Mellow Yellow Monday #45 - Amber Glow

Amber Glow

Photo Information
Location: Amtrak Station, Stanwood, Washington
Date: November 21, 2009

To see more fun pictures with a yellow theme, or to share your own, click on the Mellow Yellow Monday badge below. Drowsey Monkey hosts this wonderful meme every week.

Boots

Boots

Photo Information
Location: Tractor Tavern, Seattle (or more precisely Ballard), Washington
Additional Info: Southern Culture on the Skids Concert
Date: November 7, 2009

Skywatch Friday - Fiery Sunset

Fiery Sunset

Photo Information
Location: Marysville, Washington, USA
Additional Info: Looking west towards the Olympic Mountains
Date: November 1, 2009

To see more great skies from around the world, go visit SkyWatch.

Colonial Creek

Colonial Creek - North Cascades Highway

A couple of months ago, I went over to the Okanogan house for a much needed rest period. On the way back across the North Cascades Highway, I stopped at Colonial Creek to practice my photography skills. I've been trying to shoot running water to get that soft effect.

Most of my attempts went into the digital recycle bin, but I did like this one. The manual settings I used were as follows:

ISO Speed: 200
F-Stop: f/14
Aperture: f/4.8

It was a very shaded spot just in case you were wondering. What do all these settings mean? Heck if I know. I'm still learning and find it hard to keep one thing straight from another. It's fun practicing though.

Remember Whensday No. 25 - 4 Cousins

This week I'm sharing a photo from my husband's collection taken at Thanksgiving in 1969.

Karl thinks this photo was taken at his Aunt Marlene & Uncle John's house. Unfortunately he doesn't remember anything about it or that day.

From left to right - Scott, Jenni, Karl & Craig

One of my favorite Thanksgiving memories is using Grandma's sandwich glass dishes for dinner. They only were used for special occasions. Several pieces have been broken over the years and occasionally I look for replacements. But they are hard to find and expensive when you do find them.

Thanks for sharing in my remembrance this week. To see what others are sharing through "old" photos in my Remember Whensday meme, click on the badge below. Better yet, share yours!

My World Tuesday - All Aboard

Back in August, I blogged about the new Amtrak station being built in Stanwood. It opened later than originally planned, but this past Saturday the first train finally made it's stop here.

The train was scheduled to pull into the station at 9:03 a.m. It was a cold and somewhat damp morning but at least it wasn't raining.

The New Amtrak Station

While waiting for the Amtrak to arrive, a freight train blew past the platform. I was amazed by the wind it generated. Since I was cold to start with, this made me even more so.

Watch out!

I was pleased by the turnout for the opening ceremonies. Many townspeople came down to watch the happenings. The middle school band provided musical entertainment, a local Boy Scout troop presented the colors, and at 9:28 a.m. the train arrived with passengers including Washington state Senator Mary Margaret Haugen whose efforts helped bring the station to Stanwood.

Here she comes!

The First Stop at the New Station

Check out the snow plow

Bye Bye!

That's my world this week. To see what others are sharing from their part of the world, click on the My World Tuesday badge below.

Mellow Yellow Monday #44 - Stand Back!

Yesterday, the new Amtrak station opened up in Stanwood, WA. As I was standing on the platform awaiting the arrival of the train, I couldn't help but notice the bright yellow line with the warning to "Stand Back of Yellow Line". There were actually two bright yellow lines painted on the platform.

I couldn't believe how some people either couldn't read the safety warning or chose to ignore it. The Amtrak workers on site had their work cut out. Let me tell you, when a train comes roaring by as a freight train did while waiting, it almost seemed too close even behind the yellow line.

Regardless, I decided to let this be my re-entry back into the Mellow Yellow Monday meme. I've been away from the blogosphere for the most part for a couple of months and it's time to get back on board.

Warning!

To see more fun shots with a yellow theme, click on the MYM badge below. Have a great Monday!

Remember Whensday No. 24 - Rah Rah Rah!

In my trip down memory lane this week, I'm going back to school. High school that is. In my junior & senior years, I was a cheerleader. I think the only reason I went out for cheerleading is that I didn't like the gymnastics coach. I figured I'd put my tumbling skills to use elsewhere. Plus I enjoyed sports.

Varsity Cheer

Being a cheerleader had its good and bad moments. On the good side of the coin, most of the time it was fun. I loved working on the homecoming float and other activities during homecoming week. I really enjoyed the football games out in the crisp fall weather. Wrestling was fun and exciting to watch. And of course the bus rides to away games were a blast. We also went to camp the summer before my senior year where our squad walked away as champions.

Bad moments included the time during a basketball game where I got run over in the middle of a back flip. Where was the video camera back then? I could have won $100,000 on AFV. I also was more of an outcast on the squad which made for awkward teenage moments. I survived but there were times it was unbearable. Girls can be soooo mean.

