Spring has sprung, and all those who witness it are eternally grateful. Except polar bears. But I digress.
Anyway, yesterday was such a nice day that I made the fatal mistake of exercising my rusty —*cough cough* nonexistent—outdoors-man skills. This generally entails stepping one toe outside the door, swatting at the bugs, and hopping back inside to curl up somewhere and waste time. I am not an outdoor person. I’m sorry.
But I was feeling ambitious yesterday. I grabbed that huge chunk of metal (or plastic, or whatever it’s made of) that most people refer to as a camera, but I call “You cost as much as a baby elephant”. That thing. For the most part, I’m too lazy to ever get beyond taking pictures of my cat’s snotty nose, but on that day (yesterday), I felt a heroic, photographer-ish feeling well inside my heart. I set out to take pictures of pretty things.
Ahem. Yes. Anyway.
Once outside, I found this cool vine thingy growing up the side of a tree, and proceeded to get the best picture I think I’ve taken in my entire life. The subject was in focus, but the background was still satisfyingly blurry. And for once in my life, I’d actually gotten the aperture correct, so I didn’t have one leaf in focus and the other not. I was extremely pleased. Having thoroughly congratulated myself, I looked at the plant.
That be poison-ivy.
Nice.
This was a little deflating, but I persevered. Here’s some more specimens of my horrendous work.
Random weed. There’s this rule in photography that says you shouldn’t place the subject directly in the middle of the picture. I fail at that one. A lot.
Random dead tree, because we all need one of those in our lives.
It really wasn’t cloudy. But my vast photography knowledge can’t figure out how to keep the sky from getting all blown out.
Is this not cool?! This is cool. It’s pine needles!!! They look like little tiny explosions of spiders or green fireworks! Or something hairy! Or—I’ll shut up now.
On the outside, these look like three blue holes in the wall. But on the inside—they’re three blue holes in the wall. I accidentally had my stupid camera on the wrong metering mode (don’t even ask me what that is, ’cause I don’t know). That’s why this turned out so blurry, except for that perfect spot in the middle that kind of looks like bird poop. And what is the significance of these three blue holes in the wall? Wait for it, I’m getting to that. The significance is—
There is no significance.
Nice green leaves with a spare dead vine. At least it wasn’t poison-ivy. As if it even matters at this point.
I told dad about this one, and he thought it a fit time to wax poetic. “Even a dead tree has its consequences.”
Uh-huh. I’ll let you figure that one out.
Amidst all the dumbness, I give you BEAUTY! This is probably my favorite. Besides the poison-ivy.
You know you’re not a little kid anymore when you stalk a bee across the entire pasture, waiting for it to sit still long enough to get a decent shot of it. I still only got it’s rear end, but in the words of Mop, “When in doubt, the back of a bumblebee is better than nothing.”
Words of wisdom, Mop, words of wisdom.
Because I’m weird and obsessed with poison-ivy.
LOOK AT THAT. IT’S SO GREEN. Gah, its just like Narnia! Why does it hurt so much?! (Props if you get that reference. *Be quiet, Emma…*) Thank you, Maryland, for being my home.
Random blades of grass totally blocking my lens. And a photo-bombing dandelion in the upper left corner.
Well, there it is. My pathetic creative endeavor of the day. (Or yesterday.) Hopefully no one looked out the window, because they would have seen a fifteen year old girl chasing bumblebees around the yard. You may doubt it at this point, but I really am mature, really. My maturity just doesn’t manifest itself the usual ways.
~Sarah
The Sarcastic Elf 
Pathetic?! Better than I could’ve done. I hardly know the first thing about photography. This button—it takes the picture. You delete a picture by pushing this, this, and this.
My favorite ones were the poison ivy (especially the one against the brick wall. Why is poison ivy such a pretty leaf? It’s almost inviting you to feel it.) and the violets and all the pretty green leaves and the pretty NARNIA!
*whispers very quietly* Because it was real.
P.S. Thank you for not being an outdoor person, ’cause I’m not one either and sometimes I like companionship in this.
I like to SEE all the outdoors, and feel the breezes and stuff…but no hiking or anything like that. *grimace*
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Seriously, that is a very good object lesson. See how pretty sin looks? See how much fun you think you’re going to get out of it? Then you touch, it, and you’re a goner. *cackles* Thank you, Emma, I think I’m going to write a story about that.
