Fall Colors: Vanessa Style

So, like, its fall and whatever, and I'm like really digging the colors and all. But, like, I can't decide how to portray them in a unique way, cause that's like, my dream and all: to display fall colors in a unique way. So I've been getting a little crazy and unique with my camera....I prefer to like, call it artistic. But yeah, so this is what everyone can take a picture of:

Like, can you say, "Blah"?

But only me and my like, artistic ability, can like, create this picture:

It's awesome, man.

And on my really creative days, when like, I'm like, connected to, like the Earth and whatever, I can get pictures like this:

Like, this picture is like, looking into a different universe or something, cause, it's like, time-travel and whatever, and like whoa! all in one....y'know what I mean? It's like, all there. Like, we're like, moving. It's awesome, this whole, like fall thing.

I Like Close-Ups

I was walking around the park the other day (I seem to be doing that a lot lately) when I decided to try my hand at some close-ups. However, there were no willing people around, and I couldn't really take close-ups of myself effectively, so I came up with this brilliant plan: I could try taking pictures of nature close-ups! I know, I know, you may kiss my hand later.

This announcement of mine, that I willingly went out in nature and -gasp- got close to the earth to take some of these may come as a shock to some. *cough* Veronica *cough* Especially since my common reaction to the not-so-great-outdoors is: "Nature! It's all over me, get it off!" But I ask that you hold back your amazement until later and understand that I actually, not only came away with some coolio pictures, but also.......I don't know if I can say this.......okay....here goes....I also.....ummmm......enjoyed myself. There. Are you happy now? I hope so.

First off, you have already seen some of the pictures that I got. Yesterday's post about raindrops had all of my good close-up raindrop pictures. So I won't be submitting them again, but as for the rest, well, they are a clean slate.

I really like this one....I think it's because barbed wire is kinda rugged, and I'm kinda rugged, so I think we connect really nicely in this picture. Oh yes.

And this one hurts just to look at. Yikes! I won't tell you how I found this.....it's still too painful. Actually, this one reminds me of the monster-thingy in A Little Princess, how he locks her in a tower, much like this. Maybe I'm crazy....I don't know.

And here is another poky-thing that was actually a huge clump of cacti. I snapped a few pictures and saw a hole and said to myself, "Hey, look self, there is a hole in this cactus. I think I will take a picture of it. Good idea, self." and I got this picture. I think it is blah, mom loves it, and so here it is.

And because I just realized that I have shown you nothing besides poky, hurtful things, I decided to soothe your souls and give it something soft, and green to look at.

Okay, that's enough, back to poky. Just look at this little, tiny flower growing in the big, poky, cactus. I guess it is a rather safe place to be though.....

This is kinda ugly, but I thought I would throw it in, just because it's a close-up and I wouldn't want to hurt it's feelings by leaving it out.

This, I guess, is the best of both worlds: it's poky, but also green. How marvelous.

I liked the unique angle here, and the brightness of the colors.

And finally, my pièce de résistance.....

I have no words.....

Raindrops On Roses

This post is all about raindrops.

I lie awake in my warm bed

The wind whistling outside my room

I close my eyes

Enjoying what some call "gloom"

Hearing the soft tapping

Of raindrops on the ground

Almost makes me feel

Like I'm the only one around

The darkness closes in

Small bugs and animals scatter

To find a warm, dry shelter

From the rain's pitter patter

I pull back the covers

And look through the glass

At the dancing raindrops

Bouncing off the grass

I wish I could go outside

To feel the rain against my cheek

I don't understand why

Others say rain is bleak

I love to listen

To raindrops in the dark

Where everything is so still and quiet

Not even a dog will bark

~Anonymous

It's Raining, It's Pouring!

After a long dry summer it has finally started to rain! I am so excited because things are greening up and turning pretty again! We are no longer living in a world of brown and dust, but instead in a land of fall colors, cool temperatures, and rain. It is very exciting for me.

I mean, look at these colors! They are gorgeous!

Here I was being crazy artistic. Yup, I'm cool like that.

And in this one I got a little crazy, and dizzy. I tell ya though, it is hard to do a good cartwheel while holding a camera.

