Scenic Routes: Birthday photos and Beach Rides

Wow. 5 days in a row. Wonder how long I'll keep this up.

Of course, I didn't end up posting it yesterday here. But it still counts because I posted to daillyshoot, right?

Yesterday was Skip's 16th birthday. So we were kind of distracted. Pretty low key (I didn't even make a cake. I am a sucktacular mother), but still...

I let him sleep in, but got up early to make croissants that would be ready when he got up, then went out at 730 to grab Kelly, (who was at a sleepover) and her two friends (who she was sleepovering with), and we headed out in the brilliant sunshine to the coast.

Ahem. For those of you stuck in nasty winter, you may wish to look away at this point.

It was SIXTY TWO DEGREES at the beach at 9am yesterday!

Can you believe it? I mean seriously, what month is this? I grabbed a winter coat, because I was thinking "January... beach... waves... cold wind... fog" and by the time I got there, and after leaving the jacket in the van, I was still thinking "Why did I wear this black T-shirt? I'm melting!"

Hmm. Someone didn't get enough sleep at the sleepover, and her name starts with a K...

But she soon shakes off the sleepies, and is up and ready to go.

Wrangler would like to come with them...

At this point, I'm cursing my failing memory, because I have put all of my sunglasses in "Very Safe Places", and am squinting as a result.

Yesterday's DailyShoot prompt was "Make an image of two complementary objects, showing their relationship to each other"

So I chose "Horse and Rider" Yeah... not a big surprise... and used this image:

The waves were wonderful, too. Sometimes they're better when the weather is foul, but they were in fine form yesterday.

Back at the ranch, the girls had a bit of time before we had to race away. They went to work grooming some of the muddy horses, and if we'd had time, we would have given baths to them, but we were a little pressed for time. But one of Kelly's friends got to help Jorge longe one of the privately owned horses. that was fun to watch. Some day, Eddie will be polite enough to be longed out in the main area, rather than inside the ring. But not today. This is Cookie going through her paces.

I also toyed with this composition for "Two complementary objects and their relationship to each other"

Hoof pick and curry comb.

But, the horses need to say goodbye. We've got stuff to do.

Back at the house, we found someone who was a year older. (I left the camera in the car, so these are with the phone. I'm pretty pleased with how well it works, too.)

Come on, Nate. Get in the photo!

Kelly! You get in there, too.

A small haul, but I think he was pleased with what he got. Candy from Kelly, a Top Gear calendar and magazine from Nate, and another year of Xbox360 Gold from Ken and I. Oh, and he starts his driving lessons this afternoon. So if he wants to count 'money spent on me', he can add that cost. Although I know he won't. That kid truly does not WANT anything. I think he's figured out early that if he has stuff, he has to take care of stuff. Ergo, if I have nothing, I don't have to bother and pay attention to it.

Hmm. I should have less stuff.

Anyways!

Moving on.

We couldn't linger over the presents, because it was time for Basketball.

I love this shot of Kelly and her friends. They're all gangly-legs, and elbows, and skinny-growth-spurt awkwardness,

Ken is coaching Kelly's team, and it's been a good time.

Well, except for where I'm sitting on the sidelines, photographing, and don't notice when a basketball gets loose, and bowls me over.

Yeah. That was funny, actually.

After the outdoor practice, it was time for the indoor game.

Our team lost. No worries. Both teams, together, will merge to form the team for the middle school, which, I think, has the chance of being unstoppable.

We handed Kelly off to the other team's coach, so she could go home with his daughter, and work on their science fair project together. Their project is called "Faces or Vases", and they're asking people to say the first thing that pops into their head when they see the following optical illusion:

Their scientific method is full of holes, but they are in 6th grade, and they did it All By Themselves, so I'm proud of what they were able to accomplish. They will not be the team getting the gold medal for curing cancer, which is the level that some of these 6th graders bring to the table when their Genentech Executive parents give them 'a little advice'. *shrug*

When I went to collect Kelly, she was not quite finished, and they were thinking about the poster layout.

I had a brain wave, and asked if I could 'give them some advice' for the title.

I figure it doesn't count, seeing as it has nothing to do with their research, their method, or their data collection. And I love how it turned out.

Each one of those black blobs is a separate piece of paper. The title actually is in the negative space. I wonder if they'll get bonus marks for being SO CLEVER!

But then we had to jet off, because Skip had gone out to see the Green Hornet with Cole, as a sort of impromptu birthday party, and it was time for me to go find them at the theater. Easier said than done, seeing as both boys had forgotten their cel phones, so I couldn't contact them. Oh well. No harm done, and soon we were dropping Cole back at his house, and heading for Skip's favorite Japanese restaurant for his birthday dinner.

Skip inhaled his food, so you have to just see Ken's chirashi bowl (no ebi).