The thrill of victory...and the agony of defeat

Or in other words, the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby!  Every boy involved has that secret hope that HIS car will be THE BEST. (and still be a good sport, even if they lose)

Here is Finn testing the track, making sure his wheels are aligned and his car is road ready.

A few of the pinewood derby contestants.  Finn's Car is the grey one on the left, with all the pennies.  "THE PENNY POUNDER".






And they're off!! Come on Penny Pounder! Come on Penny Pounder! Come on Penny Pounder move your bloomin' Arse! (Thanks Eliza Doolittle and My Fair Lady for the blatant plagarism)



NOW THE MANY FACES OF VICTORY AND DEFEAT...

Well Poop, shucks. Maybe next race.

Next Race...VICTORY!!!
Penny! Penny! Penny!

Peter, age 12.5 (The Pinewood Derby Veteran) giving brotherly advice to Finn before his next race)

Me with the boys awaiting the winners and certificates.  Finn didnt win for speed, but his car won "Money Makin' Machine".





Proud of Finn. He did a good job, and was a very good sport about the whole thing. Love that boy.

All photos taken with my Canon Powershot SX50Canon PowerShot SX50 12.1MP 50x Optical Zoom Black Digital Camera (Google Affiliate Ad)

im ready for my close up....

Finny had his 4th grade play school house rock. It was as good as any 4th grade play can aspire to be. He was cute.

Proud mom...

moon shot

I took this photo 2 nights ago. 200 zoom on my camera, handheld no tripod.  JPEG image, 12MP.  Zero editing has been done.

Can I just reiterate how much I LOVE my new camera...Canon PowerShot SX50 12.1MP 50x Optical Zoom Black Digital Camera (Google Affiliate Ad)

just playing...I love my new camera

So I bit the bullet and purchased a new camera. A NICE camera. I had so many different people tell me to just spend the money, that I wouldn't be happy otherwise. So upon several recommendations, internet research, various photography blogs etc...I finally found my new baby.
Canon powershot sx50 hs.Canon PowerShot SX50 12.1MP 50x Optical Zoom Black Digital Camera (Google Affiliate Ad)
I have taken it disc golfing and gotten amazing action shots. I have taken awesome"point and shoot dummy"pictures, and the lens and zoom on this are amazing. I have found my poor cars to be the most willing subjects for me to test out upon. They are so patient. I pull out the camera and there is a visible and audible response, like "here we go again". So here are a few shots of "my babies", Rusty and Skittles.

The detail on these are amazing.  So thank you everyone for your recommendations, comments and thoughts.  (These were taken in my bedroom with no flash, from 10 feet away and have not been edited in any way. )

I need a new Point and Shoot Camera. HELP!

OK, so as many of you know, I am planning a really cool trip to Arizona and Southern Utah. This is one of those "Once in a lifetime" deals (well twice, I did this trip as a teenager almost 25 years ago) and I don't want to miss a thing. I m kind of wanting to do a photo journal experience and blog about it.

Here's my problem. I have a REALLY REALLY REALLY just "ok" camera. (sanyo t1495)
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 I guess it is my fault, really, I bought it on clearance at Walmart.  It was only 79$ and is a 14mp point and shoot digital camera. Nothing special.  I thought "Hey it's 14mp and it's on clearance. This sounds like a good idea to me!"

CONS:
It takes Good pictures.  GOOD...not great. Decent. But I don't want decent. I want great.

It has 14 million "settings" I can choose from.  Water. Sunset. Sunrise. man. woman.pets.night sky. mountains.  So every time I want to take a picture of something specific, I can go all the way into my menu, choose presets and toggle one of these special functions and it will automatically set to ISO and Aperture/f stop thingamajig. Those pictures tend to turn out really nice, it is just a matter of  toggling those settings. What happens when I need to do something fast because I don't want to miss a shot, but here I am stuck trying to get my functions together? I wound up with a missed shot, or a crappy shot because I didn't pick the setting I wanted(or mis-picked)

I can only set the ISO speed manually. It wont allow me to set my own shutter speed, my own aperture etc.

And if I have it on Auto, everything turns out kind of grainy and just "blah". Unless it is a decent day outside...not too bright, not too cloudy. Then they are great. But lets be honest. Southern Utah and Arizona in the middle of July. It is going to be bright. It is going to be hot. These auto photos don't stand a chance.

PROS:
 it takes fantastic Macro function photos. I get crisp, clean gorgeous detail, which is one of the reasons I got that camera in the first place. (photographing my jewelry, flowers and other things close up)

, it is slim, easily pocketed and lightweight.

If I do use the preset settings, the photos really are nice.

it is easy to use, point and shoot and it is pretty idiot proof as far as what buttons to push and how to get into menus etc.

It has a tripod mount  and a great self timer.


WHAT TO DO??

So here's my dilemma. I am sure I will be taking close up macro photo settings of the various cacti and flora, so that camera is a plus. However I am not going to be wanting to fiddle with my speeds and presets every time I take a picture. That camera is a con.


HELP!
 I need a new POINT AND SHOOT camera that will take good pictures both normal and macro.  I need something that I wont have to fiddle with a whole heck of a lot. Something I can just point and shoot.
I am not wanting anything with a zillion lenses to tote around.  I am not wanting something that I have to have a PhD in engineering to figure out how to use. I want a camera that is lightweight and not too bulky.
Something that I can take photos of the night sky while in the desert, yet the next day be taking photos of waterfalls, animals, kids, hoodoos and more.

AND most importantly, it needs to be affordable. My budget is NOT very flexible these days.

I would like something with a minimum 10mp.