But then mom asked me if I would kindly start acting like an adult, and so I composed myself and returned to snapping photos like this one. I still like it, and I stayed a lot cleaner.

I Can't SpElL

I have a confession to make. I can't spell. I was horrible at spelling in elementary, I was horrible at spelling in middle school, and I am horrible at spelling in high school. I sense a pattern here. So anyway, if I misspell something please, please overlook it. I sometimes forget to use spell check (my best friend) and misspell certain words. So far, I have been alerted to misspelling: because, congratulations (unfortunately this one was typed in a huge font and so your eyes were immediately drawn to it), room (this was intentional), and various other words. Please bare with me, I do try, and how long can this last. I mean seriously, I've been doing this for my whole life, so it should wear of soon, right? Right? We can only hope so.

p.s. I jut clicked spell check, and I only misspelled 3 words! It is wearing off!

CONGRATULATIONS VERONICA!

Wow...we seem to do that a lot on this blog. Remember when she graduated? She had a 'CONGRATULATIONS VERONICA' post, and another when she had a birthday, and when she got the job at the Maui Ocean Center and when she was in the paper for 'Student of the Month', and then, well you get the idea. She is just too darn good. There should be a whole blog called CONGRATULATIONS VERONICA, and I'm sure we could post something new everyday. Like, CONGRATULATIONS VERONICA you just graduated, and the next day CONGRATULATIONS VERONICA you just moved, and now CONGRATULATIONS VERONICA you just got the highest California High School Exit Exam score in the history of Oakview High School!

WOW!! I think that deserves a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS!!

We are all so very proud of you Veronica! Dad already told Neal and he was really happy for you too.

You gotta slow down girl! You're beginning to make me look bad, and you're not even here! I guess I better go study some more if I plan on keeping up with you.

It's so hard being the youngest.....

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

Today, mom and I, tired of sitting at home all day, decided that we would get out and do something fun. So, we decided that we would go to the Renaissance Festival at Anderson River Park.

We got there around 11:30 and so missed the after-Church crowd, and a good thing too, because when we came out, there wasn't a parking spot anywhere.

So, we wandered around a bit, and admired all the people's costumes, and watched as they did their little, renaissance antics. But, we really came to see the joust, so headed to the jousting arena right away.

These were the two knights: Sir Charles, the one without the hat, and his nephew, Sir Something. There horses were Guinness, and Buddy Weiser.

First they had to prove how good they were by spearing straw bales. They wanted to do it on Frenchmen, but no one in the audience would admit to being French, so they had to use the bales. Some people just aren't any fun at all.

So, after they sufficiently speared the hay bales, they decided to prove their accuracy with the lance, by spearing some rings. They both got 100% on that and so decided to really test their skills and put a helmet on some peasant, and then put a head of cabbage on top of that. The riders had to cut the cabbage in half without killing the peasant. The nephew did fine, but Sir Charles decided it wasn't hard enough and so had them place an apple on the helmet instead. The first time he missed and we had to get a new peasant, but the second time it worked great.

I guess, they decide they had better get on with actual joust before they lost all their help, and so they put on all of their armor.

This is the nephew.

And here's Sir Charles. He looks mean.

Here's the joust!

CHARGE!!

And again....

They did this, like ten times. But eventually Sir Charles was beat by his nephew.

Congratulations Sir Nephew on your win.

Because I know that you were all secretly wishing for more....

I decided to post some more pictures!

We decided to take a walk at Anderson River Park the other night and I decided it would be a good time to take some photos for my photography class. So I grabbed my camera as we went out the door and got these shots.

This was taken as we were eating our very nutritious and tasty Long John Silver's meal. I will forever think of hush puppies when I see this picture.

This was when dad set up the tripod and made me try out different settings on the camera. I learned a lot but I don't really know what to think of the pictures. I like the outline of the leaves, but I have 20 pictures just like this. Not really, it's more like 15.

Since I was tired of the tripod and not really inspired by the pictures I was taking I ditched mom and dad and headed down to the river. It's a good thing I ditched them too, because to get this shot I put the camera right on the edge of the water and I don't even want to think what would have happened it a rogue wave had come along. I do know that I wouldn't be here writing this blog today.

