Alex....Class of 2010

Testing...1....2....3....

h2o.....

Life in the Fast Lane....

Boy, my apologies for neglecting this blog for the past several weeks...needless to say, I suck at blogging, LOL!  I'm great at taking photos and editing, but when it comes to uploading and writing, I need to work on that for sure.

So, forgive me....

I have some gorgeous things to share - namely THOROUGHBRED HORSES!  I grew up living just above the Santa Anita Racetrack, I mean literally, you could place a bet and then walk into the backyard and hear Trevor Denman calling the race!  Needless to say I NEVER went to the track...it took me 40 years to get there and I can tell you that this past Saturday I photographed the most amazing, gorgeous creatures.

We met a friend in the morning at Clocker's Corner for breakfast and watched the morning work-outs.  I was giddy as a kid in a candy store, armed with my 5d...I shot across the track during the workout.  

Ok, so this isn't a horse, but it IS Hall-of-Fame jockey Gary Stevens holding court at Clocker's Corner!

Ok, AND we got to meet him (he played drums with my husband's band in college!)  Forgive the Facebook/MySpace/pseudo-gang signs of my almost-7-year-old

Later we took the Seabiscuit Tour through the back barns, into the pre-race paddock, into the jockey's silk room and jockey room, then into the saddling paddock...it was wonderful.

I feel inspired (almost) to raise at 5 a.m. to go to the track and shoot these beasts through the morning fog..(I said FEEL inspired...I'm not committing to anything because unfortunately my body truly doesn't function well before 10:30 a.m.!)

This is trainer Bob Bean of Beans Barn...his gorgeous Appaloosa is *29* years old!  We actually had the pleasure of meeting Bob at one of the local restaurants a few months ago (he gave me his card!)...he's been training for more than 55 years!

This is Lexi...she for the most part, lives at the track and hangs around with her best friends - Rebel the carriage horse.  See her coat?  I love it!  So fashionista...or is that doginista??

Jockey Danny Sorenson

Jockey, Corey Nakatani...man, this guy has been around forEVER....one of the last great jockeys...I bet on him when I used to go Del Mar in the '90s....

 

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....I love the track....

Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas/Happy Kwaanza....et. al...

My sincerest apologies...I have been SO behind the 8-ball with the upcoming holidays. To be completely honest, I dread fall - beginning just before Halloween, until December 26....and it's not just this year, it's every year.  I get overwhelmed by the stress of buying gifts, of end-of-semester projects, of homework, of activities...basically of daily life.

But...even in all my bah-humbug-ness, I was able to throw together a little note of happiness and prosperity for the New Year.  I'm hoping that 2009 turns out to be better than 2008.

Happy Holidays & Happy New Year!

A Day with the Ellison Family

So, kid #2 happens to have a FABULOUS 3rd grade teacher.  Matter-of-fact, Kid #1, had this same teacher (in 5th grade) for science...but at that time I was working full-time and didn't really have the opportunity to get to "know" the girls'

teachers as people...merely as teachers.

But this year, not only do I have the chance to work in Kid #2's class every Friday, I work on campus, so I get to see the lovely Mrs. Ellison everyday!

Somehow between making copies and grading tests, it came up that I shoot....and Mrs. Ellison asked me to spend some time documenting her family [Mom, Dad, Ms "E" who is 3, and Mr "A", who is 5 months].  All I can say, is that while every shoot is completely different and wonderful, THIS, was just a fabulous, fun day.  I hope you enjoy seeing how much fun they had, (I *think* almost as much as me!)......

Dad, Ms. "E" & Mom

Ms. "E" & Mr. "A"

Ms "E" and those scrumptious eyes...a photographer's dream!

And again...

Ellison Fam...

Mr "A"....ah...can't you just SMELL him???

Thank you so much, Jill & Mike, for allowing me to share your day with you!!!!

Lynda

All Hallows "Ween"

muhahahahaha.....

First and foremost, let me expound on the fact that once Halloween hits, I begin to stress out about the holidays.  It's not like I'm a Grinch or anything, but I've lost my love of the holidays due to the enormously horrid plethora of marketing that infiltrates our lives (i.e. the Toys 'R Us catalog amongst others...), which inevitably competes with the TRUE meaning of what the holidays stand for.  I dislike Halloween immensely - the pressure of costumes, the candy and crap - but I resolve to participate...because I have children, and there is no way to sufficiently deprive them of what they consider to be fun.

Our neighbor turned 50 this year, his birthday is on Halloween, and the house was decorated to the hilt in celebration.

Joe? Joe?  Say it ain't so...50 isn't that bad dude....

(I digress......)

This year, as in years' past, our girls (minus Kid #1, who at 13 was not 'available' to march....this is the first year since her birth, that I don't have a picture of her in costume ...), participate in the annual Halloween festivities that have been a 17-year tradition, two blocks up.  The kidlets, in all their splendor, arrive and mingle, awaiting the arrival of the "King", who mugs for the photos and then leads a procession (much akin to the "Pied Piper") down the street, setting off the trick-or-treating season.

Kid #3 and her preschool friends (yes, they are in 1st grade now, but this is our annual

"Let's hang with the Boys" night out!  Neven...it's ok to smile bud!)

Nathan!  Over here....

Nathan!  Over HERE....

Hey Nathan!  Look OVER there....

While this technically is a kid's holiday, don't let the parents know that....

This is our resident city-councilman!  Striking, no?

This is Roscoe...he waited patiently by the door to greet the trick-or-treaters to give him a pat on the head, in exchange for some goodies...I couldn't resist him!

And this is what happens when certain individuals make post-all-hallows-ween adult beverages....NOT a pretty picture!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!