So any point and shoot recommendations would be greatly appreciated.  And please no foreign language spam to some questionable website with knockoffs of purses, shoes, tablets etc.

THANKS IN ADVANCE!

National Parks Access Pass, Senior Pass and America the Beautiful passes. Its a good thing, as martha would say

  It came for Peter last month.  I am so excited about this.  Until I started doing research and planning our Summer trip, I had no idea these existed.

SO WHAT IS IT?? This is the Access Pass.

It is a free, LIFETIME pass for permanently disabled US Citizens. It allows free access for the pass holder and 3 adults in their company/car to
The Forest Service, the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Reclamation....that provides access to more than 2,000 recreation sites managed by five Federal agencies.!!!!
So for those sites that Charge by the car it is free. For those sites that Charge per person it is free for Peter and the rest of us in the car with him (up to 3 other adults)

If you apply for it in person at a participating from a participating National recreation site,  the pass is free. If you purchase it online and mail in the application form, it is a 10$ processing fee. See HERE for the site and information for the access pass. To obtain this pass you need proof of residency and documentation of permanent disability. By Disability it means ..." a permanent physical, mental, or sensory impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working."
 You need have a statement from a licensed physician, or a statement from a state agency, such as vocational rehab, or a federal agency (such as Social Security Disability, VA or Supplemental Income). You need to prove residency with a drivers license, green card, passport, or birth certificate. (if mailing it in, you just need a photocopy). I sent in a copy of Peters Birth Certificate and a copy of the letter from Social Security stating that Peter has been determined to qualify for Disability. 
  

So what if you arent Disabled?  
Well then you can get an America the Beautiful Pass. It is an ANNUAL pass for $80 that includes the same agencies and sites, and is for  the pass owner and 3 accompanying adults 16 and older (children 15 and younger are always admitted free).  It is good from 1 year from the date of purchase.  See HERE for the America the Beautiful Pass. 100% of the proceeds goes to maintaining the parks and sites.

What if you are a Senior Citizen?
Permanent residents and US Citizens that are 62 and older qualify for the senior pass.  It is 10$ for a LIFETIME pass (if purchased from a participating federal recreation site) or $20 for a lifetime pass if you want to skip doing the "in person thing" and do it via mail.
and you MUST turn 62 BEFORE you purchase the pass. HERE is the information for that.



Now it DOES NOT work for State /County Parks or monuments, privately owned monuments (such as those within the Native American Land Reservations.)
You do not get discounts at bookstores or gift shops.


Why am I spreading the word about these passes??
Because I am trying to get away from TV and Media and Facebook. I want to get out and about. I think we need to take America back, and remember how incredible it is to live in such a wonderful country.  We need to get out and enjoy this glorious land in which we have been BLESSED to live. We have so much unimaginable beauty here in the USA, and most people have no idea. They maybe have seen it on TV...or on the internet. GET OUT AND ENJOY IT IN PERSON FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!
These parks don't take care of themselves, and it costs money. Every little bit helps, and 100% of proceeds from these passes goes directly to the parks, rangers, visitor stations etc.

So one of my goals(starting now) is to visit more parks and recreation sites both here in NC and within the US throughout my lifetime.
I want to teach my kids about being proud to live in such a marvelous country. I want them to appreciate and enjoy (IN PERSON) the splendor and beauty of  this great land that the Lord has provided for us. I want them to learn to take better care of what they have been given and to take action to protect these wonderful places, parks, monuments and recreation areas.  I want them to look back when they are adults and say "WOW, I have been blessed to have been able to go to these places". THATS why this is so important.
Reclaim family time. Spend time with your children and your spouses/significant others/partners etc. in the great outdoors, and fire the Television as babysitter.

It's That Time of Year again!!

2013...

Here we go again.

A few days ago someone in the family wrote on his facebook wall "For years I've tried to set specific measurable goals for New Years, and I barely ever accomplish any of them, and I lose track after a month. This year I am going to make outlandish, cosmic, vague goals and see what happens."

I  REALLY loved this status.  I felt the same way over the past 5 years. Seriously. Every year I see the same damn goals thrown back in my face.  For example...

--Lose 40 pounds I wrote... . (HAH replied the universe as it smacked another 3 on my hips.)

--I Will read my scriptures with my family I promised...(If by Scriptures you mean Harry Potter, then good job said the world. But if scriptures you meant the bible...well then you suck.)

---I will Exercise 3 times a week minimum I vowed... (well that lasted a day. awesome Sarah. Epic Fail.)

---Curb my potty mouth and do not unleash a torrent of profanity when I get frustrated...(well %^&^%&^%&  are you *&(#&*(* kidding me %!&#@!  this is @#$%^&&* ridiculous how you did NOT do it said the !@#$%^&^ world.

--I will take my vitamins religiously, I avowed...Oh Ok said my bottle still sitting on the counter with a large number of untaken capsules still sitting in it, all starting to stick together in clusters.

--I will be more patient and loving with my children I professed...(hows THAT working out for ya? the universe demanded)


So this year, 2012, taking stock and looking back on my New Years resolutions, I realized I really suck at making New Years resolutions. REALLY. SUCK.  Its not my fault. I am an overachiever. So I overachieve at making goals I have no hope of keeping throughout the year. Its what I do. I am a NYR fail-er.  Its what I do every year.  I should make a resolution to watch myself FAIL at resolutions.

So this year, in addition to my specific measurable goals to fail at, I am also going to make some vague, random, cosmic type goals and see what happens.

So here is to the last day of 2012...and thanks to the Mayans Epic Fail, here's to another list for 2013!