That's me on the bottom of the pyramid

But what the heck. I lettered in a varsity sport for two years and I gained some valuable life lessons. Overall it was a fun time. I don't regret doing it.

Thanks for sharing in Remember Whensday with me. Go here and see what others are sharing.

Remember Whensday No. 23 - Happy Birthday to Me!

Oh how time flies! Even my mother will agree with that statement.

This week I go back many, MANY years to my baby pictures in honor of my upcoming birthday on Thursday. My parents (likely my mother) had a whole series of photographs taken. I am not fond of having my picture taken. In fact I despise it immensely and prefer to be behind the lens, not in front of it. But back then I must have been a little ham. How on earth did I manage to pose so nicely? Must have been a very talented photographer to handle this little baby.

Sally as a Baby

Thanks for sharing in my trip down memory lane this week. Go check out what others are sharing in the Remember Whensday meme by clicking on the badge below. It's so much fun to look at old photos and reminisce about the stories behind them. Won't you join us?

Remember Whensday No. 21 - Happy Halloween

Time for another entry in the Remember Whensday meme. This week it's Gregg at Halloween. This picture wasn't dated but it looks like it is from his pre-school days in the mid-80's.

Back in those days, I was a single parent barely making it from paycheck to paycheck. I vaguely remember the clown costume. This was definitely a homemade one. I remember sewing strings of scrap yard to an old blue knit hat for "clown hair". I can't recall if I bought the striped suit at a thrift shop or sewed it from an old bedsheet. Wherever it came from, he made a cute clown and he was happy.

Gregg (center) and schoolmates at Halloween

Halloween sure isn't what it used to be when I was a kid. I remember trick or treating with a paper grocery sack and coming home with it full of candy, apples and popcorn balls. Of course, we only wanted to eat the candy.

Nowadays, trick or treating is mostly done at the neighbors you know. Safety prevails. I am disheartened by adults trick or treating under the pretense of doing for their kids. Yes, we've had them show up sans children. I also don't approve of the older teenagers out trick or treating either. If adults want to celebrate Halloween, they should have their own party. Common sense seems be disappearing.

One of my favorite Halloween memories was when I was in my early twenties and going to the haunted house. I watched the Chainsaw Massacre movie when I was a teenager and it scared the heck out of me. At this particular haunted house, part of the journey took you through the haunted woods. Out jumped a fellow holding a chainsaw (the chain was removed) and touched my leg with it. I screamed and ran and near about passed out. At the time I was very shook up, but now I can laugh about it. What a wuss I was!

Thanks for sharing in my Halloween memories. To read what others are sharing, visit the Remember Whensday meme.

Remember Whensday No. 20 - Zoom Zoom!

Hey! Hey! It's Remember Whensday time. This week, it is me and my Mazda. My very first car.

Zoom Zoom!!

My father gave me the car the summer between my junior and senior years in high school. I was so excited to get it. It was a hand-me-down, but I didn't care. All I can remember is that it was an early 70's RX4.

It had the classic rotary Wankel engine and I zoom-zoomed before that became the catch phrase for Mazda. I remember doing a bit of street drag racing in it. It was quick off of the line. The only problem was the backfiring! I'm sure it scared more than one person. Oh, but I had fun, fun, fun!

One late spring day in 1977, I was enroute to watch a friend compete in a track meet at Annapolis High School (in Maryland). I was stopped for a traffic light at Ritchie Hwy and Jumpers Hole Road. Wham! I got rear-ended by a 1963 Pontiac Bonneville which in turn sent me into the bumper of the car in front of me. It was driven by a young girl not much older than me on her way to the beach and she didn't stop for the red signal. It caused quite a bit of damage to the car but I was still able to go to the track meet, albeit a bit shook up. And then I spent the next six months in physical therapy as a result of the accident.

What happens when a tank (aka '63 Pontiac Bonneville) runs into your car

Even the sides crumpled and dented
(FYI - that's my Basset Hound, Bridget)

The car got repaired and no sooner did I get out of PT, then WHAM! I was broad-sided by an older woman who only had her driver's license for less than a year. She ran a red light and into the passenger side of my car. Back for more physical therapy.

By this time, I was beginning to think the car was jinxed. It is said that things come in threes and I was not willing to risk it. I didn't get the car repaired from the second accident and instead sold it.

I ended up buying ANOTHER silver Mazda, same model year, but this one had a black vinyl roof. End of jinx. I just can't remember what became of that car, though. Oh well. :-)

Come join me in the Remember Whensday meme. It's where the past is remembered through photographs and stories. Click on the badge below to start your journey down memory lane or to see what others are sharing.

Remember Whensday No. 19 - Here Fishy, Fishy

This week it is Josh & Ryan in the spotlight from Oct 1991. Both boys loved to fish with their dad and of course their dad was happy to oblige.

I wish I knew more about these pictures but unfortunately do not. But it is still fun to share pics of the boys.

