Tim McMurdo

fishies, fishies everywhere

Posted on June 28, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

You know those days where everything clicks perfectly? All of your plans work out just like you envisioned. The people you are with are all having fun and enjoying being together. Sunday was a day just like that. After a fantastic breakfast and a bit of a sleep in, friends and family met together at the Georgia Aquarium. I had only been there once before, just after the place opened. At that time, the crowds were so large that I could not see anything. Sunday, the crowds were much smaller and we had time to stand or sit and watch the wonderful sea life.

Gerd and Cindy, Scott and Stephanie, Josh, and I… we made a pretty cool team. Everybody was just as enthralled with the watery critters.

We saw sharks, whales, porpoises, fish, crabs, snakes, rays, eels, star fish, jelly fish, otters, seals, and sea horses. I know that I must be forgetting many others. I was surprised at how well we were able to shoot through the thick glass. The tanks were well lit and we were standing in dim light, which led to vivid and bold blues and interesting silhouettes.

This image shows how I felt at the aquarium. Even as an adult, I was in wonder at what we were watching. If you are in Atlanta and have a few hours to spend, give some thought to visiting the Georgia Aquarium. You are guaranteed to come out feeling like a kid again. I would recommend Sundays through Thursday.

Jodi-ism

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

Waitress: You can get that with one of our dry rubs or a sauce.

Jodi: Why would you want a dry rub when you could get a wet rub?

Me: blink.. blink… ummmm yeah.

mushrooms

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

I've discovered these tiny little mushrooms growing under the tomato plants in my parents garden. They are only about two inches tall and come out in the early morning moisture. The afternoon heat dries them out but, they are back the next morning.

These images are inspired by Anna, who takes the most wonderful images of tiny mushrooms and fungi. Her images are almost etherial in nature and I have wanted to try my own hand at her style of image for some time now.

Auto focus is surprisingly difficult with these images. If I return to take another shot this week, I will switch to manual focus (not my strong point) and give it a go.

my boy

Posted on June 26, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

One of the many reasons that I love to visit Georgia as much as I can. This handsome face belongs to my Son, Josh. And for all of you single ladies out there, he is taken. Sorry for you loss.

lust

Posted on June 25, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

Yeah, I said it… lust.

I am drooling while I wait for these tomatoes to become ripe. Then look out, there will be a feeding frenzy of juicy red eating. How about a few slices with some salt and a drop of basalmic vinegar? Maybe a tomato sandwich with mayo. There are so many good choices and I am going to try them all out on these big red beauties. It is my duty after all.

What is your favorite way to eat a tomato?

curly willow

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

Have you ever seen a curly willow? They look like most willows but, have these really wonderful long narrow curly leaves. I caught this one yesterday morning after the rain. We've had a day and a half of rain and drizzle, much needed moisture in this area of parched earth. The cool temperatures have been welcome though, as the heat and sun return today, I am expecting some muggy heat.

Have a great Friday everybody.

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bird feeding

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

Here in my parent's back yard, feeding birds is taken very seriously. From suet to multiple types of seeds, there is a buffet of gastronomical choices for the birds. I counted seven different feeders and I am sure that I missed some.

All these tempting choices mean that the birds are ever present. Ranging from humming birds to enormous crows, we have been enjoying a real cross section of southern bird society. My favorite? Those giant crows. They are gorgeous with their sleek black feathers and intense eyes. Close behind them would be the ever present mourning doves. I just love their little grey frocks.

Today a different kind of bird will be flying in. My friends Cindy and Gerd arrive by plane. Cindy is coming all the way from Germany. We are pretty excited about their visit and have lots of activities and menus planned around their stay. Having fun and eating well are two staples in the lives of my family. We don't like to suffer.

visiting my parents home

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

Yesterday I made the long drive from my home in Ohio to my parent's home in northern Georgia. The drive is long and I have made it many many times over the past fifteen years. By the time I am finished with the nine hour trip, I am wiped out. Over the years, I have learned that a sure fired way to recharge my batteries is to spend some time in their back yard my first morning there.

Combine formal lawn and walk ways with amazing blooms and the occasional whimsey and you can begin to get an understanding of this magical place.

Over the next week or so, we will spend more time exploring their home and documenting my visit. Together, my parents have built a paradise around themselves and I think you will like seeing a glimpse of their home.

morning meadow

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

This morning, I crawled out of bed at six, hoping to see fog out of the window. I was disappointed, no fog in sight. So, I stood there looking out the front door and wondered what I should do with the pretty morning. When you are anticipating fog, a clear morning takes a bit to get used to. It's like when you are expecting cake and you get pie. You like pie, but the idea of eating pie when your mouth was set for cake takes a moment. I even thought about going back to sleep but, I started thinking about pie.

In this case, pie was a nearby meadow that I like to walk in the morning. I enjoy watching Mom Nature waking up. I grabbed my camera, phone and spare battery and jumped in the car. When I arrived at the meadow, I was the only one around…. I had the place to myself!

The meadow grass was lit up by the golden sun and the flowers and grasses were covered with droplets of fresh dew.

I love to look at the huge number of different wild flowers that grow in the meadow. All kinds of colors and shapes. I wish I knew more about them but, I can only name a few.

Half way through my walk, I noticed a group of three young deer frolicking. I don't normally use the word "frolicking" very often. However, I can't think of a better word to describe what they were doing. Just jumping and running in circles. This is one of those times where I wish that I had packed longer glass. I only had my 18-55mm walk around glass with me.

In this image, you can just make out the three deer on the right side. I stood and watched them quietly for about ten minutes. Eventually one of them saw me and they all took to the trees beyond.

I walk a looping trail through the meadow and soon after making the turn back towards the car, I came across this man's shirt hanging on a pole. I can only imagine what he was thinking. I mean, what would be on your mind so strongly that you would forget your shirt? Pie?

Perhaps the poor guy thought about breakfast pie and lost his mind as he suddenly rushed to get home.

I suffer so

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

We have four cats and some days they make it impossible to get anything done. In this case, Cooper has decided that my keyboard makes a great mattress and the pile of note paper makes a wonderful pillow.

I think I will switch to my laptop for a while. I mean, what kind of person would disturb a sleeping cat?

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Aperture	f/5.0
Focal Length	35 mm
ISO Speed	1600
Exposure Bias	-0.7 EV

Author: Tim McMurdo