Thanksgiving Turkey the Hippie Way

These guys will be happily strutting around in my pasture today. I don’t think they realize just how lucky they are. Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

 

 

Matthew Moore Photography Blog: Sisters

My beautiful girls, perfectly captured by an amazing and insightful Texas artist and photographer.  To see more of Matthew’s work, please visit his website by clicking ENTER below.

 

Reposted from: Matthew Moore Photography Blog

Friday, July 27, 2012

Sisters

These two sisters, Rachel & Caitlin, came to us for their “sister portraits.” When we first met them, it took less than ten seconds to realize just how polar opposite they were. Even so, it was apparent that they loved each other dearly and were completely inseparable. Needless to say, we loved them both from the start! Since Katie and I don’t always get a chance to meet our clients before the day of the shoots, I was thankful that Katie was doing their hair and makeup. This gave me a good hour or so just to observe the relationship between the two sisters, watch how they interacted, and try and figure out just what made this seemingly strange relationship work so well. Again, I’m not exaggerating when I  emphasize how polar opposite their personalities are. The oldest sister, Rachel, is very outgoing, very fun, and energetic, yet seemed to carry a heavy weight of responsibility. She was a little more direct and seemed to wear her heart right out there on her sleeve. Caitlin is a little more quiet and reserved (at least initially).  She hides her feelings well and (she’ll kill me for saying this) seemed a bit more sensitive than I think most people would assume. Katie and I really wanted to draw out these characteristics, so we decided that the relationship between them would be our sole focus of the shoot. If we came away with pretty pictures but didn’t accomplish that goal, the whole thing would have been considered a failure from our perspective.

The first image is one of my favorites and is a very good example of that relationship.  There’s a vulnerability about Caitlin (the younger sister) as she shows a softer, more tender side to her that I’m guessing not everyone is privileged to see. She seems to unveil the true love, respect, and admiration she has towards her older sister. These sentiments subtly, yet forcefully, come through.  There’s a great strength about Rachel in this image. In the same way that most people might overlook how tenderhearted Caitlin really is, you would never guess just how fierce Rachel can be if need be. You can see this sort of lioness- protective and fearless glint in her eyes and in her face. She’s the sister you want on your side looking out for you. You can hide behind her and know that come what may, she would not only fight for you, you have no doubt she’ll win.  I’m proud of these images because I feel we accomplished what we set out to do.

Hill Country Sonata

Sunfire sparkling on the Pedernales River

Soaring a red-tailed hawk on the wing

Cedar and Cypress perfume dance on the water

Bull frog on the bank calling out to his love

Fireflies flicker in the wildflower valley

Cicada chorus singing their lullaby song

Whippoorwill lamenting a nightbird’s serenade

Hill Country Sonata playing my memory’s tune

Bending my heartstrings like a sweet lover’s touch

And calling me back to those hills that I love

More Texas Birds

Male Lesser Scaup – Lake Fork, Texas

Male Lesser Scaup – Lake Fork, Texas

White Pelican – Lake Fork, Texas

White Pelican – Lake Fork, Texas

Red Shouldered Hawk – Mansfield, Texas

Texas Birds of a Different Feather

My husband captured these shots this week.  The group of vultures were roosting on one of our old trees that fell victim to the recent years of drought here in Texas.  The male painted bunting stopped by our koi pond for a quick bath.  I wish the bunting photos were a little better, but we had to take them through the glass of our back window.

Bella Luna

 

Waxahachie Courthouse

I snapped this photo today of the Waxahachie Courthouse.  The two old cars invoked thoughts of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, young outlaw lovers that went on a two-year crime spree (1932-1934) which ended in a bloody ambush lead by Texas Ranger Frank Hamer.  The movie Bonnie and Clyde starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway was scripted by Waxahachie native Robert Benton, and filmed in this area 1967.  Many old-timers still tell stories of their encounters with the outlaws Bonnie and Clyde.

