hamilton tree fairy?

background: kind-hearted hamilton has a free tree planting program. being treeless, we were stoked. about a month ago we applied online, someone came to check out our yard and left a note in our mailbox saying to call and tell them what kind of tree we wanted. i called but had to leave a message as the office was closed and hadn't heard anything back. it had been a couple weeks so last night when i got home and checked the mail, looked at the yard and thought, tuesday i should give them a call to see if they got my tree request.

around 9pm last night i was chatting with melissa on the phone while sitting on the front porch. i was commenting to her about the people across the street and at the park, etc. nothing was out of the ordinary with our front yard. then, around midnight, i headed upstairs to bed. as i opened the window in the bedroom, i saw this beauty:


down in our front yard! (it was darker then- i took this picture this morning). our lovely schubert chokecherry (i'm diggin the name) was definitely NOT there at 9pm but was there at midnight?? we, including our ever-perceptive guard dog, did not hear a thing! no digging, no truck, nothing! thus the only logical conclusion is that there is a hamilton tree fairy. so thank you, hamilton tree fairy!

mmm...saturday morning

wiikends and so on...

phewf, it's hot!

two weekends ago my sister came up and we made jam. lots of jam. and it's yummy. she mentioned that she watched pride & prejudice (the new one) and is now reading the book so i (so kindly) got her started on the colin firth version straightaway.

last weekend my mom came up and we had a (not so lucrative) yardsale in my front yard. we still have lots of junk left. we rented three girly movies (dream girls- entertaining enough, because i said so- painfully annoying and not all that funny, and the queen- seemed more like a tv special but made me want to learn more about her). we've also been taking advantage, er, i mean, have graciously sacrificed our time to thoroughly check on the hamiltons' pool while they are away (florida again). after mom left, n & i thought we'd better give the hamiltons' new wii some attention too. let me tell you, i now have baseball, bowling, and tennis elbow. so sad.

and in lieu of paying me mucho cashola for photographing their wedding next may, joe & diana have secured my services through gifts... of photo gear! within the last couple weeks i've become the proud new owner of a tripod, flash, photoshop (elements), AND a new lens!!! lots of new toys to play with! they even gave me their wedding rings to photograph for their invites/program etc.

in other news, rebecca (friend since third grade!) is having a baby in august! and her little sister is due 6 weeks later! i've added their baby blog to the list at the right.

jamie = brave?

so i was in best buy last week shopping for a tripod and was chatting with the salesperson about all things photo and he mentioned that there was a hamilton flickr group (hfg- clever name, i know) that meets up at least once a month to go on photo outings, the next one being this past wednesday evening at baranga's on the beach (near hutch's...). so... i hemmed and hawed about it.

i thought i should go because a) it'd force me to get out of my backyard to take pictures, b) i'd be in a group so wouldn't look like a weirdo stalker person with my camera, c) it'd be good for me (socially, photographically, networking-ly, etc), d) i wouldn't have to drag poor hubby along on my photo adventures.

but then i thought that i shouldn't go because a) i'm a big chicken, b) i'm kinda shy, c) i don't know what i'm doing, and d) all of the above.

but then i went. alone. to meet a bunch of people i didn't know. so i walk up to a group of people who carried big cameras around their necks and bags slung over their shoulds and said with sheer brilliancy (wait for it...) "i think you're the people i'm looking for." great. i'm a genious.

anyways, they were all very nice- all guys except for one girl (who's just thrilled to have more estrogen in the group). we must've looked ridiculous, a big group of paparazzi in training, scrambling along the beach, chasing seagulls, crouching in the weeds, and dodging waves for the perfect shot.

you can see more shots from my photo adventure here.

i totally made this...

ps. awww...