Problems...

We have been having problems with the website this past week... sorry that it has not been updating. I'm actually in the process of updating and completely changing the website! So.. keep checking back with us!

In the meantime... here are a few more pictures from Hollywood.

More from Hollywood...

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Two weeks and counting

Ok... our photo exhibition is going to be two weeks from today. We still have a TON of planning to do! I have put together a few posters that I am getting printed today. I plan on posting them up in a couple of places around town tomorrow ( i hope). Here is a quick sample.


















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The day of days

Well... we are headed to the airport... next post... (i hope) from Ireland!






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Mexican food... Wal-mart...Sweet tea... oh my!

We are really down to the wire now! I spent most of today packing and organizing. I have also suddenly realized that I need to be enjoying those crazy little American things that I won't have when I get back to Ireland.

So today...
I stood out in the heat (it was around 70 here! )
I wore shorts .....
I ate sunflower seeds.....
I bought cheap gas.....
I went to my favorite Mexican restaurant....
I drove with the windows down.....
I at Capt'n Crunch for dinner.....

Tomorrow............ I am going to go to Wal-mart and Best buy!

Making DVDs

Several of you have asked for me to explain how I converted our old 8mm, Beta, and VHS tapes to DVD... it really was not all that hard to do... but it did take me a long time.

I started out by investigating different companies that would transfer the films... I quickly discovered that this really was not an option. We had a ton of tapes in three different formats, and the cost to convert them all was far more than we wanted to pay.

In the end - it was a lot of fun to do it myself. It gave me an opportunity to watch all of these old films (many of which I had never seen) with my parents and family! We had a lot of fun reliving our family history!


Here is what I did:

8mm films
When we started - We were not even sure if any of the films had survived. We quickly discovered that they were in fairly good condition, and that the projector still worked perfectly.

1 - We set the projector up and projected the image onto a small screen. (Keeping the image small helped to make the images sharper.)
2 - We set up my Digital camcorder directly above the projector and filmed the movies as they played. Our camcorder films in high quality... and we were really pleased with the results.
3 - We took the digital recording on the camcorder and imported them onto my Mac. The Mac comes already loaded with software (IMovie) that allowed me to edit, add music, and even restore parts of the films. I have to say that I really am impressed with my little MacBook. The software are very easy to use and I learned how to restore the films very quickly.
4 - After importing them onto my computer... i mean MacBook... We used other software (iDVD) that came already loaded to create cool DVD menus and to burn the final products onto DVDs for my whole family.
I know that not everyone has a MacBook... and there is software out there that you can use on a PC... I just don't know what it is. sorry.


Beta films

- My father found (really did "find") a Beta player that still works. We then converted the old tapes to VHS and from there converted them to DVD (see that section).


VHS tapes

- I looked into several options on how to import directly from a VHS... but in the end used what we had. My father-in-law had purchsed a DVD/VHS combo that allows you to actually Dub tapes on to DVD. This machine is a Toshiba and is sold at BestBuy (click here to see the actual product). We were really pleased with the final product... but it did not allow you to edit your DVDs. If you wanted to clean them up and condense them from multiple DVDs into 1 you would have to import them to the MacBook and do it there.

I hope that helps a bit. Please don't hesitate to ask questions... I'll be glad to help if I can!

(ONE IMPORTANT NOTE: if you are going to burn DVDs you need to be sure and use DVD-R or DVD-RW. Other formats such (+) do not work in all players!)



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Happy New Year!

Wow! 2009! Just a quick note to say that things are a bit crazy around here right now. We leave my parents' house tomorrow morning and drive down to Dee's parents'. We then turn around and fly back out (for Ireland) on Tuesday! Wow... where did six months go? There are still a ton of things we had wanted to do... and so many people we have planned on seeing...... I just don't know where the time has gone...........


Well... I just told my mom that today is not a sad day.... and we are just going to count our blessings and enjoy the day.... we have so much to be grateful for. 2008 was a good year. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have been back in the states.... and to have had so much time with my loved ones! I am a bit nervous about 2009. I know that it will be hard to leave my family again... that living in Ireland will probably take some readjustment.... and that there will probably be some trials and unforeseen obstacles.......................... but I really do have a strange peace and confidence that whatever faces us on this pilgrims' trail in 2009 will be a part of a bigger plan........... and that we are not alone as we walk forward on this pilgrimage.



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Happy New Year!

Hope you all had a great new year's celebration... here are a few pics of ours...


















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Today's Random Pics...

My parental units











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family movie time!

Thankfully my father has always enjoyed taking pictures and movies. I have feared for some time, however, that many of the old movies might be damaged or lost. So.... I have been using some of my spare time to try and preserve a bit of our family history.