I like this image, but I didn't feel that it had good framing; there was nothing really to look at. So, I got really clever, and a little wet, and got this picture. I really like it because of the framing and the rocks. I also used a slower shutter speed to kind of flow the water a little. I like the effect.

But I was kinda afraid that it was too dark, and I like the rocks to be more visible. So, I took off the sunset setting and got this:

I like it a lot, but wondered what it would look like horizontal.

I like this a lot too, but got to thinking, (and yes, I did write it on the calendar) that it might look pretty cool without the thorn bush.

And horizontal:

Around this time mom and dad started wondering whether I had drowned or something and started calling for me. That's okay though, because I feel that I got some pretty good pics, and I had been down there for a little while. So I headed back to the path and we walked on. Until we got to a pond and dad set up the tripod again...

I've Been Nominated!

for President! Not really, but I thought I'd say it anyway. But I have been nominated for something. I am one of three, high school, junior girls in my school to have been nominated to attend Girls State! I am really excited about it.
To qualify to attend, the participant has to "have high moral character, have leadership abilities, have an above average scholastic standing, and be interested in government and current events." Does that just scream "VANESSA" or what? I thought so too.
It's not definite yet that I'll be attending, I still have to go through an interview and such, but Mrs. Olsen says that I stand a very good chance of going. In fact all three of us do. I guess the public school's around here couldn't nominate anyone, because they don't have any juniors that have 4.0 G.P.A. So, we get to send extra people. Hey, works for us!
So, what exactly is Girls State? Good question. Girls State is sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary, and they choose the brightest, young, female minds in the state (or rather the schools do) and get them all together in a college campus for a week. I'm not exactly sure where I'll be going if I go, but I think it's around Disney Land.
So, once we're all there, we live in a dorm room for a week, and create a miniature state. We elect a governor, and other government officials, and learn about government in general. At the end of the one "rigorous week of study", two girls are chosen to attend Girls Nation. There they act as senators in the "Girls Nation" and meet with real senators and representatives, and possibly, the President.
So there you have it, direct from me to you.
Wish me luck!

Out of the Spare Oom, and into MY Room

For those of you wondering if I suddenly forgot, or never learned, how to spell room, let me put to rest your fears. I am not that challenged at spelling, but was trying to be funny by referencing C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. When Lucy first enters Narnia and meets Mr. Tumnus, he thinks she comes from the land of War Drobe, and the country of Spare Oom. So it may, or may not be funny, but I liked it, and as I am the one running this blog, I get to decide what goes on it. So there.

Back to my magical journey out of the land of Spare Oom, and into my new, sweet, room. I call it......ummm......Vanessa's new, sweet room. So that makes it my journey from Spare Oom to Sweet Room. Yeah, that's awesome.

The first, and hardest, part of switching rooms with Veronica is picking up all the stuff she left behind. Seriously, when she packed, she only packed what she was taking and left the rest lying around. So, we spent, like forever just packing her stuff into boxes. Then, when we finaly got her stuff taken care of we piled it all in the living room (Mom loved this part.)

Here's what the walls looked like originally.

Wow. That's ugly.

After we got all the junk stuff out, we applied the primer coat. It was almost as bad as the brown.

Notice, how I said almost as ugly. It's an improvement, but not much.

Then, da da da dummmmm.......we applied the first blue!

Hmmm....it's not very dark.

I started to panic here. It doesn't look very dark. It lookes like a baby blue! Oh no! I'm going to live in a baby's room! AAAHHHH!! Take it off! I liked it better before! Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh nooooooo..... Then I fell on the floor and started shaking. Then mom got me a drink of water, and I felt better and we started painting again.

And this is what we got:

Three blue walls, and one white wall. That's becuase the white wall is going to be a darker blue. Hehehe...we're so creative.

And here we are, with the walls completely painted!

I don't know if I like the red stripe, it was supposed to go with my bedspread but it was such a pain to paint that I don't dislike it enough to redo it.

Anyway, here is my completed bedroom!

So here it is. It's still not done, I have a few more pictures to put up, and that stupid cork board/white board. But overall, I like it.

Let me know what you think!