Josh

Ryan

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Remember Whensday No. 18 - Rona Court

This week for Remember Whensday, it's me and my siblings. The picture was taken on Rona Court in Glen Burnie, Maryland.

Sally, Karen & Rick
October 1969

We moved there when I was in the fifth grade and spent the next six years there. My sister, brother and I all shared a bedroom but it was large one.

When we first moved to Rona Court, it was a brand new apartment complex and we were the first to live in our apartment. It was a ground floor unit. Over time, more buildings were added and then the swimming pool where we spent our summers.

My first job ever was at Rona Court. I delivered the local newspaper, the Maryland Gazette, to the subscribers in the complex as well as the houses in the neighborhood. I wanted a bike so that is how I earned money. The Gazette only came out once, maybe twice a week, so it took quite a while to save for the bike. Eventually I took on a daily paper route. Up and down the steps in the apartment building, every day, seven days a week! Oh to be that fit again.

Life was fun at Rona Court. Lots of kids to play with and of course the pool in the summer. We were a suntanned bunch of kids. I remember building forts in the nearby woods. We were in the flight path for what is now Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) Airport. Funny how one grew accustomed to the noise of the jets continuously flying overhead.

It was kind of sad to move away from friends, but we moved to a house with 3 bedrooms which meant getting our little brother out of our room. And of course, we made new friends in the neighborhood.

Thanks for sharing my trip down memory lane today. For more remembrances, click on the Remember Whensday badge below.



I hope to get back to posting daily soon. Things have been hectic with work and at home so I haven't been taking many pictures, much less posting them. I miss my blogging but currently am dealing with other priorities in life.

Remember Whensday No. 17 - Mom

This week I am featuring my mom in the Remember Whensday meme.

This is her graduation picture from Nursing school way back when, probably around 1957-1958. Maybe even 1959. I love this picture of her. I can remember her starching her nurse's caps when I was a kid growing up.

We spent many a holiday at the hospital with her as she filled for others and earned additional $$ to support the three of us kids. I always enjoyed those days since they were like great adventures. I liked being able to eat in the hospital dining room. It wasn't your typical hospital but one that specialized in orthopedic and reconstructive surgeries. It was where the professional sports teams in Baltimore used to come to repair their injured bodies.

My mom is my hero and always will be. How she managed to raise three children working two, sometimes three, jobs is a testament to her work and life ethics. If anyone asked me who I wanted to be when I grew up, it was to be like Mom.

Susan

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Remember Whensday No. 16 - Breaking News!

My oh my! I just received some wonderful news! My little man is getting married next April!! I am such a happy and excited mom. I adore Gregg's fiancée, Markey and her girls.

This picture doesn't seem so long ago yet it was. 1980 to be exact. It was taken at Gregg's first Christmas and I sure did love this little boy (still do!).

Sally & Gregg

Gosh, how fast time flies and they've grown up before you know it. I am looking forward to the new additions to our family.

Gregg, Courtney, Amanda & Markey

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Remember Whensday No. 15 - Suntop

This week for Remember Whensday, I am revisiting Suntop near Mt. Rainier. We camped at Ranger Creek with my mom and my sister, Karen and her SO, Jim in the summer of 2007.

We took a little road trip up to the top of Suntop which on a clear day puts you up close and personal with Mt. Rainier. While it wasn't the clearest of days, we still had a pretty good view of the mountain.

Sally & Karl @ Suntop

Mt. Rainier

You can drive up to Suntop on a dirt road with a lot of switchbacks. It can be quite scary looking out of the truck window down the steep side of the mountain without any guardrails along the roadside. At the top is a lookout which was manned when we were there. The elevation is 5,280 feet (1,609 m) at the lookout.

We had a good time that day and the entire weekend. I need to go back there camping with my family.

Thanks for sharing this trip down memory lane with me in the Remember Whensday meme. I host it each week and hope you'll share some of your favorite memories and photographs. Click on the badge below to come visit with us.

Remember Whensday No. 14 - School Days

I think this is probably THE worst school picture of me. At least from grade school. I mean, look at that awful hairdo! Why was it so bad? Why did I look like I just got out of bed?

Never EVER let an 8 year old cut her own hair the night before school pictures. Period. This is the end result. My poor mother...she tried to even it out as best as she could without me ending up with a buzz cut. But she could only do so much with the mess I created. I'm sorry, Mom.

Sally - Third Grade

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Camera Critters #74 - Water Baby

A few weekends ago when I had that little beach to myself with the dogs on Banks Lake, I was very surprised by how much Jelly loved the water. To the point where she just laid at the edge of the surf and soaked up the sun while the tiny wavelets lapped around her.

Sunbathing

Little Buddy even went swimming and I was shocked. Too bad I didn't have the camera with me to get a picture of that!

Misty Dawn hosts Camera Critters each week for us. For more enjoyable pictures, click on the badge below and then follow the links. It is so much fun!