Lettering in Band......

One of my brothers lettered in band and here is the medal that he received for doing so.  I assume that you received one of these when you participated in all the marching events, classes and a concerts in one school year. It would have been during the late 50's and early 60's that they were in high school band.

Both of my older brothers had lettermen jackets and they wore their sports awards on the large purple letter M which stood for Murray High School.  I don't think the music awards ever made it onto those jackets.

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Just Shots, No Thoughts Again..........

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Just Shots, No Thoughts........

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In The Middle Of The Week.....

They are like dancers on stage as the lean to create their posed look.  The sedum never bloomed fully and what was in bloom this past summer was dead looking or shriveled flowers.  So much for a drought filled summer.  Perhaps we will have more moisture and we can start over in the spring.

This is a hand painted dish that has no markings on it.  I have lost the history to the small dish so it could have been from family, friends or garage sale buying.  The hand painting on this one dish shows a lot of dabbing of glaze onto the plate with the same size and kind of round tipped brush.

The free hand painted lines in gold seem perfect for the design.  The edging must have been difficult as it seems a little bit out of control by the artist.  There are no markings on the back of this plate so it was done by a home artist or factory artist for commercial sale.

This hat pin container has all the look of hand painting on it but it isn't.  It is just s good stencil transfer with a hand painting design on it.

I am in the Special Education room in the morning and will be a study hall keeper in the afternoon.  We will be thawing out today with higher temperatures than normal.  Thanks for stopping by today.

Two Things for Tuesday..........

A blurry barberry bush photo with red orange berries that are hanging in there having not yet being eaten by the birds.  I said it all in one sentence.

This barrow with snow in it reminds me that I haven't brought home my metal wheel barrow from the farm in a year and a half now.  It was down there being used for work in the summer of 2011 and was stowed away quickly at the end of that summer.  We had worked so hard clearing things that I was too tired to put it into the trunk of my car and bring it home.  Perhaps I can get my act together as I missed it all summer and will need it in the spring to haul dirt and sticks and stuff.

My dad made this one solely for the use of planting flowers in it.  I remember it for many years being filled with petunias.

We will see warmer temperatures today as Des Moine will be 39 degrees.  That means we might be 34 degrees today and it will start some thawing.  The furnace isn't being as strained these days and it does actually shut down for some periods of time in the day time.

I am high school math today.  It will be a long day as the free period was first hour and I was assigned somewhere else during that period.  I hope you all have a great day.  Thanks for stopping by today.

Changing Things......

The camera takes a photo  that shows it in a natural state.  It really seems redder  in reality than it appears so I pull up the photoshop devices.

I had not known positive what works to turn a color photo into a black and white, but the desaturate does the trick.

Another command that I can't name right now, as I am on a different computer, enhanced the colors and made the photo be closer to its true color.

Another command that reverses the colors, which changes the look and feel of the redtwig dogwood.  I think it is the reverse command but I will look it up when I get back on to the photoshop program on my home computer. It changes the color to its complement, opposite on the color wheel.

I am a tech guy for the last day this year.  They hired a young man to be tech coordinator for the three schools so my work should be done.  I am not sure how that will work out as he isn't in the building only a couple of days a week.  Anyway I was informed that they couldn't justify funds for me as a tech person anymore.  So I will be substitute teaching solely the rest of the year.

I will be assisting the installation of 24 iPads today to be put on a portable cart for classroom use.  It should take the day to accomplish it as there are almost 20 apps to install per computer.  I will be buzzed in the brain by the end of the day.

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Winter Outside........

I ventured out Saturday afternoon to help the neighbor fill up here bird feeders.  It was cold but a warm cold compared to the earlier temperatures of the week.  It was gently snowing and when I returned home I thought I would get a few shots taken.

The concret swan seems to be floating in snow as the bird bath has collected a neat pile of snow.  The   dead leaves of a transplanted rose bush leans against the fence.  I hope the leaves are all that is dead and that the rose does live through the weather.  It is William Baffin and I think it is tough enough to  survive in its new location.

There will be no roasting of marshmallows even though it probably would burn.  My wood  pile is building up scraps as the storms keep dropping limbs into my yard.  I have a new batch to add to the burn pile but it seemed too cold to do that today.

Our evening plans will be watching Stargate on TV and maybe sneak in another viewing of the newest Sherlock Holmes movie.  We won't be a part of the 111 million people who will be watching the game. I figured it out that 289 million people will  not be watching the game.  Have a good Sunday whatever you choose to do today.