then, is the state of the union: free and restless, growing and full of hope. So it was in the beginning. So it shall always be, while God is willing, and we are strong enough to keep the faith."  -Lyndon B. Johnson

Millie

This month's Clickin' Mom blog challenge is shallow depth of field.  It's my favorite form of photography- one because it really focuses on details of the face, which I love, and two because it blurs the random stains on the carpet or latest stuff the kids drug out of their closet so background doesn't matter quite as much :) 

Lately my children have been shunning me as soon as the camera surfaces.  When every photo of your kid turns into a snarled face or a "talk to the hand" it's time to give it a rest and find a new subject!  So, this month I turned to my perky little puppy, Millie.  Who doesn't like a web page with a bunch of funny pug pictures, right?  So here she is in all her glorious glory.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself."  -Josh Billings

 

If you enjoyed my blog post, head on over to Ana's blog to see her take on shallow depth of field. I hope you enjoy this month's blog circle.

Each month I'm participating on photography challenges with fellow Clickin' Mom photographers... You can follow the blog circle by clicking on our links at the bottom of each of our posts. You can also see them directly here:

Angie / Gina / Megan / Ana / Rebecca / Erica