YES! Thank you. Breezes and stuffs are great. But anything that entails more than standing on the porch and looking at the view is just…no. Now every time Anna tries to get me say hiking is fun, I can point to you and say, “See? She doesn’t do it either!” 😉
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*cackles back* You’re right, go ahead. 😀
Ha, yes. Now we have the caves and waterfalls the Hocking Hills is famous for, and we go hiking there sometimes. I don’t like the hiking part, but it’s worth it to go because they are so. amazingly. gorgeous. Especially Old Man’s Cave and Cedar Falls, in not Winter. The MOSS, EVERYWHERE, Sarah! Soft, thick green moss all over the boulders and stone paths, and the trees. The trees that have ROOTS everywhere, twining all over the ground in the misty sunlit shade of the overhang, and beside the pools of clear greenish blue tinted water…and ferns and rocks and MIDDLE-EARTH EVERYWHERE! *flails* You have got to visit one sometime. It’s like a mix between Fangorn, Lothlorien, and Mirkwood, with a little bit of ruined Dale thrown in. The stone bridges and steps…
And sometimes our OWN woods on our own hill look as gorgeous (we actually named part of the woods after Lorien, back when we played there), enough to merit going out and staring. I wish you could see it all.
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Emma girl, you would make a grand tour director. If we ever manage to get out that way, you’re hired! Just paint a sign like…I dont know…The Hocking Hills Emma’s Way….on your beat up 15 passenger van ( every self-respecting large homeschooling family has a beat up 15 passenger van don’t they?) and you’ll be in business!
You’re welcome.
MOP
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OR ….Flailing Around The Hocking Hills with Emma….😂
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Why thank you, Mop.
Flailing Around The Hocking Hills with Emma…I like that. XD
And of course, every self-respecting large homeschool family has a beat up 15 passenger van.
It is gorgeous. *does bambi eyes with you*
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Wonderful Words of Wisdom, courtesy of Mop. And did you just like your own comment? 😂
Seriously though, that sounds so gorgeous. Moss (I love moss!) and roots and blue pools! And STONE BRIDGES? Middle-Earth everywhere…GAH, I WANNA GO. Hey Mop… *bambi eyes*
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Eh, my comment went in the place I didn’t want it. *scowl*
Well that’s a reply to you to!
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Hey. Those are not anywhere half bad. I’m a photographer. I would know. I love the violets. ❤
'Even a dead tree has its consequences'— XD Love it!
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Ha, I should have known. Is there anything you can’t do? XD I was actually rather surprised by how well they turned out; I haven’t practiced at all since winter started.
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Anything I can’t do? Yeah. Math. I can get four plus four (twelve right?) and that’s about it. XD Anything having to do with numbers… or charts… or anything like that is just… no. I’m a total dunce.
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Yeah, but the things she can do that I can’t make that better. Like making me cry over the death of her villains.
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I will forever count that among my great achievements. :’D
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Hmmm. Snotty cat noses, poison ivy, dead trees, exploding spiders, random blue holes, bird poop…
As the MOP, I feel that it is my responsibility to make a post about the post, rather than just having fun with your friends. And after spending a few days digging deep into the vast repository of my nuggets of wisdom to frame a comment, here it is:
You are an odd child.
Love
MOP 😘
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And if you think she’s joking when she says that she is unable to get beyond taking pictures of her cat’s nose, let me disavow you of any thoughts in that regard….
Out of the 2000 available pictures on my phone,roughly 1869 of them are of that cat’s nose….UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL. 😳
There.
MOP
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😮 😮 😮
*is properly enlightened*
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All I can say, Mop, is look who’s talking. And at least I don’t LIKE MY OWN COMMENT. *dignified sniff* The arrogance.
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Finally found your blog again…no thanks to the email you DID NOT send…will forgive you !!! Did like your pics….love the ones you draw better. (smiling broadly) No tears this time…LOVE you!!!
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Agh, I knew I’d forgotten something. Notice I just sent it. 😀 No tears! Good, that.
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Er, if it has five leaves, like the last picture, I’m pretty sure it’s Virginia Creeper. If it gets purple berries in the fall, it definitely is.
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SHHH! You’re ruining my title! 😉
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Actually, I believe Nolie is right. The vine on the wall is NOT poison ivy. I would have to ask my grandfather if it’s a Virginia Creeper.
Here’s a rhyme to help you remember what poison ivy looks like: three leaves, leave it be.
Other than that, great pics. I like the one with a bee.
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*whispers cautiously* We can pretend it’s poison.
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*whispers back* Yeah. I never said I was a botanist. 😉 At least the first picture really IS poison ivy. I think.
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