Fun at the Renaissance Fair

My husband, youngest daughter and I traveled back in time to the 16th Century this weekend with a visit to the Scarborough Renaissance Festival, which is held in Waxahachie Texas weekends each Spring from April until Memorial Day.

  King Henry and Anne Boleyn.

The festival includes a 35 acre village consisting of artisans that create one-of-a-kind works of art and quaint shops featuring unique handmade jewelry, clothing, leather goods and other fun items.  I couldn’t resist buying a spicy scented bar of handmade organic soap.  Here’s our daughter Caitlin (or Cake as we affectionately call her) with a Gandalf looking Wizard in his sterling jewelery shoppe.

The artists, peddlers and performers all dress and speak in character.  Performance acts include jousting competitions, comedy routines, music, dance and many other unique entertainers on 22 different stages.  All the performances are included in the admission price.

After shopping and checking out a few of the acts we had to stop for some yummy fried festival food.  My husband Scott chose a healthy baked potato (no bacon), but Caitlin and I went for the fried mushrooms and onion rings.

It was a lovely Texas afternoon with clear skies, a light Southern breeze and temperatures in the mid 80′s.

We couldn’t resist a cheesy photo-op as the King and Queen.

Cake fit right in with the Renaissance characters.  Here she is with a couple of Ogres.

This guy is lucky he didn’t get my husbands size 11 boot up his you-know-what after calling out to Cake “Hey, come here horny girl!”  As penance I made him pose for a photo.

We finished the day off by checking out some of the beautiful performing animals.

Majestic birds of prey and obliging elephants.

I felt a little sorry for this long eye-lashed beauty as she patiently carried kid after kid around and around.

What better way to end a perfect day than with a poem inspired by Cake and the Renaissance?

Absinthe eyes

Dancing fairy sprite

  Cast not thy gaze my way

Bewitch another

His heart enslave

And corpse the birds to pick

Sir Walter Mittens the Hemingway Cat

Sir Walter Mittens is an artistic cat

A regular feline Van Gogh

Well actually he’s a Hemingway Cat

For each foot has an extra toe

He’s a comical cat who chirps like a bird

Whenever he is on the hunt

He uses his thumbs to hold onto his prey

Then bats the poor thing out front

Paying homage to you Ernest Hemingway

The Polydactyl is the cat I choose

And pen my soul upon the page

But try to stay away from the booze

It’s Twister Time in Texas

Living in Texas, tornadoes are just something we have to deal with.  I have witnessed the wreckage and have been within just a few miles of the path of several storms, but never have I actually seen a tornado up close… until yesterday.

Rachel, my oldest daughter is a Marketer in the medical field and yesterday I decided to tag along on a few of her calls.  Suddenly, as we were driving, the sky began to get very dark and it began to hail.  We stopped under an overpass to get out of the hail and within a minute or two the hail stopped.  Then everything got real still, that’s when all hell broke loose.  I did not film this video but we were one exit to the north, and as we turned to the left and looked behind us, this is what we saw. 

 

Twelve different tornadoes ripped across Texas, leaving behind a path of utter destruction, but as of yet no fatalities and very few injuries, which is a miracle in itself.  I awoke this morning to the birds singing and the sun shining.  In true Texas fashion, the weather today is glorious.  Not a hint of the fury unleashed upon us yesterday.  What a perfect day to count my many blessings, snap a few photos and not look back on what could have been.

 

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For the love of Cake

No, not that kind of cake… Cake is my youngest daughter Caitlin’s nickname. I think all proper Southern folk should have a nickname.

 

 She is everything I wish to be. Kind, laid back, forgiving, she see’s the good before the bad and has endless artistic talent. We gave her a keyboard for Christmas (she has never touched a piano or read music before) and within 2 days she could read music and play a portion of Moonlight Sonata.  She also loves to work on her 1984 Camaro Berlinetta. She replaces headlights, changes the oil, replaces loose belts and various other things I know nothing about.

She and my oldest daughter, Rachel, recently spent a few weeks in England and Scotland. Here are some of her pics.