I started with the old 8mm films. My dad started filming these silent films back when he was just a teenager, and kept filming with it up until the 1980's. He and I set the old projector up and started watching and converting the films... I was quickly shocked and moved by all that he had recorded on these old films. He had movies of my grandparents... and movies of my great grandparents... my sisters coming home from the hospital.... my first Christmas... family trips to Florida... trips to the zoo... and many many Christmases. Watching these movies were so much fun... and thankfully just about all of them were still in perfect condition.

After my father stopped using the 8mm, he invested in a state of the art Beta VCR and camera. We no longer had a working Beta VCR, but Thankfully... my father had recently seen an old Beta VCR that had been left out on the curb as rubbish. Dad picked it up... and it still worked!!! All of our old tapes still worked - with the exception of one tape.


It has taken me several months... but all of our old 8mm films, Beta tapes, and VHS tapes are now on DVD! WAHOO!!! To celebrate this - I have put together a small video of some of the later 8mm films (mainly because I am in them! HA!). So... turn up your computer's sound volume and enjoy.... oh... I am the little boy in the movies... and I know that my socks rocked!







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A few shots from my family's Christmas party...

My dad with some of my sisters...






My sister Sherry with her son Andrew:






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'tis the season...

I am loving this Christmas season! I can't tell you how great it is to be home for Christmas!!!!!

I am really feeling in the Christmas spirit... mostly because this week has been a lot of fun! The other night I went to see Santa's village with my mom, sister, and my sister's three kids. Seeing Santa... hearing the choirs... and feeling the fake snow really made me ready for the season! Then... today my family had its' annual get together meal. Just about all of my sisters were able to come (keep in mind that I am the baby of the family... and that I have six sisters!). We had a blast eating... laughing... watching old home movies... playing games... and exchanging gifts. I had to keep reminding myself that it was NOT Christmas eve yet!

Have I said that it is great to be home for Christmas?


Here is a pic for you. This is my two nieces (Laura Beth and Brooke) with Santa.





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Mallory's brother and sister on the rope...

I have to include a few pictures of Mal's siblings on the rope. Who would have thought that something so simple could bring such enjoyment...
















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‘Faith like a little child’

I need to tell you about my amazing little niece - Mallory. She is four and half years old, and is full of spirit and attitude. This little girl (I say 'little' because she really is so small) is already a very talented artist (I have many pieces of her artwork already), and even a hair stylist (She recently cut her own hair).


The following is an account of an event that happened this summer:

Mallory was feeling a bit tired and laid down upstairs to take a quick afternoon nap. Little did she know that her Grandfather had come over on a mission. He took a really long ladder and tied the most beautiful blue rope high in the old tree in Mallory's back yard. Mallory awoke shortly after her Grandfather left but did not discover the new toy until the next day. She saw her brother and sister swinging and climbing on the incredibly long.... thick....rope that seemed to reach all the way up to the sky. With amazement she said, "That was so nice that God dropped us a rope from the sky for us to play with!".


Here is a picture I took of Mallory playing on her rope.







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Things no photographer ever wants to see:

I came across this sign while taking pictures along the gulf coast in Alabama. Needless to say.... It kinda freaked me out a bit!

The fact that the sun was going down and my wife wasn't going to pick me up for another hour didn't help any!!!

Have I told you that I love the fact that Ireland does not have any snakes (or alligators)?




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Today's Random Pic...

I can't believe that I have not posted this one yet...

This is my niece - Brooke - when we went to feed the ducks.

a post for my mom....

I am really sad to see the warm summer months disappear. There really were a lot of things that I had intended to seek out and photograph... and thanks to the change of season, I am afraid that I have missed the opportunity. One ongoing photography project was my hunt for the perfect hummingbird photo. I don't really remember seeing hummingbirds when I was young, but both my parents' house and my in-laws' house were overrun with them this summer. These little creatures were fascinating to watch, and almost impossible to photograph. These little guys can beat their wings up to 80times a second, and don't stay in one place for very long. I really can't tell you how many out of focus pictures I took of them... but finally I was able to get a few that turned out well.







Here is the interesting thing... these sweet little birds are actually a bit on the vicious side. They are EXTREMELY territorial and will fight off any other hummingbird that tries to steel it's sweet nectar. My favorite spot at my in-laws' house was rocking chair on their front porch. I often (when the weather was still warm) sat here with a good book and watched the hummingbird fights. lol!








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Today's Random Pic. (bugs - part 2)

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We are NOT sore losers!

Go Auburn! War Eagle!

Today's Random Pic...

This is what was going on beside me while the turkey was being fried.






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The Iron Bowl

Forget the super bowl... It is time for the Iron Bowl!

For those of you who are not from Alabama - Today is the most important football game of the year. It is when the two largest (and some would say best in the nation) college football teams in Alabama meet for their annual game. To call it a game is a bit of an understatement. In the south - College football is more than just a sport or a hobby. It is life and death (well, maybe not - but for many people it is close!). Today at 2:30 The University of Alabama take on Auburn University. Alabama is currently ranked #1 in the nation, has an undefeated season, and has everything to lose. Auburn has not had the best of seasons, but have won the last six Iron Bowls.

Dee and I are going into the lion's den (aka my sister's house full of Alabama fans) to watch the game. All I can say is "war eagle" and "Beat Bama!"!



A scene from this afternoon's game?









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Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope that you all had a great Thanksgiving! I am truly grateful for my family... and it was a real blessing to be able to spend the day with some of them! We had a quiet but fun day. This morning I went over to my sister's house and hung out while they cooked. I was especially intrigued to watch her husband (David) deep fry the turkey. I don't know if you have ever tried it before... wow! It is good! Around lunch time my family gathered at another sister's house for lunch... football... and some Wii competition! It is so good to be home for Thanksgiving!


The turkey fry




David - the master chef




The finished bird




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Drama on the deck...

Well... I have made it to my hometown for Thanksgiving!!! It is great to be back with my family... unfortunately - I think that I am getting sick. Yuck! Go figure - the moment I get to slow down...

So... I have taken it easy today in hopes that I might beat this sickness before it really beats me!

Today there has been a bit of drama around my parent's house. Around lunch time a small bird hit the window in the den (creating a loud thud and a cloud of small feathers). You would have to know just how much my mother loves and cares for the wild birds to know just how tragic this was! We quickly identified the bird ( with the help of google) as a Cedar Waxwing. We also learned that this little bird specializes in eating fruit (as opposed to seeds like most birds). Here is the kicker... apparently "the Cedar Waxwing is vulnerable to alcohol intoxication and death after eating fermented fruit". So... needless to say... we now know why the bird flew into the window! Lesson here: "Don't drink and fly"!


The whole experience was a bit upsetting to my little niece Brooke - who is two years old.
The little bird was still breathing... and moving a bit.... so (hour after hour) we kept checking on it... and kept cheering for it to survive. After several hours the little bird rolled over... eventually sat up... and then around sunset flew off!






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Today's Random Pic...

"Autumn down on the bayou..."






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Today's Random Pic.....

I know that this is a bit of an old pic - taken back in October... but I have been wanting to post it for some time.

This spot in the woods Virginia is one of my favorite retreat areas.... I always pay it a visit when we have to come back through there.






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A few more from the airplane...

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Where does heaven begin?

I took this photo from the plane window as we flew back south from our time in Boston. It just worked out that we were flying at the right time and the right place. The conditions were perfect: the sun was setting (which lit up the mountains and gave contrast) and their was this amazing cloud cover that enveloped the landscape. Best of all the plane only carried about a quarter of the people it could have, and so I the had freedom to keep moving from window to window and side to side to take pictures. I don't know exactly where this was taken, but I do know that it was over the Appalachian Mountains... I would guess around North Carolina.


I ended up with about 100 photos that I happy with... but this was by far the best. I'll plan on posting a few others in the next day.



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A study in eyes...

I love to photograph people. I usually don't have too many willing subjects that will actually work with me a little bit. Having said this... I have really enjoyed having nieces and nephews who are all too happy to smile for a picture. The following pictures are a short series of photos that I took last weekend of my niece (Abby). I don't know what it is... but I love eyes. They are so expressive and capture such emotion. So.... these are Abby's eyes. Enjoy.
























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Running with pride...

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More from V-day...

The Veterans Day memorial took place in a large memorial park. There were all kinds of old tanks, planes and even ships. I toured an old WWII submarine and watched the sun set over a battleship. Amazing! Here are a few pics.


















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Veterans Day

Yesterday was Veterans Day. This year this national holiday was especially meaningful to me. I am all too aware of the wars that are going on in Iraq and Afghanistan, and as I am getting older I grow more and more appreciative for those who have sacrificed so much for others. Lately I have been reminded of this all too much......

Whenever we fly back to the states we are confronted with the droves of American soldiers on a layover at Shannon Airport (this is the refueling stop for troopers on their way to and from Iraq). We were there several Christmases ago and watched the long line of service men and women calling home to exclaim that they had made it to Ireland and would be home soon. I was heart broken while we were in Washington DC. We went to the museum of health and medicine. I had no idea that it was located on the campus of Walter Reed army medical center. The sight of so many injured young men was haunting and heart breaking.

So... this year we went to a local Veterans Day celebration to show our appreciation. Here are a few pics from around the memorial park...




















I will be posting more pics over the next couple of days.


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